As many know, internationally renowned linguist, political scientist and activist Noam Chomsky came to speak at the University two nights ago in 150 Columbia. Even two hours before he arrived, the line to get in was lengthy. I arrived at 5:20 p.m., skipping a class to make sure I’d see the legend. Time passed and the line behind me grew at a terrifyingly fast rate. As did the line in front of me.
By the time 6:30 p.m. rolled around and the doors opened, the line in front of me had somehow tripled, and news of the overflow room, 180 PLC, being full was circulating.
Seven p.m. hit, and Chomsky walked in, greeted by cheering and applause from the outside. He was the last one to enter the building. I was literally 10 people away from the door.
“That old man just cut everybody!” someone joked.
But when we were told that Columbia was at maximum capacity, people dissipated quickly.
The point is this: Whoever organized the event to bring Noam Chomsky here should have held the event in the Matthew Knight Arena. After all, Tracy Kidder spoke there, and Chomsky’s career is almost as long as Kidder’s entire lifespan. I don’t mean to imply that Chomsky is better than Kidder by any means, but the facts are these: Chomsky drew students from Oregon State University and the Portland metro area; Chomsky drew people from all over Oregon; Chomsky filled the two biggest lecture halls on campus with hundreds of people to spare.
I have to wonder why it is that a world-renowned activist, linguist and MIT professor was not staged in the campus’ newest, most expensive arena, and whose organizational skills left so many people disappointed?
[email protected]