350 on waiting list for Cheney

Although approximately 350 students are on the waiting list to attend U.S. Defense Secretary Richard Cheney's speech tomorrow afternoon, the lecture will not be moved to a larger auditorium for security reasons. The 500 seats available in Dunlop Auditorium of the Medical Education building, where the speech is scheduled to take place, were quickly snapped up by Wharton students last week. Several students said they felt security was an excuse for excluding non-Wharton students from the speech since other national figures, such as New York Governor Mario Cuomo, have spoken in Irvine Auditorium. "The security reason seems pretty weak to me," College senior Robyn Webby said. As of Friday no plans had been made to wire speakers and a videoscreen to another room to allow greater student access. However, Wharton spokesperson Ellen Yin said the school is planning to videotape the speech and to make it available to the University community. Yin added that the space limitations are the reason the speech is being billed as "Wharton Only." But another Wharton spokesperson, Chris Hardwick, said that non-Wharton students would not be automatically removed from the waiting list. Students from other schools said they are disappointed that they are not invited to attend the speech. "The way [access to the speech] was organized was unfair," Webby said. "I pay the same amount of tuition that every other student pays, including the Wharton students." "I think there are enough battlelines drawn across the University," said College senior Joe Jacobson. "In a time where business is being globalized, Wharton's attempt to limit [attendance] shows lack of foresight." The topic for Cheney's speech has not yet been announced.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.