Schlichtmann, Cochran to speak at UA
With little discussion or squabbling, the ASUA Senate last night quickly approved spending $10,000 for a February speech at the UA by attorney Johnnie Cochran.
Justin Klump, the Associated Students Speaker's Board director, said attorney Jan Schlichtmann will speak at the University of Arizona this semester, and will also receive $10,000 for his appearance.
"This is a deal where we can get two speakers for the price of one," Klump said. "It's more bang for the buck."
The actual contract has not yet been signed, but Klump said a verbal agreement has been made.
He said Schlichtmann will speak Nov. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Memorial Student Union Arizona Ballroom.
Schlichtmann represented families whose children died from Leukemia after drinking from a tainted water well, and a movie about the attorney starring actor John Travolta is in the works, Klump said.
The Senate voted last month to pay $20,000 for Cochran, known for his work in the O.J. Simpson trial. The attorney's "scheduling conflicts" kept him from visiting the UA this semester, Klump said.
He said Cochran will speak Feb. 12, also in the Arizona Ballroom.
Not all senators agreed to fund the speeches, with the vote ending up 7-1-1. Sen. Ben Graff opposed, and Sen. Janet Rico abstained.
Last month, Graff also voted against bringing Cochran to the UA, saying he didn't know if students would like the idea.
After last night's meeting, Graff said he stands by his initial stance on the plan.
"My original complaint stands that the Speaker's Board has not reached out to the student body," Graff said. "We don't have consensus, and we need to push harder to ask what the student body wants."
But Klump said no students called him to complain about Cochran.
"I fielded complaints from outside the UA community," Klump said. "Not one UA student called to complain."
Klump also said "multiple people" have called him, requesting appearances from both Cochran and Schlichtmann.
MTV's Loveline relationship advice program might also visit the UA next semester, but plans for the event are not finalized, he said.
David J. Cieslak can be reached via e-mail at David.J.Cieslak@wildcat.arizona.edu.
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