Penn State to Host Three Events in Opposition to Controversial Speakers

Penn State will host three events to celebrate diversity and educate on issues including fake news and political violence on Tuesday, Oct.18, and Monday, Oct. 24, the university announced on Sunday.

The events are being offered in opposition to an Oct. 24 on-campus event organized by a student organization that will feature two controversial speakers: Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes and far-right media personality Alex Stein.

At 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, in the Freeman Auditorium of the HUB-Robeson Center, Joan Donovan, research director of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, will discuss political violence and agitation tactics used in order to create responses in the media. The presentation is titled “Doing It for the Content: Understanding Political Violence and Far Right Organizing from Fashion to Fascism.” The talk will also be streamed online.

Journalist and senior faculty member at the Poynter Institute Al Tompkins will host a lecture titled, “Fighting Truth Decay: How and Why Fakers Fake,” from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 24, in the Freeman Auditorium. In his talk, Tompkins will highlight the importance of truth in journalism.

The Student Programming Association (SPA) will also host “Together We Are” from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 24, in the HUB. The event will feature music, food, activities and student performances to showcase different cultures and backgrounds.

All three events are free to attend