Campus briefs - News

Campus briefs - News

Presidential Speaker Series canceled after speaker misses flight

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who was scheduled to speak at Santa Clara on Thursday, cancelled the event after missing her flight in Los Angeles, university spokeswoman Deepa Arora said.

Hirsi Ali was supposed to be part of University President Paul Locatelli's, S.J., Presidential Speaker Series. It is unknown if the talk will be rescheduled, Arora said.

David DeCosse, director of the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, said the ethics center would be interested in bringing her back, but the university wants to find out what happened with her cancellation before rescheduling.

DeCosse said it cost approximately $10,000 to put on the event, with a majority of the cost pertaining to her security.

Hirsi Ali, a critic of Islam, has received death threats and travels with heavy security. There was a metal detector outside Mayer Theatre, and law enforcement officials were involved with planning the event, DeCosse said.

"At the ethics center, we'd love to have her back," DeCosse said. "But we'd like to have our expenses incurred met in terms of a reduction of fees."

From staff reports. E-mail news@thesantaclara.com.