Students and faculty alike are preparing for the controversial Ward Connerly debate, which the SRJC’s Arts and Lectures Committee approved and scheduled for Feb. 6, 2012.
Connerly is a former UC Regent and major proponent of Prop 209 and other anti-affirmative action causes. He is scheduled to have a debate with pro-affirmative action speaker Ajuan Mance, a Mills College professor.
The debate was unanimously approved and both speakers will be given 15 minutes to speak their cases uninterrupted. There will also be time for question-and-answer segment. The event will last 70 minutes. For the question-and-answer portion, the audience will use index cards to write their questions, and then the moderator will go over those cards.
“The lynch pin is selecting an appropriate moderator,” said committee member Abby Bogomolny. The person must be able to set limits, keep people on time and be strong, she said.  The committee mentioned several candidates for moderator from SRJC’s faculty.
Connerly is an infamous anti-affirmative action advocate turned lobbyist. His presence sparked controversy among faculty and student organizations. The committee resolved to bring in Mills College professor Ajuan Mance to debate Connerly.