-
1 of 10
-
2 of 10
-
3 of 10
-
4 of 10
-
5 of 10
-
6 of 10
-
7 of 10
-
8 of 10
-
9 of 10
-
10 of 10
BSU President Kustra’s answers questions regarding Seymour Hersh
Archive
Comments
Story
The award-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh spoke at Boise State on Feb.13 to more than 1,500 attendees at the Distinguished Lecture Series. Hersh broke the story about the My Lai massacre in Vietnam, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize.
Recently, Hersh covered the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. He spoke about his insights on the United States’ foreign relations.
Q: What do you think about the presentation tonight?
A: Well, I think this presentation falls in line with all of the presentations in our Distinguished Lecture Series. It's a great opportunity for people to come together and think a little bit about public policy. Just a week ago we had a conservative speaker on the same podium, John Stossel from ABC news and the audience was filled with conservatives from around the region. Tonight, we have a slightly more liberal audience because the speaker is Seymour Hersh. That's what a university is all about, presenting all sides of the issues facing America in the world we live in.
Q: What do you think student particularly can take away from this lecture?
A: I think it's an opportunity for students to think critically about their government. They can think critically about their government and come away from a presentation like this in complete agreement or they can think critically about their government and come away thinking critically about the speaker in full support of the government. The point is, this series is intended to make our students think about the crucial issues of the day and I think we've succeeded tonight as we've succeeded throughout the year.
Q: What did you personally take away from this presentation?
A: I found it fascinating to talk to a man who has actually played such a critical role in the last forty years of our history looking at it from the standpoint of the press. It's a fascinating account. Whether people here tonight or who read about this agree or disagree with Seymour Hersh or what he stands for, there is no question that it gives us remarkable insight into the events surrounding the Vietnam War, the 1970s and the CIA abuses right on down to the present time.
Micah McLaughlin
News Writer