Ivins’ talk called off because of poor health
Students planning on attending the University Lecture this Tuesday will not find what they are looking for in Hendricks Chapel.
Molly Ivins, author of the best-selling book ‘Molly Ivins Can’t Say That, Can She?’, who was scheduled to speak as a part of the University Lecture Series, canceled her Nov. 18 lecture due to health reasons. Syracuse University was able to find a replacement, New York Times best-selling author Paul Krugman, to speak in Ivins’ place at 4 p.m. Thursday in Hendricks Chapel
‘Molly had been ill for awhile,’ said Patrick Farrell, communications manager for Academic Affairs.
Ivins had to cancel the lecture due to doctor’s orders, Farrell said. Ivins’ condition worsened just prior to the scheduled lecture.
‘We’re hoping for the best for her and in the future, we hope to have her again,’ Farrell said.
In addition to her No. 1 best-selling book, Ivins has been editor of The Texas Observer, worked with The New York Times and is currently writing a political column for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The lecture was going to be focused on current issues and Ivins’ opinion on certain events.
Some SU students who were planning on attending the event were upset by the cancellation.
‘I was really looking forward to the lecture, but I hope (Ivins) will get better,’ said Vivian Escrogima, a freshman sociology major.
Esther Gray, the senior administrator of Academic Affairs and coordinator of university lectures, was also very disappointed about Ivins’ cancellation.
‘(Ivins) was someone that everyone was interested in,’ Gray said.
Gray, however, believes that abrupt cancellations are to be expected in this lecture series.
‘You got to know this kind of thing could happen,’ Gray said.
Because Ivins’ lecture would have closed the lecture series for this semester, the lectures’ organizers did not want to end the series on a disappointing note.
‘We really needed another speaker,’ Farrell said.
The university was able to arrange Krugman, a friend of Ivins’, to speak in her place.
‘He is a very popular, outspoken columnist,’ Farrell said.
Gray agreed with Farrell’s comments and invited all students to come to the Krugman lecture.
While geared toward SU students, the lectures are free and open to the public.
