PSA will stage protest at Cheyney speech

The Progressive Student Alliance will stage a "Wedding from Hell" this afternoon in protest of U.S. Defense Secretary Richard Cheney's speech at the Wharton School. Members of the PSA will play the roles of the bride and groom, representing the University's research program and the military, according to College senior Christina Ruppert, who helped plan the event. The wedding ceremony was written by the national group called the Youth and Student Coalition Against Militarism, and was performed at other schools on October 9. "Several universities wanted to show their objections because they feel that university research should help humankind," Ruppert said. PSA changed some of the skit to make it more appropriate to the University, College junior David Saries said. President Sheldon Hackney and Provost Michael Aiken will be portrayed and the proposed demolition of Smith Hall to build the Pentagon-backed Institute for Advanced Science and Technology will be discussed. The wedding will begin with a procession down Locust Walk at 1:10 p.m. to the statue of Benjamin Franklin in front of College Hall, where the ceremony will take place. Wharton Dean Thomas Gerrity invited Cheney to give the Julius Steinberg Memorial Lecture. Before the speech, Cheyney will answer questions informally at a luncheon with undergraduate and graduate student leaders, Wharton faculty and executives of corporations that have ties to Wharton. Wharton spokesperson Chris Hardwick said the lecture was limited to 500 students so that an effective exchange of questions and answers will be able to take place. Hardwick said plans were not made to wire a videoscreen and speakers to another room because it would be too expensive.

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