"Slander, Scandal" In Forum Speech

Salient Reporter

Mr. John McKinlay caused a furore at Forum last Tuesday. Alleging financial corruption, self-seeking, amorality, and exploitation of executive positions, he spoke for some 20 minutes amidst a barrage of interjections.

His main attack was directed against what he called "the Taylor ticket," and in particular executive members Shand, Taylor, and Hirschfeld.

He claimed that certain executive members had "diverted money to their own causes" but tailed to state when, how much, how, or what causes.

Tony Ashenden told Forum that he had allowed Mr. McKinley to continue because he was confident that students could distinguish between the "slanderous, the scandalous, and the fact" in the speech.

Speakers in rebuttal of Mr. McKinley's remarks included executive members Tom Robins, Helen Suteh, David Shand, Mike Hirschfeld, and other students to speak included Barry Saunders and Tony Haas. None of the speakers supported any of Mr. McKinley's statements.

Tom Robins replied to allegations that there had been a "Taylor ticket" on executive. He claimed that the so-called "ticket" had more often voted against Taylor than with him.

One student alleged that Mr. McKinley had come along "to bask in the lime-light he created." David Shand claimed that Mr. McKinley had not been to executive meetings, belonged to no subcommittees, had been to no subcommittee meetings, and had not even put his name down to receive executive minutes.

Mr. McKinley was, he said, completely uninformed. He asked for specific allegations instead of generalities.