Moore invite fires up UVSC

OREM — Temperatures are likely to rise at Utah Valley State College when controversial filmmaker Michael Moore makes a stop on campus next month.

But sparks are already flying between conservative UVSC students and the college's student government association, which will pay up to $50,000 to have the "Fahrenheit 9/11" filmmaker speak to students on Oct. 20 in the McKay Events Center.

"People view it as political, which I totally understand . . . but our reason for bringing him in is to showcase his talent for producing persuasive films," UVSC student body president Jim Bassi said. "It's a very big thing for (UVSC) and for the state of Utah."

But not everyone at UVSC is pleased with Moore and his attacks on President Bush in his latest film, "Fahrenheit 9/11" — the highest grossing documentary ever made.

UVSC senior Sean Vreeland, who fought in Afghanistan in 2003, went to see the film but walked out halfway through because he was disturbed by Moore's depiction of the president and the war on terrorism.

Because of that, as well as concerns that UVSC is misusing student funds to pay Moore, Vreeland said he will be boycotting the event.

"Michael Moore's views are based on untruths and lies and are anti-government," he said. "Controversy is not what we need at a public university. He's going to bring no educational value to UVSC."

Moore's visit will come less than two weeks before the Nov. 2 election — a strategic move that the Oscar winner admits is designed to influence students to vote for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.

But UVSC President William Sederburg said Moore's presence will just increase political awareness and discussion on campus.

"College is about the exchange of ideas," Sederburg said. "I don't have any problem with them bringing in someone that might be a little more controversial. My only concern would just be that they provide a fair balance over the course of the year."

Sederburg himself is a self-proclaimed "moderate" Republican, who isn't a Bush supporter or a Moore fan. But his political views had no bearing on the decision to bring the filmmaker to UVSC, he said.

"Student government has a speaker series that they finance" with an annual budget of $50,000, Sederburg explained. "We give them the authority to set their budgets and decide who will speak. It's their decision."

Bassi said Moore's publicists sent UVSC an e-mail asking if they would be interested in hosting the filmmaker. Though the student council initially stalemated over the issue, Bassi said vice president Joe Vogel ultimately decided that it was an opportunity the school couldn't pass up.