Cornel West dares students to question the status quo
Cornel West’s speech this past Wednesday received a standing ovation from a packed Kimmel Arena.
Photo by Harper Spires - Contributing Photographer
West addresses justice, love and politics in a powerful performance
Meredith Foster
mfoster@unca.edu - Staff Writer
A crowd of diverse patrons filled
Kimmel Arena to hear philosopher, ac
tivist and author Cornel West speak
last Wednesday.
“I felt it was much more diverse than
many other events on campus, so that
was wonderful to see,” said Ben Judge,
a senior political science student. “I
felt the atmosphere was incredibly posi
tive and that people were very excited
to see Dr. West.”
The attentive audience paid rapt at
tention to West’s every word as he ex
plained the nation’s need for the Socrat-
ic method.
“I question America,” West said. “It’s
not about finding right. It’s talking about
it and being engaged with one another.”
West said the Socratic method is the
only way to truth and real freedom.
“I agree with his point, because it is
only when we can critically question
our society that we are able to under
stand the truth and know what is going
on in our world,” Judge said.
There must be a relationship between
thinking critically and shedding tears.
West said. He said he believes in order
to find the real truth you have to love.
“Love is the ultimate non-market
value in a market-driven society,” West
said.
West also shared his other ideas about
what a market-driven society does to
its people. According to West, although
class is a dividing factor, money isn’t
the biggest prize to be won.
“The fetishizing of money is the para
phernalia of suffering,” West said.
West challenged the United States
to take care of the nation’s youth. He
spoke about impoverished children who
smoke marijuana and get into trouble
with the law. He said the children aren’t
the problem; the problem is they are the
only ones getting arrested for it.
“If the middle class was as endan
gered as poor kids who go to jail, then
there would be a different conversa
tion,” West said.
West said children aren’t given
enough opportunities to do right, but
plenty to do wrong.
“Young people can’t get into being a
productive society, because there is not
opportunity,” West said.
West saved his talk on politics for last.
He covered the dangers of partisan po
litical parties.
“Democrats just want to do what it
takes to set themselves apart from the
Republicans,” West said. “Has anyone
actually engaged in Socratic question
ing?”
Judge, a hopeful future political lead
er, said he agrees with West.
“The best way that our generation can
apply Dr. West’s view of a functioning
democracy to modem political parties is
by never settling for the status quo and
constantly questioning the actions of
political leaders,” Judge said.
Questioning the rules and values is
the only way to discover if there is any
reasoning to back them up, according to
West.
“I’m not for chaos or disorder, but
why are we trying laws out?” West said.
West wrapped up his speech with a
see WEST on page 4