Spring Break
The Warrior attacks
Former wrestling champion creates controversy with comments
Joe Wentzel
Issue date: 4/6/05 Section: News
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The night quickly changed from a love fest over the Ultimate Warrior and his career in what was then known as the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to an attack on his personal beliefs. The Warrior - who Norm Moghtaderi, a 10th-semester sociology and history major, felt was homophobic and racist - was met with unhappy members of the Tent City protest group.
"People like this should not be allowed to spat this off without being countered," said Geoff Traugh, a 4th-semester peace studies and political science major.
The dispute between Traugh and Warrior escalated. Warrior screamed back and stomped on the stage saying questions would be answered during the question and answer segment.
Many people in the audience yelled and verbally attacked Warrior and his views during his hour-and-a-half discussion.
"How do you think, I feel I have to protect him," Maj. Sgt. Linda Killarney said. She called three other officers to the scene for backup. The crowd was warned if this was not stopped, it would end.
The College Republicans, who sponsored the event with the Undergraduate Student Government, said the organization was just trying to add another point of view to the discussion.
"We are truly sorry that the Warrior did not measure up to our standards," College Republicans Spokesman Heath Fahle said.
The group said they had worked hard to bring another view to add to respectful debates. They thought Warrior would represent news ideas after members saw him live. The organization felt compelled to send out a press release apologizing for the event.
"We do not feel that happened tonight," Fahle said. He said the College Republicans had wanted a respectful debate.
Warrior got an unfavorable response from the crowd when he discussed homosexuals.
"Queering don't make the world work," Warrior said.