Controversy struck this campus last week when SEE decided to postpone two screenings of the film American Sniper as part of its spring movie series as a result of concern from student organizations.
Student Entertainment Events announced Wednesday that it had decided to postpone the screenings and that it hoped to organize “a thoughtful, respectful program and discussion surrounding the screening” to take place next fall. In a statement posted that same day on the organization’s website, SEE President Isha Aggarwal wrote: “SEE supports freedom of expression and hopes to create space for the airing of opposing viewpoints and differing perceptions. … While not easy, we want to start having these hard conversations.”
The situation began April 8, when SEE announced on its Facebook page it would be replacing Jupiter Ascending with American Sniper as the last film in its spring movie series, to run in Hoff Theater on May 6 and 7. A change.org petition sponsored by the Muslim Students Association, one of several student groups that voiced concern against the movie, stated that the film “dehumanizes Muslim individuals, promotes the idea of senseless mass murder, and portrays negative and inaccurate stereotypes.”
In response to the backlash, SEE posted a statement standing by the choice. In it, the organization’s public relations director, Andi Hubbell, clarified that the movie series choices do not reflect the group’s values as an organization and American Sniper was chosen in part because of its commercial and critical success.
Two weeks later, in light of a similar instance at the University of Michigan and growing concern from students, SEE announced the postponement of the screening. The group said it faced too many time constraints to successfully organize a panel or program to accompany the movie and decided a postponement to the fall would ensure an event that would facilitate an open dialogue about the issues presented in the film.
The story went national last week when Fox News and other outlets ran stories about SEE’s decision.
The Muslim Students Association, one of the groups that opposed the screening and met with SEE to discuss concerns, has received the brunt of online backlash resulting from the decision to postpone the screenings. Sophomore finance and marketing major Naeem Baig, the organization’s public relations director, said that MSA has received anti-Islamic messages and threats as a result of its involvement.
“It was us amongst other student groups [in opposition], but I think it’s easiest to point the finger and put the blame on our community simply because it’s the most expedient,” he said. “If anything, the overwhelming and truly shocking backlash has validated the concerns we expressed prior to the film.”
Junior biology major Breyer Hillegas, head of this university’s College Republicans chapter, has been a leading voice of opposition to SEE’s decision. He said the threats against MSA are not acceptable.
“All the anger should be centered on SEE and the bad decision they made,” he said.
The threats are mostly coming from nonstudents, Baig said.
“In the wake of this event, I will say that, frankly, our cause for concern, our alarm and awareness, has gone way up,” Baig said. “There are fears, very real fears, in our community.”
In the two weeks after the decision, Laura McGrath, SEE’s adviser, said the group met with representatives from the Office of Community Engagement, the Office of Veteran Student Life, student leaders in MSA and other directors of campus organizations to assess their options. On Wednesday, SEE officials made their decision.
Earlier in the month, soon after SEE had landed on American Sniper as a replacement, the University of Michigan made headlines for canceling a campus screening of the film. After much backlash, Michigan reversed its decision. McGrath said after this event SEE realized it might be headed for a lose-lose situation and sought the best way to proceed.
“I felt like it repressed the communication of ideas and open dialogue and it really considered one view of the situation,” said sophomore government and politics major Susan Price.
On Thursday afternoon, this university posted a statement saying it was not involved in the decision in any way.
On Friday afternoon, SEE posted a follow-up message assuring the public American Sniper will be shown in the fall and thanking them for voicing their concerns. The group said it fully intends to have a panel and discussion accompany the film.
“It could be a good thing in the fall. Framing [the movie] as something to be discussed and to be understood as a specific historical moment — that’s a good first step,” senior English major Andrew Mayton said. “But it still has the potential to spiral wildly out of control.”
