Was Brock aware of what happened at Northwestern?
Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2025 10:25 am
Both Noah and Kurtz dispute that any blood was splashed on the podium. Given that they rely on both firsthand accounts and newspaper articles of the events, why did Brock, even as fertile as his imagination is, include it in his account?
Perhaps he got the idea from a similar incident that occurred two years later at Northwestern University. In that case, Adolfo Calero, then leader of the Nicaraguan Contra Rebels, was scheduled to give a speech in Harris telegram data Hall at Northwestern. The notorious leftist student group InCAR (International Committee Against Racism) led a rambunctious protest in Harris Hall before Calero arrived. As Calero arrived to give his speech, a protestor rushed the stage and splashed him with a red liquid. The liquid was described as both paint and animal blood.
This incident received notoriety because it put the tenure chances of English faculty member Barbara Foley, who played a lead role in the protest, in jeopardy. In what was probably the last known display of courage by a university administrator, Northwestern President Arnold Weber ultimately denied Foley tenure. The story was chronicled by Joseph Epstein in Commentary and, most notably, by Charles Sykes in his book ProfScam. (I’ve put up a link to the relevant passage from ProfScam here.)
Well, Brock is a well-read, well-connected journalist. Thus it is by no means unreasonable to assume that he either read or heard about the incident. Since Brock often, er, embellishes, he probably slipped what happened to Calero into his account of what happened to Kirkpatrick.
This may cast even more doubt on whether Brock was actually present at the Kirkpatrick speech. But given Brock’s apparent proclivities, he’ll probably just say he was confused and was really at the events in Harris Hall.
Perhaps he got the idea from a similar incident that occurred two years later at Northwestern University. In that case, Adolfo Calero, then leader of the Nicaraguan Contra Rebels, was scheduled to give a speech in Harris telegram data Hall at Northwestern. The notorious leftist student group InCAR (International Committee Against Racism) led a rambunctious protest in Harris Hall before Calero arrived. As Calero arrived to give his speech, a protestor rushed the stage and splashed him with a red liquid. The liquid was described as both paint and animal blood.
This incident received notoriety because it put the tenure chances of English faculty member Barbara Foley, who played a lead role in the protest, in jeopardy. In what was probably the last known display of courage by a university administrator, Northwestern President Arnold Weber ultimately denied Foley tenure. The story was chronicled by Joseph Epstein in Commentary and, most notably, by Charles Sykes in his book ProfScam. (I’ve put up a link to the relevant passage from ProfScam here.)
Well, Brock is a well-read, well-connected journalist. Thus it is by no means unreasonable to assume that he either read or heard about the incident. Since Brock often, er, embellishes, he probably slipped what happened to Calero into his account of what happened to Kirkpatrick.
This may cast even more doubt on whether Brock was actually present at the Kirkpatrick speech. But given Brock’s apparent proclivities, he’ll probably just say he was confused and was really at the events in Harris Hall.