An open forum sponsored by the Intelligence Studies Club turned into a two-hour debate Monday.
The Intelligence Studies Club invited three retired agents from the Office of Naval Intelligence, the National Security Agency and the CIA to speak.
But when a former CIA agent began to speak about his career, Geri Bodor raised her hand and asked whether it was appropriate for him to be speaking on campus.
Bob Anderson, a former teacher at UNM, told the speaker, who said his name cannot be printed due to the nature of his former CIA activities, his organization was spreading lies and propaganda.
One audience member asked Anderson to show the speaker respect.
"We are all adults here," said Mario Montoya, vice president of the intelligence club. "You got your agenda. Why don't you push this outside?"
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These comments were only the beginning of questions and quarrels that continued through all three speakers' presentations and after the event concluded.
Protesters from Stop the War Machine, Defend Democracy, the League of Democratic Action and the League of Pissed of Voters assembled outside the Lobo Room in the SUB, handing out fliers before the forum began.
Cameron Lenard, a member of the club, said she thought it was clear the intentions of the forum were misunderstood from the start.
"I'm surprised," she said. "The information they're presenting is inaccurate."
She said the club was not supporting a political group or Bush. They wanted to hear about the former intelligence agents' experience.
Lenard said the forum went poorly.
"I feel like some people came here today with an agenda," she said, adding the club and the speakers do not endorse the CIA, FBI or the Bush administration.
"They came to speak, not to defend their careers," she said.
Students taking intelligence classes at the University started the Intelligence Studies Club two years ago.
Bodor and other members of the protest groups said they questioned whether the event was a recruitment opportunity for the CIA.
Montoya said the event was not geared toward recruitment.
Protests and questions continued.
UNM student Jedrek Lamb, dressed in a red robe and white mask, held a sign that read "Thou shalt not lie" on one side and "Thou shalt not kill" on the other side, while the speakers talked to the audience.
Lamb and student Simïn VÖsquez argued after the speeches ended.
VÖsquez said the protesters should have respect for the speakers and that they have nothing to do with the Bush administration.
Aimee Schaefer, in tears after VÖsquez's comments, wrote on a white piece of paper that stretched the entrance way of the Lobo room "Your complacency, lack of responsibility and intelligence makes me cry, sick and very guilty to be an American and benefactor of your system," with an outline of her body saying "this is a cog in a wheel."
One speaker said he felt frustrated that he wasn't able to teach.
"I was under the impression I was going to come here to inform," he said.
Members of the League of Democratic Action asked him if he felt bad about the things he had done for the agency.
"I am very happy and very proud of what I did," he responded.
He said his only regret was that people didn't respect him during his speech.
Lenard said she hoped people who attended the forum were able to separate what the speakers came to talk about from the attacks.
