Though a March 25 appearance at Loyola University’s Roussel Hall was CNN reporter Anderson Cooper’s only scheduled speaking engagement this spring, he cancelled it Wednesday evening. “His speaking agent said he had to fly out to Asia either this Friday or Saturday morning and wouldn’t return until the day after his scheduled appearance,” said Jake Parvino, vice president of the University Programming Board and management junior. Cooper’s speaking agent didn’t elaborate on the details of his reporting assignment, Parvino said.Parvino said UPB is already in the process of booking a replacement speaker and won’t reschedule Cooper as a speaker for the 11th annual Father Carter Lecture Series. “With this, his cancellation rate jumps up to 80 percent,” Parvino said. “We were the only event he booked this spring, and he cancelled. We’re not willing to take the risk and book him again.”

-Ramon Antonio Vargas