UNLV student's light question endures - News

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Nov. 17, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV student's light question endures

Diamonds or pearls query asked as event ends

By HENRY BREAN and BETH WALTON
REVIEW-JOURNAL

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MARIA PARRA-SANDOVAL: I'm a UNLV student, and my question is for Senator Clinton. This is a fun question for you. Do you prefer diamonds or pearls?

HILLARY CLINTON: Now, I know I'm sometimes accused of not being able to make a choice. I want both.

CNN'S SUZANNE MALVEAUX: Do we get to ask any of the other candidates or I suppose just Senator Clinton?

JOE BIDEN: I'm for diamonds. Diamonds.

PARRA-SANDOVAL: It's the only thing shining up there.

MALVEAUX: OK. Thank you so much.

CNN'S WOLF BLITZER: All right. So on that note, diamonds and pearls, I want to thank all of the Democratic presidential candidates for joining us here this evening. Let's give them a big round of applause.

Maria Luisa Parra-Sandoval
UNLV student takes heat for question on light topic

A UNLV student's question about jewelry preferences stirred more controversy a day later than health care, Iran or any of the other issues raised during Thursday's Democratic presidential debate.

When University of Nevada, Las Vegas student Maria Luisa Parra-Sandoval asked New York Sen. Hillary Clinton whether she preferred diamonds or pearls, the crowd erupted with laughter.

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But some 24 hours later, Parra-Sandoval said she was upset she had to ask the question. Parra-Sandoval couldn't elaborate because she was on her way to work.

According to The New York Times, Parra-Sandoval, a political science student, was contacted by CNN through a professor to submit a question for the debate. She wrote two questions, about heath care and the Iraq war, but both were rejected by the network because similar questions were already slated to be asked, the newspaper reported.

On Wednesday, a CNN producer asked Parra-Sandoval for two more questions, one on a serious topic and a lighter question, The New York Times reported.

She responded with a question about the safety of the planned Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, and "with the deadline approaching ... noticing the pearl-pattern background on her MySpace page" she posed the question about jewelry, the newspaper reported.

CNN told Parra-Sandoval to memorize both questions.

Since Yucca Mountain already had been discussed, "with less than two minutes left in the debate, CNN asked the student if she'd like to ask her 'diamonds or pearls' question," a CNN spokeswoman said.

Parra-Sandoval agreed to ask the question, the spokeswoman said.

"Because I was on national TV, I felt hesitant, but then I felt like, 'Oh my God, I'm on national TV, I'll just ask it,' " Parra-Sandoval told The New York Times.

According to the paper, Parra-Sandoval is now being accused "by everyone from bloggers to fellow students, of asking an airheaded, sexist question."

On her MySpace page Parra-Sandoval vented her frustration, saying CNN wanted her to use the less thoughtful question.

She wrote: "That's what the media does. See, the media chose what they wanted, not what the people or audience really wanted. That's politics; that's reality. ... But do not judge me or my integrity based on that question."

David Damore, a UNLV political science professor who teaches Parra-Sandoval's public opinion class, was surprised to hear her serve up such a softball.

"I was a little disappointed right after I heard it," he said.

"She's a very, very bright girl, and she's done a lot of research" on the issues, Damore said. "She's probably one of the top students in our program."

Parra-Sandoval is a member of the Honors College at UNLV. She was selected to attend the prestigious Public Policy and Leadership Conference at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and to serve as a political communications intern for Sen. Harry Reid in Washington, D.C., according to a press release the school issued about two years ago.

On Friday morning, Damore said he and other faculty members received an e-mail from Parra-Sandoval explaining why she asked the question.

Unfortunately for her, the question seems destined to become the one enduring moment from the debate, Damore said.

"She was very excited about going to the debate and getting to ask a question. Now it's kind of turned into a nightmare for her," Damore said. "She'll always be known as the girl who asked the dumb question."

Contact reporter Henry Brean at hbrean@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0350.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. where's Harry wrote on November 17, 2007 01:33 PM: Harry strikes again. Disgusting wrote on November 17, 2007 12:10 PM: I have not met one person that is for Hillary. So, where is CNN pol info coming from???? A vote for Hillary will put Harry back in the White House. Let the BLM land flips roll. This girl is on the track to become Harry's next rising star. Isn't that how Darrio got his start? One had to ask what kind of job is waiting for Dario when he gets out? After all he did keep his mouth shut. howard wrote on November 17, 2007 11:15 AM: This was the same thing as Slick Willy being asked, "America wants to know boxers or briefs". Hillary is pathetic. She gets caught planting questions and her response is to plant more questions. She knows she owns the main stream media and they will do anything to get her elected. "She's probably one of the top students in our program", says all you need to know about this program at UNLV. That place is high school with ashtrays. If this airhead can make herself out to be the victim of some Republican plot Harry Reid will get her to run against Jon Porter next time. Bill wrote on November 17, 2007 09:23 AM: Why would you even submit a dumb question like that in the first place? And I like how Hillary Clinton was non-commital to even a mindless question like this by answering that she would have both. I'm not surprised in the slightest. Tom, Burbank wrote on November 17, 2007 09:23 AM: I suspected by Shrillary's too-quick answer (she's not a funny person; she couldn't be the opening act for an opening act) that it was a set-up, and this article confirms it for me. "...Parra-Sandoval said she was upset she had to ask the question." She didn't HAVE to, but she did anyway. She asked the question and participated in the charade, so she's responsible. If not for this article she would have remained for me and most of America an anonymous dolt getting her ya-yas out by being cute, but now she has a name and a little fame/notoriety. The lure of celebrity is so stong in today's vapid society that people wilingly allow themselves to be manipulated to even the most degrading levels for a moment as the center of attention du-jour. Corrupt CNN uses that allure like a date-rape drug to their own perverted advantage. But, she's young, and has a lot of life ahead of her to gain a sense of self and self-respect. Tom, Burbank wrote on November 17, 2007 09:20 AM: I knew by Shrillary's too-quick answer (she's not a funny person; she couldn't be the opening act for an opening act) that it was a set-up, and this article confirms it for me. "...Parra-Sandoval said she was upset she had to ask the question." She didn't HAVE to, but she did anyway. She asked the question and participated in the charade, so she's responsible. If not for this article she would have remained for me and most of America an anonymous dolt getting her ya-yas out by being cute, but now she has a name and a little fame/notoriety. The lure of celebrity is so stong in today's vapid society that people wilingly allow themselves to be manipulated to even the most degrading levels for a moment as the center of attention du-jour. Corrupt CNN uses that allure like a date-rape drug to their own perverted advantage. But, she's young, and has a lot of life ahead of her to gain a sense of self and self-respect. Steve wrote on November 17, 2007 08:41 AM: "a political communications intern for Sen. Harry Reid in Washington, D.C.,..." Seems she had a good teacher at being Hillary, CNN, and the liberal left's political stooge. Her stupidity should get her a permanent job with either Harry or his son. And now, she's trying to play the "I'm being attacked because I'm female" card just like her idol Hillary. Brian wrote on November 17, 2007 08:38 AM: To all below: Much ado about nothing . . . Jane wrote on November 17, 2007 07:58 AM: As Hillary has remained for political gain the victim in her faithless marriage, so this student chose to be CNN's victim for a moment of political glory. Both could have decided to be stronger than their poor choices and would have been better examples for women today. Mick wrote on November 17, 2007 07:53 AM: This is simple. Tell them whatever they want to hear, then ask the question you want... but first indicate CNN tried to force you to ask a stupid question, then ask the question you want... Result, rightly trounce CNN for the censorship, peg the candidate with a "REAL QUESTION"! Read All Comments