The back-and-forth email debate over the Queer Film Festival has caused SBA President Anson Rhodes to decide that enough is enough:

I’m respectfully requesting that ALL students who are not elected/appointed SBA officials refrain from sending messages via the list serve. If you wish to share information with the student body, please send your email to Peter Horvath. If individuals or student organizations have questions/comments about my request, I’ll be glad to discuss it at the next Gavel Club Meeting. It will be held Thursday, February 17, at 12:15 pm in room 101. Thanks for reading and have a great weekend.

If you don’t want to email Peter Horvath, you can always comment on this blog, or email me and I’ll consider letting you do a guest-blog post! :)

Vaginagate and Queergate rage on. Here’s the latest, in another email to the law-school listserv:

(more…)

Professor Kelley’s “breaking news” is being withheld at his request.

I believe his exact words — said in a good-natured tone, mind you — were, “Just keep it off the damn Internet.” :)

If I were a “real” journalist, I suppose I wouldn’t respect that request, since you have to tell a reporter that something is “off the record” before you say it — and anyway, it can’t very well be “off the record” when you’re telling the entire class. On the other hand, I know there are differing theories about the “sanctity of the classroom” and so forth.

But regardless of all that, I’m voluntarily censoring myself not out of perceived obligation, but as a favor to Professor Kelley. I like him… and besides, “anonymous grading” or not, I think I have a vested interest in not pissing off my professor. :)

Commenters, please refrain from revealing the professor’s news [or alluding to it in an obvious way] until I’m cleared to post it. (You’ll know when I’m cleared to post it, becuase… I’ll post it.)

P.S. If you’re an NDLSer but you’re not in Kelley’s class, and you’re dying to know what’s up, email me! We’re allowed to discuss it… I was just requested not to make it publicly available on the Internets. :)

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…waiting to hear Professor Kelley’s big news.

UPDATE: He’ll be the Deputy Counsel to the President.

Taking a two-year leave of absence from Notre Dame.

Note: The name of the absent student who got called on has been replaced with “Ms. Doe” in order to protect the innocent. :)

“Ms. Doe?” –Prof. Tidmarsh
[no answer]
“Is she here today?” –Prof. Tidmarsh
[no answer]
“Okay… Mr. Rudd?” –Prof. Tidmarsh
“Yes?” –Mr. Rudd
[laughter]
“Take it up with Ms. Doe.” –Prof. Tidmarsh
[laughter]

Notre Dame is all in a tizzy this week over issues related to gay rights and abortion, thanks to the passions aroused (so to speak) by the ND Queer Film Festival, which started last night and ends tomorrow night, and the Vagina Monologues, which is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of next week.

In the ideologically diverse world of the law school, you have people like Patrick, who was seething with anger when he learned that Vagina Monologues author Eve Ensler was schedule to appear on campus (her appearance has since been moved off campus), and then you have people like Brooke and Lala, who are wearing their “Gay? Fine By Me” shirts today. It certainly makes for an interesting environment. :)

Seriously, say what you will about the hard-line position of Notre Dame’s administration, but these issues certainly get discussed a lot — frequently and passionately. At this university, there’s no risk of being lulled by the liberalism of academia into a false sense of security about the social conservatism of society at large. Paradoxically, by trying to stifle debate, the administration creates much more of a debate than you see on many other campuses.

Anyway, here’s a sample of the missives flying back and forth.

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I know some people hate Valentine’s Day, but isn’t this taking it a bit far?

“New Jersey courts say all kinds of strange things.” –Prof. Garnett

If you thought you were safe anonymously blogging about your day at work, think again!

Heh. (Hat tip: David.)

The Senate yesterday passed, 72-26, a measure to curb large class-action lawsuits by giving federal courts exclusive jurisdiction over various types of cases that state courts currently can hear. The House is expected to pass the bill, and President Bush is expected to sign it.

Here is Arash’s take on the Norm Chow controversy. He thinks there was indeed tension between Carroll and Chow, but he concludes, “it’s hard to say that the Force is still not with the Trojans, with or without their Yoda.” Heh.

We’ll soon know what’s going on with Professor Kelley. He was in Washington, D.C. today, and he just the class wrote via email:

[M]y situation will be made clear to you at our next meeting. Thanks again for your understanding and patience.

That meeting may not happen tomorrow, though. He also wrote:

Unfortunately I was detained today in Washington, D.C., and missed the last flight back. The first flight out tomorrow, moreover, doesn’t arrive in time for class. Which means that class at 9:00 is impossible, and for that I am sorry.

Well, “sorry” just isn’t good enough! I know I speak for everyone in his class when I say that I’m on the verge of tears right now. No 9:00 AM class on a Friday morning? No need to amble into school until 11:00? Whatever shall we do? Oh, the humanity!!!

:)

[/sarcasm]

With the spectre of an in-class hangover now pushed back a full two hours, something tells me the Strikes ‘N Spares bowling alley will be selling a bit more beer tonight than they otherwise would have, thanks to William Kelley’s missed flight.

But we may end up meeting at some point tomorrow:

I am…going to send you all an e-mail in the morning…and let you know the plan. It might turn out that Monday will be the next time we meet. I’ll let you know tomorrow.

Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Class has been rescheduled, and will meet from 3:00 to 4:30 tomorrow afternoon. So we’ll find out then what Professor Kelley has been appointed to.

I know it’s a bit late, but I just had to share.

This year, both Groundhog Day and the State of the Union Address fell on the same day.

As Air America Radio pointed out,

“It’s an ironic juxtaposition: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of little intelligence for prognostication, and the other involves a groundhog.”