Here’s the Observer’s take on the Grad/Law/MBA ticket-lottery controversy.

Remember: there’s a protest this afternoon. “[W]ear your Tradition shirts to show unity. We will be meeting in front of the bullpen (inside Cushing hall) at 1:45pm…so we can all walk over together. Otherwise please meet in front of Legends at 2pm-3pm for the protest.”

UPDATE: After the jump, the text of a mass e-mail just sent out by Student Bar Association president Heather Cameron.

Dear fellow advocates and Irish football fans,

We are all proud to participate in the tradition of Notre Dame football every fall season. This year, an overwhelming majority of the law school student body made use of the opportunity to purchase football season tickets. In the past, law students have also had the opportunity to participate in the lotteries that have been held to purchase tickets for ND away football games.

This year, the university administration placed the sole authority for the administration of the ND away game ticket lotteries in the hands of the governing body for the university’s undergraduates, the Student Union Board (SUB). The SUB enacted a new policy for the 2006 football season that summarily excludes all graduate students from the lottery process for away game football tickets.

I have been in dialogue with the student leadership of the Mendoza School of Business, the Graduate Student Union and the University Office of Student Affairs since this unacceptable new policy was put into place for the Michigan State game earlier in the season. We have not yet been successful in reaching a conclusion that is acceptable to the graduate student body of Notre Dame. We are still working on it. In the meantime, the Graduate Student Union is organizing a protest TODAY from 2-3PM in front of Legends. If this is the way that you like to demonstrate your disapproval of the manner in which the university is dealing with graduate students on this matter, then please join other graduate students who feel the same way.

I will continue to meet with university administrators this week, along with Paul Schramm, the President of the Graduate Student Union, and Mostafa Sabet, the President of the MBA student body government. I will let you know as soon as I have further information.

As always, with my best wishes,
Heather