More than two years after student organizers were told that the student-run Vagina Monologues were no longer welcome on the University of Notre Dame Campus, the Observer (Notre Dame’s student paper) reports the event is back on. Back in the 2005-2006 school year, the play was nearly canceled because the university administration thought it was too inconsistent with the values of a Catholic institution (a queer film festival was blocked the same year). Last year, students did eventually hold a production of the play, but had to find space off campus.
Fortunately, it now looks like the university is (partly)
back to embracing the notion that a free exchange of ideas outside the classroom has value to the educational experience. I say partly, because as you’ll notice in the
Observer’s
article, the administration is still not in favor of the students making it
an annual event and because the event is still subject to a number of
restrictions that would never fly at a public institution. However, with those caveats aside, the show
will go on.