‘Irreversible’

CHRONICLE.COM, March 25 — The University of Western Ontario is drawing fire over its plan to award an honorary degree to Henry Morgentaler, the doctor who was prominent in pressing for the legalization of abortion in Canada.

“The three religious colleges affiliated with the university have also expressed regret at the decision,” said the website of The Chronicle of Higher Education. It added: “Alumni and faculty members who oppose abortion have joined the criticism.”

The university says its decision to honor Morgentaler is “irreversible.”

Amazing

LGBT.COM, March 23 — The University of San Francisco’s Queer Alliance is “hosting a huge queer party,” reported the website that serves a homosexual, bi-sexual and “transgendered” audience in northern California.

“The theme will be gender bending/cross dressing, and although attire is very encouraged, it’s not essential for admission,” said the site. “There will be … an amazing DJ, and possibly a live performance from an amazing queer artist.”

The university is operated by the Society of Jesus.

Spanked

THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR, March 17 — Scott McConnell was dismissed from the graduate-education program at the Jesuits’ Le Moyne College in Syracuse after writing a paper — graded A-minus — in which he opined that corporal punishment has a place in classroom discipline, and was helpful in his own formation.

He “was told he could not continue because of a mismatch between the college’s goals and his personal beliefs about teaching,” reported the Monitor. Physical discipline is not allowed in New York public schools and those of 27 other states, but McConnell says he did not advocate practicing it in violation of the law.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education has taken up his case as a matter of academic freedom, and he hopes to be readmitted.

Missing Friends

NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, March 17 — In order to help Irish-Americans learn more about their roots, Boston College has launched an online database containing information from the “Missing Friends” section of The Pilot, the Boston Catholic newspaper, from 1831 through 192l.

“Missing Friends” were personal advertisements from Irish immigrants looking for friends and relatives with whom they had lost touch.

The more than 31,000 records are now available on the searchable database at http://infowanted.bc.edu.

Sister Ambassador

CHRONICLE.COM, March 24 — Sister Joan Burke will be the speaker at commencement exercises May 7 at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, Calif.

Sister Joan holds a job that must be considered rare even for the most socially active religious congregation. She is “a representative to the United Nations for the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.”

Strike Ended

THE WASHINGTON POST, March 27 — A group of students at Georgetown University ended a nine-day hunger strike following settlement of labor negotiations with janitors and other non-unionized campus workers.

Twenty-six students lived in a tent at the center of campus, refusing to eat until the janitors received what they called a “living wage.”

The students reportedly lost a collective 270 pounds.