Fordham alum battles liberal 'bias' on campus
Cardinal Newman Society Part One of Two
Corinne Iozzio
Issue date: 11/17/05 Section: Archive Extra
Originally published Nov. 18, 2004
FORDHAM - For three years, Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues" was performed at FCLC without incident. But on V-Day 2004, the "Monologues" were never performed. What changed?
Dean of Students at FCLC Christopher Rodgers told The Observer in October that the university's Office of Public Affairs received upwards of 1,000 letters protesting the scheduled production and asking the university to re-consider allowing it to continue. Rodgers said that he took these letters as a clue that he should re-evaluate whether or not the "Monologues" were appropriate at Lincoln Center.
This influx of letters came shortly after the Cardinal Newman Society placed an advertisement in USA Today, The Washington Times and the National Catholic Register protesting the "Monologues" as a "vulgar and sexually explicit play."
The Cardinal Newman Society, whose founder and president is Patrick J. Reilly, FCRH '91, is an organization which on its Web site (cardinalnewmansociety.org) describes itself as a "national organization dedicated to the renewal of Catholic higher education in the United States."
The mission of the Newman Society is to "promote discussion and understanding of the message of the Catholic Church concerning the nature and value of higher education."
In the case of "The Vagina Monologues," the Society made particular objection to the monologue "The Little Coochie Snorcher that Could" citing it as a statutory rape of a 16-year-old by an older lesbian. The advertisement encouraged concerned parties to contact the presidents of the 30 Catholic institutions that had scheduled performances, and included their e-mail addresses.
Although Rodgers also opposed the inclusion of the "Coochie Snorcher" monologue, he said that the objection of the Newman Society was not a determining factor. However, Anahid Kassabian, associate professor of communication and media studies and women's studies who is familiar with the Society, believes that the connection between the influx of letters and the fact that the "Monologues" was not performed this year is real. "Can it be simple coincidence," she speculated, "that the first year Student Activities decided to require the removal of the 'Coochie Snorcher' monologue is the year that the Cardinal Newman Society released its first report on the problem of the 'Monologues' at Catholic colleges and universities? That seems unlikely."
FORDHAM - For three years, Eve Ensler's "The Vagina Monologues" was performed at FCLC without incident. But on V-Day 2004, the "Monologues" were never performed. What changed?
Dean of Students at FCLC Christopher Rodgers told The Observer in October that the university's Office of Public Affairs received upwards of 1,000 letters protesting the scheduled production and asking the university to re-consider allowing it to continue. Rodgers said that he took these letters as a clue that he should re-evaluate whether or not the "Monologues" were appropriate at Lincoln Center.
This influx of letters came shortly after the Cardinal Newman Society placed an advertisement in USA Today, The Washington Times and the National Catholic Register protesting the "Monologues" as a "vulgar and sexually explicit play."
The Cardinal Newman Society, whose founder and president is Patrick J. Reilly, FCRH '91, is an organization which on its Web site (cardinalnewmansociety.org) describes itself as a "national organization dedicated to the renewal of Catholic higher education in the United States."
The mission of the Newman Society is to "promote discussion and understanding of the message of the Catholic Church concerning the nature and value of higher education."
In the case of "The Vagina Monologues," the Society made particular objection to the monologue "The Little Coochie Snorcher that Could" citing it as a statutory rape of a 16-year-old by an older lesbian. The advertisement encouraged concerned parties to contact the presidents of the 30 Catholic institutions that had scheduled performances, and included their e-mail addresses.
Although Rodgers also opposed the inclusion of the "Coochie Snorcher" monologue, he said that the objection of the Newman Society was not a determining factor. However, Anahid Kassabian, associate professor of communication and media studies and women's studies who is familiar with the Society, believes that the connection between the influx of letters and the fact that the "Monologues" was not performed this year is real. "Can it be simple coincidence," she speculated, "that the first year Student Activities decided to require the removal of the 'Coochie Snorcher' monologue is the year that the Cardinal Newman Society released its first report on the problem of the 'Monologues' at Catholic colleges and universities? That seems unlikely."
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