This post was originally published on this site.
Students at the University of Notre Dame gathered Friday for a prayerful “March on the Dome” following Professor Susan Ostermann’s decision to decline her controversial appointment as director of the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies.
Notre Dame campus gotto. Credit: Know1one1 via wikimedia, CC-BY-SA-3.0.Students processed Feb. 27 to the university’s grotto, sang Marian hymns, prayed, and lit candles in thanksgiving for the result.
The march, organized by students Luke Woodyard and Gabriel Ortner, was originally planned to protest the appointment of Professor Ostermann, an outspoken proponent of abortion, though it shifted focus following her declining of the position.
Ostermann explained her decision in an email shared with students, writing, “My only goal in accepting the Liu Institute Directorship was to serve as a steward for the Institute’s world-class faculty, students and staff; it is not a position I applied for, but I was truly honored to take it on. At present, the focus on my appointment risks overshadowing the vital work the Institute performs, which it should be allowed to pursue without undue distraction.”
The statement continued, “At the same time, it has become clear that there is work to do at Notre Dame to build a community where a variety
Read more...
