Fr. MacDonald not responding to the Sycamore Trust's inquiry is yet another instance of something that is increasingly apparent and alarming: the attitude of many of the Board of Trustees, Faculty, and Administration of Notre Dame that they do not need to answer to anyone, or even provide a sound (or even coherent) explanation for many of their actions. They are determined to turn Notre Dame into a leading research university, which of itself is a noble goal. However, they seem to think that to do so, Catholic identity and commitment to football excellence (two of the things that attracted and kept my attention on Notre Dame through the years) need to be sidelined. My frustration with ND is growing. Where are the voices pointing out that Catholic identity and affiliation are advantages - not detriments - to inquiry and scholarship? Embryonic stem-cell research is a perfect example of this. Secular ideologues like to flatter themselves by saying their secularism doesn't "restrict" their research or inquiry the way they imagine religious faith would. However, in regards to embryonic stem-cell research, in addition to "Is this morally acceptable?", secularists seem especially in denial in regards to "Does it produce results?" They are so ideologically committed to the destruction of embryonic stem-cells that they either have not noticed or ignored the fact that not a single cure has come from their use, not to mention that their use is no longer even necessary. Where are the voices challenging the education model of secular institutions, rather than seeking to emulate them? When did "God, Country, Notre Dame" turn into "What Will Stanford And Duke Think?" Wouldn't it seem prudent to have one of the criteria for being named to the Board of Trustees that one be a Notre Dame graduate? Could someone please explain to me what academic value the VMs constitutes? And please, spare me the nonsense about how it makes it OK to say "vagina". On what planet was it not OK to say "vagina"? On what planet does it even matter? Also spare me the nonsense about it being a statement about violence against women. The content of the VMs are as much about protesting violence against women as "Deep Throat" is about promoting oral hygiene. Again this year, my planned contribution to Notre Dame will instead go to the Sycamore Trust.