Does William & Mary president Gene Nichol have the guts to defend his decision to remove the cross from the Wren Chapel? A press release from the Virginia Informer:

The Virginia Informer, the independent student newspaper at the College of the William and Mary, has invited both sides to come together to debate the removal of the cross from the altar of the Wren Chapel. The debate, to be held in the chapel, will take place on February 1.President Gene Nichol has been invited to defend his position on the removal of the cross. In Nichol’s first email on October 27, 2006, he said that he would “welcome a broader College discussion of how the ancient Chapel can reflect our best values.” Opposing Nichol will be Dinesh D’Souza, the Robert and Karen Rishwain Fellow at the Hoover Institution. D’Souza is a noted conservative who has written articles and books that defend religious expression on campus. The Virginia Informer, with the assistance of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI), has arranged a formal, civil exchange on the Wren Cross issue. The debate will be formal and follow a 90-minute format. Each side will have an opening statement, engage in a series of rebuttals, and will have closing statements before it is opened to audience Q&A. The Virginia Informer asked for assistance from ISI because they have administered over the years a highly acclaimed debate series called “Cicero’s Podium.” In the past, ISI has been honored to host such noted debaters as Rabbi Michael Learner (Tikkun Magazine), Lori Wallach (Public Citizen), Tim Wise (Author of Affirmative Action), Thea Lee (AFL-CIO), and David Cole (The Nation) to name a few.The Virginia Informer is still awaiting a response from Nichol. “We have also offered President Nichol to send a dean, or a faculty or board member who understands the issue and could passionately, and accurately, articulate his position,” said Amanda Yasenchak, Editor in Chief of The Virginia Informer. “We just want to make sure someone from the William and Mary administration has a chance to clearly state their position to the public in a venue besides email. President Nichol has called for a discussion, and this is a prime opportunity.”