Do you know what I know?

A personal e-mail. An emotional conversation. A heated debate. A private moment shared between you, your significant other, and — the guy from the Office of Information Technology? In the words of the famous "Sesame Street" song, one of these things does not belong.

It has come to my horrified attention that the University is reading and screening personal e-mails and abusing its access to them. One student has been recently expelled for possession of marijuana, but the only way the University knew about it was through its monitoring of the student's personal e-mail. Apparently the OIT people can and do read both incoming and outgoing e-mails from all accounts on the University's server.

I don't know about you, but I find this highly disturbing.

The University would claim that because it owns the server and pays for the transmission of e-mail, it should be entitled to such a blatant invasion of privacy. I say, we pay a hefty tuition that includes such services and should be entitled to a little respect. Our personal e-mails should be protected from this outrageous intrusion the same way our old-fashioned, snail mail is protected. The United States Postal Service is prohibited by federal law from opening, tampering with or in any way intentionally mishandling letters and packages; what makes the University of Notre Dame Office of Information Technology exempt?

Is nothing private anymore? It's bad enough that we have watchdogs in our dorms, dining halls and in the student section at the Stadium, but now they are monitoring our personal, private thoughts and feelings sent through e-mail. That letter I sent my sister about our family issues? They read it. That beautiful forward about friendship and women from my old roommate? They read it. And that sexy e-mail I sent my boyfriend? Yep, they read that too.

I feel completely violated.

Although not the most romantic means of communication (I grieve the untimely death of the hand-written letter), e-mail is nevertheless by far the most effective. I understand that OIT needs to monitor the volume of e-mails because a severe increase in volume would create serious systems problems, and I also understand that they scan to prevent solicitors from obtaining our e-mail addresses. But just because they offer a great service at a good price doesn't give anyone license to invade people's privacy. Once again, the University is hiding behind legitimate reasons to mask its illegitimate and feeble attempts to create a totalitarian state.

Ironically, one of the official conditions of OIT use prohibits the violation of privacy. I wonder, do they apply this same rule to themselves? Forget that Big Brother is watching. I'm more concerned about the University and its OIT.

Today is the feast of jolly old Saint Nicholas, a time of giving and judgement. I was going to put my shoe out, but I know the University would have checked its contents first.

• Do you know what I know?