The university released a statement Monday saying that it "respects the right of a free society to offer opinion" while not condoning the movie. But, the statement said, "Discussions on topics such as this are characteristic of a vibrant educational community."
The issue went to the highest levels of the state university system. Chancellor William E. Kirwan conferred Monday and over the weekend with College Park President C.D. Mote Jr., other state university presidents and the state attorney general's office.
Kirwan said that it can be "very harmful" for legislatures to micromanage universities but that he supports the proposal that universities develop a policy on pornography.
"What I respect so much about the language we're hearing now is that the legislature is saying this is something that the board [of regents] should consider," he said. "They have a responsibility to see that universities have policies in place that support the basic mission and purpose of the state university in its use of state dollars."
Sen. Andrew P. Harris, a Republican representing Baltimore and Harford counties who led the opposition to the film last week, said he backs the compromise language but would be closely monitoring the policy that the university devises.
"They heard loud and clear that that policy probably can't include showing pornography for fun and entertainment," he said. "I am assuming that their policy will make that clear."
If not, Harris said, he would raise the issue in next year's legislative session.
But just as some said that politics got in the way of honest discussion in Annapolis, politics on the campus played a role, too.
Monday's screening was organized by the Student Power Party, which is putting up a slate of candidates for student government offices. It happens that the election is Tuesday and Wednesday.
"We won't be watering anything down in the screening tonight," promised Malcolm Harris, a candidate for student government president, when pressed by reporters on why only 30 minutes of the film would be shown. "I think you'd be hard-pressed to find a lot of students who want to sit around for a 2 1/2 -hour viewing of pornography on a Monday night."
Sophomore Xenia Strunnikova said, "Just because it's a state school, state legislators shouldn't be telling us what we can and cannot watch."
Baltimore Sun reporters Julie Bykowicz and Laura Smitherman contributed to this article.
