Nearly all of the Omni 15 found themselves standing on Temple Street, many in bathrobes, from 2 to 3 a.m. Friday after a gas pipeline was compromised in the kitchen of the John Davenport Restaurant on the 19th floor of the Omni Hotel, where the displaced Jonathan Edwards College students are staying through this weekend. As firefighters ventured inside, hotel staff served coffee to the guests. “People are getting anxious” to go back inside, Ashley Tallevi ’09 said at press time.

Fred Strebeigh, Yale’s beloved (and idiosyncratic) writing professor, published a story in The New Republic yesterday — “Ladies’ Man” — arguing that Joe Biden “has some of the best feminist bona fides around.” “Biden,” he wrote, “showed he was willing to trust the guidance of women activists and women judges, and then to contend against fierce and mostly male resistance in Washington, particularly from the Supreme Court.”

The class of 2012 apparently relishes service more than their senior counterparts. Although only 100 freshmen were registered at this time last year for the Freshman Day of Service, more than 180 have already promised to participate this year. “It’s really mind-blowing for us,” said Carrie Nguyen ’09, the event’s marketing coordinator. Late registration is Saturday at 9 a.m. on Old Campus.

Debating mid-90s pop. At 9:06 p.m. on Cross Campus, initiates of the Yale Debate Association were ordered to dance the Macarena — blindfolded. Hey, there’s a reason the YDA is the most successful college debate team in the United States.

Dunder Mifflin, this is Pam. Tomorrow, Yale for Obama will canvass Scranton, Penn., in hopes of winning the hearts of swing voters.

Eli the Bomb Detection Dog will join local police officers and investigators for a Citizen’s Police Academy to be held Tuesday nights in October. The hands-on seminar, open to Yale students, is designed to foster police awareness and personal safety in New Haven.

The first Bagel Brunch at Slifka is this Sunday from 11a.m-1 p.m. That’s 60 pounds of lox.

The New York Times is reducing its area newspaper to two local sections in order to cut costs. Sports will now be behind Business, and the main section will now include both Local and Opinion pages.

THIS DAY IN YALE HISTORY

1978 The Joint Council of Social Chairman established a committee to investigate rampant alcohol use during the annual game of Bladderball The previous year, the Council of Masters moved the game to the Yale Bowl because of unruly behavior.

Submit ideas to Cross Campus

crosscampus@yaledailynews.com