PAGE TWO

Empty Chapel Enigma

It is singularly uninspiring to speak to
an audience which has been forced to ap
pear at a certain place without having been
trusted to show a spontaneous interest in
the subject announced. It is just as uninspir-
ing to be a part of the audience in a requir—
ed chapel.

A third uninspiring situation, on the
other hand, is to have prepared good
ideas and to find oneself facing a chilly
group about the size of a large class in
modern European history.

There are certainly levels 01' better and
worse as far as chapel programs are con-
cerned. Admittedly no olie is particularly
interested in be ing truths he discovered
in high school repeated to him as “What
Every Well-Bred College Student Is Thinks
lng.”

Frequently it is possible to determine
where student interest lies in» these levels
of programs by checking and comparing at-
tendance records. This is not true, however,
unless there is some consistent policy ex,
pressed by the record. When students spe-
cifically request more student participation,
yet turn out for student speakers in smaller
numbers than for any others, it is difficult
to see any logical connection.

Complaints that chapel is too “res
ligious” are heard; yet, when political
and social questions are presented in oth-
er campus groups, or even in chapel it-
self, interest shows no marked improve-
ment.

These facts merely point in the general
direction of the difficulty without placing
any real blame, however, for certainly dull
speakers deserve dull audiences. It seems

uch closer to the truth to Say that it is
not the speakers in general who are unin-
spired, ‘nor is it the Board of Religion.

The average Thursday apathy (which
is frequently left over from the earlier part
of the week) moves the average student
during the chapel hour to consume one to
three cups of coffee, to sleep for 40 min-
utes, or at best to read a few pages. He
gives no really considered opinions about
what chapel ought to be, although he thinks
it should be continued. Neither has he'yet
summoned enough intellectual strength to
force chapel to be a conscious palt of what
he considers to be his educational invest—

ment. ‘

Why Be Longhairs?

Tuesday night brought the final program
of Grinnell’s Historical music series. The
programs presented a wide variety of mu
sical formsisuites, sonatas, chamber music,
operas—and were well received by sizeable
student audiences This series has undoubt-
edly done much to contribute to our under-
standing of the better types of music, and
we hope that the future will see further
projects of this kind. Planned and present-
ed'as they were, they have made a definite
contribution to the attainment of the liberal
education which we profess to seek.

The first four programs were excel-
lently done, and student comment was en-

 

GRINNELL SCARLET AND BLA

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GRINNELL COLLEGE

Grinneil. Iowa

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A wcclily new er published ench Friday of rho col-
Iogc will by on nell Student Publishing Company.
llcrlicii L Picscolt, President of the Board

niiimn in second class ninusr no the post office ni
Cllnlvzll. lo i. niuloi the Act oi March 3. im.

Subscription Rate: $2.00 per School Year.

Editor

.. . Jlm Scott
Busmrss Manager .

. 'Jo Starrett

Associate Editors ..
Spo Editor ,
Copy minor
\Vomcn's Editor .
Cll‘culutlon Manager

Pete Hackes, Peg Astleford
, Stu Roeder
:ilary Romans

Mary Eugen

Bob Green

 

 

tirely favorable For none, however, wasl

there the universal enthusiasm which fol,
lowed the pr sentation of operatic program.

In the first place, the operas were both
sung in a language which We all understand. l

It may be that Italian and French are more inlembcrs of the basketball sqllad,‘

suited to this purpose, but the simple fact
remains that few of us are competent in
those languages “Calmen‘Jones” had the
same,lnusic, essentially the same characters
and plot as the originalibut we could unr
derstand it, and it has been a great popular
success. ‘

not “highbrow” music to which the majorr‘
ity of people object but to the mass 01%
semi-superstitious prohibitions which so of—l
ten accompany it. The Met might be able
to pay its bills a bit more promptly if a.
greater number of people could understand
what is going on.

Secondly, the parti pants were, withl
the exception of the accompanists, students.
All the other programs were presented by
groups which were nearly 100 per cent
faculty. While we can appreciate the desire
of the highly talented individuals who make
up our music department to display their}
prowess, and it is fortunate for us that they
do, the fact remains that the people who
performed the other night were part of us,
our “contemporaries", the men and women
with whom we live, work, and spend the
greater part of our time.

Our generation seems to have acquired
a mass inferiority complex, perhaps inevi-
tably so, through comparison with the per-1
formance of experts.

If any of the arts are to become and
remain an integral part of our lives, we‘
must all in some way feel that we are mak—
ing our own contribution.

Let us hope that the future will bring
us more perfomlances by our own contem-
porariesiby ourselves in a senseipresented
so that we can understand. If this be trea-
son, make the most of it!

 

FOR CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

i

, linents,

l inch-noun,

DORIC

A COLUMN 0F
l rum: BEAUTY
‘l Although it's poor policy to
start a column off with an apol—
,ogy, we're obliged to, as our
chief of intelligence, Dopie Dill-
dock, walked his legs off to the
‘knees canvassing the dispursed
spots of seclusive amour . . .

'1 Before the hypo set in, he was
‘dlile to gasp Hill Bouina gave
Barb Johnson a ring last wouia
cud to start things off with a
ibang. “Daddy” Christinnscll, in
ian attempt to keep abreast of
‘thc younger generation and put
some lil‘e hack into those old

lhoncs, has been seen quite oftcnl

,wiui Barb Anderson. Speaking or
bones, Bernie ”the rack” Beggml
and you “ruli-rall” Elliolt are do-
‘lllg it up right,

Rumor has it that, wirh the
rim-dog" regulation in the apart-
, Children are next to go
Fred “'cbh's looking for a tent.

, Among the more conspicious
‘customers 7 even got his name
on d chair in the new "Pioneer
rub" 7 is Hogarty.

Week :

Johnny

Bouquet m The T0
iii-ho, during the recent illness of
iJnn Gadient‘s mother, sent flow-

crs to speed her recovery.

Bumped into Pen-lilo down at 7

the man's. He was fingering an
injunction Issued against the
musical scabs, )Iel White and Stu
Steinway Piano

and battery, and LudWig drums
has Mel for defamation of char-
acter. All in all, the nite club
was a success,

Now to the Profs: An educa-
tlonal reprieve for the Christmas
recess would indeed be the ul-
timate in Xmas gifts.

Oratorio - - -

(Continued from Page I)

tend the Oratorio are asked to
note the cl‘lange in time. The per-
formance will be given at 3 Sun-
day afternoon, instead of the
nine previously announced.

DECEMBER I2. I947

Letters To
1 The Editor

Dear Editor:
After discussing the contents
of Dr. Hart's speech, which you
quoted in your Oct. 17 issue, with
members of the faculty and with
many old schoolmates during my
short Visit in Grinnell, I am con-
vinced that I miserably mis-
judged Dr. Hart's intention. Be-
cause of the inaccuracy of the
information I gathered, I also
harshly criticized the college for
not being able to secure a better
speaker. I humbly take back my
, criticisms.
‘ The reason that I took such a
stand in regard to the independ
ent statement; “There is no such
thlng as d Chinese,” is because
it is too familiar to me. I 3111 al-
‘most allergic to it. The Japanese
lused it to cover up their doings
,in Manchuria; the British used
lit to split Tibet away from
China; and the Russians used it
to take outer Mongolia away
from us, We have paid too much
‘for that phrase.
I am sorry it has happened
:this way. or course, I know there

 

(Continued on page 3\

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