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Page Two THE SKYSCRAPER Dec. 9,1964 IHE UfS A fl I ill (J II I U I) IIIII L II will grip current issues and events and hold them before the campus in order that members of the Mundelein community may sense and direct history rather than bob in its wake. Need Balance Between Culture Craze, Apathy A study of attendance at extracurricular activities has produced a crazy quilt rather than a clear pattern. Not one or even several primary reasons emerge for low attendance, so no pat solution is in sight. However, two things ought to be considered in relation to extracurricular programs: the phenomenon Robert Brustein calls expiatory cultural conscience and low motivation. Sponsors of programs, whether they are departments, clubs, faculty members or students, would do well to note Mr. Brustein's phrase. Per haps they are trying to amass too large an audience too often or for too highly specialized a program. No Need to Overcompensate That the most significant aspects of a culture (in the broad sense of the thought and accomplishments of a civilization) should be availa ble beyond the classroom on campus is undeniable. But if American higher education was more classroom-orientated in earlier decades, cur rent college communities need not feel compelled to compensate for this within the four-year careers of collegians in the second half of this century. This is not to suggest a drastic cut in programs, but rather that sponsors will be more at ease when they calculate audience size realis tically befoi-e the program and plan accordingly. Why make the goal a full Theater, McCormick Lounge or Room 405 when perhaps a more fruitful program can be planned for a classroom, the inner social room, or the theater on the eighth floor. The prospective audience, too, must consider itself. Why attend a city college ? To work, save money by living at home, have access to Field's, The Shubert, or the Empire Room? One answer which is in evitable for anyone who poses the question seriously whether about a college in Chicago or Rome is the variety of opportunity to encounter Western culture. Texts Don't Equal Creators To disregard the opportunities available at Mundelein by virtue of its location in a city of eminent residents and visitors is to confess indif ference to one of education's most vital elements. How can a textbook simulate the creativity, discernment and adaptability generated when students meet contemporary ideas alive in their creators? No one can expect an all-the-people-all-the-time attendance record. Nor should attendance be reluctant or passive. If a student has an alter native activity a serious debate over a coke, an evening date for a play, opera, etc. of equal value, the choice is hers. But if the decision is between a worthwhile program during the few on-campus hours and a bridge game just as well postponed for tomorrow, the 20th century im poses choice of the former. Will bridge be essential to cope with the Congo or Mars? Mary Etta Talarico Cupid Has Substitute; IBM Matches Lovers The IBM machines are trying to take over where Cupid left off. Since their jet-age marriage, the electronic computer and the automated machine have apparently achieved such a perfect union that they feel justified in attempting to match young innocents of the human species. Since there seems to be somewhat of a communication problem between the sexes on college campuses today, several of these well- intentioned institutions have introduced an alienation age phenomenon known as the IBM mixer. Questionnaire Types Lovers for IBM By means of a detailed questionnaire, which includes such queries as Are you above, average or below philosophically? , Are you hand some, sub-handsome or very handsome? , the IBM machine is supposed to unite every Juliet with her Romeo. The two lucky individuals then constitute that perennial dream of romantic love, the ideal couple. Now this is perhaps the most radical variation of boy-meets-girl since that night of bitter chill when Porphyro stole into Madeline's cham ber. While IBM machines may be able to do everything from translating Russian to English at the rate of 1,800 words per minute to adding 15 digit numbers in two-millionths of a second, they run a poor second to moonlight and roses. Automation may have developed that soothing baby bottle warmer that plays Brahm's Lullaby, but the controlled clicks and clacks of an International Business Machine can never match the strains of I Love You Truly. Wrong Button Might Be Fatal While chemists have been experimenting with various compounds in an attempt to make the phlegmatic individual more personable, no IBM machine can bring two complex people together and make them like each other. And to think that a push of the wrong button or a slip of the wrong lever could bring together a philosophical, religious, loquacious, handsome, sports-minded liberal and an unthinking, atheistic, introverted, homely, sports-hating conservative The result could be the finest ex ample of the adage opposites attract or the beginning of World War III. People may live and die under the banner of a computer-infiltrated company with an IBM timecard their only identification, but the machines could at least cooperate in keeping Cupid off the relief rolls. Sylvia Hajek Jest Spices 'La Cenerentola'; Stage Setting Lacks Flavor Gioacchino Rossini's delightful fun-opera, La Cenerentola, is an enjoyable ' experience in oper atic stereotype. The music, situa tions, characterizations and plot de lightfully blend in creating a sort of a deft mutation of the story of the life and loves of that beloved maid of the hearth, Cinderella. Cinderella, as it turns out, is a character of shallow but loveable di mension. She is somewhat shy, very feminine and pretty, and good and clean and kind. Her step sisters, on the other hand, spend most of the first act preening though ap parently the prince feels that in their cases, to prune would be bet ter than to preen. The prince turns out to be ex ceedingly handsome, virile, forth right and just plain virtuous. Im mediately, one is able to perceive a sort of a four-pointed love tri angle encompassing the prince, by Mickey Parent Cinderella, and the two Sisty-ug- lers. And so with this unbearable dilemma delineated for the audi ence, the opera unfolds. Teresa Berganza gives a charm ingly poignant, if at times wooden, portrayal of the heroine. Her per formance is not only vocally superb, but she lends a certain charm and dignity to the stage by her mere presence. And this is really a bit more tricky than it sounds, for she has apparently been directed to pass her entire time at the prince's ball standing perfectly still in the mid dle of the stage, so that she looks and sounds like a singing wedding cake. Renzo Casellato gives a believable and vocally excellent performance as the Prince of Salerno, and Sesto Bruscantini does a fantastic job as Dandini, the Prince's valet. In a remarkably clever plot to outwit female fortune-seekers these two young men contrive to switch roles, and thus spend a good part of the opera masquerading as each other. The valet, Dandini, in his princely role-playing, masterfully adds hu mor to the opera, tripping con stantly over his cape and trying to escape from Clorinda and Thisbe, the two ugly step sisters. The only disappointing part of the evening is the staging, which is noticeably almost painfully traditional and unimaginative. Subtlety or creativity in this re spect is virtually non-existent: one of the main characters is always stage center and the supporting characters are always arranged about him or her in a well-balanced human collage. But these are the things which give the opera its own unique flavor. They are the things which make the Lyric's offering of La Cenerentola an evening of pleasant diversion and real enjoyment. Sounding Board Editor: I am deeply grateful to my good friends in the Mundelein College community, religious and lay, fac ulty and students, administration and staff, who were generous in their expressions of sympathy on the death of my father. You would have liked him. He would have liked you. My regret is that you never met. Norbert J. Hruby Editor: Why faculty members ask to read articles before publication: 1) FUSE (page 4, Nov. 25,1964) did not meet in McCormick lounge. 2) FUSE is not composed of French immigrants. 3) I did not open the discussion and it was not a discussion. 4) The title of my talk was not as quoted. 5) The headline was irrelevant. In this day of clamor for aca demic freedom (of which I heartily approve) I would like to raise a bit of clamor for a corresponding sense of academic and adult responsibility to accompany adult freedoms. This is the second time I have been misquoted in the Skyscraper. Last year I was too busy to reply. If reporters have not enough time to go to the meetings on which they are writing and get a first hand account of a story, they might at least check with the person in terviewed for accuracy of detail. Sister Mary Elsa, B.V.M. Editor: We, as a group, share the desire expressed by the Student Activity Council for broad programs on some of the varied and challenging issues in the world today. As early as September, our YCS group discussed plans for working with the SAC on the proposed FOCUS: Contemporary Religions Week. When the SAC voted to discontinue the program, we decided that the need for an education on religions other than our own was far too great to be ignored. The four most important areas of religions wielding immense in fluence on every day of our lives are Judaism, Oriental religious, con temporary American Protestantism (about which we agreed, despite all Ecumenical parley, we remain quite ignorant), and finally modern Catholicism taken up in light of these. We also considered inviting a prominent atheist to explain his philosophy. Rather than attempt ing to touch these at surface depth in a period of a week or two, we decided that much would be gained by presenting the first of these early next semester and another during each of the three terms next year. Such a program can be received with immeasurable benefit by every member of the student body if only they can meet it with interest and enthusiasm. Karen Anderson Judy Ewing Fran Fetyko Lynn Foley Pat Miller Ann Ogryzek Peggy Parent Carol Stachyra Nancy Sweeney Editor: A drama major's life does not end when the final curtain of a produc tion is rung down. Because of the vicious circle she is in and the com mitments made, there sometimes isn't time to do little things which are not mandatory but which should somehow be noted. If time permitted I would like to write a personal thank you note to each and every one who helped make Laetare Players' opening pro duction, First Lady, the success it was. Since time does not permit, I decided the Skyscraper might be able to help. First of all a great big THANK YOU to Sister Mary Jeanelle, direc tor of the performance. Next a vote of praise and appreciation to Mr. Carbine for all the publicity. Thank You George Petterson for all the time you spent getting scenery ready and to Bob Stebbins for the set designs. Thanks Mrs. McCarthy for your advisory help with the crews, and to every member of Laetare Players. Sincere appreciation to: Sister Mary Ann Ida, B.V.M., for her cooperation even though our bubble burst. Sister Mary Assisium, B.V.M., for allowing our displays around the school. Sister Mary Clara, B.V.M., for the prominent position of our poster. Mrs. Rosenthal who remained on duty waiting for crew mem bers. The engineers who put up with us in their workroom and in the halls. The Skyscraper for the articles publicizing First Lady. The girls who offered their time to work in the box office. The parents of members who have run their homes like hotels during rehearsals. Lastly, and most important of all, thanks to the students, faculty (lay and religious) and other pa trons in the audience. It would be very difficult to perform a play if no one came to see it. If any one of the above elements had been missing the production could have been a flop. No matter how small a part you played in this enterprise, you were important and your contribution was deeply appre ciated. I wish there were more I could do but I think one final word will have to take care of every thing thanks. Virginia Bishop 3L Si lJ dctaper Vol. XXXV December 9, 1964 No. 7 Newspaper of Distinction The Skyscraper is published semi-monthly, September to May inclusive except during: exam and vacation periods, by the students of Mundelein College, 6363 Sheridan Rd., Chicago, III., 60626. Subscription rate is 2 per year. Entered as second-class matter Nov. 30, 1932, at the U.S. Post Office, Chicago. HI., under the act of March 3. 1897. The Skyscraper is a member of the Associated Collegiate Press and the Catholic School Press Association. Letters tc the editor must be signed. The Skyscraper reserves the right to cut letters in case of limited space. Editor in Chief .. Mary Etta Talarico Associate Editor Rae Paul .. . Sylvia Hajek Caryl Jean Cinelli, Barbara Kubicz. Bobbie Bohan Barbara Mounsey Feature Editor Make-up ... . Columnist Staff Jean Durall. Mary Lynch, Diane Sargol. Mary Ellen Scott, Patricia Toussaint, Nancy Vandenberg. Eileen Carroll. Eileen Jack, Marilyn Gibbs, Barbara Bock. Aldine Favaro, Judy Wardwell, Kathy Riley, Kathy Wright, Trish Laraia, Brenda Dineen, Jennifer Joyce Photographers Betsy Braunlin, Aldine Favaro, Diane Sargol
title:
1964-12-09 (2)
publisher:
Women and Leadership Archives http://www.luc.edu/wla
creator:
Mundelein College
description:
Student newspaper for Mundelein College
subject:
Newspapers
subject:
Religious communities--Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
subject:
Students
subject:
Universities and colleges
subject:
Women's education
relation:
Mundelein College Records
type:
Text
language:
English
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coverage:
Chicago, Illinois
coverage:
Mundelein College