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Page Two THE SKYSCRAPER Nov. 2,1966 aft.rr ,. HI I II L U fl I U Ll 11III L ll 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. THE SKVSCRflPER Question Represent College Convocations: Review Policy The indignant reaction to the required all-school Mass, Oct. 20, rekindled the old controversy over required assem blies of any type. In May, 1964, required attendance at concert-lecture se ries performances was dropped, leaving only attendance at official convocations compulsory. As stated in the new Student Handbook: Attendance in academic dress is required at the fall Honors Convocation, Candlelighting, the Magnificat Medal Ceremony and at the two assemblies on College Day in the spring. A 1 fee is assessed by the dean of students for unex- cused absences. The question which is causing so much Raise comment is, does Mundelein have the right to require this attendance at all ? The catalyzing agent in this entire stir rests in the traditional all-school Mass at the opening of classes; traditional in every Catholic college. Suddenly a re quired Mass is not only unpopular but even resented, not be cause the students object to going to Mass but because a re quired spiritual exercise appears as an affront to the student's personal religious freedom. Not only that, such a requirement is incompatible with the liberal atmosphere fostered here at Mundelein. In actuality, the administration is completely within its jurisdiction to insist upon attendance at specific college func tions. Just as the College requires certain courses, enforces behavior regulations and establishes general criteria, it can insure a representative attendance at assemblies which repre sent its academic and institutional image. Of course, this does not insure that stu dents will appreciate the significance of the assemblies, revere the academic dress or even bother to attend at all. It remains true that interest is the best stimulus for attendance. And, 1 is a small price for those students who wish to assert their protest by simply choosing not to attend requirement or no requirement. Whether it is wise or even practical to continue to make these stipulations in view of the current resentment presents a question of increasing import. Diocesan Clerics Propose Changes The founding meeting of the Association of Chicago Priests last week offered strong evidence that the spirit of Vatican II can be trans formed into concrete action. The 1,300-member organization can potentially bring about coopera tion with Archbishop John P. Cody in all matters concerning the clergy, thus emphasizing, as the Council did, the bishop's role as a servant of the people of God. The extent of the archbishop's ministration, however, will not be seen until action is taken on four proposals directed to Cody as a result of the ACP's first conference. The first recommendation is for a personnel board to consider the assignment of priests with at tention on the individual's talents and interests. The remaining sugges tions deal with the formulation of a retirement policy, the scheduling of regular rectory meetings and the establishing of an in-service training program in parishes. The proposals confirm the fact that the major objective of the asso ciation, which was disclosed in the keynote address, is not clerical inde pendence or autonomy, but rather a concern for priests as persons. If the ACP receives the support its needs, it could achieve history- making stature. Chicago, the largest diocese in the United States with a membership of two million Catholics, is the first to attempt a formal organization of the clergy. Other American dioceses will follow the lead only to the extent that success is achieved in the Chicago archdiocese. The future of the new group can be swung in either direction by the use of the veto power given to the head GTO fit of the archdiocese. A press conference following the archbishop's address at the afternoon session reported VstO him as commending the clergy's involvement in prob lems of mutual interest. Whether Archbishop Cody will enforce his praise with his own active support is a crucial matter. If he does not, the Association of Chicago Priests can provide a dramatic test case for the theory voiced in the chancery office statement which quoted Cody as saying, A bishop is not apart from his priests, but one among them. Controversial, Shocking Drama Provides Weird Entertainment Form Association Marat/Sade is not a nice play. It does not entertain despite the in clusion of all the normal vehicles of entertainment: music, verse, dance. Rather, the controversial Peter Weiss play, at the Goodman Theater until Nov. 16, is a complex theatrical experience. THE FULL TITLE, The Per secution of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, defines the outward plot and the primarily dramatic device of a play within a play. Weiss uses the fact that between 1797 and 1811 suppos edly therapeutic plays were enacted by the inmates of the Charenton Asylum near Paris and that the Marquise de Sade wrote and di rected many of the pieces during his confinement as the setting. An extremely complex action arises from this dual play structur ing and the distinctions are fre quently, purposely blurred. Ini tially, as there is no curtain, the audience watches the inmate-actors assemble on stage as well as the ar rival of the director of Charenton with his wife and daughter a simple actor-audience relation. Im mediately, however, the audience too assumes the dual role of assist ing at Weiss' play and at Sade's play. Another dimension is added by the intermittent ideological de bates between Sade and Marat. A final devastating development in the last scene reverses the entire dual structure and turns the in mate-actors on the audience in a leering, stamping, chanting attack which stops just at the stage apron, creating a shattering effect. ALSO, UNIQUELY EFFEC TIVE are the characters, a drool ing, disheveled, vacant-eyed and re pulsive collection of lunatics repre senting every advanced anti-social behavior pattern imaginable. Even the supposedly sane develop pecu liarly as the nuns join the chorus in anti-clerical, anti-state, anti- morality verses and M. Coulmier, the asylum's director, becomes in creasingly unstable and erratic. Sade, on the other hand, remains the most lucid and sane figure throughout. Again, it is impossible to over look the effect of the stark, naked set. The main prop throughout is Marat's bathtub to which he is con fined by a skin disease. The only colors come from the costumes of the chorus, the Herald's plumed hat and a tri-color bunting which is re moved soon after the play begins. The rest is beige or dirty-white or grey. SEVERAL SCENES in the play are particularly striking, perhaps because they are even more in tensely bizarre than the body of the drama. In Marat's dream the lighting and electronic music cre ate an eerie aura which pervades the theater. Whenever the entire group of inmates is activated into demonstrating or singing, the re sults are exceptionally powerful as when they dump Marat from his bath through the stage floor or, as in the final scene, when all sem blance of order is temporarily overcome and there is only mad confusion. Weiss' play is so absorbing, or perhaps distracting, that it is easy to overlook the merits of the Good man's production. Both Jerome Kilty as Sade and by Jean Durall James Ray as Marat give excellent characterizations of the two princi pal antagonists. Kitty's is the more dominant role, especially through the majority of the first act, be cause Sade controls the action. Ray, however, gives dignity and stature to the essentially pathetic figure of a wasted idealist confined to a bath tub, utterly dependent on one servant. OTHER NOTABLE PERFORM ANCES are given by Arthur Sel lers as the tongue-in-cheek Herald who bridges the separations be tween the levels of action. Saundra Matthews, also, as an insomniac Charlotte Corday, adds tragic pres ence to a role that could conceiva bly be either comic or maudlin. In fact, the entire cast easily meets the difficult obstacle not just of portraying lunatics, but lunatics playing sane men. Essentially, the uniqueness of Marat/Sade rests in the fact that it defies analysis or categorization. Sade, in one of his last addresses to the audience, cautions that ev eryone will find a different meaning and hints that everyone will miss the real point. What does Weiss mean in Marat/Sade? That is the enigma of the drama. Sounding Board The call to worship, as with any vocation is a personal invitation from the Father. An individual's response must be free, loving and deliberate. It seems that part of the joy of Christian revelation is to know the profound respect which the Father extends to a human per son. Though He, above all, may demand, He gives the persons the freedom to refuse Him. The effect of this wholly free and loving call-response is a concentra tion of joy in Christian community. People of God assemble together willingly, happy to be with one an other, glad to recognize their fel lowship under one Father. That a human institution should presume to DEMAND the assem blage of such a community is a contradiction and inherent impossi bility. On the one hand is the di vine Father Who waits for a free answer, and on the other is a hu man corporation which presumes to be the source of the call (though actually it is only the circumstance of the invitation) and which RE QUIRES the presence of the indi viduals. The assemblage of per sons under the divine call, because it is based on love, is a real com munity. But the coercive convoca tion of individuals results in simply a group aggregated in a hall not necessarily, community. It is poor theology to REQUIRE an assembly of the People of God. Joanne Morrow The age-old question of Senior Comprehensive Examinations came up at dinner in the Tea Room last week. For the past three years this has been the favorite topic of conversation among freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and faculty. Enthusiasm grew this year when it was announced that something was finally going to be done about comps. Everyone was willing to voice their opinions which for so long had been heard only by friends; here, at last was a chance to tell the faculty and administration how we felt. Fine What's happened to all this exuberance? At the present, there are four energetic people on the MSC Com mittee on Comprehensives trying to accomplish a task that calls for the backing of the entire student body. What happened to the people who don't want comps ? How many will show up at the comp meeting this afternoon and how many will have the courage to voice their opinions to the faculty at the debates? Perhaps some feel that this is a hopeless cause. It certainly is without the backing of the students. Students may feel that Senior Com prehensives are a necessary evil, something to be tolerated and un dergone, but this need not be the case. The administration is willing to listen to us now. It is essential that each of us give the committee members support and make our stand known at the Faculty-Stu dent Debates. Terri Bamhart, Peggy Burke, Ann Katt, Lynn Klopstock, Gerry Kurtz, Pat Madl, Mimi Millen, Mary Pat O'Malley, Carol Ryan, Janet Schlosser, Evi S t r a c h e, Sandi Webb, Kathy Timmeran It is a harbinger of hope when the Skyscraper which editorially supported the United States' posi tion in Vietnam is able to re-evalu ate its stance. But the reasons given for reversing this policy are indicative of a certain misplace ment of values. The editor fears escalation in the draft and the possible consequences of the governmental shift of the re sponsibility for this debacle. Absolutely no consideration is made of the needless and intensive human suffering concomitant with what has long been a racial war. The editor would do well to reflect upon the words of Bishop Paul Jo seph Schmitt of Metz, when the horror of war attains a certain de gree, it matters little who, at the outset, was right or wrong. Inno cent blood must cease to be shed. Joanne Morrow OL St. dcraper Vol. XXXVII Nov. 2, 1966 No. 3 Newspaper of Distinction The Skyscraper is published emf-monthly, September to May inclusive except during exam and vacation periods, by the students of Mundelein College, 6363 Sheridan Rd.. Chicago, 111., 60626. Subscription rate is S2 per year. Entered a second-class mntter Nov. 30. 1932. at the U.S. Post Office. Chicago. III., under the act of March 3. 1897. The Skyscraper is a member of the Catholic School Press Association and subscribes to the National Educational Advertising Service. Letters to the editor must be signed. The Skyscraper reserves the right to cut letters in case of limited space. Co-Editors - Jean Durall. Diane Sargol Photographer Nancy Vandenberg Cartoonists Mary Fran Campbell, Marge Roschke StalT Caryl J. Cinelli. Kathy Cummins. Pat Devine. Theresa Ebenhoe. Aldine Kavaro, Kathy Flynn. Marianne Fusillo. Kayellen Hartman. Jennifer Joyce, Marianne Layden, Mary Rose Mammina, Mary McMorrow, Mary Beth Mundt. Sally Naiko. Pam Peterson, Jayne Quinn, Giselle Riba, Kathy Riley. Janet Sass. Peggy Sieben, Carol Varecha, Mary Beth Wagner, Anndrea Zahorak
title:
1966-11-02 (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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Chicago, Illinois
coverage:
Mundelein College