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Page Two THE SKYSCRAPER Feb. 2,1967 ft 1 IflL uliYuulitlrLii will grip current issues and events and 'f hold them before the campus in order that members of the Mundelein community may sense and direct history rather than bob in its wake. Forum Merits Final Tribute Speak-Easy, Mundelein's original truth laboratory has folded a victim of increasingly sparse attendance since its inception in October, 1965. The cancellation was inevitable, since without an audience no free and easy exchange of ideas can take place. In effect the forum lost its purpose. In all fairness, however, Speak-Easy scarcely deserves such an ignominious demise; rather the program merits a final tribute for its contributions to the cause of liberal arts. Playwright Attends Provides Variety A Reader's Digest course in the world of mod erator Stan Dale, Speak-Easy epitomized progressive education. Ungraded and team-taught by a multitude of experts in their fields, it surpassed the value of any interdisciplinary course. While the series occasionally assumed the guise of novelty, its em phasis carried depth. Over the months, the various innuendoes of cur rent events received wide scope. To probe the complexities of civil rights, Mr. Dale enlisted James Beval, Al Raby, Dick Gregory, Dave Llorens and Father Richard Morrisoe. Likewise, government representa tives, SDS students and a pacifist attempted to analyze the how and why of Vietnam. On hand to explore the changing political scene were Senator Charles Percy, Paul Powell, Adlai Stevenson III, Norman Thomas of the John Birch Society and communist Lou Diskin. Warden Jack Johnson, Charles Siragusa and U.S. attorney Edward Hanrahan discussed the reoccurring phenomenon of crime. And the list goes on. Promotes Growth In effect, the mood of Speak-Easy spread beyond the environs of McCormick Lounge. For the program regulars, the mass media began to report the activities of flesh and blood people they had seen and heard, not merely abstract personalities. Yet even more subtle was the influence of Speak-Easy on the intellectual growth of its supporters. The personal, self-questioning spirit of Mr. Dale's after-Speak-Easy-Speak-Easy in particular discouraged hasty generalizations on any subject. In retrospect, the death of Speak-Easy is not a hardship of students who were either too busy or uninterested to attend; rather, it is an ir reparable loss for those who realize just how much the college experience lies outside the classroom. Secular Trustees Provide Flexibility Last week's announcement by the Very Reverend James F. Ma guire, SJ., president of Loyola University, that the university's board of trustees will be expanded to include lay members Include is one * tne many sifP18 of tne so-called seculariza tion trend in Catholic institutions of higher learning. Qymen The move gt; wmcn is unprecedented in Loyola's 97-year * history and which came only after 18 months of delib eration, will give laymen a voice in the actual policy making of the uni versity. The University of Notre Dame is undertaking a similar re vamping of the board of trustees as are DePaul and St. Louis universi ties. The participation of laymen in the formulation of official policy may prove to have a liberalizing effect on the spirit of Catholic institu tions. Laymen will widen the perspective of boards of trustees and will perhaps crusade for some necessary renovations within universities and colleges. But observers who simply equate partial lay control of Catholic education with secularization overestimate the immediate changes which a mixed board of trustees can bring. Lay involvement in directing Catholic institutions does not presuppose a complete change in the goals of Catholic education; nor does it mean that religious teaching orders must abdicate all of their authority to laymen. On the other hand, the much publicized transfer of control of Webster College from a religious community to a completely lay board represents the sweeping secularization which can occur when the president denies that there exists the possibility of complete academic freedom within the atmosphere of a Catholic college. Webster's president, Jacqueline Grennan, insists that academic freedom would provide continuing embarrassment if bishops were forced to review college action. Thus far, Webster College is an exception to the general rule. Many Catholic educators would probably agree with the president of Trinity College in Washington, D.C., who maintains that Catholic insti tutions are not necessarily deprived of academic freedom and are not subject to episcopal approval. The increased flexibility religious-lay boards can potentially provide may be the best alternative for progressive institutions. Catholic education need not bow to complete secularization. Provide Alternative Williams' Drama Sets Spinster n Bitter Psychological Conflict by Mary Beth Mundt Familiar musical accompaniment and infrequent witty comments combined to make Tennessee Wil liams' Eccentricities of a Night ingale, at the Goodman Theater until Feb. 5, a morose as well as an enjoyable drama. The presence of the author at the opening night of this play added the finishing touch to an evening of tension, tragedy and, paradoxically, pleas ure. A remake of the famed Summer and Smoke, Eccentricities, di rected by Bella Itkin, opened with a simple stage featuring a foun tain, somewhere in the southern part of the United States. The audience is first introduced to Alma Winemiller, an eccentric spinster who makes her living as a singer; the analogous term nightingale refers to her. This drama, includ ing the epilogue, covers a year's time span, but the bulk of the ac tion takes place during the Christ mas holidays. IN CHILDHOOD, Alma felt great admiration for her neighbor, John Buchanan. As an adult, she finds herself hopelessly in love with him. The essence of the play con cerns Alma's conflicts with herself, John, her over-protective parents and the townspeople. The drama's resolution leaves one with the im pression that Alma is unable to resolve her psychological conflict. As Mr. Williams himself once Varied Literary Devices Comprise Barth's Nove by Nancy Vandenberg Perhaps in the future computers will perform the work of the art ist. Even now John Barth claims that his latest novel, Giles, Goat- Boy, was written by a computer named WESCAC which compiled the teachings of George Giles at the request of his son, Stoker Giles, who brought the manuscript to Barth. The novel tells the story of Billy Bockfuss, a cripple, who has been raised as a goat, acquiring its tastes and habits. When he learns that he is a boy, he faces a major decision: to remain in the security of the goat farm or to acknowl edge his humanity and accept his assignment. He chooses humanity, takes the name George and is slowly educated by Max, his keeper, to the attitudes and customs of people, until at 22 he is ready to register on a college campus as a student. His journey to the campus is a type of pilgrimage, with trials and temptations for the hero. But it is only when George reaches the campus and attempts to prove what he believes, that he is the son of WESCAC: the Grand Tutorial Ideal the GILES, that he en counters more difficult opposition. Barth's novel is an allegory: the earth is a University, with an East and West Campus; there is a Grand Chancellor, professors, tu tors. All are students, professing Informationalism (capitalism) or Student - Unionism (communism), the University has been through Campus Riot I and Campus Riot II and is now in the Quiet Riot. The allegory is complete and effec tive, carried through the novel without flaw. The plethora of characters and the myriad nuances of allegory which compose Barth's novel are essential to his story, but perhaps a few of the 710 pages could have been omitted. George's lengthy ha rangues and mis-directed speeches are often unheeded by his listeners, and the reader could also be spared them without loss of story. The best writing in the novel is Barth's re-phrased, modernized sat ire of the Odeipus story. He calls the play Taliped Decanus and uses the same allegorical structures of a campus, professors and stu dents and reveals the same pre occupation with sex as in the novel itself. The play is by no means essential to the story, but it pro vides entertaining and extremely humorous dialogue, supporting one of the themes of the Campus that self-knowledge is always bad news. Barth's characters are totally immersed in the campus life and ultimately concerned about their passage or failure. Each is com pletely individual, and yet com pletely representative of a type. Maurice Stoker has become so convinced of his role as Dean o' Flunks for students that he as sumes a contrary attitude toward everyone, while his wife, Stacy, exhibits nyphomaniac tendencies because it makes the men so happy. Peter Green is a wealthy businessman who spouts cliches and derides himself alternately. Max's most formidable opponent on the WESCAC controversy, Eblis Eiberkopf, will work for either campus, whichever has the best labs. Then there is WESCAC it self, which has nearly become au tonomous as a protection against EASCAC. George intends to free the campus from WESCAC's con trol and to Pass All Fail All, his cryptic assignment received from the computer. Merely because Barth includes so many and varied elements of storytelling: the heroic quest, al legory, a play within the story, preface, postscript and disclaimer, his novel deserves attention. It is because he uses these techniques so well and without confusion that the novel is both entertaining and noteworthy. The neutral truth which Giles professes is also char acteristic of the novel. The reader should say, at the end, I have read it, that is enough. wrote, plays in the tragic tradi tion offer us a view of certain mo ral values in violent juxtaposition. After her rejection by Buchanan, her decision to lead a life of im morality causes the viewer to make a judgment regarding her de cision. THE SUPERB PEFORMANCE of Dolores Sutton as Alma makes this realistic drama worth view ing. She seems completely en grossed in her role almost as if she herself is Alma. In the sole scene in which Alma sings, Miss Sutton characterizes the eccentric gestures and envelopment in her singing so superbly that one is not even aware of the other actors. An equally admirable perform ance is given by Lee Richardson as John Buchanan. The difficult role of showing pity, but not love, for Alma is mastered by Richardson. He moves expertly through the play, never detracting from Alma whose story it actually is. Of the minor characters, the to tally convincing and realistic per formance of Nancy Evans Leonard must be commended. Miss Leonard, who portrays Mrs. Winemiller, Alma's insane mother, penetrates the very heart of the audience. She vividly manifests all the an guish of the world of the insane. IN KEEPING WITH the somber tone of the drama, the stage effects and scenery are drab and sparse. No frivolous or motley scenic de signs are used. The one stage ef fect which proves to be most sym bolic is fire used in the last act. It is consumed but re-ignites, just as the leading lady is destroyed, only to re-discover herself. Following the tradition of his plays, Mr. Williams endeavors to impress the audience with the mo ral he is trying to evince. To the superficial viewer, the moral may be elusive; but, to the sensitive au dience, the psychological impact will be unforgettable. (Sounding Board We realize that there are, be sides the 30 or 40 people who ac tively support Speak-Easy, many who want it to continue at Mun delein just in case they feel like coming. But, sorry to say, this is not enough. We cannot con tinue to waste time (Mr. Dale's, the speaker's, the committee's) and money (yours) on a program which is not fulfilling its purpose. Con sequently, the Speak-Easy, Feb. 7, will be the last. Anne Boylan Judy Raffals Speak-Easy Co-Chairmen Jne hud craper Vol. XXXVII Feb. 2, 1967 No. 8 Catholic School Press Association Newspaper of Distinction The Skyscraper la published semi-monthly. September to May inclusive except during exam and vacation periods, by the student* of Mundelein College, 6363 Sheridan Rd.. Chicago. III.. 60626. Entered aa second-class matter Nov. 30. 1932, at the U.S. Post Office, Chicago. III., under the act of March 8. 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 Jennifer Joyce. Kathy Riley Feature Editor Marilyn Gibbs Business Manager Theresa Ebenhoe Photographer .. .. Nancy Vandenberg Cartoonist .. Mary Fran Campbell Staff Julie Caruso. Kathy Cummins, Pat Ciapar, Pat Devine, Jean Durall. Aldlne Favaro, Kathy Flynn. Marianne Fusillo, Kay Ellen Hartman, Sheila McCarthy. Mary McMorrow, Mary Beth Mundt, Jayne Quinn. Giselle. Riba. Diane Sargol, Janet Sass, Peggy Sieben. Carol Varecha, Mary Beth Wagner. Anndrea Zahorak
title:
1967-02-02 (2)
publisher:
Women and Leadership Archives http://www.luc.edu/wla
creator:
Mundelein College
description:
Student newspaper for Mundelein College
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Newspapers
subject:
Religious communities--Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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Students
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Universities and colleges
subject:
Women's education
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Mundelein College Records
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English
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Mundelein College