The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-21
CHAPEL CUSTOMS AT YALE.
VIVA COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE M
STUDENTS ACCoMPLISHES.

chapel once more down in new haven, sald
the Yale man. THE undergraduate papers
are creating quite q stir by canvassing the va.
rious prominent college Presidents for opin.
ions upon this important topic. Presidents
Eliot's brief and pointed letter must have
made rather tough reading for q number OF
our stiff Yale theologians. who are
welded to the idea Of compulsory religious
exercises rs an indispensable feature OF Q
modern American education. AS might be
supposed. President Eliot Is perfectlyisatis1od
with tho present arrangement OF optional
chapel at Harvard and Is convinced that sucha
state OF affairs would be a wise move for Yale,
It Is we'll known that there are q large hume
Der OF Yale men. both graduates and unders
graduates. to soy nothing Of faculty members.
who think likewise.
This opposition to compulsory chapel
breaks out periodically at Yale-about once.1
should say. In five or six years. The last ex-
cltcment over the matter was In 1893. when an
earnest crusade was started by a large number
Of students. assisted by several Yale profess
sors. This was diligently worked up In the
newspapers, and a number OF faculty mom-
bers were induced to express publicly their
opposition to the existing regime. I remem.
Der in particular the vigorous remarks OF
Prof. +. s. Dana against what he called the nn-
tiquated religious system OF Yale. Tho cru-
SADIE. however. had no practical results.
II luIc Llun " tle bEcscuI uuS 10 JUS
to attend morning prayers at $40 every day
and Sunday church. He is obliged to do this
or forego the privileges OF the institution.
There Is no excuse accepted upon purely re-
Hgious grounds. On n few cases q. student who
lege grounds may be excused from morning
chapel. He is never EXCUSED. however. from
f9nseicntions motives; He may call upon the
and that, il Is, therefore, against his, pripciplSs
20. Hebrews, Catholics, Protestants aud
ah.heists,sl are obliged to assemble in The
sive during twenty Ave minutes OF praying and
They have their ontion either of doing t.is
or of leaving the university. Those who are
not Christians. thorciorc, simply attend as a
is given. and members Of on.congregationa
RELIGIOUS bodies are permitted to attend Other
day aSg' tho 81 c TGhrolhitp e shnn 20 n" to m Gsap tie var nns
Protestant denominations to the various Prot.
stay sssS9 At SSS ome. Hs alone f is il sSriiniEliSESdr a s"n@a.
He must attend somewhere. and the faculty
has a regular system of espionage to see that he
TO every twenty or thirty men there lisa
monitorLusnai = poor man WORKING ny
upon which are printed the names of the mer Of
whom ne T. required to keen track; From his
lar neld. and scratches oil the names OF, all the
men who have observed tho faculty rules and
odicallly over to the registrar. who has a book
in which he keeps an account Of each mans
tcSClNu ny thhl'l anu CluINh. VI tiCll ubbtitO
at chapel the oackslider is charged two, marks.
For each absence at SUNDAY, church he gets
matter is kept up. to o y So YOU us see tbass
The fear Of expulsion through tho acsumu.
lation Of marks Is likely TO keep B4ttell Chanel
otagood aniudiGnce"as far az size goes-though
1t is not always a respectful one. The young
tho chapel like sheep-to use Tr?f" I. S. Dana''s
w@yf; They always MD a great solaee In lhs
forbidden In chapel. but the rule. especially
Whe9t, fhn ni s!tG.Pyd 'ut T6a gf f9yysn ntfS SnssIms is sr sSer
OF the preacher. therefore. Is too likely to be
%iagss1 minS 5S Ear rh Yp9m EaaS or so ,6 y9nnS m Hre
engaged in perusing the latest scandal.
The reading Of q newspaper in chapel With
The preacher never suspects TINT the straight.
backed young men. apparently listening with
upon a newspapcr deity braccd against tho
back Of the new in fr2nt, hnt such is the fact.
sleep through the sermon without being de-
tSGifStis ,dd h,S S III, / lso IN c Sh MEL b Is ,s mnn1 ERE,
man finds a way to gain q few minutes snouzs
The Students never take rart in tho cxcr-
cises. They never sing. leaving all that to tho
choir. They seldom how their heads in prayer.
usually finding the time much more proftal Y
spent In matching pennies or talking ~f0othall.
The only object OF their interest in the church
arg b M Sn,l' rafb;c S!iTGyS ~ 4 sf!,e en aFf rianSs Tnin1dd
swcethenrts:. Yale girls, These IRE commo, "
stared out OF c3untenancc by the admirers hr-
u more ditcIIiissIlttt}nIiiisy imnTp%uGG!:n't set - 'yo"!S
men thnn tho Yale undcrgr aduatcs Mt church;
unieeiiiInuss in The vw"rid. It IS aTsoln''"iy IN.
f 3hf reSFfsfht re 9G tG inS9 r n ioud 1I ro5 any NJ % Mwsr %I 81 81 "a "a
note Of the choir, and these are ant to be NJ o
and will treat the most. celebrated p]rcncrer
have nothing to do with your enthusiastic.
towery pulpit rhS,9riG: T"mnmnnr "nS or
young men with their Incompatible Eng "A
style and Wore nearly laughed OUT u ~" nut
youne men burst into louder laugh. NV he
discounted clergyman was Obliged I" wipe to
porSpiration from his face and get Town closer
,n but the most mnfoGt1nStC preacher i lie who,
an unwr!tten law that the sunday exc. ciers
shall close promptly at II 30 and woo, n'he
mi +; tGnt w ti%S Hh,s is sHsaTdai + + nd # he Is ! sti'! !n,k,
that every undergraduate has Il Ind cod. 1r,
SS2 Sc. hing. grows so I" 1najy as na5 hG pFocyaSn s, u.hr, III
young men begin to rustic in their seats. and.
finally. 4 the orator still does moi, see the i"tit.
ate Sfe"{diii sarp HcS AYfo"t i,16" |o"m ns!y r1Sn L.
gin to scrnpe their feet violently. which. with
makes a pcriect ibo'dlam." Tho speaker by his
tine sees that The n%aticnc" Of he Young men IS
rupt close. whoreby everything becomes quiet
again n2,,o Ne4rIy every mfntGtep who ]9sGdntG@s
his remarks by IL 80.
Perhaps the most interesting custom TINT
has grown up about this Sunday chapcl Is what
IL known as the senior bow Just when and
where the senior bow originated no oi.e
knows: il IA confidently believed to 60 back 10
colonial times. From its apr"arnncc II II surely
n prehistoric relic, and II is tolerated at Yale
pirely out ofirespcct to old things. II is in
tended TO be an outward sign 81 profound rev.
crence felt by Yale seniors for the President OF
the university. 1t is manifested every day in
the week. and forms the concluding CEREMONY
IT happens somewhat IN this way: AZ the
whole senior class rises in u body. II does not
make, n bold dash for the door. however. as
would naturally he supposed. hut with an air
OF the greatest deliberatlon and seriousness
waits for the President 10 descend the pulrit.
The reverend gentleman comes down In his
long flowing robes and with his hat in hand.
As he. approaches the, middle aisle the, seniors
turn halfway around and stand awaiting lis
approach Just as he reaches the first row Of
prws he backs of the students in those pews
jerk violently forward. The bow Is II most
profound one. the backs and the legs OF tho
young men usually being at right angles. The
prnQi1nDt Observation-Disclosures the attention with a