The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-01
DENOUNcES CHAPEL SERVICE.
Senior Of Yale Declares That It Is q

New Haven, Jan. 3l.-Every Yale fresh
man who has to role out of his warm
blankets at s o'clock in the morning with
10 minutes to get something TO eat and
get to chapel has read the latest protest
against compulsory chapel by Pemberton
German. Yale senior. of New York City.
and added his Amen.
Since Yale was founded chapel at $40
a. M. has been the commencement of
the days routine. All sorts of complaints
have been registered against it. But
oach senior class. about to be relieved
of this early morning duty. has voted
to continue the traditional service, much
to the disgust of the freshmen.
1t is nothing unusual to see some lower
class man, gowned in pair of pajamas
and an ulster, with slippers on his feet,
making rapid strides to the Yale house
of worship on a weekday morning.
The Yale Literary Magazine. which
has handled many Yale traditions with
out gloves. was chosen by AIR. Berman as
a means of conveying his impressions
of chapel. Mr. Berman is one of the
Board of Editors. and under the harmless
looking caption of Concerning a Tradi-
ton Mr.. Berman proceeds to pay his
respects to chapel subject of follows:
What the present conditions are. we
all know. Chapel is mockery of re-
ligious ceremony. The congregation
does not even pretend interest of rever-
ence, and the manner of those who con-
duct the service is in reality little less
touched with the desired spirit-the dis
tinction in attitude is due only to the
greater dignity and sense of decorum
that belongs to age. 1t is Impossible
that it should be otherwise. Twelve
hundred men-or let US say 600 men and
coo boys-are hurried to function that
has for them no more significance than
the breakfast they have hastily gulped
down
'.Of the men, probably seven in ten
disregard the real meaning OF chapel
either through laziness or because of
the deadening force of habit. OF the
remainder. it is likely one-half actively
disbelieve in the doctrine that is dron, q
forth OF the boys, it is sufficient to
say that they will initiate what they
see-complete indifference. With such an
attitude TO face. it is impossible for any
one to conduct the service with anything
but q less or more disguised apathy.
Can these conditions be remedied?
The answer-no matter whom you ask
must be an emphatic No" Aside from
The vicious irreverence, or thoughtless-
ness that shows itself in the stampede
at the amen. in the reading OF news
papers. in the continual buzz of talking.
there is the irreverence of sufference.
No ceremony that is endured can be re-
ligious in the right sense OF the word.
Class after class at the end of senior
year has voted to retain morning chapel
The same classes that have urged the
continuance OF morning chapel have urg-
ed with equal agreement the abolition Of
the Sunday service. Why Because 1t
hlots out one morning a week land by
senior year man begins TO realize the
value OF tirneD because it is an even more
pronounced ,nockery than the daily exer-
cises and because IL produces more "shys-
tering--there is no word outside the vel
nacular with such exact meaning-than
any other thing in college life
y; one of our sister universities the
seniors and juniors attend service held
half an hour later than that for the
under classnen Why should we not
take the one step further IrTeverence
in chapel grows from year to year We
propose one possible remedy for the pres
mt evesore OF chapel Whether IL is an
advisable one depends OF course upon
the personal point Of view In the power
OF the college publication lies the ab:I-
ity TO stir up at least an appreciation Of
the evils Of existing conditions and II this
appreciation is once felt from discussion
some means Of b.tteru1ent viii arise