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Locking the chapel doors
It was a lovely warm late spring Thursday morning just a few weeks before graduation. As usual, we filed into Macalester Presbyterian Church at 10 or 11 a.m. for the weekly compulsory chapel. Only this morning was different. After the 11 a.m. service began, several students put chains and padlocks on all the doors. Sitting by the bell tower in casual conversation, many of the early service attendees watched in amazement as students began climbing out through the church windows. Dr. Peter Mousolite, dean of men, rounded up the usual suspects but had no success in identifying the culprits. After 50 years, it is time to clear my conscience. Who else was involved? Well, John Lilja and several others who will have to come forward when they want to clear their consciences too.
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Charles N. Johnson
Betting on the acolytes
In 1955, I was a member of the Community Council. Chaplain Max Adams was attending this particular meeting voicing a complaint that there was too much money exchanging hands in the pool and billiard room located in the bookstore in the student union. After his concerns were aired, one of the council members said, “Dr. Adams, there is betting every Thursday morning at chapel as to which acolyte will extinguish the candles first!” Dr. Adams left the meeting shaking his head.
-Linton Levin
The fake letter
Barbara Lynch was in the class behind us. She was a bright and attractive young woman who had gotten into trouble with Dean Margaret Doty for smoking in the dorm (a great “No, No” at the time). One day, Barbara mentioned to me that she had gotten into trouble again. To give Barbara something to think about, I “borrowed” a sheet of Dean Doty’s stationery and wrote Barbara a note requesting her to appear in Dean Doty’s office right after our morning Comparative Government class with Dean Dupre. Poor Barbara, she sat the whole hour oblivious to the lecture, fidgeting and staring out the window, no doubt trying to work out her alibi. After class we intercepted her and invited her to the Student Union for a cup of coffee. She told us her current trouble. After sympathizing with her and letting the nervousness mount, we finally told her what we had done. She was quite a mixture of great relief and irritation with us.
- Charles N. Johnson
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