western maryland college december, 1963 - Hoover Library

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
page
two
The Editor
Western Maryland College MAGAZINE
'Westminster, Maryland
I want to congratulate you on the high
quality of the Western Maryland College
MAGAZINE. It is most enjoyable.
I do have one suggestion. A magazine of
this type at times should be and is provocative,
and there should be II forum of some
kind for alumni and others to express their
opinions and feelings. I am thinking of a
section for letters to the editor.
The articles on religion at WMC provoked
me some, nnd this is one of the
reasons I suggest space for comments and
rejoinders. I felt that there was much rationalizing
about forcing Chapel services upon
the students, and the compulsory attendance
defeats the goals it hopes to serve. If there
is good or value in religion, a bright group
of college students will find it and come to
it. If it must be forced upon them, it becomes
suspect in their eyes. Why can't it
stand on its own merits Why must it demand
respect From a practical point of
view, many of the students I knew treated
it as an inconvenience, or as a joke, or as
time to be occupied in some other way, or
as something to be evaded through trickery.
I am not sure it had much value at all ..
Sincerely yours,
Dr. Malcolm L. Meltzer, '51
Editor's Note
Some time ago readers were invited to
address comments to the editor. We have
Ead. a lot of comments-all contained favorable
reecncns. As it would hardlv be
proper to begin a letters column in that way
none were printed. Now, we have two letters
that do more than congratulate and the
Letters to the Editor column begins.
We invite vour participation. Letters
slwuld not be of book length. Mr. Goodley's
letter illustrates the maximum that can be
printed in full. All letters mese be signed
and names will be printed.
PICTURE CREDITS
Pictures on page 6 are by Ralph Robinson,
The Sun, David Robson, '64, Official U. S.
Navy Photographer.
Expansion pictures by Walt Lane.
Photos of the E08, adapted from color pictures
by Capt. Moore.
socus pictures, Walt Lane.
Basketball, the athletic department.
November 5, 1963
The Editor
Western Maryland College MAGAZINE
Westminster, Maryland
I was much interested in the October issue
the Western Maryland College MAGA-
of
ZINE, featuring "Religion on Campus." The
discussion is most timely and relevant.
First, I want to commend the Western
Maryland College administration for engaging
a competent and dedicated campus chaplain.
As a good military chaplain is said to
be "worth his weight in gold," so may we
expect that a campus chaplain will be a
priceless asset to a college. In this day of
professionalism and professional specialization,
he can fill a definite need on the campus,
if he is available to students and 'has
the time and freedom to be a spiritual leader.
I must confess I was a bit annoyed by
the "Analysis by a Student," Any of us who
has lived at least 50 years and has followed
campus life for the past 30 years
would be hard put to recall any time in this
there has been
momentous period when
anything which could be called enthusiasm
for religion on the campus. To bemoan the
present situation is either to lack historical
perspective or to fail to realize an awesome
challenge spiritual leadership. It calls for
to
dedication, initiative, and commitment by
that small group of students who really care;
it means the practice of spiritual disciplines
by small groups who will come together to
find spiritual reality through sharing with
one another and having an outreach into a
world of need; it indicates the necessity of
experimenting for an effective campus chapel
program.
In response to "A Parent's Viewpoint:' I
would feel that we need both the reality
and appearance of religion on the campus.
Might it not be that we have been so
nakedly practical about religion that we have
dehydrated it of beauty and worship and
emotion would hope that the campus becomes
I
unashamedly a place where students
worship as well study. Then, in the
as
phraseology of Wesley, we would unite
knowledge and piety (without being obnoxiously
pious).
In reading the new Dean of the Chapel's
"The Cross and the Mortarboard," I am
thrilled by the approach and insight indicated.
The recovery of wholeness is a responsibility
of specialized and trained and
dedicated spiritual leadership. I hope the
Dean will be allowed much freedom in experimenting
with small groups on the campus
as well as perhaps a major overhauling
of the traditional weekly compulsory chapel
service. As a parent of a recent W.M.C.
graduate, 1 will watch with interest tbe
future developments of the religious life on
your lovely campus.
Sincerely
yours,
George W. Goodley
Minister