Postcard for college homecoming

This weekend is Homecoming for Monmouth College

Postcard ca. 1905

I'm thinking I ought to attend at least a few of the events, since this would have been the 25-year reunion for my class, had I actually gradgitated with them all. Some of my classmates have already electronically touched base with me or with my folks, so I'm set to spend time already with old friends. My not being terribly social is taking a hit or two, but I think I might actually enjoy the company. Not so much the events, though. I'm still too much a cellar-dweller for that.

We shall see if I survive the weekend...

one more dose of leftist radicalism on campus

The unrepentant terrorist came to Monmouth College this past week, speaking to a captive audience of freshmen, at a mandatory convocation, theme for the year being "Living an Exemplary Life". Well, as an alumna with long ties to the school, I must say I can see how terrorism, especially that of which one is still smug, must indeed qualify as exemplary in some people's minds... just not in sane, mature, responsible ones:

He [Ayers] spoke primarily about the need for students to be active. [English Prof and head of Introduction to Liberal Arts freshman seminar Mark] Willhardt said Ayers told students to go out and act on their beliefs — and then to doubt, because that is the only way to double check yourself.

Ayers spoke for about 15 minutes then took questions for another 45 minutes. When asked whether he had any regrets about his past actions, Willhardt said Ayers did not discuss any specific Weather Underground activities but told students he acted on his own moral beliefs and conscious [sic] at the time, then talked about the larger nature of activism.

Gosh. Conscious conscience is such a good guide, isn't it? (No indication yet of actual regrets!)

So when is MC going to invite Eric Rudolph to speak? How about we hear from Harold Covington? Can we get a work release so that Terry Nichols can come? After all, they, like Ayers, acted on their consciences, such as they were. Laws be damned, kill the guys with whom you disagree. It's the conscientious democratic way, no?

Willhardt, however, called this "exactly the right moment for him to speak." He said whatever students think of Ayers, having these conversations are crucial to a liberal arts education.

It would be nice if the "conversations" were designed to inoculate the young against this kind of obscene radicalism. Sorry, no. Willhardt, and probably 80% of the faculty of this and most colleges, now, are gullible leftists themselves, and hope to continue the indoctrination process another generation down the line. One-sided "conversations" are not really conversations, are they? They're a bit like old-fashioned lecturing on dogma. How quaintly Victorian!


What interests me is that Monmouth College's faculty and/or administration were sufficiently nervous about the impact of this thing that they didn't broadcast it:

The event, which was purposely "kept under wraps from the public," was part of the college's Introduction to the Liberal Arts (ILA) freshman seminar, said Mark Willhardt, a Monmouth College English professor and ILA director.

Guilty conscience, anyone?



If you have offspring approaching college age, and if you are bothered by the tendency of colleges like ours to indoctrinate on your dime, let the admissions office know you have no intention of paying for that nonsense. And if they continue to make an annual event of inviting this creep or his ilk to speak, encourage your kids to go elsewhere -- even a trade school is more positively future-oriented and long-term fulfilling than this garbage.


Update: As it has been pointed out by my retired-professor Pop, the faculty and staff who support bringing Ayers to the campus do so largely out of the "sticking it to the man" attitude so prevalent in their generation... and yet they fail to realize that they, themselves, are now "the man." So, at whom are they thumbing their noses?

Allow me to use Pop's word to describe them, on this: foolish. They beclown themselves.

Monmouth College will get no more support from me or my family

I used to recommend that my friends and their kin attend my alma mater. Not any more – not until they cease their annual invitation for a terrorist/radical to come lecture the freshman classes. This will be the third time Monmouth College has invited William Ayers, member of the Weather Underground, proponent of indoctrination over actual education, and general all-around middle-aged-adolescent creep, to come speak to its students. And worse, it is mandatory for freshmen to attend.

Once more, the sick, self-absorbed son of a sea cook is coming to spread his charming poison among the gullible youths, and the majority of the college faculty and admin seem to be in favor of not only having him come, but making the youngest, freshest minds "open themselves up" to his dangerous, extreme sales pitch! What the hell is wrong with the school I once held dear?

Conservative faculty members are still afraid to speak their minds, unless they are well and truly tenured. But twits like the one who embarrassed the college three years ago, during Mike Adams' visit, still hold sway over the court of youthful opinion, and hold sway with those who schedule such speakers. And her views have far from softened in the intervening years.

Until somebody sees fit to present a real balance of ideas, instead of loading up these kids with this sort of junk food for the brain, I will encourage parents to send their kids to other colleges, and ask alums and others to spend their largesse elsewhere. The anti-American socialists seem to rule, around MC (I understand it is not exclusive to this locale, but it needs to stop, and where better to make a stand than one of the alma maters of James Stockdale). Unless they truly believe we're heading into a Soviet- or Chinese-style system for the entire nation, that sort of "education" is a waste of money and time.

Monmouth's Living Windows draws good crowds

Thursday night we in Monmouth were hit with a couple of inches of snow

so conditions were pretty good by Friday evening, when Downtown Monmouth had its Living Windows Festival. I got a call from my friend, Janet, asking me if I'd like to join her in exploring events at the downtown extravaganza, so I agreed to meet her about an hour before things were to start.

I got there just a little early, so I took a few pictures of some of the bigger, better buildings in the downtown area, like the Court House

and the Colonial Bank, in full Christmas regalia

and a shot of the barber shop near the old theater.

My friend Marsha's store window was filled with fun -- Santa and his elf, Eric were getting wild and crazy

On the square, Ronald McDonald greeted cookie-buyers and cocoa-hunters

while, in the Christian book store, sweet songs wafted across the shelves, a cappella

and an electric piano accompanied three members of a barber-shop quartet (with surprisingly good results!), at the Wells Fargo bank.

But the big draw is always the Buchanan Center for the Arts/Warren County Library corner. Crowds outside were, sometimes, ten bodies thick, to see

the kids performing in the windows of the BCA.

From the inside, you could see how much magic was in the air

Ghosts of Degas

Past and present

Back out on the street again -- rides in horse-drawn carriages were available for a small fee.

Santa's helpers were following in Hermey's footsteps

To cap off our evening, Janet and I made our way to Turnbull Funeral Home, where, each year, the Monmouth College bagpipers have come to perform in the main parlor...

Following a rousing performance of Scotland the Brave, Janet and I went to the Maple City Baptist Church a block away, where members of the congregation were serving a hot supper -- coffee, cocoa, choice of chili or hot dog, and a variety of deserts. We ended our evening at the door, after having our fill. We said our farewells, I drove home and collapsed, falling almost instantly to sleep, with visions of sugarplums dancing in my head (or, maybe it was sugar-Clydesdales?).

Reception for Cordery a big success

Saturday evening, Stacy Cordery -- celebrated author and member of Monmouth College's history department -- was fêted in style at the home of her colleague Dr. William Urban and his wife, Jackie.

Among the guests to attend were MC fixture Eileen Loya, who had been on the staff as early as the 1930s, and

two MC presidents -- one present, one past (Mauri Ditzler and Bruce Haywood, respectively).

The crowd of faculty, emeriti and spouses seemed to enjoy themselves, arriving, for the most, right at seven o'clock and staying until the party ended at nine.

The spread of treats -- cheeses, crackers, puff pastry rolls, and especially the desserts prepared by Ann Sienkewicz -- was exemplary, the wine and champagne flowed easily and conversation remained lively.
I rather enjoyed myself, as well (although I'm claustrophobic and crowds make me severely anxious). And, from what I gather, (the more important aspect of the evening) Stacy and Simon Cordery enjoyed the company of all these good people, and the festive atmosphere.

Soggy parade (part deux)

So, the rains came in earnest, and the folks in the parade were real troupers

Sticking it out, hoping for the next break in the rains to be the one long enough for everybody to finish the show...

Even IL State Representative Rich Myers bore with it in fairly good humor...

But I'm betting these kids wished their church had built an ark, instead of this float.

Still, my favorite part of any parade in town is

always going to be the Highlanders...

er, rather...

the Monmouth College Pipe Band (I don't know if I can adapt to all the changes since my antediluvian terms of scholarship).

At least the WCPBF Princess court had appropriate transportation:

and Jane Lovdahl handled the moisture with considerable grace

But I'm not so sure about the rest... they had bumbershoots, the cheaters! ;-)

Harding Elementary School, I think, was tossing out mardi gras beads from the back of a soaking wet truck bed...

And the IL home Extension groups were pretty soggy, as well...

As was the 4-H float.

But the crowds, and the participants, seemed to thin out as the rains became progressively heavier.

I stayed long enough to see the Monmouth College Marching Band finally stomp through... Nice to see they no longer have to march in their jammies.

Not the most flattering, but perhaps the more appropriate "majorette" uniforms...

These guys really rock, for a group still new to the college. The music department should be proud.

And with the arrival of these twirlers came the heaviest of the rains.

I was sopping wet, and I was afraid my camera -- not designed for immersion -- would give up the ghost if I let it stay out in the worst of it, so I went home. I hope I was one of a very few... but the pouring rains didn't stop until 6:00, a full hour after they started.

Some day, I will invest in a rain suit, maybe one like the Gorton's Fisherman wears. For the camera. Me, I like getting soaked to the skin. Even on parade day.