The UMN-Morris academic year ends sooner on the calendar than it used to. The graduation is a signal that things will be slowing down in Morris. I think this used to be more noticeable in past times. And then when the high schools have their graduations, that really paves the way for the subdued summertime.
The first signal that my church of First Lutheran was in decline was when we decided to have just one Sunday service "in the summer." Of course this was to be followed by the complete end to the two services routine.
My family used to weigh: early or late service? I remember as a kid, Mom saying that communion would be held at only one. So she preferred the other service. Communion is a rather odd ritual, don't you think? "The blood of Jesus." Might strike a kid as a little creepy. That part hardly registers with me but I have a separate issue: the logistics of going up to the front and handling the tiny piece of bread ("the body") and the tiny cup of, well, grape juice. And then you put the empty cup in a basket held by an acolyte.
Hey, no one is compelled to go up for communion. I have opted not to at times. When you're done you are expected to go back to your spot in the pews. Oh and it would be easy to lose track of that, right? So I'll set something in my spot that I can recognize as I come back, maybe my reading glasses. Oh my, the embarrassment of taking someone else's spot!
Go ahead and skip communion.
Standing up when the pastor requests this, is also voluntary. A friend who watches services on YouTube noticed that I wasn't always standing up. He nudged me on that. Is this a societal faux pas? My excuse is that my parents did not stand up in their fading years. They'd have communion brought to them. I'd stay seated too and be served that way.
Attending church at all is of course a voluntary thing. I often remind people of when First Lutheran was really in its prime and we had "UMM Sunday" in the fall. A little group of UMM students would be present and would address the congregation. And then there was the big "pot luck" lunch. It really was a big deal in its prime.
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| First Lutheran Church (B.W. photo) |
In the last year of "UMM Sunday," the number of people coming downstairs for the pot luck was no more than if we had our standard coffee hour. Without a doubt the writing was on the wall. "New Wine" ended. Eventually the church choir had to be discontinued.
(The catalyst: gay rights.)
Brethren with Federated
Looks like Federated Church which has also experienced erosion is hanging in there with a choir. They were our guests last Sunday. This as the rumors circulate about how maybe, maybe, First Lutheran and Federated will join together as a two-point parish. For a while I accepted this as fact already. Depends on who you talk to of course. When I was with the newspaper I had standing that allowed me to get a heads-up with "official" news. Oh my, today I just go out and about and "talk to people." You can swear something is a fact and then. . .
I told a church leader last Sunday that I approved of the two-point parish thing with Federated. He knew what I was talking about. So the proposal did not come out of thin air.
I suggested we proceed quickly with this. If we don't, we will have an unsteady and slipshod arrangement to get pastoral services, not that many of these people are not good. I feel better with an anchor pastor who we know will be there on most Sundays. Just as, I was an "anchor" representative for the newspaper once, showing up all over the place. I still feel like a fish out of water, not being able to do that any more. I'll never get over it. It's who I really am, or was.
The last newspaper owner I worked for ended up leaving town. Not the most classy operation.
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| Rev. Matt Orendorff |
The two-point parish would be served by Pastor Matt. He was a mass communications major in college just like I was. He matriculated at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. That's the home of the "Blugolds." Me, I got my mass communications degree at St. Cloud State. Huskies!
Isn't it crazy how SCSU is making the news these days? I'm sure there's nothing the St. Cloud Chamber of Commerce can do about it. Cascading decline. Insult added to injury with a whole list of buildings set to be torn down.
I can understand some of the dormitories being razed because clearly the entitled young people of today wouldn't accept living in the 1960s style of dormitory. We weren't exactly fans of that ourselves. The idea was just to crowd kids in. A common bathroom on each floor.
Outside of the dorms, I think it's sad and really not defensible for some of the other major buildings to meet the wrecking ball. In the wake of all that, more "open space?" Is that all? I have read that touted as being nice. However, open space in and of itself is nothing, does not produce anything. I would say potential for new residential development is nil because the neighboring part of town is run down to the extent that I've read you wouldn't want to take a walk after dark.
Shift outward
The nice new residences of today are built on the periphery of communities. Commuting has been made so routine due to cars being built to be so much more dependable. Cars don't even come with spare tires now. Detroit got competition.
In the days of the Detroit primacy, there was a norm of trading your car every four years. Technology has sure sharpened and transformed that industry, as it has everything else.
Well, I hope St. Cloud enjoys its new "open space." Doesn't sound too good for the tax rolls. Meanwhile, as the wrecking ball goes to town at SCSU, our Morris campus is trying to get an elevator for the multi-ethnic building.
On the edge maybe
Multi-ethnic building? Can we really risk continuing to have such a thing? Surely you have read about the intense crackdown on "DEI." And the Supreme Court, bolstered by the DJT appointees, has shot down affirmative action. Can we survive with our Native American policy?
Two ways of looking at the policy: It's good in that it keeps our enrollment up or at least stable or at least not shrinking so fast. Fine, but the Natives do not pay tuition. It's an old policy meant to remedy the serious injustices done to Natives. Well, all of affirmative action has as its foundation the cause of remedying past injustices. That's the whole point. But the Supremes have said "no more."
I think affirmative action and DEI have really done a lot of good. So I frown on the door being slammed on it. Even if you frown too, you must acknowledge where the power is now. Republicans have more than a foothold now. We're really not used to this. Many of us assume the pendulum will swing back. That is merely an assumption or wishful thinking.
Republicans on the basis of naked principle do not approve of publicly-funded education.
So whither UMM? We'll have a long summer to think about it. Let's look forward to the "welcome UMM picnic" at East Side Park next fall. Will East Side Park be preserved "as is?" Can we get more use out of the Killoran stage? It's too bad how feelings developed over the recent proposal for the place. Intentions were good.
What makes such matters so sensitive is that the residential neighborhoods are so close. Sometimes I'm scared of the expansion of Superior so close to my place. But what a burgeoning company that is. There is always a trade-off with industrial development. The environment always suffers in some way.
Music really matters
Is anyone besides me really concerned that there is no longer a band for the UMN-Morris graduation? I mean a real bona fide band with all the usual sections composed of current students. It sure was the norm for a long time. Just as First Lutheran Church went through stages of decline, are we left whistling past the graveyard in connection to UMM?
What if the affirmative action thing really bites us at some point? What if the no-DEI policy really comes at us? I think these things are more likely than not. Can the State of Minnesota give us a protective umbrella to a degree? We really answer to the state, don't we?
I'm just saying we need to be scared. Or vigilant.
The concept was floated
I remember when a UMM student caused some controversy maybe ten years ago by pushing the idea of an "intramural" jazz band! He had an op-ed in the campus newspaper. The experiment started but was met with resistance by the music discipline. So determined these young people were, they tried a rehearsal in the HFA hallway, whereupon an opponent in the music department contacted campus police!
I found the email address of the student promoter (instigator?) and told him I endorsed his project. But I think it disappeared. His op-ed noted how so many UMM students had been in high school jazz band but were not music majors in college. They'd really enjoy the outlet.
And allow me to whisper here: maybe this "intramural" group could sharpen its style to where it'd be on the same level as UMM's official jazz group? Uh-oh, maybe even better? Competition is always good for people. The higher the standards the better.
But then there's the bureaucracy. I could not see my late father objecting to this "rebellious" idea. Let there be music!
But now we have to settle for a mere small group - not current UMM students? - performing for graduation. "Pomp and Circumstance" does not sound right unless it's played by a full "band." Hancock High School can do it. In fact they do it pretty well.
Addendum: Why not a UMM pep band too? Just a big enough band to produce the desired sound, not real big. Play for football and basketball. It won't be all things to all people. The perfect is the enemy of the good.
My father, as the original UMM music faculty, directed a pep band for basketball at the old "P.E. Annex" which has been razed. He directed the original UMM fight song. I think if we adjusted the second line of lyrics in the song, it could be resurrected. May lightning strike me for suggesting that. But I'm just trying to revive it. I have long had a suggestion for the adjustment. Me? Well, the song isn't doing anyone any good if it isn't used. It is my assumption that the second line of lyrics is the problem. But I always venture forth with my ideas. My blogging doesn't cost me a penny. A friend tells me I probably have "lurkers" on my blogs.
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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