By Cliff Hicks
(with Emily Wray)
Two disagree
if classic is
great reading
A cold, dark, dreary day Oust
like Tuesday) must have inspired
our next book. Emily’s choice this
week, “The Scarlet Letter” is an
immortal reminder of just how far
our society has come and how far it
has to go.
“And how Puritan life was hor
rid,” Cliff added.
“The Scarlet Letter” is kind of
like a necessary evil. Sure, it’s
dense-, but it does show why the
government should never be con
trolled by conservative extremists.
Though Cliff disagrees, Puritan
ism is not dead, even in our beloved
Midwest.
“It lives on in the hearts of cen
sors everywhere,” he said. “Die,
censors die!
Besides censors, society in gen
eral is Puritan. “The Scarlet Letter”
is about Hester Prynne and her at
traction to a young clergyman, Mr.
Dimmesdale. The joyous bundle of
their illegitimate union is Pearl, a
child proving that good can come
out of what Puritans considered evil.
Unfortunately, Hester is left
holding the baby, wearing the scar
let “A” for adultery, and dealing
with society. Kind of like single
moms today, huh?
Maybe I’m a masochist, but I en
joyed die book (it’s that Midwest
ern guilt complex). Discovering the
underlying themes for myself is al
most as much fun as translating
Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” to find a
character split by a sword from his
nose to his belly button. (Don’t you
just love blood and guts? Happy
Halloween!)
“I think Hawthorne doesn’t even
belong on the same page as
Shakespeare,” Cliff said. “A lot of
‘The Scarlet Letter’ is overbearing,
oversermonizing and just flat out re
petitive. The whole novel of fire
and-brimstone sermons gets tire
some after two or three chapters.”
Amen, urn, oui mai s not me
point. Sometimes we must do things
that we don’t particularly enjoy, like
going to class and the dentist in the
same day. The relief felt after no pop
quizzes and no cavities is great, and
so is the relief felt after reading this
book.
“That just left me with a sore
taste in the mouth.”
Thanks, Cliff.
In the end, Cliff and I simply
were split in our opinions of the
bode. While he found it tedious, I
found it intriguing. He commented
that the book could have been sum
marized into two chapters with next
to no plot loss, and I think that the
length contains the story perfectly.
So my opinion is that this is one
of the classics of English literature, •
and Cliff recommends that you find
something else that has more depth.
His final comment was: “If you
want a good classic, read ‘Moby
Dick.’”
Wray is a junior news-edito
rial major. Hicks is a sophomore
news-editorial and English major
They an both Daily Nebraskan
staff nporten aid book lovers.
/
A good ghost is hard to find
Spirit with sweet tooth remains elusive in Tkmple
Editor's note: In a twinge of holi
day “spirit,” the Daily Nebraskan
sent a reporter to investigate the
“real life” stories of a ghost haunt
ing the Temple Building attic. No
ghosts, a lot of sugar, phenomenon
groupies and three hours later,
Kerber returned undaunted — but
cold.
By Kasey Kerber
Senior Reporter
Maybe some of you will not believe
the following account. That’s fine. “In
side Edition” didn’t buy it either. Or
“Current Affair.” Or even Star Maga
zine for that matter.
(Editor’s note: Or some of Kasey’s
editors.)
Actually, the only living thing that
does believe me is a rat. And I suspect
that even he is skeptical.
(Editor’s note: You should be too.)
8:05 — Arrived in attic, escorted
by Temple personnel. Admired various
props lining the floor and hanging from
the ceiling. Raised eyebrows at toilet.
8:06—Noticed it was pretty dang
cold.
8:06 — Temple personnel said it
was pretty dang cold.
8:07-8:10—Took personal tour of
the attic* No ghost.
8:11 — Heard a sound.
8:12 — Saw that it was only a
cleaning lady closing and locking the
door to the attic.
8:12 — Wait a minute ...
8:13 — Checked to make sure I
could still get out of attic. Door was
unlocked.
8:13-8:20 — Killed a few minutes
typing. Heard a play being practiced
on third-floor stage.
8:20-8:35 — Moved to a better
location to listen to play.
8:36—Wondered if ghost was also
watching play.
8:37 — Got jealous because the
ghost was paying more attention to the
play than to me.
8:37-8:40 — Sorted out my anger.
8:41 — Accepted rejection and
decided it was still too dang cold.
8:42—Laid out a stack of Hallow
een candy next to laptop as an incen
tive for ghost.
8:42-8:52 — Hid behind couch
with a giant net I found in props.
8:53—Decided that the ghost was
not going to take the bait.
8:53 — Ate some of the candy.
8:54—Wondered if ghost also felt
it was too cold up here.
8:^4—Felt sorry tor ghost. Put net
back where I found it.
9:06-9:10 — Sorted out my anger.
9:18—Wondered what ghost’s
name really was.
9:19—Tried to remember from re
search I did on Temple hauntings.
9:20—Blamed lack of memory on
,cold.
9:21—Decided to name the ghost
Fred.
9:22-9:36 — Did more typing,
meanwhile consuming all but one fun
size package of SweeTarts
9:37 — Heard noise.
9:37 —Called out “Fred!”
Please see ATTIC on 14
Photo illustration by Lane Hickenbottom
Ghosts raise haunting questions at Temple
GHOST from page 1
—driving technicians crazy.
During a run of Voltaire’s
‘ “Candide” in the spring of 1992, Cover
and another senior theater student,
Amy Rohr, had problems with things
moving on the light boards and lights
craning on that weren’t cued.
But Cover was convinced that his
brother crept into his lighting booth that
night.
“I asked my brother if he could feel
it,” Cover said. “As were were discuss
ing, a heavy rotor switch (the rotating
knob mounted on the sound board) slid
across the desk and dropped on the
floor in front of me and my brother.”
The ghosts may be mischievous,
but most people say nobody has ever
been threatened. In fact, Fox said “Dal
las” helped him with a project when
he was a student.
“I was searching for visuals in a
magazine,” he said. “I turned, just
about ready to give up and I found the
«
I’ve found they’re more active when we’re
working on classical pieces or dealing
with disturbing issues. I don’t know if
they like them more or what.”
Will Cover
senior theater major
perfect visual. I said ‘Thanks Dallas’
and ran away.”
Some people who search for the
ghosts find little success. That’s what
happened to Colene Byrd, a recent the
ater arts alumna.
“Three friends and I spent the night
in the attic with candles and blankets,”
she said. “We were hoping something
would happen but nothing did.”
Because most things happen late at
night, students working an projects are
more likely to be in the Temple Build
ing later than faculty members.
And as much interest as die students
and faculty have for the ghosts, the
apparitions seem to take an interest in
what’s happening at the Temple Build
ing.
Miller said that according to leg
end, the ghosts see all the shows.
“I’ve found they’re more active
when we’re working on classical pieces
or dealing with disturbing issues,”
Cover said. “I don’t know if they like
them more or what.”
Cover said the spirits are active in
theaters because they feed off extra
energy left by the audience.
He said he respects the ghosts be
cause no one knows if the ghosts are
there willingly or for punishment.
“If you lode at the case of the origi
nal ghost, you have to ask yourself if
you can imagine what it would be like
to exist in a place like that and watch
generation after generation enter, learn
die craft and leave to do great things.”
And if nothing else, Cover said, the
spooky legend is good for the theater’s
public image.
“What kind of theater would it be
if we didn’t have a ghost?”
French museum displays artist’s
fetish with visceral visual creations
MAISONS-ALFORT, France (AP)
—From a distance, the galloping horse
and rider look tame enough. Come a
little closer, though, and yikes! Neither
man nor animal has any skin. Tendons
and ligaments bulge on their bodies,
and the rider’s eyes pop out like grapes.
The French may not celebrate Hal
loween, but every day is creepy at the
museum of Honore Fragonard, an 18th
century anatomist who sculpted with
cadavers instead of clay. The “art” here
is guaranteed to thrill scare-seekers
from any country. _
Bizarre doesn’t begin to describe
this place. Remember the sexually con
fused wacko in “The Silence of The
Lambs” who stitched himself a jacket
from the skins of young women? He
would have gotten along with Dr.
Fragonard, France’s answer to Dr.
Frankenstein.
It’s hard to believe he was a cousin
of the French master Jean-Honore
Fragonard, finned fix’ his paintings of
sun-dappled landscapes and rosy
Please see ART? on 14
Regurgitator brings up
alternative for Halloween
Tired of dressing up as “meat
cleaver-in-the-head-guy” yet again?
Are aliens about to dance out of your
stomach at the thought of another cos
tume party? If so, you could go and
see regurgitation as you’ve never seen
it.
The Lincoln community will be
mystified as the University Program
Council presents Stevie Starr, the
regurgitator.
Starr’s show includes swallowing
a light bulb and regurgitating it back
*
up whole and swallowing live goldfish
and letting them swim back up his
throat alive. Starr also swallows a ring
locked in a padlock and forces it back
up with the ring and lock separated.
Starr has performed his talents on
“The Late Show” and “The Tonight
Show.”
Starr will begin his tricks and treats
at 8 p jn. in the Great Plains Room lo
cated in the East Campus Union. The
cost is $1 with a student ID and $2 for
puWic. — IhriMOer
