Friday. December ll, I954

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Gala Social Evening~ Opens Forum:
Students lniiiale Colorful Building

By Cynthia Brust
Santa Claus payed an early visit to Grinneil last Friday,
bringing with him the Ford Foundation’s gift to the campus
—- the College Forumi Wrapped in shiny glass, with concrete
ribbons and wooden trimmings, this is easily the biggest and
most elaborate toy any Grinnellian has ever received.

The Forum’s official opening was a 4-hour gala featuring
the adequate but not spectacular entertainment of the Rivieras
and Miss Maxine Sellers But the Forum itself was definitely
the star. Just wandering through the building in the after-
noon was much more fun — gaping at the first permanent
student center at Griiineli and peoplerwatching. “It’s beauti-
ful!" almost everyone even the most blase, agreed. But there
was also a feeling that this was something too rich for the
Grinnell campus blood; that no»one would ever be able to feel
at home in‘this glass palace.

By the end of that first evening, most of the cynics had
had their say, and even the seniors managed to talk about
the Forum without mouthful references for the “log cabin"
of the past. _The carpet in the “too stiff and formal” South
Lounge was muddy and sand had been spilled from an ash

tray. The dance floor in the North Lounge, the pool tables
and the eating facilities had been duly initiated. Almost

everyone could now tell north from south unerringly, and
those who had figured out the maze of the lower level proudly
-. conducted grand tours for their bewildered friends. Already
the Forum was a part of us, and soon staring in awe at the
Forum will be just another way to tell a “prospective.”

Some ideas about the future of the Forum were very
apparent even at the end of its first evening. The smallest of
the Private dining rooms are going to be very popular, and

the girls of the Quad may well be forced to drop their anti- \

domestic stance for the romantic coziness of these tiny kit-
chens and dining rooms. The music room might just surprise
everyone by being too small from the very start,’ especially
since coming attractions are made known to the whole campus.
Cafie del Foro will continue to epitomize the luxury and
almost sinful extravagance of the building, as well as its de-
lightful “so different from the rest of the campus" atnios
phere. And somebody will just have to find a way to dim the

’91ights in at least a few corners, for “interdigitation” is not
going to go out of style at Grinnell,

It's colors are overwhelming, its facilities exciting, its im-
portance to the campus awesome. Senior or prospective, fresh-
man and even faculty, Maxine Sellers seems to have summed it
up the best —— the College Forum is nothing but “supercalifra-
gilisticexpia'lilioscléu’s!""""' " ' " ' " ” ’ ' ' " '

 

Scenes at the opening

Forum were noted for
l a r g e numbers of stu-
dents enjoying the many
facilities of the new
building and its pro-
grams. ‘ -

Included in the open-
ing night activities were
a performance by Chi-
cago folk singer Maxine
Sellers (right) and a
rock 'n roll dance (lie-
low) featuring the Rivi-
eras.

Other facilities of the
building which were
available for the first
time last Friday night
are the grill and the
game room (above).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

of the new College’