Another chapel service is added in order to accommodate the needs of a growing student body Sophomore Colby Blaisdell challenges his opponent for the disc during an Ulti– mate frisbee game. Ultimate frisbee was a popular front lawn activity and im– promptu matches sprang up often. (Photo by April Clem) Sophomores Bryan Bradshaw and Stephanie Ramsey chat with senior Greg Goodale over dinner at Mi Ranchito. The restaurant was a favorite of students who enjoyed tasty, yet inexpensive, Mexican cuisine. (Photo by April Clem) _ . 22 student life For the first time in decades, stu– dents could choose to attend one of two chapel services. As a resultofincreased enroUment. the entire student body and faculty could not fit in the Benson Audito– rium. The chapel committee decided to create a simultaneous service in the Administration Auditorium. Daniel Cherry, administrative as– sistant to the President, said IMt spring more than 50 students were asked to be core members of the new chapel service. "We knew thatwe would have to make it something that was going to be a priority and the quality would have to be as good as the Benson/' Cherry said. "We didn 't want the people in the Administration Audi– torium to feel like they were second rate, so we assembled that group to give us some ideas." Shtdents were able to sign up for the Administration Auditorium chapel service before the school year ended. This fall, 790 studentspartici– pated in the new chapel service. "I like it a lot," sophomore Jenni– fer Holt said. "It seems more per– sonal since it's smaller and I don't feel like it's really separate from the Ben– son. I still feel like it's the whole stu– dent bodycoming together for chapel." Many students who attended the smallerchapel felt they hadn't missed anything. The new chapel had the same announcemen ts and simila r speakers, just on different days or later in the chapel service. Some students felt differently. "I like the Benson," sophomore Dave Pritchett said. "There are more people in there and you get the sense of being with people. But I like the Administration [Auditorium] chapel because I think it's more intimate a nd I like the acoustics better." The chapel split also affected the I ,200 incoming freshmen. In the past, choosing seats on the lower level of the Benson was a privilege reserved for upperclassmen. This year, how– ever, freshmen were allowed to sit anywhere in the Benson, a big change for the returning students. "I like the idea of different classi– fications being mixed together dur– ing chapel," senior Candi Stewart sa id. "But I also feel that the fresh– men should have more focus in the Administration [Auditorium] chapel and move up to sitting on the Benson floor, like we did." Although the re we re many dif– ferent opinions about the chapel splil, most agreed that praising God was the most important thing. In the spring, the chapels were combined and the student body met together again in the Benson. -Heidi Waldell
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