By Jonathan Smith, Editor in Chief
Sing Song’s first half a century came to a close this weekend.
The beginning of the end of an era of Bible Lectureship begins this week.
The ends of both also bring to close an era for the Optimist as well.
For almost every one of the past 50 Februarys, the Optimist has covered Sing Song and Lectureship during the course of one very busy week. As the technology and the staffs have grown, so too has our coverage. Nowadays, Sing Song and Lectureship time on campus means the staff will produce four newspapers containing more than 70 total pages in the same amount of time we regularly produce two issues with just 20 pages.
But as the campus begins its final February Lectureship in favor of the third week in September, this Optimist editor can’t help but become somewhat sorrowfully nostalgic that future editors might not have this same experience I now have had four times.
I remember all the major issues the Optimist has covered in a span of one week during the past four Februarys: A new Sing Song director, the furor about two Sing Song reviews, the forums with the International Churches of Christ, a snowstorm that canceled parts of Lectureship, the announcement of the schedule change to September, and now the 50th Sing Song and the final February Lectureship.
Just think how different the Sunder all the major issues the Optimist has covered in a span of one week during the past four Februarys: A new Sing Song director, the furor about two Sing Song reviews, the forums with the International Churches of Christ, a snowstorm that canceled parts of Lectureship, the announcement of the schedule change to September, and now the 50th Sing Song and the final February Lectureship.
Just think how different the Sunday Lectureship Optimist issue will be in September rather than February. No Sing Song results and news. No two-page spreads with pictures of all the Sing Song acts. Odds are there even won’t be a need for stories about Lectureship weather – a bizarre phenomenon stemming from the theory that snow is most likely to fall in Abilene during Lectureship, even if temperatures have been in the 70s.
That’s rms interfering with travel plans.
The weather almost planned its own special goodbye to Lectureship this year, with temperatures dropping from the high 80s only a few days ago to the low 20s Saturday with frozen precipitation forecasted to fall in the icy conditions. What a send off to February Lectureship it could have been.
But as long as Lectureship remains in September, a part of us old Optimist staff members will remember the good ole days.
We have enjoyed bringing you the news on the heels of Sing Song for the past 50 years.
I hope the Lectureship/Homecoming month can one day become as exciting and tiring as the Sing Song/Lectureship week has been.
That’s a job for another editor and a different staff, but a little freak Lectureship weather – even in September – wouldn’t hurt.
