Celebrating 150 Years  |  Alumni Memories

Rona M. Fields '53

Stentor editor (1950-53)

The first activity, in which I enrolled at Lake Forest College in the winter of 1950, was the Stentor — the weekly newspaper.  I was conflicted about my career future. I wanted to become a journalist. I wanted to become a musician. I wanted to become a psychologist. In short, I wanted to BECOME!

I was conflicted between wanting to express my opinions and being an objective observer.  At Lake Forest College, I experimented with all of the above.  I wrote editorials, I became the first woman to broadcast and produced a program for and about women on the brand new Lake Forest College radio station. I took every psychology course that was offered and wrote an honors thesis: "Parapsychology As Scientific Psychology" (It was an experimental study). I played glockenspiel in the marching band and bas viol and timpani in the orchestra. My role on the Stentor included straight news reporting and editing and periodic editorials.  The latter were seldom the popular side of any social/political issue. For instance, I vehemently opposed the war in Korea but also favored Universal Conscription (the draft). Sometimes I chose the side of the argument that seemed harder to support just for the challenge of it. Often, I wrote from passionate conviction.

But then something BIG happened! President Truman recalled General MacArthur from his command in the Far East for disobeying his Commander in Chief's order on tactics in the Korean conflict. This MacArthur initiative resulted in many lost American lives and provoked China into the armed conflict.  MacArthur, on returning to the United States, gave his now famous speech “Old Soldiers Never Die” and embarked on a “triumphal” tour across the United States to prove it. 

He scheduled a stopover in Lake Forest. His family roots were there and his advance schedulers provided an opportunity for Lake Forest College to be the scenic backdrop for his presence.  It was, college officials and trustees decided, a great opportunity to become nationally recognized.  Word came down that ceremonies would be heralded by a special issue of the Stentor featuring General MacArthur as hero du jour!

Besides the fact that I had already painstakingly made up the front page for the week, I was incensed on this abridgment of press freedom. The editorial staff was being DIRECTED. I discussed the matter quite heatedly with the editor-in-chief and then with the faculty advisor, Professor Voss.  They tried first diplomatically, then authoritatively. I refused. I was advised Dean Bennett wanted to see me. I went to see her. I truly admired her and wanted her approval. However, she insisted that this must be done. She referred me to President Johnson. I liked him very much. When I was in the hospital with mononucleosis (along with at least ten other Foresters) Dr. Johnson brought us our weekly class assignments.

But no, I was adamant! I was also terribly disillusioned about my academic idols. Much of the evening, I received calls, met with the same people over again and finally, when I signed in for the night, realized my roommate and best friend, Michelle was out. She was my assistant news editor. She had been persuaded to put out the news page celebrating the MacArthur visit.

We’re still friends (I think)! And I became an occasional journalist, author, not much of a musician, and a psychologist.