Chapel is meant to be a worshipful experience, and usually it is. The years, however, have seen their moments of hilarity. A relatively recent development is the humorous chapel announcements.

In 1978, student Jim Reinhard identified three rules governing chapel announcements:

1. There shall be no motorized or nonmotorized vehicles in the sanctuary exceeding the aisle width or exceeding 2.5 horsepower. Briggs and Stratton lawn movers, tricycles, and ambulance cots will be acceptable.

2. The total noise output from the person or persons giving the announcement shall not exceed 250 decibels, unless the announcers are giving a Panther battle cry, at which time the 300 decibel limit will be in effect.

3. Dress Code – Clothing must be worn at all times while making a chapel announcement. Shorts, pajamas, bathrobes, athletic uniforms, etc., are acceptable. Also, announcers may wear clothing of the opposite sex if they so desire.

He was only slightly exaggerating. One year the annual Muscular Dystrophy Volleyball-athon was promoted with a participatory announcement. Simultaneously, volleyballs were tossed into the crowd and students sitting in the middle of the church raised two volleyball nets, one on each side of the sanctuary. After a few moments of hitting the balls helter skelter, the "formal" announcement was made from the platform.

Main speakers have often supplied the laughs. Kevin Sivis (class of ’84) remembers Dr. James Reinhard’s sermon delivered while on roller-skates as one of the funniest chapel events he witnessed.

Student pranks have enjoyed a long, rich tradition in GC chapels. Lawrence Juhlin (class of ’59) recalls two: "A new vice president became noted for his long introduction of chapel speakers. One morning during the service, a banner was surreptitiously lowered from the ceiling above the platform. It read, "Please remain seated after the introduction for a few brief words by the speaker.

And: "So many alarm clocks had gone off in LaDue Chapel that it really had become tiresome. This particular day the alarm clock had been placed on a ledge some fifteen feet about the floor. When the alarm rang, Matt Zahniser rose from his seat and reached the ledge with a daring stretch from the side of the balcony. He shut off the alarm, placed it back on the ledge, and returned to the balcony, to the thunderous applause of the student body."

Shirley Sheriff (class of ’64) tells of the time President Glenn Richardson rose to speak. At the moment, the song, "Puff, the Magic Dragon" began playing over the P.A. system.

Dr. Matt Zahniser recalls an incident that happened while he was teaching at GC in the early ’80’s: "Bowie Kuhn was being honored for his contributions to baseball at a full-dress convocation. Two students who had rented doctoral regalia got in line on the heels of the faculty in procession. When they reached the platform, they unveiled a bust they had pilfered from the art department. They presented it as a bust of the Honorable Mr. Kuhn, to be placed in permanent view on campus, then topped off their stunt by leading the entire assembly in ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game.’"

And finally, Phillip Miller (class of ’87) shares his favorite prank: "Some fellow students in the science department rigged up a plant which "grew" with the help of a remote-controlled rising plant stand, while the speaker talked. It eventually covered the podium and his face."