Alex Gervais ’28
Exec. Organ Concertgoer
As Halloween approaches on campus, so does Trinity’s annual Midnight Organ concert. Each year, the Chapel fills with the spooky sounds of organ at midnight on Halloween with Bantams watching on from the pews in varied states of drunken stupor. This year, the organ program has decided to take a unique approach, partnering with the biology department for what they’re calling “Midnight Organ2,” a blend of science and the arts. Students will have the opportunity to dissect lab rats as they listen to the music (a double organ experience, if you will).
Flyers advertising the event have begun popping up around campus, calling it a “unique liberal arts experience.” The flyers also contain a disclaimer warning potential attendees that supplies of rats to be dissected will go fast, and Bantams will only be eligible to dissect if they checked the organ donor box when they ordered their fake IDs. Students are also warned not to consume any part of the rat during the dissection because any student who returns a fully dissected and uneaten lab rat will receive a $5 Bantam Bites gift card.
The Tripod spoke to a few interested students to understand their perspectives on the event:
“As a biology major, I’m excited to expand my work beyond the classroom. As someone who has never gone to Midnight Organ not crossfaded, I’m worried about my ability to distinguish between a rat heart and liver while under the influence,” said Acka Demic-Wheapon ’27. “I’m really hoping there won’t be a quiz element.”
“I mean I understand the pun, like yeah, good one,” said Buhz Keel ’29. “What I don’t get is what is added from making students dissect in a dark chapel without any real reason. It kind of feels like this whole thing was just done to appease someone’s super juvenile sense of humor.”
“I’m worried this campus is spending too much time on puns and not enough on being spooky,” said Laim Oh ’30. “I mean, only fourth in the new spookiness ratings? I never thought I’d attend a Trinity where we put such a high value on wordplay and so little on being the spookiest we can be; it’s Halloween for Christ’s sake! No wonder Tucker is so disappointed with us.”
“Why can’t we eat the rats?” Phrie Thinkheir ’28 asked the Tripod. “Studies show that formaldehyde ‘poisoning’ is no more dangerous than consuming an undercooked Bistro hamburger, and I do that almost daily. Rats are also a great source of micronutrients, according to Secretary Kennedy. That’s the issue with the liberal arts these days…too much Big Brother trying to tell you what can and can’t do. I thought we were committed to open inquiry at Trinity.”
Christopher Houlihan ’09, Trinity College’s John Rose Distinguished College Organist, Director of Chapel Music and Artist-in-Residence declined to comment on this article, instead hoping to save the suspense for Midnight Organ2.
