City College of New York - Microcosm Yearbook (New York, NY)

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'I-u- x 1 ' fn --L:--A - P-- '-1' SV vwliif RD, 1 l ' 4' ' ' . if 1 . I X gm ,r ff-l f' f X X Ju will F ' A3f 1,, auf W IVIC winters have passed since first we entered these Gothic halls, and we have grown from boyhood to lll2lll,S estate. It was in the Spring of 1894 that some thousand boys gathered from all parts of this great city to enter the lists of the city's college. Many could not even present the preliminary requirements so they were not allowed to enter tl1e tournament. Each succeeding year saw many fall from view and many a gallant knight hurled to the ground with a shattered lance in one of the half score of melees, till now barely a tithe, a single hundred are bravely charging forward. NVe wl1o remain have lived here together in harmony and good-will, acquiring knowledge, forming habits of thought, forming characters and cementing friendships which must stand us in good stead the rest of our lives. And as we contemplate the time wl1en we shall leave this place of pleasant associations. we reflect, too, that we have formed here those lofty ideals which we hope to realize to the credit and the glory of the kind mother that cherisfhed us. And, now that we have passed in close fellowship that period of our lives celebrated in song and story as being the most happy of all, a lustrum has come round and we 1m1st be purified in the sorrow ofa parting. It is a pleasure to recall and to record now tl1e history of this Class of 'QQ. When we assembled here five years ago, we were a mere mob of boys without individuality or characteristic, yet we had in us the earnest of great things. To-day the Class of '99 is proud of its artists, poets, journalists, students, chemists, biologists and statcsmen. XVe trust that age will fulhll the promises of youth. . 32

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Faced dreary dungeons and grim death, to pave The way for that which now the World deems . Right. Upon ourselves devolves the highest task Of searching in the darkest paths of Life And rounding that' dread rock of Prejudice- Find Truth within the light of truest Self. 4f:ef:xf:rma::if:kavfafv.:x:k And we who part to-night with that last bond VVhich held us through the course of five long years, Forever broken by one single act of lawg I Who for the last time stand a Class- To bid farewell with half-regret to go- Will part indeed upon that sea of Life, Where XVork and Death await us all, and where The shattered hull of many a ship-wrecked Soul, Lies tossing on the growing waves of years. And yet for all there's Light ahead, a spark That never fails to warn if storm be nighg To guide us by the force of lasting Love- And give us Hope that thus we cannot die. Oh, let us pray that when we part to-night, God speed our souls with strength to struggle on And reach the goal of lasting happiness. There is no Life that shines eternally, For there are tears to cloud the days with grief- And as the storm subsides, an after-glow 31 Of dreamy softness fills the tear-dimmed eyes-5 As parting glories of a dying day VVill spread themselves upon the surface of a lake So will there come, within those tears of grief, The eternal glory of a human smile. Oh, let us feel that when we part to-night, The human tie which bindeth man to man, Will make us more than pilgrims on our wayg That through the vista of departing years, Despite the hardships of a single life, There still may be a spark of that one time, lrVherein we worked and called each other, friend. Oh, let us pray, that when we part to-night, VVith but a word to send us on our way, There still may go the spirit of those years, To give us hope through many a dreary day. We bow as Suppliants in a righteous cause, To ask for strength to stand the test of Lifeg Hoping, trusting, clinging to that thread. Which should it snap, would crush us in the strife. ,Tis this last moment that our hearts are full, 'Tis this last parting that is blent with Sorrow, Howe'er in Memory we may recall- The real, true Class will be as naught to-morrow. llut while we may--for old lang syne-join hands, And bend our heads in one hcart-felt-farewell, With prayers of thankfulness for what is won. And after that-Oh God! Thy will be done.

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Besides the record of our social life which resulted in friendship and good feeling, and a record of our intellectual evolution, a history of our Class as a body-politic is demanded of a candid historian. For the first three years of our College course, tl1e affairs of the Class were managed by a parliament of representatives who were miscalled delegates. Many times each year they squabbled and debated, voted moneys, adopted Class cries and emblems and each year attended a banquet for tl1e Class. In the fourth year this pernicious system of government was abolished, and tl1e members of the Class of'99 entered upon the exercise of their rights as citizens and legislators. Every month we assembled in a great council to consider the welfare of the Class-state. At the end of this year we ate our banquet for ourselves. In this last year we have continued a form of govermnent which was found satisfactory. To be sure parties exist, but where do they not? They are not necessarily evils. With us they have been provocative of a lively interest in affairs, shown in tl1e early preliminary canvassing, which often results in no election for several meetings in succession, and often, by judicious management, in overwhelming majorities, as in the case of our present president. This president has secured several times the highest honor in the gift of the Class. He is a wise statesman, and a popular politician. Everybody is on one or more committees. At one of our great councils it was resolved That the Senior Class do adopt and wear caps during the second term. Accordingly, since the vernal Equinox we have worn these caps about tl1e college, as a badge of distinction and an emblem of our progressiveness. In this our college, our connection with the world about us is very close. We recall the great municipal and national changes during our college career. And as ,QQ grew in importance and dignity, so too did the Macrocosm i11 which we move. From the great mayoralty campaign of 1897 greater New York City emerged. Hardly had the excitement subsided when we were shocked by the sad and memorable news of the destruction of tl1e Maine. A little later, when President McKinley call for volunteers, tl1e Class of ,QQ was prompt with a representative. Three months passed and Santiago Hill was a matter of history. And with the beginning of our college year, last fall, we welcomed back our classmate Gilbert Brockway, still i11 tl1e uniform of a volunteer. . Though the history of the Class of ,QQ is connected with the growth of college, city and country, withal it is brief. The Class of ,99 is united and happy. 33