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

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Tilt ( lass Council approved the majority report of the Mumni, ami passed a resolution urging '38 men to join the Sl . Once more the Spring informal yielded a magnificent profit when a fifty cent balance wa discovered by the ferreting Student Council auditors. The Student I nion parly swept elections for the fall term, when all its candidates but one gained office. Herbert Kohinson. Louis Burnham, and vra- ham S«dle became president, ice-president, and sec- retary of the Student Council. The class voted a straight SI ticket electing Jack Besansky, Lewis Zuckerman, and Joe Brody to do our worrying for us. For the first time in several years, Jingo Day passed peacefully. With tin- permission of the Faculty an orderly counter-demonstration was held on Convent vonue and later in the Croat Hall, where Professor Morris B. Cohen spoke on the history of the anti- ROTC movement at City College. In refuting the arguments of the proponents of military training, Professor Cohen pointed out that if it were educa- tional, it probably would be taught by educators and alized when, on the night of December 12, members of the class and their best dates danced and dined in the French, Colonial, ami Arabian rooms of the Hotel Park Central. Robert Burke, who had been expelled from Columbia the previous spring for having been a leader in an anti-Nazi meeting there, was forbidden to speak here by Dean Turner. The troubles of other colleges must not 1r- made the troubles of City Col- lege, said the Dean, in explaining his decision. Not long after, the Student Council launched another of- fensive for the removal of Dr. Robinson, lie was labelled as one of the most dangerous enemies of academic freedom in the I nited Stales. On October 27. delegates of the nation's four polit- ical parlies addressed the student body at a sympo- sium in the ( real Hall. In a poll conducted by the Carn nis. the student body voted its opposition to the military science courses by a vote of fifteen hundred fifty-one to five hundred sixty-seven, and its support of the American Youth Act. President Roosevelt was

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The I.iuli Creat in an utterly reprehensible course of conduct char acterized by breaches of College discipline and of (-ommon decency,” which was responsible for all the trouble, said a minority report read at the same time. The majority report was adopted by a vote of five hundred nineteen to two hundred seventeen. In the spring term of 1936, the Student Council and the Campus hastened to press the advantage of- fered by the ssociate Mumni report. They proposed a school-wide referendum on the issue, but their at- tempt at its execution were halted by Charles II. Tut- tle, chairman of the City College Administrative Committee of the Board of Higher education, which was investigating the Mumni's charges. He warned the Council that any attempt lo hold such a vote “would be regarded as gross insubordination and a serious breach of discipline. The Student Council then voted to conduct a six point referendum including the proposition: The Student Council shall hold a referendum on Frederick B. Robinson's fitness for office. letter from Mr. John T. Flynn of the Board’s dministralivc Committee declared, even a refer- endum on whether a referendum on the President should be held, would be gross insubordination.” On April 22. thirty-five hundred students massed into the Creat Hall for the anti-war strike. The stu- dents enthusiastically passed resolutions advocating the Oxford Oath, the removal of President Robinson, a campaign against the government’s propo-ed mili- tary expenditures, and the unconditional reinstatement of the twenty-nine students ex|N lled since 1933. Mr. Morris I . Schappes, popular young instructor of Knglish, delivered a fiery address against the war- mongers and the forces of reaction. In less than twenty- four hours, a storm of controversy was raging on the campus. It began when Mr. Schappes received from Professor Horne, Dr. Krowl’s successor as chairman of the department, a letter informing him that he would not be reappointed to bis position, since his efficiency as a teacher of Knglish had not been sufficiently notable. Student-faculty opposition to Mr. Schappes' dismissal was brought to bear upon Professor Horne ami President Robinson. The modern technique of in- dustrial conflict was adopted by twelve hundred stu- dents who, for six hours staged a sit-down strike in front of Dr. Robinson’s office. Requests for an ex- planation of the President’s stand were made by the group, but in vain did they sit, for no word came from the office, and the President left without making any communication. The situation was considerably sof- tened, however, when Dean Turner had a rug laid on the floor for those seated there. The Board disposed of all cases like Mr. Schap|M s' by resolving that all tutors who had served for three years or more be re- tained unless there exist strong compelling reasons based on teacher-qualifications for their separation from the service. Mr. Schappes and six other tutors at the College were retained. The close of the term was near, but peace was not yet. The Campus Xssocialion forced the Cum pus to suspend publication because the latter refused to ac- cept the Xssociation's choice for editor. The suspen- sion lasted for two issues because of flagrant flaunt- ing of authority on the part of the staff.” The Student Council seized U|»on the occasion to edit the Student, perennial symbol of revolt. The difficulty was short- lived. and the Campus soon reap|R ared, victorious in the right to select its own editor and editorial policy. 23

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 iwleclcd’’ by an overwhelming count in tin straw vote. Aid Spain ” booths were seen in tin- alcoves all term long. Both undergraduates and faculty members joined in an effort to contribute money and medical supplies to the legitimate Spanish government. fac- ulty committee to aid Spain was formed, under the chairmanship of Mr. Mumford and Professor Over- street. Several student- left tin- College to join the -truggle against Fascism: Ben ladder and Kugene Bron-loin, two alumni, lost their lives in battle. Peace Week was celebrated from Xovcmlier 16 until No- vember 20. College politics were marked by internal dissension in the Student Council. President Herbert Hohinson, in an effort to counteract the laxness and indifference of many Council members, led a drive toward a thor- ough housecleaning”: the chief victim of the purge was vice-president l.ouis Burnham, who was removed from office for non-attendance. Simon Slavin was ap- pointed to tile post. I h«- House Plan celebrated its second birthday, amidst messages of congratulation from Deans Cott- seball, Rlapper, and Turner, Professor Dickson, and the Student Council. Men of ’.'18 who had been among the charter members were observed to bear themselves w ith unaccustomed pride over the success of their twin brother, and their ability to make their stay at the College more than an interval between subway rides in tin- morning and at night. The celebration was capped by a gala Carnival in the Kxercising Hall (gym to you!), featuring several booths, dart games, magicians, fortune-tellers, ami a marionette show. Miss Hazel Horowitz of the Commerce Outer was crowned Queen by Russell Paterson, prominent mag- azine illustrator. The legality of the College chapter of the ASl was left undetermined, when at one of the stormiest ses- sions in years, the Board of Higher education, by a lie vote, defeated the McGoldrick resolution. Mr. John T. Flynn, a Board member, staled, “The old rule of suppression, which has ruled the City Colleges for many years, has been supported. . . . This is a com- plete victory for President Robinson.” The elections for the coming Spring term saw a leni|K rary diminution of the supremacy of the Student I nion party; the two important positions of president and secretary went to Victor xelroad and Jack Lon- don of the Progressive Student party, while vraham Soltes of the Student I nionisls was returned to the position of vice-president. Vnd suddenly, as they al- ways do, exams descended upon us. In February, 1637 we were lieginuing to anticipate graduation, with one-half of the class lieing lower seniors and the other, upper juniors. The new class council, which showed astonishing signs of activity, ran, in the accustomed order, Bernard Rolhenberg, Joseph Sol-ky, and illiam McDonald. class paper, the Jester, made its appearance, the first since the days of the freshman Recorder. not her set of reso- lutions favoring the passage of the merican Youth Act and endorsing the pilgrimage to the national capi- tal on W ashington's birthday were passed. It actively sup|M»rted the anti-war demonstration in pril, and w hen the time for Charter Day came around, the coun- cil vociferously condemned the u-e of a military color