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

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Italy was applauded on all sides. Over 4000 students attended tlie Mobilization Against War , sponsored by President Robinson. The proceedings, however, were marred by another outbreak of anti-Robinson feeling. Student Council President Rob Brown was cheered when lie stated that although a vote on the Oxford Pledge bad been banned, he was certain of student support for the Oath. (A Coin )us poll had resulted in a 1544 to 186 vote for the Pledge.) The President was booed when he attempted to remove Brown front the micro- phone. Brown was accused of a “breach of faith , but suspension proceedings were dropped. Partly due to a multiplicity of can- didates in the Frosh elections, the I.S.R. party swept the Chapel bal- loting to go on and set two records. It passed more resolutions than any previous or subsequent council and ran less social functions than any other council. To prevent the Sopho- mores from breaking up a class smoker the place of the affair was kept unknown. So secret was the smoker that not even the Freshmen knew its location. In spite of its inactive council. '39 showed its true mettle. The Sopho- mores were conquered in Lewisohn Stadium and in Jasper Oval, with the Frcsluncn climaxing their victory with a march on Columbia, where, for thirty torrid minutes, they Occu- pied the Barnard campus. Swayed by Vic Axelroad's stirring speech in Chapel during the elections a few weeks later, the '39 class voted overwhelmingly anti - I.S.R. Over- coming an I.S.R. lead in the rest of the school, '39 swept Julie Lavitt into office as S.C. President, and I.S.R. candidates for class council were defeated where they were opposed. Thus Dave Bradshaw became class President. January and February of 1936 were important months. The world learned that riots at the College were not due to a small body of radical agitators. The President lacks the human qualities necessary to achieve the widespread confi- dence of his faculty and student body and to provide genu- inely inspired, resourceful and socially imaginative leader- ship.” Such was the conclusion of a majority of the Associate Alumni. The Board of Higher education, nevertheless, banned a student referendum on the subject. The same period marked the formation of the American Student Union. Beginning as a union of the National Student league and the Student la-ague for Industrial Democracy, the A.S.U. quickly took hold at the College. However, the administration was not yet ready to capitulate completely to liberal student sentiment. Some 2000 students at the Anti-War Strike meeting in the Great Hall heard Morris U. Schappes lash out at the war mongers”. The next day. President Robinson, upon the recommendation of the ('hair- man of the Hnglish department, announced that the fiery instructor would not be re-appointed because of incompe- tence. The Cam ms spread the news; student muttcrings grew and finally burst into active opposition. Campus meetings and demonstrations were belli every day. A novel climax was provided when the I.iucoln Corridor was filled with sit-down- ers (made comfortable by a rug provided by Dean Turner). The five hour siege ended when Prexv. reinforced by hefty Dr. Richardson, evacuated by a back door. The impasse was finally settled by a Board of Higher Education ruling giving Mr. Schappes tenure. The Schappes Case was more than a victory for Mr. Schappes. It marked the final defeat of the Administration. President Robinson became merely titular head of the Col- lege, for major decisions thereafter were made by the Board of Higher Education. Amidst the turmoil of the Schappes incident a new problem arose. Upon the resignation of the Campus editor, the Campus Association appointed Irving Neiman as the new editor. But a rebellious staff refused to accept tlie Association's choice, which, they claimed, was made in an undemocratic fashion. In retaliation the Campus was promptly suspended. Believing that City College could not continue to function without a well-informed student body, the Student Council awoke to temporarily revive the Student. After two issues of the Stu- dent Council newspaper, the Association chose Gabriel il- ncr as editor and reinstated the Campus. The new strength of the students was again evidenced later in the semester. For the first time the Administration officially sanctioned a Jingo Day” demonstration. Close to one thou- sand students heard Professor Morris Raphael Cohen and watched while fellow students picketed Lewisohn Stadium. Colonel Robinson showed his versatility in gaining R.O.T.C. recruits. Thereafter, entering freshmen were greeted with free lunches and other forms of high pressure salesmanship by the INFORMATION PLEASE! ColUgo porionnol •»»» b«o» » incrooongly »• «portont 01 evr fitilimon year toded into the background. 19

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History SE 1 Umbrella» ami riots have faded into the past since the (.lass of 1939 entered City College. Christmas trees and Frosh-Soph rallies have taken their place. Many factors have contributed to make this change. I he limiting of President Frederick 11. Robinson s power ami his replacement by Professor Nelson P. Mead; the passing of the depression’s lowest point; a desire hv the students to wipe out the Red” stigma of City College; ami a shift in student political opinion were all instrumental in a rise in the College's social activities. Hut '39 claims that the increase of school spirit and the consciousness on the part of the members of our class that college is more than lectures, laboratories, and livres, was equally responsible. In its first semester, with only the small upper half regis- tered at the College, the class of '39 gave no indication of changing the downward trend in extra-curricular life. A poorly attended smoker and a Frosh-Soph Cane Spree (won by the Sophs) were all that the Council, half of whose mem- bers left school the following term, attempted. The “era of ill feeling still dominated. Headed by Rob Brown, the Independent Students Rights Party won control of the Student Council in the elections at the end of the semes- ter. “Vigilantes' attacked Communists on the campus. Despite student sentiment, the Faculty deleted a plank in the I.S.R. platform calling for the ousting of President Robinson. Charter Day proceedings were boycotted by the Student Council when the Faculty rejected a suggestion that Lock and Key members substitute for the R.O.T.C. as color guard. The ranks of the suspended students were increased by two as the result of a demonstration against Jingo Day. Kncmics of the College took advantage of the turbulent conditions to strike at academic freedom through the State Leg- islature. State Senators Nunan ami Dcvaney sponsored a bill which would require all stud- ents in institutions of higher learning, supported in whole or in part by public funds, to take an oath of allegiance to the state and federal constitu- tions. Red baiters led by the College's most popular unpop- ular figure. William Randolph Hears!, took up cudgels for the bill. Rut demonstrations and delegations to Albany from the colleges in New York killed it. One organization's activities, however, were a preview of a new college spirit. Nursed by Mortimer Karpp, who was also faculty advisor to '39 during this first term, the House Plan's growth was phenomenal. A precedent was started when the House put over” the first low priced gym dance. Near the end of the term an historic event, the leasing of 292 Convent Avenue, occurred. II The second half of the class entered the College very auspiciously. A 20 ton salute (dynamite) by the W.P.A. greeted the newcomers. This class, the largest in the history of the College, was welcomed by another “freshman” at City. Dean John R. Turner. Dean Turner had been appointed to reduce the friction between the students and the admin- istration. Immediately thereafter, one of the chief causes of student- faculty ill feeling was removed. Hygiene 5 and 6, which bad been compulsory for all but R.O.T.C. members, were made elective. R.O.T.C., consequently, was made purely voluntary, thus bringing victory to a 25 year struggle to end compulsory military training. A month later, the trend toward harmony was strengthened when the Board of Higher Education rein- stated the students who had been expelled at the anti-Fascist riots. Students and faculty teamed up futilcly on two issues of world-wide importance. The usual run of meetings and petitions supported Jeremiah P. Mahoney’s Boycott the Olympics campaign. The brave struggle of Ethiopia against

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.Military Science department Not content with the Ntinan Kill, reactionaries tried a new move. Senator McNahoc charged that .New York City’s Colleges were breeding “reds . Armed with an appropriation, the Senator Marted snooping. I lie College felt .'lighted, for McNahoc devoted more attention to “reds” at Cornell than at City. Although several text- books which used the word communist were uncovered, the McNahoc Committee soon died a derisive death. Throughout the school, and especially in the ’39 class, the students awoke to a new social life. A crew of hard working class members daily harangued the students in T.H.II. and in the alcoves with Da-a-ance Tickets’- and Cla-a-ass Cards”. A deficit on the first «lance was tempo- rarily taken care of by the chairman. ’39 Steps, origi- nally the Courier made its appearance in printed form. Dramsoc kept pace with the times. Proxy, football. W.P.A., ct al. were satirized in A-Men, a musical com- edy. which topped all previous shows. For weeks students hiinnneil “Two Against the World” and I’m Just a Freshman in Your Arms”. Stvdiou» Itwdonh. in n«ed of awicl toning, «njoyod Hygl » dattoi ««opt ot MWth of ition—quorttily qviu« (obovo). Room 100—ot III of tKc Lincoln Corridor llOl.d msny probUmt for worried ic’ v’i ond fmkno, Orgon.wd Froih-Sopl. ocKvlty ot rl« Coltcgo 1,11 Uto dlu,p,l,. tbo J» Clou, o-d Ntbwill (tycK o obov«| com Infreguontly. '1th th« entro-c Intramurals, reorganized under Jimmy Peace, expand- ed ten-fold. The class came out on top in the road race, in basketball and in baseball. Kut hilarity rcigue«l in a packed Jasper Oval as the faculty baseball team defeated ’39 by 16 to 5. The big event of the semester was the selection of Sig- mund S. Arm as class adviser. Waning spirit was quickly revived by his understanding aid, and at his suggestion another dance, free to all class members, was held. Punch, ice-cream and cookies were free. Though critics had termed it a “scatter-brained” i«lca, the affair made a profit. Interest in school elections reached a new low as Kay Michelson was elected unopposed to the class presidency and S.U. candidates Robinson, Burnham and Soltcs swept the Student Council positions. A more important vote occurcd in the Tech School. For a long time seces- sionist ideas had been rampant in the engineering build- ing. hut extremists were squelched when the school voted against divorcing itself from the Student Council. Ill After a summer’s vacation the class returned to be greeted al registration by the '39 Steps and guarantees of free smokers and 15% discounts on other class func- tions. all for a ten cent class card! The council kept its promises, to the displeasure of the Hotel CinridgC. Two rooms (capacity 300) of that staid hotel were hired by the l‘ro h ami Soph classes for a joint smoker. When 1000 students arrived. 50 committee men. all drafted, could do nothing but wring their hands. Dean Turner and Professor Babor were able to hold up the riot for about one hour with appropriate humour, but when the Dean started to distribute cigarettes (donated by Philip Morris) the ravenous horde broke loose. Fortunately, the Dean escaped with his life. Chairman Wnlpin was pushed through a window when lie attempted to rescue hot «l«»gs“ which were being consumed raw. A ledge pre- vented a painful but minor mishap. The Claridgc is still