Columbia University School of Dental and Oral Surgery - Dental Columbian Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 6 text:

OUR JOURNEY TO OZ A Journey . . . A trek along a winding roadway, A roadway tracing heights of aspiration, A pathway winding through forests of self-doubt . . . At times a forced march toward an ill illumined goal, At times a headlong rush toward a certain future. A Journey, along much the same roadway as the mythical travelers to Oz, The Lion, the Tinman, the Scarecrow, and Dorothy — All struggling along the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City. Oz, the total magical universe where some come to seek courage, heart, or knowledge. For others, like Dorothy, Oz is but a stepping-stone, a brief sojourn in the longer journey of life. We in our own odyssey have come to realize that the goal of our trek is only a beginning. These four years were like the quest for Oz; We searched for the wizard who would effortlessly afford us all the requisite skills and attitudes. But, like the Lion, the Tinman, and the Scarecrow, we came to realize that ultimately the answers lay in ourselves. Throughout our journey our friends stayed fast, our families stood with us. The abilities, the demands, the beratings, and the encouragements of our faculty marked our path. But still it remained for each individual to follow his own special road. The Wizard of Oz — a child ' s fairy tale or our own allegory? The trek down the Yellow Brick Road has ended. We stand inside the gates of the Emerald City. Our Journey has begun . . M.J.D.

Page 8 text:

It has not been an easy four years. No one expected it to be. Life con- tinued to drift and rage outside as we tediously learned the art and sci- ence of dentistry, at times nearly succumbing to frustration and failure. It is perhaps the most difficult task of a teacher to guide students through such periods, maintaining both the patience and dedication to instruct, and the humor and spirit of comraderie to dissipate fears and reorient lost perspectives. Such a teacher must be wholly committed to excellence and yet sensitive to each individual ' s ability ... a person in possession of the unique capacity to eliminate discouragement as a fac- tor in the experience of learning. It is to two such men, Roy Boestler and John Lucca, that we, the class of 1974, dedicate this yearbook. It is with gratitude that we will remem- ber them not only for transferring to us an element of their proficiency and perseverance, but also for their ability to raise our spirits and to in- still in us an assurance that has extended beyond the four walls of our dental education. TAT