Columbia University College of Pharmacy - Apothekan Yearbook (New York, NY)

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rf6 a ani 7au From the professorial watchtower, student life in the senior chemistry laboratory is not always a prosaic and perhaps burdensome series of proj- ects to be completed in a limited time. Like its counterpart in everyday living, it presents its lighter side, its pathos, its romance, and its unique character portrayals, particularly those which remain fixed in one ' s memory long after the image of the average student has faded away. There are the varied student approaches to getting information — the mature student who relies solely on his notes and reference books; the worrier who asks the same question of three different instructors; the duplicator who waits for the other fellow to set up the experiment; the sixty-four dollar questioner who waits for a little crowd before exhibiting his erudition, sometimes with a little gleam of expectation that perhaps this time the instructor will be tripped. There is the overzealous fire-fighter who rushes to the scene of a teeny flash fire and extinguishes it with a COj blast that scares the wits out of his neighbors, and puts an inflection on the breakage charge; and the slightly preoccupied student who nurtures a protein determination for two days only to botch it up at the tail end. There is the exhibitionist, twirling the dials of a spectrophotometer with pomp and artistry, and emerging with information that results in a curvaceous curve when it should be a straight line. There are the more momentous events — the cordial invitation to appear before the Draft Board; the repeated court summonses to appear as a witness after acting the hero in a hair-raising burgular chase; the mingled emotions of the student on examination day, sitting six feet from a telephone, answering objective questions with subjective feelings, wait- ing expectantly for the news that will make him a father; and the harsh separation in the laboratory, by an instructor not in the know, of the recent newlyweds, causing them to wash their glassware separately and unbliss- fully. These are but the foibles and life interest that add spice to the daily routine of the teacher. The overall picture is one of keen satisfaction in seeing that another class has weathered its difficulties, and despite per- sonal burdens, has passed through one more phase of formal training, and acquired skills and a more matured judgment which may help them in their chosen calling.

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? iatit ty. ' Pafoitty The time of arrival in September 1948 and the time of graduation in June I 952 has gone by in the most rapid fashion. Who were these people, what were these people like, is there something to remember, something to think about after they leave the scene, something to recall in later years, some memory to retain for the future. True one does obtain an impression from any group while in the classroom, from the individual member during a short, fleeting talk and from an early morning or daytime hello in the school corridors. But something more than that is required in order to meet the real personality of the student, we must leave the school halls for a short time, away from scholastic routine, away from the well ordered classroom life. Such opportunities occur from time to time at a school dance, fraternity affair or perhaps a pharmaceutical meeting outside of school hours. The most satisfactory would be a journey or a trip involving several days in each other ' s company. Such was our pleasure to have experienced and if the group who were along are at all representative of the entire class, (and I ' m sure they are) then it was the most worthwhile endeavor of the entire four years stay at school. It will now be very easy to recall the name, the face and perhaps even a good portion of the personality of the alumnus for many years to come. We now have a bit more than the seat and grade number to go by. The word alumni brings to mind your entry into that group which is so concerned with the good and welfare of the College. You can always maintain your identity both as an individual and as a class by actively associating yourself with that group, the Alumni Association of C. U. C. P. which is now affiliated with the Columbia University Alumni Federation. The class of ' 52 has always been a potent force in the various extra-curricular activities of the school, notable in the school publication and also in the problems of the student council which in turn is concerned with the welfare of the entire student body. Some people of the class may be singled out for honor in those fields but perhaps they would prefer to ' blush unseen ' and leave their good work to be continued by those to come. As the 1952 President of the Alumni Association may I extend a welcome to the entire class to join and actively participate in the affairs of what is now your group. The makeup of the class is such, according to my thinking, that they will insist on becoming an active part of this organization and make their influence felt.

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Messages at commencement time are given freely and easily, and taken in stride. Yet I would feel remiss were I not to emphasize two objec- tives. I would like to see our graduates carry away with them the feeling that a profession implies a continued learning, a continued keeping abreast of current developments; that it implies a continued interest in the prob- lems, in the ethics, and in the betterment of their profession through constructive activity in local and national associations; and that it also implies an eager interest in the civic life of their community. Finally I would like to see our graduates think of this College as their personal concern, its multicolored memories to be gratefully recalled, its aims to be wholeheartedly supported, its future to be envisioned with prideful expectation. Tftattia Katf We would like to see ourselves as others saw us, was what you said to me. I feel at once the need for inks of many colors, for just as my recol- lections of you are a brilliant technicolor and not a black and white picture, so I feel that no black on white essay can do you justice. I think once more of our laboratories and I recall a hazy brown mist which seemed to envelop you. Remember the cause of that haze, the brown fumes of NO2 coming from the mixture of iron nails, HCI and HNO3 which I optimistically expected to become ferric chloride solution. There were also the brown, foul smelling tinctures dripping from the percolators into the clean white evaporating dishes where they were being boiled to make fluid extracts and more often alcohol fires. I recall with gratitude those three bright red CO2 fire extinguishers, placed about the lab, which enabled me to avert attempted arson; and I am indeed proud of the trophy awarded me for this meritorious service, the Red Fire Chief hat. I can also remember orange oranges, half being eaten and half being macerated for Sweet Orange Peel Tincture. I often wondered whether half the Rhubarb or Nox Vomica or Belladonna were also being macerated orally for we never could understand why twice as much drug was being used up as the finished products warranted. And then I think of Green, a Green St. Patrick ' s Day, solidly sup- ported by the entire class with Green buttons and Green ribbons and Green sheets (song sheets) and only two Irishmen in the class.