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

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Our First Year September 1961 saw the entrance of 88 green freshmen. To many, the impressions of college life which we had formulated in our high school years were shattered within one week. Instead of campus living we found a six story building. The exciting present was replaced by a hopeful future. Our course work included chemistry, English, math, and philos- ophy. The bright spot in our first year was Prof. Bailey who taught Chem 9 and 10. Will anyone ever for- get the Kspof acetic acid? Do you recall when we had to put on our thinking caps? or box out the Ksp ' s? or ignore something for the speed of arith- metic? It was also Prof. Bailey who managed to set up two teas for our benefit in the college library. The first tea honored Prof. Taub who had recently donated one million dollars to the college. Do you recall how we all waited in line to shake his hand? The second tea was in honor of Mr. Levin, our Eng- lish professor. The occasion this time was in honor of his new book, Five Boyhoods . Our math course in the first semester was a bit disastrous. The early phase went without a hitch under the late Mr. Fleschler, who taught us one-to- one correspondence. When, due to illness, Mr. Fleschler resigned his post, our troubles in the course began with new substitutes appearing at regular in- tervals. Near the end of the term we were rescued from this apparent dilemma by Mr. Staum, a con- scientious teacher whose excellent methods for teach- ing mathematics are only surpassed by the distin- guished beard he displays. English was a course we all enjoyed, simply be- cause Mr. Levin made it so enjoyable. We all de- lighted in the adventures of Alvarado and the Club Tico-Tico. Philosophy, as taught by Prof. Lipman, made us all more acutely conscious of ourselves and our times. With the January snows came the final examina- tions. Can anyone think of anything more frighten- ing than a freshman walking into his first final exam? Once the second semester rolled around, we were fully aware of college and what it really was like. The only course that was changed during this period was the replacement of philosophy by the art hu- manities course. It was through this subject that we developed a sense of appreciation for all types of art, ranging from cavemen drawings to impression- ism and modern pop art. The double hour lecture in the darkness of room 34 proved enjoyable to all. Some slept, others devoured candy, while others ob- served the slides of art forms, and took notes. Our first year soon came to a close. One year down, four to go.

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Our Second Year Our second year was one which demanded in- stant maturity. For the first time we were allowed to rub shoulders with real Columbia students. We were given courses unlike those that we had ever seen before. We were called upon to do what we really never did in our first year — work! Organic chemistry, taught by the late Dr. Di- Somma, was, to say the least, an unusual course. We would walk into the lecture, copy four or five pages of structures and reactions, and leave at the bell in an amazed and flabbergasted state. The lab in this course provided a great deal of excitement, with periodic fires springing up to ward off any dull moments. Esther Chu was a delight to work with. Commutation A, better known as Physics, was handled by handsome Dr. Bardon. The simplicity of the course most often bewildered him. During the second semester many students enjoyed the trip he conducted to the Nevis Research Center. It is still difficult to comprehend mu mesons, pi mesons, and anti-matter. Physics lab proved quite interest- ing and at the same time, incomprehensible. How many of you know the flower? If we did not know it at the start of our second year, Prof. Pokorny and Miss Kelz saw to it that we learned quickly all about the plant kingdom. Contemporary Civilization I and II was taught by Dr. Eckstein. This man you either loved or hated. He treated us like people, and this threw a good many of us off balance. Regardless of personal feelings and personal differences, he presented a course unlike one we had ever seen. Thinking was the prime achievement of the course. The second semester we emerged from the botan- ical world to the animalistic environment as pre- sented by Prof. Staud in the Zoology course. It was at this point that we learned how to write quickly. There was no alternative. Either speed write or throw in the towel. And of course there were the famous Staud Exams . The favorite question upon the return of one of her exams was not, What did you get? , but rather, How many minus one-halves did you get? During intersession we embarked on our first class trip. Along with Prof. Pokorny, we visited the facili- ties of the E. R. Squibb Laboratory in New Bruns- wick, New Jersey. This was our first exposure to pharmaceutical manufacturing. With the closing of our second year, the class diminished in size. For those sustained with the thoughts and ideals of pharmacy, it was two down and three to go. • I 1 —Ji ifa iLt