Columbia University School of Public Health - Yearbook (New York, NY)

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STUDENT COUNCIL A MESSAGE FROM TI-IE PRESIDENT OF THE STUDENT COUNCI L I. - I Q9 DS. Left to right-1Frontj G. Edwards, Secretaryg R. Lester, Presidentg F. Gearing, M.D., Advisorg H. Coheng fRearj T. Szzba.singlze,' G. Bois: G. Kglmzg D. Weir: D. Harris, Vice President: C. Dawsong fMissingI S. Bolton ,' J. Graceyg M. Tchalian, T. Wayler and H. Gensler. I' - ' 'I I I I I I What a man can be he must be. I I -MAsLow I I I I I I MAN IS full of promise, only a small part of which has been I I realized. If, in our future positions in the broad fields of public I I health and administrative medicine, each public health worker I I is willing to assume his responsibility in the tasks that are I I ahead the future is bright. If, however, we are searching for I I the comfort and contentment of the past there is no future. I I The choice is ours to make whether we are doctors, nurses, I I nutritionists, health educators or hospital administrators. I Public health is now at its frontier. We must either move ahead I into the unknown future or retreat into the past. I I When we speak of the future of man it is his progress that I I we have mostly in mind and, as someone has remarked, the I I belief in progress is the wine of the present poured out as a I I libation to the future. If we would insure the future of man, I I the present is the time to work for it. I I We must be alert to the changes, trends and controversies I I in public health, and our role in a changing public health scene. I I We must continue in our intellectual growth and accept the I I responsibility for becoming the kind of public health worker I I we are potentially capable of being. We must have THE COUR- I I AGE TO BE. I I Ronald L. Lester I I I I I I- ------...-... ................ .I 21

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In the a,mpIziz'lzea,tre capable of holding 300 people, CUSPHAM students attend classes regularly. 38 Mr. Fleiss with students in avnplzitlzeatre pit after lecture. 3- W-it M-, ,- Dr. Hilleboe introduces a group for their P.H.P. 1J7'6SG7lfllfl'07Z-.

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by ANNA C. GELMAN, M.P.H. Assistant Professor of Epidemiology IT IS EXACTLY 30 years since the first student from a non-English speaking country, Dr. Her- nan C. Romero from Chile was graduated from this School. The second was Dr. Gregorio N. Her- nandez from Peru, Class of '43-'44, At this time, the presence of a Spanish-speaking student, stim- ulated some of us to attend classes in Spanish in order to be able to communicate with him in his own language. His English improved, as time went on, probably as the result of his correcting our Spanish. It was not practical to repeat this admirable exchange in language skills, since, as the years passed, representatives from so many non-English speaking countries joined our student body, that, had We continued, we would have had a multilingual faculty with no time for public health. At the last count, it appears that we have already had a hand in the training of approxi- mately 250 health workers from 60 foreign coun- tries. In spite of language differences, the pres- ence of individuals from all parts of the world has enriched our teaching program and added to the knowledge of both faculty and student body. What better way can there be to learn about world health problems than to work and study with representatives of so many diverse geographic areas, languages, religions and cultures? A num- ber of our native or indigenous students became interested in international health, often as a result of their contact with the foreign sudents, and have subsequently spent some time in foreign service. I use the word indigenous, since I soon learned that the word American does not refer only to citizens of the United States, but to those of all the Americas. STUDENTS FROM 60 COUNTRIES 22 The greetings and letters from our foreign alumni which pour in from all parts of the world during the Christmas season, are indicative of the impact which their sojourn in the United States, specfically at this School, has made upon them. They recall with nostalgia, the days spent in classes and study, the hours of anxiety over examinations and the relaxation at student parties. Our traveling professors report warm welcomes and bring personal regards, new stu- dents bring regards from alumni, and delegates to international meetings held in the United States often make certain that their itinerary includes at least one day in New York City for a visit to CUSPHAM, their alma mater. One thing emerges very clearly from our contact with these individuals: health problems are uni- versal and disease knows no boundaries-geo- graphic, cultural or social. The control of disease is based on shared knowledge and experience. We sincerely hope that we are contributing to under- standing through health.