Long Island University at Brooklyn - Sound Yearbook (Brooklyn, NY)

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to 1 If i , . av X ' t.v,','. . V if V 1 , .1 J xgv .Q 1 H114 . - r The Philosop er 1DR. GREGORY WALCOTT, the 82 year old Chair- man of the Philosophy department, has just begun to realize blossoming satisfaction resulting from a request made over 33 years ago. ln 1917 Dr. Walcott requested of the Hamline University officials, where he was a Philosophy in- structor, a year's leave of absence to teach in the then unsettled nation, China. After the request was granted the elder philosopher assumed the duties of a professor of Philosophy in the Tsing Hua Uni- versity in Peking. While there Dr. Walcott had, in his classes, two Chinese youths who, 33 years later, were to become his professional colleagues and personal friends. In December 1951 the first reunion took place. Dr. Hsina Hai Chang, a former student of Dr, Walcott's, accepted the position of research profes- sor at 1s1U. Accordinci to Dr. Chang 'lProf. Walcott opened the '.-:hole intellectual world of the West to him as a youth. Dr. Walcott recalled his former student as one of the very' few at Tsing: Hua i .-.' ho had the courqfzc- to tfikf- my course Eorty After concluding his training with Dr. Walcott, Dr. Chang entered the fields of Education and Philosophy and taught in several Chinese univer- sities. He was also in the diplomatic service, as a Chinese envoy to Portugal, Poland and Czechoslo- vakia, from 1933 through 1937. ln 1938 he was named director of the Chinese Institute in London, an organization designed to promote cultural understanding between Great Britain and the aforementioned Asiatic country. Dr. Chang received his Doctor of Philosophy degree from Harvard and is the author of The Strong of Asia, a biography of Chiang Kai Chek. Another of his works concerns itself with the quest for world peace. lt is entitled Letters from a Chinese Diplomat. At LIU, Dr. Chang will work on the relationship between China and Europe, concerning their philo- sophical and moral contact in the 17th and 18th centuries. Describing Dr. Chang as a scholar of rare abili- ties, Dr. Walcott said that the appointment of his former student to the University gave him guest personal pleasure. Kindtate with PWM not th . 'g bflgrgmgnen asfese iwfbedm he Uan5feU of absence Alter fe? Hmnlinei for his MC philos0Phl' Dr' C1161 resideflclf p From 111 chdifmml 1 The ll with their l who open verge Glldt live.

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Because they have to deal with the fresh- man-a species of student characterized by weak knees and still weaker minds-special recognition is due the instructors of English l and ll. Each one has his own unique system for establishing a rapport between the student and himself. Mr. Seymour Stagg browbeats, impresses, and overwhelms the hydrocephalic freshman by a profusion of ten dollar words, mind- reading, memory and hypnotizing stunts, threats, psychology, sex and histrionics. Mr. Hayden Sawyer uses a singular ap- proach fto say the leastl to the problem. He shouts ambiguous terms such as vigoroso, tears up dictionaries and asks the class to memorize whole pages from them, takes the class on long hikes through parks, divorce courts and movie theaters, and offers A's to anyone who can beat him in bowling. Since Mr. Sawyer bowls a good l8U game, nobody has ever benefited by this offer. Since the graduate assistant is often ex- pected to teach an English class when an in- structor is absent, Arnold Friedman has often been thrown into one of those snal-ce pits called English l. He rarely has any difficulty, how- ever, since he keeps the class busy by giving them grammar tests for the entire hour. Many students were distressed when Mr. Howard lustin left the English faculty. He was known, by the students who sat with him, to be one of the most erudite, stimulating and sin- cere instructors in the department. lt is hoped that he is happy wherever he is and that other students are afforded the same benefits of his teaching abilities as we were. We all owe the English department a note of appreciation. Without them we would never know-were we asked-that the Merchant of Venice was written by Ernest Hemingway. -0.11. ibm .xgrfid fefn UNIVERSITIES, being what they are, house many different types of individuals, ranging from the sophisticated Future-Author-of-America to the long- haired esoteric musician. These extremists somehow never seem quite at ease unless involved in seem- ingly endless discussion, argument and debate. Our aesthetes, recognizing the need for the young artist to present his work, haphazardly began the formation of a group to unite all the arts. Under the direction of Sam Berkowitz, a columnist for Sea- wanhaka who gained repute as LlU's fledging Brooks Atkinson, the structural framework began to take concrete form. Sometime in the early fall of 1951, 20 invited guests listened to a series of readings, taken from past Workshop-Theater performances, presented back-to-back with a discussion on artistry and poetry. From this humble, rather erratic, seed bloomed a flourishing, albeit controversial tree. At the second meeting of the Art Circle, before some lUO guests comprised of students and faculty members, Mr. Ho- ward lustin, then an instructor in the English depart- ment, debated with Mr. Eli Gladstein of the Eco- nomics department on Art for the Artist. The dis- cussion was in part inspired by an editorial in Review magazine by Louis Kampf, The Romantic Audience. Scenes from Saroyan's The Time of Your Life were staged by members of Prof. Dennis Brown's class in Acting. This, together with several songs by the Madrigal singers, directed by Miss Ruth Sperling of the Music department, comprised the remainder of the famous four hour program, a record perform- ance by any standard. Eventually the school's literary magazine, Review became more closely united with the Art Circle, so close, in fact, that the latter became a subsidiary of Review. This publication, curtaailed financially to one publication per semester, became a fond watching parent, donating poets and authors to the Circle. Martin Wank, a junior and Editor of Review, to- gether with Sam Berkowitz, graduated by still ac- tive, appointed Enzio Napoli, a junior, in charge of the dramatic arts. On February 14, in a general Art Circle program, Vicki Copolla and Naomi Robbins read selections from The Boy With The Wooden Arm, a play by Enzio Napoli printed in Review. Scenes from Tennessee Williams' The Rose Tattoo were presented at a later performance. The active members this year were Nicholas Pileggi, Dennis Altman, Sam Berkowitz, Martin Wank, Enzio Napoli, Bert Dince, Vicki Coppolla and Naomi Robbins. -NJI- Thirty-nine

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lcott, and ver- is cr slo- ese to eat hY F19 ,ef ld rt. P J. li Kind fate granted Dr. Walcott a second reunion, which came within three months of the first. In February 1952, Dr. Chi Pao Cheng accepted a posi- tion as research professor of Philosophy at LIU, thus bringing the three scholars together once again. Dr. Cheng, While a student at Tsing Hua Univer- sity, became so devoted to his foreign teacher that he transferred to Hamline when the former's leave of absence had expired. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from Hamline, Dr. Cheng attended Chicago University for his Master of Arts degree. His doctorate in Philosophy was obtained from Columbia University. Dr. Cheng returned to China and ultimately held presidencies at two universities. From 1948 to 1950 Dr. Cheng served as deputy chairman in a department of UNESCO. The two Chinese philosophers are now living With their families on Long Island, closer to the man who opened their eyes to the Wonder of the Uni- verse and, with awe, upon the earth on which they live. -w. mc d.