Manhattan College - Manhattanite Yearbook (Riverdale, NY)

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E fvsilon S igma Pi Pau and Sw01'dS0ciety 183

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mands the maintenance of honor indices throughout the entire collegiate career of the student. Believing that one of the es- sential aims of education is the training of the intellect, members of Epsilon Sigma Pi realize this aim in their attain- ment of excellent scholastic records. Only students with an index of three point four, lirst honors, for the first six semesters or more are automatically ad- mitted to this society. As usual, the mem- bers include a group of men active in every branch of campus activity. Nor is honor alone the sole advantage of mem- bership in this esoteric society for the Deans of the College have ordained numerous scholastic activities to the members that are not the lot of the ordin- ary student. To be a member of this society is the wish of every Manhattan man, but the honor comes but to a few. In the last scholastic roll call, Maurice Regan was the only member on the cam- pus of the Epsilon Sigma Pi Society. Wlieii, upon his return from the army, joseph Cuccia resumed his work for his degree in Business Administration his high average for work previously com- pleted sufliced for his acceptance. In February James A. Gallagher and Ed- ward Eckert, likewise returning from tours of military duty increased the membership to four. . At the commencement exercises held on June 9th, the Medals in Mathematics and in Electrical Engineering were both won by Maurice Regan, while the Ed- ward Dougherty Medal for Commerce and the Prize for Accountancy were both garnered by Joseph Cuccia. PEN AND SWORD F T ER a three-year absence from the Riverdale scene, Manhattan's select extra-curricular honor so- ciety, Pen and Sword, was reactivated last March. The only active members of the society, at this writing, are six re- turned veterans, who had been elevated to the august ranks in l942 and 1943. Membership in Pen and Sword is con- sidered the highest honor which may be attained by an undergraduate. Member- ship is limited to sixteen seniors, one of whom is selected as an alternate. Elec- tions are held at the end of the junior year, of those who have most disting- uished themselves in the extra-curricular activities of the College and have, at the same time, maintained a sufliciently high scholastic rating. In past years, the elected group has always presented a representative picture of Manhattan's various societies and of their ideals. The possession of a certain position does not assure a candidate's selection, for the vote of the members must be unanimous, and is based on the aims outlined by tradition. An impressive induction ceremony marks each Moving Up Day exercise, during which each outgoing member taps the candidate to take his place. The Col- lege presents to each member of Pen and Sword a key and scroll to ma-rk his selection. The members of the group currently active are Vlfilliam McGowan, President, Edward Eckert, Secretary, Paul C. Cortissoz, Vincent P. G'Mahoney, John I. Shea and Edward I. Walsh.

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THE STUDENT COUNCIL HE outstanding and most re- spected Student organization on the Manhattan College campus is conceded by all to be the Student Council. Qrganized in the early years of the College's history, the Council has steadily evolved into an efficient' and representa- tive body of student leaders charged with the responsibility of formulating regu- lations governing the activities of those presently persuing their academic courses. It has likewise been the task of the Council to coordinate the activities of every campus organization and to act as a connecting link beween the students and the faculty administration. Outstanding among the many tasks accomplished by the Council during the past year was the imparting of informa- tion regarding invitations to social affairs at neighboring Colleges for VVomen and the coordination of Tea Dances and Proms held under the aus- pices of Campus organizations. The Council was likewise responsible for sup- ervision at Religious functions and Gen- eral Student gatherings. The Student Council, during the past year, operated under a handicap never before experienced. Withiii a few months, it was required to revert to the original peacetime Council, long absent on the campus, but whose existence was now demanded. The incoming Council members were initially confronted with a hundred percent increase in the student body. Witli the influx of veterans in the mid-year semester, the population on the campus was more than five times that in attendance the year before. This sudden change in student personnel necessitated a drastic revision in the existing Student Council, and through the cooperation and perserverance of its members this revision was completely realized. lt was during the term of office of the past Council that an Amendment was drawn up calling for an addition to the former Council strength of 12 men. The new Councilman is the Senior Delegate to the National Federation of Catholic College Students. W7 ith the formation of this newupeace- time Council now completed, there is a great deal that can be expected from this representative group of Manhattan men. THE NATIONAL FED- ERATION OE CATHOLIC COLLEGE STUDENTS NE of the few organizations on the campus that extends its mem- bership to each and every Man- hattan man is the National Federation of Catholic College Students. The N. F. C. C. S. is a nationwide fed- eration whose chief aim is to establish a bond of unity among the students of all the Catholic colleges throughout the country. To facilitate this work, groups of colleges have been organized into Re- gions, Manhattan is a member of the New York Region. The spirtual and material benefits de- rived from the efforts of the Federation are too numerous to mention in this brief description. However, among the many topics that are investigated by the mem- ber colleges are Catholic Action, Mari- ology, lnterracial Justice, and Student