NYU Washington Square College - Album Yearbook (New York, NY)

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University, as catalytic agent, had a continuing effect upon us which directed our growth during the time we spent at school. Conditioned by the passing years, we shall continue to reflect, with a variety of emotions, about the events that shaped and molded our course at NYU. As Frosh, we became part of a system. Our different responses to this system were evident in our varied modes of dress, of behavior. Wearing white buck shoes, grey flannels, rep ties, sweaters, some tried to simulate the dress of campus colleges, while others maintained the dignified, business garb of the City. Diifidently, at first, some of us sought out the clubs, publications, political offices. Yet others were content to hurry home after the last class, and many hastened to their jobs each afternoon. Commons, the lounges, the subway, or per- haps the front of Main became familiar meeting places. There was the thrill of cutting our first class and, soon, of being an upper-Frosh. By the Sophomore year, our routine was established. Being left to our own resources was a new and pleasant feeling for most of us. We studied, we crammed, we borrowed notes. The required courses were being dis- posed of. Many of us found time for fun, too, or we made the time. There were dances in the Green Room and at the uptown hotels. There were dates with new friends from school, or trips to the Village, or maybe we just continued on with our previously-formed groups. Somehow, though, a new perspective was be- ginning to order our ideas and actions, whether we

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an inadequate explanation. Still, the number of years and the nonappealing qualities of cynicism do not necessarily leave sentiment as the only alternative. We might be realistic-or we might be bitter and complain that our years spent at NYU were not as prohtable as we had hoped. But we must keep in mind that hope requires positive action in order to be realized. And there is only negative action in complaint, in rancor, in criticism. The fault, if it exists, lies in ourselves. As for realism-its greatest value is in objectifying misdirected idealisms-revealing the truth behind them. Realism varies with the individual-the responsibilities it de- mands are personal-the responses we give are distinct. There are other choices, to be sure. We might don the sophisticates' garb and pretend that it all doesn't mat- ter, really. But it does. All of us knew, inwardly, that it was our duty to grow up. Some forgot or couldn't find the time. Those who did mature will remember the sig- nificant stages-perhaps with remorse, for it is often characteristic of young people to run in circles around a square until, suddenly, its four sides enclose them. And here is where sentiment enters the picture-when we attempt to extend the metaphor of maturity by likening those four sides to four years. On the surface it 'is nothing but sentiment-but pierce the surface and surprisingly enough the square takes on definite dimen- sions. We can examine our college years now, only in terms of what has 'happened to us since. Our Freshman apprehension at thinking out had mellowed into calm quiet. or gentle despair by the time we were Seniors. The af A Jgl Il gs-44' an Q 1, 1 I Q 4 Xw via 'Ill

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realized it or not. The world began to beckon in our Junior year. Grad- uate school requirements added extra hours to the study time of many, the jobs we held became important links to future opportunities. Friendships passed, continued, new ones were formed, as the specialized courses we took put us into more varied classes. The challenge of our growth made many of us aware of new aspects in our physical surroundings. Pride and humility commingled. This ambivalent feeling was described as school spirit, or lack of school spirit, depending on our individual proclivities. A job, graduate school, marriage, the armed forces- these terms were on our lips and in our minds a good deal of the time during our Senior year-consciously or otherwise. The uncertainty of the future for most of us was all too evident in our thoughts and actions. We laughed, cried, joked, harangued-and we all pondered, we all worried. We worked hard and we took it easy by turns, we' were skeptical, optimistic, cynical, pessi- mistic, happy, sad. We felt the need for expression of our individuality, but we could not always End the form for that expression to take. The future called to us, but we were almost afraid to answer. Many of us have answered now, or are still answer- ing, some are questioning yet, and will always question. What matters most of all is that we should have de- veloped and -retained the ability to articulate our ques- tions and answers, and that we remember the questions we must try to answer.