Queens College - Silhouette Yearbook (Queens, NY)

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The only exciting . . thing about Friday, UBC. 5, 1942 was the announcement that June '42 women would pick 'n' pay for their Class Night escorts by size. The only bated breaths came from uniors whose CC Comprehen- sive marks were released that day. The only arguments came from The Crown which asked for an investigation of confusion in the cafeteria, and shook its head dolefully over the exhibition of animal spirit at the previous Fridays Soph-Frosh Rush. Smilin, Johnny McGill waved his baton that night at the 3rd An- nual Wonderland Hop. The QC Debaters prepared to discuss gently the awe-inspiring topic, Should QC fraternities and sororities be abolished from the campus? It wasn't even cold enough that day for Harry Stark and Doris Meyers to walk around holding hands . . . and the Student Council nominations even passed off without the fanfare and fury of yore. Friday, December 5, l94l, was a singularly uneventful day at Queens College. 130

Page 133 text:

I EEN S LLEGI AT WV I!

Page 135 text:

But the devastating smack! that momentarily tossed a nation on its ears on Sunday, December 7, 1941, erased the idyllic quiet on the little hill in Flushing. In little bunches of four, six or twenty, the men and women of Queens met Monday, December 8, 1941, to talk about Pearl Harbor, and at 12 noon when President Roosevelt broadcast, 400, perhaps 500, jammed the auditorium to listen to America's recognition of war. Tuesday, men and women still gathered in little bunches to talk, but no longer of the emotional shock of Pearl Harbor. Now they talked of concrete plans for the prosecution of a successful war. Quick to respond to the situation, the members of the college committee for civilian defense called a mass rally that afternoon. The last echo of Mr. Roosevelt's declaration had hardly quit reverberating about the auditorium when President Klapper gripped the rostrum and said: l'War has come to us. A war that will stir the very roots of our De- mocracy. V The first bomb that fell on Amer- 1 ican soil unified a democratic people and sharpened its one hope and its one thought-to beat off the marauder and establish an enduring peace. In the face of the wanton attack upon us, it is difficult to remain calm and go about our day's work. And yet this is just what we at Queens College must do for the moment, do our accustomed tasks, but do them better and do more of them until those in authority give direction to our effort. lVe are a liberty-loving people, but we are also a disciplined people who know how to take orders and work with our fellow men. YV e, as a college, shall take our place - be at the sacrifice what it may-in a co- 1.71-!,5l'!l6Hl paul K1,,y,y,,i,- ordinated plan to achieve victory. 131