Yeshiva University - Masmid Yearbook (New York, NY)

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M A S M I D EDITORIALS For many years the Editorial Board ' -, of the Mosmid have been striving to enlarge this publication. Every year the annual has grown In size and wid- ened in scope. Yet the Editors continued to aspire to greater achievements. Last year, indeed, the Board expressed the sincere hope that 1937 would see not one but two publica+ions. Moreover, this hope gave pronnise of being realized when the presenl Editorial Staff expressed their desire and repeatedly promised to issue a literary supplement to the yearbook. Wo have failed. There was no literary publication issued at mid-year as had been hoped, planned and promised by the Editorial Board. We have found it expedient and necessary to compromise — - o combine the good features of the 1936 yearbook wi+h the valuable characteristics of previous Masmids. We hope we issued a gocd publication but nevertheless it is only one publication. Ours was not the fortune to blaze this new trail, to advance Ihe literary frontier. It was not done; we regret it. We do not, however, come to apologize, nor to confess and seek atone- ment and forgiveness. Nor do we seek to rebuke or blame any of the groups upon whom may justly be laid the responsibility for the frustration of our hopes. Whether we raise the perennial plaint of non-cooperation and lack of interest on the part of the student body, or whether we concentrate the blame on the Editorial Staff is no longer Important. It is to 1938 rather than on 1937 that we must turn our eyes. In bringing forth this issue, the Editorial Staff wants it understood that this is not the Masmld we had hoped for. The Editors desire to set up as a model for the futu-e, not tho publication that we have actualized, but a po- tentiality which ' s far superior to anything that we have done. We express a sincere hope ihat the future will profit by any errors in policy and procedure that we may have made. We hope that the Masmld of 1938 will realize at least our aspirations for a literary supplement to the annual, and thus realize the ardent hope of all the past Editorial Boards and create an important landmark in Masmld history. ( III yc ' ihtliit); this •.ttilnvial jiom the Cumnifnutoi . the il.iff uishei to institute j fiolic) .jf i)i L-rliii} III (■ Aliimiii the hen liiJenl eJilriri.il oj the yejr). IN RETROSPECT As we review the past year at Yeshlva College, we find it difficult to refrain from voicing our keen disappointment at the lack of any improvement. With the removal, at the end of ' ast year, of what we had considered to be the greatest obstacle to the progress of the institution and the chief cause of student- administration fricton, we had hoped to embark upon a new era of de- velopment and cooperation. We had hoped to attain a true community of pur- pose, a united effort towards a common goal. It was expected that there would be a sincere exchange of ideas between faculty and students concerning their mutual problems. A considerate administration, an active faculty, a wide-awake student body — all these seemed certain to follow. Instead, we have had nothing bul a repetition cf the old evils. Measures are administered with the same hiah-handed arbitrariness. The administration shows the same lack of consideration for the needs of the students. The faculty is as passive as ever, ready to accept whatever the administration may dictate, and unwilling to exert Itself against measures it knows to be unwise and unjust or to propose any changes which might not m.eet with +he full approval cf Nine ' n. ' r •D3K

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M A S M I D LOUIS HENKIN, Editor In Chief ELEAZER GOLDMAN Asst. Editor BORIS RABINOWITZ Assoc Editor LEONARD ROSEN FELD Asst. Editor ABRAHAM NOVICK , Sports Editor Vv CLFE CHARNEY Associate Editor LESTER SILVERMAN Bus. Manager ED. M. TENENBAUM Asst. Bus. Mgr. A 5 5 I s t a n t s ISADORE MILLER NATHAN LEVINSON JEROME WiLLIG HERZL FREED ISAAC B. ROSE HERBERT RIBNER LOUIS WERFEL The Editors express their sincerest gratitude to Mr. I. Renov of the Faculty for executing the artistic designs for the Masmid. Eight

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M A S M t D 7( 1 ' n. the authorities. Students are still treated by the administrative office as though they were nothing but names In the roll book. In short, we are at the same low ebb at which we were several years ago. Scholastically, the institution shows no sign of improvement. Nothing has been done to organize and bring about a true integration of curriculum. Yeshiva remains a combination of several departments In which various different courses are given. There is no distinct academic tradition. There Is no central purpose which should set the tone of all phases of the college work. We seemed to have good reason for hope that with the beginning of this year a serious effort would be made to effect a thorough reorganization of the college program with an eye to securing such co-ordination. This could have been done In the spirit of true co-operation so that the opinions and Interests of all involved would have been consulted. The resulting plan would have benefited from the combined consideration of different groups and from contributions which could have been made from those who viewed the problem from various standpoints. What acutally happened was that a half-baked five year plan, which had not had the slightest preparation, was forced upon an unwilling student body. The administration ' s answer to the constant criticism showered upon the plan from student sources was only the stubborn stand that under no consideration would that plan be suspended. Whether the plan really resulted in the benefits claimed for it was immaterial. The whim of the administration must be attained. All other con- siderations are irrelevant. Subsequent modifications were Imposed In an equally haphazard and arbitrary fashion. The natural step to take after the resignation of a dean would appear to be an attempt to find a suitable successor as soon as possible. The fact that few people could be found who possessed the qualifications required of • dean of Yeshiva College should have only caused the Intensification of such a search. Nothing whatsover was done In this direction. When the alumni attempted to press the Issue, they were met with evasion and complete lack of good faith on the part of the President. What virtually amounted to acting deanship was given over to the regist- rar who, though he may be efficient as far as his own routine administrative work is concerned. Is not qualified to be entrusted with the academic functions of a dean. The results are known to any one who has heard the constant mur- murings of the students, and even the campaign Issues of the recent election for president of the student body. We do not know what the reaction of faculty members or of outsiders is towards this situation. As far as the students are concerned the past year has brought about a complete demoralization. Rather than being Interested In constructive efforts toward the improvements of the college activities they are filled with resentment towards the authorities. Indignation and disgust are the reactions of the students towards the present conditions. Before anything can be accomplished In the direction of real progress this situation must be eliminated. Two conditions must accompany such Improvement. The faculty members must be ready to take vital interest In the school problems and to assert their own stand, not merely to follow the administration ' s fiat, at the same time the administration must be willing to discuss controversial Issues candidly and to be ready to consider the various distasteful measures of the past year. If this is done the next step must be the appointment of a proper person to administer the policies of Yeshiva College and to organize the affairs of the school. No one can in good faith evade this issue. Yeshiva must find a dean. Ten