CRIMSON AND WHITE |
VOL. XL, NO. 6
THE MILNE SCHOOL, S.U.N.Y., ALBANY, N. ¥.
JANUARY 16, 1970
Short Year Coming?
Last week the faculty senate of
S.U.N.Y.A. voted to accept a new
type of calendar for the coming
year. Classes will begin at the uni-
versity about September 2 and com-
mencement will be at the end of
May. The present Christmas vaca-
tion will be expanded to a full
nionth, lasting from Dee, 22 through
Jan, 18,
As a department of the university,
Mifne may also adopt this schedule
for the coming year pending ap-
proval by the faculty and adminis-
trators. However, due to state re-
quirements on the minimum number
of school days, Milne, if the schedule
is adopted, would receive no more
than two weeks for the Christmas
recess. Most one or two day holi-
days of the present Milne schedule,
would be eliminated altogether.
having quarter tests.
Seniors Safari
by Carol Morgenstern
One of the most interesting courses offered at Milne is a senior Social
Studies class in African Affairs. Taught by Mr. Neiderberger and an occa-
sional method student the class has a relaxed informal atmosphere found
in few other courses in the school.
Each student has chosen an independent study topic related to Africa
in some way. Some have chosen sociological studies; some, humanities;
others, political science.
Two of the most unsual topics are drama and culture. These may
sound neither interesting nor unusual, but the interest lies in the treatment
of the projects,
JoAna Popolizio thought African drama would be interesting to study,
so she found a play by an African and proceeded to produce it. With the
help of a dozen other studenis, she will present “The Trials of Brother
Jero,” a comedy in five scenes. The play is amusing and also provides an
insight into the African artist.
Saralyn Brown has undertaken an equally stimulating project in the
form of a mini-meal. Sari will cook various African dishes, including
yams, which the class will sample. Of course, they won’t get a full meal.
Cooking for twenty-four is no picnic, even when the foods are familiar.
These are only two examples of the creative energy Milne students
demonstrate, but there are more. For instance, Bob Levitt and Kevin
Bartlett have undertaken a study of African music which promises to be
interesting.
Another facet of the African class is a tentatively scheduled Black
Studies Course, possibly for college credit, conjunction with Albany High.
The plans for this course, though apparently still nebulous, might provide
black and white students from Milne and Albany High with better under-
standing and increased sensitivity. Perhaps we might better understand
the reasons for the recent violence next door, and the methods to prevent
these incidents from recurring. ,
Next time a guidance questionnaire appears in homeroom to state,
“T will, will not (cross out one) take social studies next semester,” think
twice before you pass up a chance for a Black Studies class.
Informed sources recommend Mr. N.’s next course offering, Youth in
Asia, for flunking seniors.
Driving Law Changes
All examinations will be given during class periods. :
for testing purposes to insure that students would not be “overtested” on any one day.
Many students complained of three-day exams planned by many departments for exam week, to the marking
committee, which then complained to Mr. Bowler. The memorandum was then issued, which although it docs
not ban midyears, discourages the giving of such tests. ; AY. ;
Material for the exams can be drawn from anything taught since the beginning of this year; however, the
tests cannot exceed two periods in length and marks will only be tabulated into the second quarter grade.
all junior high students except seniors, there will be no semester mark, Seniors, however, will receive a sem-
ester grade for college transcript purposes.
Seniors’ “first semester mark will be computed, giving equal weight to the marks for Quarter 1 and Quarter 2,
... . In borderline situations, the supervisor will exercise his professional judgement as to whether the student
* should receive the next higher or lower mark,” states the memorandum. Mr. Bowler elaborated: “Any senior with
an ‘A’ for first quarter, and a ‘B’ for second quarter would receive an ‘A’ semester mark,”
juniors supervised by Mr. Weeks will have no midyear, Dr. Coch h r
comprehensive quiz “for blood,” but he does not consider this a midyear. Mr, Kraus’ class will have a test based
on second quarter material but requiring understandings gained in the first quarter.
changed his mind after reading the memo.
Some Tests Planned
L.C. Waives Fee
Due to many complaints received
by Lincoln Center concerning the
film program presented at Milne
and other schools, the organization
has voluntarily agreed to waive all
charges.
The program was poorly received
at Milne and other schools, and may
be dropped by Lincoln Center from
next year’s program offerings.
FineArts Day in Planning
Although Fine Arts Day is still
some months away, some students
are already beginning their projects
for it, The Drama Club is begin-
ning to think in terms of this activ-
ity, and of what might be suitable
for this year. Some students are
hard at work in the shop, working
on_wood sculptures for the event.
One of the only complaints about
this festivity last year was that some
students did not have sufficient
time to plan for it, This year, with
conerete plans already made, and
a precedent to follow, this situation
should not arise again.
Commencement Date Set
All problems surrounding _ the
scheduling of graduation ceremonies
have been cleared up. Commence-
ment Exercises for the Class of 1970
will begin at 6:15 p.m., Friday, June
19, 1970.
(CSP) The Department of Motor
Vehicles has announced that junior
operators may now drive unaccom-
panied between the hours of 5 A.M.
and 8 P.M. During the remaining
hours, a junior operator must be
accompanied by a parent or guar-
dian, This applies to all junior
operators regardless of when they
obtained their licenses.
Previously, junior operators could
not drive between one-half hour
after sunset to one-half hour before
sunrise unless accompanied by a
parent or guardian.
Junior operators still cannot drive
in New York City or Nassau County,
Milne Cagers Stand 3-1
Presently, we are second in the Central Hudson Valley League, only
one game behind the league leader, Catskill. Beating Heatly and Catskiil
would give us a clear shot at the CHVL title. In order to beat Catskill
though, we will have to contain their very highly publicized “big three” —
Latimer, O'Neal, and Hall. These three are doing their share in ripping
the CHVL apart.
Cadets Coming
On January 16, Milne will take on crosstown rival, Albany Academy,
in Page Gym. Milne’s big asset in this game should be the hot shooting
of Lou Milstein and our strong rebounding talents. The Cadets have a very
quick team and lately have been high scorers, All of these factors point
to a very exciting and fast moving game.
TV's Hot
Last Friday night the Milne JV’s trounced the Waterford JV’s by a
score of 48-30. The JV’s showed a tenacious defense and excellent ball
control in the game.
Midterms Termed Terminated
by Celia Moore and Adrienne Schapiro
At the end of last week the office of the principal issued a directive to the supervisors.
was contained an important announcement concerning midyear exams. i .
Briefly, the administration defined the policy thus: Regular classes were to be held during midyear week.
Two days, a week apart, were alloted to each department
In that memorandum
For
English Dept—Mr. Lewis’ seniors will have no midyear. His tenth grade will take only a unit test. The
Dr. Cochrane's class have had an in-class essay and a
Miss Dunn’s classes are
Social Studies Dept—Mr. Lamanna had planned to give a regular midyear during the three day period, but
Mr. Neiderberger said jocosely, “I am declaring war on my students.
This will be the toughest midyear
ever given to the ninth grade social
studies classes.” Mrs. McKeefe plans
to have quarter tests,
Latin Dept—Mr. Graber will be
giving quarter exams, Mrs. Wilson
will be giving tests for Latin I and
Latin II which, though concentrat-
ing on the second quarter, will con-
tain material from the past sixteen
weeks. Latin IV will have a quarter
is still undecided as to whether to
give midyears or merely eight week
exams,
French Dept—The French Dept.
will only give quarterly exams.
Science Dept—Mr. Oieniczak and
Mrs. Schermerhorn are only giving
unit tests to their classes, while Mr.
Johnson will give his experimental
biology class a midterm, Mr, Pruden
has scheduled no end of the sem-
ester tests.
Math Dept.—Mrs. O'Brien and
Mr. Forgette are planning quarter
exams and “Bwana” DeLong, who
had originally planhed to give a
three-day midyear, has relented and
is merely zonking his students with
what he laughably calls a “unit
test.”
All students should consult their
supervisors for the latest informa-
tion regarding their midyear plans.
Pruden Injured in Crash
Milne Physics and General Science
supervisor, Mr. Donald Pruden
nearly became the first Milne fatal-
ity of 1970, when. his car was hit
head on by another motorist only
a few miles from his home. A third
car promptly skidded into the wreck.
The supervisor was unconscious for
four hours with a concussion after
the accident, and had no memory
of the accident until they told him
at the hospital, but has recovered
sufficiently to return to the class-
room, He suggests that if it weren't
for seatbelts he may never have
recovered,
In his usual nonchalant manner,
the first problem he assigned to
his class upon his return was to
compute the vectors of the collision.
PAGE 2
CRIMSON AND WHITE
JANUARY 16, 1970
YOU'LL CATCH YOUR DEATH
What man once waived aside as some of the necessary, unpleasant
by-products of “progress” have now accumulated and regrouped to confront
him with a life or death proposition.
Our earth is one ecological unit. What happens in one area of it ulti-
mately affects us all socially and physically. Should the delicate balance
of nature become upset to the point where the trend of destruction of our
environment becomes irreversible, man, not being an exception to the laws
of nature as he once thought he was, shall perish with it. Gas masks could
become a reality, the more fortunate part of a reality now beyond the
imagination of the vast majority of us. Come to think of it, they are
becoming a reality in Tokyo.
Urbanization, industrialization and the wi ’s teeming population have
created the ever-increasing problem of disposing of the physical, chemical
and biological wastes which pollute whatever they are spilled, dumped or
blown into.
Until agricultural, mining, industrial and residential wastes can be
disposed of in a safe, non-toxic manner, we will never have clean water,
air, or land. From the litter in the streets to the thermal pollution of
waters serving as coolants for atomic power plants, this desecration blights
each individual, The air and water make man ill, Radiation from atomic
power plants, the industrial use of laser and microwave technology, and
bomb explosions can have incalculable effects upon us and however many
future generations there may be. Noise wheedles away at our sanity, As
the classic example of man’s “achievement” note his pesticides that are in
the food he eat& and consequently alter his and future generations’ bio-
chemical make-up with what could become the lethal dose. Pesticides
also drain off the land into the water killing the small but indispensible
oxygen producing organisms living there.
Man possesses the technology needed to eradicate this problem, but
what is needed is an end to another of his self-inflicted diseases—apathy.
Young people must be encouraged to enter professions concerned with
obtaining a better knowledge of ecology (society not having taken the time
to broaden its perspective), More money is needed now, and will be needed
as knowledge of our vast ecosystem increases. But how do we get this
money? Each one of us must become an “eco-activist.” Our clamor is
already beginning to be felt, but we must penetrate the facade of politics
that blankets all enthusiasm at the top. The Republicans have long been
supported by the oil, auto and airline industries; the Democrats, the party
for economic growth and jobs, are supported by unions, contractors and
construction workers. Politicians and industrial leaders have slowly started
to rise to the occasion and attempt to resolve their conflicting interests.
‘These men can become our representatives as never before if we persist.
So let the “environmental question” that the ’70’s poses become the
cause of each one of us. The fact that there are commissions against pol-
lution as high as the international level is all very nice, but reform must
start “at home.” I formally propose to the students and faculty of the
Milne School that we set aside one day soon for an “environmental teach-in,”
similar to the type to sweep across college campuses in early spring. I
cannot think of a more useful way to spend a day than to study man’s
position relative to nature and his fellow man—and what each of us can
do to improve it, I am sure that many students, as I am, would be willing
to work on a committee to arrange this workshop and obtain faculty
support. I know that some faculty members are just as concerned as stu-
dents, I would hate to think that our Student Council, forever looking for
good deeds to do, would not accept this challenge that confronts us all.
Letter Policy a
Ww . ws
Dick & Jane
We don’t agree with Mr. Yolles
that all letters received by the C&W
should be printed.
First of all, the vast majority of
letters are printed. When letters
are withheld it is done out of con-
sideration for our readers.
The letters received have covered
relatively few topics. Many of,these
letters are written in such a way
that the stands taken are not
supported by evidence or fact of any
kind, and would consequently have
little value for readers, influencing
only the least discriminate. Finally
we would say that about one-fourth
of our student mail is illegibly
scrawled on crumpled paper.
We have handed most letters (ex-
pressing opinions that are apparent-
ly unsubstantiated or which are
extremely illegible and incoherent)
back io the writers with written
suggestions for improvement so that
they might be printed. The re-
se: none,
lently these hastily written
letters are indicative of the lack of
genuine commitment of Milne stu-
dents to causes, and instead are only
gripes, these being synonymous
neither in meaning nor effect.
—The Editors
To the Editor:
1 am sorry to say that I found the
editorial “Complaint” insulting,
snide, and generally speaking, a lot
of hot air, Portnoy’s Complaint was,
on the recommendation of the li-
brarians, vetoed by Dr. Fossieck.
Using the information that the li-
brarians had rejected the book, the
author of the editorial spewed forth
with accusations and _ irrelevant
opinions including the snide com-
ment about “the hung-up, guilt-
ridden, adult generation.”
So, the author had a_ basically
sound grievance, the refnsal to pur-
chase Portnoy’s Complaint, which
was merely voiced in a very poor
way. Fine! But— What was the
point of the rest of the article? Our
library is not crammed with the epic
sage of “Dick and Jane.” The few
“Dick and Jane” type books we do
have are for some junior high people
whose tastes are not that sophisti-
cated yet. Our library is one of the
finest school libraries in the state,
with a_ social ‘sciences collectiqgn
alone of 1,039 books. Putting “Dick
and Jane” on the same level as the
classics was also ridiculous. Please,
write a protest, but not a “Dick and
Jane” editorial!
—Adrienne Schapiro
To The Editor:
_ For many years the National Honor Society has brought a series of
Lincoln Center programs to Milne. The Honor Society has engaged ballets,
dramas, an opera, and various musicians, not only to provide entertainment,
but to add infinitely to the normal high school education by presenting
one of today’s most neglected subjects—that of the arts.
Very few students are aware of the difficulties we face in bringing
these programs to Milne. Not only do the programs cost a great deal of
money, involving full time fund raising, but much time and energy must
be devoted to ensuring the comfort of the traveling artists. The arrival
of a dramatic or operatic group calls for a reception committee, dressing
rooms, lighting, stage-hands, people to iron costumes, and someone to run
between dressing rooms, stage, and auditorium to attend to the needs of
the performers. This preparation can take from half an hour to three
hours, and most of the Honor Society cannot view the event they have
brought to Milne due to the need for students backstage.
The last issue of the C&W carried many interesting comments, written
by a “disgusted” student, concerning the Lincoln Center film program,
Disgusted wrote, “The stage was mobbed with people . .. no one doing
anything, and the program was twenty minutes late.” He obviously doesn’t
know what snow can do to snarl traffic, The people from Lincoln Center
arrived late due to a traffic hold up and then did their best to set up on
time. The “chaos” on stage was, in fact, several helpful students connecting
wires and working out the desired sound system. The letter went on to
state that no one heard Larry Patent’s introduction, If the students had
quieted long enough to listen, the introduction might have been heard. The
letter continued by attacking the sound system of Milne. If the audience
had paid more attention to the screen rather than to exiting faculty mem-
bers, they might have understood the program. Besides that, the man
working the projector mentioned that the “belching” noises were done on
purpose to show that the scenes had been cut from a movie.
“At 3:00 many people started filing out of the auditorium.” Disgusted
seemed to believe that these people who rudely interrupted the narration
were “smart.” Due to this mass exodus, those interested were unable to
hear the narrator, who was forced to shout over shuffling feet and talking,
Any performer deserves common courtesy because he attempts, whether
or not successfully, to entertain the public. Courtesy for the interested
spectator and for the performer was lacking, as it has been during most
of this year’s assemblies, Uninterested students can at least keep silent
for the duration of forty minutes in order to allow interested persons to hear.
Certainly, as Disgusted suggested, only interested students should have
to watch the Lincoln Center program, but that is not the present policy
at Milne. School policy demands a fee supporting the Lincoln Center
programs from each student which is paid as part of the student tax. As
a point of interest, those students who remained for the entire program
and listened to the whole narration were rewarded by a better under-
standing of the film-making industry.
The NHS is not asking for admiration, merely for a little tolerance
and patience from students like Disgusted who only see one-half of a whole
story. We realize that there are many faults to be found with the Lincoln
Center programs, but letters like Disgusted’s serve only to partially destroy
efforts made to help the student,
JoAna Popolizo
Secretary, NHS
Happy Hunting!
As all regular riders of United Traction buses will agree, the bus com-
pany makes all too liberal use of the statement in fine print at the bottom
of each schedule—“This schedule subject to change without further notice.”
So, your helpful, friendly, humble, ever-resourceful and slightly devious
editors got together and devised a method by which every Milne student
with a little energy can catch himself a city bus, if he réally wants one.
Begin by building a wooden box approximately 35’ x 10’ x 10’ with no
bottom. To this box attach sturdy ropes in such a way that the box can be
suspended open end down over the
road, Thread another long rope
through a pulley attached to a tree
branch high above the street, pre-
ferably near a bus stop.
Now, draw the box high above
the street and secure the rope by
tying it around the tree trunk, clear
the bus stop of all passengers and
hide behind the tree to which the
rope is tied. Clearing the stop is
most important, for it is a well
known fact that any bus driver
seeing a crowded bus stop, especial-
ly during miserable weather, im-
mediately speeds up and leaves the
prospective passengers on the corner
choking on his exhaust fumes. If
the driver sees the bus stop empty,
he will continue unaware, at his
usual torpid pace, making him a
much easier target. When the bus
is directly below the suspended box,
cut the rope. If your timing is right,
the box will drop over the bus, cap-
turing it.
CRIMSON AND WHITE
January 16, 1970
Vol. XL No. 6
Published by The Milne School,
S.U.N.Y., Albany. Address corres-
pondence to The Editor, if
Member
Columbia Scholastic Press Assn.
Cooperative Student Press
Editors Ralph Benko, Pat Rao,
Kathy Soulis
Gail Goodman,
Audrey Levine
Sports... Bob Dorkin, Joe Lapidus
Photography Leon Aronowitz,
Jody Hochberg
Staff: M. Aronson, M. Bachman, C.
Benedict, S. Boochever, G. Cash-
man, P. Dorsman, S. Mennen, C.
Morgenstern, A. Schapiro, J, Soffer,
A. Shelford, S. Benko, C. Moore
Typing Estelle Greenberg
Advisor Mr. Richard Lewis
Assistant Editors.
CC BY 4.0