Crimson and White
VOL. XXXIX, No. 12
New Editors In
Juniors Pat Rao, Ralph Benko,
and Kathy Soulis will head the
Crimson and White during 1969-70.
Their terms begin with the next
issue. Editors’ terms traditionally
end in mid-April.
Page One will be headed by
Junior Audrey Levine. Under her
will be Sophomore Adrienne Schapiro (News Editor), Junior Bob
Dorkin (Sports Editor and photog­
rapher), and seventh grader Jon
Soffer (Assistant News Editor).
Page Two Editor is Gail Good­
man. Under her are juniors Rich
Lipman and Sandra Sutton plus
sophomores April Shelford and
Susan Boochever.
Sophomores Celia Moore and
Bonnie Jupiter will be treasurer
and exchange editor respectively.
The titles are tentative and may
be changed by the new editors later.
The new editors will recruit new
writers next week. Students in
grades 7-11 are welcome.
An
orientation to the Crimson and
White is planned.
Spring Sports Start
By Bob Dorkin
Milne baseball, coached by Mr.
James Coyne, lost the season opener
to Catskill on April 15 by a 1-6
score.
The Raiders battle Voorheesville today and tomorrow play
Albany Academy. May 1 marks
our first home game against Maple
Hill at the new campus.
The golf team tees off at Voorheesville April 21. Maple Hill meets
Milne at Albany Municipal April 25.
The linksmen coach is Mr. Joe Kelly.
The track team opens its season
this month at Albany Academy. On
May 2 it participates in the Hudson
High invitational meet with a large
field of area teams. Mr. Phillips
coaches the squad in their defense
of the CHVL title.
There is a possibility that Milne
will not have a varsity tennis team
this year unless several more stu­
dents join the squad.
The first
scheduled match is at Catskill on
April 28. The aces have their first
home match against Voorheesville
on April 30 led by Mr. Charles
Graber.*
THE MILNE SCHOOL, S.U.N.Y., ALBANY, N. Y.
Bowler to Return
Mr. Charles Bowler, who acted as principal three
years ago while Dr. Fossieck was on a sabbatical
leave, will return next September as principal.
After eighteen years experience as principal in
public schools throughout New York State, Mr. Bowler
has become a very able administrator. During his
year’s stay as principal at Milne, he participated in
the band.
For the past three years Mr. Bowler, currently a
resident of Cambridge, New York, has been serving
as head of alumni affairs at SUNYA, but says, “I miss
the kids and will be very happy to come back.”
APRIL 18, 1969
g°g^ Tum
NHS TO PRESENT
OPERA NEXT WEEK
By Ralph Benko
“Cossi Fan Tutti,” an opera translated into English,
will be presented by the Metropolitan Opera Studio,
April 26 at 8:30 p.m. in Page Hall.
Tickets range in price from $1.50 to $3.00. Student
Council will pay 50«/- of each student’s ticket. The
opera is part of the Lincoln Center programs spon­
sored by Milne’s National Honor Society.
Constitution Work Progresses
By Aaron Kuperman
Student Council’s new constitution is undergoing final revisions before
being voted on by the student body. Student and faculty objections and
questions are to be considered before the final text is put to a vote.
Members of the constitutional convention, Stu Welch, Aaron Kuperman,
Gail Goodman, Jackie Itzkow, Dave Aronson, Jay Bindell, and Jon Soffer
request students with questions to direct them to convention members.
Dr. Fossieck raised objections to some clauses including the Bill of
Right which he stated in a letter to President Welch should be added on
after the document is approved and to the wording of several passages.
Before the constitution can be presented for voting, it has to be proof­
read for errors in wording, grammar, spelling, and common sense. Proof­
reading by Stu Welch, Aaron Kuperman, and Dr. Fossieck have uncovered
over 40 possible errors varying from a suggestion that a Junior Student
Council be added (by Dr. Fossieck) to a suggestion that a word be un­
capitalized (by Aaron Kuperman).
Stu Welch is doing most of the supervisory work in proofreading.
Secretary Ellie Schmidt will retype the 13 page document before its final
presentation. Every student will get a copy of his own.
ENGLISH II GOES CREATIVE
By Adrienne Schapiro
“Speak-Out,” urged Mr. Richard Weeks to the junior English classes.
Hum-drum regurgitated term papers are out. This year the juniors were
allowed to “create.” For three weeks these people composd, wrote short
stories, filmed society as they saw it, did chemical experiments, and con­
cocted their culinary masterpieces using their own recipes.
The opera, which should especial­
ly interest students, was written by
Wolfgang Mozart. It deals with the
infidelity of women; the title trans­
lated means “that is the way they
are” (referring to the fairer sex).
In the opening scene, Don Alfonso
tells two of his friends that all
women are fickle, including the
fiancees of the two friends. The
friends disagree, so a bet is ar­
ranged.
To prove his point, Alfonso has
the two friends, who are army offi­
cers, depart for a fictious war. Their
loves tearfully bid them farewell.
The men return in disguise and
proceed by various means to “make
time” with each other’s betrothed.
At this point Don Alfonso steps in.
He arranges a marriage ceremony
which is interrupted for the sounds
of a returning army. The ending
can be found out April 26.
The opera is the most ambitious
Lincoln Center project undertaken
by NHS in the three years of the
program.
TV Show Saturday
Milne competes with Columbia
Central of East Greenbush Satur­
day for the year championship on
WRGB’s Little Red Schoolhouse.
The program was videotaped Thurs­
day night.
Other juniors tried socery and conservation, wrote and illustrated
children’s books, took surveys about Viet Nam, sex-education, the Negro
situation, and other pertinent issues concerning today’s youth, made up
patterns and sewed suits, read drama, interpreted poetry through photo­
Milne defeated Marylrose Acad­
graphs, and painted Mr. Weeks’ office.
emy last week for the right to com­
pete for the year title. Previously
No grades were given, but each student had weekly discussions on his
the team defeated three vother
progress. While attempting to express himself in some meaningful way,
schools.
many a student faced the problem of a lack of incentive. Without the
pressure of grades, a few individuals
Because the French trip to Canada
tended to devote too little time to
would have prevented a member
of the team from going to the tap­
their projects. Other students would
By Audrey Levine
ing, the Junior Class donated the
have liked more time or the pos­
The senior class will need $200 more for expenses, according to ireasurer
funds so the member could take a
sibility of getting out of a week of
Margaret Diggs. There are $1300 in graduation expenses. Previous earn­
midnight Friday bus to Canada to
school and devoting the time en­
ings and play profits account for $1100. To earn the remaining money, the
join the French trip after taping
tirely to their experiment.
seniors will sponsor a car wash Saturday, May 3 and a dance Saturday,
the performance.
May 17 featuring the Luv - Minus - Zero.
The annual card party will be sponsored by the
seniors on Friday, April 25 in Brubacher. General
chairman for the event is Kathy Siebert.
Tony
By Patricia Rao r
Hazapus is co-chairman.
Dan Lago taught social studies last quarter. He also
Other chairmen are: donations, Sharon Lieberman
draws controversial cartoons (such as that on the
and Pat Brodie; publicity, Ellie Ainspan and Jackie
left) for the Albany Student Press (ASP), the State
Itzkow; refreshments, Sandy Blumburg and Carol
University student newspaper.
Richter; hostesses, Sandy Jabbour and Jane Barker;
Lago’s work deals with social criticisms. He usually
entertainment, Loraine Rovelli and Audrey Levine;
uses the grotesque and exaggerated to shock people
favors, Vicki Smith and Gail Goodman; dinner, Dottie
into reality.
Lange and Ann Gerber; maintenance, Mike Cali, Bob
ASP received many complaints charging his work
Kayne and David Wollner; tables, Bob Schacter;
with being in bad taste. He replies that social criti­
tickets, Margaret Diggs and Jeff Kellert.
/pall
cism seems in poor taste to those satisfied with the
There will be a dinner and a variety of games plus
status quo. ASP prints less than 50% of his work
an auction and door prizes. Baby sitting will be
which he draws and submits to ASP editors at his
available to encourage parents of small children to
leisure.
attend.
SENIORS SEEK $200
EX-TEACHER IS CARTOONIST
PAGE 2
CRIMSON AND WHITE
APRIL 18, 1969
A Change in the System
TO THE IDLE READER:
After learning of Milne’s marking committee, a student teacher in the
Spanish department, Mr. Jerome Mikowicz, felt that student teachers should
be a part of this committee.
In an effort to poll the feelings of other student teachers he, through the
Guidance department, sent around a questionnaire on the Milne marking
system asking for teachers’ opinions. The majority of the student teachers
displayed extreme apathy and never returned the questionnaires.
Although teachers were reluctant to fill out the questionnaire, upon
questioning, almost all agreed a change in the marking system at Milne
was necessary.
Most felt that the system should be changed to correspond to the
regents system (90-100=A, 80-90=B, etc.). This would not only make it
easier for students to get good marks, but would put Milne on a par with
most other schools in the state. A number of teachers felt that Milne’s
high standards hurt the students because, in the words of Miss Goodwin,
it, “was simply too high for their abilities since Milne is not a school of
geniuses. Colleges not taking into account Milne’s high marking system
would be slower to accept the students.”
Many teachers felt that marking systems should be abolished altogether.
They all agreed that there was too much pressure on students to get good
marks, but as college students themselves, they realized the need for good
marks to get into college. Mr. Katz, a social studies teacher, described it
as a “vicious circle,” saying that, “Students are going to school for marks,
not^an education, and teachers themselves are teaching the courses so they
can finish’ chapters and give the students tests.” Student teachers in all
departments claimed they had not been marking students on the Milne
scale, but on either a regents scale or one of their own choosing.
Only one teacher, Mr. Cowger, a graduate student teaching social
studies, favored leaving the scale as it is or raising it. He said that if
“teaching remains at its present level, the system should be left as it is.
If, however, teaching was more stimulating and courses more interesting
the marking should be tougher.”
Mr. Mikowitz himself favors a combination of changes. He agrees that
lowering the system to correspond with the regents system would help
some. He would rather see, a marking system based entirely on letters.
Under this system all tests would be graded according to their difficulty;
whatever the majority of the class got, no matter how low, would be a “C”
and other marks would be figured from there. He would also base his
marks more on class participation than the present system allows. He and
Mr. Bachschmidt of the Business department would like to use pluses and
minuses along with letter grades on report cards, since a student with a
9) average deserves more than just a “B,” which could be anywhere from
85-92 under the present marking system.
—P.R.
In the last issue of the C&W Stuart Welch said, “f .. there’s nothing
worse than a ‘confusing’ idle complainer.” Perhaps lazy readers are worse.
Stuart had quoted an editorial in the previous issue: “If we find the
foundation that we have inherited to be in disharmony with what we
know to be right, then we must change that foundation and move on.”
The editor was unaware that the article from which this quote was taken
was a complaint about anything, and it is certainly not confusing at all
to an intelligent person! The editorial does not pertain to “how to make
you a better person using only words with more than eight letters” as Stu
said it does.
First of all ,the statement is not moralistic: most readers would conclude
that it has nothing to do with making anyone a better person. Secondly,
there are no words which even a seventh grader would not understand.
Vietnam, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and national government are the
types of subjects Stu feels “merit editorial comment” more than the edi­
torial he is complaining about. But should a school newspaper be primarily
concerned with topics like these? Those readers who took the trouble to
notice the topics covered on the page saw cheating, school policies, cultural
improvement, and noisy halls among other non-philosophical topics. Many
of these subjects are long-standing problems that the Milne student has
to cope with. Solutions were suggested. Shouldn’t a student council
president be using his own school newspaper to express fact and opinion
of vital concern to those students he’s supposed to be representing?
The editors intend to have a better paper. Hopefully we will also
have the example set for better reading! (I hope I haven’t used too many
eight-letter words.)
—K.S.
A Miscarriage of Justice
“They sat down in a circle, sang America, the Beautiful, and read their
petition.”
The quote is from a leaflet distributed by the “Committee for the 27”;
the “they” is the twenty-seven men who are being convicted for mutiny
by the sixth army. Indeed, for the men have already been sentenced to
prison terms of fourteen, sixteen, fifteen, and four years. Truly these
twenty-seven men must have demanded concessions so threatening to the
military establishment in this country that the army feels justified in
convicting them of mutiny.
The petition of these 27 prisoners was a cry against overcrowding, lack
of food, and unsanitary conditions within the stockade Presidio. It also
protested the shooting of Richard Bunch, a manic depressive, as he ran
from a guard on a suicidal .impulse. Shot-gun carrying guards and sadistic
personnel at the stockade were their other grievances.
It seems to me that such demands are legitimate challenges to the army
in this country. I, with the “Committee for the 27,” urge that you write
your Congressman asking for further investigation into the death of Richard
Bunch and a complete investigation into living conditions in the military
stockades in this country.
Finally, the justness of the charge leveled against these men must be
questiondd. Hearing officers connected with the trial, stated that a mutiny
charge was “a miscarriage of justice,” an “over-reaction,” and that it was
not applicable to the facts of the case. It would be far more just to charge
these men with disobedience, the penalty for which would be no more
than six months’ imprisonment.
If these men are unjustly convicted in a supposedly just nation today,
tomorrow our freedoms may be likewise threatened. This why you must
be concerned. Why not write your Congressman and Secretary of the Army
Stanley Resor of your concern?
—April Shelford
Editor’s Note: One of the prisoners’ sentences has since been shortened.
On Herd Instinct
I’ve had a guilty conscience lately. I’ve been conforming too much.
“Conform” is a nasty word nowadays. It conjures up pictures of automa­
tions blindly following a leader without bothering to think for themselves.
A nonconformist is supposed to be a daring, original thinker, blazing new
trails and bravely disregarding tradition. Well, that sounds fine.
Then I started to wonder what I could say to defend myself. It- just
might be possible that there are certain values which most people hold and
rules most people follow. What if the “herd” had independently arrived
at tha same path and way of conduct? Conformists might be conforming
to the same rules just because they are the best ones.
Being a conformist myself, I welcomed this idea. It relieved my con­
science. So I decided to give up trying to nonconform.
—Celia Moore
DEAD END
A Reflection
Four times in the recent past the
American public has been faced
with the death of a prominent polit­
ical figure. All of these men, John
F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther
King, Robert F. Kennedy, and
Dwight D. Eisenhower, although
generally liked, were disliked for
their beliefs or actions by segments
of the American public.
After their deaths they became
saints; to the public they were
faultless. Certainly in their lives
they had done many things worthy
of such praise. However, they did
make mistakes; they weren’t perfect.
If they had been perfect chances
are they would have been despised
rather than loved for being so.
Society should honor these men
for the great things they have done
for America and the world, not
only after their deaths, but while
they are alive. After their deaths
we could honor them more by re­
membering them as they actually
were, not as saints to be adored,
but as people who had something
to offer the human race and did.
By listening to their words and
learning from them, we can pay
them a much greater compliment
than by idolizing them with elabo­
rate eulogies which are soon for­
gotten.
—P.R.
Spring is here and the talks in
Paris which began last fall are no
further along than when they
started. Recently General Ky, leader
of the South Vietnamese delegation
to Paris and Vice President of
South Viet Nam, said that the North
was waiting for the people in the
United States to become so tired of
war that we would accept any pro­
posal for peace that might be of­
fered. Let’s hope we don’t get that
desperate . . .
—G.G.
Thank You
On Friday night, March 28, the
senior class in conjunction with the
Drama Club presented the play,
Inherit the Wind, by Lawrence and
Lee.
The reaction of the audience in
Page Hall at the finale of the play
indicated that it was an immense
success.
Thanks are due to the hard work­
ing cast who under the dynamic
direction of Mr. Richard Weeks did
an excellent job in preparing this
play.
Compliments are also ex­
tended to Mr. William Kraus and
the workers of the production com­
mittees without whose devoted as­
sistance the play would not have
been possible.
Altogether, we must thank the
cast of Inherit the Wind and all its
supporters for doing something all
of us at Milne are proud of.
—C&W
Musical Note
On Wednesday, June 4, the Milne
Music Department will present the
most ambitious musical program
ever undertaken by this school. The
Band will present five pieces, the
Milnettes nine; and there will be
two piano duets and two piano
solos. Also there will be a flute
duet and a trumpet trio.
The Band, which is generally con­
sidered the best in Milne history;
will be directed by Dr. Roy York.
Dr. York founded the organization
in 1941. After disbanding in 1956, it
was reorganized in 1963.
—R.B.
Crimson and White
Vol. XXXIX
Apr. 18, 1969
No. 12
Published by The Milne School,
S.U.N.Y., Albany. Address corres­
pondence to The Editor.
Member
Columbia Scholastic Press Assn.
Cooperative Student Press
Page One.............A£ron Kuperman,
Pat Rao, Audrey Levine,
Ralph Benko
Page Two........................ Kathy Soulis,
Gail Goodman
Adrienne Schapiro, Jon Soffer,
Celia Moore
Sports James Kaye, Robert Dorkin
Exchanges Alan and Bonnie Jupiter
Treasurer ..............Louis Finkelstein
Advisor
Mr. Richard Lewis
This issue is edited jointly by the
incoming and outgoing editors.