The_Rambler_1964-10-07

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STATE UNIVERSITY AGRICULTURAL AND TECHNICAL INSTITUTE
FARMINGDALE, L I , N Y.
Volume 1 - No. 3 October 7, 1964
Vietnamese Speaker
A few weeks ago, this campus had the honor of attending a
lecture on the situation in Vietnam. The speaker was a man who
is well versed in the subject„ The Hon. Tran van Dinh is the
chief Washington correspondent of the Saigon POST and a former
Acting Ambassador to the United States.
Very few of the observers of contemporary Asia have the depth
of knowledge Mr. van Dinh has acquired throughout his life. He
was borninthelmperialcityofHueand was educated at Quoc Hoc
College and Hanoi University. An accomplished linquist, Mr. van
Dinli speaks fluent English. French. Thai. Loa and writes Japa-nese
and Chinese.
Mr. van Dinh is also one of the many guerrilla fighters who
fought first against the Japanese, and later against the French for
the liberation of his country. In 1951 he became Press Attache for
the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok and quickly earned himself a
reputation as a top newspaperman and a reliable news source. Mr.
van Dinh remained in this post until 1956 when he was named Al-ternate
Secretary General. Colombo Plan General Meeting held in
Saigon in 1957. That same year he was named Vietnamese Consul
General and Minister Plenipotentiary to Burma, holding thepost
until 1960.
Following are highlights from this reporter's interview with
Mr. Dinh.
The persecution of the religious factions in the country.
They are vastly exaggerated. The blurred facts do not give a
true picture of the situation. The dissension that reigns provides
ideal conditions for fanatics and Communists to inspire mob
scenes.
Relations with other countries.
The recent incident where Cambodian soldiers fired on South
Vietnamese soldiers as they pursued Viet Cong soldiers is not to
be taken as an indication that Cambodia is aiding the Reds but
rather as a signof the tremendous national feeling in the country.
The area in question has always been under oispute as to who
owns it.
If the school continues to provide us with visits of men of this
caliber I feel that we will truly adopt a clearer outlook on the
world today.
Things Are Looking Up
The new Teddy Roosevelt gym is taking shape, and
it looks like a beautiful addition to campus charm.
Distinguished Visitor
From Formosa
Mr. Tan Chang, President of Taiwan Provincial Institute of
Technology in Taipei, visited the campus on August 26 and 27 as
part of a comprehensive U.S. tour, sponsored by the Agency for
International Development, in which American methods of tech-nical
education were examined by Far Eastern academicians.
In an interview Mr. Chang saia that the three features of the
Institute which most impressed him were: the friendliness of the
faculty members, "who have made me feel so welcome," the re-laxed
insouciance of the students here, in contrast to those of his
college, which is located downtown in the middle of Formosa's
capitol, and the untouched, restful quality of the campus landscape,
which reminded him of parts of Formosa.
Speaking remarkably good English, Mr. Chang told the
RAMBLER that hehad not been home to see his family since May,
and felt that his visit here was a fitting climax to a somewhat ar-duous
trip, which included most of our major cities and tech-nological
campuses. With Dean Purcell, he digressed amusingly
on the differences between Chinese and American men. "Ameri-can
men." he said, "lose their hair earlier in life than Chinese
men. but this," he added, "is because American men grow so
much more hair on their arms and legs."
As a parting gesture. Dean Purcell showed Mr. Chang the
ISLANDER, which contains some outstanding examples of haiku
poetry. Mr. Chang was soberly impressed,and concluded by saying
that if the twain mween East and West does meet, it must do so
here at Farmingdale.
\ew Dean Appointed
Mr. Frank A. Cipriani was appointed Assistant Dean, Evening
Division, effective August 6, 1964. PresidentLaffin made the ap-pointment,
as Mr. Carl Shilling, who was formerly in this posi-tion,
was appointed Assistant Dean of the College.
Mr. Cipriani graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School
and went on to earn a Bachelor's Degree from Queens College,
and a Master's Degree at New York University, where he has
completed the course requirements. He is now a candidate for the
Doctorate Degree. In addition. Mr. Cipriani's mind is "up in the
a i r . " as evidenced by the fact that he graduated from the U.S. Air
Force Flying School in Texas and took an academic instruction
course at the Air University in Alabama.
Mr. Cipriani attained the rank of Captain in the Air Force,
where he was a flying instructor.Hehas technical knowledge and
experience in the fields of navigation, drafting and communica-tions
systems. He is a member of the American Society of En-gineers
and the Adult Education Association of the U.S.A.
Tau Kappa Beta Lectures
A series of five lectures inaugurated byDeanReilly and spon-sored
by Tau Kappa Beta, subject matter from air brushes to Zen,
was recently completed. Participants included members of the in-structional
and administrative staff, vho spoke on their special
interests.
While the turnout was not excessive, those who attended were
so well rewarded that speakers were often kept overtime for
question and answer sessions. It is expected that the series will
continue in the near future, according to Dean Reilly.