The Washington herald., 1920-11-30
Nineteen-Year Bronx Youth
Is Striving for Degree at
Fordham University.
MASTERS CREEK, APOET
Iypewrites and Plays Piano
And Violin to Relax From
Study Grind.
ny WILL JOHNSON.

ny WILL JOHNSON.
NEW YORK, Nov. 2s.-Blind, but
pushing through darkness for q de-
gree of bachelor of arts and then
on to q degree of master of arts!
Sightless from birth. Alfred Lo-
sinskey. IS, has entered Fordham
University undertaking the well nigh
impossible. but with a quiet deter
mination to go through with his
heavy task. There is no doubt in
Alfred's mind He Is convinced he
will obtain the A. B. and, while
doubtful of gaining the more am
bilious degree. this doubt concerns
only the chance to try.
This intellectual blind youth was
found hard at work on his studies
high up in the Bronx this after
noon At the moment he was en-
gagged in writing a bit of verse
the idea of the poem had struck
him while planning his English
lessons,
Alfred receives one with a smile.
a rare trait of a person blind for
life. His features do not bear the
hard set lines usually associated
with the blind and he carries him.
self well as a host His sense of
direction Is almost perfect.
How do you manage to do your
written college work." he was asked
and the sightless college boy in
stantly hurried to his desk and
brought forth his kit of tools.
The complex Braille board is his
open sesame to the knowledge with
in the covers of printed books. A
chapter or a lesson is read to him
and with an instrument resembling
a thick needle he punches a series
of holes through spaces in the
Braille board. and then with deft
fingers touches needle perforations
and recites what has been read.
1t isn't necessary for one to slow
up while reading to the blind youth;
he has invented a shorthand sys-
tenn of his own which enables him
to keep up with the forty-eight
others in his class at Fordham.
Greek is the hardest for me and
requires the greatest concentra-
tion," Losinskey said. The Braille
board does not suffice for that. but
have an apparatus that enables
me to follow recited Greek" Here
he brought forth a cylinder closely
resembling the printing apparatus
of a folding typewriter. Greek
characters were chiseled on this
fiber roll, and the blind boy by
revolving it in his fingers would
pick out the characters and form
Greek phrases and sentences.
Among other subjects. Alfred is
studying English. French, Latin and
Greek. The latter very nearly pre-
vented him from entering Fordham,
which, being a Jesuit institution.
requires three years Greek for en-
trance. Losinskey applied to Ford
ham for admittance three months
ago, and in less than that time. by
the most intense concentration and
with the aid OF a devoted sister. he
grasped the necessary requirement
three years of Greek in less than
three months! And by a blind boy!
But all this is hard work, very
hard work. for Alfred. TT does take
me more time than. the rest of my
fellow students to do my home
work." he confessed, but 1 am
working out short cuts rapidly. The
Greek was a problem, indeed, and
now I am around that the others
will follow with time"
Still, with IL all, Losinskey goes
in for diversions He has a piano
Of his own, and plays we'll. Here
to learn all compositions by ear.
And, again. he plays a bit on the
violin.
Losinskey's sense of touch Is a
marvellous requirement His Braille
board. resting on his knees as he
talked of his work and his plans.
began slipping to the floor and an
effort was made to retrieve them
before they had fallen. But the
blind boy was too fast. he had
gathered in the instrument a frac-
tion of a second before those who
attempted to assist him.
This sense of touch serves him
well also with his school work
He operates q typewriter by the
system OF automatic key place.
ment and it costs him hardly an ef-
fort to write line after line with
scarcely a mistake.
The blind boy confessed that his
greatest weakness In school work
was an effort at poetry and. modest
over his creations, he insisted he
had none at hand. His devoted sis