Middletown transcript., 1922-06-10
STUDY and WORK
Columbia Students Give Cafe
terra an Atmosphere"
sented In Small New York
Eating Place.

There is one cafeteria in New York
where the dishwashers discuss relativ-
ity and the fourth dimension, where
the countermen have master degrees,
where the bus boys are prepared to
give an opinion on the Genoa confer
enoe, or the Rapallo agreement. This
cafeteria Is located in one-story
building just back of the massive gray
donled library Of Columbia university
and is best known by its title Of "com-
MONS" the New York Sun points out.
Needy students are given all the jobs
in this cafeteria, with the exception of
some managerial positions and those
in the culinary department.
A visit to this cafeteria a little after
noon on q week day in the company of
one familiar with the place and its
hnbitues will yield some interesting in.
formation. The man who serves the
soup, for example, is Nova Scotian.
A student of journalism, he Is earning
his way through by free lancing and
by doing odd bits of work. Beside him
Is Greek, i'm this country only year,
but already master Of English.
The dnrk-skinned man at the griddle
is native Of Turkestan, a pre-medi-
cal student. He has announced his
intention of leaving Columbia at the
end of the present semester to con-
tinue his studies at Iowa State univer-
sity, because the expenses are less at
the latter institution. The 1,10O miles
from New York to Iowa he is to travel
by emulating Jack London in his ad-
verse days. This man will practice in
Persia when he has finished his educa.
tiOn.
Behind the salad counter stand two
Chinese students, both beneficiaries Of
provincial government scholarships
worth about 800 month. There are
more than 300 Chinese students in
New York city alone, it is said, and
more than 1000 in the whole country,
mostly sent here by their governments.
At the dessert counter is Japanese.
Further along are to be found native
American counternlen, like the others,
Obliged to earn their way through
school. The man who operates the
Il
all the early years of his life and went
up as far as third mates berth be-
fore he decided to chuck the sea and
get an education. He has four years
of college and two in a professional
school ahead of him, even after he
works off his matriculation require
ments. Besides this work at the cafe
terra he has job taking care of an
old man, a paralytic.
Among the dishwashers is Hindu,
already the possessor Of masters de-
gree and now working on his thesis for
a dOctorate. In another year he hopes
to return to India, where he mas wife
waiting for him. and take charge Of an
Indian college.
There Is cosmopolitan air about
those who eat in this cafeteria. At one
table there may be seen a group of
olive-skinned Filipinos, more than 100
of whom are now studying In New
York city. Next to them there may be
two or three striking blonde students,
presumably Scandinavians. A Mesopo-
tamian, student of philosophy, Is a
frequenter of this place. So are two
Russian students and several Italians.
1t Is probably one of the most cosmo-
pOlitan eating places In the city and
one Of the most interesting when some
thing of the history of the employees
here is discovered, and something is
learned Of their struggle against odds
to get an education.