Dr. David L. Streiner

I chose to go to CCNY for my education because it was in town, and it had an excellent reputation. One thing that made me switch from engineering to psychology was taking a class with a very well known psychologist, Dr. Kenneth Clark. He was a very impressive person and conducted a research study that was used in the American Psychological Association's amicus curiae brief in Brown v. Board of Education. One night he appeared on WNYC debating Malcolm X. When we told Dr. Clark that Malcolm X ran circles around him, Dr. Clark asked if we thought we could do better. Being young and somewhat arrogant, we said yes, so Dr. Clark invited Malcolm X to our next class to debate with us. He ran circles around us. CCNY was exciting and full of energy. CCNY had an impact on me. I was better prepared for graduate school than other people from other colleges and universities. It was an excellent education intellectually, and it was an excellent preparation for life.