1914-1918
During the Great War years, the College underwent many challenges: its Faculty and students initially enjoyed some freedom, due to the extraordinary diplomatic medical and relief activities the College was able to extend to the various communities as well as to select groups from the Ottoman administration, thus allowing the student body to continue with its education. SPC was active in relief efforts, setting up soup kitchens in the city and around the country and the region, teaming up with the Red Cross to send medical expeditions to needy areas in the region, Auja al-Hafir, Palestine and Constantinople, Turkey, the newly established Hospital became a hub for relief and medical work during the disease epidemics and famine that plagued the region, and resulted in extinguishing one third of the country's population.
Unfortunately, very few magazines have survived fromt his period, not allowing us a first hand account fo the eevnts, as they were happening. featured here are copies of al thamarah from this period,a s well as Student Union Gazette.
When the War ended, War Annals were published in Al Kulliyah, alumni magazine, recounting some of the challenges lived by both Faculty and students during those dark times, but unfortunately, the sense of immediacy, though not always the first person perspective of the students (as in the letter displayed here, which is addressed to president Nickoley) was lost.
