Bryn Mawr College - Bryn Mawr Yearbook (Bryn Mawr, PA)

Page 29 text:

DEFENSE COURSES The inaugural meeting in Goodhart at which the Alliance (named in a flash of dubious inspiration to meet a J ews deadline, but now accepted on every tongue) was attended by only a few; but Pearl Harbor, several weeks later, found it ready to provide the outlets war-born enthusiasm demanded. With the valuable help of the Faculty Defense Group, the Defense Course program was taken over by the Alliance, expanded, and its many opportunities made available to both college and community. These ran as planned, but the Alliance did not stop there. Its hope that there was a definite place for educational work was justified by the reception of the informal, interdepartmental course on Post-War Reconstruc- tion and of the new Current Events lectures, presented by Miss Robbins and Mrs. Manning, which took up the terrifying sequence of events — Hong Kong, Singapore, the eruptions in the British Cabinet, Java, and the re- habilitation of M. Laval — as the news came over the air and through the doors in our morning papers. Two Forums, one on education, another on Congress since December 7 th, gave some chance for free-lance opinion to be vocal; and Max Lerner ' s vibrant discussion of ideas for war and peace, also came to you by courtesy of the Alliance. A new organization is a new experience; and we feel ourselves unable to analyze, to diagnose, the symptoms of the Alliance ' s growth. We think it is an up-and-coming affair; and are proud of whatever small part we have had in its inception. Although in our he- retical moments, when Comprehensives loom most dourly, we are secretly glad that so far it has not stressed the education aspect too strongly, we know that it has better, braver things ahead. MARY HALL GUMBART

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DEFENSE COURSES Bloody but Unbowed A year ago, when spring did not bring another offensive, the Alliance was only a gleam in the eye. Last fall, it was little more — a group of people who met hectically in the Deanery over coca-colas (before the shortage had descended) and decided that there was room on campus for a new and large organisation, designed to encourage and express student opinion on politics in general and, in particular, on the problems the incipient war and its ensuing peace would bring. Principles were drawn up, asserting the founders ' conviction that to win the war was not enough, unless in the mobilization of national effort, consideration of the longer-range problems of education, opinion, and criticism was maintained.

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DEFENSE COURSES Though groundwork for the Defense Courses was laid last summer, and nutrition, home nursing, shorthand and typing began in the first semester; Pearl Harbor touched a fuse and the Alliance, aided by the Faculty Defense Group, swung into vigorous action. Over beer and cider at the Nahm ' s a program was formed; a registration staff usurped the Ph.D. room in the library; and more than 300 people enrolled themselves for training and for community service. Seventy off-campus registrants for the nutrition course proved that we can share our loaves and fishes; and the great response from students showed we were eager to put our hearts in the right place. With blackouts by night — prone forms in darkened halls, the voice of doom demanding that Pern ' s tower light conform to regulations (we realised that even ivory turrets get no exemption in this war), and the I guess I gave you the wrong number.