Long Beach City College - Saga Yearbook (Long Beach, CA)

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MISSION MR. McGROARTY The Olcl Missions BY John Steven: McGroarty I am glad ThaT Long Beach Junior College has Taken Tor This year's SAGA The old Franciscan Missions oT CaliTornia as a Theme. There is no more inspiring sTory To be Tound anywhere in The annals oT human achievemenT. IT is The sTory oT a devoTed band oT ChrisTian missionaries who were genTlemen and scholars and masTers oT The arTs and graces seeking ouT The desolaTion oT a wilderness wiTh The sole unselTish purpose oT liTTing a heaThen race up To The sTa- Ture oT civilized whiTe men, and To make a deserT blossom. Remarkable men were The TirsT Franciscans who came To CaliTornia Trom Spain up Through Mexico To CaliTornia in The year I769. Their leader was The renowned Fray Junipero Serra, a naTive oT The Island oT Mallorca, a man oT many abiliTies, celebraTed as a scholar and Teacher, an honor man oT The UniversiTies oT Spain when Spain had The greaTesT UniversiTies in The world. I-Ie spenT I7 years oT his liTe in CaliTornia, end- ing his career in deaTh aT The Mission oT San Carlos near MonTerey. I-lis sTaTue adorns The RoTunda oT The naTional capiToI aT WashingTon. BeTween The years I769 and I823 The Franciscans erecTed 2I Missions beTween San Diego and Sonoma. These vasT esTablishmenTs were The TirsT manual arTs schools in CaliTornia1 and The TirsT Normal school was aT The Mission San Gabriel. Each Mission was a hive oT indusTry in which all The Trades oT The Times were TaughT. IrrigaTion dams and aqueducTs were builded. Orchards and vineyards were planTed, Tar-Tlung Tields oT grain invaded and conquered The deserT. IT was a greaT dream. The piTy is ThaT iT ever came To an end. IT was a dream broken by The greed and cupidiTy oT Those who represenTed The governmenT oT Mex- ico in CaliTornia. These conscienceless poIiTicians conTisc'aTed The Missions, drove The Indian neophyTes back inTo The mounTains. and Turned The holy places inTo sTabIes Tor The caTTle and The swine. Only The ruins oT The greaT Missions now remain, sTill impressive wiTh whaT was once Their beauTy. They sTand lonely and paTheTic along EI Camino Real, The King's I-Iighway, reminders oT a mighTy pasT when The ToundaTions oT our CaliTornia oT Today were laid. , MESSAGE

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PH o'roQ RA' i-Il IMPI ESSION If . . . SHADOW ARTISTRY .... INDENTED ARCHES AND THIN SHADOW RIMS ON THE AUDITORIUM FACADE . . . STAIRS LIKE LATERAL LINES SHIMMERING SHRUBBERY cfa O