Mills College - Mills Crest Yearbook (Oakland, CA)

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CRISIS AND CREATIVEIXIESS A visifor from across fhe Pacific recenfly leff wifh our sfu- denfs a dynamic idea. I wish fo insure a place for if in fhe Yearbook of I943. In wriffen Chinese, he said, fhe word crisis is expressed in fwo characfers: fhose meaning danger and opporfunifyf' Wesfern peoples use language so lighfly, wifh such con- sfanfly changing fashions in meaning. fhaf I somefimes covef for fhem fhe sfabilizing influence of picfographic wrifing. The ancienf form of inscribing language nof by phonefic sounds, or alphabefic leffers, buf by characfers is incon- venienf buf if illusfrafes fhe idea visually. If holds wifhin fhe picfure fhe inifial concepf, despife fime and change of emphasis. This year, American sfudenfs will graduafe from college fo find a world in conflicf, and our counfry in fhe greafesf crisis of ifs hisfory. They will discover fhaf all insfifufions of our democracy are fhreafened-family and farm, fac- fory and shop, school and church. They will be urged fo cooperafe on every hand, and fhey will perceive, wifhouf urging, how valuable is each sfudenf in fhe planefary sfrug- gle. There is no fime fo choose an occupafion because one likes if, or fo eschew all occupafion as unnecessary. Every momenf is precious, every skill essenfial, every falenf a blessing-fo be used, exercised, shared. To apply fhe Chinese picfograph meaning crisis, as demo- crafic insfifufions are endangered, all sfudenfs have an opporfunify fo develop and puf fo use fheir powers.

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To Dr Reinhardt President ot Mills College from 1916 to 1943, with grateful appreciation and love we dedicate this book. You came to Mills during the tirst world war, at the com- mencement ot a new era. The great tinancial and educa- tional changes ot that time demanded that you be a woman ot exceptional executive ability, a new leader in women's education. lt was necessary that you be appreciative ot women's recent gains in the political, business, and educa- tional fields . . . You have been these things and more. Your interest in guiding young women to the tullest realization ot their potentialities is evidenced in the growth ot Mills during a quarter ot a century. Teachers and scholars trom all parts ot the world have been attracted so that our college is in no sense one ot narrow interests. Under your discerning direction the taculty has been enlarged trom thirty-three to eighty-three, the student body trom two hundred and twelve to tive hundred and torty. Instead ot eleven buildings we now have twenty-eight, each representative ot many steps toward the tull development ot Mills asf? college . . . You are distinguished in the tields ot literature, religion, and education: but we know you best as you appear to undergraduate members ot a college community. Fresh- men ot all years remember your triendly breaktasts at the President's l-louse, your interest in the beauty ot our campus, your intectious enthusiasm and good humor when we were most contused by new knowledge and experience. We saw you then as an ideal, one that has grown each year. lt is an ideal ot academic achievement, ot the inspiration and ioy in study and the humanity it brings. Understanding the puzzled minds ot youth, you have ottered your strength to our inexperience, your knowledge to our naivete . . . Now, you leave us with strong toundations. A second world war with even turther reaching social changes than those ot the tirst tinds Mills growing to prepare its women tor new tunctions in a better society. We, the classes ot '43, '44, '45, and '46 with all Mills women, thank you tor the selt- less guidance you have given us during the best ot your years.

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If you musf face in your generafion whaf fhe Armed Forces call fofal war, you also face in your own life nof a fracfionary, limifed environmenf for acfion buf a nafion and ifs relafion fo fhe globe. If all civilizafion is fhreafened wifh desfrucfion from enemies wifhouf, if can be mef by crea- five forces wifhin, capable of consfrucfion and of reconsfrucfion. The challenges on every hand which 'rask knowledge and characfer can be mef by personal. insfifufional. and so by nafional adiusfmenf fo fhe crisis of war and ifs demonds. The sfudenf should be prepared fo discriminafe befween war efforf and reconsfrucfive goal. lmmediacy and expediency are noi' ends in fhem- selves, buf fhey musf be undersfood and me'r adequafely. To creafe, fo build-fhis is fhe long-range opporfunify of fhe dangers abouf us. The very war can nof be won for one person or one nafion. lfs immensify fesfifies fo fhe facf fhaf if musf be won for fhe whole of humanify. The peace we would planf, nurfure, and harvesf-if we may use such figurafive language-is a harvesf fo be shared by fhe world, a verifable bread of life for all men. Peace can nof be enduring unless if is a world peace, nourished by all fhe civilizing agencies which men have developed in differenf lands. Educafion. organized, fiffed 'ro fhe fimes, adiusfed fo fhe needs of peoples in various climafes and differing lands-such an educafion is fundamenfal fo The peace fhaf comes wifh opporfunify affer fhe presenf crisis is pasf. Once educafion was fhoughf of as fhe passive acquiring of knowledge for pleasure or for power. Today we know fhaf educafion musf be more fhan fhis. If musf add dynamic capacify fo develop fhoughf and fo direcf if, so 'rhaf conducf may be guided fhereby. Members of fhe Class of I943, how are you going fo meef fhe world crisis fhaf if may be a personal opporfunify for creafive conducf and for human service? T Aurelia l-lenry Reinhardf Viv P