Mills College Students Protest Decision to Admit Men in 1991
The announcement that Mills College has decided to admit men into their undergraduate programs in 1991 was greeted with tears and howls of protest. This reaction toward turning co-ed is similar to male-only bastions being forced to admit women into their inner circle.
I find there to be a slight hypocrisy going on here: When male-only institutions decide to admit women, it is seen as a victory for equality and a defeat for sexist discrimination. However, when Mills College decides that in order to survive it must admit men, it is seen only as the end of an era for women, and men are still cast in a negative light.
Until we get over this need to exclude others, neither men nor women will learn to benefit from sharing a mutual human experience.
S. KANANI FONG
Palo Alto
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