Mills Quarterly summer 2005 by Mills Quarterly

Mills Quarterly Summer 2005 Alumnae Magazine

announcing

the new Mills College Annual Fund All Mills alumnae take great pride in the reputation the College has built for advancing womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education. Alumnae who invest in Mills are vital partners in the exciting growth and development of the College. Planning to use every dollar in the most efficient way possible, the College is launching the new Mills College Annual Fund. In so doing, the College will net a larger amount through centralizing fundraising programs. Your contribution will not be subject to overhead costs: your entire gift will go to the program of your choice. MILLS ALUMNAE HAVE A VOICE

With the new Annual Fund come new opportunities for giving. For the first time, you can decide which campus priority your gift will support. In addition to the always-necessary unrestricted funds, there are many specific areas in which your gift will make a difference. These areas include buildings and grounds, technical acquisitions, undergraduate student scholarships, graduate fellowships, faculty salaries, and AAMC programs. The choice is yours to make.

MILLS COLLEGE

ANNUAL FUND

CONTINUE THE TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE

More than ever, it is critical that you support your College through the new Annual Fund to enhance the programs that uphold Millsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tradition of educating women leaders for the professions and the community. Without alumnae support, this tradition would not exist. If you have not already received your first Mills College Annual Fund letter, it will reach you in the coming days. Your generous response will be greatly appreciated.

Please call Holly Stanco, director of the Mills College Annual Fund at (510) 430-2366 if you have any questions.

onward!

IRENE POON

SHARON CHIONG

BRUCE COOK

Mills Quarterly

CONTENTS SUMMER 2005 12

Degree Day: May 14, 2005 It was a festive day with speeches and smiles as Mills College presented diplomas to undergraduates and graduates, and gave honorary degrees to Vivian Stephenson and Ronald V. Dellums.

Cyclones Storm the Nation!

The Path to Self-Determination: How I Came to Mills and How It Changed My Life

Heather Lang, ’01 Mills student athletes impress with their achievements in sports and academics, and with their commitment to community service.

Jade Snow Wong (Connie Wong Ong, ’42) A fortuitous set of circumstances brought Connie Wong to Mills and helped her establish a remarkable career as an artist and writer.

Alumna Trustee Nominating Form

D E PA R T M E N T S 2

Letters

Inside Mills

Mills Matters

Profiles

Passages

Calendar

ABOUT THE COVER: Colorful balloons sparkle in the sun against the backdrop of El Campanil at Commencement 2005. Cover photo by Ariel Eaton Thomas, ’63.

Mills Quarterly Volume XCIV Number 1 (USPS 349-900) Summer 2005 Interim Alumnae Director Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte, ’73 Editor David M. Brin, MA ’75 <dbrin@mills.edu> (510) 430-3312

Letters to the Editor

Design and Art Direction Benjamin Piekut, MA ’01 Associate Editor Pat Soberanis Contributing Writer Moya Stone, MFA ’03 Editorial Assistance Katrina Wardell, ’07 Quarterly Advisory Board Marian Hirsch, ’75, April Ninomiya Hopkins, MA ’03 Jane Cudlip King, ’42, Jane Redmond Mueller, ’68 Cathy Chew Smith, ’84, Ramona Lisa Smith, ’01, MBA, ’02 Sharon K. Tatai, ’80 Lynette Williams Williamson, ’72, MA ’74 Class Notes Writers Sharada Balachandran-Orihuela, ’05, Barb Barry, ’94 Julia Bourland Chambers, ’93, Laura Compton, ’93 Barbara Bennion Friedlich, ’49, Sally Mayock Hartley, ’48 Marian Hirsch, ’75, Cathy Chew Smith, ’84 Special Thanks to David M. Hedden Jane Cudlip King, ’42 Board of Governors President Thomasina S. Woida, ’80 Vice Presidents Anita Aragon Bowers, ’63 Jane Cudlip King, ’42 Treasurer Ramona Lisa Smith, ’01, MBA ’02 Alumnae Trustees Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45 Sara Ellen McClure, ’81 Sharon K. Tatai, ’80 Governors Lila Abdul-Rahim, ’80, Michelle Balovich, ’03 Micheline A. Beam, ’72, Diana Birtwistle Odermatt, ’60 Cecille Caterson, MA ’90, Beverly Curwen, ’71 Suzette Lalime Davidson, ’94, Linda Jaquez-Fissori, ’92 Harriet Fong Chan, ’98, Leah Hardcastle Mac Neil, MA ’51 Krishen Laetsch, MA ’01, Mary Liu, ’71 Michele Murphy, ’88, Nangee Warner Morrison, ’63 Lynette Williams Williamson, ’72, MA ’74 Karilee Wirthlin, ’92, Sheryl Y. Wooldridge, ’77 Regional Governors Joyce Menter Wallace, ’50, Eastern Great Lakes Nancy Sanger Pallesen, ’64, Middle Atlantic Albertina Padilla, ’78, Middle California Adrienne Bronstein Becker, ’86, Middle California Judith Smrha, ’87, Midwest Linda Cohen Turner, ’68, North Central Brandy Tuzon Boyd, ’91, Northern California Gayle Rothrock, ’68, Northwest Louise Hurlbut, ’75, Rocky Mountains Colleen Almeida Smith, ’92, South Central Dr. Candace Brand Kaspers, ’70, Southeast Julia Almazan, ’92, Southern California Elaine Chew, ’68, Southwest The Mills Quarterly (USPS 349-900) is published quarterly in April, July, October, and January by the Alumnae Association of Mills College, Reinhardt Alumnae House, 5000 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94613. Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, CA and at additional mailing office(s). Postmaster: Send address changes to the Mills Quarterly, Alumnae Association of Mills College, P.O. Box 9998, Oakland, CA 94613-0998. Statement of Purpose The purpose of the Mills Quarterly is to report the activities of the Alumnae Association and its branches; to reflect the quality, dignity, and academic achievement of the College family; to communicate the exuberance and vitality of student life; and to demonstrate the worldwide-ranging interests, occupations, and achievements of alumnae.

Yahoo! Groups Facilitate Communication When a controversy arises, how do you make your voice heard? Write a letter? Make a telephone call? Attend a meeting? With the emergence of new avenues of communication, Mills alumnae have been exploring the range of old and new media—letters, telephone, text messaging, blogging, podcasting, and more. Last fall, in the wake of the August 2004 report of the Task Force on Fundraising, the AAMC launched a “Yahoo! Group” on the Internet to collect feedback from alumnae and alumni of Mills College. Those who have Internet access can visit the website by pointing your browser to <groups.yahoo.com/group/AAMCFeed back>. It is not necessary to sign up for the group in order to read the messages that are posted on the site. Yahoo! is the name of one of the first online navigational guides to the World Wide Web <www.yahoo.com>. The company offers many Internet services, including Yahoo! Groups— similar to a bulletin board—on which participants can post messages and respond to one another. The messages are organized so that the postings and responses form strings of discussionlike written conversations. In the months since the launch of the AAMC group, 110 people have joined and posted more than 350 messages. An additional audience of unknown size has visited the site and read the messages posted there without joining the group. An independent group of concerned Mills alumnae has even created its own nonaffiliated site, <www.independentaamc.com>, “in an effort to support keeping the Alumnae Association of Mills College an inde-

pendent entity.” I encourage you to use this avenue of communication to express your opinions and learn what other alumnae are saying about developments at Mills and the AAMC. —Jane Redmond Mueller, ’68 Slow Down the Process As co–class agent for the class of 1963, many of our classmates have sent me emails and phone calls expressing their concerns over the closing down the Alumnae Fund in favor of establishing a College Annual Fund. I, and many of my classmates are most concerned with the direction in which the College is moving and the harsh, strong-arm way this is proceeding. It is not the Mills we experienced and loved. We can’t visualize the current priorities of the administration. Personally, I don’t know if I am for or against moving the Alumnae Fund to the College. I don’t have enough information on which to base an opinion. I’m certainly concerned with harsh and secretive statements I am reading and hearing from the College. They cause deep divisions, hurt feelings, and adversarial attitudes. It feels like shades of the 1990 Student Strike and controversy, all over again. With the successful completion of the Sesquicentennial Campaign, I am wondering, just what is the rush? What we need now is to slow down. I propose we table the decision for one year. Why? What needs to be developed is an action plan with full disclosure so we alums can understand the basis for a recommendation. As I heard, we haven’t finished negotiations. How can the Administration take over on July 1 without an agreement?

It is incumbent the agreement be mutually beneficial to both the AAMC and the College. It is unfortunate the process to date has not gotten off to a positive start. The College needs the support of alums; we are their “bread and butter.” The College needs to listen to our concerns, and, on the other hand, we need to understand the benefits and detriments of moving the control of the Alumnae Fund. Without developing a vehicle to encourage communication and support, we are confused, fearful, and suspicious. In conclusion, the relationship between the College and the AAMC needs to be rebuilt so that we can “Remember who we are and (be proud of) what we represent.” We also need as many alumnae as possible to encourage the College to postpone this fund movement at this time. —Barbara Goldblatt Becker, ’63 Spring Quarterly Pleases I was pleased to receive my copy of the Mills Quarterly this spring. The outpouring of generosity from alumnae and the depth of the school were evident. There were three items in the Quarterly which touched me personally. First, as a woman who, in the ’70s, wrote her own college major (which combined environmental science, music, and history), I was pleased to see the establishment of the environmental science major. Second, as a woman who returned to Mills for her MFA in electronic music, I was pleased to note that my beloved Music Building will have a much needed face-lift! And finally, as a woman who loves history and our place in it via our rela-

tion to all things, I was drawn to the letter about knitting in Yugoslavia. While a grad student at Mills, I met a Berkeley student in the co-ed dorm and he and I kept company for four years. He happened to be Serbian and we traveled to Yugoslavia together. The day we arrived, his aunt brought out a silver tray holding two small crystal glasses filled with water and a small jar of home-made cherry jam with two silver spoons. We were to eat the jam and wash it down with the water, which we did. Immediately tears welled in my eyes. This was the little ceremony that was reserved for soldiers returning home. The aunt did not speak English, nor I Serbo-Croatian, but I felt her welcome so deeply, which was furthered as she spent our entire three-week visit crocheting me a sweater, which I have to this day. My own daughter is learning to knit, crochet, and weave in school. She is learning to weave together her relation to all things—the plants, animals, and people who have come before and who have helped to sustain us and inform our lives. And as she does so, she sings. Thank you Mills! —Phyllis Pollack Addison-Foster, ’81 On the Death of a Friend It’s always a shock to read of the death of a favorite friend [Nancy Russell McCullough, ’48, whose death was announced in the Spring Quarterly], especially one I remember so well. I remembered her as my closest friend when we were young and lively in the new wing of Mary Morse Hall. We met on the train heading south from Portland in 1944, she so bright and lovely looking in a becoming suit, so responsive and excited too when

we saw our first palm tree! Everyone loved Nancy, her outgoing, gentle ways, always interested in others, and her winning sense of humor. How we hated wearing our clothes inside-out as demanded of freshman, disliking east Oakland’s scratchy heat then too! But before long our focus on exciting new courses, taught by stimulating professors, brought us new joy and fulfillment. With more moderate weather and new friends, we realized how lucky we were. When her father died suddenly and she flew home to Baker, Oregon, my heart really went out to her, for mine had died while I was in the eighth grade, and I knew well the painful void. Although I knew her only those two years before I transferred and never saw her again, for she did not attend the few class reunions I did, she left an indelible impression of goodness and fun. For a while we corresponded; she once sent me a snapshot of her two young sons romping in the snow, noting they were smarter than they looked. But now I’ll picture her always, laughing over her one blue eye and the other hazel, frequently playing the piano, modestly accepting our praise and appreciation so long ago! —Betsy Parker Belles, ’48 Mills Post-It Notes These note pads show a eucalyptus branch and the motto “Remember who you are & what you represent.” The lettering is green on yellow paper, and they come in pads of 50 at $2.50 each plus $1.00 shipping and handling for each order. Mail your check, payable to PAAMCC, to Palo Alto Area Mills College Club, c/o Hunter, 316 Laurel Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025.

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inside mills A D VA N C I N G S C I E N C E , T E C H N O L O G Y, A N D R E S E A R C H

KEEPING WOMEN IN THE PIPELINE

dvancing Women in Science, Technology, and Research is the theme of the “Inside Mills” section of this issue of the Quarterly. In future issues, we will focus on the College’s two other Leadership Initiatives, Preeminence in the Arts and Leadership in the Professions. Mills is committed to inspiring our students’ intellectual passion for the physical and natural sciences. We strive to spark and sustain their curiosity by providing them with hands-on opportunities to work side by side with faculty in labs and by developing new degree programs and interdisciplinary majors. Our track record shows that we are succeeding. As undergraduates, our students present their research at professional meetings and undergraduate conferences and hold internships in world-class laboratories. In 2004, 20 percent of Mills students graduated with majors in the division of natural sciences and mathematics. An additional 33 students completed the PostBaccalaureate Premedical Program, which is considered one of the best in the nation. Our students are consistently more successful in gaining immediate acceptance to medical and veterinary schools than the national average. Three new academic programs will begin this fall. For the first time in the College’s history, in addition to the currently offered Bachelor of Arts degree, Mills will offer a Bachelor of Science degree in five majors: Biology, Biopsychology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. This new BS degree will attract incoming students and better prepare Mills students for graduate study and the job market. Yet Mills’

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focus on the liberal arts will remain strong. All students enrolled in the BS program will be required to complete ten courses in the humanities, social sciences, and fine arts, and they will be encouraged to consider declaring a minor in the liberal arts. Also beginning in fall 2005, the departments of psychology and education will jointly offer a 4 + 1 BA/MA degree in infant mental health, allowing students to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in five years. The new program will combine in-depth research training with a strong liberal arts foundation, preparing the students for careers in research or clinical practice. This program positions Mills as the first educational institution in the world to offer an integrated undergraduate/ graduate infant mental health curriculum. The program will also offer a oneyear certificate in infant mental health for students who wish to undertake a sixth year of advanced study. A third new program, a two-year

pre-nursing program, has been launched in partnership with Samuel Merritt College in Oakland, the largest training program for nurses in the greater East Bay. The program is designed to address the critical shortage of nurses nationwide. Students who satisfactorily complete their coursework at Mills and then Samuel Merritt’s twoyear nursing theory and clinical program will receive a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Samuel Merritt College. Alongside a rigorous pre-nursing foundation, the Mills curriculum will provide aspiring nurses with an exceptional liberal arts core emphasizing critical thinking and ethical decision making within a multicultural environment. These new programs underscore the importance of blending specialized undergraduate training in the sciences with the liberal arts. These programs will also help guide women through the science pipeline during their undergraduate years, so they can achieve successful careers in science and technology.

PALO ALTO AND NEW YORK MILLS CLUBS PROVIDE GENEROUS SUPPORT

wo branches of the Alumnae Association were inadvertently left off the Honor Roll of Donors for the Sesquicentennial Campaign, which was published in the Campaign Report inside the last issue of the Mills Quarterly. We apologize for this error. Mills College extends deep appreciation to the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club and the Mills College Club of New York for their generosity during the Campaign. The Palo Alto Area Mills College Club will be listed on the Donor Wall at the $100,000 and above level, and the Mills College Club of New York will be listed at the $25,000 and above level. The Donor Wall will be permanently installed in Mills Hall and will recognize all of the major donors to the Mills College Sesquicentennial Campaign. The unveiling of the wall is scheduled for Reunion 2005.

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COLLEGE MOVES FORWARD WITH “GREEN” SCIENCE BUILDING is used on site, selection of building secured. Major gifts and pledges have ills is moving forward with plans materials, and design innovation will been received from Suzanne Adams, to construct a new Natural follow the Leadership in Energy and ’48, Merrill Kasper, ’83, Mary Alice Sciences Building. The 26,000-squareEnvironmental Design (LEED) guidelines, Ramsden, ’48, the estate of Olga foot state-of-the-art structure will with the goal of obtaining certification at Scheffler, ’31, the Booth Ferris replace Life Sciences’ main entrance the Silver level, which exceeds the Foundation, and the Y&H Soda and classroom wings built in the 1940s. minimum score needed to qualify for the Foundation. To learn more about fundThe department of chemistry and basic LEED rating. This will be the first ing opportunities for this building or physics will be moved into the new building on campus to comply closely other science projects at Mills, please space, adjacent to the departments of with LEED guidelines, serving as a model contact Ramon S. Torrecilha, executive biology and psychology. The building for future facilities projects at Mills. vice president of institutional advancewill house five new classrooms, new The project’s price tag is $17.2 million, ment, at (510) 430-2101 or by email at chemistry and physics laboratories, and of which $3.4 million has already been <rtorreci@mills.edu>. faculty offices. By locating these departments and programs under one roof, the Professor of Chemistry John Brabson, President Janet L. Holmgren, and Associate Professor complex will encourage of Biology Lisa Urry view plans for the new Natural Sciences Building. faculty-student collaboration across the science disciplines in areas including molecular biology, environmental science, and biopsychology. Detailed construction plans will be completed between July 2005 and January 2006. If funding is secured, construction could begin by February 2006, with occupancy taking place as early as January 2007. One of the most exciting and challenging features of this project is its green design. The building will conform to industry’s rigorous standards for building performance and sustainability wherever possible. Decisions about how water

BEN AILES

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inside mills ENCOURAGEMENT, NOT GENDER, KEY TO SUCCESS IN SCIENCE by Janet L. Holmgren and Linda Basch

ast winter, at an academic conference on women and minorities in the science and engineering workforce, Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers remarked that innate differences between women and men might partially explain why fewer women succeed in science and math careers. This comment set off a firestorm of controversy in educational circles and the media. In response, President Holmgren and Linda Basch, president of the National Council for Research on Women, wrote the following editorial for the San Francisco Chronicle, published on January 28, 2005. The full editorial was widely reprinted and discussed in the press and on college campuses and listserves. The following is an edited version of the article that expresses Mills’ strong commitment to equity for women in the sciences.

It is disappointing when the leader of a renowned academic institution expresses views that discourage half his students from confronting the existing obstacles to access and advancement. Surely, shifting from the debate about women’s abilities to a constructive discourse about educat-

ing women to be leaders in their chosen fields—especially in the sciences and engineering—is long overdue. Summers’ remarks have fanned the flames about women’s capabilities— whether they have the right stuff to succeed—not only in “gray matter,” but also in ambition, stamina, and priorities. Are women born with the intelligence to succeed? That question has already been answered: Yes. So let’s move on. Women and girls bring unique perspectives, experiences, and strengths to bear on the challenges our society faces. Unlike men, women in science and math face a series of barriers in their careers. Women drop out of the sciences at almost every significant transition: after high school, after their freshman year in college, between undergraduate and graduate school and between graduate school and work. Too many women in the pipeline leave before they have the chance to prove their worth. Women who continue on the path face the ubiquitous glass ceiling. In academia, discrimination and traditional academic practices inhibit women’s progress to the top. While the number of women

science professors continues to rise, relatively few reach leadership positions. Despite the fact that women have been earning more than one-quarter of the PhDs in science for the last 30 years, fewer than 10 percent of today’s full professors in the sciences are women. Women in the United States are twice as likely as men to leave occupations related to science and engineering to pursue careers in other fields. This is consistent with the experiences of prominent women scientists who met at Mills in 1994 to discuss the advancement of women in science. Their report challenged all sectors of society to develop strategies and practices that help, rather than hinder, girls and women from pursuing their scientific interests. We need systemic change and a longterm commitment to advancing women in the sciences, beginning in kindergarten and continuing throughout women’s careers. It’s time to move from controversy to change. Actions supporting the success of women and girls in math and science, rather than poorly supported theories that discourage them, will enrich women’s lives, as well as the nation.

MILLS COLLABORATES ON NATIONAL CYBERSECURITY RESEARCH Mills has been selected to participate in a major national effort led by the University of California, Berkeley, to strengthen cybersecurity. This five-year, $19 million initiative, funded by the National Science Foundation, has an educational component and includes a focus on outreach to women’s institutions. Mills students will have an oppor-

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tunity to participate in developing a model computer security course that will be used by computer science programs nationwide. The project will rely upon close, interdisciplinary collaboration with experts in economics, public policy, social science, and the human-computer interface. Leaders in the computer security

industry, such as BellSouth and Cisco Systems, and eight colleges and universities comprise the partnership known as TRUST (Team for Research in Ubiquitous Secure Technology). In addition to Mills and UC Berkeley, the institutions include Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, San Jose State, Stanford, and Vanderbilt universities, and Smith College.

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MILLS STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM RESEARCH EXPERIENCES

ills science majors undertake fascinating summer or academic-year research projects, present their work at student conferences, and find summer internships at world-class laboratories. These experiences are excellent preparation for graduate school and professional work and allow students to pursue their passion for science and contribute to what is known about our world. Here, one recent Mills graduate and one continuing Mills student describe their undergraduate research work.

Araina Hansen, ’05 Major: Chemistry; Minor: Computer Science Summer 2004 Research Project: Computer Simulation of Checkpoint-1 Inhibition Future Plans: Doctoral studies in Chemistry at UC Berkeley

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Araina’s research, begun during the summer of 2004 at UC Santa Cruz with funding from the National Science Foundation, used computer simulation to create structures of molecules that interact with the protein kinase checkpoint-1. This protein detects DNA damage and halts cell division. By inhibiting kinase, chemotherapy and other cancer therapies can be made more effective. According to Araina, “As a result of my summer work, we found some potential drug candidates for future testing. Using computers to run virtual experiments greatly increases the number of possibilities that can be explored.” Araina won the Bruce McCollum Prize at Mills, awarded to the member of the senior class majoring in science or mathematics with the highest attainment in academic scholarship. She was also inducted into Phi Beta Kappa this spring.

Araina Hansen, ’05

Rachel Niec, ’06 Major: Chemistry Research Project: Study of HIV Future Plans: Doctoral studies upon graduation from Mills

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During the past year, under the supervision of Mills Assistant Professor of Chemistry Elisabeth Wade, Rachel wrote a computer simulation program to model alignment following collisions of helium with nitrous oxide. This basic research project was designed to understand how certain types of chemical reactions take place at a fundamental level. She presented her project’s findings at the Western Spectroscopy Association Conference in Asilomar, California. More recently, Rachel worked on building a vacuum chamber (a space where specific mixtures of gaseous molecules can be observed undergoing reactions) to measure the decomposition of agricultural fumigants, which are general biocides. Ultimately this research could lead to a better understanding of what happens when large quantities of these chemical compounds reach the atmosphere. She presented a poster on the design of the system at the American Chemical Society’s Undergraduate Research Conference, which Mills hosted this spring. This summer Rachel will be working as an intern in the Leonidas Stamatatos laboratory at the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute. This lab studies HIV vaccine development with an emphasis on the glycosylation patterns of viral envelopes. A viral envelope is a coat consisting of numerous proteins that enables HIV to attach to and infect other cells.

Rachel Niec, ’06

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MILLS MATTERS Retiring Faculty Richard Battle Artist/Lecturer in Dramatic Arts Richard Battle has an extensive resume, having worked with many of the leading artists in all of the performing arts disciplines. His credits include work with San Francisco Ballet, Merola Opera of San Francisco, Oakland Ballet, Oakland Ensemble, American Conservatory Theater, and Lorraine Hansberry Theater. Even more impressive than his professional history in theater is his history at and commitment to Mills College. Mr. Battle first joined the dramatic arts faculty at Mills in 1972. Since that time he has been utterly committed to the students at Mills, helping to foster talent, develop confidence, and further the passion of each student who was lucky enough to work with him. Even now, some of my fondest memories of Mills involve brown-bag lunches in the costume shop, or lengthy conversations with Mr. Battle over the quiet whirl of the sewing machines and the ever-present classical music (a sure sign that he was in the building). Mr. Battle had a wonderful way of acknowledging a student’s value, whether it was finding time for a student regardless of how many professional projects he might be juggling, or finding redeeming qualities and strengths within a student’s sketches when he reviewed her designs. My recollections of Richard Battle are not unique. Many of my closest friends from Mills also came out of the dramatic arts department, and they would gladly echo my admiration for him as an educator, an advisor, a tour guide in London, and a collaborator. It is exhausting to think about how many students he has mentored and guided during his tenure at Mills. Now, as Mr. Battle faces retirement, I am sure he will continue to embrace his passion for theater, just as he has taught countless women at Mills to do. —Janann Eldredge, ’97

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Jerry Clegg Students of Professor of Philosophy Jerry Clegg have a cache of stories about him which we eagerly recount to the uninformed. He was once forced to seek shelter with Himalayan monks after a run-in with a monkey; another time, he was attacked by a bear. He leads 200-mile walking tours. He has invented several knots. He makes his own jewelry from stones he’s found all over the world. When telling these stories, we usually add that Jerry Clegg knows everything. His interests vary widely, from philosophy and the arts to mountaineering and knottying. Though he is reserved and quiet (and very generous) as a teacher, and though at first glance he seems a bit like the proverbial absent-minded professor, he quickly destroyed any ideas we might have had about philosophy being a dry subject done entirely by the academiabound. If there is such a thing as an adventurer-intellectual, Dr. Clegg is it. I’ve taken six of his classes, including the mainstays he’s taught for years: Aesthetics, Ethics, and Ancient Philosophy. My first was Existentialism, which introduced me to Nietzsche (one of Dr. Clegg’s main research subjects) and which remains one of the best classes I’ve ever taken. In graduate school I’ve learned that Dr. Clegg’s readings of (among others) Nietzsche and Plato are highly original; we weren’t just learning set ideas. I miss Dr. Clegg’s classes and my visits to his office—he was always willing to talk to us about anything that came to mind, sometimes for an hour at a time. My friends and I remember him with enormous affection and respect. He must have had hundreds of students, and I think it’s safe to assume they all remember him fondly. He is one of the most remarkable human beings I have ever met. —Sophie Rollins, ’04

Mary Ann Kinkead After giving more than 35 years of her unique brand of exuberance and nononsense work ethic to the Mills College dance department, in December 2004 Mary Ann Kinkead did the unthinkable in the minds of generations of her students: she retired. A Mills alumna herself (BA ’63, MA ’65), she became the candid and vociferous leader of the department. Professor Kinkead was involved in everything, from calling light cues for dance concerts to administrative posts. She was, and is, a true disciple of dance: a continual pupil, believer, and revealer. Raised in Spokane, Washington, Professor Kinkead began dancing at the age of six, studying classical ballet until her introduction to modern dance as an undergraduate at Mills, where she studied under Eleanor Lauer and Rebecca Fuller. A year after graduating with a master’s degree in dance, Professor Kinkead was hired by Mills, where she pursued her two loves: dancing and teaching. A captivating dancer herself, she was once chosen to dance in a collaboration between composer Darius Milhaud and choreographer Rebecca Fuller in a trio titled Adame Miroir. Early in her career, her marriage to Jordan Kinkead was a

NEWS OF THE COLLEGE AND THE AAMC

Laura Nathan In her 23 years at Mills, Professor of Sociology Laura Nathan has been devoted to the public interest, especially the impact of cancer on patients’ family members. A full professor since 1992, Dr. Nathan also served as dean of the social sciences division and twice as sociology department head. Her teaching and research interests include gender and health, the sociology of childhood, and women and the Holocaust. She saw her teaching at Mills as a public service too. “By encouraging conceptual reasoning,” she wrote in the Quarterly in 1989, “we hope we are shaping responsible citizens who will, throughout their lives, act in the public interest.” Dr. Nathan’s former students are living proof of her influence. “I found Laura to be inspirational,” says Michellana Jester, ’99, now an associate with the Center for Applied Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “She piqued my interest in cancer awareness from her class on cancer and society,” says Urania Roque Vanyo, ’00. In her retirement, Dr. Nathan will continue her work with the American Cancer Society, where she serves on the state board of directors and chairs two statewide committees, and she plans to complete her research on suburban women’s lives and relationships and pub-

ARIEL EATON THOMAS, ’63

wise choice; they supported each other’s careers and raised two sons, who were born in the early 1970s. She also took on a succession of appointments as dean of fine arts, department chair (twice), provost and dean of the faculty, and, in spring 1998, acting president of Mills College. “Dance departments can get overlooked very quickly if somebody is not out there supporting them,” she said in a 2004 interview. Our distinction of being the oldest continually operating dance department in the country is a result of Professor Kinkead and a handful of her colleagues’ tireless efforts. —Assistant Professor of Dance Anne Westwick

lish the results. “Most importantly,” she says, “I will be spending more time with my family and friends, especially my husband, Mark, and my sons, Justin and Michael. “I have had the privilege of working with many talented and highly motivated students,” Dr. Nathan says. “I have also been fortunate to have had several dedicated and generous colleagues. My 23 years at Mills have been gratifying.”

Mills Launches New Website The new Mills website has received acclaim from students, faculty, alums, and prospective students. “Using the campus as background and students as foreground, the website’s fresh design and language provide a snapshot of Mills. Home page images change with every visit and reflect the diverse news and events of campus life,” writes Judy Silva, director of marketing, who was responsible for the site’s new design. New photographs and stories of undergraduate

and graduate students are incorporated into the site, which is continuing to change and grow. One new feature is the newsroom, which highlights the latest news from Mills. One prospective student’s negative experience with the old site turned into a success story for both the student and the site. “When I first looked into applying to graduate school, Mills College was high on my list,” writes Stephanie Brown, who will begin her second year in the MFA program in creative writing at Mills this fall. “So much had changed since I had applied to college as a senior in high school. Gone were the days of writing or calling admissions offices. With the popularity and accessibility of the Web, I felt more in control of my destiny. I could browse program catalogs online at my leisure; take virtual tours of campuses in the comfort of my home. I had high expectations of each prospective school’s site, and many sites exceeded my expectations. Unfortunately, Mills College wasn’t one of them. “When I first encountered the College’s home page, I thought, ‘Eh. I’ve seen better.’ My apathetic attitude quickly turned to loathing as I tried to access information about housing, financial aid, and other vital resources. From the home page, I quickly found myself in a maze where pages were mysteriously unavailable or missing; broken links sent me backtracking and left me confused as to how I ended up on certain pages. The whole ordeal made me question whether

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MILLS MATTERS or not I even wanted to attend Mills College. Why should I invest in my education at a school that didn’t care about presenting a positive image to the world via the Web? But professors at my undergraduate university in Southern California assured me that Mills College had an excellent reputation. I kept hearing about the empowering atmosphere and decided to see if I was wrong in ‘judging a book by its cover.’ “I have no problem admitting it— I was wrong. I say that happily because before moving from Los Angeles to Oakland to enroll in the creative writing program, I emailed the webmaster to see if there was a student committee I could join to help the school redesign its website. I received an email from Renee Jadushlever, vice president for information resources and the library director, informing me that my input would be welcome. She gave me her contact information and told me to get in touch with her once I moved to Oakland. I was impressed that a vice president of the college actually took the time to respond. I had a voice that wasn’t ignored, and at that moment, I knew that Mills College was the right place for me. “Within a month of starting the fall 2004 semester, I was hired by the new marketing director, Judy Silva, as the student office assistant. Working for the marketing department made my first year of graduate study at Mills challenging and memorable. I saw how much work goes into articulating a school’s philosophy and image into words and translating those elements into a functional yet creative design online. There were many days when I saw the staff members ‘burning the midnight oil’ to create copy, organize photo slides, or simply interview students for their opinions. And even with endless meetings and deadlines, the staff always had time to hear students’ concerns. “Seeing the website now makes me proud to have been a part of the process. Even more fulfilling is seeing the new positive image on the World

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Pearl M Awarded Sharada Balachandran-Orihuela, ’05, received the Pearl M Award at the annual Alumnae Pearl M Dinner and Champaign Reception. The award came in recognition of Sharada’s service to the AAMC, where she has spent many hours working at a variety of tasks. Sharada’s Pearl M was donated by Patricia Green Herbert, ‘39.

Wide Web and knowing that prospective students will connect with the campus in a variety of ways.” You can visit the site any time at <www.mills.edu>.

Alumnae Elect Trustee Sharon K. Tatai, ’80, has been elected alumna trustee for a second three-year term, from 2005 to 2008. Sharon is active on many committees of the AAMC and served as its president from 1998 to 2001. The three alumnae trustees serve on the Board of Governors of the AAMC as well as on the Board of Trustees of Mills College.

Update on AAMC’s Annual Meeting and Discussions with Mills College by Thomasina Woida, President, AAMC

Alumnae and alumni have made it known that they are acutely aware of recent discussions between the AAMC and the College, centering on the College’s intention to begin its own annual fund on July 1, 2005. Since November 2004, the College’s Board of Trustees Subcommittee and the AAMC’s Board of Governors Core Committee have been talking about how the College and the

AAMC can coexist and support each other without confusing their mutual donor bases or otherwise undermining each other’s missions. This article will try to bring alumnae and alumni up to date on the negotiations between the AAMC and Mills College, and to present a summary of the events leading up to and concluding with the AAMC’s Annual Meeting on May 14. Since the spring of 2004, the Quarterly has published several articles on these issues. It is important to note at the outset that the negotiations between the AAMC and the College have not resulted in any actual changes in the structure and governance of the AAMC, nor are any changes planned. It is also important to note that the negotiations with the College are not yet concluded. Accordingly, by the time you read this article, important developments could have arisen. To keep informed of any recent developments, please log on to the AAMC website, or check the Yahoo group site at <groups.yahoo.com/ group/AAMCFeedback>. The Board of Governors met at its regularly scheduled meeting on May 11, 2005. The meeting served several purposes, one of which was to announce and confirm various nominations to the Board of Governors and its committees. An additional purpose was to hear a presentation by the Core Committee concerning the state of its

NEWS OF THE COLLEGE AND THE AAMC

negotiations with the College and to discuss the agreement the College had proposed in the form of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). The Core Committee, appointed in November 2004, has been charged with analyzing, making recommendations, and conducting negotiations with the College, and the time had come for the Core Committee to make recommendations and then act on the Governors’ direction in response to those recommendations. Meetings of the Board of Governors are open to any member of the AAMC who has informed the AAMC of a desire to speak on any issue. (All alumnae and alumni of Mills College are members of the AAMC.) Several alumnae attended and spoke at the May 11 meeting. After hearing opinions of interested alums, the Board of Governors reaffirmed its intent to honor its Mission Statement and bylaws, to remain financially and structurally independent, and to continue as a distinct 501(c)(3) corporation. The Core Committee was charged with preparing and submitting a counterproposal to the College in an MOA, restating the intent articulated by the Governors and the alumnae. On May 14, 2005, the AAMC held its Annual Meeting with more than 100 alumnae attending, representing classes from all decades. Most Governors were present, as were some alumnae who are College Trustees. It was the largest alumnae attendance at an Annual Meeting in recent memory. The AAMC’s bylaws require that certain business items be addressed at an annual meeting; these items were presented prior to discussion on the relationship between the AAMC and the College. Then the Core Committee presented information on the status of negotiations with the College to date, and on what types of outcomes the committee would be trying to achieve, in light of the direction provided by the Governors at their May 11 meeting. The committee’s PowerPoint slides have been posted on

the AAMC’s website and on the Yahoo group site. The Core Committee’s work sought to further the AAMC’s mission: “To promote the interests of the College and to maintain among its graduates a spirit of fellowship and service, and towards that end to establish and maintain an endowment fund for the expenses of the Association.” The Core Committee outlined the goals with key or core issues as identified by the Board of Governors, the numerous alumnae who posted responses on the AAMC website, and opinions expressed during one-on-one conversations. These core issues are and remain: Independence of the AAMC; creating and maintaining activities and programs that engage and foster commitment to Mills among its alumnae; Maintaining Reinhardt Alumnae House as a place for all alumnae, in accord with a 1948 written agreement with the College; Maintaining AAMC’s corporate independence and its endowment. The committee’s presentation also summarized the negotiations it has been conducting with the College since November 2004. Finally, the Core Committee’s presentation summarized the understanding of the Governors and the committee about what was required to comply with the AAMC bylaws during the negotiations with the College and the AAMC’s consideration of its options on these issues. Although there were many ideas and opinions expressed by alumnae, it was clear that they were fervent in their support and commitment to the future of the Alumnae Association of Mills College. A representative from Alumnae for an Independent AAMC read its open letter to the Board of Governors. Another alumna from the class of 1963 made available to all copies of a letter to the College requesting a hiatus on the negotiations until a further study could be complet-

ed. There were comments suggesting that the Board of Governors had failed in its fiduciary duty by not doing more to thwart the College’s intent to start its own annual fund, or by foreclosing AAMC members from voting on the issues under discussion in the Core Committee’s negotiations. However, there was no voting since there were no issues that, under the bylaws, would have had to be determined by the membership. AAMC members in attendance also asked many, many questions: about the current negotiations, about the board’s decisions regarding fundraising to date, about the practicalities of the AAMC entering into an agreement with the College as a result of the current negotiations, about the eventualities should no agreement be reached, and about the actual levels of financial support that could be expected from AAMC members in the future. For all who attended even part of the more than five-hour meeting, it was patently clear that all alumnae wanted the same things: an independent association able to fundraise to fulfill its mission. Now that the Annual Meeting is over and opinions have been expressed, what is the next step? On or about May 20, 2005, the Core Committee submitted a counterproposal to the College’s Board of Trustees Subcommittee. The proposal acknowledges that both the College and the AAMC desire that the AAMC remain an effective and vigorous organization, maintaining among its more than 20,000 alumnae and alumni a spirit of fellowship and service. Additionally, the proposal states that the College and the AAMC recognize that continued engagement with alumnae and alumni is essential for the ongoing vitality of the College. As of the date of this writing, nothing has been agreed upon by the AAMC and the College. However, whatever agreement results, it is vitally important for all alumnae to continue their involvement by supporting both Mills College and the AAMC.

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D E G R E E D AY

May 14, 2005

BRUCE COOK

1 A bright spring day graced the academic procession at Mills’ 117th Commencement. Seniors looking festive in their robes, graduate students wearing mortar boards, and faculty in regalia processed while parents

and friends looked on. The College awarded honorary degrees to Vivian M. Stephenson, chief operating officer for Williams-Sonoma, Inc., and chair of the Mills College Board of Trustees, and Ronald V. Dellums, former congressman from California’s ninth district, which includes Oakland. Special guest Barbara Lee, ’73, Oakland’s current representative in Congress, introduced Ron Dellums. After the awarding of degrees, the festivities continued with receptions, parties, and heartfelt congratulations to all.

BRUCE COOK

“For so many years, Ron Dellums was the lone voice in the wilderness, only to find that he had brought BRUCE COOK

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the entire country around.” —Barbara Lee, ’73

“Our generation marched up and down in front of the buildings of power saying we are not inside, we are not seated at the table of powers, we want to fully participate. Your generation—you, the Class of 2005—I ask: put down the signs, walk into the buildings, announce your presence, pull up the chair, and say, ‘Get over it; I am here. Now have a cup of coffee, pass the roll, and let’s talk about the agenda.’” —Ron Dellums

BRUCE COOK

7 1. 2. 3. 4.

Marin Camille Hood celebrates graduation. Seniors line up to join the academic procession. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, ’73

Georgette Todd delivered the graduate student address, in which she said, “I know this degree, along with the hardships and warm memories it now possesses, will be a physical reminder of the lessons and benefits in not giving up.”

5. Joy Liu, Senior Leader of the Year, Mills of Color Awards (MOCA). 6. The Honorable Ronald V. Dellums received an honorary doctorate for his commitment to justice and equality for all people. In his nearly three-decade career as congressman from California’s ninth district, “Dellums became a leading voice protesting the Vietnam War . . . and later served his country and his constituents as a distinguished peacemaker. . . . [He] is renowned for his visionary work in helping to end U.S. support for the racist apartheid regime of South Africa,” according to the Degree Day program. Dellums is currently active in the worldwide fight against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. DAVID M. BRIN, MA ’75

7. Associate Professor of Education Linda Perez, left, with Rita Stuckey, who earned an EdD degree in educational leadership.

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1. Laura Evans with her grand-

MARY POPPINGO

ARIEL EATON THOMAS, ’63

Bent Twigs 4

mother, Jane Mowry, ’54.

2. Carla Gorsich, whose sister, Ilima Gorsich, graduated in 2001.

3. Nikki Lethridge with her mother, Leslie Ota Lethridge, ’97.

4. Mary Whalen with her grandARIEL EATON THOMAS, ’63

ARIEL EATON THOMAS, ’63

mother, Susan Tromp Whalen, ’51, MA ’53.

5. Myila Granberry, right, with her mother, Toni McElroy, ’83, MA ’05, center, and her cousin, Erika O’Quinn, ’88.

6. Raquel Starr O’Leary with her mother-in-law, Michaele O’LearyReiff, ’89.

7. Ramona Lisa Smith, ’01, MBA ’02,

left, with her niece, Valorie K. Hutson, MA ’05, and her daughter, Monique.

9. Erica Gulseth with her sister, Lisa Gulseth, ’03.

ARIEL EATON THOMAS, ’63

8. Jennifer March Soloway, MFA ’05, whose great-grandmother attended Mills, and whose greatgreat-grandmother was a member of the Seminary’s Class of 1873.

7 8

ARIEL EATON THOMAS, ’63

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ARIEL EATON THOMAS, ’63

“My professors have been some of the best life coaches. Giving more than their knowledge, they share their wisdom. You are more than instructors, you are mentors. Thank you.” —Ophelia Stringer, senior speaker

BRUCE COOK

MARY POPPINGO

BRUCE COOK

1. Ophelia Stringer, senior speaker. 2. Barbara Lee, ’73, and Vivian Stephenson. 3. Ron Dellums with Susan Penick, ’71. In 2001 Susan established the Ronald V. Dellums Scholarship at Mills in honor of Congressman Dellums’ decades of service to California’s ninth congressional district, which includes Oakland and Berkeley. The scholarships are awarded to entering Mills College students who live in the district and who demonstrate a commitment to community service. In 2005, Susan made a new pledge to establish the Barbara Lee Distinguished Professorship in Women’s Leadership, which honors Congresswoman Barbara Lee, ’73, who currently represents this same Congressional district. 4. Ronald V. Dellums, President Janet L. Holmgren, Vivian Stephenson, and Barbara Lee, ’73. 5. Alumnae line up at Reinhardt Alumnae House in preparation for marching in the academic procession. 6. Left to right: Veronica Williams, senior class president and winner of the Christine LaFia Award for outstanding service to Mills College; Joy Liu, recipient of Mills of Color Awards’ Senior Leader of the Year; and Erika Rickard, Outstanding Senior. M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY S U M M E R 2 0 0 5

Cyclones Storm the Nati n! by Heather Lang, ’01, Sports Information Director

team, consisting of Chrissy Fisher, Sophia Tuttle, Erin Lucas, and Alexi Ueltzen, qualified for the 2005 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Swimming and Diving National Championship and posted its fastest team finish at the championship meet. This was only the fifth time in Mills intercollegiate history that Mills student athletes qualified for a national championship. All four swimmers also received All-American honors from the Collegiate Women’s Athletic Association. At the NAIA championships themselves, Chrissy Fisher achieved her seasonbest time in the 100-yard breaststroke and swam her personal-best time in the 200-yard breaststroke. For qualifying to compete among the fastest swimmers in the NAIA and simultaneously maintaining a 3.53 GPA, Sophia Tuttle was among the 16 swimmers at the championships to be recognized as a Daktronics NAIA All-American Scholar-Athlete. As a whole, the Cyclones proved that they are outstanding scholar athletes, receiving an impressive array of national honors this year. In recognition for setting seven school records in November, for instance, Chrissy Fisher was named Student-Athlete of the Month in her division by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). All told, the teams chalked up three National Scholar-Athletes from the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association, nine All-American

THEMY ADACHI

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Top: Megan Miller serves it up against Bethany College. Megan earned the honor of being volleyball team captain her senior year. Left: Melody Ferris and Allison Cockerham celebrate their success at the California Pacific Conference Regional Cross-Country Meet in Crystal Springs.

Scholar-Athletes from NAIA, a Team Academic Award from the American Volleyball Coaches Association, and the Academic AllAmerican Team title from the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association of America. Cyclones don’t just lead in the athletic arena and the classroom; they also pave the way in community service. Mills is a member of NCAA’s CHAMPS/ Life Skills Program, which supports a student athlete’s development in five areas: academics, athletics, personal development, career development, and community service. At Mills, the CHAMPS/Life Skills organization consists of student-athlete representatives from each team. It won several NCAA grants that enabled student athletes to engage in some incredible learning experiences. All 100 Cyclones kicked off the year at the Four Winds ropes course, a series of teambuilding exercises at the Ocean Song Farm and Wilderness Center west of Sebastopol, California. “On the one hand, the challenge and support that arose within the group at the ropes course helped us to transcend individual differences,” Athletic Director Themy Adachi says. “After all, when you’re climbing a tall tree, you don’t care about the ways in which those holding your rope might be different from you; all you care about is their ability and effort to keep you safe. On the other hand, the varied challenges to the group mirrored life and showed us that in order to be successful as a team, we had to draw out and use our differences in constructive ways.” In addition to the ropes course, consultant Pragito Dove MARLA MUNDIS, '87

“It’s my favorite event of the year and if I don’t get an invitation next year, I’m crashing it!” Professor Kirsten Saxton’s jest at the athletic banquet this year highlights the exhilarating and inspiring feeling one gets when celebrating the amazing accomplishments of Mills student athletes. The department of athletics, physical education, and recreation (APER) does much more than hone athletic skills; APER also fosters academic success and diversity and provides tools for healthy living. And this year Mills student athletes received more national recognition than ever for their athletic excellence, scholarship, and leadership. The swim team made the biggest splash and led the way in athletic accomplishment. The 200-yard freestyle relay

HEATHER LANG, '01

NEIL VIRTUE

state-of-the-art, the Meyer Tennis Courts were resurfaced last year, the fitness center has a complete line of strengthtraining and cardio equipment, and there are plans to build a new boathouse this summer at Briones Reservoir in Orinda. Plans are also in the works to bring Cyclone alumnae back to visit with their teammates. If you participated on an intercollegiate team, be sure to email us your contact information at <athletics @mills.edu> so we can let you know what’s happening. Meanwhile, you can visit the APER website at <www.mills.edu /campus_life/athletics_and_recreation>. Once a Cyclone, always a Cyclone.

SHARON CHIONG

Women’s Hall of Fame as the 2005 led a workshop on meditation and relaxWoman of the Year for Leadership in ation, and national speaker Mark Sterner Sports and Athletics. Hall of Fame honshared his tragic experience of driving orees were recognized for their positive under the influence of alcohol. impact on Alameda County residents. CHAMPS member Melody Ferris was selected from among hundreds THIS YEAR MILLS STUDENT of applicants to ATHLETES RECEIVED MORE NATIONAL represent Mills at the 2005 NCAA RECOGNITION THAN EVER FOR Leadership THEIR ATHLETIC EXCELLENCE, Conference. SCHOLARSHIP, AND LEADERSHIP. “Being on a team,” she says, “gives me a Each Mills team chooses a community sense of community that I can’t find anyservice project to experience first-hand where else.” A presidential scholar and what it feels like to make a difference in music major, Melody and her vocal the lives of others. This year the Cyclones ensemble, Lizzy and the Redbirds, raised money for and gave their time to brought down the house when they perthe Milo Foundation; the Lunafest, a film formed at Mills College Visiting Days festival by, for, and about women which events. Melody earned California Pacific raises money for the Breast Cancer Fund; Conference All-Conference Second and the Swim-A-Mile, a fundraiser for the Team honors and the Dorothy Keller Women’s Cancer Resource Center that Athletic Merit Award for hard work and raised more than $250,000 this year. The leadership throughout the season. soccer team also hosted a soccer clinic Another exemplary scholar, athlete, for San Pablo’s Helms Middle School. and leader, Megan Miller, epitomizes Student athletes also provided tennis the qualities of a Mills Cyclone. She instruction, academic tutoring, and menplayed a key role in the success of the toring to underserved youth in Oakland volleyball team by serving as the team while working in the Mills Community captain. In her junior year, she joined Tennis Program (MCTP), directed by the swim team and demonstrated her Marc Weinstein, head tennis coach. Miya willingness to take risks. She volunSneed, tennis team captain, teaches teered in numerous College projects as computer skills to these children in the well as coaching volleyball to undernewly added mobile computer lab. Miya served girls in Oakland. Megan will be is a computer science major with a 3.72 honored at the National Association of GPA and also has a prestigious internship Collegiate Directors of Athletics convenwith Microsoft. MCTP received the 2004 tion as one of only six student athletes U.S. Tennis Association Section Award for in the nation to receive the Coca-Cola Community Service in recognition of its Community All-American Award. She outstanding work with underrepresented chose to donate the $5,000 that comes youth. In addition, MCTP received a with this award to the Milo Foundation, community service award at the NCAA a shelter for homeless animals. convention. In an era in which athletic programs The Trefethen Aquatic Center is are being criticized for their win-at-anycost practices, the APER staff models a better way with its focus on developTop: The swim team relaxes on the beach during ment of the whole person. Head Crosstheir training and competition trip to Carpenteria Country Coach Sharon Chiong’s holistic last spring. Middle: Seniors Megan Miller and approach to student-athlete developAmy DeCoux embrace after a home volleyball ment has earned the respect of her match. Amy’s commitment, dedication and skill coaching peers as well as awards, includwere rewarded with California Pacific Alling her fifth California Pacific Conference Conference Honorable Mention Awards three years in a row. Bottom: The cross-country team Cross-Country Coach of the Year title. warms up before the California Pacific Mills Athletic Director Themy Adachi was Conference Regional Meet last October. inducted into the Alameda County

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The Path to Self-Determination How I Came to Mills and How it Changed My Life by Jade Snow Wong (Connie Wong Ong, ’42)

At a retrospective of my artwork in November 2002, I realized that none of the work would exist if I had not gone to Mills. My journey began when I moved to Mills from a Chinatown basement, where I shared my tiny bedroom with two other sisters. We lived with my father’s sewing machines, where patient women turned out blue jeans. I never saw an art show as I grew up during the Chinese Exclusion Act era. Because I was female, my parents would not support my college education. So I cooked, cleaned houses, and took care of children in after-school classes for income to cover two years of junior college. Tuition was $7 a semester. My income was $20 a month. One evening, a dinner guest volunteered to help me clean up in the kitchen. She urged me to consider transferring to Mills. She was Jinny Carleton, who later married Mills College President Aurelia Reinhardt’s son Paul. I had already received a scholarship from Cal. But at Jinny’s urging, I went to see Dr. Reinhardt as a courtesy. Those of you who knew Dr. Reinhardt also know that she was determined to have her own way. I had no money for Mills, but that was not a consideration—she would arrange for a full scholarship. I could not pay room and board, but that problem could easily be solved—she would have me wait on tables. Wait on tables? That was demeaning to a Chinese. I was firm. “No, thank you,” I said. She pressed a button and Esther Dayman, the dean, appeared. “Esther, my dear, this child needs a home while she comes to Mills, and her only experience has been housework. Can you accommodate her?” FACING PAGE: STONE AND STECCATI, 1946

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Thus, my next two years at Mills did not include the camaraderie of living in a residence hall. Instead, because of living with Esther, I learned about kindness and caring. Whereas the Chinese culture is impressed on the young through punishment, threats, and humiliation, and individuality is unacceptable, at Mills my teachers were outspoken individuals who encouraged students to develop original thinking. Brains were not limited to men; compliance was not the norm. Suddenly, my Chinatown world was not my only world; I perceived unlimited new dimensions beyond my cultural bonds. My declared major was economics and sociology, for my career was to be a social worker. Because the majority of the Chinatown populace lived below the poverty level, my ambition was to improve their wretchedness. A course in the arts was a graduation requirement, but I was interested in so many other courses that I thought were more useful for social work that Esther helped me petition to be excused from taking it. But in my final year, I took a course in camp counseling, required for my major. It involved a few assignments in handcrafts. Lois Carrell, my instructor, told me that I was talented, that I should take an art department course entitled Tools and Materials. In this class, Carlton Ball introduced me to clay and glaze. Carlton was starting his career as an art teacher, teaching himself throwing, making glazes, and firing pottery, as well as giving courses in metal work and jewelry making. We students learned with him. He had the only electric potter’s wheel; we students used makeshift wheels mounted on foottreadle sewing-machine bases. Larger pieces were achieved by press molds, meaning clay pressed into plaster molds. The largest pottery bowl in my retrospective was a pressmold piece fired in the Mills kiln in 1942, more than 60 years ago. The name Jade Snow Wong, a translation of my Chinese name, was first applied to my pieces made in that pottery shack at Mills. I graduated in 1942, a few months after Pearl Harbor. Esther, the dean, was marrying the father of a Mills girl she had counseled and would be moving to Oregon after graduation. She hosted a tea at Kapiolani, our cottage home. Afterwards, she and her guests went on to another engagement, leaving behind one woman who had to walk slowly. It was very natural for me to take her arm down the steps to the road. As we walked, she said, “You have been a great help to the dean, and she has given a great deal to Mills. But you have not enjoyed residence hall life.” “That’s all right. I have enjoyed living with Dean Dayman.” “What about a summer session here, living in a residence hall?” When I said that I couldn’t afford it, she said, “But if I made it possible?” I was taken by surprise; I couldn’t believe it! But what an opportunity! “Oh, then I can take a summer course in pottery!” The guest introduced herself as Persis Coleman [Seminary, 1897]. She immediately had me go with her to the college treasurer’s office, where she paid all my fees. That was how I found myself living in Orchard Meadow for six weeks while I studied with Carlton Ball.

At summer’s end, it was time to enter the real working world. Since World War II was in its early grim days, I worked in various industries to support our effort—Red Cross, Marinship, the 12th Naval District. When the war ended in 1945, I was free to follow my personal plans. But I had learned in the three years since graduation that social work was not for me. The Chinese who might need help would resent any government worker who offered it. Although my jobs had been secretarial, I saw no future working in the corporate world. The 1882 Exclusion Act had just been repealed, but I knew a woman of Chinese descent would not enter an equal playing field. During my three years of work by day, I commuted at night and on weekends by bus to the Mills pottery shack, continuing my work in pottery. A ceramic guild had been formed; we paid dues to buy more wheels and kilns for the pottery department. The guild president was a professional contractor who loved making pottery herself. We learned from each other and from Carlton. Tony Prieto, who taught pottery after Carlton and became head of the art department, started to learn pottery as a guild member. I was unaware that those years of pottery making at Mills are now considered historically important in the development of California’s post-World War II studio pottery. European craftsmen had moved America to escape Nazi domination; many came to California, bringing with them the Bauhaus tradition of apprenticeship and technical expertise. Thus, Carlton had us students making sets that not only harmonized, the pieces also had to be exact. Lids had to fit. Two pieces separately thrown on the wheel had to be joined to make one good-looking vessel. At war’s end, Japanese influence was also embraced. The Japanese vision was aesthetic rather than technical—unmistakably of the earth, earth colors, and strong forms. Carlton arranged seminars with visiting potters and technical experts. We learned about forms and glaze technology. Around this time, two American museums were trying to persuade the American public to include studio arts in their homes. Edgar Kaufmann, director of the Museum of Modern Art in New York, convinced House Beautiful magazine to run illustrated articles, and Alexander Girard of the Detroit Institute of Art persuaded that city’s leading department store to feature and stock studio arts. My pieces were shown at both museums; and after I established my business, I began to wholesale my designs to department stores. But how did I get into business? Because I only had a few thousand dollars, not enough to finance a business location, I persuaded a merchant with a Grant Avenue storefront to let me install my potter’s wheel in his window. Whenever I stepped into the window, day or night, I drew crowds of spectators. Chinatown merchants laughed at me for my primitive production, so sure that I was doomed to fail because my pieces were priced higher than mass-produced Chinese porcelain painted with golden dragons. My mother disapproved of my getting my hands dirty working in public. It was not the way to attract a rich man in marriage. Indeed, my mother was right. I married a man as poor as myself. Woody returned to his Chinatown home after serving FACING PAGE: IRENE POON

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to convey a big picture by simple line drawings. She agreed in the China-Burma-India theater of the war. Still in his army to illustrate my book. uniform, he strolled down Grant Avenue to see me working So the products of my hands and mind were made possiin the window. Not only did he accept my getting my hands ble because of Mills. More than these tangible results, Mills dirty, we dreamed of being the first Chinese American couimbued me with the attitude that one woman counts, one ple to make a living at handcrafts. He would make silver flatwoman can find her way around obstacles and solve probware and jewelry, and I would make pottery. Woody went to lems, one at a time, in the path to self-determination. Youth, Mills for summer studies with Carlton Ball, from whom he a time of energy and enthusiasm, was an asset. I won an learned not only the work in silver but also pottery. He lived essay contest with the prize of launching a liberty ship, at Orchard Meadow and played tennis with George Hedley. started my pottery business, wrote my book, got Reinhardt Woody and I indeed began a creative career together in House built, and created 70 pieces for my 1952 one-woman ceramics. He developed the Korean porcelain clay body and show, all before the age of 30. a number of glazes which went with it. I wanted more color As I close, I’d like to share two thoughts with you. Before than the Japanese tradition. So lavender, turquoise, periwinI began working in pottery, these thoughts formulated my kle blue, and yellow are unique to my work. When copper beliefs and my became available, philosophy. The he developed the first originated prototype forms with my father, and learned to who always said spin them on a grace before we metal lathe. I did ate. The evening the creative work after we learned of making and firthat I had won ing pottery. I crethe essay prize of ated new combilaunching a ship, nations in fired his prayer was, enameled colors. “Heavenly God, I can also trace Chinatown has the beginnings of been congratulatmy book, Fifth ing me because Chinese Daughter, my daughter has to Mills. When I received an was a student, the honor. This Eucalyptus Press American honor published Mills was won by a Manuscripts annuChinese—not ally, the writings only a Chinese, of undergraduate but a Chinese students. I had female; not only a articles in Mills Jade Snow Wong throwing a pot in the window of a store in San Francisco’s Chinatown, 1945. Chinese female, Manuscripts durbut our daughter ing the two years I Jade Snow. was there. After I Heavenly God, she won the honor not because she was graduated, I expanded on those articles, and they were pubclever, but because she was brought up according to your lished nationally. My future editor at Harper read them and way. We thank you for your guidance and blessings. You asked me to write a book. provide better than we know.” “What are you doing?” she asked. When I recall in wonder how I got to Mills, I think of my “I’m busy making pottery in a window and I must make father’s thanks. my business work. I can’t do a book until five years from My second guiding philosophy came from Persis now.” Coleman. “I can never thank you nor reciprocate for your When the five-year deadline came around, I could not generosity to me,” I told her when I gave her some of my write in my factory home. Esther invited me to her home in pottery from that Mills summer session. She answered, “I the Oregon woods, gave up her bedroom for the summer, don’t want any gift from you. But you can pay me back by and I drafted the basic manuscript for Fifth Chinese doing for and giving to others.” In a sense, consenting to dig Daughter. out my pottery from my basement for my retrospective was a I had gotten to know Carlton’s wife, Kathryn, who taught way of giving to others, in Miss Coleman’s style. drawing at Mills. She was a sensitive person with the ability

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Creating Reinhardt Alumnae House by Jade Snow Wong (Connie Wong Ong, ’42)

ROBERT JOHN WRIGHT

provide for the building we planned, and I knew nothing I graduated in 1942 from Mills. In 1945, I was elected to the about fundraising. I went to Persis Coleman, Seminary 1897, Alumnae Association’s Board of Governors. At the time, and Mr. I. W. Hellman, explaining my assignment, the pressVirginia Foisie Rusk, ’36, was the president. I remember being ing need for an alumnae headquarters, and my predicament. amazed that she came to our meetings with her infant son, Each donated. I talked to a few alumnae friends who persuadDavid, in a basket. “Mills girls can do anything!” I thought. ed their classes to contribute. The Faculty Club had no home Our alumnae office was a tiny room with a desk located of their own either, and they put in $5,000, which is why there in a corner of the old gymnasium where the Student Union is a room adjacent to the main living room, with its separate stood, behind the former Hellman Pool. The Board of outside door. Single-handedly, I raised all the money. To furGovernors meetings were set up at a table in the gym adjanish the interior, I went to John Breuner, who ran his family’s cent to the alumnae office. furniture store in Oakland, and we got furniture at a greatly Mary Louise James O’Brien, ’34, succeeded Virginia Rusk reduced price. As I remarked to the assembled alumnae at our as president of the Board of Governors. At a meeting (withannual meeting on May 14, 2005, Reinhardt House did not out preliminary caucus or discussion) she announced that cost Mills College five cents. some $20,000 had been Then I went to the raised for an alumnae headBuilding and Grounds quarters, but had remained Committee of the Board of unused during World War II. Trustees and asked them to She looked at me and said, agree to the perpetual main“You, Connie Wong, will be tenance of the building as the responsible for getting our College responsibility. new headquarters built.” At the dedication, Aurelia I was probably 24 years Henry Reinhardt’s daughterold, with no experience in in-law, Jinny Carleton getting a building constructReinhardt, ’39, cut the ribbon. ed. But refusing the assignDr. Reinhardt’s sister was ment was not an option. I present. Though the bedroom got the architect, Clarence wing was not added, our site Mayhew. We decided that has been proven suitable. the original plan to have Mills alumnae relationships alumnae headquarters built Reinhardt Alumnae House, shortly after its completion. proved to endure into years at Wetmore Gate was undeof friendship. Dr. George sirable because it left no Hedley, College chaplain and professor, married my late husroom for future expansion. We selected the present site band, Woody and me, in 1950, the first wedding at Reinhardt because it offered the possibility of adding a bedroom House. Esther and her new husband, Stuart Strong, stood wing for future visiting alumnae who might want to spend beside me and Woody. For this occasion, the Board of the night. Governors passed a resolution to allow wine to be served, so When I was talking over the plans at the home of that we could serve champagne. Elizabeth Trowbridge Kent, ’23 [Mills Alumna Trustee on the One of our guests was a Mills husband, Chug Kozman, Building and Grounds Committee with the late Joseph who said to Woody, “Welcome to M.U.G.S.!” Moore, Jr.], Ed, her husband, said to me, “Please put a men’s “What’s that?” asked Woody. room in your alumnae headquarters. At all these Mills events “M.U.G.S. stands for Mills Undaunted Gentlemen’s which include husbands, it is a crisis to find a men’s room!” Society,” was Chug’s reply. I found a committee of one with Katherine Zelinsky Virginia and Dean Rusk became my lifelong friends. Westheimer of my class. Her family business was paint conElizabeth Kent and Mary Louise O’Brien were godmothers to tracting, which I thought could give us useful input. But our two daughters, Tyi and Ellora, who became Mills graduKatherine was engaged to be married and proved too busy to ates of the classes of 1979 and 1981, respectively. When they help. Her father did call up Clarence Mayhew, admonishing decided on Mills, I asked them the reason. “Because our him, “You’re working with children—don’t take advantage of best friends are Mills,” they replied. them!” And my best friends today are Mills alumnae. I discovered that we did not have sufficient funds to

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Reunion 2005 September 29–October 2

! S L L I M O T K C A B E COM

Reconnect with classmates and friends. Find out what’s going on at your alma mater. For more information about Reunion, call (510) 430-2110.

Another chorus of “I’ll be seeing you in all the old familiar places”

id you find your Reunion 2005 flyer in your mailbox, you alumnae/i from class years ending in 0 and 5? We hope you either have filled it out or soon will, because we’re eager to see you back on campus starting September 29 if you’re an incoming Golden Girl—or an experienced Golden Girl, for that matter. We’ll keep you busy and enjoying your old friends and your old haunts, not to mention some new things, through October 2. For incoming Golden Girls and any others who want to come early, on the 29th there will be a special luncheon and presentation on “The Greening of Mills.” A professor, the Art Museum director, and the director of facilities will tell you all about the healing plants found on our campus, along with ecological changes and the changes over time to Lake Aliso. An interesting Mills fact—and we’re bet-

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ting it’s unique to Mills: we are so highly academic, even our facilities director has a PhD. We’re changing the site of convocation—it’s going to be in the Music Building, not in the Greek Theatre. And we’re offering a new post-convocation program, with classes introducing a cross-section of disciplines and taught by some of our most distinguished professors; you’ll be able to choose two of these lectures. This should satisfy the often-expressed longing for a look at a Mills classroom of today. Additionally, the library will be offering a talk on Book Arts and Fine Printing. If it’s active sport you prefer, we’re having a special doubles mixer with our tennis team, and there’ll be a “Swim a Mile” event in support of women with cancer. Don’t miss the Saturday picnic

lunch, when your class Reunion picture will be taken, and you’ll elect your new class secretary and agent. That will be right after the State of the College talks, when College President Janet Holmgren and AAMC President Thomasina Woida bring you up to date about the two organizations. Many other events will engage you during the weekend, most of them traditional for Reunion, including the Milhaud Concert. There will be a dance performance and the Oral History Presentation, “Fires of Wisdom, 1913–1944” on Saturday, with the gala class dinners Saturday evening. And you incoming Golden Girls will be made official as guests of the AAMC at a campus dinner. It’s our annual house party; make plans now to join the fun. Your friends will miss you if you’re not there. —Jane Cudlip King, ’42

Profiles

FA M ILY LIFE : J O A N N E M O C K , ’ 7 6 by Lauren Incognito

LAUREN INCOGNITO

Twin boys are ensconced among blocks and countless colorful bins brimming with toys. A train set, in the middle of the room, replete with winding tracks, mountains, and tunnels, holds their attention briefly. One boy laughs; the other reaches for a thin wooden plank. Two three-year-olds, one plank: the negotiations begin. Their mother, an attractive woman in her early fifties with salt-and-pepper hair and silver rings on her fingers, listens. She smiles as she observes, pleased that neither child has begun to cry. She reaches for a second plank. One for Carlos, the other for Nando. Laughter from tiny mouths continues, and as her partner cooks dinner, she sits in a wooden chair belonging to one of her boys, feeling comfortable and content. Joanne “Jody” Mock, ’76, mother of two, community volunteer, committed partner in an 11-year relationship, has found herself, along with several other gays and lesbians, at the center of a political hot potato. This, however, was no accidental occurrence. Jody knew what the stakes were. Jody and her partner, Beth Kerrigan, are lead plaintiffs along with seven other couples in a lawsuit against the state of Connecticut’s Department of Public Health, which supervises the registration of all marriages in Connecticut. The lawsuit, initiated in August 2004, seeks full marriage rights for same-sex couples. The plaintiffs are represented by GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders), the same organization that fought and won same-sex civil unions in Vermont and same-sex marriage in Massachusetts. The lawsuit, if successful, could have Connecticut following Massachusetts, its neighbor to the north, in granting full and legally recognized marriages to gay and lesbian citizens. “I think eventually we will win,” Jody says assuredly. She is determined to improve the social and political climate not so much for herself, but for her children. “They [her children] don’t understand right now, but one day they will. I don’t want them to have to ask us, ‘Why can’t you get married?’” The family resides in suburbia at its best. Their home, alive with laughter and slamming doors, is host to neighbors who gather for barbeques, endless play dates, and the occasional hysteria promulgated by the ice-cream man and his chiming truck. The boys, Fernando (Nando) and Carlos, twins adopted from Guatemala when they were seven months old, have adorned the home with plastic containers of Cheerios and colorful paintings made at daycare. Jody, a project manager at the Hartford Insurance Company, where she has worked for 24 years, has been tutoring fourth-grade inner-city children for the last five years. For six years, she has participated in Reading Buddy, a literary program geared toward enhancing the lives of inner-city youth. Her years of enculturation can be traced, in part, back to her days at Mills. “I was a psychology and sociology major looking at cultural and social diversity,” Jody says of her time at Mills. Despite her interest in initiating social change, Jody reveals that she did not always possess a lot of confidence. She also admits that she often felt overwhelmed. Inspired by the Mills environment, Jody venerates the institution that altered who she was. “Mills gave me the feeling that I could find my voice,” she says. “I think I also picked up a touch of arrogance there,” she jokes. In many ways, if arrogance helps build a thicker skin, she lucked out at Mills. Jody and Beth’s legal actions are not for the pusillanimous. Countless hours are spent poring through legal emails, communicating with other plaintiffs, and sitting in on Senate hearings, where certain legislators accuse the women of incest or contributing to the degradation of family. Jody, however, is too intelligent and secure to expend energy on desultory insults that attempt to negate her family. “I myself don’t feel too slighted,” she says. “My boys have wonderful extended families and friends.” She smiles, staring at them contentedly for a moment. The smell of grilled corn wafts throughout the kitchen as Beth runs in and out to the grill. Life in this West Hartford home is blissful.

Joanne Mock, ’76, and her family. Left to right: Fernando, Joanne, Carlos, and Beth Kerrigan.

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Profiles

THE WOMAN BEHIND THE DOORS OF MOE’S BOOKS: DORIS MOSKOWITZ, ’90 by Moya Stone, MFA ’03 Mills alumna Doris Moskowitz grew up among books at her parents’ well-known Berkeley store, Moe’s Books. “I love books,” says Doris. “One of my favorite classes at Mills was the History of the Book, taught by Martin Antonetti. In the Bender Room of the old library, he’d bring out these very old books and place them on blue velvet fabric, and we’d discuss the print and binding. I loved it.” It was her fondness for books and the

History of the Book class that inspired Doris to consider library school. “Martin really encouraged me,” says Doris. “He even talked to my dad about it. He made it seem fun and glamorous.” But like any recent graduate with a liberal arts education (a degree in English and music), Doris had other ideas too—opening a toy store, starting a singing career. “I sang jazz standards of the 1930s,” says Doris. “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I was everywhere.” Before long, Doris was drawn to her family’s book business. Her parents invited her to work in the shop but allowed a wide

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berth, so she could decide for herself if Moe’s was the place for her. It seems the fit was just right. Moe and Barb Moskowitz opened their business in the early ’60s. Initially the store was located on Shattuck Avenue and called the Paperback Book Shop. Moe was a skilled picture framer, and they offered picture framing and new and used quality paperback books. A few years later, they moved to Telegraph Avenue, changed the name to Moe’s Books, and in 1979 Moe’s settled into its current building, at 2476 Telegraph. As any Berkeley book lover knows, Moe’s is an institution, and Moe Moskowitz was a character. A native of Queens, New York, Moe dabbled in art galleries, violin, and acting before opening his paperback shop. During the turbulent ’60s, Moe’s Books was a place for political debate, with cigar-chomping Moe in the thick of it. The Moskowitzes maintained a democratic approach to their business. There were no managers, and although each employee had a specialty, they were all expected to do whatever was needed, from running the cash register to cleaning the restrooms. “It was important to my parents to do something socially conscious,” says Doris. “Profit wasn’t necessarily the objective. They wanted a business that was fair to the staff and customers.” Indeed, the markup they chose on used paperback books was substantially lower than the customary 200–300 percent. By the time Doris was fully trained as a used book buyer, she was taking some time

away from the store to be with her newborn son, Eli. Sadly, that was not meant to last. Moe Moskowitz died unexpectedly in 1997, which put Doris in charge of the store. Her mother continued to work with the financial side of the business, but the day-to-day decision making was now Doris’ responsibility. That was a turning point for Doris and the business. “I always felt a part of the staff, not in charge, but in time I had to think that what’s best for the business is for me to step up.” And she did, officially taking charge of the store and making long-time employee Gene Barone the store manager. Since then it’s been a gradual process of change. In 2001, Doris’ mother died, leaving a void not only for the business but for Doris personally. “When my mom died, I lost my support,” she says. And just this year, family friend Audrey Goodfriend, the woman who introduced Moe and Barb and was the business’ bookkeeper for 30 years, retired. But change can be good, and with Doris at the helm, the bookkeeping has now been computerized, Moe’s now has a website, and the store now has regular author readings on Monday nights. Recently Doris and her husband, Johnny Williams, have rekindled her earlier desire for a toy shop and opened Boss Robot Hobby Shop. Located at College and Ashby in Berkeley, the shop carries vintage Japanese toys, model kits, and various collectable and educational toys—all preapproved by their son, now eight years old. Through all the changes and challenges at Moe’s, Doris has drawn on the coping skills she gained from her years at Mills. “I’ve been thinking about how peaceful I felt there,” she says. “I was busy, things were chaotic, but it was all doable.” She made friends with many resuming students and found them to be good role models. “I learned from them that it’s okay if things are hard.” That bit of wisdom continues to serve Doris well as she has evolved from book lover to bookstore owner.

Passages

PASSAGES Gifts in Honor Of Alumnae Association of Mills College, by Kay Fraser Gilliland, ’50 The Staff of the Alumnae Association of Mills College, by Anita Aragon Bowers, ’63 The Annual Fund Staff! by Cecily M. Peterson, ’88 Sheryl Bize-Boutte, ’73, by Cecily M. Peterson, ’88 Darl Bowers, by Anita Aragon Bowers, ’63 Alicia Boyd, by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Anne Gillespie Brown, ’68, by Isabelle Hagopian Arabian, ’45, and Nangee Warner Morrison, ’63 P. Doreen Bueno, ’97, by Michelle Balovich, ’03

Dr. Philip Burchill, Jr., and Jacklyn Davidson Burchill, ’44, by Nangee Warner Morrison, ’63 Donna Castro, by Michelle Balovich, ’03 Donna Hovie Chan, ’90, by Michelle Balovich, ’03 Wanda and Joe Corn, by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Stacie Daniels, ’01, by Ruth Sears, ’04 Delaine Eastin, by the Oakland Branch of the AAMC Andrew Ferrari, by Jacqueline Fox Ferrari, ’55 Mark Ferrari, by Jacqueline Fox Ferrari, ’55 Matthew Ferrari, by Jacqueline Fox Ferrari, ’55 Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Garland, by the Palo Alto Area Mills

College Club Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Helft, by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Keiko Kimijima, ’02, by April Ninomiyo Hopkins, MFA ’03 Michele Van Blitter-Kirsch, ‘83, by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Charles Albrecht Lutz, by Ann MacPhail, ’91 Barbara McBride, by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Marie Holman McKeown, ’47, by the Fidelity Gift Fund Mills College Economics Department Faculty, by Nina Buteau Harold and Eleanor Lundegaard Nissen, ’42 — Happy 63rd Anniversary, by Laura Lundegaard Anderson, ’45 Penelope Chambers Percy, ’70, by the June M. Chambers Trust Cecily M. Peterson, ’88, by Nangee Warner Morrison, ’63 Sally Millett Rau, ’51,

by Jane Rule, ’52 Thomasina Woida, ’80, by Cecily M. Peterson, ’88 Edith Mori Young, ’51 by Jane Rule, ’52

Gifts in Memory Of Camilla Austin Andrews, ’43, by Elizabeth Morrill Lord, ’43 and Phyllis Carman Marling, ’41 Laura Lang Balas, ’92, by Helen Hovdesven Dorothy “Peggy” Thomas Beck, ’75, by Elizabeth Davidson and Elizabeth Taylor Ruth Blandford, ’25, by Phyllis Carman Marling, ’41 Marjorie “Midge” McLaren Bolton, ’35, by Kathryn Thrift Files, ’33, and Dorothy Haugh Greiner, ’35 Margery Schultz Cruger, ’54, by Annette Swann Krueger, ’54 Marisa “Buzzie” Mathew Dall, ’54, by Eleanor Armstrong Gray, ’54, Lynda Taves Ogren, ’54, and Lela Worthington Shewry, ’54

Elizabeth Crow, ’68, 1946–2005

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BYRON DOBELL

If the expression Renaissance woman doesn’t exist, it will have to be coined to describe Elizabeth Crow. Visionary magazine editor, writer, painter, musician, publishing executive, devoted parent, mentor, and member of many charitable and cultural boards (including Mills), she is remembered by friends and colleagues for the passion she brought to every aspect of her career and life. Born in Manhattan on July 29, 1946, Elizabeth “Souci” Venture Smith Crow was the eldest of six children. She entered Mills as a junior, graduating with a BA in 1968. Then she worked briefly at the New Yorker, attended Brown University, and became an editorial assistant at New York magazine. By 1978, having worked her way up to executive editor at New York, Elizabeth was ready for the next challenge: editor in chief of Parents magazine. Parents needed someone to revitalize it—exactly Elizabeth’s métier. “She just breathed life into Parents,” said a former colleague, editor Christine Arrington. “She was so creative and had such heart as an editor.” Elizabeth repositioned the magazine to focus on working mothers—like herself—who wanted downto-earth, practical parenting advice. As a result, circulation climbed to nearly 2 million, and in 1988 Parents won the prestigious National Magazine Award for General Excellence. That same year she was named chief executive officer, president, and editorial director of Gruner & Jahr USA. In her five years there, Elizabeth redesigned all seven of G & J’s magazines and boosted revenues by more than 50 percent. Subsequent career milestones included high-level positions at Mademoiselle (1993–99); Rodale Women’s Health Group (vice president and editorial director, 2001–02); and Primedia Consumer Magazines (editorial director, 2002–03). She was in the midst of revitalizing Consumer Reports in January 2005 when she was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. She died April 4 at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. With all her accomplishments, Elizabeth was proudest of her three children—Samuel, Rachel, and Sarah—whom she raised with former husband Patrick Crow. She is also survived by her mother, two brothers, two sisters, one grandchild, and many loving friends. —Lani Kask, ’68

Passages Lois Dalla Lasta, ’37, by Elizabeth Viergutz Metzelaar, ’43 Elizabeth “Betsy” Becker Epperson, ’49, by Barbara Grutze Roessner, ’48 Allyson Aragon Fremouw—our grandniece, by Anita Aragon Bowers, ’63 Bill Gordon, brother of Ann Gordon Bigler, ’61, by Elizabeth Frederick, ’61 Glenn G. Gordon, Jr., by Elizabeth Elliot Gordon, ’51 Nelda Holt Brandenburger Hanson, ’33, by Mary Johnson Basye, ’51 Patricia Green Herbert, ’39, by Phyllis Carman Marling, ’41 Elise Ross Huffman, ’44, by Isabelle Hagopian Arabian, ’45, Mary Westfall Noonan, ’45, and Mary Sellers, ’45 Roberta Johnson, mother of

Stuart Johnson Sliter, ’61, by Ann Gordon Bigler, ’61, Betsy Frederick, ’61, Connie Gilbert, ’61, Mary Doerfler Luhring, ’61, Marcia McElvain, ’61, Carolyn Monday, ’61, and Donna Riback, ’61 Birdie Fay King, by Phyllis Carman Marling, ’41 Louise Barkan Klein, ’38, by Cynthia Taves, ’48 Persis White Klemp, ’55, by Elizabeth Stone Pelly, ’55 Donald Langsley, husband of Pauline “Polly” Royal Langsley, ’49, by Margaret Clarke Umbreit, ’49, and Margaret Hudelson Scherer, ’49 Dorothy Prentice Leet, ’55, by Elizabeth Stone Pelly, ’55, Nancy Lin, ’48, by Benjamin Fay, Margaret Magarian, and Bernard Shen Sydney Lindauer, ’31,

Sydney Silverman Lindauer, ’31, 1909–2005 Sydney Silverman Lindauer was born in Helena, Montana, and attended high school in Spokane, Washington. While at Mills she became editor of the College newspaper, an opportunity she was denied in high school because of her gender. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, she graduated from Mills at the depth of the Depression with a degree in English. Sydney convinced the editor of the San Francisco News to let her work for one month without pay. “That was the biggest break I ever got in my life,” she said. It was the beginning of her long career as a newspaper reporter and columnist. For 11 years she wrote a column for the Corning Daily Observer, and for 47 years she wrote her column, “The Farmer’s Wife,” for the Red Bluff Daily News. In 1933 she married George Lindauer, and they moved to Red Bluff, California, to farm. Their wedding gifts included a cow and a broody hen. Their main crop was prunes. Sydney and George raised two sons. Robert McMahon, another Red Bluff Daily News columnist, called her “the Herb Caen of Tehama County” and “a free spirit and an independent thinker.” Retired Red Bluff Daily News editor Bill Goodyear commented, “The constant feedback from readers proved [that Sydney’s] column was wildly popular, as did the fact that the phone rang off the hook with complaints on those rare occasions her column did not appear in its regular Wednesday slot.” Sydney was active in her community, serving on the Red Bluff Union High School board, on the Juvenile Justice Commission, and on the Community Hospital board. She was also a loyal supporter of Mills College and was pleased by a profile in the Spring 2004 Mills Quarterly. Mrs. Lindauer is survived by her two sons, Ken and Eric, and by three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

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by Stanley Prosser Margaret Lyon, ’35, MA ’42, by Barbara Burke, Anna Lou Fields Ford, ’52, James Gibbs, and Dorothy Haugh Greiner, ’35 Jean Turner Macduff, ’33, by Kathryn Thrift Files, ’33 Damien Jay Milnes, by Jean Zumba, ’83 Slade Nash, a dear friend, by Diane Smith Janusch, ’55 Dr. Mits Neishi, by Tomoye Tatai Roi Partridge, by Ivey Adell Ruiter Lambert, ’38, MA, ’46 Elizabeth Penaat, ’55, by Joan Knuth Houston, ’55 Helen Ackerly Petersen, ’40, by Lois Mitchell Blackmarr, ’40 Elizabeth Pope, by Jane Rule, ’52 Norma Nashem Prior, ’48, by Jo Ann Vincent Striegel, ’48, and Nancy Butts Whittemore, ’48 Gloria Morgan Sheerer, ’43, by Helen Metz Lore, ’43 Edwin Simon,

by Hazel Ziegler Simon, MA ’48 Carmen Campbell Smith, ’47, by Ronald Smith Elliott Smith Snyder, ’31, by Ellen Locke Crumb, ’59 Carol McClintock Sperry, ’42, by Nancy McClintock Zeus, ’41 Emily Edgar Stafford, ’34, by Mel Reese Meta “Kay” Anderson Stanley, ’35, by Dorothy Gallatin, Elizabeth Jacobs, and Nancy Neumann Michael Tavenner, husband of Marcia Mozara Tavenner, ’57, by Myrna Bostwick Cowman, ’57 Melody Clarke Teppola, ’64, by Mary Ausplund Tooze, ’44 Louise Mertz Tompkins, ’34, by Elizabeth Bryant Miles, ’34 Henry J. Vaux and Jean Macduff Vaux, ’33, by Kathryn Thrift Files, ’33 Kari Windingstad White, by Dorothy Warenskjold, ’43 Phyllis Settelmeyer Wright, ’49, by Jane Geddes Griffin, ’50

Passages

Paul Nash, MA ’76, 1948–2005 Jazz musician and composer Paul Nash died on January 20, 2005, of complications from brain cancer. Paul’s compositions integrated jazz and classical styles. “I found a mix that worked once I let go of the idea that they each belonged in separate realms,” he said of his ability to combine styles. He was also an accomplished guitarist and innovative music educator. Paul’s orchestral compositions have been performed by the St. Luke’s Chamber Ensemble, the Chamber Symphony of San Francisco, and at the Aspen Music Festival. His last composition was Intimate Structures, a musical work for theater. He recorded many CDs, featuring artists such as Art Lande, Mark Isham, Tom Harrell, Tom Varner, and David Samuels. Paul was born in New York City, performed with a rock band in Greenwich Village as a teenager, and graduated from the Berklee College of Music in 1972, where he earned a degree in jazz composition. After earning a master’s degree in composition at Mills, he founded the Paul Nash Ensemble, which featured drummer Eddie Marshall and trumpeter Mark Isham. In 1987 he cofounded the Bay Area Jazz Composers Orchestra, a jazz ensemble that included a string quartet. In 1990 Paul returned to New York City and established the Manhattan New Music Project. He also worked with students and teachers through Creative Music Educators, a project that received a large federal grant to work with New York City schools. Paul developed ways to help music teachers work with nontraditional approaches to music. He is survived by his wife, his sister, and his mother.

Helen Ewing Nelson, MA ’36, 1913–2005 We take for granted the labeling on food packaging in grocery stores, but Helen Ewing Nelson championed the very first labeling law in 1966—not that long ago. At the time, she was California’s first Consumer Counsel, the first such office in the nation. She did her job so well that in 1966 incoming Governor Ronald Reagan, sympathetic to business interests, asked for her resignation before he was even inaugurated. Born on a Colorado farm, Helen graduated Phi Beta Kappa with an economics degree from the University of Colorado in 1935 and earned a master’s degree in economics at Mills the following year. In 1942, she married Nathan Nelson, the great love of her life. He was a consultant for the California Department of Rehabilitation; he died in 1977. Helen spent much of her early career as a government research economist before being appointed Consumer Counsel by Governor Edmund “Pat” Brown in 1959, the beginning of her 35-year career as a leading consumer advocate. Ten years later, she took a faculty position with the University of Wisconsin University Extension’s Center for Consumer Affairs in Madison, where she stayed until 1979. After retirement, she returned to the classic Mill Valley house she and her husband built in the early 1950s, and she remained active in consumer issues and involved in the local community. Among her many appointments and activities were the Consumer Advisory Council under Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, director of Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports magazine), president of Consumer Federation of America, public governor of the American Stock Exchange, where she represented individual investors, and president of the nonprofit she founded, the Consumer Research Foundation. In 1995, she co-produced a documentary, Changemakers, tracing the roots of the consumer movement, which was shown on PBS. In the November 1967 issue of the Quarterly, Helen outlined the scientific basis for the new foodlabeling law. She showed studies that revealed vast per-pound price differences in name-brand breakfast cereals, prices higher than those of meat, dairy, and specialty produce. The per-pound prices were hidden from shoppers by varying sizes and shapes of the packaging. An 18-ounce box of corn flakes, for example, cost the same as an 8-ounce package of Rice Krispies. How could consumers play their proper role in a market-based economy if they couldn’t compare prices? Helen’s closing statement conveys the passion and sense of urgency she felt for her cause—a cause that, for all its achievements, is still with us. “The very quality of our society is at stake. For in no way is the quality of society more clearly revealed than in the way its members deal with each other in their daily marketing exchanges.”

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29– SUNDAY OCTOBER 2 Reunion 2005 (510) 430-2110 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 Special Day for the Class of 1955 and Golden Girls FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 10:15 AM–12 NOON Convocation With guest speaker Dr. Sally Ride, first American woman in space Concert Hall, Music Building FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 8:00 PM Ives Quartet and Sara Ganz, soprano Program will include Darius Milhaud’s String Quartet No. 3 and Arnold Schoenberg’s String Quartet No. 2. Stephen Harrison, cellist with the Ives Quartet, writes, “Both the Schoenberg String Quartet

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No. 2, Op. 10, and Milhaud’s String Quartet No. 3 incorporate the addition of the soprano voice to the traditional string quartet. They were written within ten years of each other, though their aesthetic is worlds apart. Schoenberg’s quartet, a full-length, fourmovement work, moves from the tonal world of his Transfigured Night to his first use of atonality in the final movement. Milhaud’s work is dedicated to the poet Leo Latil, a friend who had died the year before its 1916 composition. It contains two slow movements, the second of which adds the soprano asking the question from the poet’s diary, ‘what is this desire for death and which death is it?’” The concert is made possible in part by the Mills College Class of 1945 Darius Milhaud Performance Endowment.

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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1 8:15–9:30 AM Jane’s Stroll Jane Cudlip King, ’42, will lead a historic walking tour of the Mills campus. Leaves from Reinhardt Alumnae House SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1 9:30–11:15 AM State of the College Concert Hall, Music Building SUNDAY, OCTOBER 2, 11:00 AM Swim a Mile for Women with Cancer

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Trefethen Aquatic Center Join members of the Mills swim team, staff, and faculty for this event that supports women with cancer. Participants are asked to commit to raising at least $150. Proceeds go to the Women’s Cancer Resource Center <www.wcrc.org>. Please contact Neil Virtue, head swim coach at (510) 430-3284 or <nvirtue@mills. edu> for more information.

The Ives Quartet, left to right: Robin Sharp, violin, Susan Freier, violin (front), Scott Woolweaver, viola, Stephen Harrison, cello. They will perform on September 30 in the Music Building’s concert hall.

Class Notes do not appear in the online edition of Mills Quarterly. Alumnae are invited to share their news with classmates in the Mills College alumnae community. To submit notes for publication in the next available Quarterly, send your update to classnotes@mills. edu.

Class Notes do not appear in the online edition of the Mills Quarterly. Alumnae are invited to share their news with classmates in the Mills College Alumnae Community, alumnae.mills.edu. To submit notes for publication in the next available Quarterly, send your update to classnotes@mills.edu.

Cheering fellow classmates at commencement are, left to right, Maya McCray, Vala Burnett, and Veronica Williams.

Mills Quarterly Alumnae Association of Mills College Reinhardt Alumnae House Mills College PO Box 9998 Oakland, CA 94613-0998 (510) 430-2110 aamc@mills.edu www.mills.edu

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