Mills Quarterly fall 2009

L a k e Al i s o s p r i n g s e t e r n a l

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Mills Quarterly Fall 2009 Alumnae Magazine

the issue

A new building looks to the future

Who gives to Mills?

Colta “Tiki” Feller Ives ’64 Majors at Mills:

Art history and

English literature MA, art history; MS, landscape design, both from Columbia University Other degrees:

What she was doing before she

Curator in the Department of Drawings and Prints at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

retired last year:

What she’s been doing since she

Consulting with the museum and creating gardens in New York and the Berkshires retired:

Achievement of which she’s most

“My MS in landscape design, which I finished in 2008. I went back to school to satisfy an age-old longing, even though it meant running around after work three nights a week with a backpack full of drafting tools and a calculator.” proud:

Why she contributes to Mills:

“I appreciate the intelligent way Mills continues to evolve and expand.

The College has maintained its relevance and is equipping women to be smart, effective, and generous citizens of the world.”

Give today’s Mills students a launching pad for fulfilling careers and lifelong learning. talk to the student who calls you on behalf of the Mills College Annual Fund or call

Make a gift by phone:

How her Mills education served

510.430.2366.

“Mills was the launching pad for nearly everything I’ve done.”

Send a gift

her:

Give

in the enclosed envelope. online at www.mills.edu/giving.

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Mills Quarterly

contents

Fall 2009 9

The fall and rise of Lake Aliso by Susan McCarthy

Once the site of rites and pageants, this campus landmark had fallen into disuse and disrepair. Now this valuable resource is enjoying a remarkable renaissance.

12 The bold and the beautiful by Linda Schmidt Powerful ideas invoke strong statements, and the message of the new home for the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business comes across loud and clear.

16 Reunion 2009 highlights by Sarah Stevenson, MFA ’04 The AAMC Awards Ceremony, a second generation of eucalyptus along Bryant Path, a writers’ salon, and a chocolate tasting were among the highlights of Reunion 2009.

Plus: AAMC President Anita Aragon Bowers ’63 calls for alumnae participation throughout the year.

32 Sound off! What is your favorite campus space?

From Lake Aliso, which predates the founding of the College, to the newest building on campus, Mills is filled with memorable locations. On this page, alumnae share some of their favorites.

Departments 3

Leadership Perspectives

4

Mills Matters

19

Bookshelf

20

Class Notes with Notes from Near and Far: Alumnae Activities Report

30

In Memoriam

“The whole campus is filled with gorgeous architecture and landscaping.”

—Jaynet Long Tagami ’87 32

On the cover: On the terrace of the new building for the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business, Toni Kiely ’79, Viji Nakka-Cammauf, MA ’82, and Pam Schubert ’79 discover a new perspective on the future of the College. Photo by Dana Davis. summer 2009

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border photos by nancy siller wilson

At Mills, for Alumnae

Volume XCVIII Number 2 (USPS 349-900) Fall 2009 President Janet L. Holmgren Executive Vice President Ramon S. Torrecilha Vice President for Institutional Advancement Cynthia Brandt Stover Director of Development and Alumnae Communications Dawn Cunningham ’85 Managing Editor Linda Schmidt

Alumnae Relations www.mills.edu/alumnae 510.430.2123 Alumnae-relations@mills.edu Find out about Reunion, alumnae clubs, and events; update your contact information; and request our @mills enewsletter.

Laura Gobbi, Director 510.430.2112 Alexandra Wong, Program Coordinator.................... 510.430.3363 Caitlin McGarty, Program Assistant........................ 510.430.2123

Giving to Mills www.mills.edu/giving 510.430.2366 mcaf@mills.edu Make gifts to the Mills College Annual Fund or the AAMC endowment.

Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) Learn about AAMC membership, merchandise, travel programs, Board of Governors, committee meetings, or reach your elected representatives on the College’s Board of Trustees.

Email: aamc@mills.edu..................510.430.2110

Career Services 510.430.2130 Learn how Mills can help with your career.

Anita Aragon Bowers ’63, President....................................... 510.430.3374 Email: AnitaAragonBowers@alumnae.mills.edu

Alumnae Admission Representatives 510.430.2135 Help prospective students learn more about the College.

Joan Jaffe, Associate Dean of Admission Email: Joanj@mills.edu

Bill White, Accountant................... 510.430.3373 To contact the Alumnae Association of Mills College, please write to: AAMC, P.O. Box 9998, Oakland, CA 94613-0998

Design and Art Direction Nancy Siller Wilson Contributing Writers Jessica Hilberman ’03 Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04 Susan McCarthy Sarah Stevenson, MFA ’04 Research and Editorial Assistance Kelsey Lindquist ’10

Special Thanks To Anita Aragon Bowers ’63 The Mills Quarterly (USPS 349-900) is published quarterly by Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, California, and at additional mailing office(s). Postmaster: Send address changes to the Office of Institutional Advancement, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Copyright © 2009, Mills College.

Address correspondence to the Mills Quarterly, Mills College, 5000 MacArthurBlvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity or length.

Email: quarterly@mills.edu Phone: 510.430.3312 Printed on recycled paper containing 30 percent post-consumer waste.

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M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Celebrate the season with a gift of student support.

Name a scholarship today with a gift of $5,000 to Mills.

Pay tribute those who have inspired you and open doors for Mills students. With a gift of $5,000 or more to the Mills College Annual Fund this holiday season, you can name an undergraduate scholarship or graduate fellowship at Mills after a classmate, loved one, or mentor. If you provide contact information for your honoree or a relative of the person you memorialize, Mills will let them know about the scholarship. What an opportunity to give a truly meaningful holiday gift!

To find out how to establish a named scholarship at Mills, call 510.430.2097 or email donors@mills.edu.

A memorial for Shush: Pauline “Polly” Royal Langsley ’49 (right) named the Susan Stoker Scholarship in memory of a fellow science major from her graduating class. Polly explains, “We called Susan ‘Shush.’ She was instrumental in keeping the Class of 1949 cohesive by hosting mini-Reunions at her winter condo in Tucson. She was always grateful to Mills. Mills prepares you to meet life’s challenges with confidence in your ability to succeed. You also learn the value of giving back to the communities that supported you, which is why I contributed this scholarship.”

ley ngs 9 y La Poll s of 194 Clas

Leadership Perspectives

A Message from Mills College President Janet L. Holmgren Alumnae engagement is one of this year’s top priorities The last half of 2009 has been filled with

To continue to build upon the College’s

good news for Mills College. In the pre-

strengths and address our greatest chal-

vious fiscal year—which ended on June

lenges, this academic year we are focus-

30, 2009, and spanned some of the worst

ing on three priorities: engaging alumnae

months of the recession—Mills’ alumnae

and other supporters with Mills today and

and friends made gifts to the College

increasing participation in annual giv-

totaling more than $18 million, 21 per-

ing, developing innovative ways to meet

cent over our goal. We achieved another

the challenges students face in fulfilling

record-high enrollment—1,510 students—

their goals at Mills and graduating to the

while becoming more selective. We

next phases of their lives, and integrat-

moved up the ranks in U.S. News & World

ing the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of

Report’s and Forbes’ listings of colleges

Business into the life of the community.

and universities. We opened the brilliant

Our alumnae are already Mills’ most

new home for the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate

potent resource, and more active engage-

School of Business, a center of intellec-

ment between alumnae and the College

tual life for all of the Mills community.

can only make us all more powerful. We

help keep them on track toward their

And in October we welcomed back 283

need more alumnae to help recruit stu-

goals and keep women in the pipeline to

alumnae and more than 100 guests for

dents and serve as career mentors. And

leadership.

Reunion. This is the second year in a row

we encourage all alumnae to tell the

Our third priority allows us to pio-

that attendance has increased.

world about the difference Mills has

neer a new educational model that will

made in their lives and the advantages of

strengthen both undergraduate women’s

women’s education today.

education

Despite the College’s strong performance, we have all felt the strain of the

and

graduate

professional

recession. The total amount raised for

We especially need alumnae support

programs. The Lorry I. Lokey Graduate

the Mills College Annual Fund in the

of the Mills College Annual Fund. Last

School of Business already has close con-

2008–09 fiscal year fell by 19 percent

year, 27 percent of our alumnae gave to

nections with our liberal arts curricu-

(though the number of alumnae who

the College. But at some other women’s

lum through the 4+1 BA/MBA Program,

gave held steady), and our endowment

colleges, 50 percent of alumnae make

which allows students to achieve both

declined in value by 25 percent. Gifts and

annual gifts—crucial support that helps

degrees in five years. But we will create

endowment income typically make up

those colleges meet the full financial

even more synergy with the liberal arts

nearly one third of the College’s budget,

need of all their students. Although Mills

through such innovative approaches

so shortfalls in these areas could have

provides scholarships to 91 percent of

as an Arts Administration course next

forced serious cutbacks.

undergraduates and 80 percent of gradu-

spring, designed by faculty in both busi-

ate students, we are able to meet the full

ness and the arts. Such ventures expand

need of fewer than half of our students.

the concept of graduate business educa-

Unlike many universities, however, Mills hasn’t had to cut faculty, staff, or programs. The chief reasons for this are

The availability of financial aid at Mills

tion, making it relevant to students who

the remarkable bequests we’ve received

has a profound impact on the College’s

seek to lead not only in corporate set-

from loyal alumnae. These women saw

student retention rate. Though these

tings, but also in arts, education, govern-

themselves as responsible for the College’s

rates have improved in recent years,

ment, and many other fields.

future and included Mills in their estate

they are threatened when students face

With this new model—and with the sup-

plans. One alumna, Jean Currin Jenkins

financial difficulties. When students must

port of our alumnae—Mills will continue to

’35, sent a $1 gift to Mills in 1939 with a

take time off because they can’t afford

advance our tradition of preparing women

note that said, “I hope I can give more in

tuition—or have to juggle jobs and classes

to make a difference in the world.

the future.” After she passed away last fall,

and homework—they can have a hard

we learned that she left over $5 million to

time finishing their degrees. Your contri-

Sincerely,

Mills. What an extraordinary legacy!

butions to the Mills College Annual Fund

Janet L. Holmgren

fa l l 2 0 0 9

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Mills Matters Accomplished, elite, and diverse: New students raise the bar A round-up of this fall’s new students reads a lot like the “Twelve Days of Christmas”: there are 26 Bent Twigs, 15 Summer Academic Workshop scholars, 14 nursing students, 13 students who completed the Hellman Summer Science and Math program, 12 Trustee Scholars, and nine valedictorians. Mills also welcomed a world champion horse jumper, a student who spoke at the Spirit of Stonewall Community Celebration in New York City, and another who knits items with the wool from her own flock of sheep.

These are just a few of the 289 new undergraduates and 322 new graduate students who now roam the halls

President Holmgren hosts the New Student Tea.

and meadows of Mills. Together with continuing students, they bring the

in locales from Oakland to Guatemala to

Korea, Pakistan, and Sweden. In addition,

College’s total enrollment to 1,510. Two

Afghanistan.

they range in age from 16 to 56,

students are enrolled in the College’s

Diversity also remains strong among

resumers represent 22 percent of the

newest graduate program, the MFA in

this fall’s new students (including

book art and creative writing. Another

transfer students). Thirty-one percent

student is the first veteran at Mills to

of students entering Mills in 2009

these outstanding students also remains

benefit from the Yellow Ribbon Program,

self-identify as African American, Latina,

high in 2009. Ninety-five percent of

in which private colleges augment the

Asian American or Native American;

undergraduates receive some form of

educational funds provided to students

another 11 percent identify as biracial

financial aid, totaling some $29 million—

by the U.S. Department of Veterans

or multiracial students. First-generation

more than half of which was funded

Affairs.

students make up one-third of the

by Mills. The average undergraduate

incoming group. The new students speak

financial award is $33,250. Eighty-six

applications received this year—a 32

28 languages and dialects other than

percent of graduate students received

percent increase over 2008 and the fifth

English; they hail from 23 different

$13.8 million in aid, including $4 million

year in a row that applications have been

states, as well as from China, South

from Mills.

With a record 2,261 undergraduate

group, and 24 students are mothers.

The need for financial aid to assist

up—Mills notably improved selectivity, admitting 56.7 percent of the applicant pool. This is the lowest rate in 15 years, and well below the national average of 68 percent.

The first-year class has a remarkably impressive academic profile, with a collective grade-point average of 3.70—the highest average in this decade. They are also committed to making a difference: nearly 75 percent of first-year students have participated in community service 4

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Mills rises in rankings again • Ranked 55th on Forbes.com’s list of America’s best colleges (up 20 spots from 2008), beating out UC Berkeley and Scripps College; • Placed second in the West on U.S. News & World Report ’s “Great Schools, Great Prices” list (up from seventh last year), which recognizes high academic quality relative to the net cost of attendance; • Named one of the Best 371 Colleges by the Princeton Review; • Scored 98 out of 99 on Princeton Review’s green college list for environmental policies and practices.

Alumnae volunteers aid admission efforts

making that personal connection to pro-

her degree at New York University, her

spective students,” says Joan Jaffe, Mills

fondness for Mills was so strong that

College’s associate dean of admission.

she remained involved. After moving to

“They add to the picture students have

England, she became an international

In a crowded high school gym in San

about Mills by talking about their own

AAR, representing Mills in London and

Jose, California, I stand behind a bro-

personal experience at the College.”

Portugal. Now, Crumbine is an AAR

by Jessica Hilberman ’03

chure-laden table, chatting with students

The AAR Program is just one aspect of

on the East Coast, where she is also

and parents interested in Mills, taking

a multi-faceted recruitment strategy that

involved with the Mills College Club of

names, inviting students to an upcoming

includes hosting prospective students’

New York.

campus event, and answering questions

visits to Mills, active use of social net-

about the College. The experience is lots

working websites, phone calls to high-

Undergraduate Admission, Marisa

of fun, and typical for an afternoon as an

schoolers and potential transfer students,

Aurora Quiroz ’01 coordinated with

alumna admission representative (AAR).

on-campus events, high school visits by

AARs throughout the country. “I met

Like all AARs, I’ve been well prepared:

admission staff, and sending out recruit-

with Mills alumnae all over the nation

ment material to interested students.

and was continually inspired by their

alumnae admission representatives go through an on-campus training work-

As an employee in the Office of

Few colleges involve their alumni as

dedication,” Quiroz says. “When I left

shop before they go on to represent Mills

deeply in the admission process as Mills

the Bay Area for San Diego to pursue

in their hometowns—places the Office of

does. Jaffe says that most colleges use

a master’s degree, it was natural for

Undergraduate Admission can’t always

alumni to reach out at fairs but, to make

me to become an alumna admission

serve in person. AARs attend college

that extra personal contact, Mills AARs

representative.” The most rewarding

fairs, conduct interviews with applicants,

call and write to interested students

aspect of being an AAR is the oppor-

and sometimes host events. They pro-

as well. Beatrice Jordan Crumbine ’66

tunity to engage young women in the

vide outreach and a connection for stu-

has been making such connections for

college admission process, Quiroz says.

dents interested in Mills who can’t just

Mills since 1975. Though Crumbine fol-

“As an advocate for the advancement

pop by the campus. “The AARs assist in

lowed love to New York and completed

of women, I encourage each student I encounter to continue their education,

Training day: Participants in the alumnae admissions representatives training workshop this year were: (seated, from left) Laura Grimshaw ’83, Jackie Jagger Parsons ’52, Sharon Tatai ’80, Maurie Davidson ’63, Sonja Marshall Friedman ’67, (back row, from left) Carolyn Verse ’73, AAMC President Anita Aragon Bowers ’63, Georgian Simmons Bahlke ’51, Catherine Smith ’74, Megan Krebs ’09, Sandy Bowe Teora ’69, Julia Harby Murray ’70, President Holmgren, Valerie Livingston ’07, and Nangee Warner Morrison ’63.

to reach and explore new possibilities, and to be agents of change.”

Meghan Krebs ’09, one of Mills’ newest AARs, volunteered for the program because it was the College’s alumnae who first brought her to Mills. “When I was a prospective student, I went to a get-together at an AAR’s house in Los Angeles and had an absolutely great time,” she remembers. Even a simple recruitment phone call can produce a rewarding experience. “I love when you immediately click with a prospective student,” Krebs says. “It’s great knowing that my enthusiasm for Mills has rubbed off on future Mills women.”

The Office of Undergraduate Admission is actively seeking alumnae participation in the AAR program. To join, you must attend a workshop, have Internet access, and be willing to volunteer a few hours a month. If interested, please contact Joan Jaffe at joanj@mills.edu or 510.430.2135. fa l l 2 0 0 9

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Faculty members garner prestigious awards and high-profile projects Mills faculty in disciplines from fine art to computer science have recently gained public recognition for their creative output. Others have reaped a variety of honors for their teaching and research.

Juliana Spahr, associate professor of English, received the 19th annual O. B. Hardison Jr. Poetry Prize from the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC. The $10,000 award recognizes teaching and work that demonstrate a “spirit of phil bond

inquiry, imagination, daring, and scholarship.” Spahr has been at Mills since 2003 and is also director of the College’s Creative Writing Program. She has published seven books of poetry, including Response (1996), for which she won the National Poetry Series Award.

Associate Professor of English Ajuan Mance’s book, Inventing Black Women, won the Choice magazine outstanding academic title award of 2008.

Holly Kernan, director of the Public Radio Reporting Program at Mills, was named 2009 Journalist of the Year by the Northern California Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Vitamin see: Catherine Wagner laser-etched her photographs of orange trees into orange anodized aluminum, which was then embedded into the walls of the Ronald F. Deaton Civic Auditorium in Los Angeles. Her installation also includes a sandblasted image of a lone orange tree on limestone and a series of semitransparent orange Mylar circles on the building’s windows, which create the illusion of falling oranges. “The laser-etch panels create a beautiful ghost-like image of the trees that can be seen from both the exterior plaza and while traveling to and from the auditorium,” Wagner says.

Kernan has been teaching public interest

applications through courses at 12 select

combining original works of poetry and

reporting at Mills College since 2005;

schools including Mills, Harvard, MIT,

three-dimensional paper techniques to

she also serves as news director at

and Berkeley.

stunning effect.” She has been teaching

KALW public radio and is an instructor

Professor of Art Catherine Wagner

at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of

unveiled a public art project at the

Journalism.

Ronald F. Deaton Civic Auditorium,

The Society of Professional Journalists

in the College’s Book Art Program since 1996.

Professor of Biology Lisa Urry is

a part of the Los Angeles Police

participating in the NIH-funded study

also awarded San Francisco Chronicle

Department’s new downtown head-

“Career Decision-Making of Future

reporter Meredith May ’91, a Mills

quarters. Ghost Grove, the result of a

Minority Biomedical Science Faculty,”

instructor in newspaper and online

$500,000 commission from the Los

which examines career decisions by

journalism since 2007, for her feature

Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs,

undergraduates in the sciences and

story about 83-year-old Olga Murray of

was inspired by the citrus groves that

biomedical PhD students to determine

Sausalito, who is working to eliminate

once flourished in that area.

what changes can encourage students to

girl slavery in Nepal.

Google donated 20 Android devel-

Assistant Professor of Book Arts Julie

continue in the sciences and ultimately

Chen, MA ’89, was featured in the PBS

increase diversity among university

oper phones to Associate Professor of

television series Craft in America in

life science faculty. The first part of the

Computer Science Ellen Spertus, along

October. She appeared in the episode

study surveyed students at coed colleges

with a SIM card, two months of cellular

“Process,” which focuses on how artists

and universities, and the second part

service, and a $200 cash gift to sup-

learn their craft, make a living doing it,

will compare responses of students at

port her Technology for a Better World

and find their creative strengths.

women’s colleges and historically black

course. The class is part of a wider initiative to develop innovative phone 6

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

PBS says Chen’s works “defy traditional definitions of bookmaking,

colleges and universities.

Recent gifts fund financial aid and cutting-edge scholarship

We’re all ears: Journalist Helen Thomas joined Congresswoman Barbara Lee ’73 and President Janet L. Holmgren in a lively conversation at the Jeannik Méquet Littlefield Concert Hall on October 12. Thomas, widely known as the “dean of the White House press corps,” has covered every U.S. president since John F. Kennedy, was the first female officer of the National Press Club, and the first female member and president of the White House Correspondents Association. She recently co-authored the book Listen Up, Mr. President: Everything You Always Wanted Your President to Know and Do.

Bequests continue to help Mills weather the recession Mills College gratefully acknowledges the following gifts and pledges of $50,000 and

“I’m in awe of the office,” Thomas said of the presidency, “but expect the people we elect to live up to it…. Presidents should be questioned and I find it’s an honor to be the one to do that.”

more from generous donors and foundations: • Ann Salzberger Wolff ’42 contributed $50,297 to the Mills College Annual Fund,

Thomas and Lee also took questions from the crowd of nearly 500 people on such topics as health care, women’s rights, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

which supports student financial aid and other key components of the College’s operating budget. Wolff has been one of the annual fund’s generous donors for decades.

• The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Kahne, dean of Mills’ School of Education, to convene a research network charged with developing new ways of understanding youth civic, political, and public participa-

pa u l k u r o d a

Foundation granted $600,000 for Joseph

tion in the digital age. This is Kahne’s third grant from the MacArthur Foundation for research on this topic.

• The Fletcher Jones Foundation contributed $150,000 to the Fletcher Jones Endowed Scholarship, which has provided support for students with financial need since 1992.

• The Dirk and Charlene Kabcenell Foundation made a grant of $100,000 to fund the Mills Teacher Scholars Program.

The 12-year-old program encourages teachers to develop questions about their own educational practice, conduct research, and share their findings—with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for their students.

One of the most important factors in Mills’ continued strength during the recession has been the gifts received from the estates of loyal alumnae. Distributions from the bequests of the following have come to the College in recent months, supporting Mills’ operating budget and student scholarships: • Marion Sandler Bilisoly ’24, $174,286 • Jean Currin Jenkins ’35, $5.2 million • Eleanor Nissen ’42, $499,115 • Helen Gay, MA ’42, $151,735 • Patricia Hobbs ’47, $2.3 million

New health center improves care on campus To increase student access to health care, in August 2009 Mills College opened a new student health center operated by Kaiser Permanente.

Located in a former chemistry laboratory in the CPM Building, the health center has been renovated to provide three exam rooms, a conference room, and medical offices. The facility is staffed by a team of physicians, a nurse, and a health educator five days a week.

The on-campus location greatly increases access to health education and a variety of services, including vaccinations, urgent care, and routine gynecological exams. Some services will be free of charge while others will require a co-payment. All Mills students, both female and male, are eligible to use the health center, regardless of their insurance plan.

“Student health and wellness is a primary concern of the College,” says Renée Jadushlever, Mills College vice president for operations.

“The College continually looks for ways to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care and education to assure our students’ well being.”

Mills student health service needs previously were provided through UC Berkeley’s Tang Center.

fa l l 2 0 0 9

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23  Contemporary Writers Series: Lasana M. Sekou

Feb. 23

Feb. 22

5:30 pm, Mills Hall Living Room, free The leading writer of St. Martin and a prolific poet, Sekou has also served as editor of The Independence Papers—Readings on a New Political Status for St. Maarten/St. Martin and produced drama and music festivals.

March 3  Artist Lecture Series: Anthony Discenza March 17

Feb. 9

Calendar

January 20  Trisha Brown: So That the Audience Does Not Know Whether I Have Stopped Dancing Mills College Art Museum, exhibition on view through March 14, free Trisha Brown ’58 is widely acclaimed as a dancer and a choreographer. She also has a long history of creating drawings and other works that integrate the performing and visual arts. This exhibition presents her lesser-known visual arts practice.

27  Opening Reception for Trisha Brown exhibition 5:30 pm, Mills College Art Museum, free Meet Trisha Brown and see current Mills students restage her 1968 dance performance, “Planes.”

February 8  Songlines: Dobromila Jaskot 7:30 pm, Mills Ensemble Room, free Visiting Polish composer Jaskot talks about her Center for Contemporary Music residency project and discusses the influence of intercultural vocal expression on her use of live electronics.

9  Contemporary Writers Series: Kyle Schlesinger 5:30 pm, Mills Hall Living Room, free Schlesinger, the founder of Cuneiform Press, has published several books of poetry, including A Book of Closings, Moonlighting, and The Pink.

8

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

18  Center for Socially Responsible Business Lecture: Social Enterprises for Youth Development 7:00 pm, Lokey Graduate School of Business Gathering Hall Speaker Marc Spencer, CEO of Juma Ventures, has 20 years of experience in youth development and nonprofit management. For details, contact csrb@mills.edu or 510.430.2304.

7:30 pm, Danforth Lecture Hall, free Discenza’s work explores interruptions in the flow of information in formats from video and computer-generated sound to text and imagery.

11–14  Signal Flow Various times/locations, free A festival of music composed and per- formed by current graduate students.

See music.mills.edu. For details, contact the Mills Music Department at 510.430.2171.

15  Songlines: Duo Pantomorf 7:30 pm, Music Building Ensemble Room, free Mapping every gesture to sound, Per Anders Nilsson and Palle Dahlstedt perform electronic free improvisation.

19  Artist Lecture Series: Phil Ross

16  Contemporary Writers Series: Vendela Vida

7:30 pm, Danforth Lecture Hall, free A professor of sculpture at the University of San Francisco, Ross’ creative work resides in the space between art, technology, education, and the history and philosophies of science.

5:30 pm, Mills Hall Living Room, free Vida is the author of Girls on the Verge and her first novel, And Now You Can Go. She and her husband co-founded the Believer and 826 Valencia, and co-wrote the screenplay Away We Go.

22  Songlines: Myrmyr

17  Artist Lecture Series: Lisa Anne Auerbach

6:00 pm–7:00 pm student works, 7:30 pm main concert, Music Building Ensemble Room, free The multi-instrumental duo of Agnes Szelag and Marielle Jakobsons uses graphic scores, improvisation, and live electronics to perform songs often inspired by their Baltic heritage.

7:30 pm, Danforth Lecture Hall, free Whether slogan-adorned knitted sweaters and banners, photographs of overlooked landmarks, or postcards and other small publications, Auerbach’s works are original, provocative, and humorous.

For information on Songlines Series events, contact John Bischoff, 510.430.2331 or bischoff@mills.edu. See back cover for Mills Music Now concerts. For details on the Contemporary Writers Series, contact Stephanie Young, 510.430.3130 or syoung@mills.edu.

Information on the Artist Lecture Series is available through museum@mills.edu or 510.430.2164.

fall and rise of Lake Aliso The

e o

An ambitious restoration plan promises to renew the ecology and culture of a campus landmark

f

By Susan McCarthy

or 121 years, Lake Aliso has been a vital part of campus life. It has been a place beloved

and a place ignored. Aliso has been described as holy, scruffy, shining, shabby, scenic, down-at-heels, and beautiful.

“Aliso” means alder, and alders still grow where Leona Creek flows out of the lake. In the time of the Spanish land grants, livestock may have been watered where the lake is now. The land dipped due to earth movement along the Hayward Fault, and perhaps the lake started as a “sag pond.” Then, as now, Pine Top rose sharply above. In 1888, the College constructed an earthen dam for flood control and for irrigation. The campus drew water for landscaping, small-scale farming, and even a laundry.

In its heyday, tree-lined paths edged the lake, and a small stage was built at one end. Students picnicked, put on pageants and dance performances, and held solemn ceremonies to mark important events. In the Lantern Procession, on the evening of graduation, students carrying lanterns walked in twos as they traversed campus to Aliso, where a bonfire burned on a raft. Students on each side of the lake sang across to each other, lanterns glimmering in the water. “The juniors say goodbye to the seniors, and the seniors say goodbye to the whole school,” recalls Jane Cudlip King ’42. “I wept so hard I couldn’t sing,” says Kathie Mulkey Warne ’45.

In 1953, when a Life magazine photo-story on commencement festivities across the nation appeared, the lantern ceremony apparently so enchanted the editors that they used more pictures of Mills than any other school (including Harvard and Yale put together).

fa l l 2 0 0 9

9

But by that time, trouble was already

coming to the lake. Upstream construction of

the irrigation pump and filtration system has been replaced. Lake Aliso is already looking better.

buildings, streets, and highways affected water

During Reunion 2009, Brian Harrington, architec-

flow. Increasingly, rainwater shot across paved

tural assistant turned environmental planner who’s

surfaces and through underground culverts.

heading the lake project, gave a tour for interested

The rapid waters were full of sediment. When

alumnae. “The purpose of our project is to restore

racing waters fell into Aliso, they finally slowed,

the lake’s historical edge, manage sedimentation,

fanned, and dropped their sediments into the

repair the dam infrastructure, and restore native

lakebed. Below the lake, water flowing into

habitat,” Harrington said. Such work will provide

Leona Creek was now “sediment-starved.” Out

environmental, educational, recreational, and even

of balance, the creek eroded its banks without

financial benefits.

depositing new soil.

“I remember it being much bigger,” mused

The lake began filling with silt. In aerial pho-

Rachel Sadler Mueller ’68, MA ’70. While the lake

tographs, the 1955 lake edge still resembles the

has already filled until its edges are very nearly

1937 edge, but by 1970 the lake is distinctly

back to their historic position, it doesn’t look as

smaller.

large. Because of the vegetation that grew in the

Pageants and processions fell from popular-

years when the lake was low, it’s not always easy to

ity. Cristine Russell ’71 doesn’t recall the lan-

see where the margins are. Removing those plants

tern ceremony. “The world was doing a lot of

will involve multiple agencies, including the Army

changing then,” Russell says. “We lost a lot of

Corps of Engineers, which has designated some

treasured traditions while the world was twirl-

of it as wetland, making the area subject to fed-

ing around us.”

eral regulations. Still—“There’s water in it again!”

A 1986 photo shows a smaller, shallower,

rejoiced Pamela Trounstine ’99.

dwindling lake. Vegetation had sprung up where the water had receded. By the early 2000s, the outlet under the dam was leaking, and the irrigation pump had broken. For five Ladies of the lake: (from left) A 19th-century crowd gathers on the shore; Students play and paddle on the waters; Aliso sets the scene for a moment of quiet friendship; Lake Aliso today.

years, the lake provided no irrigation for campus at all. The shrunken lake dismayed visiting

chorus of frogs

alumnae. “I was shocked that it was such a rem-

heard around

nant of its former self,” says Russell.

But help was on the way for the beleaguered pond. A multi-phase restoration plan has been created to address issues of water management, ecology, and the lake’s potential role in curriculum and recreation. In the last year, the spillway dam outlet gate has been repaired and

10

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Perhaps the evening

Lake Aliso will again be joined by a chorus of women’s voices

b

The restoration plan includes replanting

sounding depths, surveying microscopic life forms,

native vegetation and building a sediment bypass.

and quantifying water clarity. “Everyone thought it

The bypass will divide water pouring into Aliso

was very funny that I was dressing up in old clothes

into two streams: a layer of clearer water above will

and going out in a rowboat,” she says.

flow into the lake as always, but heavier, sediment-

Classes will soon have better access to the grow-

laden water will be diverted into a channel around

ing lake. Currently, Associate Professor of Chemistry

the lake, rejoining the stream as it flows into Leona

Kristina Faul and Magee Page ’11 are conducting

Creek. Instead of settling to fill the lake, the sedi-

a joint project with the University of the Pacific

ment will bring creek waters back toward a health-

to examine how different conditions affect water

ier balance between erosion and sedimentation.

quality in the lake and creek. Among other things,

Funding for the project has found a good start

they hope to investigate the historic impact of the

with a 50th Reunion gift of nearly $30,000 from

long-closed Leona Heights sulfur mine. Associate

the Class of 1955 and a senior class gift from the

Professor of Biology Susan Spiller has students per-

Class of 2007. However, the estimated total cost of

form plant species transects by the lake. “Mills has

the project is just over $1.6 million, including the

a wonderful opportunity to train students in the

new system that allows the College to irrigate the

growing field of restoration ecology,” says Spiller.

campus using lake water. But irrigating the cam-

For educational purposes, the plan also includes a

pus is not only more environmentally sustainable

demonstration-sized bioswale, a vegetated sunken

than drawing city water, it also helps the College’s

area designed to remove pollutants and silt from

financial sustainability. In the period from July 15

runoff.

to August 15, 2008, Mills used nearly 2 million gal-

Russell hopes more students will have the learn-

lons of water. In the same period this summer, “we

ing opportunities she had. “Lake Aliso is a little

saved a million gallons,” Harrington says. “And the

natural laboratory. It’s another part of personalized

lake was back on for only half that time.” He projects

education at Mills.” Planning a visit to campus, she

that $80,000 in water costs will be saved each year.

asked hopefully, “Is it full?”

Throughout the restoration’s design period, plan-

When Trounstine was at Mills, she ran cross

ners consulted with science faculty. “We asked,

country six days a week, passing the lake in many

‘What would you need to make this usable for your

seasons. “To hear that they’re going to restore it

department?’” Harrington says. The lake has been

makes me ask, ‘Are you going to do it in summer,

a teaching tool in the past. Darl Bowers, professor

so I can volunteer?’”

of biology and ecology from 1954 until 1986 (and

The edge of the lake today nearly laps against

husband of AAMC President Anita Aragon Bowers

the ceremonial platform again. “The stage area

’63) took his classes to study there. Russell, now a

is another part of the landscape that we want to

science writer and a senior fellow at Harvard’s Belfer

restore,” says Harrington. Perhaps the evening

Center as well as a Mills College Trustee, wrote a

chorus of frogs heard around Lake Aliso will

research paper about the lake for Bowers’ class,

again be joined by a chorus of women’s voices.

fa l l 2 0 0 9

11

&

beautiful

the

The

By Linda Schmidt

S

ometimes a building is just a building—a functional structure with a roof and walls. But, in the best cases, a building can embody ideals, affect how people feel, and maybe even change the way they think.

In the heart of the Mills campus, at the intersection of Richards and Kapiolani Roads,

a new building has taken root with that express purpose in mind. “College Trustees, President Holmgren, Business School Dean Nancy Thornborrow, and other campus leaders were very clear that they wanted this building to make a statement,” says project manager Rosa Sheng, senior associate with the architectural firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, which developed the building’s plan. The award-winning company, known for their designs of Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville and high-profile Apple stores around the world, brought a decidedly different aesthetic to the mix of structures at Mills.

“The design is intended to convey strength, to be dynamic and forward-looking,” Sheng continues. “At the same time, we wanted the building to be respectful of the historic campus setting and to resonate with the familiar scale and inviting nature of existing structures.”

The structure incorporates natural, textural elements such as Douglas fir, corrugated zinc shingles, expanses of glass, and an impressive quartzite stone wall. A long, covered porch echoes the porticos of the traditional but equally dramatic Music Building, which stands across Richards Road.

The high-ceilinged lobby space just inside the front doors features a “floating” room, painted a striking vibrant red. “The presence of that room leads students and visitors to question their assumptions about what is possible,” says Sheng—an idea that is relevant not just to construction engineering but to women’s education and the evolving nature of business leadership.

d av i d s c h m i t z

p h o t o s b y d a n a d av i s , u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e n o t e d

12

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

the location of the building expresses another key concept: it is, both literally and figuratively, at the crossroads of Mills’ strong undergraduate liberal arts curriculum and the College’s innovative graduate programs. The building houses the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business—with a career center specifically for MBA students—

dale higgins

In the heart of campus, a contemporary new building houses the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business and aims the entire College toward the future.

but seeks to connect that professional education to the arts, government, public policy, and other disciplines. The office wing is home to economics professors who teach the MBA Program’s foundation courses as well as lecturers who teach specialized business courses.

“Everybody involved agreed that this was not simply the MBA building,” says Greg Mottola, principal-in-charge of the Bohlin Cywinski Jackson team. With two tiered lecture halls and four classrooms all equipped with the latest audio-visual technology, as well as additional small breakout rooms (the “floating” room is one of these), the building’s flexible spaces are also used for undergraduate classes in economics and other departments. The soaring Gathering Hall provides the entire campus with a muchneeded facility for conferences, receptions, and other events.

“This building says that Mills College is making a mark on education for leadership,” says President Janet L. Holmgren. “It shows that we are ready to take risks and to step up to the challenges of the future.”

such bold statements are often met with raised eyebrows or outright discomfort, and this building is no exception. In an appreciative review of the building on October 5, John King, urban design writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, said the building is “contemporary architecture shaped by environmental concerns, and it feels as comfortable as an old shoe.” Yet he acknowledged that the building “makes an awkward first impression”— an impression heightened by landscaping that, at the time of his writing, was incomplete.

Since then, a double row of 90 eucalyptus trees has been planted along Kapiolani Road, framing the edge of the building’s site and extending to the far side of the Cowell Building. A lush mix of grasses, selected for beauty, durability, and low water needs, was sown across the meadow in November to take advantage of coming winter rains.

By spring, the building will sport a welcoming green apron.

 Growth industry: A living “green roof” displays succulents and other plants. This feature helps offset rainwater runoff, reduces the heat island effect (the amount of heat absorbed by concrete or other building materials), provides habitat for bees and other fauna, decreases energy use, and provides pleasing views.

fa l l 2 0 0 9

13

Mills has a long

tradition of innovation that permeates the

learning culture and the architectural fabric of the campus.

d av i d s c h m i t z

Inside the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business In this bold and beautiful new building, the brightest stars are the students and faculty who make it a very different kind of business school—one that is known for its collaborative learning environment and success in preparing women for leadership in business and nonprofit organizations.

In the 2009–10 academic year, the Lokey Graduate School of Business includes: 86 MBA students, of whom • 97 percent are women • 68 percent are students of color • 20 percent are Mills alumnae 21 MBA faculty, of whom • 6 are full-time • 15 are visiting or part-time • 48 percent are women First awarded in 2002 to an inaugural class of 12 students, the MBA is now the second most popular graduate degree at Mills.

For information on enrolling in the MBA Program, visit www.mills.edu/mba, email mba@mills.edu, or call 510.430.3173.

14

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

 Get a job: The career services suite for the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business includes a library, offices, and break-out rooms, which provide a site for on-campus interviews. MBA students also have access to a computer lab and student lounge.  Open source: Wood from a cypress tree that had to be removed to make way for the Business School building finds new life as benches and tables throughout the building. Both indoors and out, open spaces combine with intimate seating areas to encourage community and spontaneous meetings of the minds.

Many visitors quickly form strong opinions about the new resident. “Incongruous” and “out of sync” are some of the less complimentary phrases that have cropped up, but others take a more measured approach: “I like modern architecture but, like the glass pyramid outside the Louvre, it can take some getting used to if it’s in a place you’re familiar with,” posted one alumna on the Chronicle website. “It is a wonderful light-filled structure that looks out on the lush campus,” said another reader. “I think it is a building with great integrity that will stand the test of time,” says Sheng.

“Mills has a long tradition of innovation that permeates the learning culture and the architectural fabric of the campus,” says Campus Architect Karen Fiene, pointing out that the campus boasts outstanding examples of building styles that evoke many eras, from the early Victorian Mills Hall to the recently restored Spanish Colonial Music Building to the mid-century modern Reinhardt Alumnae House. “With this building, Mills continues to evolve, to design for a generation of students who learn and communicate in vastly different ways than in the past.”

in keeping with the campus commitment to sustainability, the Lokey Graduate School of Business building is designed to earn a gold rating from the LEED system (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which scores projects not only on als used and construction processes.

In contrast to a “standard” structure of comparable size, the building is expected to achieve energy cost savings of nearly 22 percent annually. An iris pond collects rainwater for reuse; coupled with efficient plumbing fixtures, this saves approximately

dale higgins

the water and energy efficiency of the completed structure, but also evaluates materi-

100,000 gallons of water each year. Radiant heating in the polished concrete floors, operable windows throughout the structure, automatic ventilation, and extensive use of windows and skylights—90 percent of occupied areas are illuminated by natural daylight—ensure a comfortable environment conducive to learning. The steel-framed building also complies with the most recent requirements for seismic safety.

Peter Bohlin, principal and lead architect of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, says, “The most sustainable thing we can do is to build a beautiful building that people will love and take care of.”

Many locations within the new building—including benches, classrooms, and the Gathering Hall—are available to be named by donors whose gifts support the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business. In gratitude to the donors who helped fund construction of the building, Mills has named the Euphrat Family Plaza, the

 All together now: The Gathering Hall is a dramatic venue for classes, conferences, and other events—such as the 50th Reunion dinner for the Class of 1959, shown here. The room can accommodate more than 100 seated guests; an outdoor terrace extends that number to 200 or more for receptions. An adjoining kitchen makes the hall ideal for catered events.

Thomas and Barbara Wolfe Grand Entry Porch, the Jean and Y. H. Kwong Study Room, the Marion Ross Conference Room, the Mary Lanigar Memorial Classroom, and benches in honor of Joan Riviere Hudiberg, Ofelia Espinosa and Marta C. Gandia, and Jean and Y. H. Kwong. Mills also thanks the Business School’s namesake, Lorry I. Lokey, whose philanthropy is the foundation on which the building stands. For information on naming opportunities, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 510.430.2097 or donors@mills.edu.

fa l l 2 0 0 9

15

reunion 2009

Alumnae Association award luncheon

honors distinguished graduates

by Sarah J. Stevenson, MFA ’04

A

cross-section

of

reunioning

Mills emphasized how fortunate she has

alumnae from across the Mills

felt to advocate for preservation of the

generations gathered on Toyon

natural world. She exhorted the campus

Meadow on Saturday, October 3, to honor

community to meet the ecological and

recipients of this year’s Distinguished

societal challenges of our time by insti-

presented by Sandy Bowe Teora ’69 to

Alumna Award, Outstanding Alumna

tuting “conscious cultural change.”

Angela Adams DeMoss, MA ’99 (below

The

Recent

Graduate

Award

was

Next at the podium, Mills College

right). DeMoss is an English instruc-

Trustee Pauline Royal Langsley ’49 pre-

tor at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon,

sented the Outstanding Volunteer Award

California, and was elected this spring

by

to Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45 (above

to the presidency of Los Angeles Mills

President Janet L. Holmgren. Anita Aragon

right). Evans studied music history at

College Alumnae, where she has shown

Bowers ’63, president of the Alumnae

Mills, where she interacted with lumi-

tremendous

Association of Mills College, then pre-

naries including Darius and Madeleine

asm in organizing events to engage the

sented the Distinguished Achievement

Milhaud, and the brothers Howard and

branch membership, collaborating with

Award to Stephanie Mills ’69 (below),

Dave Brubeck. Evans headed the Mills

Orange County Mills College Alumnae,

who Bowers termed “an eloquent spokes-

Music Training School until 1964, where

and planning activities that reach out to

woman for ecological sustainability.”

she led many others to a life of musician-

recent graduates.

Volunteer Award, and Recent Graduate Award.

The

third

Luncheon

annual

began

AAMC

with

Awards

remarks

leadership

and

enthusi-

Throughout her career in the environ-

ship and teaching. Evans, just days short

DeMoss described her time at Mills as

mental movement, Mills has spoken and

of her 90th birthday, was escorted to the

“a renaissance,” and her involvement with

written extensively. She is now featured in

podium by her former student Pat Taylor

Southern California alumnae as noth-

the documentary film Earth Days, shown

Lee ’57, and recalled her first impression

ing short of inspiring. “Joining the Los

during Reunion 2009, and had addressed

of Mills College as “the most unusual, the

Angeles branch gave me an instant net-

the campus community at Convocation

most beautiful place.” Evans said those

work of friends and supporters,” she said.

the day before. Upon accepting the award,

feelings have remained constant for 70

DeMoss encouraged alumnae to become

years and she has tried “to repay the insti-

involved with their local branch or start

tution in what modest way I could.”

a group of their own. Her closing quote,

Over the past seven decades, Leone

borrowed from The Generosity Plan by

Evans has repaid Mills and the AAMC

Kathy LeMay, was a fitting end note to

many times over through her own gifts

the proceedings, as she urged luncheon

and talents and through energetic fund-

guests “to serve our alma mater, our-

raising on behalf of these organiza-

selves, and each other by making a posi-

tions. She served two terms as Alumna

tive difference in the world with simply

Trustee on the College’s board; held all

what you have, where you are.”

offices of the Oakland-Berkeley Branch, Mills College Alumnae Association; and was president of the AAMC Board of Governors, of which she is now an honorary life-time member.

Read Stephanie Mills’ Convocation speech online at www.mills.edu/ reunion or visit the Mills College Facebook page to view videos of Convocation and photos of Reunion.

16

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

p h o t o s b y d a n a d av i s , u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e n o t e d

reunion 2009

4

3

1 8

5 2

Call for

2010

Award Nominations

Save the date for Reunion 2010

The Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) is seeking alumna/us candidates for the following awards: • The Distinguished Achievement Award for distinction in professional fields, arts, sciences, and public affairs; • The Outstanding Volunteer Award for extraordinary commitment and service in promoting the goals of the AAMC and the College; • The Recent Graduate Award for volunteer efforts that exemplify a spirit of caring and community to the AAMC and the College.

Alumnae/i within 15 years of graduation may be considered for this award.

Please send information about each nominee’s achievements and qualifications to: Chair, AAMC Awards Program, Alumnae Association of Mills College, P.O. Box 9998, Oakland, CA 94613. Please include your name, phone number, address, and email address.

Nominations must be received by May 17, 2010, and candidates must be able to attend the award ceremony at next year’s Reunion, September 30–October 3, 2010.

For more information, email aamc@mills.edu or AAMC President Anita Aragon Bowers at AnitaAragonBowers@alumnae.mills.edu or call 510.430.2110.

9

6

7

Reunion snapshots

Mark your calendar for next year’s event: September 30-October 3, with Convocation on October 1.

This Reunion will celebrate class years ending in 0 or 5, including the 50th Reunion Class of 1960.

1. The first eucalyptus tree along the “new” Bryant Path takes root at a ceremonial planting with President Holmgren; Nancy Thornborrow, dean of the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business; and AAMC President Anita Aragon Bowers ’63.

2. A chocolate fountain flows freely at a lecture on the history of the tasty stuff by Professor of History Bert Gordon.

3. Nadia Mostafa Saleh ’59 traveled from Egypt, earning the title of “greatest distance covered” among the 283 alumnae and more than 100 guests attending Reunion 2009.

4. The President’s Garden Reception was well attended by reunioning alumnae and Family Weekend participants alike.

5. Dozens of alumnae gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Summer Academic Workshop and join the Alumnae of Color barbecue lunch. Photo by Glodean Champion.

6. A hearty toast to the Class of 1959!

7. Jane Heberling Egner ’59 and Paul Egner Jr. meet Aarthi Sekar ’10, a Mills College Annual Fund outreach caller.

8. New Hampshire State Senator Martha Fuller Clark ’64 raises a question at a lecture on health care reform by Professor of Public Policy Carol Chetkovich.

9. The Writers’ Salon and reception drew 17 alumnae authors—including Arabella Grayson, MA ’96—and plenty of interested readers.

17

Dedicated volunteers strengthen alumnae programs

A message from the President of the Alumnae Association of Mills College As I reflect on a wonderful and

for programs and events—are informed

well-attended Reunion 2009, I must

by the document entitled “AAMC Goals,

acknowledge all the outstanding volun-

Objectives, and Values,” adopted by the

teers who contributed so much to the

Board of Governors in June 2008. The

success of that event. Great thanks go

board continues to refine this living doc-

to the many alumnae and College staff—

ument. The six major goals are to:

and some volunteers who are both—

• Sustain the special spirit, philosophy,

who planned and executed a lively and

and traditions of the AAMC and the

entertaining weekend for more than 300

Mills College experience by promoting

returning alumnae and guests.

a lifelong personal connection of each

The Alumnae Association of Mills

alumna with Mills College;

College (AAMC) provides a number of

• Work continuously to ensure that the

ways to remain involved with the College

AAMC is a welcoming and inclusive

and with your classmates throughout the year and I invite you all to take advan-

Know your board: Members of the AAMC Board of Governors are (left to right): Jennifer King ’00, MA ’02, Mills College Director of Alumnae Relations Laura Gobbi (liaison to the Board), Darice Balabanis, MBA ’08, Treasurer Karlin Sorenson ’92, Vice President Lynda Campfield ’00, MA ’02, Vice President Linda Jaquez-Fissori ’92, Sharon Tong Pierson ’06, MBA ’07, President Anita Aragon Bowers ’63, Viji Nakka-Cammauf, MA ’82, Lucy Do ’75, Cynthia Guevara ’04, Alumna Trustee Lyn Flanigan ’65, Michelle Balovich ’03, Beverly Curwen ’71, and Alumna Trustee Gayle Rothrock ’68. Not pictured: Alumna Trustee Julia Almanzan ’92, Faculty Representative Vivian Fumiko Chin ’89, Rita Stuckey, MA ’01, EdD ’05, and Rina Faletti ’81.

organization for all alumnae; • Optimize avenues of alumnae com-

For information about a Mills branch

tage of these opportunities. Although the

munication that will maximize the

near you, contact Laura Gobbi at lgobbi@

Memoranda of Agreement of 2005 and

distinct voice, visibility, and effective-

mills.edu or 510.430.2123.

2007 changed the nature and function of

ness of the AAMC;

the AAMC in relation to the College, we

• Reach out to increase alumnae partici-

We are also seeking volunteers to answer telephones or check AAMC email

have continued to provide programs and

pation and volunteerism, and thereby

from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm weekdays as

events through the efforts of board mem-

to maximize the collective value of

well as volunteers to join the Alumnae

bers and volunteers and the support of

our individual efforts;

Relations

our excellent accountant and office manager, Bill White.

• Forge a strong collaborative partnership with the College; and

The nature of the College’s role has changed, too: Upon assuming responsi-

• Ensure effective board governance and management of AAMC.

bility for alumnae programs in 2007, the

Reunion

2010

Committee.

Contact me, anitabowers1@comcast.net or 510.430.3374, for further information.

The Alumnae Association continues to sponsor important traditional events like the Pearl M Dinner and the Winter

College established alumnae relations

The Alumnae Association is asking

Celebration for New Alumnae as well as

and communications teams as part of

for your help in realizing our goals by vol-

newer events such as the AAMC Awards

the Office of Institutional Advancement.

unteering your time and talent. Together,

Ceremony

Today,

rela-

the AAMC and Alumnae Relations offer a

Women of Color, and lectures organized

tions staff, directed by Laura Gobbi,

multitude of ways for you to contribute. If

by the Educational Outreach Committee.

organizes Reunion and serves as a link

you live in the greater Bay Area, it is easy

We eagerly await your ideas for new

between College programs for alumnae

to participate directly on the following

programs and events, especially as we

and AAMC programs. In addition, the

AAMC committees which connect alum-

approach the 20th anniversary of the

College’s advancement communications

nae to each other, to the College, and/

Strike and Mills’ recommitment to wom-

staff, headed by Dawn Cunningham ’85,

or to Mills students: Alumnae of Color,

en’s education. Contact us and find out

publishes the Quarterly and a monthly

Alumnae Student Relations, Educational

what the Alumnae Association can do

enewsletter and is developing an online

Outreach, Graduate Student, Resource,

for you—and what you can do for the

community for Mills alumnae.

and Travel.

Alumnae Association and the College.

the

College’s

alumnae

at

Reunion,

The AAMC continues to be a vital orga-

Alumnae branches throughout the

nization with a clear purpose. Decisions

country offer another way to remain

Warm regards,

of the AAMC board—as well as plans

involved with the College and classmates.

Anita Aragon Bowers ’63

18

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Phenomenal

Bookshelf Jarrettsville Cornelia Nixon Counterpoint Press, 2009

ability for their residents. Interviews with inhabit-

“I stepped out of the barn and saw a gun-flash

downs of life in an intentional community and due

in the dusk, on the dark porch of the hotel, not

consideration is given to issues of aging at home,

straight up but aimed level, and a man fell back-

eco-feminism, self-sufficiency, and how to “green”

wards off the rail and hit the ground… A dark fig-

the nuclear family home. These examples show

ure moved quickly, lightly, down the steps into the

several ways to effectively integrate low- and high-

yard, and I thought I saw a skirt. Was that a woman

tech green technologies with careful planning and

with a gun?”

social networks to satisfy residents’ needs.

ants provide a lively and honest look at the ups and

This shocking event on April 10, 1869, was per-

—LS

petrated by an ancestor of Professor of English

Homegrown: The Terror Within

Cornelia Nixon. In the trial that followed, hundreds of people wondered: What could possibly have

Cialan Haasnic (Anna Nicholas ’79) Bournos Press, 2009

driven Martha Jane Cairnes to murder her fiancé

Richly detailed characters navigate an intricate

in cold blood, in the presence of 50 witnesses, and

plot of anti-government sentiment, mathematical

then beg to be immediately put to death for her

analysis, academic intrigue, and bioweaponry in

crime? Four generations later, Nixon answers that

this author’s debut novel. Meredith Satter, profes-

question in a story wrought with love, loss, loyalty,

sor of mathematics at UC Santa Barbara, has been

and heartbreak.

placed on leave for unstated reasons from her fac-

Set in Maryland immediately after the Civil War,

ulty position, but is quickly recruited to apply her

Martha Jane, part of a family of Confederate sympa-

groundbreaking theories to help the government

thizers, and Nick, a family friend and Union army

predict terrorist threats. As a woman with a nontra-

veteran, develop a complicated romance. Despite

ditional career and a single mother of a challenging

their opposing stances, the two fall deeply in love

teenaged son, she faces more than her fair share

and decide to be married. However, rumors begin

of doubters and difficulties. Inspired, in part, by

to circulate that Martha is engaged in an illicit affair

the author’s observations of widespread panic and

with one of her family’s black servants; when she

paranoia in the aftermath of 9/11, this story leads

becomes pregnant, even Nick can’t help but won-

into a chilling scenario of what could happen if

der whose baby she carries. He deserts Martha at

domestic “homegrown” extremists recruited a few

the altar, she seeks revenge, and the criminal trial

good minds and a few million mosquitos to deliver

that follows is a nail-biting journey to determine

a deadly payload.

—LS

whether Martha Jane Cairnes will live or die.

Nixon first learned of Martha Jane’s true story

From the faculty in 2009: A new book from Brinda

as a young adult. “The family kept it from us kids

J. Mehta, professor of French and Francophone

until we were old enough to be told such an R-rated

Studies, examines Notions of Identity, Diaspora and

tale,” she says. Nixon’s delicately crafted version of

Gender in Caribbean Women’s Writing (Palgrave

the tale uses various sources of information—old

Macmillan Press).

family letters and papers, photographs, local news-

English faculty have published several new books:

papers, and graveyard records—to reconstruct a

Kirsten Saxton’s Narratives of Women and Murder

deeply buried part of her family’s past.

in England 1680–1760 (Ashgate Publishing) and

—KL

Stephen Ratcliffe’s Reading the Unseen: (Offstage)

Living Green: Communities that Sustain

Hamlet (Counterpath Press).

From

the

Math

and

Computer

Science

Jennifer Fosket ’94 and Laura Mamo New Society Publishers, 2009

Department, Zvezda Stankova recounts her experi-

From neighborhoods in downtown Los Angeles to

ence teaching math to young people in A Decade of

villages in northern Quebec, this book presents

the Berkeley Math Circle: The American Experience

informative descriptions of several communities

(American Mathematical Society) and Steve Givant

that have been created with the goal of increas-

is co-author of the undergraduate text Introduction

ing environmental, social, and economic sustain-

to Boolean Algebras (Springer Verlag).

fa l l 2 0 0 9

19

In Memoriam

Notices of deaths received before September 22, 2009

Sybil Johnson Dray ’41 Sybil Johnson Dray, former Mills student body president and editor of the Weekly, passed away on July 10 in Litchfield Park, Arizona.

After graduation, Dray continued to serve the College and its students with dedication and zeal as assistant director of admissions. She also served on the AAMC Board of Governors, as a member of the Mills College Board of Trustees, and as editor of the Mills Quarterly. Wherever she lived— in Oakland, San Francisco, Scarsdale, and the Houston area—she remained involved in educational, community, and Mills alumnae organizations.

Survivors include her husband, Lester; children Douglas and Susan Dray ’72; three grandchildren; sisters Barbara Johnson Penhallow ’46 and Sarah Johnson Stewart ’56; and nieces Christine Ann Hagelin ’70, Maquita Biven Denison ’75, and Laura Ann Bramble, MA ’90.

Gifts in Memory of Received June 1–August 31, 2009 Suzanne Adams ’48 by Lynn Eve Komaromi ’87 Glenn l. Allen Jr. by Katherine and Glenn Allen III, P ’04 Nancy Van Norman Baer ’66

by Alan Baer Joan Gilbert Bailin ’51 by Martha McMaster Quimby ’51 Sheila Weibert Ballantyne ’58

by Margaret Roberts Tomczak ’58 Yuri Basalaev, grandfather of Anna Basalaev-Binder ’12, by Poldi Binder and Misha Basalaev, P ’12

Betty Wilson Newbegin ’30, February 7, in Lacey, Washington.

She was a social worker by profession, an active church volunteer, and a board member of a residential facility for adolescent girls. She is survived by a daughter and two granddaughters.

Elinor Hoffman Carlen ’31, MA ’33, June 21, in Twain Harte, California.

She was a cellist with the San Francisco Symphony, teacher on the Hupa Valley Indian Reservation, and an employee of Pacific Telephone and Telegraph.

She is survived by four children and six grandchildren.

Evelyn Moss Mace ’35, December 7, 2008, in Dixon, California.

Survivors include a daughter and cousin Harriette Erwyn Davis ’54.

Audrey Bonnette Gooden ’37, March 2, in Austin, Texas. She founded the Women’s Golf Association at Onion Creek Golf Club. Survivors include three children and seven grandchildren.

Virginia Trussell Menzies ’38, November 2, 2008, in Canada.

Ann Peck Ward ’38, July 5, in Spicer, Minnesota. A 50-year resident of Kansas City, she was a leader in many civic organizations and served Mills College as a branch president and regional director. She summered in Minnesota each year, where she contributed greatly to the Green Lake Historical Society. Survivors include three children and 10 grandchildren.

Jane Trabucco Rust ’40, February 27, 2008, in Wawona, California. A postal clerk for many years in Yosemite National Park, her survivors include two children.

Ruzena “Duda” Chytilova Kutvirt, MA ’42, February 25, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A native of Czechoslovakia, she traveled back to her home country after college but returned to the U.S. in 1949 to escape the Communist regime.

Joan Potter Berns ’38, May 16, in Peabody, Kansas. She was deeply involved in many community projects and church activities.

Survivors include four children and 11 grandchildren.

Eleanore Lundegaard Nissen ’42, January 6, in Orinda, California.

She lived in Long Beach, California, and Houston, Texas, before returning to the Bay Area in 1978. Survivors include her sister Laura Lundegaard Anderson ’45.

Walter Byron Jr., husband of Yvonne Steele Byron ’50 and brother of Andrea Byron Earle ’49,

by Margaret Bard Fall ’50, P ’81, Yvonne Steele Byron ’50

Constance “Conni” Stone Goldeen ’50 by Susan and Gregory Laughlin, Barry Liu

Sybil “Syb” Johnson Dray ’41 by Paul and Jane Heberling Egner ’59, Mills College Club of New York, Mary-Lee Lipscomb Reade ’41, Mildred Eberle Rothrock ’41, Sarah Johnson Stewart ’56, Mike Shaw Swan ’56, Margaret “Peggy” Weber ’65, P ’02

Kenneth Hall, husband of Doris Mott Hall ’51 by Mills College Club of New York

June-Marie Fink Engelbrecht ’51, MA ’53, by Mary Johnson Basye ’51, P ’81 Clifford Evans, P ’63, by Barbara Evans ’63

Denyse Gross ’72 by Kenneth Morrison

William and Jacqueline Hennigh, P ’72, by Susan Hennigh ’72 Helen Buehler, P ’59, mother of Jane Buehler Yates ’59, by Alice London Bishop ’58 and Bruce Bishop, P ’87 John Hohmann by Sharon Bramkamp Hohmann ’56 Margaret and Peter Mancina by Marianne Mancina ’69

Martha Drozthen Seaton Crittenden ’44, August 28, in Medford, Oregon. Born in Honolulu, she worked at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, taught secondary math and history, and took joy in her family and friends. She is survived by three children, two stepchildren, and six grandchildren.

Isabel Schemel Mulcahy ’44, September 5, in Palo Alto, California. She was active with the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club for over 50 years and served on the Alumnae Association of Mills College Board of Governors in the mid-1960s. She is survived by her husband, Thomas; four children; and nine grandchildren.

Marjorie May Davis Reed ’45, March 23, in Denver, Colorado.

She was an owner of Reed Ambulances, a gardener, bridge player, and Broncos fan. Survivors include five children and nine grandchildren.

Noreen McAllister Schwinger Hough ’48, August 7, in Hillsborough, California. She was a member of several recreational clubs and was involved in many charity groups. She is survived by her husband, Thomas; four

Jean Currin Jenkins ’35 by Elizabeth Bryant Miles ’34 Boitumelo “Tumi” McCallum ’09

by Fred Hayward, Tebojo Moja, P ’09, Margaret Moja Diane McEntyre by Vanessa Davis Mullally ’82 Robaline Jenne Meacham ’43, MA ’44, by Maria and Frank Lorch Marcia Miller ’63 by Charlotte Armstrong, Chris Armstrong, Claire Armstrong, Jon Armstrong, Sally Miller Baumwell ’66 and Mark Baumwell, Barbara Goldblatt Becker ’63, Mary Root Campbell ’63, Judy Horwedel Clark ’63, Joan and John Foudy, Penelope “Penny” Tonkin Garris ’63, Mary Ann Childers Kinkead ’63, Eileen O’Farrell ’63, Catherine Hamblen Rafferty ’63, Susan Rose

Margaret Moore Bryde by Maribelle Leavitt

Harold “Harry” Ferris, husband of Ellen Graue Ferris ’46, MA ’51, by Betty Rowen McCord ’46

30

p=parent; For information about making a tribute gift, contact 510.430.2097 or donors@mills.edu.

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Gwendolyn Houghton, by Betsy and Victor Chen, Esther Riester

daughters; nine grandchildren; and her cousin, Marilyn Larsen ’47.

people around the world on how to start parks of their own.

include her husband, Steven, and two children.

Elizabeth Olson Marshall, MA ’48, April 21, in Bloomfield, Connecticut. She studied with Martha Graham and was a faculty member at the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury, where she created the school’s dance program. She is survived by two daughters.

Nancy Goldberg Todes ’60, June 4, in Dallas, Texas. She was an elementary school teacher for two decades and volunteered with Temple Emanu-El and the League of Women Voters. She is survived by two children and two grandchildren.

Leonor Fernandez Tiongson ’98, July 18, in Las Vegas.

Constance Stone Goldeen ’50, August 2, in Orinda, California.

She was editor of the Weekly at Mills and contributed great energy to the Orinda Mills Club and to the Alumnae Association of Mills College. She had careers as a retail buyer and residential real estate agent and was a skilled chef. She is survived by two sons and two grandchildren.

Shirley Jo Harden Minor ’53, June 17, in Oakdale, California. She is survived by three children.

Evelyn Aeberhard Laughlin ’56, December 21, 2008, in Sacramento, California.

She had a 31-year career as an elementary school teacher.

She is survived by two children and four grandchildren.

Doris Richards ’59, July 27, in Berkeley, California. A founder of Ohlone Dog Park, the world’s first off-leash dog park, she served as the park association’s president from 1985 until 2001 and advised

’63, Linda Barker Spear ’63, Judith Salzer Warner ’63, Emily Yarnall ’63 Patricia Taylor Milligan ’47, P ’73

by Donald Milligan, P ’73 Elsie Richmond Monette ’46 by Diane Allen, Edna and Patton Chapman, Mitzi and N. E. Cleaver, Henry Exall Jr., Ellen Higginbotham Rogers ’63, Martia and Mark Smith Jr., Janet and Joe Tydlaska Elizabeth Murray, MFA ’64, by Mills College Club of New York Susan Harnly Peterson ’46 by Betty Chu Wo ’46 Lucille Haynes Snyder ’26 by Roberta Rice Treseder ’43 Martha “Marty” Wickland Stumpf ’46 by Marleen Burke, Madeleine Ebbesen Davis ’46

Margaret “Marnie” Spiegel Collister ’63, April 15, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She loved travel, sports, and entertaining, and was active in local civic affairs. She is survived by her husband, Douglas; two children; and four grandchildren.

Dawn Davis ’63, June 16, in San Antonio, Texas. She is survived by many cousins and friends.

Lucy Wren Turner-Powers ’64, July 13, in Santa Rosa, California.

Jane Barry Kerrick, MA ’65, July 7, in Calistoga, California.

Deborah Potts Quanaim, MA ’68, August 23, in Houston, Texas. She was chair of the fine arts department at Houston City College and was influential as a dancer and choreographer in the Houston area for 30 years.

Survivors include her husband, Henry, and two children.

Jonna Pelto Espey ’87, August 29, in New York City. She was an accomplished watercolorist, naturalist, and yogi. Survivors

Shirley Summy Taylor ’41, P ’67, mother of Terry Taylor Elwood ‘67,

by Anne Murphy ’67 Chieko Teraoka, P ’77, my mother,

by Yoko Tashiro Olsgaard ’77, P ’04 Clinton Warne, husband of Katharine Mulky Warne ’45, by Isabelle Hagopian Arabian ’45 Ruth “Ruthie” Sherrill Webb ’48, P ’71, mother of Marian “Mimi” Webb-Miller ‘71, by Nancy Butts Whittemore ’48 Shirley Weishaar by Michelle Balovich ’03 Margariete Montague Wheeler ’60 by Kathryn Mallett Chadwick ’60 Richard Wistar, P ’60, P ’67, by Alice Wistar Herbert ’67 Mary Swift Wuerthner ’51 by Nola Texley Breckenridge ’51

Martha “Marci” Bruch Dayley ’07, July 24, in Baltimore, Maryland. She was passionate about cooking, music, language, literature, and family history and planned to pursue an MFA in creative writing at the University of Baltimore. She is survived by her husband, Larry; two children; and three grandsons.

Courtney Allison-Pickens Donnell ’08, September 21, in Oakland. She worked as a policy intern at The Greenlining Institute from 2006 to 2008 and was a fellow in the Policy and International Affairs Program at Princeton University in 2007. She had also volunteered for the office of Congresswoman Barbara Lee ’73 and the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights.

Spouses & Family Walter H. Byron, husband of Yvonne Steele Byron ’50 and brother of Andrea Byron Earle ’49, June 11, in Piedmont, California.

Leon Kirchner Composer Leon Kirchner, professor of music at Mills from 1954 to 1961, died September 17 at his home in New York. He was 90.

The Los Angeles Times wrote that Kirchner’s work was “atonal yet romantic… emotionally supercharged but also structurally rigorous.” He studied with and was greatly influenced by Arnold Schoenberg at UCLA, but maintained his own original aesthetic of musical style and expression. Although not as enamored of electronic music as many of his contemporaries, he did include a line for electronic tape in his String Quartet No. 3, for which he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1967. Kirchner’s final work, The Forbidden, was premiered by the Boston Symphony in October 2008.

Survivors include his companion, Sally Wardwell, two children, and a stepdaughter.

John Fall, husband of Margaret Bard Fall ’50 and father of Elizabeth Fall Raskin ’81, July 8, in San Francisco.

John Hohmann, husband of Sharon Bramkamp Hohmann ’56, July 7, in Sunnyvale, California.

Michael Majchrzak, former husband of Elizabeth Nusbaum Majchrzak ’75, May 5, in Moraga, California.

Faculty & Staff

Merce Cunningham

Martin Butler, July 25, in Alameda, California. Head painter in the corporation yard from 1978 to 1992, he worked at the Duckski lodge and the crew boat house. He was honored with a Pearl M in 1986 and continued to volunteer at Mills Commencement long after retirement. He is survived by his wife, Mary; five children, including Bernadette “Bobbi” Butler ’86 and Rosaleen Butler Sturlini ’90; and five grandchildren, including Brenda Finnell Ellis ’94.

It could be argued that Mills College set dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham on his path to becoming one of the most important artists of the 20th century. It was at Mills summer sessions that Cunningham met Martha Graham. It was also at Mills that Cunningham met John Cage, who became his most significant musical collaborator and life partner.

Cunningham died in Manhattan on July 26 at the age of 90. fa l l 2 0 0 9

31

Sound off!

“This is not a fair question. The whole campus is filled with gorgeous architecture and landscaping,” says Jaynet Long Tagami ’87. Heather Hanley ’00 suggests, “The bench on the lawn—it’s our class gift. Or the waterfall behind Alumnae House. Or the courtyard between Ethel Moore and Mary Morse. Or the pond. Or the creek. Gosh, it’s such a beautiful school, how do you pick just one?!” Nevertheless, we received more evocative responses than we have room to print when we asked alumnae through our email newsletter and Facebook page:

What is your favorite or most memorable spot on campus?

I offer up the original front gates: We all share that special something that washes over us when we pass through those gates: a sigh of relief perhaps, a breath of fresh air. They stand as a beacon in a busy city, a portal leading to higher learning, laboratories, and a lifetime of change. Think about those early Mills women, back in the day. . . . Did they know that their actions would push multiple gates open for all women yet to come? I bet they did. —Liza Kuney ’88 I would play piano at night in the Music Building practice rooms while my friend Charlotte Wing would practice cello; after an hour or so, we’d take a break and go smoke a cigarette on the balcony.

It was so quiet and peaceful, the only sounds being music from the other rooms and a few crickets chirping. Refreshed and renewed, we’d go back in and practice some more.

—Alice Lorena Flick ’50

The Chapel. My friends and I would go there when it was empty and stand in a circle at the altar and sing, allowing our voices to rise and echo through the building.

—Jigna Babla Shah ’01

The up-and-down pathway along the halls and stairs of Ethel Moore and through to Mary Morse Hall.

My sister started at Mills the year before me, and it took only a minute to jog to her room when I was homesick. —Kristen Anderson ’69 As one of the last students to live in Mills Hall, I would bound down the beautiful staircase each morning to wonderful breakfasts in the dining room. Best of all was the Victorian living room, with its tall ceilings and fireplaces, where we would gather after meals, for hall meetings, or to decorate the tall Christmas tree. I loved climbing the ladder to place ornaments at

the top. I’m Jewish, so this was a special treat for me.

—Liz Ruderman Miller ’70 The pond area by the Music Building is soothing and peaceful—an excellent place to gather my thoughts before class and reflect afterwards.

—Evelynn Burton, MA ’74 When I lived in a far corner of Ethel Moore, I had two windows that each had a view of a place no one could get to (without a ladder) in walled areas by the kitchen door. It was like a forgotten garden of overgrown and neglected plants. I loved that

place even though I never stepped foot in it. —Luisa Gerasimo ’86 The view from inside the library overlooking all those fluttering trees and quiet little stream through that giant glass window.

Oh! It even made studying seem okay. —Tracy Edwards Newel ’03 Ironically, time seems to stand still when I’m at sundial behind CPM. It could be the birds in the nearby trees or the fact that it doesn’t get a lot of traffic, but the sundial is peaceful and rejuvenating. I go there when I need to slow down and catch my breath. —Kiala Givehand ’10

Regardless of the season, I swam every day in the heated swimming pool next to the Tea Shop. It gave me the opportunity to unwind, relax, and reflect. The pool is no longer there, but on the occasions that I visit campus I look out over the plaza and remember, and it feels good. —Carolyn Verse ’73

Read more alumnae responses in an online supplement at www.mills.edu/quarterly.

32

M i l l s Q u a r t e r ly

Want to be part of the next “Sound off”? Sign up for the @mills email newsletter—just send your email address to alumnae-relations@mills.edu along with your full name, any previous name, and class year. Write “@mills” in the subject line of your message.

Alumnae tr avel 2010

Celebrating and Remembering the Civil Rights Movement April 6–11, 2010 Mills Professor of Sociology Bruce Williams (right) accompanies our group as we visit many of the pivotal sites of the American Civil Rights Movement, including Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church, the backbone of the 1955-1956 Montgomery bus boycott; the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute; and Edmund Pettis Bridge (pictured), where voting rights marchers were violently confronted by law enforcement personnel in 1965. An outstanding teacher and recognized expert on race relations, Williams will provide insights to deepen your understanding and appreciation of the movement and the people’s determination to achieve equality. $2,195 per person double occupancy, $495 single supplement Visit www.mills.edu/alumnae/activities/travel.php for a full itinerary and for other upcoming alumnae travel opportunities.

For reservations, call the AAMC office: 510.430.2110 or 510.430.3373.

Nominate your choice for Alumna Trustee The Alumnae Association of Mills College Nominating Committee is seeking an alumna/us who has demonstrated service and support to the AAMC and the College to serve as Alumna Trustee for 2010 to 2013. We invite you, the alumnae of Mills College, to submit candidate nominations before January 8, 2010.

Three Alumnae Trustees sit on both the Board of Trustees of Mills College and the Board of Governors of the AAMC. These volunteers are expected to attend several meetings annually of each board and serve as a liaison between the two boards. The term for the 2010–13 Alumna Trustee position begins July 1, 2010. Contact Cynthia Guevara, Nominating Committee chair, at guevaracyn@yahoo.com, or call the AAMC offices at 510.430.3373 or 510.430.3374 for further information.

Nominations may be submitted by mail to the Nominating Committee, AAMC, PO Box 9998, Oakland, CA 94613, or via email to Cynthia Guevara, guevaracyn@yahoo.com. Please include your nominee’s name, class year, address, telephone, and email address, as well as your own name.

Up to three final nominees will be featured in the winter Quarterly. All alumnae are eligible to vote using the mail-in ballots provided in that issue.

Remember, the nomination deadline is Friday, January 8, 2010.

Mills Quarterly Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd.

Oakland, CA 94613-1301 510.430.3312 quarterly@mills.edu www.mills.edu Address service requested Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, CA and at additional mailing office(s)

A tradition of experimental music Sunday, January 24, 4:00 pm

Dewing Recital: Imogen Cooper Plays Schubert The program consists of three major piano works that were incomplete at the time of Schubert’s death: Sonata in C minor, op.posth. D958; Sonata in A major, op.posth. D959; and Sonata in B flat major, op.posth. D960.

Monday, February 15

Saturday, February 27

Viktoria Mullova Plays Bach

Mills Performing Group II

Returning after her thrilling February 2007 performance, violinist Mullova performs Sonata No. 1 in G minor, BWV 1001; Partita No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006; and Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004.

The Eclipse Quartet, Morton Subotnick, William Winant, Joan Jeanrenaud, and others perform works by Steve Reich, Zeena Parkins, Luciano Berio, Morton Subotnick, and Steed Cowart.

Saturday, February 20

Julia Wolfe, Jean Macduff Vaux Composer-in-Residence A founding member of Bang on a Can, Wolfe’s music is muscular and kinetic, with an intense focus on the power of sound.

Saturday, April 3

Lore of Moments An evening of improvisational music with Mills faculty, special guests New York keyboardist Wayne Horvitz and French percussionist Le Quan Ninh, and others.

Saturday, February 6

Bob Ostertag, David Tudor Composerin-Residence The radical electronic music composer/ improviser presents original works and collaborations with Mills students.

All performances are at 8:00 pm in the Littlefield Concert Hall (unless otherwise noted). $15 general, $10 seniors and non-Mills students, free to alumnae with AAMC card For details or to purchase tickets, see musicnow.mills.edu or contact Steed Cowart, steed@mills.edu or 510.430.2334.