Mills Quarterly winter 2009 by Mills Quarterly

Destination: Inauguration

î&#x192;

The economics of education

î&#x192;

Changing the face of politics

Mills Quarterly Winter 2009 Alumnae Magazine

A campus treasure shines anew

“When I saw my name on the Maurthea Friedberger Cup

with all the other winners since the early 20th century, I felt like I became a part of Mills history. I cannot express how grateful I am

to have received the Dean’s Scholarship and the Donner Scholarship in Music, which gave me the opportunity to achieve this success.”

Help more students like Akiko attend Mills!

Akiko Hatakeyama ’09 Major:

Music.

By providing two merit-based scholarships; partly because of this support, Akiko chose Mills over Columbia University.

How Mills invests in her:

Was awarded the Maurthea Friedberger Cup, given each year to the most outstanding music major.

Notable achievement:

Make a gift by phone: talk to the student who calls you on behalf of the Mills College Annual Fund or call 510.430.2366. Send a gift in the enclosed envelope. Give online at www.mills.edu/giving.

Mills Quarterly

contents

Winter 2009 2

A message from the President: Mills and the economy

President Janet L. Holmgren presents an overview of Mills’ financial status and response to the global economic downturn.

In harmony with history by Valerie Sullivan

Careful restoration of the Music Building integrates 21st-century improvements with historic artistry to inspire future generations of musicians and composers.

16 Finance the nation’s future by Linda Schmidt and Lisa Chung ’79 Pressured by the credit crunch and shrinking government grants, students draw on a variety of financial resources to fund their education.

20 Alumna Trustee nominations This year’s candidates submit their statements for election to the College Board of Trustees and the AAMC Board of Governors.

32 Sound off! Four members of the Mills community share their perspective on how the 2008 election has changed the political landscape for women and people of color in this country.

Departments 4

Letters to the Editor

Mills Matters

Bookshelf

Class Notes

In Memoriam

On the cover: The newly restored Music Building sparkles in the evening twilight. Photo by Dana Davis.

A Message from Volume XCVII Number 3 (USPS 349-900) Winter 2009 President Janet L. Holmgren Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement Ramon S. Torrecilha Vice President for Development Virginia V. Rivera Director of Development and Alumnae Communications Dawn Cunningham ’85 Managing Editor Linda Schmidt Design and Art Direction Nancy Siller Wilson Contributing Writers Lisa Chung ’79 Valerie Sullivan Research Assistance Amber Williams ’10 Editorial Assistance Kelsey Lindquist ’10

current global economic recession is affecting the financial status of colleges and universities across the country. Mills is no exception and must be prepared to make many tough decisions to address short-term and long-term challenges. Whether you are an alumna/us or a close friend of the College, you hold a great stake in the future of this 157-yearold institution. I am writing to share with you information about the steps we are taking to address these challenges—as well as good news about our successes in student recruitment, construction of academic facilities, and fundraising. Despite the economic crisis facing our nation, undergraduate enrollment is strong. We have exceeded our enrollment expectations for the spring 2009 semester with 39 entering students, four more than we had planned. Applications for undergraduate admission are again at

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.

ter, compared with 1,100 at this time last

very little capital debt. Along with our

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

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

unprecedented financial challenges. The

Special Thanks To Anita Aragon Bowers ’63 Cynthia Guevara ’04

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

As Mills College begins 2009, we face

an all-time high with 1,700 applications already received for the fall 2009 semesyear. Graduate applications are up 156 percent for fall 2009. We have 19 new graduate students enrolled for the spring 2009 semester. With your help, Mills has recently invested in much-needed improvements to academic facilities, while incurring outstanding faculty, these buildings will enable us to continue to attract top students and provide them with a state-ofthe-art educational experience. We have just finished an 18-month renovation of the Music Building—being celebrated with a six-concert music festival from February through April—and we are on target to complete construction of the

Mills College President Janet L. Holmgren atively affected the value of our endow-

to serving our students, alumnae, and

ment, which declined by 35 percent over

donors efficiently and productively with

the last 18 months (on August 31, 2007,

less than a full complement of staff.

our endowment stood at $230 million).

Academic excellence is our highest

This decline is typical for endowments

priority. We will continue the searches

nationwide. Twenty percent of Mills’

for new faculty members in three depart-

operating budget is funded out of our

ments—Dance, Education, and English—as

endowment “payout” (the income that we

it is crucial to maintain the quality of our

can spend from our endowment), which

curriculum, research, and teaching. As

is capped at 6 percent over a 12-quarter

we look at the long term, any requests

trailing average.

for new faculty positions will receive a

Although no one can predict what the next six months will bring, we need to

careful review by the Provost and the President.

prepare for the possibility that there may

To manage our budget in the cur-

be further declines in endowment value—

rent fiscal year and plan for the next,

and further reductions in this important

our process for reviewing expenses, sav-

source of operating revenue. We are for-

ings, and new revenue opportunities will

tunate that our endowment investments

involve all College academic departments

and cash policies provide Mills with suf-

and administrative offices, the execu-

ficient cash to meet our 12- to 18-month

tive board of the Associated Students of

projected liquidity needs. But to assure

Mills College, and the leadership of the

that we are being fiscally responsible

Alumnae Association of Mills College. At

new “green” building for the Lorry I.

in the long term, we are determined to

a meeting of our Board of Trustees on

Lokey Graduate School of Business this

reduce both operational and personnel

February 26 and 27 (taking place while

summer. These projects follow the open-

expenses by approximately $2.5 million in

this Quarterly is on press), we will deter-

ing, in fall 2007, of the Betty Irene Moore

the 2009–10 fiscal year. We recognize that

mine tuition and fees for 2009–10. This

Natural Sciences Building.

further reductions may be necessary in

decision will reflect careful research and

fiscal years 2010—2011 and 2011—2012.

analysis of the financial prospects for the

Our alumnae and friends continue to

College and our students.

provide the College with strong support

Mills’ commitment to providing finan-

for students, faculty, and facilities. We

cial aid in support of our students is

I remain confident in the wisdom of

are deeply grateful for your loyalty and

unwavering. This year, we have awarded

our Trustees, the dedication of our staff

your confidence in Mills. As of January

$17.8 million in institutional funds. We

and faculty, the strengths of our students,

15, the College had received $14.5 mil-

expect this to be a long economic down-

and the commitment of our generous

lion in gifts toward a $15 million goal for

turn, and we expect demands for finan-

alumnae and donors. I know that many

the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2009.

cial aid to increase.

of you have made it a priority to support

We expect to surpass our goal this year.

While the College’s future is strong and

Mills despite economic challenges that

Of the gifts received to date, $5.8 million

our reputation is solid, we must be con-

you are personally experiencing. Your

are unrestricted—a most crucial gift cat-

servative and strategic in these difficult

choices make a world of difference right

egory, because we can direct these funds

economic times. Earlier this academic

now for the College and—especially—for

to meet the College’s greatest needs. This

year, Mills announced a hiring freeze of

our students.

amount exceeds the unrestricted gift goal

all but mission-critical staff; that hiring

of $3.5 million for the year.

freeze will continue to be in effect until

Sincerely,

Even with such positive indicators, the

further notice. Our administrative offices

Janet L. Holmgren

volatility of these financial times has neg-

have shown tremendous commitment

President

winter 2009

Letters to the Editor i n a u g u r a l a l u m n a e awa r d s



follow our fulbrights



t h e C h a p e l' s C r e at o r s

Mills Quarterly Winter/Spring 2008 Alumnae Magazine

Sar ah

S teve n son ’ s

Celebrating Science

a rtic le

courses in the history of printing from

on the new MFA in book art and creative

rare book librarian Martin Antonetti. I

writing (“A new chapter in book art,” fall

enjoyed the photos, particularly seeing

2008) with great interest and memories.

Kathy and Julie Chen in the studio. Julie

I’m pleased to hear that the book arts are

was in our class, and I remember a gath-

thriving at Mills under Kathy Walkup’s

ering at her home: We were amazed to

devoted leadership and will once again

find a complete printing studio, includ-

offer a graduate degree. I was in the book

ing a Vandercook press, in what was once

art master’s program in the 1980s, and it

apparently her garage. She was already

placed me in a position to pursue work in

well on her way, designing and creating

fine art printing, which I continue now,

her own books. Congratulations to Kathy

20 years later. We too were the lucky

and Julie for a brilliant, bold “first” with

S eve r a l

beneficiaries of visiting lecturers from

this MFA offering!

Holmgren to say that we need more

r ea d

the renowned Bay Area book, binding, and print world as well as memorable

yea r s ago ,

I wrote to President

—Wendy (Shapiro) Wentworth, MA ’89

women in American healthcare, specifi-

Director, Greenwich Workshop Press

cally as physicians. I was thrilled with

Hamden, Connecticut

the winter/spring 2008 Mills Quarterly, (“Celebrating science”) and the support

Meet the provost



they write—and Make—the books



reunion revisited

Mills Quarterly Fall 2008 Alumnae Magazine

that the College is giving to women entering scientific fields. I am giving the publication to the principal of Corona del Mar High School in Newport Beach for the use of the counselors there, who process hundreds of bright young women every year. I encourage other Mills alumnae to pass along news of the College in

Music at Mills From Milhaud to Mauleón

the same way. —Laura Bekeart Dietz ’67 Corona del Mar, California

At Mills, for Alumnae Alumnae Relations 510.430.3363 www.mills.edu/alumnae Find out about Reunion, alumnae clubs, and events; update your contact information; and request our @mills enewsletter. Email: alumnae-relations@mills.edu Laura Gobbi, Director.....................510.430.2112 Alexandra Wong, Program Coordinator.................... 510.430.3363 Email for life https://alumnae.mills.edu Career Services 510.430.2130 Connect with other alumnae in your field through Mills’ career network.

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

Alumnae Admissions Representatives 510.430.2135 Help prospective students learn more about the College. Joan Jaffe, Associate Dean of Admission Email: Joanj@mills.edu

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

Giving to Mills www.mills.edu/giving Make gifts to the Mills College Annual Fund or the AAMC endowment. Holly Stanco, Annual Fund Director Email: hstanco@mills.edu ...........510.430.2366

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

To contact any of these Mills College staff or offices by mail, please write to: Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613

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

Mills Matters Put your money where the math is School of Education receives grant to train math and science teachers In recognition of Mills’ long history of

lege entrance and higher-paying occupa-

preparing outstanding teachers, the

tions,” says Mills College Professor of

National Science Foundation (NSF) has

Education Ruth Cossey, who is leading

awarded the College with a $750,000

the program.

grant to prepare science and math edu-

The School of Education is partnering

cators. The program, part of the Open

with the departments of Mathematics,

the Gate Robert Noyce Teacher Scholars

Computer Science, Chemistry, Physics,

Program, aims to increase the number of

and Biology to recruit junior-year stu-

graduates in science and math education

dents to participate in the NSF program.

in order to address the national short-

The graduate scholarships are open to

age of qualified teachers in these fields.

all applicants or current students in the

Upon graduation, Mills scholarship

School of Education interested in math

recipients will be required to teach for at

and science education. Professionals

least two years in a high-needs school.

currently working in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

qualified teachers committed to social

students in the School of Education with

fields interested in education are also

justice,” says Joseph Kahne, dean of the

$15,000 scholarships; twelve $10,000

encouraged to apply. Awards will first be

School of Education.

scholarships will also be provided for

granted in fall 2009; the program will

seniors in math and science fields who

continue over the next four years.

The funds will provide 36 graduate

“The shortage of math and science

and the School of Education’s dedication

teachers is particularly alarming for stu-

to preparing educators, this program will

dents of color and low-income students

become the model of teacher education

For information about admission to the School of Education, contact the Office of Graduate Admission at 510.430.3309 or grad-admission@mills.edu. More information about the School of Education is available at

because these fields open doors to col-

in science and math, producing highly

http://www.mills.edu/education.

Elizabeth Rood, a doctoral student in

guardians; resolve conflicts and promote

High School in 2005. She already holds

the Mills College School of Education

safety; or promote civic engagement and

both teaching and administrative creden-

and principal of Leadership High School,

community service. The award provides a

tials from Mills and is now completing

a small public charter school in San

$5,000 grant for the recipient’s school.

a doctoral degree in educational leader-

plan to pursue teaching.

“Given our long history of diversity

A matter of principal

ship.

Francisco, has earned national recogni-

Leadership High School has developed

tion for her work building positive rela-

relationships with youth and civic orga-

“Elizabeth is the kind of student and

tionships between her school and the

nizations, churches, healthcare providers,

graduate who makes the entire faculty of

surrounding community.

and others to create a support network

the School of Education proud. Her lead-

MetLife

for their students and families and has

ership work has significance locally and

Foundation Ambassadors in Education

been recognized for its work in closing

nationally,” says Associate Professor of

Award, which honors exceptional edu-

the achievement gap between minority

Education David M. Donahue.

cators who establish partnerships with

and white students.

Rood

received

the

2008

community organizations, parents, and

Rood became principal of Leadership

winter 2009

j a m e s c o at e s

Destination: inauguration By President Janet L. Holmgren Mills College was well represented at the 2009 inauguration of U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama, and I want to share some of the highlights of the experience with our colleagues, alumnae, and friends on campus and around the country and the world. Ten undergraduate students, several administrators, a Trustee, and I were among the crowds that thronged to Washington DC to experience firsthand this historic and thrilling moment in American history. Our students raised support for their travel themselves, tapping resources both inside and outside the College.

Head east, young woman: Mills students and administrators traveled to Washington DC to witness the presidential inauguration. Here, they gather at a reception for alumnae in the area. Back row: Tianna Terry, Jabrilla Carr, Tracy Peerson-Faye; middle row: Stephanie Cooper, Mariah Olivera, Dean of Student Life Joi Lewis; front row: Alexa Hall, Kalisi Kupu, Steffi Zarifis, President Holmgren

On the Sunday before the inauguAt the inauguration itself on January

ration, Mills’ Office of Institutional

leadership. We celebrated the fact that

Advancement organized a get-together

Mills always shows up—that our small

20, the Mills contingent was spread

for those of us in town for the event

but powerful community is commit-

around the city. I had the good fortune

and for our alumnae and friends in

ted to being participants in historical

to be in a seated section below and

the greater DC area—a big and happy

social change as well as the beneficia-

to the right of the podium, thanks to

turnout! We celebrated the moment

ries of it. We are proud of alumna and

Trustee Cissie Swig and Senator Dianne

when the values of equality, justice,

Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s election

Feinstein. Given the crowds and the

knowledge, creativity, and inclusivity,

to chair the Congressional Black Caucus

complexity of gaining entry to the

so core to Mills’ identity, would also, we

and proud of the fact that we excel in

Capitol grounds, I wasn’t able to find

hoped, become reflected in new national

the education of women for leadership.

Cissie nor was I able to locate our Mills contingent, but we were all connected in spirit. After hours of waiting in the

Women in Washington: On the morning of the inauguration ceremony, 10 Mills students woke up as early as 2:00 am in a rented Virginia townhouse, braved jam-packed Metro cars into the heart of Washington DC, and endured a long wait in 18-degree weather to witness the historic event. Though members of the Mills group were separated in the crush of people—some viewed the inauguration from the National Mall and others watched on big screens inside the National Museum of the American Indian—the trip was considered a success. “The inauguration represents a new beginning for America,” said Jabrilla Carr ’10. “I went because of the energy and excitement when Obama was elected; I just needed to be there when he was sworn in.”

friendly, diverse, cold line, I finally slipped into my seat at 11:29 am. I was not prepared for the emotions that swept over me as Aretha Franklin sang “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” and this amazing event unfolded: pride, gratitude, hope, relief. There were some highs and lows in the ceremony itself, but the overall experience was of being part of a historic moment so much bigger than any one of us and so important to the people of the

While in Washington, the group also attended the Mills alumnae gathering (see President’s letter and page 28). The students are now preparing a documentary of their inauguration experience. Each member of the contingent contributed their own money and participated in additional fundraising efforts. The trip was further supported by Mills College, the Associated Students of Mills College, and the Black Women’s Collective.

world as well as the country.

“Everywhere we went that day, although we did not know the people around us, they did not seem like strangers,” freshwoman Mariah Olivera wrote in a letter to The Campanil, Mills’ student-run news weekly. “All of the hundreds of thousands of people running around the streets of Washington DC that day were connected by a common goal—to be the change that we wanted to see in the world—and a common perspective: that change was occurring and that we made it happen.”

dren were born, where I established my

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

On a personal note, I was glad to be in the nation’s capital again, where I lived for nearly 18 years, where I attended my first inauguration in 1976, where my chilacademic career. And I was very proud to be there as President of the world’s foremost women’s college—diverse, innovative, engaged Mills College.

Barbara Lee leads for me

The spirit of aloha President Janet L. Holmgren (second from left) thanks Mills Trustee James Andrasick,

In November, Barbara Lee ’73

chairman of the board of Matson Navigation

was named chair of the 43-member

Company (third from left), flanked by

Congressional Black Caucus.

Matt Cox, president of Matson Navigation

“We have an opportunity to really

Company, and Yolanda V. Gonzalez, Matson’s

continue to lead and to continue

vice president of human resources. The

to be the conscience of the Congress,”

recently established Matson Navigation

Lee said to reporters in Washington DC

Company Endowed Scholarship Fund pro-

following her appointment.

vides financial assistance to undergraduate students from Hawaii and Guam.

Lee (D-Oakland) was first elected

Matson, like Mills, has strong ties to Hawaii. Beginning in 1882, Matson’s first ships

to represent California’s Ninth

hauled sugar and other cargo between Hawaii and San Francisco. Cyrus and Susan

Congressional District in 1998 and

Mills were missionaries and teachers in Hawaii before assuming leadership of the

earned international attention as the

Young Ladies’ Seminary in Benicia, California, which they rebuilt as Mills College in

only member of Congress to vote

Oakland. Mills has been educating women from the Hawaiian Islands since 1865,

against the authorization of the use

including Queen Liliuokalani’s nieces, who attended the College in the late 1870s.

of force after the September 11, 2001,

Eight current undergraduate students hail from the islands.

terrorist attacks.

Well over 200 Mills alumnae live in Hawaii today, offering unflagging support for

In 2006, Mills College inaugurated

the College through student recruitment and scholarship funding. The Matson award

the Barbara Lee Distinguished Chair

joins four other scholarships for students from Hawaii: those from the Hawaii Club

in Women’s Leadership, an endowed

of Mills College, Robert and Betty Wo ’46, the Atherton Family, and the William G.

teaching position, in honor of her

Irwin Foundation.

leadership in human rights and social justice. Lee’s political experience began when she was president of the Mills Black Student Union and participated

“We now see women in positions we

in the 1972 presidential campaign of Shirley Chisholm, who in 1968 became the first African American woman to be elected to Congress.

education joined with research and

decades ago—in the professions, on the

teaching in women and gender studies is

Supreme Court—but we also know that

a profoundly transformative experience.”

women are disproportionately repre-

Mills alumna leads Smith faculty

collaborators and as leaders. Women’s

would never have imagined just a few

As the chief academic officer at Smith,

sented among the poor and illiterate, in

Schuster will have oversight of all aca-

the U.S. and internationally,” Schuster

demic programs and will sit on all of the

says. “Women’s colleges help us under-

college’s major committees. She will play

stand that poverty, illiteracy, and vio-

a central role in promoting excellence in

lence are gendered. Just as importantly,

teaching, scholarship, and service.

Marilyn Schuster ’65 has been appointed

at women’s colleges, we learn to value

Schuster credits her Mills education

provost and dean of the faculty at

each other’s talents and each other as

for building her intellectual foundation. “As a Mills student I learned to ask ques-

Northampton, Massachusetts. She will

tions and to approach problems from

begin a four-year term on July 1, 2009. Schuster joined Smith in 1971, where

jim gipe

Smith College, a women’s college in

different angles,” she says. “Throughout our education our teachers pushed us

she is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor

to look harder, write more clearly, read

in the Humanities and a professor in

more carefully, listen more attentively.

the college’s Program for the Study of

These are habits of mind that are useful

Women and Gender. Her teaching and

through life as knowledge and our own

research has focused on contemporary

situations change.” After completing a degree in French

women’s literature, gender studies, and queer studies. Schuster has also collabo-

at Mills, she earned her master’s and

rated with Smith colleague Susan Van

doctoral degrees in French language and

Dyne on curriculum transformation in

literature from Yale University. She dis-

a liberal arts environment and ways to

plays a Pearl M prominently on her Yale

create productive learning climates for

regalia at every official college function.

women and students of color. Marilyn Schuster winter 2009

Calendar For information about the Mills Music Festival 2009, visit www.mills.edu/musicfestival. For information about other Music Department events listed below, contact 510.430.2334 or steed@mills.edu. For the Contemporary Writers Series, contact 510.430.3130 or syoung@mills.edu. For information about art lectures or exhibitions, contact 510.430.2164 or museum@mills.edu.

6  Songlines Series: Lou Mallozzi

Save the Date: Reunion 2009 October 1–4, Convocation on October 2 Celebrating class years ending in 4 and 9 and the

50th Reunion

7:30 pm, Ensemble Room, free The audio artist from Chicago presents Usi scrutati, a series of short low-tech sound performances exploring the tensions between live and mediated experience.

7  Contemporary Writers Series: Vikram Chandra

March

5:30 pm, Mills Hall Living Room, free Sacred Games, Chandra’s highly anticipated second novel, has been described by the New York Times as “paying homage to both Ian Fleming and James Joyce.”

29  Reception with President Janet L. Holmgren

10  Center for Socially Responsible Business Annual Conference

of the Class of 1959

4:00 pm, Far Hills, New Jersey; by reservation only Hosted by Carolyn Booth ’63 and Mills College for alumnae in the tristate region. For information, contact 510.430.3363 or alwong@mllls.edu.

April 3–4  Charming Cottages of Palo Alto For information about purchasing tickets for this tour organized by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club, contact 510.430.3363 or alumnae-relations@mills.edu.

5  Senior Thesis Exhibition Opening reception, 3:00 pm, Mills College Art Museum, free An exhibition of works by Mills senior art studio majors, on view April 1–19.

5  Mills Music Festival 2009: The Music of Fred Frith 3:00 pm, Littlefield Concert Hall; $20 general, $12 alumnae and seniors A rocking birthday concert of new music. A special birthday reception follows.

See back cover.

10  X Sound Festival 8:00 pm, Littlefield Concert Hall, free A festival of new works by Mills senior-year composers.

13  Songlines Series: Ramon Santos

Beate Sirota Gordon in Japan, 1946

16-18  Dance Department Graduate Thesis Concerts 7:30 pm, Lisser Hall, $10 Graduate dance students present the culmination of their work.

18  Concert: Rajeev Taranath 8:00 pm, Littlefield Concert Hall, $12 general, $6 seniors, free with AAMC membership card One of the world’s leading exponents of the sarod (a plucked stringed instrument), Taranth gives an intense, emotional performance of Hindustani classical music.

23  Pearl M Dinner 5:30 pm, Mills College campus; by reservation only The College and the AAMC host a dinner to honor the Class of 2009. For information, contact 510.430.3363 or alwong@mllls.edu.

7:00 pm, Littlefield Concert Hall and Greek Theatre, free The visiting composer and ethnomusicologist from the University of the Philippines will lecture on José Maceda’s Ugnayan, a landmark 1972 piece for 20 radio stations. The program will also include a radio diffusion of this work, which will take place in the Greek Theatre.

27  Golden Girls Spring Luncheon

16  Film Screening: The Gift from Beate

May

5:00 pm, Danforth Lecture Hall, free Reception follows in the Mills College Art Museum Beate Sirota Gordon ’43 speaks at a screening of The Gift from Beate, a 2004 film on the social status of women in Japan since the end of World War II, when Gordon added a women’s rights clause to the new Japanese constitution. RSVP to rsvp-oia@mills.edu or 510.430.2373.

11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Mills College campus; by reservation only  The College and the AAMC host Mills’ traditional luncheon for alumnae in the classes of 1958 and earlier. Contact alwong@mills.edu or 510.430.3363.

3–31  MFA Thesis Exhibition Mills College Art Museum, free An exhibition of works by students in Mills’ master of fine arts program.

14  Concert: Cecil Leong and Friends 8:00 pm, Littlefield Concert Hall, free The Hong Kong-based tenor Cecil Leong, a former Mills College Trustee, makes a rare Bay Area appearance, performing popular show tunes and contemporary songs with Mills student vocalists. For more information, call 510.430.2364.

16  121st Commencement 9:45 am, Toyon Meadow, free Gather to honor and celebrate the graduating Class of 2009.

16  AAMC Annual Meeting Fred Frith, April 5, Mills Music Festival

2:00 pm, Location TBD For information about this important meeting open to all alumnae, call the Alumnae Association of Mills College at 510.430.2110 or email aamc@mills.edu.

Making the grade As the Summer Academic Workshop (SAW) approaches its 20th anniversary of preparing entering first-generation college students for academic success at Mills, participants marked a major milestone of achievement. The 25 entering students who enrolled in SAW

Band on the run: Mills’ cross-country runners prepare at the starting line of the CalPac conference championships.

in summer 2008 earned a 3.19 group grade-point average (GPA) during the fall 2008 term at Mills—the first SAW class to break the 3.00 GPA barrier in its first

Champions of character

semester. The cohort is well on its way

The Mills cross-country team received the Buffalo Five Star Award from the National

to become the fourth in SAW history to

Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) at the organization’s 2008 cross-

maintain a GPA of 3.00 or better through

country championships in December. The award is given annually to one men’s and one women’s team, selected for their

the end of the academic year. “The SAW student services staff have restructured the academic year sup-

outstanding performance and fulfillment of “the core character values of respect, integrity, leadership, and sportsmanship.” “More than any other team I’ve coached, this year’s team members really care about

port program such that the study skills and habits of our students have mark-

each other and doing the best that they can do,” says head coach Laura Davis, MFA

edly improved over the last year and a

’06. “They hold themselves to a high standard, work hard in practice and in meets,

half,” says Professor of Sociology Bruce

take care of themselves outside of practice, communicate with each other and with

Williams, who directs the program. “This

their coaches, and look out for the good of the team. They are an inspiring, generous,

support program now is open to all SAW

strong group of women who don’t just care about their team’s success, but about

participants, instead of just first-year

improving the world around them.” In addition, two runners were named Daktronics-NAIA Women’s Cross Country

students; and also we welcome non-SAW, first-generation college students who are

Scholar-Athletes. Hanako Hjersman ’09 and Lily Ann Page ’09 were among the 253

struggling with their courses.”

women, representing 108 schools, selected to receive the honor. Both were nominated

For more information on SAW, see page

by Davis for maintaining a minimum 3.5 GPA during their junior and senior years.

15 of the summer 2008 Quarterly.

The team finished the season in second place in their division, showing dramatic improvement from last year’s sixth-place finish. Team captain Lupe Cazares ’10 qualified for the NAIA national championships.

In honor of service For the second year in a row, Mills College has earned a

in our community,” says Mills College President Janet L.

place on the President’s Higher Education Community

Holmgren. “We are proud of our extensive work.”

Service Honor Roll for exemplary public service. Awardees were selected for scope and innovativeness of

“We salute Mills College for making community service a campus priority,” says Stephen Goldsmith of the

projects, percentage of student participation, and incen-

Corporation for National and Community Service, which

tives for services. In 2008, 586 Mills students logged more

launched the Community Service Honor Roll in 2006.

than 29,000 hours of community service through service

“College students such as those at Mills represent an enor-

learning courses and volunteer projects.

mous pool of idealism and energy to help tackle some of

“Mills students and staff have a long tradition of service

our toughest challenges.” winter 2009

In harmony with

history

T 10

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

By Valerie Sullivan

he Depression-era seats may be gone, but the historical integrity and architectural beauty of the Mills College Music Building remain intact following a painstaking and loving renovation of the majestic 80-year-old building. The $15 million project—the first major upgrade of the structure’s interior since its construction—has modernized facilities for students, teachers, performers, and audiences, ensuring the building’s stature as a focal point for innovation and creativity well into the future. The College is celebrating the reopening of the building and eight decades of music at Mills with a six-concert festival in the Concert Hall, now named for Jeannik Méquet Littlefield, MA ’42. The festival opened on February 21 with a concert of solo performances by pioneers in the experimentalist tradition and will conclude on April 5 with a concert featuring the music of Mills professor Fred Frith (see Calendar, page 8, for details on the last concert).

Opening night (clockwise from top): Raymond Boynton’s vivid frescoes. A sculptural figure welcomes visitors. The building’s main entrance. A lantern shines in the lobby.

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Music Building renovation donors Mills College thanks all those who have contributed to the restoration of the Music Building to date. As of January 31, 2009, the following donors have provided particularly generous support: $4 million and above: Jeannik Méquet Littlefield, MA ’42 $1 million to $3.9 million: Miss Jane Newhall ’36; Caren Harvey Prothro ’63, P ’91, and Nita Prothro Clark ’91

The Littlefield Concert Hall, flanked by practice rooms and classrooms, is considered the building’s crown jewel with its murals, painted ceiling, and other artwork designed by artist Raymond Boynton to “give free play to the imagination and, through color, rhythm, and formality, heighten that mood in the listener.” The interior of the hall has been restored to its original beauty, while 21stcentury technologies and conveniences have been added to increase functionality and improve the musical experience. “We knew we could enhance the structure and obviously we wanted to preserve the aesthetics,” says Campus

$100,000 to $999,999: Class of 1950 – 50th Reunion Gift; Class of 1951 – 50th Reunion Gift; Class of 1952 – 50th Reunion Gift; Class of 1953 – 50th Reunion Gift; Class of 1954 – 50th Reunion Gift $10,000 to $99,999: Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45; Drewry Nostitz ’70; Timothy and Lorinda Bader Reichert ’67; Thomas A. and Rosemary Shurte Tisch ’68; Mary Ausplund Tooze ’44: Frances Weiler Varnhagen ’52, P ’79 $1,000 to $9,999: Marilyn Ennis Barrett ’75; Geraldine Clark ’52; Ruth E. Gillard ’36; Lucile Pedler Griffiths ’46, MA ’47, P ’75; Paula Wright Little ’64; Betsy Merritt ’76; Marilyn Wilson Newland ’48, P ’75; Anne Van Der Linden ’84; Mr. and Mrs. James L. Waters (Faith Pigors ’50)

Architect Karen Fiene of the 18-month renovation process. The Spanish Colonial–style building, designed by Walter Ratcliff Jr., opened in 1928 and was honored with a design award from the Northern California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Ever since, the Concert Hall has been the venue for Convocation, lectures by visiting national and international leaders, and legendary performances that have shaped the course of contemd a n a d av i s

porary music—featuring luminaries from Igor Stravinsky to Meredith Monk; Mills faculty from Darius Milhaud to Pauline Oliveros; and alumnae/i from Dave Brubeck, MFA ’46, to Steve Reich, MA ’63, and Laetitia Sonami, MFA ’81.

The building’s ornate carved stone portals and bronze doors have been cleaned of 80 years of pollution, as have the imposing brass lanterns that flank the doorway and provide dramatic adornment to the building’s façade. The stone porch and steps into the main entry have been relaid to meet seismic safety standards; stone from the original walkway was repurposed to create an aesthetically appropriate retaining wall that supports a new ramped entry, making wheelchair access through the front door possible for the first time. New lighting and landscaping complete the entrance. p h o t o s b y pa u l k u r o d a , u n l e s s o t h e r w i s e n o t e d

winter 2009

This gift means a lot to me. I just love music . . . .

I’m delighted

The Jeannik Méquet Littlefield Concert Hall

The woman behind the name eannik Méquet Littlefield, MA ’42, has had a long love affair with music, beginning when she was a child learning to play the piano. Diagnosed with myopia at the age of eight, she had to give up her lessons, much to her regret. “My mother thought reading music would be bad for my eyesight,” she says. But she never gave up on music. Over the years, she and her late husband, the industrialist Edmund Wattis Littlefield, provided generous support to education and the arts in the Bay Area. Jeannik Méquet Littlefield has recently made major gifts to the San Francisco Symphony, the San Francisco Opera, and the restoration of the Mills College Music Building. Mrs. Littlefield—whose ties to Mills date back to World War II, when she was a graduate student at the College and friends with the composer and Mills professor Darius Milhaud and his wife, Madeleine—contributed $4 million to restore the majestic Spanish Colonial building. In honor of her commitment to the College, the Music Building’s Concert Hall has been renamed the Jeannik Méquet Littlefield Concert Hall. President Janet L. Holmgren, who announced the hall’s new name at a concert of orchestral works by Darius

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

Milhaud on February 28, says, “It is a great privilege to dedicate this Concert Hall—one of the most beautiful and inspiring places in the Bay Area to listen to music—in honor of a Mills alumna and friend who has played a leading role in making this region one of this country’s great centers for the arts.” Mrs. Littlefield was born in Paris, grew up in Geneva, and studied at the Sorbonne before coming to America in 1939. She attended two New York women’s colleges: first Barnard and then Wells, where she completed her undergraduate degree in 1941. Offered scholarships for graduate study in linguistics at two prestigious institutions, Mills and Yale University, she chose to come to Mills, where she earned her MA and also briefly taught French. Fluent in French, English, German, and Russian, she went on to doctoral studies in comparative languages at UC Berkeley, but within a few months chose to support America’s war effort by working as a translator in the Office of War Information in San Francisco. She was subsequently transferred to the Washington, DC, office, where she met her husband, then a lieutenant in the Navy. They moved to San Francisco and raised three children, all musically inclined. Edmund Littlefield died in 2001 at the age of 87. “This gift means a lot to me,” says Mrs. Littlefield, who clearly delights in sharing her passion through her philanthropy. “I just love music. When I toured the building, I saw that it obviously needed help. I’m delighted I could do it.”

d r e w a lt i z e r

I could do it.

A symphony of style (opposite page, top): Polished bronze doors lead into the building. This page, from top: The lobby features new seating alcoves. Detail of frescoes and painted ceiling tile in the Littlefield Concert Hall. Reconfigured office areas expand space for faculty. New bathrooms make use of salvaged marble counters. A ramp allows entry through the building’s front doors.

The lobby’s ornate cast plaster ceiling, tiled floor, and wrought iron pendants sparkle from a thorough cleaning. The original Concert Hall entrances have been moved and the doors replaced with soundproof doors that prevent lobby noise from disturbing performances; the original doorway areas have been converted to bench alcoves that incorporate the existing carved lintels. Because the Music Building has the unusual distinction of being built on 16 different levels, access throughout the

d a n a d av i s

structure has always been difficult. A new elevator to the right of the lobby provides access for all to the main level of the Littlefield Concert Hall and the second floor of the building. On the second floor, a ramp installed next to previously existing stairs now allows wheelchair access to the classroom wing, where several rooms and the corridor have been spruced up with new paint and linoleum, upgraded light fixtures, and audio-visual equipment. Also on the second floor, sun beams down from a skylight over a corridor that contains new men’s, women’s, and unisex restrooms. Old marble, salvaged from an earlier remodeling of the restrooms in Ethel Moore Hall, was re-used to construct the bathroom counters; dual flush toilets minimize water usage. Department and faculty offices received a makeover, too. On the first floor, a renovated department suite includes the

d a n a d av i s

chair’s office, a reception and meeting space, and an additional faculty office. Behind the building, thanks to a generous gift from the Class of 1951, the charming Ensemble Room Courtyard has been refurbished with repairs to its stucco walls, improved lighting, and landscaping. As the restored fountain bubbles quietly, this serene spot will sing its own tune for years to come.

d a n a d av i s

winter 2009

The sound of music: The Littlefield Concert Hall boasts a larger stage, restored artwork, new seating, and improved acoustics (right). The choir loft panels behind the stage are a beautiful backdrop (below).

termite damage, has been completely rebuilt with maple flooring and extended by three feet, providing enough space to sit an 80-piece orchestra or to accommo-

Careful renovation has added 21st-

the stage and extensive repair of the gold

date dance performances; the first row of

century

com-

leaf flowing across the hall’s upper rear

audience seating can be removed to fur-

promising the beauty and elegance of

wall. Worn and dingy “lay lites” across

ther expand available performance space.

the Jeannik Méquet Littlefield Concert

the ceiling were replaced with acrylic

The space also benefits from a new pro-

Hall. The old acoustic panels have been

panes printed with a historically accurate

jection screen, upgraded electronic con-

replaced by fire-resistant curved acoustic

leaded-glass pattern.

trols, and dimmable lighting.

improvements

without

panels that have been custom-arranged to

With comfortable new seats that have

provide optimum acoustic enhancement

been reconfigured to provide more leg

throughout the hall. The old panels—

room as well as seating space for people

And while this stunning restoration

state-of-the art in their time—had suf-

with mobility impairments, the hall now

is cause enough for pride, there is work

fered severe water damage and did not

holds an audience of up to 447. Chairs

yet to be done. The College still needs to

meet current fire codes. The new pear

on the end of each row have retained

complete its fundraising for the $15 mil-

wood panels are a soft golden color that

their original metal claw feet and deco-

lion phase of renovation just completed.

enriches the beauty of the hall.

rative carved wood endplates. All of the

Meanwhile, the wing housing the build-

Raymond Boynton’s famed frescoes,

oak flooring in the gently sloped main

painted the year the building opened,

seating level has been replaced, and the

have been lovingly restored to their origi-

upper seating tiers have been completely

nal beauty, along with the brightly pat-

rebuilt. At the base of the tiered section,

terned ceiling tiles Boynton considered

an audio mixing station is wheelchair

his most daring work, creating “a variety

accessible.

ing’s practice rooms is showing its age, classrooms require additional upgrades, and the Center for Contemporary Music is in desperate need of improved facilities and equipment. Discussions have already begun for a future phase of renovation

of movement and interval over the whole

Below the Littlefield Concert Hall, an

ceiling.” Two teams of art conservators

energy-efficient gas-fired boiler replaces

that will complete the College’s efforts

undertook the painstaking project, which

the antiquated steam boiler and provides

to transform the Music Building into a

included restoration of the painted linen-

heat throughout the building.

teaching and performance facility for the

on-wood choir loft panels that sit above

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

The stage area, previously riddled with

21st century.

While the Music Building glows anew—from the restored gold leaf on the Littlefield Concert Hall walls to the refurbished mica chandeliers—one important part of the project remains unfinished: the fundraising for the $15 million renovation. So far, generous Mills alumnae and friends have provided $9.8 million for the project (see list of top donors on page 11), but $4.2 million is still needed.

Mills needs your support for the renovation of the Music Building

Every gift—whether big or small—makes a difference in this communitywide effort. Please show your support by sending a gift in the envelope enclosed in this Quarterly, giving online at www.mills.edu/giving, or calling 510.430.2366. Let us know that your gift is for the Music Building.

Name your seat in the Littlefield Concert Hall A simple way to make a big difference—and to become a permanent part of the tradition of innovation in music at Mills—is to name a seat in the Littlefield Concert Hall. Your name—or the name of a relative, friend, student, or professor you choose to honor—will be engraved on a permanent brass nameplate on the seat’s wooden armrest. Two donation levels are available: • With a gift of $2,500, you may name a seat on the main floor level, closest to the stage. • With a $1,500 gift, you may name a seat in the upper tier. Please use the enclosed envelope to request more information or contact Holly Stanco in the Office of Institutional Advancement at Mills College by email at hstanco@mills.edu or by phone at 510.430.2366. Thank you for making the Music Building shine! winter 2009

How students, colleges, and their supporters

Story by Linda Schmidt Profiles by Lisa Chung â&#x20AC;&#x2122;79 Photos by Dana Davis

16â&#x20AC;&#x192;

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

finance

the nation’ future Since the fall of 2008, while political and business leaders have wrangled over proposals for salvaging the nation’s finance system, higher education leaders have heightened their attention to an equally critical and closely related problem: how to help students afford a college education. Solving this problem is key to students’ futures as citizens and to the nation’s future as a globally competitive economy. Even as college and university endowments shrink and government support for higher education remains stagnant, the need for student financial aid continues to rise. For any institution that aims to provide access to a quality education for a talented and diverse student body, finding answers to this need is paramount. At Mills, most students piece together a patchwork of resources to cover the costs of tuition, room, board, supplies, and other living expenses. (See sidebars to learn how four Mills students balance scholarships, work, family, and academic commitment to succeed in college.) “Financial aid is a combination of scholarships or grants—we’ll call this ‘free money’—from four sources: federal, state, institutional, and outside or private sources, such as from a foundation,” says David Gin, the College’s associate vice president for student finance and administrative services. Federal funds also provide support for work-study programs—what Gin terms the “self-help” category of financial aid—and the College offers additional work-study opportunities for students who don’t qualify for the federal program. Loans are another important part of this equation, but they come at a price. A

Mariana Pereyra, 32, (left) had always wanted to get her bachelor’s degree. But she spent a sleepless week trying to decide what to do when her financial aid package arrived from Mills last summer. The College wasn’t a problem, but her economic circumstances were. Gas prices were up, her rent was up, and even her kids’ public school was asking parents for more. Mills had given her “a really good scholarship,” but she failed to qualify for a state grant she’d expected. With the sudden credit squeeze, she couldn’t get the loans normally available. But Mills gave her an emergency loan to meet expenses. She also upped her work hours as senior research assistant at Kaiser Permanente and cut back to bare necessities. Pereyra, who married right out of high school and struggled through a divorce at 26, spends her evenings with her ten- and eight-year-old daughters. “We all sit down and do our homework together,” she says, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. “I want my children to strive for more—I want them to know you can be independent. Women can be whatever they want.”

If you’ve called or emailed Reinhardt Alumnae House in the past couple of years, chances are you’ve been in contact with junior Amber Williams. Without that 20-hour-a-week workstudy job—and the numerous merit and need-based scholarships she receives— she couldn’t go to Mills, she says. Williams, a resident of Suisun, California, also applied to Spelman College, a historically black college for women, but Mills’ strong financial aid package won out. There was another influence pulling her toward Oakland. Her aunt, Lynette Williams Williamson ’72, introduced her to Mills at a young age. Williamson, a former member of the AAMC Board of Governors, brought Williams to Mills events and pressed her into duty folding mailers. Williams is busy majoring in political, legal, and economic analysis; preparing to enter Mills’ MBA program; and participating in the Black Women’s Collective. She has also spearheaded a Mills trip to the presidential inauguration. Eventually, she wants to be a civil rights lawyer. “I don’t think I would have had as many leadership opportunities if I’d gone to Spelman,” she reflects. “Here, if you don’t like something, you’re supposed to do something about it. It’s not cool not to do something.”

winter 2009

By the time Diana Gamino graduated from high school, Mills was almost a second home. A participant in Upward Bound, the East Oakland resident had spent summers at Mary Morse Hall, supplementing her education through the well-known college preparatory program. When she chose Mills over UC Berkeley, Gamino already knew she wanted to be a business economics major. Yet Mills has continued to be a place of discovery, the 22-year-old senior says. She decided to double-major on the second day of Professor Héctor Mario Cavallari’s course on the Latin American short story, adding Spanish studies with great enthusiasm. Citing favorite authors such as Gloria Anzaldúa, she says, “I thought, ‘Wow, this is great—this is for me.’” At Mills, Gamino has been able to rely on a combination of state and federal grants, loans, and Mills scholarships—including, this year, the $5,000 Class of 1958 Scholarship—to cover most of her education. Her parents contribute what they can, too. By staying close to home, she’s been able to give back to her family: she’s guided her sister through the paperwork of college aid and helps her little brother with his homework.

recent publication from the Association

are able to meet 100 percent of their stu-

of Governing Boards of Universities

dents’ financial need—without loans.

and Colleges analyzing cost trends in

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

higher education states that “borrow-

Offering a generous financial aid package

ing is particularly prevalent in the pri-

is one technique colleges use to entice

vate sector; nearly three quarters of

the best and brightest students. In many

bachelor’s recipients in private insti-

cases, scholarships and grants can make

tutions graduated with debt in 2004.”

a private education more cost-effective

According to Gin, Mills graduates from

than four years at a public institution that

the Class of 2008 had an average debt

is unable to offer equivalent aid.

of $25,000. “These students have made

“The College is hoping to attract and

a commitment,” says Gin. “They really

provide support to highly meritorious

value a Mills education and they’ve paid

students. If you’re a top candidate, Mills

for it by taking out loans.”

tries to meet more of your financial need

The College has made a commitment

with its own money,” Gin says. “We want

to helping minimize student debt upon

to encourage such students to come here;

graduation, but bridging that gap is a

ultimately, they will raise our academic pro-

challenging proposal. Awarding sizable

file and maintain the school’s reputation.”

scholarships to reduce the need for loans

Gin throws out real numbers: over 30

is a first step. Mills is tapping its own

percent of Mills students receive the Pell

resources—including endowment income

Grant, the primary award given by the

and annual fund contributions—to pro-

federal government, up to a maximum

vide $18 million in aid to students at both

amount of $4,800. Low-interest federal

the undergraduate and graduate levels

loans are available for up to just $3,500.

this year. By combining College funds,

In contrast, Mills funds scholarships for

federal and state grants, work-study, and

91 percent of all undergraduates and 85

loans, Mills manages to provide financial

percent of graduate students, in amounts

aid packages that meet, on average, 85

that can cover as much as the entire cost

percent of the financial need of its stu-

of tuition—$34,170 this year. “The govern-

dents. And while this is an impressive

ment says we need to support education

accomplishment, in comparison, many of

to maintain a competitive national work-

America’s best-endowed private colleges

force,” Gin says, “but you can see the pro-

portion of what the institution invests in

to ensure that their educational journey

the student and what the federal govern-

is not interrupted,” President Janet L.

ment puts in.”

Holmgren said at the time.

In fact, statistics from the Department

Such measures are especially important

of Education show that the value of an

at Mills. “Studies have shown that stu-

individual Pell Grant, adjusted for infla-

dents who drop out, especially women,

tion, has actually decreased from 1977–

don’t always go back,” Gin says. At the

78 to 2007–08. At the same time, demand

start of every semester, the College’s

for those federal monies is increasing. In

financial aid staff contacts any continuing

January, Philip R. Day Jr., president of the

student who hasn’t registered for classes

National Association of Student Financial

and, if the student cites financial issues as

Aid Administrators, was quoted in the

a reason for her absence, the staff works

New York Times as expecting that appli-

to create a viable plan. “We work with

cations for federal aid will be up 25 per-

each individual family and we really try,”

cent in this academic year.

says Gin. “We continue to need financial

Similarly, the amount of the state-sup-

support to ensure access for all socioeco-

ported Cal Grant, for residents who study

nomic classes and to make this quality

within California, is likely to decrease

education really available to all.”

for the upcoming year. As the Quarterly

Because of these measures, the College

went to press, the U.S. Congress had

has been quite successful in retaining

just passed an economic stimulus pack-

students despite the economic crisis: the

age that increased federal Pell Grants by

percentage of students returning for the

$500, though it was uncertain whether

spring semester has remained on par with

such increases would offset cuts in state

last year.

grants for students.

“But not all problems can be solved.

“These changing variables put a lot of

Sometimes a student needs to leave and

pressure on an institution like Mills to

go to work and then come back in bet-

support its students,” says Gin. Colleges

ter shape, Gin explains. “Part of the edu-

are working hard to pick up the slack:

cation we’re trying to provide is to help

College Board statistics report that insti-

our undergrads develop into adults who

tutional grant aid per student increased

make an impact on the world and are

by 34 percent at private four-year institu-

responsible for their actions.”

tions between 2000–01 and 2006–07.

And though Mills students are, for the most part, eking by for now, most eco-

Despite colleges’ best efforts, in the

nomic experts agree that things will get

past several months many students have

worse before they get better.

been confronted with unexpected gaps

“I’ve never seen families facing so much

in their budgets for college, the result

financial chaos. People ask me to predict,

of dwindling college savings plans, loan

but I can’t say what’s going to happen,”

programs, and off-campus work oppor-

says Gin. “That’s why institutional aid

tunities. The extraordinary impact of

and support is so important; those mon-

the financial downturn on students has

ies are a large portion of the aid that stu-

prompted Mills to undertake extraordi-

dents get.”

nary measures. In November, the College initiated an emergency bridge loan pro-

Mills’ ability to provide student

gram to help keep students from drop-

scholarships depends on your support.

ping out because of financial hardship.

Please call the Mills College Annual

“Mills College is committed to partner-

Fund at 510.430.2366 or use the enclosed

ing with our students and their families

envelope to make your gift today.

When Mills’ financial aid package offer came, Karolyn Meno leapt at her opportunity to go to school outside of Colorado. The biopsychology major from Bailey, a mountain town 65 miles southwest of Denver, arrived at Mills, sight unseen, four years ago. “I did not know that it was not a normal practice,” the 22-year-old says with some amusement, noting the extensive college tours taken by some high school students and their parents. Being the third of seven children, Meno knew she could only get two years’ worth of help from her parents. Scholarships— including the Fletcher Jones Foundation Scholarship and the Mariana Bertola Scholarship from Mills—account for nearly 65 percent of her financial aid package this year. The rest of her education is paid with loans, and a work-study job as a teaching assistant in chemistry gives her some spending money. Meno discovered a love for the physi- ological side of psychology in her second semester at Mills. She hopes to further pursue her interest through graduate studies. “I love brains,” she marvels. “With just a pile of cells and some electrical activity, you have a personality.” winter 2009

Alumna Trustee

elect your

one of the three women described on these pages will be your next Alumna Trustee. Help determine who it will be

by casting your vote now. The ballot is printed on the inside back cover of this Quarterly and must be received by the Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) by May 11, 2009. Serving for three years (July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2012) as a full member of both the Mills College Board of Trustees and the Board of Governors of the AAMC, this Alumna Trustee will help

ensure that alumnae are well represented in the leadership of the College by conveying the views of the AAMC board to the College board. She will join continuing Alumnae Trustees Lyn Flanigan ’65 and Gayle Rothrock ’68. We are pleased to present this slate of accomplished women: lawyer Julia Almanzan ’92, businesswoman Sue McClelland ’56, and community leader Susan Brown Penrod ’71. Please note that Penrod is currently serving as Alumna Trustee; her term is set to end on June 30, but AAMC bylaws allow her to serve consecutive terms if re-elected to the position.

Julia M. Almanzan

Julia M. Almanzan ’92 Current residence: Ladera Ranch, California Mills major: Political, Legal, and Economic Analysis Additional education: JD, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, California Student activities: Senior class treasurer, sophomore class secretary; Academic Board; MEChA (Moviemiento Estudiantes Chicanas Aztlan); Mills Law Club; Mills Weekly reporter. Employment and volunteer experience: Deputy county counsel, County of Los Angeles – Dependency Division (Dec. 1999–present); senior associate county counsel, County of Los Angeles –Dependency Division (May–Nov. 1999); Auxiliary Legal Services, attorney (April–May 1999). AAMC involvement: Orange County Mills College Alumnae Association, acting president (2008–present); Southern California regional governor (2002–2008); alumnae admissions representative (1996–2004); Los Angeles Mills College Alumnae Association, board member (1992–present), president (1996–2001). How Mills affected my life: Mills shaped me into a strong person and a wise woman. The skills and pride in myself that I gathered from my 20

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

peers and professors provided the confidence and ability I needed to become a respected, successful, and productive member of society. Future of the Alumnae Association and its relationship to the College: The Association and College should work together to strengthen the relationship of alumnae among each other and with the College in order to encourage alumnae participation, support branch fundraising and activities, and all aspects of alumnae programming. The future stature of the Alumnae Association must be consistent with alumnae history, intent, and desire. This relationship should respect the history of the AAMC, including the independence of the AAMC. I expect the College to support the AAMC’s fundamental activities and functions and to provide sufficient staffing for alumnae activities. These efforts will ensure the ultimate prosperity of Mills. The future of Mills College: I expect Mills to remain a women’s college indefinitely and to support women’s education, especially at the undergraduate level. I appreciate the graduate programs being developed to support women, especially in non-traditional female careers; however, preservation of a fundamental undergraduate women’s education should never be compromised in the process of achieving greater goals.

Current residence: Modesto, California Mills major: Sociology and Economics, Phi Beta Kappa Additional education: Harvard Business School Program for Women at Radcliffe.

Student activities: Team sports (soccer, baseball, and volleyball); Orchard Meadow Judicial Board representative; active in student government of the dorm; edited the Weekly, briefly; volunteered to help after the floods in Yuba City.

Employment and volunteer experience: Media manager, Scott Paper Company, Philadelphia; vice president for media, E & J Gallo Winery, 35 years. Served on the boards of YMCA and Muir Trail Girl Scouts; member of Soroptimist International of Modesto. Now retired, I raise Morgan show horses and wirehaired dachshunds and take dogs to senior residences to provide therapy.

Sue McClelland AAMC involvement: Student referrals; class secretary; class agent; contribute annually to Mills fundraising; established a fellowship at the new Business School in memory of my mother (Class of 1932). How Mills affected my life: In addition to a wonderful liberal arts education, I gained a dynamic sense of my own worth and competence which served me well in the early days of women trying to make their way in business in the 1960s and ’70s. Future of the Alumnae Association and its relationship to the College: An independent Alumnae Association is vital to the College. I feel that the major function of the Alumnae Association is two-way communication. They must communicate to alumnae the policies, changes in curriculum, and achievements of faculty, and should alert the College to the feelings or complaints of the diverse alumnae body. It is important also that the College be thoroughly open in their communications with alumnae. Thus the College and AAMC must work as a team. The future of Mills College: The future of Mills is bright. Through the years they have shown resiliency (rejecting co-ed) and responsiveness to educational needs (strengthening science and business curriculum availability) while maintaining a nurturing educational environment. Leadership is excellent, faculty is stimulating, and the campus has never looked more attractive.

Susan Brown Penrod ’71 Current residence: Piedmont, California Mills major: Sociology Student activities: Participated in Leg Con meetings, volunteered in a local school, waitressed in the dining rooms. Employment and volunteer experience: While raising my three sons, I participated in organizations that supported my children’s interests and local civic issues. I was a religious education teacher and an elementary school teacher’s assistant, and a board member of a nonprofit that develops internships in environmental fields. I am currently a docent in the Oakland Museum history gallery. AAMC involvement: Alumna Trustee since 2006, participating on several committees. Member of AAMC Board of Governors and the Transition Team during the transfer of alumnae relations from the association to the College. AAMC president (1995–98); co-chair, Cyrus and Susan Mills Society; Alumnae Fund caller and committee member, serving as chair from 1986–89.

Susan Brown Penrod

Sue McClelland ’56

How Mills affected my life: My Mills education established a lifelong love of learning and a commitment to social justice. Attending Mills in the late 1960s, a tumultuous time of social unrest and change, I learned to question assumptions of the time, to dig deeper for answers to dilemmas, and to participate with my voice and actions. Future of the Alumnae Association and its relationship to the College: In the past two years, the AAMC has been challenged to find a new way of looking at “who we are and what we represent.” Last year, I served on a Board of Governors’ (BOG) committee that drafted a document on AAMC goals, objectives, and values, given the new realities we faced with the transition of alumnae relations from AAMC to the College. In general, this document says the Alumnae Association is independent, inclusive, actively promotes the interests of its constituency, and encourages and supports the growth of Mills College. Based on this document, the BOG will plan the activities of the AAMC. The key is maintaining a collaborative relationship with the College directed by our shared values and desire to support Mills and the mission of Mills. The future of Mills College: My hope is that the College will continue to attract talented students , both undergraduate and graduate, who will come and thrive at Mills as a result of their individual efforts, the wonderful teaching they find in the course of their studies, and the connection they feel from a supportive College community.

winter 2009

Bookshelf Renegade for Peace and Justice Barbara Lee ’73 Rowman & Littlefield, 2008 Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduces her book by explaining that she hopes her story will “help people realize that bad choices, adversity, and all of the other obstacles life places before us can be overcome” and, simultaneously, encourage others to “help make the world a more compassionate, safer, cleaner, and healthier place to live.” True to her purpose, she illustrates in this memoir how the personal—in which bad choices and adversity are countered by strong relationships and spiritual commitment—motivates and informs the political—the work of making a more just and peaceful world. Lee candidly recounts the meaningful episodes of her life in a warm, conversa-

The stories unfold thematically so that we see

friend listening to her stories over a cup

social issues not as abstractions but as reflections

of coffee at home. The story of Lee’s

of human realities. Arguing for sex education

birth in El Paso, Texas—made difficult

and health care, Lee explains how an unplanned

and dangerous by the refusal of the

pregnancy altered her own life choices. She illumi-

local “whites-only” hospital to admit

nates the subject of race in politics with memories

and treat her mother—is one of injus-

of the Black Panthers’ activism. And she helps us

tice. Hardships included economic

understand the dynamics of domestic violence

worries and emotional upheavals:

by recounting her own struggle to break an inter-

While in her teens, Lee learned of

generational cycle of abuse. The personal and

her true biological father, a man

political threads are most fully intertwined in the

her mother had left because of his

story of her courageous opposition to the autho-

violent abuse, and lost “Papa,” her

rization of presidential military action following

beloved maternal grandfather, who

September 11, 2001, where we see the deep consis-

was found dead after an unex-

tency between her values and her understanding

plained two-week disappearance.

of policy.

pregnant, married, and had two children.

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

that came to inform Lee’s life and work.

tional style, as if the reader were a close

By the time she was 20, she had become

schools, and an appreciation of the charitable values

Lee’s autobiography reminds us continually of the power of good examples and advice. She notes

Interspersed with such accounts of adversity are

how as a student at Mills she was inspired to begin

stories of loving support, instruction, and inspira-

working in politics by Shirley Chisholm’s message.

tion. Lee’s grandfather was an accomplished man:

And she quotes appreciatively the advice given

El Paso’s first African American letter carrier, he

by a former teacher in response to her lingering

brought the lively activities of the local NAACP,

concern over primary school racial attitudes: “The

his church, and Masonic lodge into his home. Her

human race is endowed with a spine, and among

mother was one of the first African Americans to

its other duties, it is to keep the head erect. I want

attend Texas Western College, where she resigned

you to quit wilting.” In writing this book, Barbara

from a black sorority after it refused to admit

Lee offers a similar kind of advice and inspiration

another woman because her skin was too dark. She

to her readers.

also worked to provide Lee with a Catholic school

–Reviewed by Carol Chetkovich,

education, ensuring an academic training supe-

program director and professor of

rior to what was available in the segregated public

public policy at Mills College

Notes from near and far: Alumnae activities report

1-2 Oakland–Berkeley: Lucy Caponio Seereiter ’77 and Maryann Noel Valentine ’97; Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45, and Elfie Hanson Larkin, ME ’61. 3-4 Palo Alto: Phoenix Reed Feinbloom ’93, Diana Fleming ’93, Dede Farabaugh ’93, and Cynthia Mahood Levin ’95; PAAMCC President Patti Peters Zussman ’74, PAAMCC Vice President Susan Crain Hansen ’78, and Susan Schumacher Morris ’70. 5 Rossmoor: Professor Christie Chung, Lou Ann Berardi ’52, AAMC President Anita Aragon Bowers ’63, Flo Wong ’55, and April Hopkins, MFA ’03.

lumnae at the Rossmoor community in Walnut Creek gathered on October 16 to hear a presentation by Mills Professor of Psychology Christie Chung. Chung gave a lecture on her research about memory and aging to a group of 20, including AAMC President Anita Aragon Bowers ’63, Director of Planned Giving April Hopkins, MFA ’03, and Director of Alumnae Relations Laura Gobbi, who provided brief updates from the College. On October 18, Director of Alumnae Relations Laura Gobbi joined the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club (PAAMCC) for their fall kick-off brunch at the Menlo Circus Club and gave a talk about her vision and goals for alumnae relations. She was joined by more than 30 club members as well as Chasty Ayson ’11, recipient of the PAAMCC Scholarship, who spoke to the group about her progress and experience as a sophomore majoring in anthropology and art history.

3 The PAAMCC also gathered in December to celebrate the season with their annual holiday tea at the home of Anne Steiner ’63. AAMC President Anita Aragon Bowers ’63 and Alumna Trustee Susan Brown Penrod ’71 joined the group. In Seattle, 40 alumnae gathered at the home of Shannon Wolfe ’96 for dinner and conversation with President Janet L. Holmgren and new Provost and Dean of the Faculty Sandra Greer on October 28. Alumna Trustee Gayle Rothrock ’68 also provided updates from her work on the Board of Trustees. Fifteen Mills College alumnae living in the United Kingdom and Europe enjoyed an afternoon tea with President Holmgren at the London home of Patricia Chadwick ’41.

Want to get involved with your local branch? Contact alumnae-relations@mills.edu or 510.430.3363 to find out who’s in your area.

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

5 Eighteen alumnae gathered for a luncheon and camaraderie in early December at an event organized by Monterey Bay Area branch leader Rachel Mueller ’68. Laura Gobbi was the featured speaker who provided the group with her vision and goals for the alumnae relations program at Mills College. In attendance were April Hopkins MFA ’03, director of planned giving, and Alexandra Wong, alumnae relations program coordinator. The Oakland-Berkeley Branch of the Alumnae Association of Mills College celebrated their annual holiday tea at the home of Wendy Markel ’90 with special guest Meredith May ’91, investigative reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle. May spoke to more than 60 alumnae about her

career in journalism and about her work in Uganda with the women who founded BeadforLife, an organization of craftswomen who create sustainable opportunities for women to lift their families out of extreme poverty. Beaded jewelry by these craftswomen to benefit the organization was sold at the event. On January 18, nearly 50 alumnae from the Washington DC area gathered with President Holmgren, Dean of Student Life Joi Lewis, Women’s Leadership Institute Director Daphne Muse, and a group of current students who traveled to the nation’s capital to witness the inauguraton of President Barack Obama. Read more about this story on page 6.

In Memoriam Notices of deaths received before December 23, 2008

Alumnae Harriett Marshall Wolcott ’27, July 26. She and her family lived in Haifa, Israel, for 26 years, following the Baha’i faith and working at its world headquarters, the Universal House of Justice. She is survived by two daughters. Jane Springer Flippin ’30, December 3, 2007, in Pollock Pines, California. After graduation, she taught soccer, swimming, and dance at Mills, and then later at Piedmont High School in Piedmont, California. A longtime resident of Fresno, she was an active member of the Woman’s Club, Symphony League, and the American Association of University Women. Survivors include children and grandchildren. Margaret “Peggy” Webster Hahl ’30, February 14, 2008, in Templeton, California. She taught primary school, was a talented painter, and published a number of stories and poems. Survivors include nieces and nephews. Elizabeth “Betty” Parker Kase ’34, December 4, in Montecito, California. An award-winning painter, her works hang in private collections throughout the country. She also was a talented poet, memoirist, and needlework designer. Survivors include three sons and four grandchildren. Truella “True” Jensen Lund ’37, October 25, in Santa Cruz, California. Hired in 1944 as Santa Cruz’s first female police officer, Truella later worked as a clerk in the county auditor’s office and in the social welfare department. She started the Hobby House Puppet Theater, with classes for children, special puppet shows, and TV programs. Survivors include two children and three grandchildren. Nina Bogdanovic Trutanic ’39, August 19, in Maryland. A prominent California patron of the arts and music, she served on the board of directors of StarKist 30

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

Foods, founded by her father. She traveled and in lived several countries around the world, was fluent in four languages, and performed opera at various venues. She was a founder of the Los Angeles Music Center and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Survivors include her son; her daughter, Michele Trutanic Kearny ’69; and two grandchildren. Sally Spalding Spragins ’41, October 7. She had been class secretary for the Class of 1941. Nancy Roberts Durning ’42, November 30, in Prescott, Arizona. A golf and bridge enthusiast, she was involved in many local bridge marathons. A past president of the Phoenix Mills alumnae branch, she was a volunteer for the Phoenix Girl Scouts organization. Survivors include two daughters. Teruko Sagawara Hayakawa ’43, September 25, in Chiba, Japan. Marion Schreck McCain ’43, May 18, 2007, in Rockville, Maryland. She is survived by children and grandchildren. Dorothy Scott Silver, MA ’43, October 7, in Durant, Oklahoma. She was a professor of elementary education at Southeastern Oklahoma State University from 1972 to 1986 as well as a private kindergarten day care trainer and a Camp Fire Girls executive. Survivors include two children, two grandchildren, and a sister. Arloine Naplin Webber ’43, December 15, in Piedmont, California. The daughter of Minnesota’s first woman senator, she used her artistic talents to create pottery and her Japanese garden. She is survived by two children, four grandchildren, and her nieces Margaret Jepsen Bowles, MA ’65, Roberta “Robbie” Lathrap Davis ’71, and Janet Parks Swanson ’80. Elizabeth Coffman Kieley ’44, October 18, in Palm Springs, California. A longtime president

of the Palm Springs Historical Society, she collected and preserved artifacts of pioneer families. She also presided over the Palm Springs Library’s board of trustees. She is survived by her husband, Thomas; four children, including Carole Hayes Kieley ’66; and nine grandchildren. Helen “Nonnie” Hedden Peterson ’44, December 10, in Edina, Minnesota. She was active in Bismarck, North Dakota, for 80 years, moving to Bloomington, Minnesota, in 2004. She was a docent at the Dakota Zoo and worked as a volunteer helping cancer patients and at St. Alexius Hospice. She is survived by three sons. Carolyn Kuster Jackman ’46, September 16, in Salem, Oregon. Millicent “Billie” Wilson Moncrief ’47, July 20, in Pacific Grove, California. She taught Spanish and English at the Hamlin School in San Francisco and then lived in Pacific Grove for many years. Survivors include a daughter and son. Molly Lugar Monheit, MA ’47, November 3, in Danville, California. A longtime resident of Lafayette, she was an avid birdwatcher and a renowned artist specializing in portraits. When she was in her 60s, she won several medals in the Senior Olympics 100 meter dash. She is survived by three children and four grandchildren. Julia “Tony” Free Wenner ’48, July 1, in Carmel, California. She volunteered for the Red Cross in the 1960s and served on the boards of the Symphony Guild, Family Service, and the Casa Abrego Club. In addition, she was membership secretary for Friends of the Sea Otter. Survivors include two brothers, three children, and a grandson. Alison Bozarth Fowle ’49, March 12. She played the viola de gamba professionally in Boston, New

Gifts in Memory of (Received September 1–November 30, 2008)

York, and elsewhere and spent many summers in France teaching or performing renaissance and baroque music. She is survived by her husband, Jim; two daughters; and her grandchildren. Barbara “Barbie” Hilton Free ’50, October 5, in Santa Barbara, California. She was active in many volunteer organizations, including the Red Cross, March of Dimes, and the Visiting Nurse Association. She is survived by four children and six grandchildren. Phyllis Lupton Brislawn ’52, October 9, in Piedmont, California. A dedicated school psychologist in the San Francisco Bay Area, she enjoyed attending the Berkeley Repertory and Paramount theaters, volunteering for the American Cancer Society, and working at St. Cuthbert’s Vestry as a Sunday school teacher and secretary. She is survived by her husband, Ferdinand; three children; and three grandchildren. Elvena Marion Green ’52, May 9, in Atlanta, Georgia. She was professor of theater at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia, having received degrees at Cornell University and University of Iowa. In later years, she owned and managed One-of-a-Kind Cartoon Art. She is survived by a niece. Ai Ichikawa ’54, November 5. She worked as an assistant professor at Tsuda College in Tokyo, Japan. Louellen “Lou” Leusley Page ’55, October 20, in Paradise, California. She worked at the Paradise Post as the newspaper copyeditor for many years. Survivors include two sons and her daughter, Julie Page Ales ’81, as well as six grandchildren.

Diane Sugihara Yang ’66, June 3, 2007 in Honolulu, Hawaii. She earned her master’s of science at University of Wisconsin, Madison, and worked as a psychological examiner for the Department of Education in Honolulu. Survivors include her husband, Vernon, and two daughters. Diane Allen Clark, MA ’83, December 10, in Vallejo, California. A teacher and principal at Lincoln Elementary School in Vallejo, she was once named Solano County Teacher of the Year and transformed Lincoln from a school threatened with closure to one of the county’s best schools. Survivors include her mother, sister, daughter, and grandsons. Janet Ward ’95, April 30. A resumer who attended Mills with her daughter, Jennifer Lynch ’94, she pursued stage acting in San Francisco and Manhattan, appearing in numerous plays, small films, and the TV series Law & Order. She also distinguished herself as a poet. She leaves three children and five grandchildren.

Spouses & Family Harold Ferris, husband of Ellen Graue Ferris ’46, MFA ’51, brotherin-law of Mary Jean “Rosy” Rosenberry Ferris ’45, and uncle of Sara Ferris ’44, September 23, in Spokane, Washington. Charles McManus Jr., husband of Marcia Peterson McManus ’46, October 5, in San Jose, California. Johnson Lau, husband of Jennie Yee Lau ’46, October 14, in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Helen Barron, P ’82, by Lucy Barron Barron-Gitter ’82 Betty Culpepper Belt ’47, by Bruce G. Belt Barbara Bundschu ’38, by Jorie McLaren Townsley ’69 William Cahill, husband of Ann Jones Cahill ’48, by Sally Mayock Hartley ’48, Barbara Miller Schlauch ’48, Nancy Butts Whittemore ’48 Deceased members of the Class of 1968, by Susan McKenna ’68 Ruth Sorrell Dunmire ’39, by Christine Minnehan Harold Ferris, husband of Ellen Graue Ferris ’46, MA ’51, by Norma Ross Maris ’47, Betty Taves Whitman ’46 Lori Chinn Fong, daughter of Borgee Chin ’41, by Marilyn and William Learn Barbara “Bobby” Coleman Frey ’68, by Linda Kay ’73, Susan McKenna ’68 Helen Funnell ’27, by Betty Jo and Abe Ravitz Marion Tonkon Kaufman ’51, by Martha Cushman Skelly ’51 Richard Leaver, husband of Bonnie Reuter Leaver ’58, by Susan Stern Fineman ’68, Los Angeles Mills College Alumnae Carol Lennox ’61, by Tami Borowick ’90, Lisa Lemon ’86, MA ’93 Boitumelo “Tumi” McCallum ’09, by Steven Burrell, Margaret Moja, Fred M. Hayward, Mildred Hudson, A. Lenora Taitt Magubane and Peter Magubane, Teboho Moja, P ’09, Dolores Morris, Lillian Petty, Yvonne Porter, Cynthia Rountree, Roberta Yancy Diane McEntyre, by Tami Borowick ’90 Constance Irvine McVey ’43, by Gretchen Hardman-Riedell ’61 Betty Legge Middleton ’48, by Nancy Butts Whittemore ’48 Frances Sanchez Peralez, MA ’46, by Helen Haigh Mills ’46 Dorothy McVeigh Raney ’45, P ’71, by Mary Sellers ’45 Carolyn Nissen Rathbun ’68, by Susan McKenna ’68, Lani White ’68 Mary Van Beuren Seavey ’70, by Susan Schumacher Morris ’70 Sally Spalding Spragins ’41, by Mary-Lee Lipscomb Reade ’41 Phyllis Howard Thompson ’32, by Suzanne and Michael Broxson, Leah Hardcastle Mac Neil, MA ’51, P ’75, Gretchen Howard, Susan Harrison, and Carol Clarke Margaret Cary Tunks ’39, by Florence Fox Rubenstein ’38, P ’64

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

Mai Pan Wong Brundage ’61, April 26, in Sonoma, California. Devoted opera fans, she and her husband, Donald, formerly owned Brundage’s coffee and candy house in Sonoma.

winter 2009

Sound off! How has the 2008 presidential election affected the idea of political leadership for women and people of color? Four members of the Mills community share their opinions.

The Honorable Martha Fuller Clark ’64 President pro-tem, New Hampshire State Senate and co-chair, Obama’s New Hampshire Campaign Committee The election of Barack Obama and the candidacy of Hillary Clinton have changed the political landscape in our country forever, fulfilling Dr. King’s dream and the promise of our constitution. These events give new hope and opportunity for women, people of color, and members of differing ethnic and religious groups. I am convinced that this election will lead to greater diversity in leadership at every level of government, including the presidency. In New Hampshire, for example, our Senate has become the first legislative body in the U.S. to have a female majority! Michelle Obama will also be an extraordinary role model for all women. She is bright, articulate, a committed and loving mother, and a successful professional in her own right. In fact, one compelling reason I decided to run for office myself was to send a powerful message to my children, especially my daughter. Witnessing the masses of people of every race, gender, and social and economic background coming together to celebrate Obama’s inauguration was a tangible expression of the “audacity of hope” that can be part of all our lives. Suddenly it is truly a new and exciting time for everyone. 32

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

Katie Johnson ’09 President, Mills College Feminist Democrats (Fem Dems) Election Day 2008 brought palpable excitement to campus. Mills women seemed to feel an incredible sense of ownership about this election. The conviction and passion I saw during the primary debates resonated for months as students felt a stronger connection to their candidates than ever before. Gathering in groups of 30 or 40 around campus to watch the Democratic candidates debate, students continued the intellectual discourse during commercial breaks—and for days afterward. One woman took a year off to work for the Clinton campaign. Another student took her first steps towards a lifetime of political activism by asking where she could volunteer. For Mills students, this has been the beginning of an unprecedented time of opportunity and equity—a turning point where political clout and responsible leadership are converging. We saw change on Election Day as Mills students cast their ballots. We will continue to see change as we act upon our personal strengths and perspectives as diverse women. With this change there is opportunity to shift our society’s paradigms—to cause and create what seemed impossible on November 3.

Nicole LoStracco ’92 Sworn in to office as district attorney in Nacogdoches County, Texas, on January 1, 2009 I have always believed that I could be anything I wanted; my generation has seen women compete as viable vice-presidential candidates, effective senators and congresswomen, and successful CEOs. Sarah Palin’s nomination on the Republican ticket shows that while women’s leadership is recognized across the political spectrum, there is a persistent argument that a woman can be a good wife and mother or a good politician, but not both. Regardless of one’s political affiliation, I hope that all women were disgusted by the attacks on her ability to fulfill both of these roles. I weathered similar attacks during my own campaign. This aspect of the 2008 election strengthened my personal desire to prove that women are indeed capable of doing good work at home and at the office, but my fear is that such negative opinions could force qualified women to rethink political jobs in order to avoid such criticism. At the same time, I do hope that Obama’s win will add to the credibility of any parent who tells a child of color that they can grow up to be anything they want to be. There is now living proof of that in our country.

Bruce B. Williams Professor of sociology at Mills College The election of Barack Obama challenges not only racism and sexism, but also the classism that permeates our society. For the past 30 years, our national leaders have articulated a survival-of-the-fittest capitalist doctrine; Obama has resurrected an ethic of humanitarian leadership and the feasibility of helping yourself by helping others. I believe Obama’s success will produce a flourishing of young women and young of-color leaders and also create a new appreciation of our leaders by inner-city youth. These new leaders from the periphery of society’s power and wealth must be attuned to interests shaped by class, race, sexual orientation, gender, and more, and will be eager to embrace an inclusive and benevolent political and economic leadership style. Lest we forget, African American leadership has often been called the “conscience of America” and women have taken the primary leadership roles for bringing civility to their societies. If this orientation to leadership can be institutionalized, it will be the great legacy of the 21st century.

Alumna Trustee Ballot Nominee statements are printed on pages 20–21. Please indicate your first, second, and third choice for 2009–12 Alumna Trustee below:

 Julia M. Almanzan ’92  Sue McClelland ’56

 Susan Brown Penrod ’71

IMPORTANT:



Ballots must be received at Reinhardt Alumnae House by 5:00 pm, Monday, May 11, 2009

Mail your ballot to:

• Ballots must be mailed in a private envelope. Ballots mailed in pre-addressed Mills College Annual Fund envelopes will not be counted.

Chair, Nominating Committee

• Only ballots cut from the Quarterly will be counted. The ballot is printed on the inside back cover of the Quarterly.

Mills College

No ballot will be accepted without the mailing label on the reverse side. In order to maintain voter confidentiality, the Association’s mail opener will verify that the mailing labels are authentic and then ink out voter names before passing ballots on to the Nominating Committee chair for final count. • No faxed ballots or call-in or email votes are valid.

Barcelona

Cotswolds



AAMC P.O. Box 9998, Oakland, CA 94613

Upon request, the AAMC will send a winter Quarterly to replace the one from which you have cut this ballot. Call 510.430.2110 or email aamc@mills.edu.

Barcelona/Bilbao

Iceland

Discover two historic provinces with five nights in Gaudi’s Barcelona and five nights at seaside San Sebastian. Enjoy a memorable visit to Bilbao, the renowned Frank Gehry–designed Guggenheim Museum, and the city of Pamplona, made famous in Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises. April 28–May 8, 2009, 12 days, $2,995 plus air

Spend a week in Reykjavik, the world’s most northern national capital. Learn about Iceland’s history and “green” practices, harnessing electricity and hot water from the earth. Marvel at the spectacular landscape and journey to “the center of the earth” at Snaefellsnes Peninsula, which inspired writer Jules Verne. July 13–21, 2009, 9 days, $2,895 plus air

Cotswolds, “The Heart of England”

Solar Eclipse in China

Stay in the historic Queen’s Hotel in the heart of the Victorian town of Cheltenham. Learn about the traditions of the countryside, meet Lord Charles Spencer-Churchill at Blenheim Palace, and enjoy a trip to Oxford University and Gloucester Cathedral. May 24–June 1, 2009, 9 days, $2,895 plus air

As the sun disappears behind the moon, the earth and sky will darken for over six minutes. Stars and planets become visible during one of nature’s most awesome spectacles. The trip includes visits to Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai. July 15–24, 2009, 12 days, $3,895 plus air

Great Journey through Europe

Galapagos and Macchu Picchu

This is one of the most comprehensive European itineraries to be found. We will trace the Rhine River from Holland to Switzerland by cruising on a 76-passenger boat. The journey continues by rail through the heart of the Swiss Alps. June 15–25, 2009, 11 days, $3,195 plus air

This excursion begins with an extensive tour of Lima, Peru, followed by a flight to Cuzco, once the capital of the Inca Empire. Discover the marvels of Machu Picchu and Quito before boarding a yacht to visit the Galapagos Islands and Charles Darwin Research Station. August 5–19, 2009, 15 days, $4,999 plus air

Full trip brochures with detailed itineraries are available online at www.mills.edu/alumnae/activities/travel.php. For more information about AAMC tours, please call 510.430.2110 or email bwhite@mills.edu.

Alumnae tr avel’09

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)

It Pays to be Nice: Economic Models to Encourage Corporate Social & Environmental Responsibility The Inaugural Annual Conference of the Center for Socially Responsible Business Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business, Mills College April 10, 2009 8:45 am–5:00 pm Student Union Join business and nonprofit executives, economists, policy makers, scholars, and students to explore incentive-based approaches that encourage businesses to do good for communities and the environment. Lunch will be provided in the Student Union. Registration is free but space is limited. Please register online by April 3 at www.acteva.com/go/csrb. For more information, visit www.mills.edu/mba/csrb, call 510.430.3248, or email csrb@mills.edu. The Center for Socially Responsible Business has been made possible through generous support from the Elfenworks Foundation.

Keynote speakers: • Katie Arkema, Science Coordinator and Postdoctoral Ecologist, Natural Capital Project • Julie Trell, Head of Global Integrated Philanthropy, Salesforce.com Foundation

Speakers for social and environmental tracks: • Ophelia Basgal, Vice President, Civic Partnership and Community Initiatives, PG&E • Stephen Bushnell, Senior Director, Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company • Debora Bonner ’95, MBA ’05, Program Director, Corporate Social and Environmental Advisory Services, Environmental Resources Management • Forrest Hill, Senior Portfolio Manager, Harrington Investments