Mills Quarterly fall 2010 by Mills Quarterly

Holmgren on diversity



Strike memorabilia



Commencement 2010

Mills Quarterly Fall 2010 Alumnae Magazine

the

short sharp notes, rolling or churring whistles, clear phrases:

issue

the art of Kathryn Spence, MFA ’93

Who gives to Mills? Mary Lois Hudson Sweatt ’60, MA ’62 Music and Dance. MA: Modern Dance.

Major:

Hometown and current residence:

Dallas, Texas.

“I operated the Mary Lois School of Dance, Inc., for over 30 years. My students learned discipline and life skills in addition to dance. I encouraged all of them to go to college.”

Her career:

Estrellita Hudson Redus ’65, MFA ’75, and Camellia Hudson Franklin ’73—as well as three cousins and three nieces— are all alumnae. Three family friends were so inspired by Mary Lois that they sent their daughters to Mills.

Bent Twigs:

Estrellita Hudson Redus, Mary Lois Hudson Sweatt, and Camellia Hudson Franklin.

Give Mills students the chance to expand their worlds and explore new ideas.

Why she contributes:

“I came to the College from the segregated South. At Mills, I enjoyed the freedom to expand my mind and explore new ideas.”

talk to the student who calls you on behalf of the Mills College Annual Fund or call 510.430.2366. Make a gift by phone:

Send a gift Give online

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

Mills Quarterly

contents

Fall 2010 4

Strength in difference

President Janet L. Holmgren discusses the importance of diversity and how Mills has increased access to education for women of all backgrounds.

Commencement 2010

From the most powerful woman in the country to the nation’s oldest graduate, this year’s Commencement ceremony was filled with extreme achievers. Plus: Bent Twigs.

16 Souvenirs of the Strike by Erika Young ’94 T-shirts and flyers and armbands, oh my! This collection of objects embodies a pivotal moment in Mills College history.

18 Winging it by Glen Helfand The natural world—especially our feathered friends—inspires the work of Kathryn Spence, MFA ’93, but her art has plenty to say about the human environment, too.

32 Sound off! What were your hopes—and fears—on graduation day?

Departments 2

Letters to the editor

Mills Matters

Bookshelf

Class Notes with Notes from Near and Far: Alumnae Activities Report and a feature on Kyle Cornforth ’03, Romney “Nani” Steele ’02, MFA ’04, and Tara Austen Weaver, MFA ’04

In Memoriam

“Students understand the need to make a difference in the world. You have clear aspirations for peace and prosperity, at home and around the world . . . and that is —Nancy Pelosi addressing the Class of 2010 why I have such faith in the future.”

On the cover: These three western screech owl figures are a few of the hundreds of items inhabiting an installation by Kathryn Spence, MFA ’93, currently on view at the Mills College Art Museum. Come see them during Reunion and throughout the fall, and learn more about the artist on page 18. Photo courtesy of the artist. fa l l 2 0 1 0

Letters to the Editor Volume XCIX Number 1 (USPS 349-900)

I was at Mills for Commencement

and every speaker at Commencement

in May to visit old friends and see how

applauded the strikers. Commencement

Fall 2010

my thoughts on the Strike have evolved.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi called us “suffrag-

President Janet L. Holmgren

I graduated in 1990, so I left campus

ettes”! (Which isn’t quite right, but it’s

directly after the Strike ended. I was proud

still cool to be included with that heroic

Vice President for Institutional Advancement Cynthia Brandt Stover

of what we’d done, but also somewhat

group.) Mills’ ownership of the Strike

uneasy, and not sure why. It was sort of,

helps me feel even more proud of Mills.

well, weird to have blockaded administra-

It was a great Commencement. I hope

Senior Director of Communications Dawn Cunningham ’85

tion doors for two weeks so that we could

there will be a strong showing of the Strike

keep our school a women’s college. I was

classes at Convocation and Reunion this

Managing Editor Linda Schmidt

proud to bursting but, at the same time, I

fall. Whether alums participated in the

often had trouble explaining it to friends,

Strike or not, this will be a great time to

Design and Art Direction Nancy Siller Wilson

extended family, new co-workers. It was

turn out and see how much has changed,

so . . . odd.

and how much has not.

Contributing Writers Glen Helfand Sarah Henry Erika Young ‘94 Editorial Assistance Kelsey Lindquist ’10 The Mills Quarterly (USPS 349-900) is published quarterly by Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, California, and at additional mailing office(s). Postmaster: Send address changes to the Office of Institutional Advancement, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Copyright © 2010, Mills College. 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. Email: quarterly@mills.edu Phone: 510.430.3312 Printed on recycled paper containing 10 percent post-consumer waste.

So I was thrilled to go back for the

Also, alums, if you haven’t already, join

20th anniversary and see how proud

the Facebook pages for Mills College and

Mills has become of the Strike. Photos

the Campanil. There are some great con-

from the Strike line the halls of Mills Hall,

versations going on there, and it will be

the College website carried a full retro-

the best way to keep up to date on the

spective, the coverage on the Facebook

search for the new president.

pages for Mills and for the Campanil (the

—Lisa Kremer ’90

student newspaper) was phenomenal,

Fircrest, Washington

At Mills, for Alumnae Alumnae Relations www.mills.edu/alumnae 510.430.2123 Alumnae-relations@mills.edu Find out about Reunion, alumnae clubs, and events; update your contact information; and request our @mills enewsletter. Career Services 510.430.2130 Learn how Mills can help with your career. Alumnae Admission Representatives 510.430.2135 Help prospective students learn more about the College. Joan Jaffe, Associate Dean of Admission Email: Joanj@mills.edu

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

Giving to Mills www.mills.edu/giving 510.430.2366 mcaf@mills.edu Make gifts to the Mills College Annual Fund or the AAMC endowment. Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) Learn about AAMC membership, merchandise, travel programs, Board of Governors, committee meetings, or reach your elected representatives on the College’s Board of Trustees. Email: aamc@mills.edu..................510.430.2110 Linda Jaquez-Fissori ’92, President....................................... 510.430.3374 Bill White, Accountant................... 510.430.3373 To contact the Alumnae Association of Mills College, please write to: AAMC, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., MB #86, Oakland, CA 94613-1301

In May 1990 , I read in the Los Angeles

I can understand why Speaker Pelosi was

Times that my undergraduate college,

invited to the 2010 Commencement. My

Mills, had decided to admit men as under-

question is: Are we honoring Nancy Pelosi

graduates for the first time. I had never

the symbol or Nancy Pelosi the reality?

been a big donor to Mills, but I decided

As a symbol, Nancy Pelosi has the right

to send a gift of $1,000 in recognition and

stuff: a graduate of a women’s college, an

support of the College’s entering the 20th

accomplished political resume as a legis-

century, albeit 89 years late.

lator, local representation for District 8 in

When the Strike broke out I held off on

San Francisco, the first female Speaker of

the gift, which was a good thing because

the House of Representatives of the U.S.

the administration backed down and

Congress. As a symbol, Nancy Pelosi is

decided that the 19th century wasn’t so

the perfect choice for a Mills College com-

bad after all. I got to keep my $1,000.

mencement ceremony.

This week I received my summer 2010

The reality of Nancy Pelosi should be

Quarterly, full of articles about the Strike.

uncomfortable for anyone who values

Isn’t it interesting that there is not a single

empowering human beings—particularly

negative voice to be heard? Surely some

women. Mills College exists to develop and

Twenty years ago I was biting my nails

alumnae and students opposed the Strike

champion values contained in its motto:

wondering if I would receive a diploma or

and supported the admission of men—

strong women, proud women, Mills women.

not for having had the audacity to strike

where are the voices of Warren Hellman

These values cannot be realized in the phi-

with my fellow students to keep Mills

and Mary Metz?

losophy and policies of Nancy Pelosi.

an all-women’s school. I did receive my

I would really have enjoyed reading a

diploma; more valuable than the diploma

more balanced view of what happened in

itself, I grew through that experience to

1990.

become a change-maker. After 15 years working as a paralegal, last January I started Sirona Cares, a

I approve of the symbol of Nancy Pelosi. I abhor the reality. —Kathleen McCrea ’81

—Morgan “Liz” Stewart ’70

Burlingame, California

San Diego, California

foundation devoted to establishing sustainable communities in the third world (www.sironacares.org). Our pilot project

Have a comment or opinion? Write to us at Mills Quarterly, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613 or quarterly@mills.edu. Letters may be edited for clarity or length.

is in Haiti, where we encourage economic development through biofuel farming and support children by providing clean water, proper nutrition, and rebuilding schools to help break the cycles of poverty and ecological destruction. Nancy Pelosi’s office has been very supportive of our work. The Strike showed me that I could be part of making a difference, a belief I have carried my whole life. Now I am making a difference in Haiti and we are poised to move into several additional countries in the next two years. The work is amazingly rewarding, and I do not believe I could have undertaken this had it not been for my Mills experience. This letter is to say

Mills Post-It Notes These note pads make great gifts for all of your alumnae friends! They come in pads of 50 at $2.50 each plus $1.50 shipping and handling for each order. Mail your check, payable to PAAMCC, to Palo Alto Area Mills College Club, c/o Yvonne Lorvan, PO Box 1458, Pacifica, CA 94044-6458.

“thank you” to Mills for giving me the foundation I needed to succeed. —Michelle Lacourciere ’90 Pacifica, California fa l l 2 0 1 0

A look back at the tenure of President Holmgren

Strength in difference As President Janet L. Holmgren enters her final year as the head of Mills College, we present a four-part series reflecting on her experience, philosophy of higher education, and legacy of leadership at the College. For this second conversation, the President met with Linda Jaquez-Fissori ’92, who was a student when Holmgren arrived at Mills and who became President of the Alumnae Association of Mills College on July 1. The two discussed Holmgren’s thoughts on the gains in diversity at Mills during her tenure, the importance of preparing a diverse population of leaders for the future, and the necessity of providing financial aid to retain top-notch students.

Jaquez-Fissori: How do you define “diversity” ?

have to move them through the tenure process—but that sus-

Holmgren: We often define diversity in terms of representative

tained effort is how we have gone from having people of color

groups. But, to me, it is about the ways in which every human

make up just 5 percent to a little over 25 percent of our faculty.

being is a composite of many different factors that make us who we are. When we talk about diversity at Mills, we think about race, class, age, sexual orientation, and religion, but also about areas of interest and engagement. We think in terms of making the College a multifaceted community that doesn’t measure

In 1990, just 20 percent of undergraduates and 8 percent of graduate students were people of color. Today, 55 percent of undergraduates and 46 percent of graduate students are people of color or multiracial. How did Mills achieve such a significant

ourselves just by the numbers, but also by our sense of apprecia-

change?

tion of the ways in which we are different as well as alike.

We knew that it was important for a potential student to come

When you first came to Mills—when I was a student—diversity

to campus and say, “I could see myself here. This is an institu-

was quite a “ hot-button” topic. Students and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation committee both noted a lack of diversity among Mills faculty. How did you respond

tion that would value me and would be an important part of my own experience.” So we had to think very creatively about how to identify and recruit students and how to use our resources to

to these issues?

create a critical mass.

I understood the point of view that Mills was behind in this

makes Mills so powerful: this sense that we’re thinking about the

regard. The first year I was President, I got outside help: I got advice from people at other colleges and universities. I started a practice of being affirmative in faculty hiring, so we didn’t only say we were trying to expand our faculty of color, but we did

This is the strength of being a women’s college, this is what ways in which every community, every group, brings a perspective that pushes us a little harder, socially and intellectually. We still have plenty of opportunities to do better.

it. Almost every year I’ve been President, half of our hires have

What steps has the College taken to create a truly welcoming and

been faculty of color. Faculties don’t change very quickly—you

inclusive environment?

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

AAMC President Linda Jaquez-Fissori ’92 and Mills College President Janet L. Holmgren

for the future? How can we change all of our organizations and ways of thinking to reflect the changing reality of our society? Diversity needs to cut across the entire institution. Not only is it important to have representation, but we learn from one another in the classroom, from our colleagues, and from our leaders. When I got to Mills, it was clear that for us to be the strongest institution we could be, we had to attract people who were willing to step outside their comfort zone and engage with one another. The number of students receiving need-based financial aid has also increased significantly in the last 20 years: from 58 percent of undergraduates in 1990 to 84 percent last year. Including merit scholarships, a full 95 percent of students receive financial support. Why did you resolve to make providing access to a Mills education a high priority? This support is key to proving our commitment to our students and showing that we really are opening our doors to the diverse women who want to be here. For the future, we’re going to have to make sure that we can afford the aid that we’re giving. We always have to rely on and encourage people to give annual gifts of all sizes to help keep that aid flowing. If there’s anything going on in highly selective higher educational institutions that might look like an arms race, it is this financial aid race. We’re not in a position to compete with Stanford, of course, but our push has been to gather as much money as we can to strengthen Mills’ endowment. I’ve also tried to raise substantial aid for graduate students, who often have existing undergraduate loans. Those needs were clear to me Dana Dav is

from the time I started.

At the undergraduate level, we have established living/learning

It was also clear that financial aid was important not just

communities (LLCs). Each LLC provides students with a residen-

because of its link to diversity, but also because we had to make

tial base and also connects students to one another academically

Mills more competitive. For reasons which defy my understand-

in their areas of interest. Students in an LLC become bonded

ing, the more you charge and the more aid you give, the more in

across boundaries and differing backgrounds. We know students

demand you are as a college. And so, with advice from consul-

are making strong connections through campus athletics, social

tants and with a lot of consideration, the Board of Trustees and

organizations, clubs, and other activities.

I decided that in order to grow the student body, both in terms

Last year, Dean of Student Life and Vice Provost Joi Lewis began collecting students’ stories. As one outcome of this project, we heard students saying, “I love my Mills community, I love what I’m studying, but I don’t represent Mills.” The level of diversity here makes it feel that there is no single, standard or typical student but, in a way, everybody at Mills is in the center. Why is it important for Mills to have a diverse student body and faculty?

of quality and diversity, we needed to raise both tuition and the amount of aid that we were offering. How does diversity relate to Mills’ goal of empowering women to be leaders? There’s no question that if you look at the world today, we need leaders who really are capable of stepping outside of themselves and thinking about the ideas, the cultural experiences, and the understandings of others. I look at the women from Mills College

In the very largest sense, the people who make decisions in the

who have become leaders and it’s very, very clear that being in

world, the people who are politically and economically powerful,

an environment that values you as a person, and values you as a

are still predominantly older white men. And most college and uni-

woman, is essential for the health of our society going forward.

versity faculty, especially in the higher ranks and among admin-

Whether we are leading corporations or in politics or building

istrators, are predominantly white men. But most colleges have a

communities or families, it’s absolutely essential that we be able

majority of women as students—there’s an imbalance just in look-

to respect and listen, to work together and air our differences as

ing at gender. So how can education work to develop leadership

well as our understandings of one another. fa l l 2 0 1 0

Mills Matters An update from the chair of the Presidential Search Committee

Seven join Mills College Board of Trustees

Your Presidential Search Committee (PSC) has had a busy sum-

On July 1, the Mills

mer, as so many very impressive candidates have expressed

College Board of

interest in becoming the next president of Mills College.

Trustees welcomed

Thanks to your input in the spring, we developed a presi-

four new members

dential profile that provides candidates with an overview of

and three return-

Mills, the agenda for the next president, and the qualifications

ing members who

and qualities we seek. To read the profile, visit www.mills.edu/

will serve three-

presidential_search and click on “Presidential Profile” in the

year terms. In

right-hand menu. This website also lists the PSC members who

addition to Linda

are now actively engaged in reviewing candidates’ materials.

Jaquez-Fissori ’92,

We have pledged confidentiality to our candidates so that

who serves on the

they do not have to compromise their current positions of

board as president

leadership in order to express interest in becoming president of

of the AAMC (see

Mills. Although we cannot reveal their identities, we are very

next page), Mills’

excited about the high quality of those who have entered the

new Trustees are:

pool and the variety of experiences they have had. And the pool just keeps growing!

ate Trustee Daisy

Jak ub Mosur

I am thankful

Gonzales ’07 (above), of Sacramento, who just concluded a

to all those who

year as Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellow, a legislative staff

have submitted

position in the California State Assembly. A public policy

nominations—it is

major at Mills, she was co-president of the Associated

because of you that we

Students of Mills College in 2006–07.

have all these terrific

Sandra Hernandez, MD, of San Francisco, chief

candidates. With the

executive officer of the San Francisco Foundation since

help of executive search

1997. She also serves as an assistant clinical professor at

firm Russell Reynolds

UCSF School of Medicine and maintains a clinical practice

Associates, we are

at San Francisco General Hospital’s AIDS clinic.

following up with every Wendy Hull Brody ’68

Recent gradu-

Katherine Schapiro, CFA, of San Francisco, lead port-

nomination that appears

folio manager at Sentinel Asset Management. A Stanford

to be as strong as those

University graduate, she has Mills in her family line: her

already in our pool of

mother is Susan Schapiro ’52 and her great aunt is Lucy

excellent candidates. If

Cowdin Maisel ’38.

you have candidates to recommend, please send their name and contact information to MillsPresident@russellreynolds.com.

Returning to the board are: Nita Prothro Clark ’91, of Dallas, who has had a career in fundraising and philanthropy. She previously served as a

Sincerely,

Mills Trustee from 1997 to 2003 and has volunteered as an

Wendy Hull Brody ’68

alumna admission representative.

presidentialsearch@mills.edu

Alexandra Orgel Moses ’64, of San Francisco, an entrepreneur and leader of technology companies for three decades. She was a Mills Trustee from 2000 to 2009. Barbara Ahmajan Wolfe ’65, of San Francisco, former executive vice president at Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., and a Mills Trustee from 2000 to 2009.

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

dana dav is

were also born and raised in Pueblo, and both sides of her family have lived in Southern Colorado and New Mexico since the region belonged to Mexico. She hopes to foster a sense of pride in the AAMC’s cultural diversity in the coming years. “I want everyone to come to an event and feel comfortable. I want to be a role model for Latina students,

New AAMC president takes the reins

but I also want to be a role model for all students,” she says. “Both the Alumnae

Linda Jaquez-Fissori ’92 (above) became

sponsors activities for students, including

Association and the College have come

president of the Alumnae Association of

Taco Tuesday during Orientation Week

a long way in terms of diversity,” she

Mills College (AAMC) on July 1, elected

and the Winter Celebration for December

says. “The AAMC is really a multicultural

by the AAMC Board of Governors.

graduates. She is seeking to strengthen

association.”

Jaquez-Fissori has volunteered for

the endowment that supports the AAMC

Mills almost since the day she gradu-

because, she says, “In order for us to

ated, beginning as a phone-a-thon vol-

remain independent, we need to remain

unteer in 1992 then joining Mills’ team

financially independent.”

of alumnae admission representatives.

Jaquez-Fissori looks forward to the

—Erika Young ’94

Stefanie Moreno ’04 is the newest member of the AAMC Board

She has been on the AAMC Alumnae of

AAMC’s continued partnership with the

of Governors—her term began

Color Committee since its founding in

College’s Alumnae Relations Office, which

on July 1—and is also gift records

1993 and was appointed to the Board

organizes Reunion, regional events, and

manager in the College’s Office of

of Governors in 1995. She served as the

many other alumnae activities on and off

Institutional Advancement (OIA).

board’s co–vice president in the 2007 to

campus. “We have a great relationship

A native of Visalia, California, she

2010 term.

with Alumnae Relations,” she says. “We

graduated from Mills with a degree

both bring a lot to the table.”

in political, legal, and economic

That’s 16 years of continuous dedication to Mills. And now Jaquez-Fissori

Former AAMC President Anita

analysis and also holds a master’s in

looks forward to contributing even more:

Aragon Bowers ’63, AAMC president

international policy studies from the

as AAMC president, she serves on the

from 2007 to 2010, says, “When I think

Monterey Institute of International

Mills College Board of Trustees. In addi-

of Linda, the words that leap to my mind

Studies. She is looking forward to

tion, she is a member of the Presidential

are: resourceful, creative, committed,

being a “bridge between alumnae,

Search Committee charged with identify-

and effective. She’s shown such a com-

OIA, and the AAMC,” and warmly

ing a successor to Janet L. Holmgren.

mitment to Mills and has a very pro-

remembers her first impression of

found and passionate interest that Mills

Mills: “The first time I stepped onto

through 2013 but, since assuming office

continue as an undergraduate institution

campus, it felt like home.”

on July 1, she has already identified

for women. She’ll be a very eloquent

three immediate goals for the AAMC: to

spokeswoman on behalf of the Alumnae

communicate more clearly with alum-

Association.”

Jaquez-Fissori’s three-year term runs

nae, to plan events that appeal to a wide

Born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado,

range of alumnae, and to raise overall

Jaquez-Fissori majored in computer

awareness of the association and its

science at Mills. She worked for the Red

contributions.

Cross and a children’s educational games

This last goal is vital for maintaining the

company in Emeryville. She and her hus-

AAMC’s presence as a regular part

band, Todd, have a seven-year-old son,

of campus life. In addition to alumnae-

Sebastian, and live in Marin County.

oriented events such the Alumnae Awards

Two very important elements in

Ceremony during Reunion and last

Jaquez-Fissori’s life are her Latina

spring’s genealogy workshop, the AAMC

heritage and her family. Her parents fa l l 2 0 1 0

New faculty expand academic offerings

Alumnae capture Fulbright Awards

Every year, Mills College adds a few

student interest in

more of the country’s most outstanding

foreign affairs in

Four alumnae—including a Mills profes-

artists and scholars to its faculty roster.

those countries.

sor and a staff member—have garnered

“I want Mills stu-

This fall’s batch of newcomers

2010–11 Fulbright Awards to support

includes Assistant Professor of Women’s

dents to go out and

their research and teaching on an inter-

Studies Priya Kandaswamy, whose

explore the world

national level.

arrival signals the beginning of a greater

with the patience,

focus on queer/sexuality studies within the department. Kandaswamy holds

Diane Ketelle ’78, MA ’89, is currently

openness, and

an associate professor of education at

critical eye needed

Mills. Her award enables her to spend

a PhD in comparative ethnic studies

to really understand what is going on

the fall semester at Yerevan University

with an emphasis in women from the

around them,” she says. “I especially

in Armenia, where she will prepare stu-

University of California, Berkeley, and

want them to critically examine how the

dents for roles in educational administra-

comes to Mills after teaching at Portland

developing world is covered and not get

tion and work with K-12 schools with a

State University since 2006. Her research

caught in negative stereotypes, over-

focus on special education. Ketelle has

covers feminist and queer theory, and

generalizations, or accounts that down-

also been named the UNESCO chair in

race, gender, and sexuality.

play the complexity of politics.”

educational planning and management

Kandaswamy

Also transitioning from visiting to

will lead two new

tenure-track status is Assistant Professor

courses this fall:

of Public Policy Mark Henderson.

and will lecture at the university on the American educational system. Laura Joyce Davis, MFA ’06, estab-

Introduction to

Henderson, who earned his PhD in envi-

lished the Mills track and field program

Queer Studies:

ronmental science, policy, and manage-

three years ago and is head coach of the

The Politics of

ment at UC Berkeley, has been working

track and cross country teams. Through

Sexuality, and

with Mills students in the Local Planning

a combination of her research and

Race, Sex, and

and Politics class, which examines land

coaching experiences, Davis realized that

the State.

use and economic development plans

her interests in running and concerns

for Oakland’s Laurel District and engages

for sexually exploited women could be

queer studies and, as a women’s college

community members in the city’s plan-

woven together in a novel. Her Fulbright

in the Bay Area, Mills is well positioned

ning process.

will support a nine-month stay in the

“It’s a very exciting time in the field of

Philippines conducting research on

to develop a really innovative program,”

“As an instructor in public policy,

she says. “I hope my students will learn

there is nothing better than to see my

human trafficking for her novel on mod-

to question the things we tend to take

students become the teachers, and then

ern-day slavery, “Fear and Trembling.”

for granted as natural and inevitable, and

to see citizens

She will work with the University of the

begin to imagine and create possibilities

empowered to help

Philippines and various non-governmen-

for social change in their own lives.”

shape city policies

tal organizations.

As an alumna of Smith College,

that affect their

In addition, two alumnae have been

Assistant Professor of Government

neighborhoods,”

awarded Fulbright English Teaching

Martha Johnson fully appreciates the

Henderson says.

Assistantships: Lilly-Marie Lamar ’06,

privilege of teaching at “one of the most

In addition to

MFA ’08, will travel to the University of

diverse, open-minded women’s colleges

these new tenure-

Gdansk in Poland and Hannah Hart ’09

in the country.”

track faculty,

will spend the year in Sri Lanka.

Johnson, a visiting professor at Mills

Mills has welcomed to campus the new

in the 2009–10 academic year who com-

dean of the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate

pleted her PhD at UC Berkeley during

School of Business, Deborah Merrill-

that time, wrote a doctoral dissertation

Sands, and the new dean of the School

entitled “Democracy and the Emergence

of Education, Katherine Schultz. Both

of Meritocratic Bureaucracies: Explaining

deans were introduced in the last issue

Variation within the Senegalese State.”

of the Quarterly; learn more about them

Her subsequent scholarly work is in

at Reunion on October 2.

African studies, and she hopes to raise 8

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

—Kelsey Lindquist ’10

Mills celebrates Business School founders 1

On May 13, more than 120 alumnae and friends convened on campus to honor the founding donors and leaders of the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business. These founders included Lorry I. Lokey, P ’85, who has given more than $20 million to the Business School; President Janet L. Holmgren and former Business School Dean Nancy Thornborrow; and lead donors Jack and Marion Euphrat, The Virginia & Leonard Marx Foundation, Ellen and Glenn Voyles, and Thomas and Barbara Ahmajan Wolfe ’65, each of whom has given $1 million or more.

1 Kirsten Voyles, Trustee Glenn Voyles, and Ellen Voyles outside the Business School. Glenn and Ellen endowed a faculty chair and helped fund the new building.

4 Mei Kwong ’70 and Larry Franklin on their named bench (they also named the Jean and Y.H. Kwong Study Room in the Business School building after Mei’s parents).

2 Thomas Wolfe and Trustee Barbara Ahmajan Wolfe ’65 on the porch that honors their support of MBA students and of the Business School’s construction.

5 Members of the extended Euphrat family on the Euphrat Family Plaza: Kylie Hepper ’06, MBA ’08, Ryan Lissack, Judy Euphrat Castaillac ’70, and Kathleen and Laurent Castaillac.

3 Betty Chu Wo ’46 and Robert Wo with son Robert, granddaughter Jamie, and son Wendell in front of the MBA student lounge that the five Wo sons named after their parents.

6 A highlight of the evening reception was the unveiling of a donor wall honoring those who have supported the Business School with gifts of $5,000 or more.

7 Nancy Thornborrow, founding dean of the Business School and now Lorry I. Lokey Chair in Ethics and head of the Economics Department, with donor Sharon Tong Pierson ’06, MBA ’07. 8 Irmy Lewis, Trustee Lorry I. Lokey, P ’85, Joanne Harrington, and President Janet L. Holmgren. 9 Trustee Vivian Stephenson gave the keynote address during dinner in the Gathering Hall.

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Calendar September 21  Latina Heritage Month: Puerto Rican Bomba Percussion, Song, and Dance Workshop 7:00 pm, Student Union, free Shefali Shah, dancer and choreographer, and Hector Lugo, a percussionist, singer, and educator, lead a workshop in the bomba genre, an improvisational “conversation” between dancers and drummers. Bring your drums, maracas, faldas, and lightweight shawls for dancing!

Mills College Art Museum Kathryn Spence and Binh Danh Through December 12, 2010

22-23  Fall Plant Sale

23  Creek Care Days 10:00 am–1:00 pm, Leona Creek restoration sites (follow signs on campus), free See listing for September 25.

28  Center for Socially Responsible Business: Public Lecture 7:00 pm, Lokey Graduate School of Business Gathering Hall, free Michelle Ferguson, EVP of marketing for Clif Bar, presents “Lessons for Marketers Through Consumers’ Eyes: Building Strong Brands and a Socially Responsible Business.”

November

10:00 am–4:00 pm, Mills College Botanic Garden Choose from California natives, droughttolerant and deer-resistant plants, edibles, succulents, indoor plants, and more!

20  Creek Care Days See page 18

10:00 am–1:00 pm, Leona Creek restoration sites (follow signs on campus), free See listing for September 25.

25  Creek Care Days 9:00 am–12:00 pm, Leona Creek restoration sites (follow signs on campus), free Help restore the beauty of our campus creeks and the health of habitats around them.

October 1-3  Reunion 2010: Mills: For Women, Again & Again Golden Girls events begin on September 30 Visit www.mills.edu/reunion or call 510.430.2123 to request a brochure.

Concerts: Mills Music Now All performances at 8:00 pm, Littlefield Concert Hall, $15 general, $10 seniors and non-Mills students, free with AAMC card. See more information at http://musicnow.mills.edu.

October 1  Darius Milhaud and Lou Harrison: In Praise of Melody Milhaud once said “Don’t be afraid of writing something people can remember and whistle. Don’t ever feel discomfited by a melody.” Tonight’s concert is dedicated to two Mills composers who were never “discomfited by a melody”!

October 9  Lore of Moments Joel Ryan, a pioneer in real-time interactive digital instruments, performs with British improviser Evan Parker, “the most formidable saxophonist since John Coltrane.”

October 23  David Dunn This year’s David Tudor Composer-in10

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

23  Mills College Club of Orange County Fall Fundraiser 11:00 am, Newport Beach Yacht Club, 1099 Bayside Drive, Newport Beach An afternoon with Mills College Art Museum Director Stephanie Hanor and a silent auction to benefit student scholarships. For information, contact Kirsten Lynn Challman ’89 at 949.244.8780 or kirstenchallman@yahoo.com.

Residence is “at once an ecologist, a philosopher, a member of the new science, a performer, an integrator of human values with technological ones, and an artist.”

October 11  Jon Leidecker

October 29  Rock and a Hard Place

October 25  MURAL

Performances by recent alumnae/i of Mills—including junk folksters Jack o’ the Clock, eclectic chanteuse Molly Thompson, and others.

This international, improvisational trio performs on flute, sax, guitar, and percussion to create a lush and inviting sound-world.

November 13  Africa, Africa

Composer Goodheart presents a lecture/ demonstration of his new sound installation, Transducer-Activated Cymbals and Gongs.

This powerful double bill features choreographer, composer, and scholar CK Ladzekpo and Senegalese master drummer Thione Diop.

The local electronic music composer and history maven presents the latest installment of his history of “sampling” in music.

November 15  Matthew Goodheart

November 20  Eclipse Quartet Mills’ resident artists perform works by Meredith Monk and Annie Gosfield.

Songlines All events at 7:30 pm, Music Building Ensemble Room, free. For more information, see http://musicnow.mills.edu.

Matthew Goodheart

k eith le wis

New advancement staff to assist alumnae & friends Alumnae and friends contrib-

cer who works with Valerie Schutz and

uted more than

Phoenix Reed Feinbloom ’93 to secure

Entering first-generation Mills students

$20 million to the

gifts at all levels.

will receive higher levels of academic

College in the

Carolyn Otis Catanzaro

Jennifer Alley is a development offi-

College Success Award increases support for first-generation students

Nancy Fahr Fowler ’69 has joined

support in coming years thanks to

fiscal year that

April Hopkins, MFA ’03, as a planned

the $100,000 College Success Award

ended on June

giving officer to help alumnae set up

provided by the Council of Independent

30, 2010. Most

bequests and life income gifts.

Colleges and the Walmart Foundation.

often, their gifts

Jocelyn Ferguson has assumed the

The award, which recognizes Mills

were arranged

role of corporate and foundation relations

College’s achievements in educational

with the help of or received by staff in

officer, working with institutional donors.

access, will further strengthen programs

the Office of Institutional Advancement

Lisa Spivak, director of the Mills

for first-generation students, many of

(OIA). This year, donors will meet several

College Annual Fund, works to raise

whom are multilingual or non-native

new OIA staff who fill positions that had

unrestricted support and increase partici-

English speakers, and help increase

been vacant.

pation in giving by alumnae, parents,

retention of these students. “Ensuring the success of first-gener-

Carolyn Otis Catanzaro is now the

and friends. Spivak has been joined in

assistant vice president of development.

her work at Mills by Elizabeth Coyle,

ation students entails more than just

Otis Catanzaro worked in OIA at Mills

assistant director of the annual fund,

providing access—it requires equipping

from 2000 to 2005 and has returned

who will be working with class agents to

students with the tools to succeed in

after holding fundraising positions at

encourage giving from their classmates.

understanding the academic environ-

Children’s Hospital and the American

Nikole Hilgeman, associate director

Cancer Society in Oakland. In her new

of reunion planning and giving, will play

Greer. “This environment has a distinct

role, she oversees planned giving, major

a key role in planning future Reunions

language, a set of expected behaviors,

giving, and corporate/foundation rela-

and encouraging Reunion class giving.

and requires a certain kind of authority—

ment,” says Mills College Provost Sandra

You may reach any of these staff by

or self-advocacy—to navigate the insti-

Stover, vice president for institutional

calling OIA at 510.430.2097 or emailing

tutional context effectively. This award

advancement.

donors@mills.edu.

will allow us to enable our students to

tions. She reports to Cynthia Brandt

succeed to their fullest potential.” Expanding upon existing services

Contemporary Writers Series All events at 5:30 pm, Mills Hall Living Room, free. For more information, contact Stephanie Young, 510.430.3130 or syoung@mills.edu

September 28  Jen Bervin Bervin’s work brings together text and textile in a practice that encompasses large-scale art works, artist books, poetry, and archival research.

October 5  Shahrnush Parsipur

November 16  Eileen Myles A professor emeritus of writing and literature at UC San Diego, Myles writes novels, libretti, and poetry. Her collection of essays, The Importance of Being Iceland, received a Warhol/Creative Capital grant.

at Mills—such as Summer Academic Workshop, Peer Tutoring, and the Writing Center—the award will allow for the creation of a communications program that will focus on students’ academic writing, oral presentation, and self-advocacy skills. Students will take English courses tailored to their specific

Hiromi Ito

needs, receive peer academic support, and be mentored and advised by faculty

Author of 11 works of fiction and memoir, Parsipur was imprisoned by the Shah’s security agency and the Islamic Republic in turn. She now lives in exile.

members who are trained on their needs

October 19  Hiromi Ito

schools have an undergraduate enroll-

One of the most highly regarded poets in Japan, Ito has published more than 10 collections of poetry, a dozen essay collections, and several novellas.

as non-native English or multilingual students. All College Success Award recipient ment that includes at least 30 percent first-generation students among the most recent classes of first-year students. Approximately 35 percent of Mills College undergraduates are firstgeneration students. fa l l 2 0 1 0

Commencement 2010 An unusual energy buzzed through the capacity crowd on Toyon Meadow at Commencement this year. Perhaps it was the more than 250 alumnae who joined the procession to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Strike that kept Mills a women’s college. Perhaps it was the unusual sight of secret service agents staked out across campus and—notably—atop Mills Hall, or the prominence of the woman who necessitated their presence: Commencement speaker Nancy Pelosi, the first female Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Or perhaps it was the sheer excitement of hundreds of students poised on the brink of a major life accomplishment: the completion of a college degree, many of them the first in their families to do so.

Challenge and choice

To all members of the class of 2010, we offer congratulations!

Congress,” Pelosi said in her address to the graduating class.

A proud graduate of Trinity College , a women’s col-

lege in Washington DC, Commencement speaker Nancy Pelosi has represented California’s Eighth District in the House of Representatives since 1987. She became the first woman in the United States to lead a major party when she was elected Democratic leader of the House in 2002. As the first female Speaker of the House, she is second in line to the presidency and has driven legislation on educational opportunity, environmental policy, ethics reform, health care, and workers’ rights. “It was the confidence and education that I gained at an all-women’s college that helped me go from the kitchen to the And though much has been accomplished by women in leadership today, Pelosi noted the idealism and power that the next generation of leaders brings to the difficult tasks ahead. “The students I meet are weary of war. They want an end to violence—whether in the Middle East, Afghanistan, or the genocide in Darfur. They want to end global warming and preserve the planet—God’s beautiful creation. They want jobs, economic opportunity, and broadly-shared prosperity. “Students understand the need to make a difference in the world. In a time of uncertainty and challenge, you have clear aspirations for peace and prosperity, at home and around the world. You are ready for change; you are impatient. “And that is why I have such faith in the future.

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

p h o t o s b y pa u l k u r o d a a n d d a n a d av i s

“You go into the world in a time of enormous challenges and consequential choices. “Throughout our history, America has confronted and surmounted such moments. We did so because each generation, at each critical moment, understood the challenge, made a bold choice, and shaped a destiny of its own. “And now, as you leave this beautiful campus, you have the opportunity to continue to shape your own destiny. You will do so with an exceptional education, with the highest of aspirations, and with the love and support of this community.”

The ultimate resumer Hazel Soares generated headlines around the world when

she received her undergraduate degree at Mills in May (at right in photo above). Her story appeared in newspapers across the nation and made it to the top of Yahoo! news; reports on her accomplishment reached as far as Paris, Poland, and the Philippines. What remarkable quality sets Soares apart? At the age of 94, she is the oldest student to graduate from Mills College and the secondoldest student ever to earn a college degree. A lifelong East Bay resident, Soares graduated from Oakland’s Roosevelt High School in 1932 but, due to the Great Depression, her dream of going to college was out of reach. When her first husband passed away unexpectedly, she was left with three young children to support. A few years later, Soares remarried and had another three children. All that time, her dream of college remained alive. Soares enrolled at Chabot College and received an associate’s degree in humanities in 2000, then embarked on an art history major at Mills in 2007. A patron of several art museums in San Francisco and Oakland, the field was a good fit, but not without its challenges: Soares needed to pass an upper-division math class and learn how to use a computer to succeed at Mills. And succeed she has. Soares was presented with the Herringer Robed up: (opposite page) Spirited graduates leap toward the future; alumnae fall into marching order in front of Reinhardt House; (above) President Holmgren, Betty Chu Wo ’46, Barbara Lee ’73, and Nancy Pelosi prepare for the ceremonies.

Prize for Excellence at the Academic Awards Ceremony and hopes to find a job as a museum docent. “I think it just gets richer,” said Soares. “The more you learn, the more you want to learn.”

Changing lives When Betty chu Wo ’46 left Hawaii to begin her under-

in her honor. The mother of four sons and grandmother of 12,

graduate studies at Mills, the U.S. was already involved in World

Wo continues to support numerous arts, education, and health

War II, although Hawaii was not yet a state. “In coming to Mills,

organizations.

she clearly knew she was separating herself from all she held

Before conferring the degree doctor of

dear to go along a path that would take her forward as a leader

humane letters, honoris causa, Holmgren’s

in the world,” President Holmgren said of Wo (pictured at right),

praise continued as she noted that Wo is “a

who has been a great friend and advocate for Mills in the decades

much beloved Mills woman whose breadth

since, serving as a Trustee of the College, member of Mills’

of philanthropic endeavors reflects her dedi-

Major Gifts Committee, and president of the Mills College Club

cation to fostering the mind, body, and spirit

of Hawaii. She and her husband, Robert, have established two

of those whose lives she touches, providing

scholarships for Mills students, and the Wo family has made a

an inspirational example of how the generos-

substantial gift to the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business

ity of one can change the lives of many.” Betty Chu Wo ’46 fa l l 2 0 1 0

Kiala Givehand

Living on the edge

I am ready

“May 2010 sounded pretty futuristic . . . until today,” said

“I came here to change my life . I moved here to be a part

senior speaker Sonya Silberman Rifkin, whose speech drew

of a community of women dedicated to affecting change in the

as many laughs as nods of agreement. In her address, she said,

world—a decision I have not regretted,” said graduate speaker

“2010 sounded like a year in the movies. You know: cars you

Kiala Givehand, who was awarded an MFA in English/creative

could plug in, a mixed-race black president, a nearly dystopic

writing. A 14-year teaching veteran with an undergraduate

state of world affairs, a world without Michael Jackson. And yet

degree from Florida State University and two previous graduate

here we are: graduating from college amidst these fantastical

degrees, at Mills she was the poetry editor of 580 Split, coordi-

plotlines.

nated the community teaching project, and launched Generations

“But the future is apparently here. Thankfully, the Mills motto

literary magazine, which is publishing its first issue this fall.

has something to clue us in about where, exactly, ‘here’ is. The

“From faculty to administrators, my dreams and goals have

motto reads, ‘one destination, many paths.’ So maybe that’s

always been validated and treated with respect and encourage-

where we are; maybe we have reached our destination. Hold on,

ment. But it was from my community of peers—from all of you—

I’m not so sure about that, about having ‘arrived.’

that I felt most validated. I sat in classrooms with women 20

“This is what it feels like to be on the edge of something, on the edge of what it means to be at a women’s college in 2010, 20

years my junior and 20 years my senior, and never felt more equal and more alive than in those moments,” she said.

years after students went on strike to protest the board’s vote to

“It was in those moments that I found my voice, the same

go coed—and they won—what it means to have a college degree

voice with which I proudly say that I am ready: Ready to con-

when the world seems to be turning upside-down, on the edge

tinue the legacy of the 1990 women who fought so that I can

of change. This may well be our destination. Inevitable and com-

stand here today feeling powerful and poised to do anything;

ing fast.

ready to think critically about how to affect thoughtful changes

“But I see it differently. The edge is a place to remain and test boundaries, and to realize the legacies we leave.”

in a global community; ready to be a poet, a young-adult novelist, a book artist, and an advocate for arts and education. Ready to be a Mills alumna.”

Ready to go: (above left) It’s a day of picture-perfect moments for friends Alissa Chasten, Lisa Kelly, Kathy Jetnil-Kijiner, senior speaker Sonya Rifkin, and Amelia Vigil. (below from left) United States Army Second Lieutenant Elizabeth Trobaugh beams with pride; Aarthi Sekar can hardly contain her excitement; Twenty years after their own graduation, members of the 1990 Strike class celebrate all over again.

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

Bent Twigs 1 Sara Ecklein (center) with her mother, Carol Fillmore ’83 (right), and cousin Loadel Piner ’50. 2 Nneka Allen-Harrison, MEd ’04, EdD, with her husband, Christopher Delmar Harrison, MA ’03, EdD ’09, and her sister, Dewaina Hardee ’01, MA ’05, EdD ’09.

3 Kelsey Lindquist and her grandmother Carolyn Adams Lindquist ’51. 4 Stephanie Thomas with her sister, Christine Thomas ’08. 5 Sisters Heather Houston and Amy Houston ’00. 6 Sisters Carrol Page and Amanda Page ’09. 7 Amber Williams (center) with her aunt Lynette Williams Williamson ’72, MA ’74 (left), and cousin Roxane Johnigan ’76. 8 Yvonna Triplett and her aunt Robin Peers Fallat ’88.

9 Hannah Ryan and her godmother, Jeannie Kohl ’89. 10 Sisters Emily Lebsack and Elese Lebsack ’98. 11 Alejandra Javier and her sister, Judith Javier-Casillas ’05. 12 Stephanie Kwong with her sister, Christina Kwong ’08. 13 Rachel Dorney and her grandmother Ann Markewitz ’60. 14 Kristina Langner and her grandmother Michael Lovgren Langner ’48. 15 Mother and daughter: Tarrin Yeates Peterson, MFA, and Laurel Yeates Peterson ’77.

A Bent Twig is a Mills student or alumna whose family tree includes another Mills alumna.

p h o t o s b y d a n a d av i s

fa l l 2 0 1 0

It’s surprising to think that such humble tools could change the destiny of an institution, but each of these Strike items—handwritten, hand-sculpted, and hand-produced by students who believed in their right to a quality women’s education—holds the passion of hundreds of Mills women. Twenty years ago this past May, the world got a glimpse of just how much women’s education was valued when those students banded together with alumnae, faculty, and staff to reverse the College’s decision to go coed. What’s important to see, past sensational press coverage of crying women with shaved heads, is how deeply committed the Strike participants were to their ideals and to their College. For themselves and for the future, Mills was worth fighting for. S e e i t at R e u n i o n :

A special exhibition of Strike memorabilia—contributed by alumnae, faculty, and staff and pulled from the library archives—will be on display at the F. W. Olin Library from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm during Reunion Weekend, October 1 through 3. For more information about the exhibition, visit www.mills.edu/reunion. —Erika Young ’94

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

Campus flyers

People magazine

Before Twitter and text messaging, these were essential tools for updates. No wireless access or portable charger required.

“For Future Male Students at Little Mills College, Sisterhood Has A Message: Get Lost,” read the headline in People magazine. Major news organizations and talk shows took the strikers’ fight to a national stage.

Clay model

Yellow armband

Mills Weekly

“Better dead” t-shirt

This figure, an emblem of the Strike created by Roberta Weir ’86, MFA ’90, was a study for the lifesize “Power of Woman” statue which now stands in the Student Union courtyard.

Strike students wore armbands of yellow— one of the College’s colors—to demonstrate solidarity and support and to honor the Mills theme, “Remember.”

Student editors stayed up all night on May 4, immediately following the announcement that the College would admit undergraduate men, to turn out this special “COEDUCATION” issue of the Mills Weekly. By midday on May 5, when Weekly staff handdelivered the paper to campus, the student blockades were well under way.

The 100-percent cotton t-shirt matched the 100-percent conviction of its makers’ beliefs.

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Deep knowledge and scientific precision underlie the seemingly effortless grace in the art of Kathryn Spence, MFA ’93 By Glen Helfand

athryn Spence is an avid birder. For her, the activity entails

focused observation of nature and being awed by what she discovers there. “What could improve upon a real bird? How is it

possible that these things actually exist?” she ponders. This passion is made visible in her work, though you don’t have to know an owl from an osprey to be inspired by Spence’s pieces. In her sculpture, drawings, and installations, she has the uncanny ability to represent the spirit of animals using ordinary objects and unlikely materials scavenged from thrift stores, city streets, or wherever. “I don’t come at my work from a religious perspective, but these creatures have a genuine force,” she says. “I want to work on a piece until it becomes something approaching ‘real,’ close to being alive. What was once a pile of scraps has now transformed into this other thing.” Since earning her MFA at Mills in 1993, Spence has shown her art in dozens of gallery and museum exhibitions (she’s been represented by San Francisco’s Stephen Wirtz Gallery since 1996). Institutions includk eith le wis

ing the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Oakland Museum of California, and the Microsoft Art Collection have acquired her work, and she has held residencies at the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin and the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. Her studied yet free-range approach is fully apparent in her solo show, Kathryn Spence: short sharp notes, rolling or churring whistles, clear phrases, on view at the Mills College Art Museum through December 12. “There’s something very smart and intriguing about the way she For the birds: Kathryn Spence adjusts her installation at the Mills College Art Museum; opposite page: details from the work.

transforms everyday materials into something so recognizable and immediate,” says Museum Director Stephanie Hanor, who curated the show. “And I think there’s a great deal of interest among contemporary artists in this process of taking items normally meant for some other purpose and adapting them into art.”

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

The show is not a career survey but rather a snapshot that contains elements that have appeared in Spence’s work over the years, as well as two new large-scale pieces—all of which have been influenced, in some way or another, by her outdoor experiences and ecological interests. “I have always been interested in nature,” she confesses. “I find it so interesting and profound to witness these natural processes that go on outside of human involvement and control. “When I began birding, my interest was greatly heightened. I got binoculars and began to look and listen so closely to birds, and layers and layers of detail came into view. I wanted to learn more about habitats. I wanted to learn all the plants the birds use, and about butterflies and bees,” she says. On the grounds surrounding her Glen Park apartment in San Francisco, Spence has planted a native garden that provides endless inspiration. “It is so satisfying to see the wildlife come to the plants they like. What is seen varies so much with the seasons and the migration.” This keen attention to the rhythms of nature leads her

Early on, Spence was recognized by critics and curators for cover-

to a quirky but scientific approach. Her installations often

ing toy stuffed animals in mud, merging a sense of natural history

resemble a workshop or laboratory where experiments are

with childhood nostalgia while eradicating any sense of cuteness (no

constantly evolving into the representation of living things.

pink kitsch is visible here). Over time, her work has evolved steadily

In conversation, she refers to a tension between knowing

from such discrete sculptural objects to complex installations,

and not knowing—an appealing, slightly edgy state of flux.

such as the expansive centerpiece created for the Mills exhibition.

“There is such a strange dislocation between nature and the more controlled, self-conscious world of people and cul-

Extending some 30 feet across the museum floor, the installation’s modular sections display hundreds of elements.

ture,” she says. “This dislocation is something I constantly wonder about.” While clearly an environmentalist, Spence’s work is more about allowing viewers to look at the world

S e e i t at R e u n i o n :

from a unique point of view rather than making specific life-

Mills College Art Museum

style prescriptions or overt political statements.

g Born in Germany (her dad was a dentist in the mili-

tary) and raised in Colorado, Spence earned her BFA at the University of Colorado, Boulder. The quality of the physical and academic environment at Mills drew her to Oakland to pursue her MFA. “Mills had a good reputation and offered a small program with large studio spaces,” she explains. “There wasn’t the constant overstimulation that I felt at some other art schools. Mills felt like it was less about fashion and more about developing work in a quieter way—and that felt right for me.” Interactions with faculty members working in various media also contributed to the development of her work during her time at Mills. “Ron Nagle would have one opinion— he was the object guy—while Catherine Wagner would be looking at the table where I constructed my objects and suggest I photograph the whole thing,” says Spence. “Anna

Kathryn Spence: short sharp notes, rolling or churring whistles, clear phrases Spence’s sculptural objects are inspired by birds and the natural world but are composed from the discarded materials of the human world. September 25  Bird walk with Professor John Harris and Kathryn Spence, 10:00 am, Art Museum courtyard October 13  Artist’s lecture, 7:00 pm, Danforth Lecture Hall November 10  Kathryn Spence in conversation with Stephanie Hanor, 7:00 pm, Art Museum

Binh Danh: Collecting Memories Using a unique chlorophyll printing process, Danh imprints the found portraits of war casualties and anonymous soldiers into the cells of leaves, then preserves the resulting images in resin. November 3  Binh Danh in conversation with Boreth Ly, 7:00 pm, Art Museum December 1  Reading with Andrew Lam, Isabelle Pelaud, and Truong Tran, 7:00 pm, Art Museum

Both shows on view through December 12

mcam.mills.edu

Murch, with her background in environmental and public

Museum Hours: Tuesday–Sunday: 11:00 am to 4:00 pm Wednesday: 11:00 am to 7:30 pm  Monday closed

art, was really helpful. She referred to my collection of accu-

Admission is free.

mulated scraps as ‘bits.’”

fa l l 2 0 1 0

dana dav is

“I used to just make objects,” Spence says, “but now I feel like I make drawings with objects.” Indeed, her work gains its formidable strength through accumulation. In this case, rough but surprisingly lifelike bird sculptures combine

Stephanie Hanor:

with tidy bundles of coarsely cut rags, pages of field guides, unspooled thread, and random scraps found here and there. Muddied toy rabbits sit next to an amorphous pile of similarly hued materials; it’s difficult to tell if the objects are in a state of formation or decomposition. A bottle of metallic sky-

the museum as laboratory

hued nail polish is set within the array, almost out of place in its plastic glamour. The organic and synthetic materials, carefully placed at various densities, suggest ideas about land use and animal habitats and present an artist’s view of the uncomfortable merger of nature and culture. Spence refers to the piece as describing our “divided-up world.” Her sincere concern about the environment feeds directly into her studio activities as well—she hates to waste anything. In order to construct sections of the new sculpture, Spence cut up her old worktable and incorporated wood scraps left by a former studio mate. “I didn’t want to buy anything new,” she admits. She is a regular at SCRAP, the “creative reuse center” in San Francisco. “If I’m making a screech owl, I’ll look for particular materials—which might be a men’s jacket with certain stripes.” These screech owls also make an appearance in the installation. Perched on poles as if to survey the landscape around them, the birds are surrounded by open field guides and various scraps of printed matter, the black and white of which uncannily resembles the owl’s markings. Stephanie

Hanor

describes

such groupings in her catalog essay as a “kit,” and Spence affirms the downto-earth spirit. “This is what you need to make an owl—if you were me,” the artist quips. “I am usually around other artists, so as I became more involved with birding it was interesting to experience the way science-oriented people interpret and relate to the natural world,” says Spence. “I think birding gives a person time and access to what is out there, which is endlessly rich and fascinating.” It’s a wonderful sentiment, and one that just as aptly describes a possible experience of her work.

g 20

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

rt and museums have always been a part of my life,” says Stephanie Hanor, director of the Mills College Art Museum. On the job for just a year, she’s been busy bringing a wealth of experience and passion to evolve the campus’ visual arts resource to a next level.

“There are lots of possibilities here,” she says. “The building is beautiful, there are good people.” Over the summer, she was busy enhancing the venerable institution by adding new, moveable walls so the museum can accommodate a wider variety of exhibitions, like the dual solo shows by Kathryn Spence and Binh Dahn, and building a new website, mcam.mills.edu, which includes online access to highlights from the collection of 8,000 objects. While the gallery renovation was underway, Hanor worked with a guest curator to produce three site-specific installations in historic architecture around Oakland. Hanor has an extensive background in art history: a BA from Tulane, an MA from University of Minnesota, and a PhD from University of Texas, Austin. She worked in the latter school’s museum, the Blanton, as assistant curator of American and contemporary art. Her hands-on work for most of the last decade involved curating, in various capacities, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, where she organized major shows on such notable American artists as painters Jasper Johns and Manny Farber, and oversaw the installation of large-scale permanent sculptures by Andy Goldsworthy and Nancy Rubins. “Working with artists is one of the great pleasures of my job,” she says. “But I’ve missed being in a college environment. Even though the museum at Mills is small, the resources are amazing, the collections are interesting, and I can engage with students.” To that end, she’s teaching a museum studies course this fall that will involve diving into the contents of the collection—an experience that she hopes will excite students as much as it did her. “As an undergraduate, I took a history of photography class taught by the curator of photography at the New Orleans Museum of Art. I loved the idea of being able to work with the actual objects and not just reproductions.” The museum at Mills offers unique opportunities for her to work more directly with artists, too. “I like to think of the museum as a laboratory space where I can encourage artists to create new work and give them an opportunity to try new ideas.” Hanor views Oakland, like San Diego, as a location conducive to her goals. “Because we’re a bit off the beaten track, artists have more freedom to experiment.” And, thankfully, so does she.

Bookshelf

The Invisible Mountain

Journeys: The Art of Dinah Cross James

By Carolina De Robertis, MFA ’07 Knopf, 2009 In her award-winning debut novel, De

Exploring Intimacy: Cultivating Healthy Relationships through Insight and Intuition

By Dinah Cross James ’64 Intuition Image Press, 2009

By Suzann Panek Robins ’85 Rowman and Littlefield, 2010

Robertis presents three generations of

An impressively hefty tome bound in red

Uruguayan women who defy convention

cloth, this volume contains more than 200

This book melds several philosophies and

to chart the course of history in their coun-

full-color reproductions of Cross James’

practices, which is perhaps fitting for the

try. There’s Pajarita, the town’s miracle

vibrantly layered and textured paintings

author’s integrative approach to physical,

baby, who vanishes shortly after her birth

produced over the past four decades.

spiritual, and emotional well-being. Robins

and reappears mysteriously weeks later in

Cross James has traveled throughout

gathers insights from diverse disciplines—

the top of a tall tree. As an adult, Pajarita is

South America, Asia, and Africa, and her

from Freudian and Jungian psychology to

left to fend for herself when her alcoholic

paintings—primarily large-scale abstracts—

tantric yoga and tai chi—in her quest to

husband leaves her without any financial

convey her rich observations and impres-

develop a holistic framework that nurtures

support, and as a result she becomes her

sions of these lands and their cultures. But

not only satisfying romantic and sexual

town’s most trusted healer.

a deeper, more personal journey comes

relationships, but also encompasses ways

Pajarita’s daughter, Eva, is taken out of

through her art as well: Cross James’ tragic

to develop healthy self-identities and posi-

school and put to work at an early age,

loss of her only child, a daughter; the artist

tive connections with one’s environment.

where she is manipulated, abused, and

expresses that loss, and her daughter’s per-

In fact, a main tenet of her book is the

raped. She finds solace in poetry, which

sistent spirit, through the action of brush

interdependence of all these relationships

sustains her into her womanhood, allow-

on canvas. “My hope is that this book will

in building a fully satisfying life, and Robins

ing her to overcome abandonment by a

not only be enjoyed for the beauty of the

offers strong essential arguments for living

controlling husband and eventually lead-

images,” Cross James writes, “but will also

with awareness, compassion, and—yes—

ing her to rediscover a long lost lover in a

help others to understand that creativity

intimacy.

most surprising way. And Eva’s headstrong

has the power to heal.”

—LS

daughter, Salomé, joins forces with guerrilla rebels in support of Ché Guevara, eventually finding her faith and loyalties tested while in prison for over a decade. De Robertis’ elegant prose and expert construction of three distinct narratives transports the reader through the journey of a family and a country as both are formed, broken, and rebuilt. The novel was

“My hope is that this book will not only be enjoyed for the beauty of the images, but will also help others to understand that creativity has the power to heal.” –Dinah Cross James

named one of the “Best Books of the Year” by The San Francisco Chronicle, BookList, and O, the Oprah Magazine, and De Robertis was ranked as the top new Latino author for 2010 by Latinostories.com.

—KL fa l l 2 0 1 0

In Memoriam Alumnae

Helene Smith Babcock ’26, April 24, in Twin Falls, Idaho. She was an active outdoorswoman, community member, and church volunteer. Survivors include two children and seven grandchildren.

A long-time supporter of the arts in Spokane, she was recognized as the 2003 Teacher of the Year by the Music Teachers National Association. She is survived by two sons and two granddaughters.

Frances Chapman ’32, October 23, 2008, in Alameda, California.

Tomme Jackson Stalker ’41, June 23, in Eugene, Oregon. A speech pathologist in the public school system, she served as 1941 class secretary. She is survived by four children and five grandchildren.

Mae Louise Ford Town ’34, March 31, in San Diego, California. A talented gardener and sharp reader, she is survived by three children and ten grandchildren. Thais Schwartz Crowell ’35, March 15, in Mill Valley, California. A music student at Mills, she took up drumming later in life and was involved in many volunteer activities, including serving as president of the Council on Aging in two counties. Margaret Hagy Connolly ’36, April 26, in Holland, Michigan. She is survived by two children and three grandchildren. Elizabeth Holmes Clewe ’38, June 22, in Reno, Nevada. A longtime resident of Sacramento, California, she held many offices in the local Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) chapter and was a talented potter. Survivors include her cousins Mary Crawford Anderson ’48 and KerryLynn Blau-Williams ’65. Loula Cameron Mearns ’38, March 2, in Victoria, British Columbia. Trained as a dietitian, she played Scrabble both in French and English and supported the YMCA, PEO, United Way, Eldercare Foundation, and the Victoria Hospital Foundation. She is survived by three children and four grandchildren. Jean Overton Wyatt ’39, April 13, in Batavia, Illinois. She was active with the local art league, history center, and other groups. She is survived by four children and seven grandchildren. Margaret “Margie May” Saunders Ott ’40, June 8, in Spokane, Washington. Her passion for teaching bloomed at the Julliard School of Music and she had a long and prolific career teaching piano both privately and at the college level; she was head of the piano department at Whitworth University until 1985. 30

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

Gertrude Buehler Drapeau ’43, June 6, 2009, in Salem, New Hampshire. Mary Ann Hunter Ray ’43, February 13, 2009, in Santa Barbara, California. Marianne Fletcher Hirschburg ’45, April 9, in Boise, Idaho. She was involved in Junior League, Cub Scouts, Camp Fire Girls, the Episcopal church, and country clubs in Boise and southern California. She is survived by her husband, Peter; two children; and two grandchildren. Caroline Grant Rickey ’45, June 29, in Castro Valley, California. An adventurous traveler throughout her life, she worked for the Red Cross in San Francisco and Hawaii during World War II and enjoyed golf and family. She is survived by two children and four grandchildren. Jean Hood Walker ’45, May 27, in Redlands, California. She worked as a librarian for many years and was involved with the American Association of University Women. She is survived by her husband, Jack; three children; and a granddaughter. Mary Brady Evans ’47, August 2, 2009, in Sun City, Arizona. She is survived by six children, including Barbara Evans Johnson ’77, and 12 grandchildren. Sheila Connolly Latasa ’47, March 23, in Los Angeles. A high school English teacher, she is survived by her husband, Phillip; three children; and three grandchildren. Marie Stevens ’47, March 7, in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She was dean of students at Western Michigan University for 20 years and an honored community volunteer.

Notices of death received before June 30, 2010

Mary Janice Craig ’48, September 13, 2009, in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was a real estate broker and artist. Constant Mergentheimer Hopkins ’48, March 25, in Tucson, Arizona. She had careers as a school teacher and nurse and was a self-taught scholar of English history. She is survived by a stepdaughter. Lorelle Horning Machen ’48, May 5, in Sarasota, Florida. She was supervisor of psychological services for Maryland public schools, held a private practice, taught community college, and hosted a radio talk show. Survivors include two children and three grandchildren. Susan Burnett Taha ’49, March 30, in Denver, Colorado. She produced and starred in cooking shows on San Francisco’s KQED, worked for UNICEF and the Peace Corps, and was a banking executive. Her volunteer efforts included producing conferences on UN topics and helping with Court Appointed Special Advocates for families in crisis, as well as supporting arts and music organizations. She is survived by a son and two grandchildren. Donna Smith Buchanan ’52, June 24, in Rockville, Maryland. Survivors include a son. Lucile Cooney Perryman ’52, January 15, in Key Largo, Florida. Sara Taylor Swift ’52, April 15, in Boulder, Wyoming. Nancy Aljian Ashe ’53, September 21, 2009, in San Jose, California. She dedicated her life to her family and is survived by six children and ten grandchildren. Lora Lee Smith Novak ’54, May 10, in Alpharetta, Georgia. She managed a savings and loan branch in Florida and, in a second career as a teacher, helped hundreds of students obtain college scholarships. She is survived by two children and two grandchildren. Grace Palmer Lacy, ME ’55, May 26, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She became assistant director of nursing at Kaiser Hospital in Oakland and was involved in activities benefitting the

community and Presbyterian church. She is survived by four children and four grandchildren. Judith Woodard French ’61, September 28, 2009, in Sunny Valley, Oregon. Survivors include her cousin, Patricia McCarty Barboni ’56. Jacquelinne White, MFA ’61, October 26, 2008, in Bolinas, California. Anne “Betsey” Northman Brighton ’63, April 22, in Red Lodge, Montana. A botanist, gardener, and teacher, survivors include her husband, Keith; two daughters; and seven grandchildren. Patricia Trogden, MA ’65, April 25, in Lakeport, California. Denison Glass ’83, February 25, in Pasadena, California. She is survived by her parents and sister, Tracy Glass ’81. Toni Lugo ’03, January 14, in Oakland, California.

Spouses, Family, and Friends Roy E. Boody Jr., husband of Violet Genovali Boody ’52; father of Robin Boody Galguera, MS ’89, MFA ’91; and father-in-law of Associate Professor of Education Tomás Galguera, March 14, in Moraga, California. Allen Browne, husband of Kay Miller Browne ’53 and stepfather of Elizabeth Stephenson Norheim ’83, April 23, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Grace Chen, a longtime member of the Mills College Associate Council, April 13, in Oakland, California. Stuart Dole, husband of Carla Dole ’95, January 24, in Berkeley, California. Norma Hess, mother of Marlene Hess ’70, April 22, in New York. Henry Houser, husband of Annabelle Autzen Houser ’42, March 4, in Portland, Oregon. Clark Hubbs, husband of Catherine Symons Hubbs ’45, February 3, 2008, in Austin, Texas.

Gifts in Memory of

Received February 16–May 31, 2010

Leila Abu-Saba, MFA ’07, by Scott Hoshida, MFA ’07

Shirley Jaquez, mother of Linda Jaquez-Fissori ’92, by Karlin Sorenson ’92

Laura Balas, MA ’92, by Helen and Arne Hovdesven

Charles Larsen by Elizabeth Terhune ’90

Virginia Vollmer Barr ’46 by Agilent Technologies, Corporate Development

Edward LeFevour by Elizabeth Terhune ’90

Mark Caldwell by Thomas Koster, Judith Stonefield, Marilyn and Murry Waldman

Mary Halsted Lonergan ’68 by Gretchen FitzGerald Chesley ’68, Nancy Bernheim Rogers ’47, Frances Weiler Varnhagen ’52, P ’79, Kazuko Tsunematsu Tajima ’69, MA ’71

Sybil “Syb” Johnson Dray ’41, P ’72, by Paula Merrix Sporck ’46 Marie Everett ’63 by Bette Krause Spagel ’63, P ’79, Connie Young Yu ’63, Sally Kettering Etterbeek ’63 Jessica Feller ’09 by Karen Anderson and Harold Wolverton, Peggy Chang and Gerald Knezevich, Amy Chung, Lee and Timothy Connor, Candis Cousins, The Friday Seminar Group, Eileen and D.E. Feldman, Alice and Fred Feller, Nancy and Michael Feller, Theresa Fisher, Bicycle Club, Judith Ford, Marjorie Gelb and Mark Aaronson, Eric Glassgold, Sara Grunstein, William Guilford, Katherine Gunz, Howard Hamburger, William Joost, Billy Karp, Alan Kubler, Maureen Kurpinsky, Jalyn and Laurence Lang III, Law Offices of Buresh, Kaplan, Jang, Sharon and Jack Levin, Mary Malcolm and James Hardy, Patricia Marra, Catherine McKenzie, Thomas Ogden, Suzanne Pallak, Andrea Saltzman, Analyst Support Network of the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis, Marjorie Schlenoff, Dena Sorbo, Ann and Robert Spears, George Stewart, Tony Johnson, Kate and Lowell Turner, Julie Ziegler Allyson Fremouw by Anita Aragon Bowers ’63, P ’84 Irving Goldberg, father of Nancy Goldberg Todes ’60, by Ellen Locke Crumb ’59, P ’94 Denyse Gross ’72 by April Ninomiya Hopkins, MFA ’03, Kenneth Morrison Clara Mears Harlow ’30 by J. Robert Israel Elizabeth Rulison Harrington ’40 by Helen Smith Evelyn Lenker Hart ’41 by Jean Morgan Randall ’41 William Irvine by Gretchen Hardman-Riedell ’61 My lost classmates by Carolyn Richter Kelemen, MA ’74 Winsome Blossom Nembhard by Lois Nembhard ’90 Cecily Jones Welmers ’61 by Thomas Welmers

Sylvia Jaureguy Love ’47 by Suzanne Brund Lamon ’47, Marilyn Steinmetz Lynch ’47, P ’72, P ’74, Norma Ross Maris ’47, Janet Clark McCoy ’47, Elise Feldman Rosenfeld ’47 Boitumelo “Tumi” McCallum ’09 by Margaret Moja, Teboho Moja, P ’09 Margery Foote Meyer ’45 by Isabelle Hagopian Arabian ’45, Emilie Reese Green ’45, P ’79, KerryLynn Blau-Williams ’65, Dr. Marion Ross ’44, Marian McCormack Wilkie ’45, P ’78 Rudolph Papale, husband of Catherine Genaro Papale ’48, by Nancy Lindauer Garrison ’48, Cynthia Taves ’48 Kathryn Yost Powell ’47 by Betty Blair Code ’47 Doris Richards ’59 by Ellen Locke Crumb ’59, P ’94 Joan Goforth Schippmann ’54 by Diane Marie Whyte ’54 Barbara Miller Schlauch ’48 by Nancy Butts Whittemore ’48 Anne Sherrill by Elizabeth Terhune ’90 Edward Stern, P ’68, by Susan Stern Fineman ’68 Richard Stern, father of Cheryl Stern Seltzer ’59, by Susan Stern Fineman ’68 Susan Burnett Taha ’49 by Pauline Royal Langsley ’49, P ’78, P ’83, Cynthia Taves ’48, Margaret Clarke Umbreit ’49 Letitia Thoreson Teeter ’57 by Suzon and David Gordon Nancy Goldberg Todes ’60 by Ellen Locke Crumb ’59, P ’94 Mae Louise Ford Town ’34 by Elizabeth Bryant Miles ’34 Lucy Turner-Powers ’64 by Helen Peterson Brainerd ’64 Richard Wolf, P ’64, by Susan Wolf Kaufman ’64 Christina Wolfe, P ’96, by Shannon Wolfe ’96 Jack Young, husband of Meredith Crossley Young ’53, by Betty Chu Wo ’46

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

Shirley Jaquez, mother of Linda Jaquez-Fissori ’92, May 9, in Pueblo, Colorado. Abner Kaplan, husband of Marie Henschel Kaplan ’49, April 2, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Clement Renzi, husband of Dorothy Ohannesian Renzi ’48, December 1, 2009, in Fresno, California. Rose Ruderman, mother of Elizabeth Ruderman Miller ’70, June 1, 2009, in Port Jervis, New York. Marion Souyoultzis, daughter of Vera Skaggs Long ’35 (deceased) and sister of Trustee Nan Fink Gefen, April 6, in Piedmont, California.

Edward Stern, father of Susan Stern Fineman ’68 and Margaret Stern Thornton ’65 and uncle of Cheryl Stern Seltzer ’59, April 18, 2009, in Fargo, North Dakota. Richard Stern, father of Cheryl Stern Seltzer ’59 and uncle of Susan Stern Fineman ’68 and Margaret Stern Thornton ’65, May 2, 2009, in New York. Richard Wolf, father of Susan Wolf Kaufman ’64, February 23, in Ellicott City, Maryland.

Jack Young, husband of Meredith Crossley Young ’53, April 16, in Tigard, Oregon.

Faculty and Staff Leslie Scalapino, 1944–2010 Contemporary poet and writer Leslie Scalapino, who taught graduate poetry workshops and craft classes in the Mills College MFA program, passed away May 28 in Berkeley, California. She received her BA in literature from Reed College in Oregon in 1966 and her MA in English from the University of California at Berkeley in 1969. O and Other Poems, published in 1976, was the first of her 30 books of poetry, prose, inter-genre fiction, plays, essays, and collaborations. In 1988, her long poem way received the Poetry Center Award, the Lawrence Lipton Prize, and the American Book Award from the Before Columbus Foundation. Her plays have been performed from coast to coast. She founded O Books in 1986 and released nearly 100 titles from emerging poets and innovative writers. Survivors include her husband, Tom White. fa l l 2 0 1 0

Sound off!

What was your greatest hope— or fear—upon graduation?

In the moment that students become alumnae, each one faces a world of possibility waiting to be realized—and obligations to be fulfilled. We asked alumnae of all eras to think back to their own ambitions and apprehensions on graduation day. My thought (which actually occurred

My hope was : get a job. My dream had

My greatest fear upon graduation?

as I walked back to Orchard Meadow after

already come true: freedom from home-

That I wouldn’t graduate! That I’d be told

finishing my last final exam) was, “Oh my

work. My goal was to have a fun life with

I needed to retake a course (or two)! My

God—what do I do now?!” Although intel-

my soon-to-be husband.

greatest hope was that I would become

lectually I had known that graduation

—Sarah Nash ’92

day was coming, the full impact didn’t hit

a hot shot reporter on some local newspaper, as I’d spent the majority of my time

me until that instant. I guess in the Ant

Upon graduating last May , I knew

at Mills spending every single Wednesday

and the Grasshopper fable, I had been

that finding a job would be challenging

night putting out the Mills Weekly. I never

the grasshopper for four years. Now, all

with the economy still in a rough place.

did become a reporter but spend a good

of a sudden, it was time to be the ant.

But I was more concerned about losing

deal of my time now volunteering as copy

Everything worked out in the end, but it

the sense of community and belonging

editor for a women’s rights organization:

was a pretty scary moment.

that I had found at Mills; I was afraid of

www.asafeworldforwomen.org.

—Robbie Lathrap Davis ’71

being replaced and forgotten. But I realize

—Jennifer J. L. Timmons ’87

that Mills will always be here for me, and Graduation day was bittersweet —

the relationships that matter really do

When I graduated , I had completed

rather more bitter than sweet, actually.

last. I guess I’ll just have to become one

my degree in occupational therapy and

My years at Mills had been the happiest

of those amazing alumna volunteers that

had my year of certification all lined up.

of my life: I had begun to grow into my

the College simply can’t get rid of!

However, Jack and I had married the

own as a person, a scholar, an activist, and

—Kelsey Lindquist ’10

a leader; I’d formed friendships with won-

previous summer, and our son arrived ten days before graduation. We had five

derful women. I had also contracted a

Similar to this year’s graduating class,

children in six years. Later, I obtained

terrible case of mono that spring, missed

I entered the working world in the reces-

my teaching credentials and taught spe-

taking my GREs, and was being sent

sion of ’75. I was so filled with new knowl-

cial education for 25 years. Certainly, on

home to Columbus, Ohio, to recuperate.

edge, self confidence, and the excitement

graduation day, I had no idea that things

Frankly, I felt awful. While saying good-

of learning that I ventured forth with an

would work out as they did and I would

bye (adieu, of course) to honorary class

attitude that even the recession couldn’t

be able to balance family with a very suc-

member Madeleine Milhaud, I started to

hold back. I just knew that I had lots to

cessful career!

cry. She told me, in effect, to get over it—

offer and even more to learn.

there was a wonderful world out there.

—Sharon Bramkamp Hohmann ’56

—Louise Hurlbut ’75

She was right. It’s been a grand life—and it’s not over yet! —Connie Gilbert ’61 32

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

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

Alumnae tr avel 2010–2011 South Africa Explore the spectacular biological diversity and fascinating culture of South Africa. Your tour begins in Cape Town and continues with a three-day train journey to Johannesburg. Highlights include a visit to the Apartheid Museum and a safari at the Thornybush Game Reserve. November 9–23, 2010, 14 days, $6,145 (plus air)

Holiday Markets Cruise on the Rhine/Main Rivers Spend seven nights onboard the first-class MS Amadeus Diamond and envelop yourself in the spirit of the holidays at Germany’s festive Christmas markets. Highlights include a children’s choir concert of carols, a tasting of regional wines, and stops in eight historic towns. November 26–December 4, 2010, 9 days, $2,220 (plus air)

Tanzania Safari during the Great Migration A wondrous adventure awaits in Africa’s premier safari destination. The Great Migration is one of earth’s greatest natural spectacles, and you’ll see vast herds of elephant, zebra, gazelle, and Cape buffalo along with the magnificent lion and other predators. Plus: Ngorongoro Crater and Olduvai Gorge, “the cradle of mankind.” January 30–February 9, 2011, 11 days, $5,195 (plus air)

Cruise the Panama Canal Set sail from Costa Rica for 11 splendid nights aboard the Crystal Symphony. Pass through the engineering wonder of the Panama Canal and continue to ports of call including Aruba, St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, and Tortola before disembarking in Miami. Each passenger receives $500 shipboard credit. March 6–17, 2011, 11 days, $3,470 (including air from designated U.S. cities)

Alaska’s Inside Passage Cruise through the pristine waters of America’s last great frontier and catch the wondrous sight of glaciers calving into the ocean, humpback whales and other marine life, and towering mountains plunging to untouched coastlines. Your Silversea ship offers unparalleled amenities between ports at Skagway, Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, and Vancouver. July 21–28, 2011, 7 days, from $3,558 (including air from designated U.S. cities)

See full brochures for all upcoming trips and new travel offerings online at www.mills.edu/alumnae/activities/travel.php. For reservations or additional information, call the Alumnae Association of Mills College at 510.430.2110 or 510.430.3373, or email aamc@mills.edu.

fa l l 2 0 1 0

Reunion 2010 Mills: For Women, Again and Again October 1 through 3 Golden Girls events begin on September 30 Mills invites all alumnae to a Reunion honoring the Golden Girls of 1960, alumnae from class years ending in 0 or 5, and all who were students during the Strike of 1990. Today, women’s education at Mills is stronger than ever—come back to find out why!

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)

See www.mills.edu/reunion for a complete schedule of Reunion events. Late registration accepted online at www.mills.edu/reunion and at the door.

Launching on October 1

Mills College Alumnae Community When you register with the alumnae community, you’ll be able to: • Find your Mills friends online. • Create your own profile for friends to read. • Network for career or other interests. • Read and post class notes. • Get the scoop on Mills news, events, volunteer opportunities, and other services for alumnae.

Be one of the first 100 to register for our new online community and receive a special gift!

Register during Reunion at a campus computer. Staff will be on hand to assist you. Watch your mail in early October for a postcard with specific instructions for registering online. If you don’t receive the postcard, contact the alumnae community helpdesk at 510.430.2111 or alumnae-community@mills.edu.