Mills Quarterly, Spring 2018 by Mills Quarterly

ANXIOUS

AR T

 THE VALUE OF VIRTUE  VOTE FOR YOUR ALUMNA TRUSTEE

Mills Quarterly Spring 2018

“At Mills, people care enough to push you to be the best student, athlete, or artist that you have the potential to be.”

“

This is the right place for me. Record-breaking swimmer and accomplished pianist Melissa Berkay ’19 spent eight months homeless before coming to Mills on an academic scholarship. Now she writes for the campus newspaper, is a student orientation leader, and founded the Mills chapter of a national leadership society. She sees her education as a means to help others who are less fortunate and has initiated fundraising efforts to benefit people facing poverty and homelessness.

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Your gift to Mills’ Greatest Need supports the outstanding faculty, rewarding athletic programs, and essential scholarships that enable students like Melissa to transform themselves and their communities.

Please make a gift to the Mills College Annual Fund by calling 510.430.2366, visiting alumnae.mills.edu/give, or returning the enclosed envelope.

Mills Quarterly

CONTENTS 6

Spring 2018 To every thing there is a reason by Linda Schmidt Associate Professor of Philosophy Jay Gupta discusses the shortcomings of our emotive culture and the need for rational thinking in order to build a happier and more just society.

11 Lessons from an exhibition by Glen Helfand In developing a museum exhibition based on German Expressionist art, five student curators discovered how artistic voices not only reflect the time and place of their making, but also echo the past and offer perspective on the present.

18 Alumna trustee election Vote for your representative on the Mills College Board of Trustees and the AAMC Board of Governors. See the ballot on the inside back cover.

28 Keeping the promise A partnership between Mills and Oakland schools eases the path to college for outstanding local students.

Departments 2

Letters to the Editor

President’s Message

Mills Matters

16 AAMC News 20 Class Notes 25 In Memoriam

On the cover: Natasha Culbreth ’19 with Portrait of the Artist’s Wife (Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, 1922), one of the artworks she and her classmates selected as a reflection of the anxieties brought on by a rapidly changing world.

Letters to the Editor I was inspired by President Hillman’s message in the winter Quarterly. I enjoyed her response to the wave of sexual harassment disclosures and what Mills intends to continue doing “to be as bold as our students.” In support of the College’s decision to lower tuition, I have written a check for what I can give. As a student who was only able to Volume CVII, Number 3 (USPS 349-900) Spring 2018

attend because of the immense finan-

President Elizabeth L. Hillman

ing moves towards a more accessible

cial support Mills provided my family, it means so much to see the College makexperience for all.

Vice President for Institutional Advancement Jeff Jackanicz

I read “Beating the Odds,” the article

so many talented graduates otherwise

Editor Linda Schmidt

on first-generation students, with great

ready to face the world. By lowering

interest. It was informative and height-

overall cost, not only will you attract

ened my sensitivity to the unique

more students, but those who gradu-

challenges these groundbreaking stu-

ate will be much more able to establish

dents have coming to college, to Mills.

themselves on their own two feet.

Design and Art Direction Nancy Siller Wilson Contributing Writer Glen Helfand Editorial Assistance Russell Schoch 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.

Student loan debt can be crushing to

I am glad the Quarterly told their story

I do highly suggest that the College

because I think their presence in our

add a class teaching basic skills for

lives enhances the college experience for

financial management and success. A

everyone. Thank you.

class of such knowledge would better

—Mei Kwong ’70

prepare students to pay off their debts

Hong Kong

and therefore allow them to give more to the College in the future. I am ever grateful.

—Kelsey Mercado ’12 Santa Rosa, California

Join us for COMMENCEMENT May 12, 9:45 am Jayashri Srikantiah, founding director of the Immigrant’s Rights Clinic at Stanford Law School, presents this year’s keynote address.

Printed on recycled paper containing 10 percent post-consumer waste.

To robe up for the alumnae procession prior to the ceremony, please gather at Reinhardt Alumnae House at 8:00 am.

(Please use outline)

A schedule and registration form will be mailed in early summer to alumnae in reunioning classes ending in 3 or 8. For further information, contact the Mills College Office of Alumnae Relations: alumnae-relations@mills.edu or 510.430.2123.

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

S COLLE LL SEPT. 27–30

September 27–30, Convocation on September 28

Save the date for REUNION 2018

2018

NIO

A Message from the President of Mills College

A focus on students charts a path to the future By Beth Hillman It can be harrowing to read assessments

Transfer students with extensive work

of higher education today, as observers

and life experience sat alongside those

take stock of how the ways we learn and

just out of high school, as did students

work are changing. Last year, the ratings

from as close as Oakland and as far away

agency Moody’s assigned a negative out-

as Kauai, Hawaii. Their breadth of expe-

look to the higher education sector, and

riences with injustice and advocacy for

Clay Christensen, a Harvard professor of

social change gave us an opportunity

business who is well known for his theo-

to create historical context from their

ries of disruptive innovation, predicted

collective perspectives. To deepen our

that many colleges and universities

study, I invited several distinguished

would close, undone by their failure to

guests to visit. Most of our visitors

adopt new business models. Yet colleges

were not familiar with teaching at a

are rich in a resource that can help us

women’s college, and they found the

navigate this turmoil: students, who are

energy and intensity of Mills’ women-

attuned to the shifting times and accus-

dominated

tomed to growth and change. The moti-

different. Two brought personal experi-

vation and commitment of our students

ences of civil rights in Oakland: Daphne

reveals how Mills can fulfill our mission

Muse, a beloved former Mills professor,

every day and prepare for the future by

and Joan Tarika Lewis, the first woman

teaching, supporting, and listening to

recruited to the Black Panther Party in

the students we have right now.

Oakland. Richard Rothstein, a scholar

classrooms

wonderfully

Our new institutional model for the

at UC Berkeley, described how US gov-

College will build transformative path-

ernment housing policy denied equal

ways for new students and will be rooted

opportunity to African Americans after

ways to serve them, can’t be Mills’ only

in what we’ve learned from Mills’ cur-

World War II, and Penny Cooper, a cele-

response to the challenges facing higher

rent students. We know they have sig-

brated criminal defense attorney, talked

education today. Yet I’m convinced that

nificant concerns about price—hence

about representing clients before courts

Mills will prosper only when it puts the

our historic tuition reset for 2018–2019,

in Alameda County. Two of my former

growth of our current students first.

which reduces the cost of attendance

colleagues from UC Hastings brought

Our students are on the vanguard of

for all students; we know they also care

legal insight: Reuel Schiller spoke about

a national—and even global—struggle

deeply about academic quality.

racial equality and the labor movement

for equality, fairness, and security. In

Last fall, I taught The History of the

in San Francisco, and Shauna Marshall

February, I saw their fierce commitment

African American Civil Rights Movement

described litigation to achieve racial

reflected in the words and actions of a

in the United States, seeking to match our

and gender integration among San

different, slightly younger group—the

students’ interest in social movements

Francisco’s firefighters.

students thrust onto center stage after

with my background in law and history.

By teaching Mills students, I learned

the terrible school shooting in Parkland,

The experience confirmed for me how the

firsthand the challenges they’ve over-

Florida. Those students attend Marjory

academic quality at Mills is enhanced not

come and the goals to which they aspire.

Stoneman Douglas High School, named

only by my outstanding faculty colleagues,

I’ve seen my students take on leader-

for a writer, suffragist, Everglades envi-

but also by the diversity of backgrounds

ship roles in campus clubs, government,

ronmentalist, and 1912 graduate of

and experiences of our students. They

athletic teams, and journalism, and I’ve

Wellesley College who led a long life of

are helping us align academic programs

already written recommendation letters

principled advocacy. She would be proud

with the demands of future students and

to support their applications for gradu-

of the high school students who are

the worlds they will seek to influence.

ate school, scholarships, fellowships, and

speaking out against gun violence—as I

internships. Deciding to focus on the

am—and I think she would be proud of

students we have now, and finding better

our students at Mills, too.

My 20 students reflected the broad range

undergraduates

PHOTO BY R AY M ANZ AREK

Mills.

SPRING 2018

Mills Matters Donor gifts support diverse College efforts Mills College gratefully acknowledges

James Zirin, made a donation to Mills’

the following gifts, grants, and pledges

Greatest Need—an unrestricted designa-

of $50,000 or more received from July

tion that can be directed as needed.

1 to December 31, 2017. Mei Kwong ’70 and her husband,

Former Trustee Maribelle Leavitt

pursue a variety of research projects. The estate of Paul Sherrill made a generous gift to endow the Anne Hummel Sherrill Scholarship in History in honor

and her husband, Stephen, contributed

of his wife, who had been a professor of

Laurence Franklin, provided a generous

to the Sandra C. Greer Endowed Fund

history at Mills from 1959 to 1989.

gift to support marketing initiatives to

for Faculty Development, named for

publicize the recent tuition reset at Mills.

Mill’s former provost. The Leavitts also

ues to benefit from the support of the

Patsy Chen Peng ’51, MA ’53, created

The School of Education contin-

increased their previous gifts to the

Bernard E. and Alba Witkin Charitable

the Patsy P.H. Peng Endowed Fund for

Raise the Curtain campaign for the

Foundation, which awarded a two-

Academic Excellence in Chinese to

renovation of Lisser Hall.

part gift to the Infant Care Program

advance students’ Chinese language

Jordan Kinkead supplemented the

Assistantship and Children’s School

skills, cultivate an appreciation for

Mary Ann Childers Kinkead Endowed

Scholarship Fund. This is the third time

Chinese history and culture, and sup-

Fund for Faculty Innovation, which was

this grant has been given.

port study abroad opportunities. This

established in 2013 to honor the mem-

funding is open to all students, but is

ory of his wife, a Mills alumna, professor

to sustain the Mills Teacher Scholars

particularly intended for first-genera-

of dance, and mentor to students and

Program, which prepares Bay Area

tion students who have financial need.

faculty alike. The MACK Fund provides

teachers to examine the learning process

resources that encourage faculty to

through self-directed collaborative inquiry.

Chavez and continues the fight for

87, “Ms. Huerta has made activism an

farmworkers’ slogan “¡Si se puede!”—

racial and labor justice to this day. The

art form.” As the evening closed, Huerta

yes we can!—and the rallying cry

New York Times notes that, even at age

led the crowd in chanting the famous

echoed across campus.

Marlene Hess ’70 and her husband,

The Stuart Foundation renewed a grant

The art of activism Dolores Huerta was part of a spirited discussion panel on February 2 in Littlefield Concert Hall following a sold-out screening of Dolores, a film documenting Huerta’s life as a labor activist, civil rights advocate, feminist, and mother. Camila Chavez ’98, Huerta’s daughter and executive director of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, also joined the discussion, as did Mills professors Priya Kandaswamy and Andrew Flores, and Fatima “Yoly” Jimenez ’18, a sociology major/ethnic studies minor. Congresswoman Barbara Lee ’73 introduced Huerta, who co-founded the first farm workers unions with Cesar

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

Campus kudos A selection of recent achievements by faculty, staff, and students The work of Professor of Music Fred

Advisory Group. Hillman will repre-

Frith accompanies two current feature

sent the American Collegiate Athletic

films: he composed and recorded music

Association, a NCAA Division III con-

for Leaning into the Wind, a documen-

ference that began play in the fall of

tary about artist Andy Goldsworthy;

2017. Hillman also has been named to

and his rendition of Jerusalem opens

the board of directors of the Women’s

Sally Potter’s The Party. He was

College Coalition, which is dedicated

awarded a Gerbode Foundation grant

to research, advocacy, and leadership

to write a piece for San Francisco Girl’s

in education for women and girls.

Chorus (to premiere in 2019).

Professor of Music David

Fred Frith

Julie Chen

Undoing, a short story collection

Bernstein’s article, “Experimentalism

by Adjunct Professor of English Kim

and the ‘Whole World of Music,’” was

by TRANSIT, featuring Professors of

Magowan won the 2017 Moon City

the cover story in the Winter/Spring

Music John Bischoff and Chris Brown.

Short Fiction Award and was pub-

2017 issue of Smithsonian Folkways

Bischoff recently premiered two works

lished in March. Her short stories also

Magazine. He has contributed a chapter

in concerts celebrating the Center for

appeared in East Bay Review, New World

titled “Freedom and Spontaneity in the

Contemporary Music as well as a com-

Writing, Corium Magazine, Jellyfish

Creative Process: From ‘No-Continuity’

position written in memory of Pauline

Review, and Oakland Review, among

to Composition/Improvisation Hybrids,”

Oliveros. Brown released the CD Six

others; and three were nominated for

to the forthcoming Oxford Handbook

Primes, a suite of pieces for piano

the Pushcart Prize, 2017 Best of the Net,

of the Creative Process. He is editor of

retuned in 13-Limit Just intonation.

and 2017 Best Small Fictions.

Music Theory Spectrum, the flagship

President Beth Hillman was appointed to serve on the NCAA Division III Chancellors and Presidents

journal of the Society of Music Theory.

Julie Chen, professor of book art, was the invited speaker for the third annual

In February, Artifact Recordings

Book Arts lecture at the National

released a CD of live electronic music

Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, in November. Mary-Ann Milford, professor of

Meredith Monk to premiere original composition at Mills Mills College has commissioned acclaimed multi-disciplinary artist Meredith Monk to create an immersive performance piece titled Indra’s Net in collaboration with Mills Professor of Electronic Arts James Fei, Meyer Sound, chamber musicians, and the Meredith Monk Vocal Ensemble. “This project intersects theater, movement, voice, and electronic sound,” said Fei. “Monk’s work is already familiar to many of our students, so the opportunity to be a partner in this commission will generate tremendous excitement both at Mills College and with other cultural and educational institutions in the Bay Area, and draw a new audience for our art, dance, theater, and music programming.” Funding for the project was provided by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions. Mills is one of 10 local nonprofit organizations to receive a grant of $150,000 to commission major new musical compositions from worldclass artists in a variety of genres. The Hewlett Foundation has previously provided significant funding for the renovation of Lisser Hall, where the work will premiere in 2019.

art history, contributed the chapter “Devotion, Work, and Play in Contemporary Sikh Art” to the book Sikh Art in the Collection of Dr. Narinder Kapany (Smithsonian Institution/Sikh Foundation). She recently presented lectures on political and social perspectives in Sikh art for the Sikh Symposium at Stanford University; on women artists in India and Pakistan at the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama; and on Korean American artists at UC Berkeley. Associate Professor of Dance Ann Murphy contributed to the volume 95 Rituals, an anthology of a 95-ritual celebration of the 95th birthday of dance pioneer Anna Halprin, and was invited to contribute a chapter to the first Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet. SPRING 2018

To every thing there is a

reason

A conversation on politics, emotion, and virtue with Professor Jay Gupta

A native New Yorker, Jay Gupta was “messed up emotionally” by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He had just completed his PhD dissertation on Hegel’s critique of modern subjectivity at the University of Toronto. In his attempt to make sense of 9/11, he began to focus his attention more on the ethical and political branches of philosophy. “9/11 pushed me, as a philosopher, to think more deeply about what it takes for us to live together in an often senselessly violent world,” he says. He explored these ideas further, both personally and academically, during four years of teaching at the American University of Beirut and Lebanese American University. Gupta admits to starting that assignment with some trepidation, but was pleasantly surprised to find a cosmopolitan society where, he says with a laugh, “there weren’t masked agents of Hezbollah waiting to kidnap me while buying cheese at the market. It’s just a place like any other, with people kind of muddling through and trying to get along.” Since coming to Mills in 2007, Gupta has continued to engage with philosophy not as an intellectual ivory-tower discipline, but as a practical way of informing our sense of what it means to live a good and meaningful life, both as individuals and as a society. Part of his engagement has been as an editorial associate with the journal Telos and regular presenter at conferences of the Telos–Paul Piccone Institute, which brings together an interdisciplinary group of scholars to address intersecting issues of democracy and authoritarianism, cross-cultural conflict, religion, economics, technology, and science.

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

By Linda Schmidt Photos by Dana Davis SPRING 2018

â&#x20AC;&#x192;

Gupta also sees philosophy as a field essentially suited to

Nikka Tahan ’15, who recently completed a master’s degree in

building the critical thinking skills that are indispensable for

comparative public policy at the University of Edinburgh, notes

those who are interested in questioning assumptions and truly

that many of the theories in her work on participatory democ-

examining the status quo. It’s an approach his students have

racy pull from philosophical concepts of society and social inter-

taken to heart.

action as well as political ethics. “Public policy is the field I chose

“Professor Gupta takes an exploratory approach in his teach-

to better the world, but it would be for nothing if not for my

ing,” says Maja Sidzinska ’12, who earned her Mills degree in

study of philosophy,” she says. “Understanding the world begins

PLEA and is now completing a master’s in philosophy at San

with understanding yourself, unpacking your experiences, and

Francisco State. “He invites students along on a path of discov-

questioning the structures around you. The beauty of the disci-

ery with him. He gave me confidence and validated my ideas

pline, as Gupta presents it, is that it teaches you how to ask the

by his very interest in them. At the same time, he wouldn’t

right questions, and how to never stop doing so.”

entertain just any old ideas. In pushing back against certain

We spoke with Jay Gupta, who holds the Edward Hohfeld

trains of thought, he helped me learn how to evaluate ideas

Professorship in Philosophy, in his office in the Vera Long

and how to judge which of my own ideas were worthwhile.”

Building.

How did you choose philosophy as your field of study?

Feelings are important, of course, but they are not what

My fifth-grade teacher had me pegged as a scientist, and I

should drive political discussion and thought. Everyone feels

wanted to be an eye surgeon for a long time. But I took some phi-

differently depending on how they’re treated, their place in

losophy courses in high school, and learning about Nietzsche

society, whether they’re rich or poor, etc. Unexamined feelings

really got me hooked. In college, I considered studying psy-

tend to splinter any sense of unity and push us towards a gen-

chology or English, but all roads kept pointing to philosophy

eral sense of alienation; there has to be a way, at the political

because, quite simply, I didn’t get what I wanted out of the

level, that unexamined feelings can be put aside in favor of a

other disciplines. I was looking for a higher level of questioning

more genuinely inclusive kind of deliberation about the com-

that pushed beyond the preconceptions of any particular field.

mon good.

If you like to think about foundations, and principles, philosophy is the place to be. Many disciplines often start from certain

How does philosophy inform this concern?

assumptions that help us understand, for example, how per-

Let’s start with Aristotle: he describes politics as a common

sons relate in certain economic, cultural, or political contexts.

deliberation by all members of the political association on

Philosophy asks the more fundamental question: What is a per-

what’s good for all of us who live here, together. For that to

son? Philosophy asks you to consider what assumptions about

really work, people have to be capable and willing to join in a

persons guide your economic, cultural, or political reasoning.

good faith dialogue about what’s in our common interest.

And philosophy, as a discipline, for as long as it’s existed, has

Right now, many people rightfully feel frustrated about job

been determined to remind people of the importance of reason,

prospects, the economy, their general quality of life. They feel

of taking a deliberate, thoughtful attitude towards these ques-

impotent and alienated in the face of an anonymous mass

tions and about the world. At the broadest level, philosophy has

bureaucracy that they believe does not have their best interests

consistently advocated for reason over mere reaction.

in view and, therefore, they see government as a great evil. And I’ll volunteer my own political views about Trump: he has been a

And you believe that reason is less and less the basis for how people think about issues these days?

master at igniting fear and exploiting our divisions—which moti-

We live in a culture right now, and have for a while, that has

campaign was the way people were able to overlook Trump’s big-

devalued reason and valorized emotional reaction, or “feel-

oted language. One interpretation was we’re a nation of bigots.

ings.” Politically, there’s been a massive failure of a deliberate,

But really it seems that people who aren’t necessarily extremely

rational approach to thinking about important issues; instead,

bigoted were able to overlook this aspect of his discourse pre-

citizens have acted on powerful, emotionally motivated reac-

cisely because of the volatility of their reactionary emotions and

tionary tendencies.

their extreme antipathy to government bureaucracy.

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

vate reactionary politics. One of the horrors of the presidential

“Unexamined feelings tend to splinter any sense of unity and push us towards a general sense of alienation; there has to be a way, at the political level, that unexamined feelings can be put aside in favor of a more genuinely inclusive kind of deliberation about the common good.”

The emphasis on emotion leads to what you call “values discourse.” What do you mean?

of values can tend towards divisiveness. This simply follows from

I argue that what I call “values discourse” is the discourse of

there being different values—there are, for example, “conserva-

a modern emotive culture, and it is pervasive in our society.

tive” values and “liberal” values, and these two views are strongly

We hear about family values, personal values, cultural values,

at odds. However, as standardly employed in talk of inclusivity,

universal values, spiritual values. We hear it from politicians

this feature of values discourse goes unnoticed. Students are

and corporations, from self-help gurus, social scientists, and

disturbed to see Nietzsche, the 19th-century innovator of val-

the media. But what are “values”, and what do we mean when

ues discourse, point to values that enable entire peoples to enjoy

we talk about them?

venting their cruelty on the “other” with a clean conscience.

Think about how we use the term in ordinary discourse. Values

One usually undetected irony in all this is that the very idea

“Wait a second!” they say. “Values aren’t supposed to do that!”

are grounded in feelings and are understood to be something

I think the pervasiveness of values discourse, and the general

subjective. They’re not understood to be candidates for being

character of our emotive culture, has an impoverishing effect on

defended or supported with reasons, even when we think we are

ethical and political discourse. One part of us tends to think that

referring to something more objective like moral principles or

reason doesn’t have a place. But, on the other hand, virtually every

norms. There is a standard dogma out there that people simply

class in the college catalog says that it cultivates critical reasoning.

have their values, and that’s that. “Values” tend to be emotionally driven; “strong values” tend to express strong feelings.

You seem unconvinced of that claim.

We think that other people may hold values similar to our

One unfortunate tendency I see, both in the culture and in

own—or not. There is no presumed normative mechanism or

higher education, is that a kind of “rhetoric of reason” has

framework in that view where we may all aspire to achieve

replaced actual insight into what reason is and how it should

some common good.

function. What I see going on in some cases is a kind of almost

Further, the modern “values” perspective promotes a sense

ideological training, in something like social justice, for exam-

of cultural relativism, that in some sense all value perspectives

ple. Because of the values you hold, you’ve decided in advance

and cultural norms are created equal. There is a tendency in

what your position is—you’re in favor of “social justice”. But

our culture to believe that it’s unfair to judge what we take to

what is that exactly? Have you thought deeply about the good

be different values and norms, so any point of view can be con-

reasons that might in fact support your view? The skill of giv-

sidered valid. This is an unfortunate tendency in the otherwise

ing reasons for one’s position is not being cultivated.

noble enterprise of promoting inclusivity.

So how do you get past the adherence to values? How do your students react when you assert that all values aren’t equal?

That’s the question. When I teach ethics class, we start with a

This disturbs everybody!

We use the example of Theresa Ann Campo Pearson, known as

discussion about whether ethical reasoning is even possible.

But some evaluations actually are better. If you think about

“Baby Theresa”, as a case study of how reasons can stand in sup-

certain values, in some cases you will find that they are linked

port of moral judgments. Theresa was a terminally ill baby; her

to harmful practices. An easy if controversial way to get the

parents hoped that harvesting her organs would allow other

conversation started is to talk about the culturally authorized

babies to live, but the courts ordered Theresa to be kept alive

practice of female genital mutilation: you could say that this

until her organs failed—by which time they were no longer via-

is just a different value perspective and practice than what we

ble. Who was right in this scenario, and for what reasons?

know in our culture. But if you move a step further, you have

One of my students said this all has to do with justice, but

to question how anyone anywhere should regard this overtly

it comes down to whose justice. One way of taking that state-

harmful practice.

ment is that justice comes down to what different parties say SPRING 2018

it is, according to their different “values” and interests. But that’s not what justice is. Justice is a preeminent virtue, so to speak, an intrinsic good that applies to everybody in principle and that is in everybody’s interest. The idea that justice is just another form of value judgment

“Philosophers have thought of our ability to inquire and to question as a basic species competence.... To make a decision about whether something is or is not true or whether one ought to do something requires some thinking, some deliberation, some assessment of reasons.”

coming from a particular perspective that advocates for a particular ideology is really the

mutual understanding at some level is possible, and that our

cultural reflex of our age. As an educator, I see how that reflex

ways of evaluating the world ought to be oriented to mutual

short-circuits discussion.

understanding.

For example, there is a set of values that forms a rhetoric

Virtues in the classical sense—let’s call them the civic virtues,

of social justice, and everybody thinks they’re out to create

the main human virtues of people living together in a society—

social justice. But the only way to get a coherent sense of what

are what activate that capacity we all have to think together

that really means is to approach it with a traditional, rational

about what’s important and good, what’s in our common inter-

method of thinking: There are competing notions of justice.

est to help us understand each other and be understood.

How do you determine whose justice is right? And why is it

Young children are great examples of pre-virtuous people.

right? It can’t be simply a matter of who shouts louder and is

They are ruled by emotions, and in the very young you can see

more impassioned in their convictions.

what decision-making based on pure emotion is like. We may

When we make moral judgments, we think we can talk with

well all want what we want when we want it. But if one has

others about what’s meaningful and important and persuade

acquired a virtuous, deliberate disposition, one can more effec-

them to our point of view. But that’s a different pattern of thought

tively consider, for example: Is it actually fair for me just to grab

involving different normative assumptions, assumptions that

all the chocolate?

arguably involve what classical philosophers called “virtue.”

From Aristotle to Marx, philosophers have thought of our ability to inquire and to question as a basic species competence:

How do you define virtue, and why is it a better concept than values?

“Why should I believe that? Is what you’re saying true? Should

Virtues are ethical qualities that we can all in principle agree

something is or is not true or whether one ought to do some-

are good, that help us in the day-to-day effort of living well and

thing requires some thinking, some deliberation, some assess-

doing well. They are the qualities that help us function well

ment of reasons. Virtue, in a sense, involves a certain kind of

together. There can be disagreement about what counts as vir-

maturation, the maturation of the deliberate and deliberative

tuous in particular contexts, of course. But it is in the very idea

part of ourselves.

I do this rather than that?” To make a decision about whether

of a virtue that we can intelligibly discuss the different scenarIn this framework, ethical universality is not an afterthought;

Are you suggesting it can feel better to not eat all the chocolate?

all of us can and should aspire to be virtuous people, which is

Yes, I am saying that, actually! That question comes up again

simply to say good people. But such a thought can’t even be

and again in Plato’s dialogues. Aren’t the happiest people the

had from a committed values perspective, because there is a

ones who can get most of what they want when they want it

multiverse of values. Values are inherently variable based on

at will? And Socrates’s response again and again is, No, those

individual and cultural experience, perspective, and feeling.

are the most miserable people. That person is kind of an addict

There is no built-in communicative tendency towards inclu-

who is ruled by powerful, unregulated appetites that must be

sion and agreement about what we may commonly regard as

assuaged. And when they’re not—and sometimes even a tyrant

good or just, despite what such values rhetoric would suggest.

can’t get all their appetites and needs met—they’re furious.

Virtues are the sorts of things that can be rationally sup-

Rather than being totally sated and happy, they become mur-

ported. It is reason that allows us to get past emotional vol-

derous and insane. Those are the extreme emotions of a tyrant.

ios that call for courage, generosity, moderation, and so forth.

atility and variability. Reason is a capacity to deliberate that

What’s good for the individual has to include what’s good for all

allows us to take a thoughtful step back from powerful emo-

of us, together. It might be episodically satisfying for John to get

tions, from value perspectives that we think are incorrigible

all the chocolates, but that leaves Sally miserable, and the rest see

and permanent and can’t be revised.

that such action is unjust and unfair. Virtue is something that has to be spread around, in order to avoid a politics of dysfunction.

Can you explain that further? The idea of speaking the language of virtue—or, more to the

Certainly if we are going to live together.

point, practicing it—has to do with an implicit agreement that

Yes, and we do, of necessity. We have to. ◆

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

Student curators Eva Goldstein-Moore and Hisaka Marubayashi with a 1923 print by Max Beckmann.

Lessons from an

exhibition By Glen Helfand hat happens when cur r ent art history

students are directed to curate an exhibition at the Mills College Art Museum? For five Mills women in the museum studies workshop course last fall, the result was Anxious States: Expressionism from Gauguin to Oliveira, a modest yet powerful show that, as Museum Director Stephanie Hanor writes in the introduction to the exhibition catalog, “can be read as political as well as emotional reactions to a rapidly changing world.”

PHOTO BY DANA DAV IS

SPRING 2018

One purpose of the exercise was to investigate how artistic

around in standard museum scheduling. “I asked the students

voices resonate across time, serving not only to reflect the time

to consider what questions from these works are still relevant

and place of their making, but also to echo the past and offer

today,” says Hanor. “In the process, they would learn how to

perspective on the present. In addition, the student curators

make informed decisions about the content of the exhibition,

unearthed complex layers of international art movements—

research the work and artists, and understand how installation

including Mills’ illustrious history in supporting artists before,

choices can impact the narrative that is being conveyed.” She

during, and after the World Wars—as they worked through the

stresses that, in creating Anxious States, the students chose not

process of developing a historical exhibition.

to limit themselves to the most recognized artists or a strict

As their canvas, they used the powerful Expressionist move-

chronology, but rather to explore the constant theme of unrest.

ment, which originated in Germany during the years leading

Each of the students came to the project with different amounts

up to World War I. This was a tumultuous period when the

of knowledge and interest, and each found lines of inquiry rel-

country was economically and technologically strong, but

evant to their own focus in art history, from the 14th century to

driven by nationalism and led by an autocratic government.

today. “I focus on the Renaissance, but it was really helpful to look

The resulting social frictions became extreme situations for

at Expressionism,” says Hisaka Marubayashi ’18, who found par-

artists to grapple with and comment upon. Their artwork

allels in technique and theme in a 16th-century Albrecht Dürer

pushed aesthetic boundaries to express powerful emotions

etching, The Last Judgment, and a 1923 version by the fascinating

and psychological conditions; it was considered controversial

but lesser-known artist Lovis Corinth. By comparing prints from

and brought charges of “degenerate art” from the Nazi regime.

different time periods, Marubayashi noted that “the relevance of Christianity in the art world has not changed over time, even if

ANOR STARTED THE STUDENTS with a handful

the style and representation have been altered.”

of prints pulled from the museum’s collection, then

Savanna Ames, a senior with a particular interest in public

tasked them with developing a theme, selecting

policy and issues of freedom of expression, was impressed with

complementary pieces, creating a catalog, and mounting the

the fearlessness of the Expressionist artists in addressing politi-

show by the end of the fall semester—a lightning-quick turn-

cal themes. “Modern anxieties, such as humanity’s disconnect

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

PHOTO BY DANA DAV IS

Natasha Culbreth points out details of Lovis Corinth’s 1923 drawing, Portrait of Mme. Corinthin a Hammock (opposite). The emotional content of La Loca (right) and Man and Child (below)

blend well with Expressionist themes.

with the natural world and spirituality; the increase of industrialization; and the many wars that shook the world inspired the Expressionist artists,” she says. “This exhibition intends to draw attention to the many changes, not always for the better, that these artists portrayed in their work, and the importance of learning from their experiences in order to reflect on our current changes and how those may impact our future.” For junior Eva Goldstein-Moore, biographical information helped bring the art to life. “Looking into each artist’s personal life in order to understand their art was illuminating,” she says. She discovered that many Expressionists focused on the social isolation resulting from increased urbanization, technological change, mass culture, and totalitarian systems that encouraged conformity. In combing through the museum’s holdings, however, she found the same emotional anguish expressed by artists working both before and after the Expressionist period. “Man and Child by Nathan Oliveira, 1957, and La Loca by Jose Clemente Orozco, 1944, showcase the same emotional distress as German Expressionist works, as does a self-portrait made by Edvard Munch during his time in an institution recovering from a nervous breakdown,” she says. “These dark themes fascinated me. These artists lived

SPRING 2018

Alfred Neumeyer: Meaning in Exile Many of the works featured in Anxious States entered the museum’s collection courtesy of one man: Alfred Neumeyer, director of the Mills College Art Museum from 1935 to 1950. Neumeyer taught art history and pioneered museum studies classes, utilizing the museum’s collection as a dynamic archive and teaching tool, and encouraging students to use the museum as a stage for research and presentation (as with the Anxious States exhibition).

Alfred Neumeyer

Neumeyer, a Munich-born scholar, poet, and novelist, came to Mills from the University of Berlin to escape the ominously shifting political tides in Germany. He brought direct knowledge of the art and artists working in Europe at that tumultuous, creatively vibrant period between the World Wars and went on to become a bridge between Oakland and a vast community of international artists. Under Neumeyer’s leadership, the museum was the site for Lyonel Feininger’s first US exhibition (in 1936), and subsequently presented major exhibitions by Fernand Leger, László Moholy-Nagy and the Bauhaus, and Max Beckmann. Neumeyer invited many of these artists to teach at Mills during the Summer Sessions—classes that drew some of the most creative and avant-garde personalities in art, music, and dance to the campus in the 1930s and ’40s. His émigré status gave him a more urgent impetus to extend such offers: teaching contracts allowed these artists to secure

This 1923 woodcut print by Erich Heckel, The Bathers, was purchased for the MCAM collection during Alfred Neumeyer’s tenure as museum director. Heckel was a founding member of the German artists’ group Die Brücke. Under the Nazi regime, 700 items of his art were confiscated from German museums and, by 1944, all of his woodcut blocks and print plates had been destroyed.

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

travel visas and get out of war-torn countries, at least briefly. Many of the works in the current show were made during the artists’ summer visits to Mills. “As part of the summer sessions, the artists were offered a solo exhibition in the museum and taught co-ed courses during the summer,” says current museum director Stephanie Hanor. “The College made a point of supporting artists not only through showing their work, but also by collecting it. Of the works we have by those artists, some were given, but quite a few were purchased for the collection.” Neumeyer also taught at the University of California at Berkeley, Stanford, and Harvard, and received Fulbright, Guggenheim, and Ford fellowships, frequently going abroad to write and teach. In his 1964 book, The Search for Meaning in Modern Art, he wrote this about art and the human experience: “The man who has never had doubts about the art of his age is to be pitied, but he who has never been able to relive it is not aware of the pulse of his time.”

Widows and Orphans, Kathe Kollwitz's 1919 lithograph, depicts the human face of suffering.

during different eras in different locations, but each used art to

cementing her stance as a pacifist. Kollwitz’s 1919 lithograph,

express inner despair. Their works are both incredibly personal

Widows and Orphans, grimly reflects the pain of an estimated

and universally understandable.”

3 to 4 million women widowed during World War I. “That has

Natasha Culbreth reiterates that idea. “Visual art can tran-

a lot to do with her identity as a female artist,” Wiley says. “I

scend the human boundaries of time, culture, and language

don’t think that news media, legal records, or military records

and communicate with us on a more instinctual and emo-

are able to have this same effect. They are more rational and

tional level.” She sees history repeating itself in the uneasy cul-

sometimes gloss over the fact that a ‘casualty’ is a human life.”

tural effects of technology. “Although we celebrate technology, many of us today are uncomfortable with how it’s impacting our society and detaching us from the real world. The German Expressionists were anxious about industrialization and how it was similarly distancing people from the natural world.”

N THE PROCESS OF CURATING a show like this, Hanor says, “students learn how museums shape our understanding of not only art but history and our contemporary per-

Carmen Wiley ’19 was struck by Gauguin’s problematic

spectives.” Anxious States is a sobering reminder that conflict is

depiction of women. “He projected his ideals of a ‘simple life’

more perpetual than we care to admit, and that the museum is

onto indigenous women,” she says. “In Manao Tupapau, the

a place to engage in important conversations.

female subject isn’t portrayed as an individual or even as a person. She’s more of an object, a symbol, or an idea.”

“Looking at the history of tragic events—and the fact that they are so often repeated—makes me concerned that future

For Wiley, Kathe Kollwitz, the only female artist in the exhi-

generations will be facing the same kinds of tragedy,” says

bition, offers a more humane perspective. The Mills student

Wiley. “So many of the issues that these artists were wrestling

was fascinated to learn that the artist’s family was unusually

with are still very present.” She adds: “I hope the exhibition will

supportive of her art career; and that her husband ran a hospi-

prompt people to think about how we can work to avoid these

tal, giving her firsthand experience of the ravages of war and

traumas in the future.” ◆ SPRING 2018

The 2017-18 AAMC Board of Governors: (standing) Ammie Felder-Williams '76; Yvonne Payne Daniel, MA ’75; Alexa Pagonas ’91; President Viji NakkaCammauf, MA ’82; Adrienne McMichael Foster ’74; Dorothy Lawrence ’11; Susan Ardisson ’77; Lucy Caponio Seereiter ’77; (seated) Vice President Marina Kershaw Simenstad ’68; Dawn Cunningham ’85; Lenore Tate ’74; and Vice President Lynette Castille-Hall ’75. Missing from the photo are governors Gloria Fangon-Hitz ’80; Kirstyne Lange ’12; Pierre Loving ’77; Treasurer Tara Singh ’05, MBA ’07; Linda Stingily ’78; and Susan Thomas ’80.

A Message from the AAMC President Every time I interact with students at campus events, I see

The undergraduate signature experience : The College is

future leaders, activists, doctors, scientists, artists, and writers. I

redesigning the undergraduate experience to enhance student

am moved by their passion, dedication, sacrifice, entrepreneur-

recruitment and retention. Each student will benefit from an aca-

ship, and scholarship. They renew my own gratitude and pride

demic success team that includes an academic coach and a fac-

in being part of this vibrant community. Mills gave so many of

ulty advisor; community engaged learning, such as internships;

us a wonderful start, preparing us to serve in dynamic, creative,

a mentored undergraduate research or creative project; and a

strategic roles throughout the United States and the world.

comprehensive career counseling program.

dents look to alumnae for career mentoring and leadership.

Online degrees for selected School of Education graduate programs : Working with experts in online instructional

The Alumnae Association of Mills College, spurred by our

design, marketing, and recruitment, the College will develop

2017 Memorandum of Collaboration and Agreement (MOC)

online versions of successful master’s programs: the MA in

with Mills College, is stepping up to provide this leadership

educational leadership and the MA in early childhood educa-

and, in keeping with our mission, to encourage the growth of

tion with special education credential. Online programs bring

the College.

significant potential for revenue growth.

I also see in these students a great opportunity to help: stu-

One innovation resulting from the MOC is an online mentor-

I have deep confidence in President Hillman and her officers

ing program that we are currently developing with the College.

and in their ability to maintain Mills College’s standing as a top

This program will make it easier for Mills students to find

choice for students. Under their guidance, Mills will continue

alumnae mentors and for alumnae to make themselves avail-

to be a powerful launching pad, providing our graduates with

able to students (see details under “Volunteer Opportunities”

the knowledge and leadership skills necessary to effect mean-

on the opposite page). Mentoring is not only a way to help stu-

ingful change in a global society.

dents find career success—it’s also an invigorating, rewarding

In February, I attended the screening at Mills of Dolores, a

way for alumnae to support the College. I hope you will sign up

documentary about labor activist Dolores Huerta, who was

to participate when you receive your email invitation from us.

present with her daughter Camila Chavez ’98. At the end, the

Another development made possible by the MOC demon-

air in the Concert Hall became electric as Huerta roused the

strates the courage and vision both parties are bringing to

crowd to chant the rallying cry for the United Farm Workers

our partnership. In December, based on our tremendous con-

movement she led with Cesar Chavez: “¡Si se puede!” The audi-

fidence in Mills, the AAMC Board of Governors voted unani-

ence continued to chant “¡Si se puede!” as we walked away with

mously to extend a $2 million line of credit to the College. The

a sense of hope and optimism that our students, with the sup-

decision is good for both the AAMC and Mills. As an indepen-

port of alumnae, would become change agents in our world.

dent organization, the AAMC’s financial position is strong, and

We need you as a mentor, cheerleader, and supporter who can

we will gain interest income from the College on any amount

work alongside students and say and believe: “Si se puede—

borrowed. Mills benefits, too, because the AAMC’s interest

yes we can!”

terms will be better than those available from a bank. These funds will help implement two important academic

Warmly,

initiatives that are part of President Beth Hillman’s blueprint

Viji Nakka-Cammauf, MA ’82

for ensuring the sustainability of the College:

AAMC President

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

AAMC ANNUAL MEETING Saturday, May 12, 1:30 pm (after Commencement) Reinhardt Alumnae House • All alumnae are invited

AAMC NEWS & NOTES

Hear an update on AAMC activities, drop off your alumna trustee ballot, choose candidates for critical roles on the Board of Governors. To robe up for the Commencement procession, arrive at 8:00 am.

Give your time, reap countless rewards Opportunities abound to help others by volunteering The AAMC and Mills College need your help! As a volunteer, you can change the lives of Mills students and help both

Renovate Reinhardt Alumnae House kitchen Let’s be honest: our kitchen has seen better days. The AAMC’s

organizations grow. We welcome alumnae with a wide range

Reinhardt Alumnae House Committee plans to update the space

of skills, interests, and time availability. To volunteer for any

and appliances to make the house a more welcoming and useful

of the activities below or request more information, write to

place for alumnae gatherings and events. We seek volunteers

aamc@mills.edu or call 510.430.2110. Remember to leave your

who can contribute their skills as architect or contractor to this

name, phone number, and email address so that we may con-

much-needed renovation. Please visit www.alumnae.mills.edu/

tact you.

volunteeropps for more information.

Mentor students and recent grads online The AAMC aims to help students enter rewarding careers and strengthen our alumnae network through a new online career mentoring program that will launch in late summer. The program will match students and recent graduates (those who finished college within the past 10 years) with alumnae mentors anywhere in the world and facilitate communications between them, including video chats. The AAMC is developing the mentoring program in collaboration with Mills College and its Lorry I. Lokey School of Business and Public Policy. Alumnae in a wide range of careers are being recruited as mentors; those who sign up this spring, before the program’s public launch, can help beta-test the platform. If you’d like to become a mentor, please email the AAMC as described above; this is especially important if you do not already receive email messages from the AAMC.

Share your passion on an AAMC Committee Much of the work of the AAMC is achieved through committees chaired by the association’s governors. This spring, for instance, the Alumnae-Student Relations Committee is hosting events like the Pearl M Dinner, which honors students who have volunteered with the AAMC, and the International Students Dinner. The Alumnae of Color Committee supports a thriving multicultural Mills community by raising scholarship funds for students of color and presenting the annual Phenomenal Women of Color Awards. Many AAMC committees seek volunteers who can bring enthusiasm and professional expertise to their work. The Communications / Marketing / Fundraising Committee, for example, needs volunteers with skills in writing, graphic design, photography, fundraising, and online merchandising. To see the complete list of committees, visit www.alumnae.mills.edu/committees and contact us if you’d like to volunteer.

Honor our best with the 2018 alumnae awards Nominate honorees for the AAMC’s coveted alumnae awards, presented during the class luncheon at Reunion in September. We are seeking candidates for: • Distinguished Achievement, for distinction in professions, arts, or sciences; • Outstanding Volunteer, for commitment in serving the AAMC and the College; and • Recent Graduate, for volunteer efforts that exemplify a spirit of caring and community. To nominate candidates, please send information about their achievements to Susan Ardisson ’77, Alumnae Awards Committee chair, at aamc@mills.edu or AAMC, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., MB #86, Oakland, CA 94613. Nominations must be received by July 15 and candidates must be able to attend the award ceremony on September 29. SPRING 2018

ELECT YOUR ALUMNA TRUSTEE

YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

VOTE BY FRIDAY, JUNE 1, to elect one alumna who will serve as the voice of Mills graduates on the Mills College Board of Trustees from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2021. The elected alumna trustee will also serve as a member of the Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) Board of Governors during this same period. Alumnae trustees present the views of alumnae and of AAMC governors to the leadership of Mills College. They are full members of the boards of the AAMC and the College, responsible for participating on committees as well as in board meetings, and serve as liaisons between the two boards. Please review our candidates’ statements to the right, then vote for one using the paper ballot on the inside back cover of this magazine or use the online ballot available at alumnae.mills.edu/alumna-trustee-ballot. See detailed instructions about how to vote on the inside back cover. All members of the AAMC are eligible to vote; any former Mills student who has completed at least one full-time semester and whose class has graduated from Mills is considered a member of the AAMC. All ballots must be completed and received at Reinhardt Alumnae House by 5:00 pm on June 1, 2018. The candidate winning the most votes will join continuing alumnae trustees Yvonne Payne Daniel, MA ’75, and Ammie Felder-Williams ’76. Completing her term in July is Susan Ardisson ’77, who has served the College and the AAMC in many important ways, including the drafting of the 2017 Memorandum of Collaboration.

Adrienne McMichael Foster ’74 Los Angeles, California

Patricia Tirado, MA ’12, EdD ’16, Bay Area, California

Pam Versaw ’73 Oakland, California

Education: BA in psychology, Mills

Education: BA and MA, California State

Education: BA in chemistry, Mills College;

University East Bay; MA in education and EdD in educational leadership, Mills College

MS in biochemistry, UCLA; MBA, Stanford University

I am a first-generation Mexicana American, the first in my family to attend college and complete a doctorate degree. The support and guidance I received from my dissertation committee gave me the confidence to power through my rigorous journey at Mills College. The encouragement I received is, without question, the most important factor of my success and I carry the memory of that and achieving my doctorate as I pursue professional endeavors with confidence.

Quite simply, the education I received at Mills prepared me for my scientific career and, even more important, gave me the confidence to pursue my ambitions as a woman in a genderbiased field. When I was 17, a Mills alumna who was my mentor convinced me to attend Mills and I believe much of my career success stems from my Mills experience. I now would like to contribute to Mills’ future success.

College; MA and PhD in education, UCLA It’s my hope and expectation for Mills College to continue as one of the premiere colleges for undergraduate women and for all in graduate studies. Mills must focus on its fiscal stability, educational programs, alumnae relations, and campus climate. Mills must continue to be the place for more women to “get their voices.” The relationship between the AAMC and the College must be that of a symbiotic nature. Each one should benefit from each other through whatever it takes to make each a success. The interaction and cooperation between us will be able to produce the desired outcomes, the synergy. Being on the AAMC Board of Governors (BOG), I have been able to better understand how we can work together to get to the results. Mills provided me with lifelong friendships, which helped me navigate my professional and life choices. With over 35 years of experience in higher education, I believe that I will be able to provide insight and direction to Mills. My experiences in community colleges include faculty and administration in academic affairs and student services. My current experience on the AAMC BOG and the interactions with the College administration opened my eyes to know that my higher education experience would be put to better service in a role as a trustee in addition to the BOG. I feel that I would be able to provide some insight into the future educational development and strategic planning of Mills College. My strengths seem to lie within my leadership skills. I’ve been dean of academic affairs and dean of student services, and I’ve served in faculty positions such as president of the academic senate and state academic senate representative. These positions have afforded me the opportunity to engage in educational discourse that led to significant learning outcomes. I know how to get a group to engage and get to the desired outcome.

The future of the AAMC and its relationship with Mills College should be one of collaboration, with a focus on student diversity and inclusion, and student opportunity and academic success. My hope for Mills College is to have continued growth in student diversity and inclusion, to show its compassion for students, and to see Mills College and Mills students demonstrate their passion and compassion for the diversity of humanity on a global scale. Mills College is a special place for personal, academic, and profession growth. It is a safe place for students from all cultural, ethnic, religious, and gender groups to find encouragement, support, and an opportunity for an equal and enriching education, and I would like to serve on the AAMC and Mills College boards to help to continue to facilitate student success. I have served on several college committees and in each committee I participated in a rich dialog of ideas for improvement and growth to best serve students. The leadership qualities I bring are organization, focus, integrity, strategy, and cooperation. The AAMC can best utilize my strengths in collaboration, planning, development, and implementing policies and programs that would serve Mills College students, Mills College, and the AAMC. I have had many years of working in business as an executive and legal assistant. My years of collaboration, developing management skills, prioritizing, delegating, and decision-making will serve the boards in their dialogs, planning, development, strategizing, and focus.

I started my career in biotechnology at the inception of the biotech industry in the early 1980s. I contributed to building the industry and several technology-based companies, including Genentech and more recently Dendreon, which developed the first FDA-approved cancer immunotherapeutic. Throughout my 35-year career I’ve made time to work with one nonprofit organization each year, in addition to full-time employment, my long marriage, and raising my children. I’ve spoken to many students and tried to be a role model for young women, an example that women can succeed in technology despite the historical lack of gender diversity and the bias that exists today. I’m an inclusive leader who enjoys building and working with teams. I’m analytical and able to quickly identify problems and viable solutions. I enjoy building organizations and identifying strategic opportunities when change is required. I’m able to build consensus and manage change, and appreciate organizational flexibility vs. bureaucracy as a result of my start-up experience. My work in entrepreneurial technology-based start-up companies has developed my leadership, problem-solving, and implementation skills. Working in start-ups has given me a bias towards problem identification and action rather than endless discussions resulting in long delays. Today’s fast-paced business environment requires thoughtful analysis that leads to timely decision making. My volunteer experience includes: vice president, board of directors, Oakland Art Murmur; Gateway to College Ambassador; Stanford Graduate School of Business Alumni Consulting Team (17 years); Amigos de las Americas (3 years). SPRING 2018

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

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

In Memoriam Notices of death received before January 15, 2018

March Fong Eu, MA ’47

To submit listings, please contact alumnae-relations@mills.edu or 510.430.2123

A lifelong public servant who served as a role model for women and Asian Americans, March Fong Eu was the daughter of Chinese immigrants who operated a laundry in Oakdale, and later San Francisco. She was well aware of prejudices against her as an Asian American woman, but used that knowledge to fuel her persistence. Eu received her bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley, a master’s from Mills, and a doctorate in education from Stanford University. She worked as a dental hygienist and spent three terms on the Alameda County Board of Education before winning a seat in the State Assembly in 1966. At the time, she was one of only three women in the Legislature and made gender equity a key part of her platform—most notably, when she drew wide public attention for her successful crusade against pay toilets in the state’s public buildings, which she argued was a form of gender discrimination (use of urinals was free).

Alumnae Ethel Walter Magnell ’36, December 1, in Scarsdale, New York. She is survived by a son and daughter, Carolyn Magnell Lyon ’67. Beverly Stewart Newhall ’39, September 2, in Mission Viejo, California. She was a successful real estate broker and served as a PTA president. She is survived by two children and four grandchildren. Rosemary Roberts Baum ’40, April 22, 2017, in Monterey, California. Survivors include her great-nieces Heidi Smith Gilbert ’88 and Libby Smith ’93, who attended Mills to follow her example. Helen Dewey Brazelton ’40, November 1, in Florence, Oregon. A long-time resident of Vacaville, California, she was a school board member for 12 years and taught piano in her home studio until 2006. She is survived by three children and six grandchildren. Grace Fujii Kikuchi ’42, November 13, in Falls Church, Virginia. Survivors include a son. Catherine Savidge ’42, September 26, in Berkeley, California. She served as a naval air navigator during World War II, had a career as an elementary school teacher, and was active with Sierra Club and the Unitarian Universalist Society. She is survived by many extended family members. Lillian Cogen Palmer, MA ’44, June 2, 2017, in Los Angeles. She was a professor of instructional media and communications at California State University at Northridge for more than 30 years. She is survived by two children and two grandchildren. Carol Nicolai Parker ’44, October 10, in Greenville, South Carolina. She lived in the Bay Area for 80 years and was active in the Christian Science Church. She is survived by two sons and four grandchildren. Felice Matthews Bennett ’45, October 29, in Modesto, California. She served on the Doctors Hospital Medical Foundation Board Scholarship Committee, the city Parks and Recreation Committee, and as a docent and board member of the historic McHenry Mansion. Survivors include a daughter, son, and stepdaughter, as well as five grandchildren and two step-grandchildren. Carolyn Clothier Killefer ’45, November 19, in San Francisco. She served in the Marines during World War II and lived in Germany, Washington DC, Detroit, and New York City before returning to the Bay Area. She was an early advocate for environmental concerns, served on the boards of Planned Parenthood in NYC and the San Francisco Botanical Garden, and volunteered with the American Field Service. As a member of the Mills College Board of Trustees, she lobbied strongly to keep the college women only. She is survived by four children and four grandchildren, including Alexandra Thayer, MA ’12. Betsy Mekeel Grorud ’46, July 23, 2017, in Newport Beach, California. She was a gourmet cook and had a flair for interior design. She is survived by three daughters and four grandchildren. Doris Norman Bertram ’47, March 19, 2016, in Gualala, California. She officially completed her Mills degree in 1981, at the age of 55, and was an avid skier, traveler, and reader. She is survived by five children, including Sarah Bertram Poyen ’90.

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

After serving four terms in the Assembly, voters elected her secretary of state in 1974, making her the first woman to hold the post and the first Chinese American to hold a constitutional office in California. She won re-election four times. In her 20 years as the state’s top election official, she instituted voter registration by mail, got federal approval of legislation allowing voters to register at the Department of Motor Vehicles and other state agencies, added candidate statements to the state ballot pamphlet, and allowed voters to use absentee ballots for any reason. In 1994, President Bill Clinton named her ambassador to the Pacific nation of Micronesia. She also served as a Mills College Trustee. Eu died December 21, in Fullerton, California. She is survived by her husband, Henry, and a daughter.

Marian McCoy Halverson ’48, November 21, in San Jose, California. Survivors include her daughter, Christine Halverson ’87, MA ’89. Alma-Jean “Mickey” Tolan Williams, MA ’48, November 4, in Red Bluff, California. An accomplished outdoorswoman, she had a long career as a school teacher, administrator, and counselor. She also owned a cattle business and worked as camp director for the Youth Conservation Corps. She is survived by three daughters and seven grandsons. Virginia Armstrong Carroll ’49, November 2, in Evanston, Illinois. Her curiosity about the world and its cultures made her an enthusiastic traveler; she also was active in Junior League. She leaves behind her husband of 67 years, Howard; four children; and nine grandchildren. Brigitte Frey Kelley ’50, December 10, in Hemet, California. Born in Germany, she perfected her English by speaking with American soldiers and working as a translator. She came to Mills as a foreign exchange student and did summer service projects on several Native American reservations, where she developed a love for Hopi art. She earned a master’s degree in Spanish literature, taught both German and Spanish, and participated in many cultural activities. She is survived by her SPRING 2018

husband, Senator David G. Kelley; four children, including Sharon Haupt ’76 and Bridget Kelley ’77; and nine grandchildren.

Pasadena public high schools from the late 1950s until retirement. She also was an active member of the Flintridge Riding Club.

Mary Forester Moorehead ’50, November 15, in Redmond, Washington. She lived in the Bay Area and Seattle area before retiring to Santa Fe, where she supported several museums. She is survived by four children and three granddaughters.

Catherine Carrier Larsen ’55, November 10, in Oakland, California. She ran an antique store on Grand Avenue, volunteered at the Oakland Museum’s White Elephant Sale, and established the Harvest Dinner that brings together members of Montclair Presbyterian Church, the Kahilla Synagogue, and the Islamic Cultural Center. She is survived by Richard, her husband of 63 years; three children; and six grandchildren.

Mary Wells Jencks ’51, December 9, 2016, in Los Angeles. Marilyn Hooper Hauser ’52, December 7, in Woodstock, New York. She obtained a master’s degree in special education at SUNY New Paltz, where she later became an instructor; worked as a music therapist with children; and gave music therapy workshops to educators. After retirement in 1983, she took up painting as a fulltime endeavor. She is survived by two children and four grandchildren. Muriel Peabody Loomis ’52, April 2, 2017, in Greenport, New York. As a young woman, she worked for the Institute of International Education and Radio Free Europe. She was a devoted caretaker to her family and had a passion for politics. She is survived by four daughters. Marguerite Martin ’52, October 17, in La Canada, California. A life-long painter, cartoonist, and craftswoman, she led art and crafts classes in

Florence Young Wong ’55, October 18, in Fremont, California. After volunteering at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum, she became a trustee of the Fine Arts Museum and a board member of the Berkeley Art Museum, Chinese Culture Foundation, Fort Mason Foundation, Oakland Art Museum, and UCSF Foundation. She is survived by four children, 10 grandchildren, her cousin Deborah Chinn Murray ’80, and niece Marcia Chinn-Hoyt ’76. Elspeth Dautoff Alexander, MA ’57, November 30, in Shoreline, Washington. She is survived by three children and two grandchildren. Barbara McCall Foster ’58, November 10, in Menlo Park, California. She had a career in banking before operating her own business as a tax preparer. She is survived by her son.

Gifts in Memory of Received September 1–November 30, 2017

Sue McClelland ’56 by Marcia Sill

Chana Bloch by Alexandra Orgel Moses ’64

Jean Walters Molnar ’65 by Corinne Hamada Tan ’65

Rita Weber Brevet ’51, P ’76, by Yvonne Steele Byron ’50

Tony and Oletta Morency by their daughter, Virginia Morency Rich ’73

Vicki Cameron ’75 by Madelyn Marino ’77

Clara and Henry Nervino by their niece, Adrianne Calonico-Rose ’74

Lucy Cantril ’61 by Gretchen Hardman-Riedell ’61

Linda Popofsky by Sarah Lehman ’86

Ward Cecile Costa ’01 by Janet Chang-Pryor ’78

Joe Rosenblume by his wife, Ann Bachrach Rosenblume ’53

Marnelle Filippini Cripe ’43 by her daughter, Kirsti Cripe Rauser ’74

Elise “Liz” Feldman Rosenfeld ’47 by Molly Fairbank Grassi ’59

Isadora Duncan by Melinda Green McGee, MA ’81

Betsy Campbell Shea ’62 by Judith Saldamando ’64

Joy Waltke Fisher ’55 by Diane Smith Janusch Patricia ’55

Mary Lois Hudson Sweatt ’60, MA ’62, by her husband, James Sweatt

Barbara McCall Foster ’58 by Ann Fine Wilson Patricia ’58

Jane Cheever Talbot ’67 by Carolyn Wade-Ouse ’67

Nancy Schaefer Gamer ’59, MA ’60, by Patti Whitmore Gross ’59

Jennifer Kiyomi Tanouye ’07 by Cameron Jang ’17

Frank Ginelli, husband of Alyceann Chappell Ginelli ’56, by Barbara Parsons Sheldon ’56

Anna Stribling Taylor ’34 by Elaine Hesse Steel ’67

Steven Givant by Angelique Di Schino Felgentreff ’90, Lydia Mann ’83, Alexandra Orgel Moses ’64

Grandparents of Vyoma Thakker ’18 by Rakhi and Shailesh Thakker, P ’18

Francis Herrick, P ’54, by Elaine Hesse Steel ’67 Polly Ong Ingram ’50 by her sister, Sandra Ong ’59

Sherry Teachnor ’69 by her husband, Michael McCrory Nancy Thornborrow, P ’93, by Yoko Aoshima, MBA ’07, Alison Johnson ’05 Reynold Wik by Elaine Hesse Steel ’67

Barbara Newman Kines ’55 by Diane Smith Janusch ’55

Stanley Wilkerson, husband of Margaret Wilkerson, by Roselyne Chroman Swig, P ’80

Edward LeFevour, P ’90, by Elaine Hesse Steel ’67

Richard Wistar, P ’60, P ’67, by Nafsika Georgopapadakou ’71

Janice Robison Liascos ’57 by Margot Jones Mabie ’66

Betty Chu Wo ’46 by Barbara Johnson Penhallow ’46

Julia Ferry Littlefield ’66 by Margot Jones Mabie ’66 Helen Metz Lore ’43 by Yvonne Steele Byron ’50 Barbara Forsch Masur by her daughter, Nancy Masur ’67 Boitumelo “Tumi” McCallum ’08 by Dennis Coll

Correction from last issue: Margery Churchill Adams ’41 by the children of Martha Churchill Eaton Simmons: Duncan Simmons, Blythe Simmons Buetzow, Kendrick Simmons, Graham Simmons, and their familes.

P=parent. For information about making a tribute gift, contact 510.430.2097 or donors@mills.edu. 26

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

Thomas Rigney, MFA ’60, November 22, 2016, in Tehachapi, California. He owned an architecture and design firm in Napa for many years. Linda Teague Key Biro ’61, November 29, in Los Angeles. She worked in television production at KGO, as a stage manager at the San Francisco Actor’s workshop, and as an executive secretary. She is survived by her husband, Pete, and three sons. Donna Riback ’61, December 5, in Calgary, Canada. She was deeply committed to her community and served on the boards of Beth Israel Synagogue, Calgary Jewish Community Council, Jewish Community Foundation of Calgary, Beth Israel Players, and the Jewish Historical Society of Southern Alberta. Survivors include two children and two granddaughters. Valerie Good ’62, November 16, in Reno, Nevada. An athlete and nature lover, she was the proud owner of a 1964 wooden boat and participated in the Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance. She is survived by three sons, six grandchildren, and her former husband, Norman Ciampi. Marilynn Roche ’62, October 21, in Williamsburg, Virginia. She completed her PhD in French literature and served as an assistant professor at the College of William and Mary for 21 years. Survivors include her daughter and two grandsons. Glenna Grossman Byork ’63, July 15, in West Covina, California. She and her husband owned a small business for 40 years. Survivors include her husband, Steve; two children; and six grandchildren. Elizabeth Riddleberger Grabowski ’67, May 27, 2017, in Kingwood, Texas. She is survived by her husband, Stephen. Nancy Cook ’68, March 16, 2017, in Santa Barbara, California. She was a curious and adventurous traveler, studying her destinations in depth and documenting her journeys in photographs which she altered and printed on her own equipment. She was a master gardener, loved classical music and opera, and embraced California’s beauty, progressive politics, and support of alternative lifestyles. Sherry Teachnor ’69, October 22, in Tucson, Arizona. She graduated from Santa Clara Law School and advocated for many social justice causes, representing migrant farmworkers and strikers in the Phelps Dodge copper strike. She also worked as an international law consultant in Asia and opened a private practice office with her husband in Tucson, where she established the Haiti Arts/Galeria La Sirena gallery. She is survived by her husband, Michael McCrory. Cheryl Bard-Henoch ’71, November 11, in Corona, California. She saved many marriages and mentored dozens of interns in her 25-year career as a marriage and family therapist. She found inspiration in theater and in her faith. She is survived by two children and two grandchildren. Clarice Benavidez ’73, December 26, in Oakland, California. She worked at the North Berkeley Counseling Center. Survivors include her daughters Stephanie Benavidez ’76 and Serena Benavidez ’84. Nancy Carroll Cooke ’74, November 16, 2017, in Merced, California. She was an enthusiastic reader and talented writer, sharing her views on politics, peace, and conservation both on paper and in active political protest. She made a career in education, teaching preschoolers and children with disabilities. She is survived by her husband, Thomas; two children; four siblings; and her sister-in-law, Sharon Long Carroll ’74.

Faculty and Staff Steve Givant, professor of mathematics and computer science, passed away November 12 at home in San Francisco. Givant earned his BA, MA, and PhD in mathematics at UC Berkeley, where he began a long collaboration with world-renowned logician Alfred Tarski. He was passionate in pursuing his research in logic, model theory, general algebra, and the theory of relations, and authored 10 books and dozens of papers; within the past year he published two textbooks and three research articles. At Mills since 1975, he was dedicated to educational equity in STEM fields and for four years led the Summer Mathematics Institute for Undergraduate Women; he also directed a program teaching advanced mathematics to elementary school children from poverty and minority backgrounds. His excellence in the classroom was recognized by the many Mills professors he mentored over the years, as well as by the Outstanding Teaching Award in 2013. He is survived by his wife, Susan Wang, and three children.

language learning curricula. She loved her family, music, food, and travel and led several study abroad trips. Survivors include her husband, Paul Hallaman; daughters Georgia Olvin and Alice James ’10; sister Claire Bainer ’74, MA ’75; and brothers Keith and Chris Copenhagen, Cred ’86. Aileen Hallissy ’78, March 14, 2017, in Concord, California. She worked for the School of Applied Theology, was a longtime Oakland A’s season ticket holder, loved children and cats, and spoke French and Japanese. She is survived by her husband, Henry Ushijima, and many extended family members. Mary Ann Doty Erickson ’82, November 1, in Wofford Heights, California. She earned her doctorate in osteopathic medicine at age 60 and worked as a family practice physician with Clinica Sierra Vista from 2003 until her death. Survivors include her daughters Patricia Erickson ’79 and Elizabeth Erickson ’82. Britt Badgley Alamo, Cred ’04, August 26, 2016, in Berkeley, California. A passionate advocate of public education, she was a middle school teacher and was active in the teachers’ union. Survivors include her husband, Steve, and many family members.

Spouses and Family Robert Bone, husband of Antoinette Gibson Bone ’52, November 27, in Sacramento. Charles Dart, husband of Nancy Ford Dart ’52, February 13, 2017, in Buffalo, Minnesota. Robert Flippin, father of Clarice Binnie Flippin ’74, July 13, in Oakland, California. James Hurlbut, husband of Bette Jackson Hurlbut ’44, September 18, in Denver. Neil MacNeil, husband of Leah Hardcastle MacNeil, MA ’51, and father of Lesli MacNeil ’75, December 19, in Oakland, California. Allen Solomon, father of Ruth Ann Solomon Goldman ’77, November 7, in Fullerton, California.

Vicki Cameron ’75, October 25, in New York City. She is survived by her niece and many friends.

Pablo Tellez, husband of Cora Tellez ’72, December 11, in Oakland, California.

Carol Copenhagen ’77, November 21, in Orinda, California. She earned a PhD in Spanish literature and created innovative college-level

John Van Atta, husband of Pam Kreis Van Atta ’61, April 15, 2017, in Santa Barbara, California. SPRING 2018

KEEPING THE PROMISE ONE DAY CAN CHANGE A LIFE. For 23 Oakland high school students, that day came on February 10, when they attended a Preview Admission Day at Mills—and learned on the spot that they had been accepted to the College for fall 2018. The day offered an authentic taste of Mills, with campus tours led by current students, financial aid workshops, and academic sessions on educational inequity in the Bay Area and the role of women in hip-hop culture. The “instant admission” decisions, delivered in one-on-one conversations with an admission counselor, are part of the College’s commitment to Oakland Promise, a collaboration between Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, the Oakland Unified School District, the East Bay College Fund, and local university leaders that aims to ensure that every Oakland child who graduates from high school has the resources and support to complete college and pursue the career of their choice. Oakland Promise admissions come with a minimum financial aid package of $7,000; additional individual merit scholarships offers totaled as much as $10,000. “It was an incredibly successful day for these young students and for Mills,” says Executive Director of Admissions Robynne Lofton. “There were lots of hugs, tears, smiles, and hope.”

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

Top: Mills admission staff and representatives from the Oakland Unified School District, front, with dozens of Mills College applicants. Above: Provost Chinyere Oparah chats with interested Oakland high school students. Left: A proud student shows off her Mills acceptance letter.

Alumna Trustee Ballot Nominee statements for the 2018–21 alumna trustee are printed on page 19.

To vote on paper:

We now offer two ways to vote—online and by paper ballot!

 Adrienne McMichael Foster ’74  Patricia Tirado, MA ’12, EdD ’16  Pam Versaw ’73

To vote online: • Go to the Mills College Alumnae Community, http://alumnae.mills.edu/alumna-trustee-ballot • Alumnae must be registered with the online community in order to cast their vote online. • Registration is free and easy! Visit http://alumnae.mills.edu/ alumna-trustee-ballot to register and to vote. Your alumna ID is required to register and can be found at the top of your Quarterly mailing label. • Online voting will end at 5:00 pm (PDT) on Friday, June 1.

• Use this printed ballot and indicate your choice below:

Vote online or on paper by June 1

• Please mail ballot in a private envelope to: Chair, AAMC Nominating Committee, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd, MB #86, Oakland, CA 94613 • Paper ballots must include the mailing label on the reverse side. To maintain confidentiality, voter names will be inked out before ballots are passed on to the Nominating Committee chair. • No faxed ballots or call-ins will be accepted. • Ballots must be received at Reinhardt Alumnae House by 5:00 pm (PDT) on Friday, June 1.

NOTE: Whether you vote online or by paper ballot, only one vote per alumna will be accepted. Any alumna casting multiple votes will invalidate all of her votes. Upon request, the Alumnae Association of Mills College will send a spring Quarterly to replace the one from which you have removed this ballot. Call 510.430.2110 or email aamc@mills.edu.

ALUMNAE TR AVEL 2019 Our selection of upcoming journeys offers adventure, historical insight, camaraderie, and fun for alumnae of all ages. We’re especially excited to include two exclusive trips enriched by the knowledge of Mills faculty members Kirsten Saxton and Bert Gordon. Make your plans now to join us in 2019! Wonders of the Galapagos Islands ■ January 14–22

Italy

Legends of the Nile ■ January 29–February 9 Croatia and the Dalmatian Coast ■ April 22–May 3 Greece ■ May 16–24 Jane Austen’s England with Professor of English Kirsten Saxton ■ June 10–24 Italian Riviera ■ June 15–23 Paris: The African American Experience ■ September 8–16 Food and Wine of Paris and Burgundy with Professor of History Bert Gordon ■ September 24–October 8 Portugal’s Romantic Douro River ■ September 17–28 Cruising Coastal Vietnam and Angkor Wat ■ November 5–19

See the AAMC travel website at aamc.mills.edu for full itineraries of these and other upcoming trips. For reservations or additional information, call the Alumnae Association of Mills College at 510.430.2110 or email aamc@mills.edu. SPRING 2018

Mills Quarterly Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd. Oakland, CA 94613-1301 510.430.3312 quarterly@mills.edu www.mills.edu

Mills has a place for you! Whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re organizing a formal party or a working meeting, Mills College offers a variety of beautiful event spaces, tech-enabled classrooms, and the Chapel for rent. Spaces are available for groups ranging in size from 10 to 450 attendees. To host your meeting, conference, or special occasion, please contact College Events at conference@mills.edu or 510.430.2145.

Mills alumnae receive 20% off the rental fee