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Mills Quarterly Fall 2020
VOTE
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within the
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. Mills Quarterly w The artwork, by Yétundé Olagbaju and Cristine Blanco, uses the visuals of invasive and non-invasive plants to symbolize t supremacy in institutions of higher education.
CONTENTS
Fall 2020
10 A View from the Frontlines Two graduates from the College’s pre-professional healthcare programs report on what they’re seeing in their hospitals and exam rooms.
12 Changemakers by Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04 The Lokey School prepares its public policy grad students with real-life case studies. How will that affect the 2020 election?
16 A Future for Old Women by Dawn Cunningham ’85 In her new book, Professor Emerita Ruth Saxton delves into the complex fictional worlds (and goes beyond the stereotypes) of elderly women.
Departments 2
Letters to the Editor
3
President’s Message
4
Mills Matters
22 AAMC News 24 Class Notes 29 Bookshelf 30 In Memoriam
On the cover: The last four years have inspired legions of Americans to immerse themselves even more in the political process. That naturally includes Mills alumnae/i, particularly graduates of the Lorry I. Lokey School of Business and Public Policy. Read more about what some of them are doing on page 12 (and remember to vote on November 3!). Illustration by Moremar for Shutterstock.
Volume CX, Number 1 (USPS 349-900) Fall 2020
Letter to the Editor Wasn’t the spring 2020 Quarterly amaz-
In 1963, I met my husband, Richard
President Elizabeth L. Hillman
ing? So very humbled and proud to be
Harris, who was a student at Starr King,
an alum of Mills, an institution that’s
and we courted through 1964 at Mills
Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement Nikole Hilgeman Adams
leading the way in sustainability and
when I graduated. He passed away in
outreach to the community.
1985, but would have been delighted to
Managing Editor Allison Rost
–Laurie-Sue Betts ’69, Phoenix, Arizona
Contributors Dawn Cunningham ’85 Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04 Kate Robinson Beckwith, MFA ’13 Editorial Advisory Committee Angela Bacca, MBA ’12 Sheryl Bize-Boutte ’73 Melissa Bender Henley ’99 Sarah Lehman ’86 Mira Mason-Reader ’15 Mari Matoba ’03 Livi Perez ’14, MA ’17 Mason Stockstill, MFA ’09
colliding of memories. –Sharon Polson Harris ’64, Lake Forest Park, Washington
Design and Art Direction Nancy Siller Wilson Editorial Assistant Lila Goehring ’21
see Starr King at Mills, as I am. Such a
Corrections In the summer issue of Mills Quarterly, we included the incorrect name for one of our alumnae authors in the Bookshelf section. Love & Lies: A Secret Memoir was written by Ann Beckman Hymes ’67. Also in the summer issue, we mislabeled a photo of Janet Kulig ’76 in Class Notes. We sincerely regret these errors and any confusion they may have caused!
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 © 2020, Mills College Address correspondence to Mills Quarterly, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Email: quarterly@mills.edu Phone: 510.430.3312 Printed on recycled paper containing 10 percent post-consumer waste.
Janet Kulig ’76
100 Years of the 19th Marjorie Moore Brown ’02 (as in 1902!) worked to gain women the right to vote in Nevada in 1914, later lobbying for final passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. She wrote a piece about her experiences
(Please use outline)
for her 1968 book Lady in Boomtown that also appeared in the winter 1981 edition of Mills Quarterly. Read the piece on our website at quarterly.mills.edu. Brown was also the mother of the late Marjorie Brown ‘36 and the grandmother of Kathleen Brown Martinez ‘72.
2
M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
A Message from the President of Mills College By Elizabeth L. Hillman
AFTER A SUMMER of preparation and
Building COVID-19 recovery plans
uncertainty, Mills College is approach-
and posting them for easy access and
ing a fall semester that promises to
with near-constant updates to accom-
answer many pressing questions: What
modate a dynamic public health envi-
will students and faculty experience as
ronment; drafting specialized safety,
Mills shifts virtually all of its educa-
health, and operational guidelines for
tional opportunities online? With but a
students, staff, faculty, and—eventu-
fraction of Mills students returning to
ally, after the campus is able to open
live on campus (perhaps 200, compared
further—for guests and visitors.
to a usual campus population of three times that), and the vast majority of staff and faculty working remotely, can Mills keep the coronavirus at bay? Will virtual instruction limit the negative impact of the changing climate and “smoke days” during a fall wildfire season in Northern California that is already off to a horrific,
Engaging our faculty in digital pedagogy, trauma-informed teaching, antiracism, and a new learning platform as well as welcoming new faculty colleagues, including in chemistry, education, gender and sexuality studies, political science, and sociology.
lightning-induced start? How will the
Creating an outdoor tutorial to ful-
2020 US election season play out in the
fill a new requirement for in-person
context of rising demands for equity and
instruction for international students,
racial justice, widespread economic cri-
exploring the uses of mats on our ten-
sis, and a global pandemic? How quickly
nis courts for dance classes, and add-
can medical advances in preventing
ing risk-reducing protocols for access
granted only some women the right to
and treating COVID-19 overcome the
to biology and chemistry labs as well
vote. It did not enfranchise most Black
uneven policies and logistical challenges
as art and book art studios.
women for whom suffrage would come
that have hindered the United States’ response to date? Some questions, however, we can already answer, having learned quite a lot about Mills in recent months. Perhaps the most fundamental is whether the College is up to the challenge of stewarding its people and mission through such chaotic times. I can assure you that it is, and that, with the support of students,
Convening frequent virtual town halls that have attracted hundreds of participants and dozens of questions, creating a sense of community in the spaces and ways that are available to us.
legal successes of the civil rights movement. No woman has ever been elected president or vice president in the 100 years since 1920, and this year’s US Congress, the most diverse in history, is
Securing emergency funds for stu-
more than three-fourths male. Change
dents to support them through the
may, at last, be at hand. This fall, for
ongoing financial crisis.
the first time, a Black woman–Kamala
staff, faculty, alums, and trustees, Mills
Continuing partnership conversations
will continue to adapt and innovate as
with our UC Berkeley colleagues as we
we both recover from COVID-19 and
work together to protect the health
refine the contours of an expanded part-
and safety of our communities and
nership with UC Berkeley. Our teams are
prepare for the future.
moving on many fronts at once, to wit:
only decades later, after the political and
Harris—is the vice presidential candidate of a major political party. Since I arrived at Mills, I’ve voted in person at a polling site located in the Mills Student Union. Like so many familiar rituals, the election this November
Perhaps you share my sense that we’re
promises to be different. Local election
Meeting regularly with leaders of
living in momentous times. Of course,
officials are adapting polling places and
our Black community and prepar-
that’s not new for Mills. A century
times to reduce the risk of COVID-19
ing an antiracism plan to respond to
ago this month, during Aurelia Henry
and ensure access to voting, and Mills is
demands that Mills do more to over-
Reinhardt’s long tenure as president
standing by to support this effort how-
come systemic and anti-Black racism,
of Mills College, the United States rati-
ever we can. Soon enough, those plans
support all students in their educa-
fied the 19th amendment, a crucial
will be made clear, and soon after, we’ll
tional aspirations, and build a more
step toward gender equity in American
know more about what this new world
equitable, inclusive community.
politics. The 19th amendment, however,
will bring. FA L L 2 0 2 0
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Mills Matters A Semester Unlike Any Other: The 2020–21 School Year Meets the Pandemic Health, the College’s student health
At this point, it’s old hat to describe
With most courses online and
anything that’s happened in 2020 as
residence halls reopening with pre-
service, will provide health services for
“unprecedented.” And yet, the semes-
determined lower capacities to assure
students on campus and can still offer
ter that kicked off at Mills College on
social distancing, a handful of new
remote healthcare to those in Alameda,
August 26 is one that has no precedent
and returning students began to arrive
Contra Costa, and San Francisco
in our 168 years, even through two
on campus August 22. After President
Counties, while another medical group
World Wars and another pandemic:
Hillman’s email, the number of hous-
will virtually serve students out of the
classes conducted with very few stu-
ing contracts dropped as more residents
area. The Division of Student Life is still
dents physically present on campus.
opted to conduct their studies remotely;
planning a broad selection of activities,
about 200 opted for on-campus hous-
albeit over Zoom.
After a summer of investigating ways to hold socially distanced classes on
ing versus the usual 500. “For some
National news stories over the sum-
campus, President Elizabeth L. Hillman
students, this is the only home they
mer questioned whether many college
made the announcement on July 27
have,” said Dean of Student Life Chicora
students, especially first-years, would
that Mills would stick to a mostly vir-
Martin in an August 20 virtual town
opt to take a year off rather than
tual schedule due to a surge in COVID-
hall for faculty and staff. As a result,
learn online or return to campuses
19 cases in the region. Only about 15
five residence spaces—White, Ross,
with imposed restrictions and lim-
courses—in lab science, studio art, and
Larsen, Ege, and Mary Morse—have
ited activities. Even with scaled-down
dance—are meeting in person this fall,
been shuttered for the time being.
expectations at Mills, the numbers
all with appropriate social distancing,
Bon Appetit, which provides meal
look promising—especially for the
disinfection practices, and face masks
service at Mills, is similarly scaling
pre-existing online MA program, with
per coronavirus guidelines issued by
back, with food available only at the
126% higher enrollment than last year.
the State of California mid-August.
Tea Shop and Suzie’s Cafe this semes-
In June, the Board of Trustees approved
(The dance classes will take place on
ter, complete with markers on the floor
a move to keep tuition and fees at the
the tennis courts!)
and touchless card readers. Vera Whole
same level they were in 2019-2020, and the College is also making iPads
“The College is more than the sum of its classes.”–Chinyere Oparah
available for distance learning at a 50% discount, which has proven quite popular. In the meantime, most faculty and staff members continue to work remotely to limit the number of people on campus. Those who do come to Mills must fill out a health check on the MillsGo mobile app and show their results to personnel at the front gate. While the campus did not have any incidents of COVID-19 for
MERILEE MCCORMICK
the first several months of sheltering in place, over the summer, two employees received positive diagnoses. Both situations were handled with the proper isolation and contact-tracing protocols, and no further cases have been reported. Visit mills.edu/covid-19 for updates throughout the semester. 4
M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
Black Lives Matter at Mills On June 10, President Elizabeth L. Hillman sent an email to the Mills community about the Black Lives Matter movement. In it, she said, “Mills stands in solidarity with the members of our Black students, staff, and faculty and their allies against anti-Black racism, police violence, and racial injustice. In response to the rising Movement for Black Lives Matter (BLM), it is incumbent upon Mills to lead at this critical moment and
At Mills, 10 percent of under-
ways to reframe some common class-
fulfill our commitment to pursue gender
graduate students and 17 percent of
room interactions that have prompted
and racial justice. It is essential that our
graduate students are Black (compared
student complaints to her office. They
actions have lasting impact and are inte-
to four percent on both counts at
included adding context to insensitive
gral to the fabric of Mills College.”
similar institutions), while 13 percent
racial terms that were once commonly
She also acknowledged that it was a
of faculty and 15 percent of staff are
used and acknowledging the racist
mistake to wait so long to speak out. For
Black (versus four and eight percent,
roots of many fields of study, such
some, it was an insufficient response to
respectively). There are a number of
as art history and world languages.
the resurgent outpouring of grief and
student-led groups, including the
anger over racism and police brutal-
Black Student Collective and Black MBA
driven much of the College’s recent work,
ity around the world in the wake of
Students Group, who have been offering
just like it has in other areas in the past.
the killings of George Floyd, Breonna
extensive input on the process to make
Immediately following Floyd’s death,
Taylor, and other Black Americans.
the Mills experience more just and
students who were sheltering on campus
As a result, and after meetings with
accessible for that population.
erected a scrim at Richards Gate (pic-
Black faculty, students, and alum-
The Black student experience played
Indeed, student activism at Mills has
tured) that featured the names of Floyd,
nae—including the Alumnae of Color
a part in a day of action on Friday,
Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery. Columns at
Committee of the Alumnae Association
August 28—the 57th anniversary of
the gate now boast artwork from alum-
of Mills College—the college officers at
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a
nae artists of color that tie the College’s
Mills are working on a plan to make the
Dream” speech. Non-essential staff
continuing efforts in anti-racism to
College an anti-racist institution.
were given the day off and classes were
its surrounding East Oakland neighbor-
cancelled after 12:00 noon to give the
hoods. The artwork, created by Yétundé
of immediate changes, including the
Mills community a chance to reflect
Olagbaju, MFA ’20, and Cristine Blanco,
official recognition of Juneteenth as a
and learn about anti-racism and how
MFA ’20, uses the visuals of invasive
Mills holiday, and the appointment of
it can manifest in the classroom. One
and non-invasive plants to symbolize
Associate Vice President for Human
virtual workshop, “The Necessity of
white supremacy in higher education.
Resources Kamala Green to the new
Abolitionist Teaching in These Times,”
position of special assistant to the presi-
brought together professors from the
met, the installation will rotate different
dent for equity and inclusion. But much
School of Education and the Ethnic
creative takes on Black Lives Matter
of the work will be ongoing, including:
Studies Department with Bettina L.
throughout the 2020–21 school year. To
• Improving the classroom experience
Love, the author of We Want to Do More
support the art project, use the enclosed
Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and
envelope or visit alumnae.mills.edu/give
the Pursuit of Educational Freedom.
to make a gift, and add “Front Gate Art
There have already been a number
and school support for Black students • Recruiting more Black faculty and staff members, and providing antiracist training for current employees • Creating new systems for complaints about racial discrimination on campus
In the second session, “Generation Z and Racism in Higher Education,”
If fundraising goals for the project are
Project” to the alternate designation field. Stay up to date on anti-racist
Associate Provost for Recruitment and
actions at Mills by visiting mills.edu/
Student Success Maggie Hunter offered
blacklivesmatter.
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New arrivals and roles for the 2020-21 school year As with the start of every academic year, this virtual fall semester brings with it a host of new faces to the Mills community. Here’s a rundown of recent
Clockwise from top left: Sahar Abi-Hassan, Amy Chu, Susan Stryker, Lorena Muñoz
additions and changes:
CTA Director Carrie Maultsby-Lute is the new director for the Center for Transformative Action (CTA), which was known as the Center for Socially Responsible Business prior to 2018. An assistant professor of business practice in the Lorry I. Lokey School of Business and Public Policy, Maultsby-Lute has been at Mills since 2017. She specializes in teaching marketing practices, having worked at Salesforce and collaborated on a digital marketing program with the Peralta Community College District.
ment and chair of the Faculty Executive
Supreme Court and the interest groups
In her new role, she looks to continue
Committee’s Educational Policy
that lobby them.
building CTA’s partnerships with local
Subcommittee.
businesses and communities of color, as
Amy Chu is an assistant professor of chemistry. Her PhD came from
well as bolstering CTA’s profile
Board of Trustees
and fundraising.
In addition to Adrienne McMichael
researched methods by which chemical processes can be made more sustainable.
the University of Illinois, where she
Maultsby-Lute is taking over for
Foster ’74, who was profiled in the
Darcelle Lahr, who completed two
spring 2020 issue of the Quarterly,
one-year terms in the position. Lahr is
the other new alumna trustee is Tara
sor of ethnic studies. She received a
returning to a full-time position on the
Singh ’05, MBA ’07. Singh, who lives in
PhD in geography from the University
faculty of the Lokey School, and this
Auckland, New Zealand, is the founding
of Southern California, and she focuses
fall, she will be examining how COVID-
chair of NEXUS India & South Asia and
on how place and space intersect with
19 has affected Black-owned businesses
NEXUS New Zealand & Pasifika, which
gender, sexuality, health, and race.
in East Oakland.
are offshoots of a global organization
Lorena Muñoz is an associate profes-
Susan Stryker is a visiting professor
that brings together social entrepreneurs
in the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality
with funders to solve a broad range of
Studies Program and history, as well as
Associate Professor of Chemistry Beth
societal problems. She is also involved
the Barbara Lee distinguished chair in
Kochly has been named the interim
with the United Nations, most recently
women’s leadership. She holds a PhD in
associate provost for curriculum and
as the deputy chair for UN Women’s
US history from UC Berkeley, and she is
academic resources, taking the place of
Empowerment Principles New Zealand.
a leading scholar on transgender studies.
Faculty Members
professor of psychology. He obtained
State University. Kochly has been on
Sahar Abi-Hassan is an assistant pro-
his PhD in biological sciences from UC
the Mills faculty for 12 years, and she
fessor of political science. She earned
Davis, and he studies neurobiology and
also serves as the director of the Russell
her PhD in political science at Boston
sexuality.
Women in Science Program. Previously,
University, and in her work, she stud-
she was head of the chemistry depart-
ies the behavior of the justices of the
Provost’s Office
Elisabeth Wade, who is the new dean of science and technology at Sonoma
6
M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
John Ruys is an assistant adjunct
Boe Benaz Mendewela is an assistant adjunct professor in chemistry, and he
just earned his PhD from UC Merced.
Bollinger (art and visual culture), Brigid
Institutional Advancement
His work thus far has concentrated on
Brown (School of Education), Juliet Ellis
nanoparticles and solar energy films.
(public policy and political science),
Senior Director of Alumnae Relations &
Dana Chalupa Young is an assistant adjunct professor in sociology. Her PhD
(literatures and languages), Leona
in sociology came from Michigan State
Kwon (School of Education), Raina Leon
University, and her research centers
(School of Education), Kija Lucas (art
on deconstructing homogenous Latinx
and visual culture), Suhaila Salimpour
immigrant experiences in the US.
(dance and theater studies), Sue Slagle
We also welcome the following incom-
K AREN FIENE
Pamela Hopkins (business), Aviva Kana
(music), Ariel Hansen Strong (book
ing adjunct faculty: Aamina Ahmad
art), Sara Tiras (School of Education),
(literatures and languages), Jennifer
Nhi Truong (School of Education), and
Baldassari (School of Education), Rebeca
Deirdre Visser (art and visual culture).
Annual Fund Nikole Hilgeman Adams has been named the new associate vice president for institutional advancement. The former vice president, Jeff Jackanicz, has taken a similar position at San Francisco State University. Adams has been a member of the Office of Institutional Advancement for 10 years, and she is a graduate of Chico State.
The pandemic closures on campus this summer gave the facilities crew the opportunity freshen up F.W. Olin Library while students weren’t working in the carrels. The stacks and seating in the reference room (at left) were removed—with the furniture heading for the Lisser Hall workshop (for use in sets) and the Reuse Depot— and replaced with a greater variety of workspaces (below). Whenever students can congregate inside again, they’ll find a brighter space for studying.
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LUAN S TR AUSS
Gifts bolster College programs and initiatives Mills College extends the utmost gratitude to the following donors for their gifts, grants, and pledges of $50,000 or more, received between January 1 and June 30, 2020. Richard and Elaine Barrett and Barbara A. Wolfe ’65 made generous donations to the College’s ongoing campus optimization project, which seeks out new partners for the Mills campus to diversify programs and boost revenues. Richard and Elaine Barrett also provided support to the Jill Barrett Biology Research Program. Catherine Coates ’65 and Glenn and Ellen Voyles donated significant sums to Mills’ Greatest Need, a discretionary fund that helped underwrite many of the unexpected pandemic-related costs that popped up this spring. Mary Lynn Bianco, MA ’15, has given her support to the Music Department in honor of Professor David Bernstein. The gift will help the department continue to develop the next generation of musicians that push creative boundaries. Donald A. Cotton, husband of the late Fin Cotton ’58, has established the Cotton-Prieto Ceramics Endowment, which will conserve the ceramics collection at the Mills College Art Museum—particularly pieces by Antonio Prieto. Charlene and Derry Kabcenell and the William & Flora Hewlett Foundation gave boosts to the Mills Teacher Scholars Program, which enables students in the School of Education to continue their growth into empowered teachers who can improve learning outcomes and address social-emotional learning. Mei Kwong ’70 and Laurence Franklin underwrote the F.W. Olin Library Renovation, the results of which are on the previous page. Their gift was given in honor of Vice President for External Partnerships Renee Jadushlever.
Those students who remained on campus for the duration of the shelterin-place order still had a source of entertainment in May: goats! Used to control wild grasses, the goats were moved around campus over the course of about 10 days, gobbling up extra foliage to lessen fire risk. Word of the goats’ location spread over social media, with photos popping up on Twitter and Instagram from those students lucky enough to find the temporary caprine workers, and Facilities Manager Luan Strauss compiled regular “goat cams” of video footage she shot and then shared for meditation purposes.
Calendar Trans Studies Speaker Series A new series spearheaded by Barbara Lee Distinguished Chair in Women’s Leadership Susan Stryker. All events will be held online; visit performingarts.mills.edu at least five days prior to each event for registration links. October 9 ■ TRANS // HISTORY A conversation with Morgan Page, host of the trans history podcast One From the Vaults. Time TBD. October 21 ■ Joel Sanders and Seb Choe Sanders is the founder and Choe is the associate director of MixDesign, an inclusive design firm in New York that examines design issues through a social justice lens. The two will discuss Stalled!, a series of public bathroom prototypes that are adaptable to many different users. 5:00 pm. 8
M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
October 23 ■ TRANS // FEMINISM A conversation with Emma Heaney, author of The New Woman: Literary Modernism, Queer Theory, and the Trans Feminine Remainder, and other guests TBA. Time TBD.
November 20 ■ TRANS // AETHESTICS A conversation between Maxe Crandall, author of Emoji for Cher Heart, and Jeanne Vaccaro, author of Handmade: Feelings and Textures of Transgender. Time TBD.
November 5 ■ Jordy Rosenberg Rosenberg, who authored Confessions of the Fox, a faux memoir of the 18th-century folk hero Jack Sheppard, speaks with Susan Stryker in conjunction with the “We Are the Voices” speaker series. Time TBD.
December 4 ■ TRANS // GENRE A conversation between Daniel Lavery, author of Slate’s “Dear Prudence” column, and Jordy Rosenberg, author of Confessions of the Fox. Time TBD.
November 6 ■ TRANS // SEX A conversation between Eva Hayward, author of SymbioSeas, and Cael Keegan, author of Lana and Lilly Wachowski: Sensing Transgender. Time TBD.
Mills Performing Arts Check performingarts.mills.edu throughout the semester for links to virtual events.
Campus kudos A selection of recent achievements by faculty, staff, and students Assistant Professor of Practice of Public
and Innovation Ajuan
Policy Sharon Cornu and Tucker Brofft,
Mance’s cartoon, “Ghosts
MBA/MPP ’19, were featured in an April
of the Apollo Theatre,”
article in The New York Times that show-
was featured in the
cased their work at St. Mary’s Center
Daily Shouts section of
in downtown Oakland. Cornu is the
The New Yorker in May.
executive director there and works with
Professor of English
a team, including Brofft, which ensures
and Dean of Graduate
that the unsheltered populations that
Studies Juliana Spahr
use St. Mary’s stay safe from COVID-19.
has been awarded a
Assistant Adjunct Professor of Ethnic
Ajuan Mance
Hung Liu
year-long fellowship at
Studies Susan Ito was quoted in a
the Stanford Humanities
San Francisco Chronicle Datebook
Center, where she will use a range
Professor of Studio Art Catherine
article in June titled “The Writers Grotto
of approaches such as data collec-
Wagner is featured as one of 50 art-
carves out new paths to survive,” which
tion, computational analysis, archival
ists in a free new digital publication,
discussed the adaptation of the San
research, and close reading to write a
50X50: Stories of Visionary Artists from
Francisco Writers Grotto in the midst
book about contemporary US literature.
the Collection, compiled by the San Jose
of the pandemic as well as its inclusion
Professor of Biology Lisa Urry
Museum of Art in celebration of the
of people of color. Ito has written and
was featured in the fifth episode of
museum’s 50th anniversary. Professor
taught for the organization since 2012.
Pearson’s Unwritten webinar series,
Emerita of Studio Art Hung Liu is a
titled “The Biology of the Virus,” in
contributing author to the exhibit’s
Education Nolan Jones was featured in
which she spoke with Gen Z student
artist chapters.
an August article in University Business
host Saleem Abu-Tayeh about how the
titled “Harnessing ‘Hamilton’: 6 ways
coronavirus has evolved.
Associate Adjunct Professor of
to use hip-hop pedagogy” in which
Coach Neil Virtue was featured in
Adjunct Professor of English and Director of Graduate Programs in Literatures and Languages Stephanie
he discussed engaging with young
an August article in Outsports, which
Young won a 2020 Lambda Literary
learners by way of hip-hop and the
discussed his leadership of OneTeam,
Award in the category of bisexual
smash Broadway musical Hamilton.
a program in the NCAA that educates
poetry for her book, Pet Sounds, which
Professor of Ethnic Studies and
people in Division III athletic depart-
was announced in a virtual ceremony
ments about LGBTQA+ inclusion.
on June 1.
celebrate: a new athletic league. On
in New York, Mount Mary University
May 26, the Capital Athletic Conference
in Wisconsin, and Salisbury University
(CAC) announced that Mills is one of
in Maryland.
English and Dean of Digital Learning
six schools to join the NCAA Division
In a press release, Director of
III league starting in the 2020–2021
Athletics, Physical Education, and
school year.
Recreation Allie Littlefox said, “We look
The CAC is a nation-wide league,
forward to both the expanded opportu-
with member schools from California
nities for our student-athletes and the
(Mills and UC Santa Cruz) to
new connections and camaraderie with
Massachusetts (Pine Manor College).
schools across the country. This excit-
The other members are Christopher
ing step provides Mills, and our fellow
The pandemic may have postponed
Newport University and University of
ACAA schools, with continued con-
the fall athletic season at Mills, but
Mary Washington in Virginia, Finlandia
ference stability and helps to secure
the Cyclones still have something to
University in Michigan, Pratt Institute
the Cyclones’ place in Division III.”
Cyclones join the CAC
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A Vmiethwe fro s e n i l t Fron BEFORE COVID HAPPENED,
I worked on the telemetry (a.k.a. cardiac) floor. I
loved that job, but my floor was going to be transitioning into something new, so we closed down. I was floating around the hospital, so I started going to the COVID floor because it’s staffed on a volunteer basis, and there are a lot of nurses who don’t want to go down there. The patients are of a wide variety of ages. I worked with one patient who was as young as me, and it was eye-opening. It was such a meaningful experience, both for him and for me. He said, “Thank you so much for being here, you’re making a difference.” I also had another experience where a patient told me, “You’re not scared to be around me,” and that really broke my heart. Of course, the patients have this virus, and we’re still learning so much about it and discovering treatments, but these are still human beings. I want to make sure that they’re still shown all the love and attention and care they deserve. This is already an emotional job because there’s energy being shared between a patient and me, and I’m Alumna and registered nurse Kiera Simon ’09 took advantage of a program that often flies under the radar at Mills: pre-nursing. After two years at Mills, she moved on to complete her nursing degree at Samuel Merritt University. And now, she finds herself on the frontlines with COVID-19. Simon, who works at a Dignity Health facility in a suburb of Sacramento— volunteered to staff her hospital’s dedicated floor for coronavirus patients starting in April. In mid-July, she spoke with the Quarterly about her ongoing experiences as a healthcare worker in a pandemic, just as case numbers were spiking to dangerous levels in her area.
so open to whatever they need from me, but now it’s really emotional because there’s no other human contact. There’s no visitation—families are connected through FaceTime, etc.—so I’m one of the only people who a patient sees and gets to visit with. It’s really refreshed my nursing experience, in a sense. This is why we do what we do. We all say on the COVID unit that this is hard work, but it’s so rewarding. When I’m talking with patients who are positive, I’m constantly asking, “Where do you work?” There were a couple patients who worked at restaurants, one who worked for a local prison, others who were at nursing homes. There’s still so much to learn about viral load and how it spreads, people who are asymptomatic versus symptomatic—but as a bedside nurse, I have taken care of patients who are struggling on oxygen at 28 years old and at 83 years old. There are 15 beds on the COVID floor where I work, and each patient usually has their own room, but yesterday, we started “cohorting” patients, which is putting two patients in one room. We’re figuring out how we can handle more numbers in the same space. I work at a hospital that’s taking a lead on COVID in the Sacramento area, so we get a lot of transfers. We were even getting people from Southern California at one point. But given our surge plan, I think they had to stop doing that. There’s a certain number we reach where we can’t take any more from outside facilities because we have to be able to service the people in this community. We are definitely getting up there, that’s for sure.
10
M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
Wear a Mask!
Before this, I saw a wide array of patients, but my skill set has increased during this process. There are all these things I never had to do before, like proning, which is putting people on their stomachs so the lungs can expand. I’ve hung Remdesivir, which is an antiviral. I’ve hung convalescent plasma. We have something called a Code Hope, which is when a COVID-positive patient is discharged, and we cheer them out. They’ve been on such a journey! Some of these patients have been intubated, on a vent[ilator], and they’re finally able to go home. There were times when we thought some of those patients weren’t going to make it. We once had four Code Hopes in one day, and we were so emotional. It was starting to take a toll on me, because I do have older parents who live nearby, and I was like, “I’m not going over there.” It’s one thing to be working in the hospital, but when I’m volunteering on a COVID floor? Those are two people I haven’t been able to see, which is so hard. For a lot of us, we miss our families, but we just want to be supersafe. Near the beginning of the pandemic, getting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was a little dicey. We had to twist people’s arms for N-95 masks, but after a certain point, they showed up along with face shields, shoe covers, etc., so we’ve been fine since then. All nurses are frontliners, but we’re talking about people who have put into writing that they are volunteering to work in this unit, so it’s like a little family. There’s not a lot of us, to be clear. We have people who float in, but there’s this core group of us who are willing to be in the trenches. It’s been great to work with them. The Blue Angels flew over one day, which the nurses thought was really cool. One other thing that has been absolutely fantastic is all the food! Restaurants are donating food, which is so cool. Or people will bring us goodies—anything to say that they’re thinking of us and here for us. People have been reaching out to check on me because I’m a healthcare worker, and I’ve found it so sweet. It has really touched me. These are scary times for us during the pandemic, so if [readers] wanted to reach out to the healthcare workers in their lives, I would encourage them to do that. It’ll put a smile on our faces. Besides pre-existing co-morbidities, we aren’t sure why some people have it worse than others, but why wouldn’t we want to err on the side of caution and
At the end of January 2020, I watched a video on Reddit about a new virus emerging from China—and grew concerned as I began to read more news day after day. By the middle of February, my gut told me this would be a major event. To say I have been exhausted and burned out by the coronavirus after five months of this is a fair statement. My wife’s aunt in Tehran died in June, and I had a handful of patients with severe disease who were either admitted to the hospital with oxygen or were otherwise touch and go for a week. But I’ve seen the test results and seen the patients and heard their stories firsthand. There are also patients in my office who have resisted wearing a mask, or otherwise are not convinced of the severity of the disease as reported in the news. I can only explain to them my experience, yet still some are unconvinced. Where does this distrust come from? The risk of harm from asymptomatic medical conditions is real, as is the perceived lack of harm when there are no symptoms. Honestly, I can understand the confusion, but I do think there is something about our nation’s culture and personality that makes distrust and a desire not to go along with the status quo somehow valuable and desired qualities. It is incumbent upon each of us to encourage others to wear masks and protect others. Let us all remember that individual freedoms come along with individual responsibilities. As citizens of this country, we have both. –David Gunn, MFA ’01, PMC ’06; assistant clinical professor at UCLA, and graduate of the Mills Pre-Med Post-Bac Program
protect ourselves? I’m in this day in and day out, and this is really a thing that’s happening. I want to remind people to stay safe. I want to remind people that it’s selfless to wear a mask. –as told to Allison Rost
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CHANGEMAKERS Many in the Mills community were thrown off by the 2016 election. These students and graduates of the Lokey School are channeling that energy into public service. By Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04
ALYSA CISNEROS ’16, MPP ’17, still remembers the moment. November 8, 2016: Donald Trump had just been elected to the US presidency and the world seemed as if it had instantly changed. She knew she needed to do something—anything—but felt lost. Cisneros was enrolled in her fifth year at Mills College, pursuing her master’s degree in public policy, but she didn’t want to just look to a textbook for answers. She wanted to get to work. “I was just sitting there, [wondering] ‘What have I done to myself? ’ ” Cisneros thought. Her sense of urgency wasn’t singular—it’s a shared drive among students and graduates of Mills’ Lorry I. Lokey School of Business and Public Policy. The graduate program, which offers a master of public policy and a joint MPP/MBA (among other degrees of study), Alysa Cisneros 12
M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
emphasizes a critical outcome: Change the system from within.
POLICE REFORM
That starts with the final two semesters of the program at Mills, which includes a capstone project. MPP students work with nonprofits, government offices and elected officials, putting aside text-
FAIR N S IO E L EC T
books to tackle real-world challenges. After graduating, some alumnae/i have run for office or worked for candi-
AF FO R
ice j us t Al l F or
DAT PRIVAA CY
DABLE
H O US I
dates at the local, state, and national levels. Others have founded their own organizations, or consulted with others, from tiny start-ups to big corporations. Now, leading up to November’s consequential election, many say they’re motivated by the political and sociocultural events that have unfolded
public safety, and affordable, accessible housing. “It’s a chance to make myself as effective as possible,” she says.
since 2016, including the coronavirus pandemic
Since the college launched the MPP gradu-
and nationwide protests against anti-Black rac-
ate track in 2007 with just eight candidates, stu-
ism and police brutality. Moreover, students like
dents like Cisneros have put what they’ve learned
Cisneros say their time at the College prepared
to practical use in the political and public policy
them for the moment by connecting class study
sphere, identifying and addressing a range of issues,
with hands-on work.
often with a focus on social and racial inequities.
“At Mills, you learn broadly, asking questions
Sometimes, the challenges are unprecedented.
about how you can evaluate whether a policy will
The global COVID-19 pandemic and other cur-
work or not,” Cisneros says. “Those are the basics
rent events, for example, created a new “obstacle
that you do over and over again [in the field], and
course” of access, according to Ashley Adams,
eventually they become second nature.”
assistant adjunct professor of public policy at
Not long after her world tilted post-election,
Mills. The lockdown brought about challenging
Cisneros struck upon a solution, realizing that
delays as students were forced to postpone focus
it made sense to tap into what she’d learned
groups and other vital data work, but it also laid
so far at Mills. That’s how she came to email
bare critical inequities, she says.
the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of
“This work is more important than
Northern California at 2:00 am with a proposal:
ever,” she says. “Students and professors
she needed a capstone project to graduate, and
are doing research to produce recommen-
the ACLU needed volunteers in its mission to pro-
dations for social change for a lot of these
tect civil liberties—such as free speech and due
problems that have been magnified by the
process—under the incoming administration.
pandemic, including police brutality.”
“I said, ‘I can do this for free, so put me to work,’” Cisneros recalls.
Chalyna Lazo, MPP ’21, a former student in Adams’s Policy and Economic Analysis
The ACLU quickly agreed, assigning her to
class, says that even as she and other stu-
study data privacy, surveillance, and policing in
dents faced frustrating challenges, the pan-
public schools. The work felt vital, she says, pro-
demic has also given them new insights.
viding invaluable hands-on learning she couldn’t
“It’s opened my eyes to so many differ-
necessarily get in a seminar, including how to
ent perspectives on how public policy is
navigate a fast-paced environment.
approached, in terms of who is affected
Now, because “this year is a time for us to reimagine how we do things,” as Cisneros puts it,
Chalyna Lazo
and who the stakeholders are,” Lazo says. While she has yet to decide on a capstone
she is running for a city council seat in Sunnyvale,
project, she’s already working, writing a plan to
California. Her platform includes policing reform,
address redistricting nationwide for the Drake FA L L 2 0 2 0
13
NG
Institute of Research and Policy, a Washington, DC–based nonpartisan think tank that studies legislation to support women legislators at the state, county, and municipal levels of government. After graduation, Lazo adds, she’ll be ready to pursue a career in state government. “I will walk away from [Mills] having acquired the skills that will prepare me for potential opportunities,” she says. This is an advantage for Mills graduates, as the classes they take rely more on current events and real-world examples than stale textbook cases. “I sometimes envy my colleagues at public policy
Lyzz Schwegler
conferences who share the same case they use every year—it’s got all the material in there and they
on training even as she completed her degree.
just hand it to the students,” says Mark Henderson,
“It was incredible because I would learn about
associate professor of public policy and MPP pro-
things in class and then I would be able to actu-
gram director. “With us, there is no binder!”
ally go and apply those concepts right away,” says
Erin Armstrong ’16, MPP/MBA ’18, started seeking her own opportunities during her final
Armstrong, who returned to work for Miley and is now a special assistant.
undergraduate year at Mills as the 2016 election
Eventually, she says, she wants to run for office.
began winding to a close. She remembers sitting
Before Trump, before COVID-19, before the Black
in her Political Efficacy class, struck by the dis-
Lives Matter protests, Armstrong says she might
connect between her lessons and what she saw
have been more inclined to delay her ambitions.
on television. “All the conventional wisdom we
Not anymore.
were learning in class was thrown out the window,” she says. Trump’s win “lit a fire” within her. She adds: “It also reinforced that I was on the right path.” By the next summer, Armstrong was volunteer-
Her time in the graduate program didn’t just validate her career goals, Armstrong says. It reinforced that she didn’t need to wait for permission to pursue them. “Mills gave me the tool set to feel confident,” she says.
ing for Nate Miley, who represents District 4 on
For Lyzz Schwegler, the current political land-
the Alameda County Board of Supervisors. That
scape has also played a significant role in her
gig later led to a paid position, working on policy
decision-making process, so much so that she put
for Measure A, a ballot initiative that proposed a
her graduate studies at Mills on hold. Schwegler
30-year sales tax measure to fund, among other
had been enrolled in her first semester in the MPP
programs, childcare and early education.
program when Trump was elected; by January
By spring 2018, Armstrong needed to fulfill her capstone project. She took a leave of absence from
2017, she was seeking a summer internship that would put her in the thick of change.
Miley’s office and tasked herself with devising
A friend connected her with the founder of
uses for Measure A’s innovation fund. While vot-
the Sister District Project, a nonprofit that aims
ers failed to approve Measure A during the June
to turn states blue by winning state legislative
2018 election, Armstrong gained practical, hands-
elections. Instead of an internship, however,
Trump’s win “lit a fire” within her. She adds: “It also reinforced that I was on the right path.” –Erin Armstrong 14
M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
Schwegler was invited to join the group as a co-
embarked on a run for a Los Angeles City Council
founder. She agreed, and by fall, the project had
seat. The decision, she says, was inspired by the
ballooned, drawing in thousands of volunteers.
Women in Leadership class taught by Lori Droste,
A pursuit that grew out of a “dark, terrible time,”
MPP ’11, who was elected to the Berkeley City Council in 2014.
Schwegler says, soon felt impactful. “The 2016 election was a milestone,” she says.
Each week, Droste brought in guest speak-
“I’ve come to realize how lucky I was to be at
ers, including elected officials who—as women of
Mills at the time, and have it be a space full of
color—shared advice on and experiences in fund-
connections and community, holding each other
raising, campaigning, and facing double standards
accountable, and honest talk.”
in a male-dominated political field.
Schwegler eventually decided to pause her
“Every single one of them would always say to
to
run for office, even if you have
Washington, DC. Since then, the
the slightest feeling to do it—
Sister District Project has hired 20
just run because we need more
employees, raised millions of dol-
women to run,” she says.
academics
and
relocate
Initially,
lars, and flipped legislative seats
Rivera-Guzman
says, she wasn’t sure she was
in critical states such as Virginia. Schwegler plans to return to
ready to run but, encouraged
Mills eventually; until then, her
by classmates who later volun-
time at the College stands out.
teered for her campaign, she
In
remembers
decided the effort could give
a California politics workshop
her much-needed experience.
that the College hosted with
She didn’t win the primary, but
Assemblymember
says she’s prepared to run again
particular,
she
Rob
Bonta
in 2024.
(D-Oakland). There, Bonta talked about his activist background—
Ingrid Rivera-Guzman
California’s
farm
labor
Until
then,
she’s
digging
deeper into local politics by
his parents had been part of
attending neighborhood council
move-
ment—and the realization that grassroots work
meetings. Recently, she was elected vice president
wasn’t just about marching in the streets, but also
on the board of directors for the Latino Coalition
about the slog of endless meetings and logging
of Los Angeles, a nonprofit that aims to build
long hours with spreadsheets.
the infrastructure needed to support progressive
That ethos resonated deeply. “Policy work isn’t glamorous, it’s about showing up and getting down to work,” Schwegler says.
candidates and initiatives that will foster change through policy advocacy and other methods. “We’re trying to be that bridge between elected
For Ingrid Rivera-Guzman, MPP ’19, showing up
officials and the people they’re serving who
means returning to the community that shaped
might not be so knowledgeable about that politi-
her. Born in El Salvador, she grew up in Los Angeles,
cal system,” she says.
and she says she chose Mills for its emphasis on social justice and intersectional politics.
A core philosophy Mills instilled in her is better understanding the connection between past and
She felt energized, studying in a program that
future generations. Take, for example, she says,
allowed her to “have a seat at the table,” she says.
the number of unhoused folks in Los Angeles,
“It’s a system that you need to work within, to
the majority of whom are Black. By examining
some degree, if you want to break it and disman-
past redlining policies as well as legislation that
tle it in some ways.”
resulted from the so-called “war on crime” and
Her capstone project paired her with the
“war on drugs,” it becomes easier to connect the
California Energy Commission, where she drew
dots between policy decisions and their problem-
on her passion for environmental justice to hold
atic effects.
the organization accountable in its efforts to
“Public policy affects every aspect of your life,
affect new environmental projects in low-income
even if you’re not aware of it,” she says. “It didn’t just
and disadvantaged communities.
happen today, it’s coming from the past, and that’s
Now, Rivera-Guzman is thinking about bigger, longer-term ambitions. Earlier this year, she
E T VO
still continuing to affect us today. And the decisions we make will affect our future generations.” FA L L 2 0 2 0
15
K IRS TEN SA X TON
A Future for Old Women FOUR YEARS AGO, at the age of 75, Ruth
Saxton says she wrote The Book of
O. Saxton, MA ’72, retired from teaching
Old Ladies because she “wanted to com-
English full-time at Mills College, a job
plicate people’s notions of old women.
she had held since 1974. Honored with
We’re capable of a lot more growth and
the title of professor emerita, Saxton had
change than you would guess from por-
earned the right to look back with sat-
trayals in books.” But it’s not only the
isfaction at her career as a preeminent
content of the book that dismantles
Virginia Woolf scholar, an exemplary edu-
stereotypes. Over the past two decades,
cator and beloved mentor, the College’s
Saxton’s own journey as an author and
first dean of letters, and the co-founder
a teacher demonstrates how women of
of the Women’s Studies Program—among
a certain age continue to use their cre-
other accomplishments. For many fac-
ative and intellectual prowess to sur-
ulty, achieving emeritus status means
mount loss, to grow, and to innovate.
it’s time to disengage from the constant demands of students and colleagues, the challenges of learning new pedagogical methods and technologies, and the pressure of publishing.
Professor Emerita Ruth Saxton offers alternate visions for “coming to age” in The Book of Old Ladies By Dawn Cunningham ‘85
Not for Saxton. Instead, “retirement”
short stories from the 20th and 21st cen-
opened one of her career’s most produc-
turies—that illustrate key themes in plots
tive chapters, a highlight of which is the
featuring “Old Lady” protagonists. In the
recent publication of a landmark work of
book’s introduction, Saxton explains:
literary criticism, The Book of Old Ladies: Celebrating Women of a Certain Age in Fiction. The book provided the foundation for Saxton’s final class at Mills: Coming to Age, a unique communitybased course she taught this past spring in collaboration with the Downtown Oakland Senior Center. To bring both the course and the book to fruition, she mobilized a network of students, alumnae, colleagues, and family.
16
M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
For The Book of Old Ladies, Saxton selected 31 works of fiction—novels and
I have always read fiction to find models for how to live, how to be . . . . Stories offer us ways to make sense of our pasts and to forge a way of being in our presents and futures . . . I wanted to gather examples of good aging, of wise or surprising women over sixty and into their nineties, like beads on a string, a secular rosary to help fend off the fear of becoming elderly in a society whose mainstream vision of aging women is marked by fear, loathing, refusal, or reduction. I wanted to read the novels in which fictional older women prepare for the journey of aging, inhabit the territory, and become increasingly their truest selves.
CRIS TIAN NE W M AN FOR UNSPL A SH
The resulting rosary ranges from wellknown works by celebrated authors, such as Love, Again by Doris Lessing, to first novels by writers newer to the literary scene, such as Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper. A gifted storyteller herself, Saxton provides engaging synopses of each piece while analyzing how the plots limit or expand the possibilities open to old ladies as they confront romance, sexuality, aging and mortality, loss and growth, and their own creative potential. The Book of Old Ladies is the culmination of rigorous and highly original scholarship: Saxton reviewed more than 100 works to identify plot themes and make her selections. No other critical work has focused on analyzing the figure of the Old Lady in contemporary
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literature by women. Yet Saxton avoids
for stories about girls.” One novel in
perpetuate the idea that life is only good
academic writing style and jargon, allow-
particular set her off to write the book:
when you’re young, that romance is all
ing her own passion as a reader to shine
Evening by Susan Minot. Evening’s pro-
that matters.” Most of the stories in her
through. “I didn’t want it to be a scholarly
tagonist, a 65-year-old woman dying of
book feature feisty old ladies who break
book,” she says. “I wanted it to be acces-
cancer, drifts into memories of an affair
away from stereotypes and are as varied
sible, affordable, and available in paper-
she had in her youth. Reviews hailed
as young characters.
back.” Her approach has won accolades
the book, published in 1998, as a com-
For example, in Vita Sackville-West’s
from reviewers, including the respected
plex portrait of a woman at the end of
All Passion Spent, an elderly widow
literary magazine Kirkus Reviews.
life; it later became a movie with Meryl
defies the expectations of her children
Streep. “It drew me in, but I thought,
and retreats to a new home where she
something’s wrong,” Saxton says. “When
forbids any visitors under the age of 70
I’m on my deathbed, I hope I’m not pre-
and makes friends with several eccentric
occupied by some unrequited love from
old men. Debra Dean’s The Madonnas
my adolescence!”
of Leningrad depicts a woman suffer-
The story behind The Book of Old Ladies begins more than 20 years ago, when Saxton was researching and teach-
Saxton includes Evening in the first
ing about the figure of “The Girl” in fic-
section of The Book of Old Ladies as an
her
tion. She edited a volume of scholarly
example of a plot she calls the “Deathbed
with paintings from Saint Petersburg’s
essays, The Girl: Constructions of the Girl
Bookend,” in which “fictional old women
Hermitage Museum, where she worked
in Contemporary Fiction by Women, in
are portrayed at the end of their lives
in the 1940s—and the confusion of her
1998. Narratives about girls’ coming-of-
remembering their youth rather than looking inward or outward at their pres-
by themes of romantic fulfillment or
ent situations.”
rejection—an evolution of the marriage
From then on, “I tried to find imagi-
plot in Victorian novels, which com-
native plots that differed from Deathbed
monly revolved around the questions of
Bookends,” Saxton says. “I didn’t want to
inner
“memory
palace”—filled
CRIS TIAN NE W M AN FOR UNSPL A SH
age, she observed, were often propelled
ing from Alzheimer’s who slips between
whether and whom the young heroine would marry. Saxton also found that many comingof-age plots involved friction between daughters and mothers. “An older woman— a grandmother or an aunt—would be brought into the plot to help things move forward for the daughter,” she notes. “But we never get inside the older woman’s head.” Typically, neither the mother nor the older woman had much of a creative intellectual or artistic life. “As I approached 60, I realized I was the age of these old women, and that wasn’t my experience of life at all,” she recalls. “I started looking for stories about old women the way I had looked
current life in the Pacific Northwest. “Most of these characters have experienced some sort of loss,” Saxton observes. “If you live long enough, there will be major things that happen. What I ask is, what do you do next?”
That question—what do you do after a loss?—has deep personal relevance for Saxton. “In the early days of this project,”
18
M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
SHU T TERS TOCK
she writes in a postscript, “I looked forward to completing the book within two years, hoping to benefit from my discoveries about how to age gracefully and well, but a car accident changed not only my
says Ruth gained “an awareness that
plans but my entire life.”
a [student’s] need for accommodation
One evening in fall 2004, Saxton and her husband were on their way to a res-
does not imply a lack,” which makes her a better teacher.
taurant in Oakland. She recalls, “As we
Saxton also refused to give up on her
were parking, a big SUV rammed into us.
goal of completing the book. Although
It totaled our Volvo, but we didn’t have
writing remained a struggle for her for
a scratch.”
several years after the accident, she
When she returned to the classroom
made progress by working with research
that week, she couldn’t remember her stu-
assistants and other collaborators. “I
dents’ names. She was uncharacteristically
learned to ask for help,” she says. “Now
disorganized and could no longer read or
I have a team of women who’ve worked
write easily. She was only 63 years old; “I
collaboratively with me on the book. I
feared I had early dementia,” she says. Her
rely on these amazing women who have
doctor thought she had a concussion, but
skills I don’t.”
weeks went by and she didn’t improve. Six
Elizabeth Mathews, MFA ’09, served
months later, a scan revealed that she had
as Saxton’s first research assistant while
sustained a traumatic brain injury.
she was a graduate student at Mills.
“Rather than experiencing a gradual
Mathews would review texts that Saxton
decline into old age, I had been hurtled
was considering for the book. “I would
into that strange terrain in an instant,”
come to Ruth’s house, sit in her kitchen,
Saxton writes in The Book of Old Ladies.
talk about the books with her, and write
Her neurologist suggested that she
up notes based on our conversation,”
retire, but she wasn’t ready to stop doing
Mathews says. “By 2010, Ruth was able to
the work she loved. Instead, she devel-
read and write again, and she got into a
oped new daily routines and systems.
routine of writing down general impres-
Linda Gray, MA ’05. Travis set up a web-
In the classroom, she began to ask
sions or close readings in the mornings,
site for the book, ruthsaxton.com, where
students to take more responsibility for
which I would piece together into docu-
Saxton plans to expand the discussion to
presentations and discussions. “I took
ments for her to work with.”
stories not included in The Book of Old
copious notes,” she says. “I talked less
After Mathews left the Bay Area to
and listened more.” Her classes became
begin a PhD program at University of
Kirsten Saxton is another member
more student-centered, more welcoming
California, Irvine, Saxton engaged with
of the team. “Ever since I began gradu-
toward students who faced struggles of
several other assistants who were Mills
ate school in 1990, my mom and I have
their own. Her daughter Kirsten Saxton
students or alumnae, including Emily
been one another’s sounding boards….
’90, now a professor of English at Mills,
Travis, MA ’17; Monique Iles, MA ’16; and
We read one another’s drafts and think
Ladies.
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19
through organizational structures and
Since the early aughts, Saxton had
meet once each month at DOSC so that
how the pieces can be improved,” she
been exploring the figure of the Old
elders could join students in reading and
says. After the accident, Kirsten adds,
Lady not only through her scholarship,
discussing the stories. Fifteen Mills stu-
“I was always confident that my mom
but also through the literature courses
dents enrolled and more than twice that
would be able to return to the book
she taught. One of these was a graduate
number of elders signed up to participate.
because she could talk through the
seminar called Coming to Age, which
“Our first meeting with the seniors
ideas, and even at the worst stage, she
focused entirely on Old Lady stories.
stopped the students in their tracks,”
was able to be a terrific close reader and
After she “retired” to the role of profes-
Saxton noted in her blog. Together they
editor of other people’s work.” She cur-
sor emerita in 2016, Saxton continued to
discussed the short story “My Man
rently helps Ruth manage social media
teach one course at Mills almost every
Bovanne” by Toni Cade Bambara; Saxton
for the book, including Instagram and
year, concluding in spring 2020 with an
described the conversation as “electric
Facebook author pages.
undergraduate version of the Coming to
and filled with surprises, insights, and
Age seminar.
laughter.” The revelations continued
As Saxton healed and regained her writing abilities, Mathews introduced
For this final course, Saxton had the
her to a writing coach, Brooke Warner,
idea of retooling the syllabus to enable
who helped her structure the book and
students
substantively
active the seniors were, how interested
guided as she wrote the chapters in their
with actual old ladies and fulfill the
they were in connecting with younger
current form. In 2018, Saxton completed
College’s new undergraduate require-
people,” says Lila Goehring ’21*. “They
the manuscript, which Mathews edited.
ment for community-engaged learning.
had a lot of thoughts about the books and
Warner selected the book for publica-
She also had the perfect collaborator for
related them to their own lives. They out-
tion by She Writes Press, an independent
this effort: her former student Jennifer
did us and inspired us to work harder.”
publisher she co-founded.
King ’00, MA ’02, who has directed
Another student, Grace Hirschfeld ’22,
the Downtown Oakland Senior Center
found insights relevant to relationships
(DOSC) for 15 years. With King’s help,
in her family: “My grandmother—whose
Saxton designed a plan for the class to
parents immigrated from China—has
to
interact
throughout the course. “I was heartened by how politically
SHU T TERS TOCK
always been seen as someone who cares for others and rarely does anything for herself. But since her husband died, she’s been taking more time for herself, investing more in what she enjoys. This class gave me more respect for her wishes for herself as an individual.” “People seemed open and genuinely interested in each other’s ideas and experiences,” says Carole Glanzer, one of the DOSC elders who participated. “The value of intergenerational relationships is that they break down stereotypes and thereby can change negative ageist attitudes, coming from either end of the age spectrum. We don’t forget that we are of different generations, but we are more likely to see each other as individuals.” Just after the class met for its second book discussion at DOSC, Alameda
*Lila is also the Quarterly’s editorial assistant and shares more thoughts about her experience in the Coming to Age class on our website. Visit quarterly.mills.edu to read more.
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M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
County issued shelter-in-place orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All of a sudden, Saxton had to switch to teaching the class online, while still trying to achieve her goal “to help students see older women as individual persons.” She invited the elders to participate in class meetings via Zoom. Though many of them initially struggled with the technology, “they stuck with it and figured out how to join the discussions from their own homes,” King says. Patricia Powell, who teaches creative writing at Mills, joined one of the online sessions as a guest speaker. She read from her work-in-progress, Balm Yard, a novel that explores women’s spiritual practices in rural Jamaica and features a mother-daughter relationship involving older women. “After years in which I could not find stories focused on the present lives of older women characters—not just their pasts—I am excited to introduce… stories that get inside the heads of old women, see the world through their eyes, and abandon tired old stereotypes,” Saxton wrote in her blog about the class. King, who is in her 60s and a poet, says the examples provided by The Book of Old Ladies are already providing
The Book of Old Ladies: Celebrating Women of a Certain Age in Fiction by Ruth O. Saxton, published by She Writes Press in September 2020, is available now through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and various independent booksellers. For more information, visit ruthsaxton.com.
inspiration for her new work. “I’m writing about love in the 60s. I would never have had the courage to write about that before,” she says. “We don’t lose our sen-
She’s still mentoring former students
narratives that limited her capacity to
suality. It gets more nuanced.”
and writing letters of recommendation,
write, teach, mother, and be a full self.”
The Coming to Age course proved that old ladies don’t lose their adapt-
even as she enjoys having time to spend with a new grandchild.
That woman concludes The Book of Old Ladies by observing: “I have now
ability, either. Students say Saxton’s
Among Mills alumnae, she has estab-
lived longer than many of the female
transition to online teaching was just
lished a legacy of helping women dis-
protagonists whose stories I had hoped
as smooth as that of younger professors.
cover new models for their own coming
would inform me . . . . I have discovered
Yet she is content to let her first online
to age. “Knowing Ruth has changed my
through my own experience that loss
course be her last teaching experience.
perspective on my future,” Mathews
does not need to define us, and that old
“In an odd way, COVID-19 made the
says. “She’s like one of the characters
women have at our disposal many ways
end of my teaching career easier,” she
she writes about. She had this amazing
we can adapt and learn and continue to
says. “There was something magic about
life, then this horrific accident. But she
see the world with wonder and joy.”
stepping into a classroom. I am grateful
still went on to write this entire book
With the publication of The Book of
that I won’t be teaching classes that are
and continue teaching. She has been an
Old Ladies, Ruth Saxton presents a time-
entirely online.”
incredible model of resilience for me.”
less gift to women of all ages: a compen-
Kirsten Saxton says her view of aging
dium of alternative visions for growing
has been shaped by “growing up with
old, coping with loss, and defying expec-
a woman who thinks deeply about the
tations. She reminds us that we always
Despite that, Saxton hasn’t disen-
import of cultural representations and
have time to experience ourselves and
gaged from her professorial role entirely.
who has lived as an example of refusing
our world in new ways.
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AAMC NEWS & NOTES A Message from the AAMC President The past summer was unusually quiet at
Many of us participated
Mills, with just a few students staying on
in President Elizabeth L.
campus to shelter in place. Among them
Hillman’s Zoom videocon-
were several international students. I
ference in June in which she
had opportunities to talk with some of
shared news of the impact
them about the hardships they faced,
of COVID-19 on Mills. The
both financially and emotionally.
pandemic compounds the
In some cases, they had decided not
financial deficits that the
to go home for fear that they would not
College has struggled with
be allowed to return to Mills for the
for more than a decade,
fall semester due to travel restrictions
despite ongoing efforts to
related to the COVID-19 pandemic or
balance the budget by mak-
to changes in US immigration policies.
ing deep cuts and develop-
Yet paying for food, lodging, and other
ing new revenue sources. It
basic necessities in the United States was
also contributes further to
a financial struggle as they had little
lower than optimal enroll-
opportunity to work on campus after
ment,
March, and their visa statuses did not
College’s long-term financial
allow them to work off campus. Some
viability.
which
hurts
the
students were further affected by cur-
In light of these difficul-
rency devaluations in their home coun-
ties, President Hillman also
tries or their families’ hardships when
talked about the potential
parents lost jobs due to COVID-19 or
for an enhanced partnership with UC
wish her well in her dual role as a mem-
became ill themselves.
Berkeley, which could be one solution
ber of the College Board of Trustees.
Viji Nakka-Cammauf
Considering the difficult situation for
to Mills’ predicament. Following the
Mills has always been a place of beauty,
these international students, the AAMC
Zoom-cast, the BOG collected ques-
and during these challenging times, it
Board of Governors (BOG) organized
tions and comments about the partner-
is also a place of tranquility. Summer is
a fundraising campaign to help cover
ship from alumnae and hosted a virtual
fast fading and fall is around the corner.
their room and board, medical insur-
town hall meeting on September 17 to
I think these words from Laura Jaworski
ance, and essential needs for the sum-
address these concerns.
perfectly describe fall at Mills:
mer. Find a report about this fundraising
It is a time of great change, and this
effort and others on the facing page. I am
summer, Mills lost Leah Hardcastle
very grateful to everyone for their timely
MacNeil, MA ’51. Leah was a lifetime
and generous participation in our effort;
member of the BOG and a beloved
it has been a great source of support for
alumna who will be missed by many.
each of the assisted students.
We are grateful for her many gener-
An autumn breeze, A string of words, A star-filled sky— All are poetry
During the summer, the BOG and
ous contributions to the AAMC. You
I wish you all good health, safety, and
its committees also worked to create
can find her obituary in this issue’s In
well-being wherever you are sheltering
pandemic-friendly events for this fall’s
Memoriam section.
in place, and I look forward to seeing you
incoming students. Taco Tuesday had a
Finally, I want to close with my con-
different look this year: students picked
gratulations to Adrienne McMichael
up their tacos at the Tea Shop, and some
Foster ’74, our newly elected alumna
of us governors were there to extend a
trustee. The governors and I are happy
Viji Nakka-Cammauf, MA ’82
socially-distanced welcome to Mills.
to welcome Adrienne back to the
President, Alumnae Association
Board meetings and other events this
AAMC Board of Governors, where she
of Mills College
fall will be virtual.
previously served for one term, and to
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M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
back on campus when it is safe. Warmly,
A report on the AAMC’s successful fundraising campaigns The AAMC deeply appreciates the donors
for the AOCC Endowed Scholarship Fund
States (read more about their predica-
who supported two fundraising efforts
on her birthday, through which she
ment in Viji’s letter on the facing page).
by the association, its governors, and its
raised an additional $1,245. The schol-
The AAMC aimed to raise $7,500 from
committees this year. Contributions to
arship, created in honor of former Mills
alumnae, which the association would
these efforts support students of color
president Alecia DeCoudreaux, supports
match with a gift of $7,500. The goal
and international students facing finan-
students of color at Mills. The AAMC
was exceeded in just a matter of days!
cial challenges.
commends Gwen and the entire AOCC
By September, donors had contributed
for their efforts.
more than $33,000; with the AAMC’s
The Alumnae of Color Committee (AOCC) hosted a lively benefit concert for
In July, AAMC President Viji Nakka-
matching gift, the drive raised more
its endowed scholarship fund in February.
Cammauf, MA ’82, and the Board of
than $40,500 to meet the full need of
It was the AOCC’s first event in the newly
Governors launched a drive for an
affected international students.
renovated Lisser Hall, and 100 people
International Student Hardship Fund
attended. By the end of the night, the
to
who
the AAMC’s ability to support the College
group had raised more than $5,000! More
could not return home this summer
and its students. We thank you from the
recently, AAMC governor and AOCC co-
because of travel restrictions imposed in
bottom of our hearts for your continued
chair Gwen Jackson Foster ’67 launched
response to COVID-19 yet lacked funds
support during these difficult times.
another fundraising push on Facebook
to cover living expenses in the United
aid
international
students
Alumnae generosity is the lifeblood of
Nominate the next alumna trustee Make your voice heard on the Mills College Board of Trustees and the AAMC Board of Governors. Nominate yourself or another willing Mills graduate as a candidate for the position of alumna trustee for the three-year term beginning July 1, 2021. Alumnae trustees serve on the boards of the College and the AAMC; they are expected to participate on committees on both boards. For more information on the responsibilities of the position and how to apply or nominate someone, look under the “Leadership” section of the AAMC website at aamc.mills.edu. Nominations are due January 5, 2021, to the AAMC Nominating Committee at aamc@mills.edu or AAMC, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., MB #86, Oakland, CA 94613.
Now purchase AAMC merchandise online! AAMC swag has officially entered the 21st century through our brand-new online store at aamcmerch.square.site! While you can still purchase merchandise by emailing us at aamc@mills.edu, you now also have the option of browsing our inventory and making a purchase online. You’ll find Pearl M pendants, gold and silver eucalyptus pins, eucalyptus-scented candles, scarves, T-shirts, ornaments, and more. Unless otherwise noted, all proceeds benefit the AAMC. JUST ADDED: New limited edition Mills seal mugs! A portion of the sale of each mug supports Mills College.
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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 deaths received before July 6, 2020 To submit listings, please contact alumnae-relations@mills.edu or 510.430.2123 Ida “Jiggs” Erlanger Scott ’42, March 30, 2019, in Sebastopol, California. Ida lived in Sebastopol for the last 25 years of her life, though she was born in San Francisco and watched the construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. A lifelong volunteer, Ida was a walking encyclopedia who loved sharing knowledge with her family. She is survived by three children and nine grandchildren. Polly Schwartz Hertz ’42, March 16, in Canoga Park, California. Polly danced with Marian Van Tuyl at Mills, and went on to join the Army during World War II as part of the Women’s Auxiliary Corps. She taught school in Chicago and then worked as a saleswoman in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Polly cherished her Mills education and was strong and proud. She is survived by a son. Ann Sulzberger Wolff ’42, April 21, in Winnetka, Illinois. Ann spent 75 years as a volunteer with the League of Women Voters, and served as a leader in the Citizens Information Service, a founding member of Lakeside Congregation, and a champion of North Shore Senior Center. She was a dedicated member of the Mills College Club of Chicago. Ann is survived by three children and five grandchildren. Shirley “Kay” Kinspel Manley ’43, December 18, 2019, in New York. Kay was a professional artist and designer with a passion for the opera. Despite health concerns, Kay was able to travel alone to Paris and Salzburg as well as the Metropolitan Opera and Carnegie Hall to attend performances. Nothing got in the way of Kay’s love for life. She is survived by two daughters and two granddaughters. Elizabeth “Betty” Loudon Daugherty ’43, February 22, in Juneau, Alaska. At Mills, she was a champion fencer. She worked as a secretary for a petroleum geologist, and she was credited in a book of his for her knowledge of micropaleontology—a lifelong source of pride. Betty was also a reporter who was passionate about science, hunting, carpentry, and electrical engineering. Betty is survived by six children and nine grandchildren. Sally Mayock Hartley ’48, May 1, in Union City, California. Sally was senior class president at Mills and graduated Phi Beta Kappa in government. Sally and her husband, Hollis, moved to San Bernardino, where they raised four children, and Sally taught in high schools there for 14 years. At her 70th reunion in 2018, Sally (below, second from right) and her classmates sang the school song to President Elizabeth L. Hillman! Sally is survived by three children and six grandchildren. Patricia Baillargeon ’49, June 12, in Seattle. As assistant to Eleanor Roosevelt, Pat traveled to all 50 states and many nations in Asia and Europe. Pat later became the assistant to the Consul General of Japan,
Stacey Park Milbern, MBA ’16 A fierce, well-known advocate for people with disabilities, Stacey Park Milbern died on May 19—her 33rd birthday—in Stanford, California. The physical challenges she experienced in her life due to muscular dystrophy led her to organize and galvanize her community and beyond, doing everything from hosting Disability Justice Culture Club and Hidden Army gatherings at her East Oakland home to working on President Barack Obama’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities and co-producing the Netflix documentary Crip Camp. More recently, she organized mutual assistance to keep those on ventilators safe as Pacific Gas & Electric shut off electricity in fire-prone areas of the state. Stacey was also passionate about ensuring that queer BIPOC would not be erased from efforts for disability justice, in California and across the country. She enrolled at Mills in 2012 to continue that work and inspired her classmates and instructors alike. A remembrance from fellow Lokey graduates Sarah Garmisa, MPP/ MBA ’15, and Emily Davis ’06, MBA ’14, touted Stacey’s vibrancy: “She was a hustler who worked harder than even the best of us. Yet she never lost touch with her clever and sarcastic sense of humor that made her approachable and easy to talk to, despite her tremendously powerful presence.” Stacey is survived by her two grandmothers, her parents, and two siblings.
the first woman executive at the Port of Seattle, and a founding board member of the Pilchuck Glass School and the Wing Luke Museum. Well into her 80s, she continued volunteering in homeless communities. She is survived by two brothers, and 13 nieces and nephews. Lesley Bollenbach Carnes ’49, on December 24, 2019, in Shoreview, Minnesota. Lesley loved to travel, read, entertain, and garden. She had a gift for making people feel welcome and valued. Lesley will be greatly missed and always remembered as a woman of love and grace with a very quick wit. She is survived by three children and five grandchildren. Caryl Hollender Susman ’52, on April 26, in Winnetka, Illinois. After majoring in psychology at Mills, Caryl volunteered extensively with local charities and in Democratic politics. She worked at the Chicago Department of Welfare and volunteered on the boards of several social services agencies. The Mills College Club of Chicago counted her as a beloved member. She is survived by her husband, Bernie; three children; and five grandchildren. Benjamin “Ben” Johnston, MA ’53, July 21, 2019, in Deerfield, Wisconsin. Ben was a prolific composer who used microtonal tuning systems to create a large and varied catalog of avant-garde chamber works, stage pieces, and music for orchestras, choirs, voice, and solo piano. He studied with Darius Milhaud in 1951 and went on to work with John Cage in New York. He is survived by three children and three grandchildren. Diane Ferris Whyte ’54, March 2, in Lafayette. Diane was a beloved elementary school teacher and passionate tennis player. She and her husband, Don, loved spending time in Carmel, especially with their family. She is survived by Don, three children, and seven grandchildren.
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M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
Patricia “Ann” Hunt Lindeen ’54, March 21, in Simi Valley, California. Ann met her husband, Gordon, at a Mills/Stanford dance. Ann was a founder of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of People-to-People International and served as a docent at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. She is survived by her husband, Gordon; four children, including Janeen Lindeen McBride ’79, and three grandchildren. Sarah “Sally” Paul Williams ’54, April 29, in Ocala, Florida. She served on the boards for Habitat for Humanity and what later became Meals on Wheels, and she was the first president of Children’s Home Society. Sally was also active in the First Presbyterian Church of Ocala, where she was a devoted member for 62 years. She is survived by her husband, Bo; three children; and seven grandchildren. Jennifer “Jen” Ewing Bolton ’56, April 9, in Fresno, California. After Mills, Jen earned master’s degrees in theological studies and clinical psychology. Jen worked for several decades as a marriage and family therapist in San Francisco, as well as a lecturer at Church Divinity School of the Pacific. Jen was an avid player and teacher of piano. She is survived by three children; two step-children, including Jorie Bolton Townsley ’69; and four grandchildren. Patricia McKenna Taubman ’56, March 13, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. After Mills, Patti returned to her home state and graduated from the University of Oklahoma, where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She is survived by four children and six grandchildren. Susanna “Su Child” Shreeve ’56, June 25, in Cody, Wyoming. After Mills, Su earned a master’s degree in confluent education to pursue her calling of working for indigenous causes. In her final decade, she focused on adding American Indian curricula to schools and facilitated discussion among those undertaking the work. She is survived by two sisters. Nancy Sterling Bretz ’56, May 15, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. She had been an active member of her Grouse Creek Park community, and she founded the Community Health Resource Center at the Yampa Valley Medical Center, where she served as director for 20 years. Nancy was an avid fan of the opera, attending performances throughout the world. She was loved by all who knew her, and is survived by two stepchildren. Earline Stowe Bush ’56, July 6, in Framingham, Massachusetts. After Mills, she worked primarily as a homemaker while caring for her three children. She was an avid world traveler, counting her trip to Tanzania as a favorite. After moving to Massachusetts, Earline volunteered at the Boston Museum of Science for many years. Earline is survived by two children and two grandchildren.
Gifts in Memory of Received March 1, 2020 – May 1, 2020 Laura Balas, MA ’92 by Helen Hovdesven KerryLynn Blau-Williams ’65 by Linda Dyer Millard ’65 Frits and Erica “Rita” Weber Brevet ’51, P ’76 by their daughter, Erica Brevet-Stott ’76 William and Mary Butler, P ’85 by their daughter, Kathleen “Kathy” Butler ’85 Mary Copernoll, P ’70, P ’66 by her daughter, Roberta Copernoll Johnson ’70 Richard Croul, spouse of Jane Croul ’52, by Marie Vial Hall ’53 Eleonora “Nora” DeWitt, P ’96 by Kimberlee Garfinkle MacVicar ’95 Seiri Du Pen ’92 by her mother, Carolyn Du Pen, P ’92 Katherine Hu Fan ’57 by Nan Wright Winn ’57 Mary Johnson Foraker ’55 by Anne DeMar David Keeports by Richard “Rick” Grossart, PMC ’06 Jane Cudlip King ’42, P ’80 by Suzette Lalime Davidson ’94 Donaldina “Donnie” Cameron Klingen ’63 by Helen Peterson Brainerd ’64, Lila McCarthy ’61 Margaret Lee, P ’65, P ’71 by her daughters, Lynne Lee Ehlers ’65 and Stephanie Lee ’71 Richard Lee, spouse of Patricia Taylor Lee ’57, by Judith “Judy” Greenwood Jones ’60, P ’92 Boitumelo “Tumi” McCallum ’08 by Dennis Coll Maureen McGee by Kelsey Lindquist ’10 Glenn Segal Melkonian by Barbara Parsons Sheldon ’56 Mary Tsuda Nakamura ’49 by Pauline “Polly” Royal Langsley ’49, P ’83, P ’78 Ellen Woody Nichols ’57 by Myrna Bostwick Cowman ’57 Georgine Dunlop O’Connor ’81 by The Dobbel Family Trust, Mark Mackler William Owen by his spouse, Linda Zumwalt Owen ’59 Dorothy Pinneo ’62 by Maureen Berman Grinnell ’62 Merrill Provence by Carla Rayacich ’77 Eda Regan by Susan Massotty ’70
Leah Hardcastle MacNeil, MA ’51
Leanne Haney Rhodes ’62, P ’93 by her daughter, Alisha Rhodes ’93
After college at San Jose State, Leah served in the United States Navy during World War II and earned a master’s degree in music at Mills. She enjoyed a variety of activities throughout her life, such as producing plays and theatrical events for the Berkeley Repertory Theater, playing piano in concert, and volunteering as the chapter advisor for the Alpha Omicron Phi sorority at the University of California. Her post-WWII stint with the Spamettes, a traveling troupe of female performers that advertised Hormel products, was a favorite story to retell.
Anne Hummel Sherrill by Abby Everson ’74
For Mills, though, she was a dedicated and longtime volunteer. She served on the AAMC’s Board of Governors for 18 years, spending stints on the Finance and Travel Committees. She was also the co-leader of the East Bay Mills Branch for 14 years and was a frequent presence on AAMC trips with her late husband, Neil.
Robert and Nancy Warner, P ’63 by their daughter, Nangee Warner Morrison ’63
Leah died in Oakland on July 7. She is survived by three children, including Lesli MacNeil ’75; and three grandchildren.
P=parent. For information about making a tribute gift, contact 510.430.2097 or donors@mills.edu.
Jean Summerville by Martha Sellers ’86 Caryl Hollender Susman ’52 by Linda Cohen Turner ’68 Rebecca “Becky” Ruff Tepfer ’67 by Elinor “Lin” Herod-Vernon ’67 Nancy Thornborrow, P ’93 by Lydia Mann ’83, Catherine Smith Morrow ’92 Bonnie van Oosterom-Craig ’57 by Myrna Bostwick Cowman ’57
Yaada Cottington Weber ’47 by Margaret Jepsen Bowles, MA ’65 Ann Sulzberger Wolff ’42 by Linda Cohen Turner ’68
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Virginia Van Every Morbeck ’58, April 17, in Ipswich, Massachusetts. After Mills, Virginia studied philosophy at Bristol University in England, later sharing her knowledge of art at Boston-area museums for more than 50 years. She worked to restore several historical monuments such as Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House. She is survived by her husband, Peter; two daughters; and two grandchildren. Sally Lampson Kanehe ’64, January 10, in Honolulu. Sally moved to Hawaii in 1972 and obtained a master’s degree in social work before lecturing at the University of Hawaii. She was inducted into the University of Hawaii Founders Club in 2006 in recognition of her contributions to the school, including the creation of three endowed scholarships. She is survived by two daughters.
Olivia de Havilland Many news articles that came out after the July 26 passing of Hollywood legend Olivia de Havilland correctly reported that she received a scholarship to Mills after graduating early from high school. Though a beckoning career in Hollywood lured her away from the College, it wasn’t her final encounter with Mills: she mentioned not attending as one of her greatest regrets in a 2016 issue of People magazine, and she received an honorary degree in 2018, which her daughter Gisèle Galante Chulack accepted on her mother’s behalf at that year’s Commencement. And even though Olivia didn’t attend the College, she embodied the true spirit of a Mills woman. Her fight against Warner Brothers in the 1940s led to the establishment of the De Havilland Law, which clarified that studio contracts could not extend beyond seven calendar years rather than years of actual service. Those efforts gave more power to performers and effectively ended the Hollywood contract system. Despite the disfavor in which she found herself in Hollywood after that decision, she prevailed and eventually won two Academy Awards.
Julianne Spears ’64, October 4, 2018, in Portland, Oregon. After Mills, she finished her bachelor’s degree at the University of Oregon, later working as an office manager and sales rep for a graphics shop. She is survived by a daughter. Sandra Buehler ’66, February 2, in Oakland.
Susan Zimmerman ’70, April 26, in Toronto, Ontario. Despite health issues that complicated schooling, Susan was able to attend Mills, and later went on to receive a PhD at Northwestern University. She devoted her life to the L’Arche community, an organization dedicated to creating a home for people with intellectual disabilities. This work took Susan to Japan, where she worked to establish a L’Arche community. She was predeceased by her sister, Eileen Zimmerman Granville ’69.
Cheryl Ingle Olsen ’68, February 10, in Seattle.
Phyllis Pacin, MFA ’73, April 16, 2019, in Oakland. She operated her own ceramics studio and taught her craft around the Bay Area.
Jean Sorensen ’68, March 2020, in Emmett, Idaho. She is survived by her husband, Robert; and four children, including Clover Nolan ’88.
Anna Skinner Stinson ’73, March 11, 2017, in San Mateo, California. She is survived by a son.
Kenneth Conner, MFA ’70, June 6, in Fallbrook, California. After Mills, Kenneth went on to work as an art teacher in Australia, where he staged numerous shows of his work. Upon his return to California in the 1980s, he continued to make art and enjoyed various jobs, such as working as a park aid. Kenneth is survived by his wife, Amy; two children, including Jennifer Conner ’98; and two grandchildren.
Georgine Dunlop O’Connor ’81, April 17, in Oakland. After Mills, Georgine earned a master’s degree in library science from San Jose State and worked as a law librarian for 26 years. She was active in many school and community organizations, and she was a thoughtful and generous friend known for her holiday gatherings and ability to bring people together. She is survived by two children.
Katherine Zelinsky Westheimer ’42 A key figure in the construction of Reinhardt Alumnae House, Katherine Zelinsky Westheimer was an enthusiastic member of the Mills alumnae community. She graduated from Mills with a degree in biology, yet she spent a great deal of time as a patron of the arts. (Her late husband, Joseph, was an award-winning cinematographer and special effects artist in film and television.) As a longtime board member with the Los Angeles Mills College Association (LAMCA), Katherine helped organize visits to cultural institutions and performances around the area. She was also dear friends with the late Connie Ong ’42, and was always one of Connie’s greatest artistic champions. LAMCA Co-President Julia Almanzan shared her reflections in an email to fellow Los Angeles-area Millsies in June: “Another board member accurately describes Kay as a woman who was comfortable in her own skin, had strong opinions, and did not have fear of what others thought when she shared them. Though she was opinionated, she shared her perspective in a way that was never disrespectful, and with a twinkle and wink in her voice, convincing anyone to agree with her. She was a quintessential classy, knowledgeable, and brilliant Mills woman.” Katherine died on April 23 in Beverly Hills, California. She is survived by a son and a grandson. 32
M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY
Richard Sala, MFA ’82, May 9, in Berkeley. Richard received an MFA in painting from Mills and went on to become a respected artist of comics known for surreal and stylistic art. He created works such as “Delphine,” “Cat Burglar Black,” and “Evil Eye,” and also worked in television and animation, beginning with the animated short Invisible Hands for Colossal Pictures. Marie Christensen Dern, MA ’86, May 22, in Redwood City, California. After receiving her master’s in book art, Marie established Jungle Garden Press, where she specialized in handmade letterpress art books. Her work was exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Fresno Museum of Art, and National Museum of Women in the Arts, among others. She is survived by four children and five grandchildren. Seiri Du Pen ’92, May 29, 2019, in Seattle. Seiri was authentic, strong, fun, and an advocate for children. She was a gifted photographer and an avid reader who loved philosophies and psychology. She loved her garden, time spent on Vashon Island, and the ocean. Seiri is survived by her parents, a brother, and three daughters.
Staff Laura Gobbi, former director of alumnae relations, June 13, in Washington, DC. Laura was instrumental in establishing the Alumnae Relations office during her seven-year tenure at Mills from 2008 to 2015.
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Alumnae Association of Mills College
2021
TRAVEL PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD! With heightened international travel restrictions currently in place for United States residents in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) Travel Committee has been hard at work selecting an interesting array of cultural trips for 2021–22 so we will be prepared when the restrictions are eventually lifted. The new co-chairs, Gwen Jackson Foster ’67 and Debi Wood ’75, are leading a committee that includes AAMC President Viji NakkaCammauf, MA ’82; Sheryl Wooldridge ’77; and Debby Campbell Dittman ’68. Working with the AAMC’s long-standing tour operators, AHI Travel and Gohagan Travel, the committee has put together a slate of international travel opportunities we believe will excite our alums. Information about future tours will soon be posted on the AAMC website at alumnae.mills.edu/travel. Alumnae, family, and friends will be able to choose from a variety of land excursions and cruises—from the bustling, colorful calles of historic Habana Vieja, the meandering
waterways of the Danube River, and the wonders of the 12th-century Khmer Hindu temple at Angkor Wat to the picturesque lavender fields and vineyards of Provence and Burgundy. There are exciting cultural experiences for every interest. Over the years, many Mills alumnae have joined graduates from other colleges and universities around the country on these trips, making new friends and sharing in the eye-opening experiences that only time spent in new parts of the world can provide. A snapshot of the wide-ranging 2021–22 travel program includes:
• Nordic Magnificence • Cuba and Its People • Paris and the African American Experience • Morocco, Land of Enchantment • Inland Sea of Japan • Alaska’s Glaciers and the Inside Passage Adding something new, the travel committee is
also looking to expand the AAMC’s travel program to include domestic destinations, local weekend getaways, and perhaps specialty trips for foodies, adventure seekers, art lovers, and more. We invite alumnae to share ideas and opinions by completing a brief online survey at bit.ly/AAMCtravelsurvey. If you prefer a hard copy to complete and return, please contact the AAMC at aamc@mills.edu. Please complete the survey by December 4. The Travel Committee will continue to closely monitor the impact of the pandemic on travel plans. Mills travelers who have signed up for trips scheduled for 2020 and early 2021 have received notice of itinerary changes from their respective travel operators and changed their travel plans accordingly. Every effort is now being made to offer Mills alumnae the best and safest travel experiences in 2021–22. We wish you well, and when the time is right, let’s travel! Debi Wood ’75 and Gwen Foster ’67 AAMC Travel Committee Co-Chairs
Buddhist monks outside the famed Temple of Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Mills Quarterly Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd. Oakland, CA 94613-1301
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510.430.3312 quarterly@mills.edu www.mills.edu
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2020 OCTO
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Reunion 2020 Goes Online! We still can’t meet for a full Reunion 2020 in person, but parts of it are coming to a Zoom near you this October. Visit alumnae.mills.edu/reunion2020 for the schedule and to register. Questions? Contact us at alumnae-relations@mills.edu. Thursday, October 1
11:00 am–12:15 pm: Faculty panel on 2020 student summer book selection There There by Tommy Orange 5:00 pm–7:00 pm: Virtual Writers’ Salon
Friday, October 2
10:00 am–11:00 am: Convocation 8:00 pm–9:30 pm: Darius Milhaud Concert
Saturday, October 3
1:00 pm–2:00 pm: AAMC Update & MillsConnect information session 4:00 pm–6:00 pm: Virtual reception for the Class of 1970
