Mills Quarterly, Spring 2022 by Mills Quarterly

D O U L A

C O U R S E



N E W

S C U L P T U R E



S T U D E N T

N E W S P A P E R

Mills Quarterly Spring 2022

Help preserve the Mills legacy of lifting marginalized voices.

As Mills transitions to Mills College at Northeastern University, you can help ensure that key elements of its historical impact remain an integral part of campus. Join other committed donors with your gift to the newly endowed Mills Legacy Scholarship Fund, which will maintain and reinforce Mills’ identity as a place where marginalized voices are lifted up through higher education. Awards from the fund will support future undergraduates who attend programs on the Mills campus and identify as women or gender nonbinary students—in keeping with the tradition of Mills’ admission policy.

Preserve the vision. Advance the mission. Give to the Mills Legacy Scholarship Fund.

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

Mills Quarterly

CONTENTS

Spring 2022 4

Updates on Northeastern Merger

14 The Write Stuff by Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04 In its various iterations, the student newspaper at Mills has taught its writers and editors the basics of journalism and sent many off into careers in media.

16 A New Leaf by Tri-an Cao ’21, MFA ’22 Mills Weekly, Mills Stream, The Campanil—they all trace their roots back to the fall of 1917.

20 Transitions: Growth & A Graduate School by Moya Stone, MFA ’03 A recounting of the Aurelia Henry Reinhardt era at Mills, which saw the first men admitted as graduate students. The second in a series of three stories.

32 Riding the Wooden Wave The new interactive art installation on campus.

Departments 2 Letters to the Editor 3 President’s Message 8 Mills Matters 22 AAMC News 24 Class Notes 29 In Memoriam

On the cover: Ari FitzGibbon ’22, the current editor-in-chief of Mills student newspaper The Campanil, stands in front of the newsroom wall that bears the signatures of everyone who’s held her position for the last 20+ years. FitzGibbon will add her own flourish to the wall at the end of the academic year. Read more about the history of the student newspaper and some of the alums who’ve cut their journalistic teeth in that newsroom starting on page 12. Photo by Britt Allen.

Letters to the Editor I so enjoyed the fall Quarterly.

The event had the atmosphere of a

It was a pleasure to see Bette Spagel’s

festive, small-town picnic. The Benicia

letter regarding Beth O’Neill’s work.

High School band played. Mayors C.

Beth’s efforts were continued by Bette,

Carston Johansen of Benicia and John

who followed her as a wonderful dean of

C. Houlihan of Oakland, Mills College

admissions.

President C. Easton Rothwell, and Mills

It was also a pleasure to read the fine

Chaplain George Hedley conducted the

article on Jim Graham. He was a central

ceremony. Dressed in period attire were

figure at Mills for many years and served

Doris; daughter Anne (later Anne von

Volume CXI, Number 3 (USPS 349-900) Spring 2022

in many capacities. I still remember sitting

Colditz Sattler ’77, MA ’81); and four

at the dinner table one night years and

Mills students descended from Seminary

President Elizabeth L. Hillman

years ago, when my children learned to

students: KerryLynn Blau-Williams ’65,

their great surprise and disappointment

Katherine Coopman ’68, Wendy Hull

that Jim was not the president of Mills

Brody ’68, and Lynne Appleton ’65.

Interim Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement Sherisse Dozier Managing Editor Allison Rost Design and Art Direction Nancy Siller Wilson

College. The kids had attended the sum-

When dedicated, the new marker was

mer programs so well managed by him.

dark brown with gold lettering. Fifty-six

(Both daughters—Megan Thomas ’93, MA

years later, the bronze has oxidized to a

’98; and Katie Thomas ’88—later gradu-

green patina just as the event faded in

ated from the College.)

my memory—until I saw the photos in

It is my hope that one essential ele-

Editorial Assistant Tri-an Cao ’21, MFA ’22

ment of Mills, the friendships and mutual

Contributors Britt Allen Lila Goehring ’21 Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04 Moya Stone, MFA ’03

faculty, staff, and students, will somehow

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.

The photos of the Mills Seminary histor-

Share your thoughts Submit your letter to the editor via email to quarterly@mills.edu, online at quarterly.mills.edu, or by mail at: Mills Quarterly 5000 MacArthur Blvd.

respect and support that existed among remain in the current transition. –Marge Miskelly Thomas, MA ’67; Sonoma, California

Mills Quarterly. –Elizabeth McDearmon Werner ’66, Clearwater, Florida Dear Jan Holmgren: Where are you and why have you stayed silent? We need to hear your voice! You have provided inspiring words to the Mills community in the past, but your silence is deafening now.

ical markers in the winter Mills Quarterly

I met you several times at Mills alum-

brought back memories of a festive occa-

nae functions and was always impressed

sion on May 2, 1965. During my junior

by your “no nonsense” way of leading

year, the Mills community attended the

the community. Thank you for your

dedication of the second plaque.

leadership in building up Mills: You sup-

The dedication ceremony only hap-

ported the Sesquicentennial Campaign,

pened because 10-year-old Anne von

increased faculty diversity, and success-

Colditz was searching for her glasses

fully enlarged the Mills student body.

in Benicia City Park when she spotted a

You are a valued president emerita

bronze plaque that said “Mills” buried in

of our special college. You have shaped

the grass. She showed it to her mother,

Mills’ past in significant ways, and your

Doris von Colditz ’41 (later Blackwell), who

help is needed again at this critical junc-

was then the president of the Alumnae

ture to secure Mills’ future.

Association of Mills College (AAMC).

Please help us to restore Mills’ soul

The Benicia Old Timers Committee had

and mission: a private liberal arts under-

erected the plaque in the park in 1937, but

graduate women’s college for women and

Mills was unaware of it.

gender nonbinary students, with gradu-

Doris worked with the AAMC, the

ate programs for students of all genders.

Benicia Parlor of the Native Sons of the

Please help us stop the sale of Mills

Golden West, and various state commis-

College to Northeastern University.

sions to create a new historical marker

As Dean Hettie Belle Ege used to say,

that incorporated the original. State

“Remember who you are—and what you

The Quarterly reserves the right

funds paid for the new bronze plaque,

represent.”

to edit letters for length and clarity.

with words composed by Mrs. O’Brien

Oakland, CA 94613

of the AAMC. (Aurelia Henry Reinhart wrote the text of the original plaque.) 2

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

—Kathleen Roskos ’80, Los Altos, California

A Message from the President of Mills College By Elizabeth L. Hillman

’m grateful that the spring has

tinuing Mills students have requested

brought not only trees in bloom, but

information

about

degree

pathways

also a return to in-person classes and

through Northeastern, and Mills and

greater clarity on how Mills College will

Northeastern now have approval from

merge with Northeastern University later

state regulators and accreditors to advise

this year. Our primary focus in this phase

and teach those students here on the

of both COVID-19 recovery and Mills’

Mills campus. Northeastern offers some

transition is supporting our students in

400 different degrees, affording Mills

light of the ongoing burdens and learn-

students a wide array of options, many

ing challenges of the pandemic as well as

of which closely parallel Mills’ own

the changes that accompany the merger.

degree pathways. We will also ensure

In-person classes and campus activities

that Mills students do not incur costs for

that were paused during the pandemic

additional tuition and fees beyond what

have resumed, and Mills now offers reg-

they anticipated for the Mills degrees

ular, free, on-campus testing and boost-

they sought prior to the merger, and

ing to students, faculty, and staff. It’s a

that every successfully completed Mills

delight to witness more people—often

course counts toward a new degree path-

masked and distanced as yet—enjoying

way. This spring, Mills has offered stu-

comply with government regulations and

the campus as athletic and recreational

dents additional support through extra

accreditation requirements.

facilities reopen. We’re also preparing our

institutional financial aid and federal

I’m grateful that the AAMC’s law-

community for the new students who will

COVID relief funds, both of which have

suit was resolved earlier this year, and

arrive on campus in the fall: first-year

helped to mitigate the economic impact

I’m looking forward to welcoming more

Northeastern students who will study at

of the pandemic on our students in need.

input from alums as we start two major

Mills College, learning from our faculty

The changes that accompany our tran-

efforts: 1.) Building new degrees that will

and interacting with continuing Mills

sition toward becoming Mills College at

be offered by Mills College in the future,

students, before moving to Northeastern’s

Northeastern University are difficult to

created by Mills and Northeastern faculty

Boston campus. The first small cohort of

navigate for some students, however, not-

and reflective of both Mills’ strengths

Northeastern students at Mills is already

withstanding the newly expanded degree

and Northeastern’s emphasis on expe-

here, studying and living alongside Mills

options, financial support, and student

riential learning, and 2.) realizing the

students this spring. They have fit right

advising underway. This first phase of the

tremendous potential of the new Mills

in, enjoyed the respite from the Boston

transition involves a relatively fast-paced

Institute to sustain Mills’ historic mission

winter, and proved curious and insightful

turn toward Northeastern programs and

and advance equity and access across

contributors to campus life and classroom

away from what current students antici-

Northeastern’s global network.

discussions from the start.

pated before Mills began planning to

Already, we are integrating into our

Our faculty and staff will continue to

become part of Northeastern. I appreci-

plans the ideas and insight of the seven

support students after Mills College joins

ate the way in which our joint teams

groups of Mills alumnae who convened

Northeastern University on July 1, and

are working together to help students

last late year to discuss Mills’ transition

are working with Northeastern staff and

explore their new options, and to explain

process, future curriculum, preserva-

faculty to map pathways to degrees for

how those options are driven in part by

tion of the campus, and much more. Our

Mills students who will graduate after

the nature of higher education, which

Office of Institutional Advancement is

the merger this summer. Nearly all con-

is a highly regulated industry that must

following the lead of the alumnae who co-facilitated those small group conversations as we plan the next phase of

It’s a question we’ve heard on a regular basis over the past year: What’s going to hap-

engagement with Mills’ graduates in the

pen to the Quarterly? We are delighted to report that the Quarterly will continue to

transition. At the same time, this spring

be published—in print form and online—and mailed to Mills alumnae/i four times a

we’ll launch a global search for the inau-

year, now and into the future. In addition, it will still be called the Mills Quarterly.

gural executive director of the Mills

The Quarterly is for you, and we will continue to endeavor to publish what you

Institute, ready to seize the momentum

want to read. Look for an invitation to provide your feedback on the magazine in

created by the transformation of Mills

the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, you are always welcome to share your

College and elevate our influence here

thoughts at quarterly@mills.edu. –Managing Editor Allison Rost

in Oakland and beyond. SPRING 2022

Northeastern students learn Mills traditions In mid-January, the inaugural cohort

of protectiveness they expressed. They

off-campus field trip to the Oakland

of Northeastern students—14 in total—

want Mills to remain as unique and

Museum of California to experience its

set foot on the Mills campus for the

green and intimate as those of us who’ve

Afrofuturism exhibit.

first time. While the emergence of the

been connected to Mills for much longer

In addition to the 500 Northeastern

Omicron variant made in-person get-

do,” Mosley says. “I want them to get that

students that are anticipated to come to

togethers difficult, these new arrivals

little frisson of excitement I still have

the Mills campus this fall (see next page),

still received a full welcome to the spring

when I realize how Mills has influenced

there are other opportunities on the way

semester at Mills.

artists, writers, dancers, scientists, schol-

for Millsies to interact with their Boston

ars, and activists from around the world.”

counterparts. For starters, Northeastern’s

tion and family programs in the Division

What this first round of new students

Burnes Family Center for Social Change

of Student Life, oversaw the onboarding

affirmed for Mosley was how people-

and Impact–with its partner GovLab, a

process for these visitors from Boston, and

centered her efforts needed to be: “If

New York-based organization that spe-

will likely do the same for future program

we want to send out new generations of

cializes in collaboratively solving prob-

enrollees on the Mills campus. She sent

ambassadors and cheerleaders for what

lems that affect the public sphere–has

this first cohort through the typical orien-

Mills has to offer and who want to pre-

created the Oakland City Challenge proj-

tation schedule, with tours and introduc-

serve the institution, then we need to be

ect this spring in conjunction with Mills

tions to campus services, but also included

human with each other,” she adds. “How

faculty members, giving Mills students

a session on what makes Mills Mills—from

do we connect with our new students?

the opportunity to participate. There are

legendary ghost stories to the “Strong,

How do we help them feel that coming

also several Mills students registered for

Proud, All Mills” chant. As an alumna, she

to Mills was the right choice for them?”

Northeastern’s Dialogue of Civilizations

Jillian Mosley ’18, director of orienta-

says she took the responsibility seriously.

At press time, the participants in

program this summer, which will send

“I was really struck by how, almost

this spring’s Leading Social Change

them to locations such as Berlin and

instantaneously, the cohort felt con-

Program, which includes six Mills stu-

Tokyo to examine critical issues affect-

nected to the campus and the feelings

dents, had just embarked on their first

ing the global community.

Read more: mills.edu/ merger

Northeastern students on campus for the Leading Social Change program bond with Mills students on the meadow. Photo by Ruby Wallau.

Student Services TO HELP THOSE STUDENTS who need to earn only a few more

WHAT WILL THE 2022-23 SCHOOL YE AR LOOK LIKE?

credits before the merger, Mills is planning a condensed sum-

I n addition to approximately 500 Mills students finishing their

mer session between May 17 and June 30 so those within eight

degrees, another 500 students from Northeastern are expected

credits of graduation can complete their degrees before the

to be on campus as part of two long-standing first-year pro-

transition. Read the most up-to-date info at tinyurl.com/mills-

grams: N.U.in, a one-semester option that sends incoming stu-

degree-pathways.

dents to locations around the world with a guarantee for spring admission on the Boston campus; and NU Bound, a similar pro-

DESPITE REPORTS TO THE CONTRARY, historic areas of

gram lasting the full academic year. Mills faculty members will

study at Mills–such as child development and ethnic studies–

teach courses for both programs while putting plans in place

are not disappearing! Extensive discussions are taking place

for the eventual debut of a comprehensive undergraduate and

between Mills and Northeastern faculties about the develop-

graduate Mills College at Northeastern University.

ment of programs that build on the subjects unique to Mills. “The creation of new Mills at Northeastern academic pro-

A SIGNATURE OF NORTHEASTERN ’s undergraduate experience

grams is going to take us some time—but it will start in a mat-

is the co-op model, which pairs students with job opportuni-

ter of weeks, and it will build on Mills’ historic legacies,” said

ties around the world for experiential learning. That model will

Mills President Elizabeth L. Hillman at a faculty/staff town

make its way to the Mills campus. In a February 17 discussion

hall on January 27. “These singular programs will be a part of

with major donors, Dean of Students Chicora Martin compared

Mills’ future. Many at Northeastern are excited about the pos-

it to the internships that often guide first-gen students into the

sibilities here!”

working world—and give all participants the chance to dabble

These new and rejuvenated programs will be co-created

in potential careers before fully committing.

by Mills and Northeastern colleagues and showcase both

“We are going to build out our own resources right here on

the strengths of Mills and its unique location in the East Bay.

campus to ensure that our students have access to all of the

These proposals will go through Northeastern’s governance

available support and engagement,” they said. Northeastern’s

and review process as well as accreditation, which will ensure

method of connecting students with guidance from the larger

the robustness of the programs created. The administration’s

community, MentorHub, is coming as well, and will eventually

hope is that these efforts will bear fruit in fall 2023.

open to potential mentors.

Campus Refreshments As reported in the winter Quarterly, the work of 10 transi-

through lofted/bunk beds, as well as updating furniture and

tion workstreams continues this spring, examining the ques-

accessibility. Two wings of Reinhardt Hall are planned to

tions arising from the merger between Mills College and

reopen to resident students. (Note: Continuing Mills students

Northeastern University. The efforts are now getting into the

who live on campus next year will have the option to occupy

finer details, with the IT group comparing campus-specific

residential spaces exclusively with other Mills students.)

information such as student technology needs and email systems, and the human resources teams looking at benefits options for Mills faculty and staff. There are, of course, similar projects underway across all functional areas. One of the more urgent lists of tasks falls under the facilities workstream, which is planning for the 1,000 students expected to attend classes on the Mills campus this fall. (See above.) In a town hall with faculty and staff on February 15, Vice President for Strategic Communications and Operations Renee Jadushlever gave an update on the projects planned for the Mills campus, both now and in the future. “In the summer, the extensive work being undertaken will be organized like a

• Founders Commons will reopen for food services for the first time since before the pandemic, with one key change— a proposed new entrance. Instead of trekking to the top of the hill, hungry students will be able to enter the building through the first-floor entrance across from Reinhardt Hall. Discussions are underway about the possibility of adding more food options across campus in the years to come. • Improving internet connectivity will be a big short-term priority in both residence halls and classrooms, so faster speeds are possibly on the way. • A list of deferred maintenance projects is being reviewed and

fine-tuned ballet!” she said.

prioritized on a five-year schedule. Compliance with various

• Of the students enrolled this fall, about 650 are projected

codes may be affected by the increased enrollment, and may

to live on campus compared to 234 this semester. On recent visits to Mills, Northeastern facilities teams—including architects and space consultants—examined every kind of residential setup with an eye toward maximizing available room

require upgrading of some facilities. More significant changes, such as the return of a bookstore and the construction of additional residence halls, are likely on the horizon as well. The ample space at Mills is opening the door to myriad possibilities. SPRING 2022

Mills Alums Moving Forward In fall 2021, an independent group of Mills grads approached

“It’s clear that alums need a platform for expressing their

the Office of Alumnae Relations to ask for ways in which alums

feelings about the future of Mills and the Northeastern, clear-

can stay engaged as Mills College at Northeastern University

ing the air regarding the lawsuit, and asking questions about

takes shape. Now known as the Alum Engagement Committee

what is true and what is rumored,” Castille-Hall says. “More

(AEC), these alums led a series of Zoom discussion groups last

information from the College regarding the partnership is

fall in collaboration with the College. They’ve already presented

absolutely critical.”

the results to College leaders, including President Hillman, and

However, in that shared grief, there was also a wide range of opinions about what the future could hold. Many participants

have planned another round of discussion groups. “Our 170-year history demands respect with regards to cer-

shared their priorities, hopes, and excitement for a post-merger

tain areas of concern that we are identifying with our alums,”

Mills, while others said they found it difficult to participate

says Lynette Castille-Hall ’75, an AEC member. “Tradition, cur-

because of their opposition to the merger.

riculum, and buildings and grounds are just a few areas in which we want a voice.” “If we don’t bother to try to communicate those things to Northeastern, we’re giving up our one shot before the merger,” adds Lisa Kremer ’90, also an AEC member. “Plus, Northeastern should welcome our input if they want to cultivate us as supportive alums.” Alums were invited to participate through

“Every 10 years or so there’s a different group of students who enter. We have been able to incorporate diverse groups over the years. We should continue to do so.”

an email from the Office of Alumnae Relations.

–Class of 1968

Nearly 50 were able to attend one of the seven sessions on the schedule. Each session averaged about seven alumnae, with participation from a wide range of majors, demographics, and locations. Class years ranged from 1955 to 2021.

Alums identified many core Mills traits they want to see continue under Northeastern, such as a low faculty-to-stu-

Even with such a diverse representation, there was one over-

dent ratio to foster close relationships and a commitment to

arching sentiment: a deep sense of grief. “During the meetings,

historically underrepresented groups—particularly a focus on

we discovered another function: For alums to get together

women’s leadership. They raised concerns about whether the

and talk about their sadness about Mills changing and their

Mills legacy of liberal arts education, including the visual and

concerns about the process, as well as what they’d like to pre-

performing arts, would continue, and about the status of the

serve,” Kremer says. That sorrow also extended to frustration

historical traditions, buildings, and archives on campus.

with how information had been communicated concerning the

They also expressed different visions for the alum com-

College’s transition and, later, merger plans. Many alums said

munity. A few said that eventual graduates of Mills College at

they felt unheard, and their sense of trust in the administra-

Northeastern University should be considered separate from

tion was wavering.

Mills College alums, and they would not attend events with

“I would love to help young men be better allies and partners with women.” –Class of 1987

“Can we please show up authentically for BIPOC students?” –Class of 2012

“As Mills welcomes all genders, it’s important not to re-misogynize the classroom.” –Class of 1963 6

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

A SHARED VISION FOR GOOD The ideals behind the Mills mission are not unfamiliar to

social responsibility. Kerry Eller, who studied bioengi-

members of the Northeastern community. Here are some

neering, worked with her peers in the Innovators for Global

examples of the work they’re doing around the world:

Health to re-examine the efficiency of medical tools and

• Mary Bonauto, who graduated from the Northeastern

equipment in disadvantaged countries. Connor Holmes

School of Law in 1987, is the civil rights project director at GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) in Boston. She served as one of the lead attorneys in Obergefell v. Hodges and made oral arguments before the Supreme Court, leading to the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States in 2015. Bonauto was awarded a MacArthur Genius Grant in 2014. • Malathi Reddy ’23 fulfilled her second Northeastern co-op requirement with the Human Rights Campaign, where she served as executive board and relations co-op. In that role, she assisted with data management and report acquisition in addition to planning the annual Equality Convention. She told Alison Booth with News@ Northeastern that her advocacy writing class inspired her to find causes that mattered to her. • Last year, Northeastern’s Hodgkinson Award went to three graduating seniors working on issues of global health and

was honored for his efforts with the advocacy group Partners in Health Engage, helping to bolster health systems for members of the LGBTQIA+ community around the world. And Abigale Purvis, an international business major, was motivated to investigate sustainable food systems through Northeastern’s Social Enterprise Institute. Her two co-op experiences involved the two sides of the food chain; the first at a Boston nonprofit that feeds and trains the unhoused to work in food service, and the second on an Ecuadorian farm. • University Distinguished Professor in the School of Law Martha Davis directs the school’s Program on Human Rights and the Global Economy. She has conducted extensive research on affordable access to water and, in a 2019 report, showed that 36 percent of American households will struggle to pay their water bill in 2022—and that those inabilities to pay more frequently affect lowincome people of color.

Keep up with Northeastern happenings at news.northeastern.edu, and check out the “Who Run the World? Girls!” episode of the Northeastern Next podcast—featuring five alumni and student Madison Neuner ’24— at alumni.northeastern.edu.

Northeastern alums. But the majority saw inclusion as a way to heal the deep divides that currently exist in the community. “One of the most important things we realized is that we want the Office of Alumnae Relations to continue—it supports the regional clubs, class secretaries, class agents, the Quarterly, Reunion, and more. Northeastern’s alumni office does things entirely differently,” Kremer says. Following the first set of focus groups, AEC members met

AAMC & MILLS MUTUALLY DROP LAWSUITS On January 12, it was announced that the Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) and the College had mutually agreed to withdraw their lawsuits. Further discussions are underway between the two entities this spring.

with College administrators, and Kremer says they were receptive to the gathered feedback. “They talked about ways to address what we brought up and wanted to hear more as we continue with the groups,” she says. “I’m glad we have a solid line of communication so we can give input and ask questions,

ADDED BENEFITS

and they’ll give us answers and ask for input.”

Stay tuned! This summer, Northeastern Alumni Relations will provide more information on the benefits Mills alumnae/i can anticipate from Northeastern in addition to what’s already available through the Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC).

As this issue went to press, the AEC was organizing a second set of virtual sessions with groups of alum volunteers (class agents, class secretaries, and regional club leaders). The goal is to keep the information flowing as merger work continues. Interested alums can also contact the AEC through alumnaerelations@mills.edu if they have any input to share. “Further conversation will really help alums do a deep dive with specific ideas,” Castille-Hall says. “We’re just getting started.”

SPRING 2022

Mills Matters Hefty support for Mills projects rolls in Mills College gratefully acknowledges

Catherine Coates ’65 offered funds to

The Stuart Foundation made a sig-

the following members of the com-

support Mills’ Greatest Need as well, and

nificant donation to Lead by Learning—

munity for their gifts, grants, and

has additionally donated to the upcom-

previously known as the Mills Teacher

pledges of $50,000 or more, received

ing Mills Institute. Building on the legacy

Scholars Program—which will enable

between July 1 and December 31, 2021.

of Mills College, the Mills Institute strives

the School of Education to train and

to meet changing educational needs in

prepare the next generation of teach-

ously to multiple funds, first supporting

higher education, committing especially

ers. The Yellow Chair Foundation also

the Summer and J-Term courses, which

to social justice and the advancement of

renewed its support for the program by

offer educational support to current

marginalized communities.

pledging a gift.

An anonymous donor gave gener-

students, alums, and the general public.

Barbara Wolfe ’65 and former trustee

Through the bequest of the late Emily

They also gave to the Student Hardship

Richard Barrett both graciously con-

Bourne Grigsby ’44, funds were given to

Fund to assist students experiencing

tributed to the Campus Optimization

the Lisser Hall renovation project to help

financial issues due to COVID-19, and

Project, an ongoing initiative dedicated

with maintenance of and general costs

to Mills’ Greatest Need, another fund

to making Mills economically and

for the revitalized building.

that underwrites unexpected costs for

environmentally sustainable through

the campus.

strategic partnerships.

Alumnae of Color scholarship hits milestone As of this February, the Alumnae of Color Endowed

in honor of President Emerita Alecia A. DeCoudreaux, the first

Scholarship in Honor of Alecia A. DeCoudreaux has reached a

African American president of Mills College. In the following

landmark $250,000, with the help of more than 200 donations

years, the committee embarked on fundraising efforts that

from the Mills community and beyond. In total, the scholar-

have included campus concerts, online campaigns, and con-

ship has raised $253,750, with $4,158 just this fiscal year.

tributions from private foundations. So far, the scholarship

Created in 2011 to support students of color, the fund was endowed in 2015 by the Alumnae of Color Committee (AOCC)

has been awarded to 12 students since 2012. In a recent email sent to fund donors, members of the AOCC—Lynette Castille-Hall ’75; Myila Granberry ’05; Estrellita Hudson Redus ’65, MFA ’75; Micheline Beam ’72; and Connie Swan-Davidson ’73—celebrated the achievement: “We plan for our scholarship to continue for generations to come,” they wrote. “As Mills celebrates its 170th anniversary, and prepares to enter a merger with Northeastern University, we are excited to continue to lend our support to all students of color in President DeCoudreaux’s honor.”

“Receiving this scholarship made me feel like people are taking notice and are proud of having me in their community.” —Tagira Alvarenga ’22 President Emerita Alecia DeCoudreaux (center) with two recipients of the Alumnae of Color Endowed Scholarship in her honor: the late Sharon Robinson ’14, MPP ’15 (left); and Bryana Jones ’17 (right). 8

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

Doula course offers equitable training for future public health workers A spring semester offering since 2020, the Full Spectrum Doula Training course at Mills remains the only known doula class offered for college credit in an undergraduate program, and it became reality thanks to one student’s initiative. Tess Waxman ’22 first became interested in birth justice and doula training when she did her senior thesis in high school on the state of birth in the United States. “I just think [reproduction] is the most important part of life. It’s literally creating the next generation, and yet we don’t talk about it in school,” Waxman says. In the world of reproductive health, doulas provide physical and emotional support to clients during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Yet, affordable doula training is rarely

to students regardless of their major,

up the majority—and it also provided

accessible in California, and it is almost

but it would also give students access

research and internship opportunities

never taught at the higher education

to financial aid to pay for the course.

through the public health and health

level. When Waxman discovered that

According to Tilsner, Mills participants

equity (PHE) program. “These students

she couldn’t afford any of the online

were then charged 25 percent below the

would actually reduce disparities in

options, she turned to former Mills pub-

market rate, in addition to being covered

their communities,” Jaime adds. “And

lic health professor Karen Scott for sug-

by financial aid. Cornerstone has also

we know that from [public health]

gestions. Scott then connected Waxman

provided two full scholarships to BIPOC

literature and doula services, especially

with other prominent experts in the

students in each cohort.

for women and birthing people of color.”

birth work community—including Nickie

“Students were able to access finan-

Under the guidance of the admin-

Tilsner ’16, who co-founded Oakland-

cial aid by us making it a class,” Jaime

istration (including former Provost

based Cornerstone Doula Trainings. “We

says. “So it’s very structurally important

Chinyere Oparah and former Associate

do charge market rate in the Bay Area for

that we added it as a way for them to

Provost for Curriculum Development

doula training, which is hard for a lot

both get graduation credits [and finan-

Elisabeth Wade), Scott, and Jaime,

of people to access,” Tilsner explains.

cial support]. It’s the core of what our

community partners like Tilsner were

program is offering: being more equi-

brought on for the course. The first

Assistant Adjunct Professor of Public

table and accessible to a specific popula-

class was a huge success, and since

Health and Public Health and Health

tion that is our students.” Alumnae also

then, the course continues to be packed

Equity Program Head Catrina Jaime—and

provided financial support through

with students interested in health

Health Sciences Coordinator Vala Burnett

several fundraising initiatives.

equity and reproductive justice. “It’s

With the additional help from Scott,

on the administrative end—Waxman

This plan helped students who

knowledge that everybody needs

pushed the groundbreaking idea for an

wanted the training without becoming

to have, regardless of whether people

equitable doula training course at Mills:

a nurse or doctor—especially first-

want to become doctors or not,”

not only would it offer college credit

generation students of color, who made

Waxman says. SPRING 2022

SOE centers antiracism in teacher education “History with a ‘y’ denotes a singular

members, and School of Education

on teaching American history can

narrative, but when we think about

alumnae/i on February 3—one event in

arguably be traced back to the 2019

histories, our histories have multiple

a schedule of activities meant to under-

publication of The 1619 Project, a

perspectives.” So said LaGarrett King,

score the importance of a common

special section in The New York Times

the keynote speaker of the School of

understanding about the events that

spearheaded by the journalist Nikole

Education’s (SOE) Black Lives Matter at

have formed American society. It was a

Hannah-Jones. The project, a series of

School Week of Action. “When people

timely discussion; not only at the begin-

essays and poems, reframes American

say you cannot teach history this way,

ning of Black History Month, but also

history by positing that the arrival of

or you cannot teach about Black history,

as national discourse around removing

enslaved people in what eventually

what they are really saying is that they

certain books from school libraries and

became the United States is as impor-

don’t believe in our humanity, because

teaching sensitive subjects in “inoffen-

tant to what the country is today as

they understand who we are through

sive” ways was reaching a fever pitch.

the American Revolution. Other events

their history [...] But for us to be effec-

“History is not about patriotism. It’s

during the week celebrated Black

tive citizens, we have to understand all

not about making someone feel good,

art through a virtual art exhibitions

of our citizens.”

and it’s not even about something or

and panels—which included Yétúndé

King, an associate professor at the

someone,” King added. “Our country’s

Olagbaju, MFA ’20, and Cristine Blanco,

University of Buffalo and the director

history is about helping us understand

MFA ’20, about their Black Lives Matter

of the Center for K-12 Black History and

our humanity, whether it’s the good,

art installation at the front gates—but

Racial Literacy Education, spoke to a

the bad, the ugly, or the indifferent.”

the majority centered on the question

virtual gathering of students, faculty

The current national discussion

of what comprises an authentic history, and who gets to decide what that is. Two works that came out of The 1619 Project took center stage at two separate events. The 1619 Project: Born on the Water is a children’s book that discusses these themes in an age-appropriate manner, and Children’s School Head Debbie Brown read it aloud to students in fourth and fifth grades on the morning of February 3. Brown also got in touch with a wide spectrum of Children’s School parent affinity groups to address the practicalities of antiracism in the classroom. That evening, a group gathered online for a book discussion of The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, the updated version of the original project that was published by Random House in November 2021. The driving force of the discussion, attended by Mills faculty members and SOE alumnae/i, was how educators can teach about the history of racism in the United States during a time of such politicized opposition.

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

Student journalists explore Mills stories in new podcast From there, Ghebreyesus conducted

At the end of 2021, students in the

2021. First-gen students Erin Maher

Digital Journalism class unveiled

(who pitched the story) and Rosina

an authentic conversation with Phelps

Cyclone Radio, an audio magazine made

Ghebreyesus spoke with two first-

about the struggles of being a first-

for the members and stakeholders of

years—Cielos Santiago and Alia Phelps—

gen student. “I looked at my peers—who

the Mills community.

about their perspectives on being “the

seemed to have it figured out—and really

first” in their families to go to college.

questioned if I had made a big mistake

Professor of Communication and

The episode opened with a striking

spending my time and money on col-

Communication Program Head Keli

quote from Santiago: “I don’t know what

lege,” Phelps said. “I felt like an imposter.

Dailey and supported by We Are the

I don’t know,” she pointed out. “Being a

As if my hard work wasn’t mine, and

Voices, this student-centered project

first-generation student means not

I cheated my way up to that point.”

shares the opinions, feelings, and advice

knowing what you have to do and also

of students and faculty members on

not knowing how to do that.”

Supervised by Assistant Adjunct

But these personal admissions weren’t limited to only the guests.

the Mills campus. Not only do these

Ghebreyesus closed the dialogue with

students handle audio editing and help

an uplifting message inspired by her

conceptualize the podcast’s website, but

own journey: “We see our ability to

they also conduct the interviews them-

grow and know that it is directly tied

selves—searching for stories and topics

to the pain and power we’ve experi-

that mean as much to them as they

enced, but it’s also directly tied to all

would to the community as a whole.

the layers that [is] being first-gen, and we’re proud.”

For instance, Cyclone Radio released

To listen to more stories like this one,

an episode on the experiences of current first-generation college students

check out the Cyclone Radio website at

titled “I Am The First” on December 9,

anchor.fm/cyclone-radio/.

methods such as these for years. Britt

their pronouns. “Many of my colleagues

the two 1619 readings/discussions, and

McClintock ’21, who received her social

scoff at this process because of how

he answered audience questions about

studies teaching credential from Mills,

much time it takes out of instruction,”

how to teach Black history at such a

now teaches ethnic studies to juniors

she said. “However, taking the time

fraught moment in time. “The beauti-

at the Oakland School for the Arts.

to get to know them individually sets

ful thing about history is that we don’t

“Antiracist teaching looks like centering

the groundwork for what we hope to

have to indoctrinate anybody. All we

humanization,” she said in an inter-

accomplish.”

got to do is show them the proof,” he

view. This year, she has based much

said. “Show them the primary source

of her curriculum around the book

said that she did not regularly feel

documents, have them read those

My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa

seen or heard while a K-12 student

for themselves, and call it a day.” He

Menakem, bringing a focus to her class-

herself, so she’s dedicated to ensuring

also recommended, especially for the

room on healing generational trauma

there’s space for her own students to

younger grades, a focus on familial his-

and reimagining what society considers

be their true selves. “Teaching to help

tories and tying the stories that come

the ideal body.

break down and expose discriminatory

King’s keynote took place between

up to moments and eras of the past.

Another way in which she humanizes

As a woman of color, McClintock

systems and racialized trauma while

Visit linkt.ree/MillsSOE to access

her students takes place before any cur-

humanizing everyone in that process

a recording of the keynote address.

riculum is conveyed. McClintock begins

is important to me,” she said. “This

Through its credential program—

each school year with an invitation

generation is quite incredible, and it has

Educators for Liberation, Justice, and

to students to introduce themselves

the ability to heal and rebuild a very

Joy—the SOE has been preparing its

individually, with guidance on how

divided nation.”

student teachers to use antiracist

their names should be pronounced and SPRING 2022

Campus kudos A selection of recent achievements by faculty, staff, and students The Mills Book Arts Department and

was also accepted for publication in

in The Power of New Urban Tourism:

Professor of Book Art Julie Chen were

Latino Studies.

Markets, Representation and

recognized in the The Mercury News

In December, Lead by Learning

Contestations (Routledge Press, 2022);

article “Bay Area bookbinding: The

Executive Director Mizgon Darby

and “We are without God Now: Benign

history and people behind the craft,”

spoke with KRON4 about the fatal

Neglect and Planned Destruction of

published October 9, 2021. The article

shooting of an Afghan refugee. She has

Brooklyn’s Bushwick Neighborhood,”

described Chen’s books as interactive

been an outspoken activist in the Bay

appearing in a future issue of the

structures, using magnets, faceted oloid,

Area’s Afghan community for the past

Journal of Urban History.

and fanning pages to illustrate transfor-

20 years.

mation. A similar article was published

Professor of Education Tomás

Associate Professor of Political Science Martha Johnson co-edited the

Galguera shared his insights on acces-

volume Women and Power in Africa:

sible education in the US News article

Aspiring, Campaigning, Governing

Heller Rare Book Room in a separate

“How English as a Second Language

(Oxford University Press, 2021), while

story. Posted on November 23, 2021, the

Affects Learning,” published December

Professor of Ethnic Studies and

article recommended 10 public and uni-

6, 2021. He encouraged teachers to be

English Ajuan Mance created the cover

versity libraries across the Bay Area for

supportive of bilingual students.

art. The book offers unique insights on

in Bookish. The Mercury News also mentioned the

their comfy environments and interesting reading material. Assistant Adjunct Professor of

The San Francisco Classical Voice

how women in African countries par-

revealed that vocal instructor Anne

ticipate in governance and their access

Hege, MFA ‘04, is the new artistic

to political power.

Sociology Dana Chalupa Young co-

director for the Peninsula Women’s

Associate Adjunct Professor of

wrote “Microaggressions and Coping

Chorus. Her debut concert, “Hark, I

Education Nolan Jones wrote a piece

Mechanisms among Latina/o College

Hear the Harps Eternal: A Ceremony

for The Conversation titled “Hip-hop’s

Students” with María Isabel Ayala, the

to Celebrate Being Together,” was held

love-hate relationship with education.”

director of the Chicano/Latino Studies

on December 11, 2021 in St. Mark’s

Posted on November 12, 2021, the

Program and associate professor of soci-

Episcopal Church in Palo Alto and

article goes over the stories of several

ology at Michigan State University. The

on December 17, 2021 in Mission

famous Black rappers who struggled in

article was published in the Sociological

Santa Clara.

school, and Jones encourages schools to

Forum in March 2022. Young’s upcom-

Assistant Professor of Sociology

ing work, “’Where in Mexico is Peru?’:

Mario Hernandez has two forth-

The Racialization and Identities of

coming works: “Bohemia and New

South American Immigrants in Ohio,”

Urban Tourism,” to be published

Calendar April 3 ■ Pow Wow 2021 The Mills College Pow Wow returns this year as an all-day affair, with the Indigenous Red Market participating as special guests. This longstanding gathering celebrates the Bay Area’s Indigenous community and culture, with support from the Indigenous Women’s Alliance and the Mills College Ethnic Studies Department. Those who would like to volunteer with the Pow Wow committee or on the day of the event can email powwow@mills.edu, and follow Mills College Ethnic Studies on Facebook or RGSS on Instagram for more announcements and for vendor applications. 10:00 am–4:00 pm, The Oval.

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

use hip-hop as a tool to engage students of color. Associate Professor of Chemistry Beth Kochly’s current research student,

Daneasha Zackery, presented her

story covering her extensive

project at the ninth annual Black

work in experimental and

Doctoral Network Virtual Conference

electronic music. Over the past year,

research poster session held on October 28–30, 2021. Kochly also published

Professor of English

the paper “The effect of ionic liquid

Kristen Saxton ‘90 has

cosolvents on a unimolecular solvolysis

published numerous

reaction in 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol” with

essays, such as “Spectacular

four former chemistry summer research

Materials: Afterlives of the

undergraduates: Anne Marie Deh-Lee

Eighteenth-Century Murderess Mary

December 7, 2021. The study examines

‘16, Nicole Jean Lemon ‘16, Jenn Rath

Blandy,” which appeared in the col-

intergenerational wealth in animal

‘17, and Amber Escobar-Meza ‘18.

lection Making Stars: Biography and

societies that results in inequality.

Eighteenth-Century Celebrity (University

Articles by Salon and The New York

Professor of Business Practice

of Delaware Press, 2021). In another

Times touched on this study as well,

Darcelle C. Lahr as a member of the

essay, “Writing With Aphra: Solidarity,

with the latter including quotes from

Oakland Economic Recovery Advisory

Generosity, and Fight Club Rules

Smith herself.

Council to identify short-term recom-

Beyond Summer 2020,” published in

Professor of Studio Art Catherine

mendations that would facilitate the

ABO: Interactive Journal for Women

Wagner was mentioned alongside other

reopening and recovery of Oakland’s

in the Arts, Saxton and co-writer

artists in a Datebook article about Bay

economic sectors post-COVID-19, as

Bethany Qualls discussed the success-

Area art events in 2021. She had a solo

well as longer-term systemic strategies

ful transnational Write With Aphra

show that was hosted by San Francisco

for a more equitable economy into the

summer program. Besides her publica-

gallerist Jessica Silverman.

future.

tions, Saxton also co-organized the

Visiting Associate Professor of

In 2021, Mayor Libby Schaaf selected

Mario Hernandez

Jenn Smith

Famous cellist Yo Yo Ma paid tribute

“Anti-Racist Pedagogies for 18th and

Biology Helen Walter was a princi-

to the late Professor Emerita of Studio

19th Century Studies” teach-in with

pal investigator on the Small World

Art Hung Liu in a video posted on

the University of Texas at San Antonio’s

Initiative, a crowdsourcing project to

November 15, 2021 to his YouTube

Department of English and the Early

discover new antimicrobials from soil

channel. Listen to his musical tribute at

Caribbean Society, which occurred on

organisms. Walter also participated in

tinyurl.com/hung-liu-tribute.

May 26, 2021.

Boston University’s NSF Inclusive STEM

Associate Professor of Biology Jenn

The Texas Observer honored the

Teaching project and became a digital

late Darius Milhaud Professor of

Smith contributed to a study that was

content author for the third edition

Composition Pauline Oliveros in a

published in Behavioral Ecology on

of Campbell Biology in Focus (Pearson Education, 2019). Additionally, Walter extended Mills’ NSF S-STEM SURPASS

April 11 ■ Russell Women in Science Lecture Engineering for Societal Impact: One Woman’s Journey to Engineer Therapies for Sickle Cell Disease In this presentation by Gilda Barabino, she reveals how her lifelong interest in social justice led her drive to advance sickle cell disease research. Sickle cell disease is a complex genetic blood disorder that impacts millions worldwide, and it disproportionately impacts African Americans in the United States. As a distinguished leader in STEM research and education, Barabino remains steadfast in her work toward impactful outcomes for individuals living with sickle cell disease and the broader community. This lecture is free and open to the public. 5:30 pm, Student Union. Doors open at 5:15 pm.

award until June 2022. Dean of the School of Education Wendi Williams edited WE Matter!: Intersectional Anti-Racist Feminist Interventions with Black Girls and Women (Routledge, 2021), which was published in November. On December 10, 2021, Adjunct Professor of English Stephanie Young participated in an in-person reading with Chris Nelson, English professor at Johns Hopkins University. Hosted by The Poetry Center at SFSU, Young and Nelson read and discussed their works.

SPRING 2022

BRIT T ALLEN

Mills may not have a traditional journalism

school, but alums have used their liberal arts degrees and time on the student paper to forge

meaningful careers. By Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04

The Write Stuff

Before Heidi Wachter ’01 attended Mills College, she’d never considered becoming a journalist. But when a friend approached her to join the student newspaper (now known as The Campanil ), she decided it was worth exploring. “I’d never imagined myself as a journalist,” says Wachter, even though she’d worked on her high school student publication and had also interned at a local newspaper. “But I wanted to learn more things about writing, and what I discovered is that journalism is exactly that.” At Mills, Wachter reported on various campus issues, working alongside what she describes as a “skeleton crew” of diverse women. As a women’s studies major and a 27-year-old returning student, she appreciated that many of her peers were also “resumers.” “At the time, I had classmates who were in their 40s and 50s,” Wachter recalls. “I had already worked a job and gone to college for two years, and then dropped out to work a lot of random jobs in advertising and marketing.”

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

By being part of a small but scrappy staff, Wachter says

FitzGibbon credits the highly collaborative nature of The

she gained invaluable skills that have set her apart in the job

Campanil’s staff for those successes. “I enjoy the peer-focused

market more than 20 years after graduation. “I learned pho-

environment we had in the newsroom, and working with peo-

tography working on a story because there wasn’t a photogra-

ple who are often in the same stage of life as you are,” she says.

pher with me,” says Wachter, who now freelances for various

“But there was also a range of people—we worked with both

publications, including Experience Life, a health and fitness

undergraduates and graduate [students].”

magazine. “And now everybody

FitzGibbon, who enjoys arts

[in journalism] is taking their own

and entertainment reporting,

photographs, and everyone has to

says she learned about inter-

learn multimedia.”

viewing by reading the work of

Although Mills College may not

other Campanil reporters.

be considered part of the bigger

“It’s something I was always

pantheon of competitive journal-

told to do, and now I pass that

ism schools such as Northwestern

advice to others,” she says.

University or Columbia University,

“When you have a question

many students and alumnae say

about some element of an

that the College’s smaller class

article, go look at a previous

sizes, focus on intersectional femi-

example of the [same type of]

nism, and rigorous commitment to

article.... This has been integral

intellectual discourse gave them a

to me in crafting interviews

solid education. And time spent in

and interview questions.”

the newsroom at the student paper,

Unlike

FitzGibbon,

Rosina

no matter its name, can help crystallize the skillset needed to

Ghebreyesus ’22 took every journalism class possible, but her

succeed in the larger media landscape.

takeaway is similar. Ghebreyesus, who transferred to Mills as

“One thing that sets Mills apart from other schools is its

a communication major, says the small class sizes appealed to

focus on critical thinking,” Wachter says.

her. Once on campus, the experience exceeded her expectations.

‘I knew how to stand up for myself’

it was more about what you as a student were bringing to the

Mills College’s academic journalism program isn’t even tech-

table,” Ghebreyesus says.

“It was a real community, everything was discussion-based—

nically a program. The subject is offered as a minor, which in

Likewise, Amy Pyle ’80, now the national investigations editor

many ways is part of its appeal and effectiveness. That’s just

at USA Today, credits Mills with giving her an edge. Although

one option toward building a journalism career; students rep-

Pyle never worked on The Campanil, she says her degree in

resenting diverse majors work on The Campanil, often without

French, as well as the journalism classes she took with the late

taking a single journalism course.

Peggy Webb, provided her with an essential tool: learning how

Ari FitzGibbon ’22, The Campanil’s editor-in-chief for the spring 2022 semester, is an English literature major who never enrolled in journalism classes. FitzGibbon, who grew up in Sitka, Alaska, decided to pursue the subject after studying it in middle and high school. Mills

to learn. Even with a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern, she emphasizes that her liberal arts degree has been more functionally useful than a specialized degree in the newsrooms where she’s worked.

interested her, she says, because she wanted to attend a histori-

“When I got my first journalism job, I realized how much

cally women’s college that, in a way, mirrored her small-town

more I was relying on what I learned at Mills,” Pyle says. “As

upbringing with limited class sizes, but also offered a vibrant

journalists, we need to synthesize a whole bunch of informa-

LGBTQIA+ community.

tion and get up to speed on things we don’t know anything

Though initially intimidated, she says she came to see the

about. You have to be a generalist.”

newsroom as a welcoming place for collaboration—even if all

At Mills, Pyle adds, she learned how to ask questions that

but one semester took place during the pandemic that forced

could take a story “in unique directions.” She also learned

pitch meetings and editing sessions to an online format.

the importance of editing. “Writing was a big part of classes at

In March 2020, at the start of lockdown, The Campanil and

Mills, and editing your own work was part of it, too,” she says.

many other college publications switched from a print/digital

“There was the emphasis that it’s all about the language, no

edition to online only. Although the change to remote work

matter what subject.”

was at first “disorganized,” FitzGibbon says, it also offered valu-

The chance to study at an historic women’s college also

able experience as the staff communicated via video confer-

provided an advantage, she says. “You can’t undervalue the

encing and other online messaging systems.

strength of being at an institution where the editor of the paper

“We were able to settle into it over time, and I’m really proud of the content we were able to put out,” she says.

is always a woman and the president is always a woman,” Pyle says. “That was empowering.” SPRING 2022

It gave her the self-assurance to walk into male-dominated newsrooms and know that she belonged there. “I had the confidence to do that in part, because at Mills I’d been told, ‘Don’t let that hold you back,’” Pyle says. Emily Mibach ’16 shares this sentiment. An English major who minored in journalism, she served as editor-in-chief of The Campanil and now works as a reporter at the Palo Alto Daily Post. “I found that because I went from the all-female/nonbinary newsroom of The Campanil to an almost entirely all-male newsroom that I knew how not to get man-splained,” she says. “I knew how to stand up for myself. I had a backbone.”

‘A civic literature of life’ When Ghebreyesus explains what elevates Mills above other programs, she points to The Campanil’s current faculty adviser, Keli Dailey. “This was the first time in my two years of college where I had a Black and woman professor, and that was a game changer,” says Ghebreyesus, who hopes to pursue filmmaking. “[Dailey] has so much experience in journalism, and she’s teaching us the same things you learn at a school like Columbia: you’re just learning it at a different house.” An adjunct professor and head of the communications program, Dailey calls journalism “a civic literature of life” and a

Media Mavens

core teaching principle. “I tell my students that journalOther alumnae making waves in journalism include the luminaries below:

ism is the only job listed in the Constitution,” Dailey says.

Tracy Clark-Flory ’06, author and staff writer for Jezebel

“What we seek to teach is an appreciation for one of the

Laura Cucullu ’06, strategic operations director at Bay City News

most important elements of a free democracy.” She has produced work for the San Francisco Chronicle, KQED,

Kira Garcia ’00, freelance writer for The New Yorker

and the San Antonio Current, among other outlets.

Leslie Griffy ’03, managing editor of Santa Clara Magazine

The Campanil operates as a “First Amendment

Sarah Gonzalez ’09, host and reporter at NPR’s Planet Money

paper,” which means that as an adviser, Dailey doesn’t

Tracy Hamilton ’99, story editor for the San Antonio Express Lita Martínez ’06, reporter/producer for Southern California Public Radio Martha Ross, MFA ’98, features writer for the Bay Area News Group Alyia Yates ’17, producer for the podcast Mogul

make editorial decisions or read copy before publication. “Hands-on work is the best teacher,” she says. “It’s self-governing.” As in any learning environment, that means mistakes are made. For the most part, Dailey says, the College’s

A New Leaf To celebrate one of the oldest student publications in Mills history, the Quarterly takes a look at the notable changes and advancements in the century-long history of The Campanil. By Tri-an Cao ’21, MFA ’22

Beginning in the fall of 1917, as the leaves changed colors and the weather grew colder, Mills College also bustled with change: The first-year Class of 1921 had just arrived on campus, new classrooms in Mills Hall opened their doors for the first time, and College Hall boasted a fresh coat of paint and upgraded conveniences. But amidst all these changes, a humble newspaper made its own debut. Before it was The Campanil as we know it now, the first issue of the Mills College Weekly was published on September 4, 1917, overseen by chair and editor Hilda Clute (Class of 1918) and a small team of nine student managers—some of whom are pictured at left. This four-page paper sprung up in response to the rapid growth of the campus. Registration had increased, new departments were added, and even a new dormitory had been built. Mills was expanding, and so too did the distance between different aspects of campus life. When the 1919 yearbook, The Mills Chimes, reflected on these times, it noted: “The College family became a little broken up so that each no longer knew what the other was doing.” The previous student publication, Mills College Magazine—a literary magazine that began in 1909—had recently been discontinued, which meant that the campus now lacked a means to convey campus news. But Mills didn’t need another literary magazine; it needed a publication to unite the larger campus body. Thus, the Weekly was born.

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

administration has been supportive. “They see it as an

was managing editor in 2015, recalls the numerous times when

opportunity for students to learn and grow and test out their

The Campanil’s budget was slashed. The particular incident

ability to communicate [what they’ve learned],” she notes.

when she was managing editor came at a time when many cam-

Whether it’s through corrections or letters to the editor, Dailey says The Campanil has always been a public forum for the responses of the administration, students, faculty, and staff. Still, some students remember pointed clashes with the

hit especially hard. “It was unclear, at least to me, if it was because of something that we had reported on,” she says, “It made you feel like, ‘Perhaps the [student] administration isn’t supportive of my paper.’”

BRIT T ALLEN

administration, even the student government. Mibach, who

pus groups also faced cuts, but it seemed like The Campanil was

As its first introduction, the front page of the newspaper gladly

Despite this decision, the editorial team continued to largely

greeted new readers with a personal welcome from President

focus on college stories, aiming to uphold Mills ideals to the

Aurelia Reinhardt to the incoming students. In the editorial

best of its ability. By then, the newspaper had cemented its own

meanwhile, the board of managers proudly expressed its excite-

place in Mills’ legacy.

ment and bold visions for this paper, even declaring: “We are

Over the next few decades, the newspaper staff continued to

going to endeavor to be so fine and strong that Dr. Criticism need

build upon the foundations established by the original mem-

never do more than Watch us Grow.” (Emphasis in original.)

bers, and they even developed their own traditions and charm-

What clearly set the Weekly apart from other local news-

ing quirks. One article in 1941 described how every Weekly

papers at the time was its spunky but genuine voice—a light-

dinner had a checkerboard cake as a necessary feature, and

hearted element that would continue to persist in the attitudes

that the staff would present awards to outstanding members at

of future staff members for years to come.

the college picnic in June.

One of the student managers, Dorothy Calef (Class of 1920)—

But not every newspaper tradition would last (such as the

who would later become the main editor in 1919–20—wrote in

checkerboard cake, regrettably), and even the most rock-steady

the first alumnae-helmed issue of the Quarterly, published in

attributes of the paper weren’t safe from change. After all, the

April 1918: “By reporting college affairs [...] the Weekly hopes

newspaper was dedicated to being true to the spirit of Mills,

to keep the Alumnae, Faculty, and Student Body informed of

even if that meant shaking things up.

campus doings and thus help bring them together.”

In 1958, the new editor, Tanya Wood ’60, and her team made

Bolstered by the efforts of these students, the newspaper rap-

the decision to rename the paper to The Mills Stream. In her edito-

idly grew. By 1922, the newspaper had enlarged in size and

rial letter, Wood described how previous editors had been eager

upgraded the quality of its paper, and the staff had grown to

to rename the paper to something less misleading—by this point,

“20 staff members, 10 reporters, and four assistants,” according

the newspaper had changed to a bi-weekly schedule. Of the 50

to an October Weekly article that same year. Advertising was

suggestions submitted by board members, two were the finalists:

also introduced to the newspaper in September 1921 to help

El Campanil and The Mills Stream. The latter was selected. “The

pay for expenses. In 1923, the newspaper began to report on

Mills Stream contained more meaning pertinent to the students,

outside affairs in hopes to bring together the interests of the

faculty, alumnae, trustees, and administration,” Wood wrote.

expanded Mills community, especially as the alum body grew.

Yet, the change wouldn’t stick—in January 1986, the name was SPRING 2022

changed back to the Weekly. According to Cheryl Reid-Simons

that same year. Its members obtained their first computers to use

’87, who was the student editor at the time, the newspaper team

for the newspaper, and the team moved offices from an annex

believed they had enough news and staff members to switch

at the back of Mills Hall into the Cowell Center. “Despite finally

back to a weekly publication. “We opted for [Mills College Weekly]

getting computers, we still had to get [the newspaper] typeset,

both as a nod to tradition and, frankly, a way to ensure that at

which involved dropping a copy off with a lovely woman just

least medium-term, no one could take us back to a bi-weekly

down MacArthur Boulevard,” Reid-Simons recalls. “The paper

publication,” she says.

had tremendous support from [the ASMC]–we asked for fund-

Additionally, the staff itself underwent some major upgrades

ing for a new light table to do layout, and to our surprise they gave us more than we asked for. So we got two light tables and scads of border tape.” Of course, not every upgrade was work-related. The staff still had their moments of fun, just as their predecessors did. “Our unofficial motto, printed on sweatshirts, was: ‘I like it. It’s original. Let’s go with it.’” Reid-Simons mentions fondly. “I have no idea, in hindsight, why we thought that was so funny, but we did.” The newspaper made its last move, to Rothwell Center, in the 1990s, and its last name change in 2007. On September 4—coincidentally, the same day the very first issue was published 90 years earlier—The Campanil welcomed the new fall semester with its new name. “We are retooling ourselves to have a stronger and more

Mills Stream staff, 1971 18

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

meaningful presence on campus,” the editorial announced.

BRIT T ALLEN

She also recalls when she wrote an article as a first-year about

For two years it was great, Ramos says, but then staff changes,

changes to the College’s financial aid process, which angered

personality clashes, and various editorial decisions at the top

the department. “To this day I still don’t fully understand what

left them exasperated. Ramos left for a semester, but agreed to

they wanted corrected, but boy, were they upset,” she says now.

return after a conversation with the editor-in-chief and manag-

Then, after the paper published a series of op-eds critical of the administration, a stack of issues disappeared from an oncampus distribution spot. “We would place some of the papers

ing editor. “They listened to my concerns,” they say. “And the year that I returned was easily the best year I spent on staff.”

right near the president’s office because a lot of people passed

Ramos, who went on to earn a minor in journalism at Mills

by that spot,” she says with a laugh. “Who’s going to take a

and a master’s in journalism from the University of Southern

stack of 50 in one go? We weren’t that popular.”

California, now mentors youth in journalism as a program

Mibach says that The Campanil’s then-adviser, Sarah Pollock,

coordinator for We’Ced Youth Media in Merced through the

handled the incident by emailing the administration with a

Youth Leadership Institute, where a colleague of Ramos’ is a

reminder. “She said, ‘This is against the First Amendment, and

fellow alum of The Campanil. Mills, Ramos says, gave them an

if you have an issue then do what anyone else would do: Write

essential foundation that led to sports reporting gigs and an

a letter to the editor,’” Mibach says.

internship with the San Jose Sharks. Later, they undertook an

Not all clashes at The Campanil were external. As in any college newsroom where late nights and exhausting deadlines

internship with the Center for Investigative Reporting—which, at the time, was led by Amy Pyle as its editor in chief.

are the norm, the atmosphere is often fraught with a chaotic

“My quality of work was at least on par with some of the

and intense energy. Jen Ramos ’15 remembers a time on The

folks who were coming out of Berkeley or Stanford,” Ramos

Campanil that left them frustrated enough to take a break. An

says. “Mills got me more places than my degree at USC did.”

English major, Ramos joined the paper after seeing a listing advertising for an online editor position.

They look back at Mills as a place of growth that left a profound impact. “You’re a part of a community of friends who

“I didn’t have any journalism experience, but as someone

are willing to have these conversations about gender, race, and

who grew up on the internet and knew [computer] program-

ethnicity, and all these different intersections,” Ramos says.

ming, I figured I could do this,” Ramos says.

“The relationships built in that newsroom are fundamental.” 

English Sarah Pollock. Additionally, The Campanil website has seen significant growth since its inception in 2003. It’s not surprising then that the student staff of editors and reporters have received tremendous praise for their efforts. By 2015, The Campanil had won more than 20 different awards for its reporting and website, and the newspaper has been recognized at multiple conferences hosted by the California College Media Association and the Associated Collegiate Press. Today, The Campanil continues its time-honored promise to report campus news and student stories. “Although The Campanil is funded by the ASMC and has a faculty adviser, it is an independent, student-run newspaper that represents the Mills students’ voice,” wrote Emily Burian ’18 for The Campanil’s 100th anniversary article in May 2016. The current header of The Campanil newspaper proudly echoes these sentiments: “Keeping in time with the Mills Mills Weekly staff, 2001

Community since 1917.”

The name wasn’t the only significant transition the newspa-

transformations over the years, including name changes,

per went through in the past century—the technology advanced

the transfer to a digital platform, and even the start and

While the newspaper has undergone large and small

too. In an article in the spring 2012 Quarterly, Jessica Langlois,

end of treasured staff traditions, some core aspects would

MFA ’10, wrote how the staff evolved from using “photo-sizing

never change. Namely, the stories and voices of the student

wheels, exacto knives, and waxers to lay out the newspaper by

body remain at the heart of the newspaper, thanks to the

hand” to utilizing modern desktop publishing software. This

tireless work accomplished by generations of reporters and

transition was overseen by then-faculty adviser, Professor of

staff members. SPRING 2022

jejejeje •

TRANSITIONS: GROWTH & A GRADUATE SCHOOL As Mills currently faces a major change, the Quarterly takes a look at some of the other transitions the College has experienced over the course of its esteemed 170-year history. This is the second story in a series of three. BY MOYA STONE, MFA ’03

In the spring of 1916, a tall, command-

Students of Mills College (ASMC), an orga-

ing woman—with upswept dark hair and

nization that still exists today to give stu-

two young sons in tow—arrived on cam-

dents a voice on campus issues. Reinhardt

pus. Aurelia Henry Reinhardt was ready

herself was in full support of the ASMC.

to take her place as the sixth president

In her first year, enrollment jumped

of Mills College. Although some trust-

from 153 students to 212, and by 1920 it

ees feared her lack of experience, it soon

was up to 432. With the exception of sev-

became clear that Reinhardt possessed an

eral years during the Great Depression,

unrelenting force that would guide Mills

the student population continued to grow

through a series of transitions and lift the

under her reign. “What was the secret?

College to admirable heights.

There were many,” Hedley wrote. “Among

When the 39-year-old widow accepted

them a vital curriculum, a strong fac-

Mills’ offer, according to the 1961 biogra-

ulty, attractive buildings, [and] adequate

phy Aurelia Henry Reinhardt: Portrait of

equipment.”

a Whole Woman by George Hedley (who

with a PhD from Yale and years of public-

served as College chaplain and professor

speaking experience, traveled exten-

of economics from 1940 to 1965), she

sively all around the country and abroad,

called a good friend of hers: “My dear,”

meeting young women over cups of tea

she said, “it will interest you to learn that

and spreading the good news of Mills. The increase in enrollment was wel-

College; which is, as you know, a mori-

comed, but it also created an urgent

bund institution.”

problem—space.

Although

there

was

Indeed, the College was not thriving.

plenty of room on campus, there were

It had been four years since Mills had

only 11 buildings, and they were bursting

shifted from a seminary to a college,

with students, faculty, and necessary “aca-

but after a period of increased enroll-

demic equipment” such as musical instru-

ment, numbers were declining. Rosalind

ments. Upon arrival, Reinhardt set her

Keep said in a 1931 article for the Pacific

sights on the first of several residential

Coast Review, “Mills College–The Pioneer

halls. Olney Hall was completed in 1917,

Woman’s College of the West,” that the

and two more followed. Even so, while

1916 trustees “felt that a new leader, free

Ethel Moore Hall was under construction

from associations with the old regime,

in the 1920-21 academic year, the College

was needed to meet the administrative,

rented out all the rooms of a local hotel to

educational, and financial challenges

house 60 of its students.

of a new era.” Although Seminary co-

Funds were always an issue, and as

founder Susan Mills died in 1912, her

buildings went up, a series of capital

old-fashioned style lingered, like another

campaigns began. In a 1920 College fun-

ghost haunting the corridors of Mills

draising pamphlet, Reinhardt made her

Hall. Students complained that they were

argument: “Unless Mills can get sufficient

being treated as “school girls” and not the

funds to meet successfully the imperative

“college women” that they were.

demands made by the new set of conditions, she must not only stop growing, but must begin immediately a process of

Reinhardt got right to work, meeting

retrenchment, which means stagnation

with students and addressing their com-

and failure.”

plaints. A member of the Class of 1917 said: “Naturally she didn’t approve of all our requests for more power and more

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

Reinhardt,

I have accepted the presidency of Mills

New Beginnings

Additionally,

Graduate Programs

On August 26, 1920, the Mills College

freedom, but she was understanding and

Weekly

showed a sincere interest in what we were

“Graduate School Now at Mills.” The front

thinking, and we adored her.” Just before

page article explained that, for the first

her arrival, the trustees and faculty had

time, the College was offering advanced

approved the founding of the Associated

study for master of arts degrees, as well

ran

bombshell

headline:

jejejeje • as teacher’s certificates. (Speaking of

the late composer Pete Rugolo, MA ’41,

time as several Japanese American stu-

space concerns, Toyon Lodge was soon

commented on his campus experience:

dents, who were later imprisoned in

constructed to house graduate students.)

“To me it was great. At first the other stu-

internment camps during World War II.)

“This addition to our academic develop-

dents were so upset. But later on they got

ment is a most significant one,” the article

to know me and it was fine.”

Other students of color arrived a few years later. Frances Dunham Catlett, MA

stated. “And one that goes very far toward

The music school was a draw for men

’47, said in her 2003 oral history (from

providing the recognition of the growing

in the 1940s most certainly because of

the Oakland Living History Program and

value of Mills, and it is a tremendous sat-

composer Darius Milhaud, who left Nazi-

the senior thesis of Angelle Pryor ’03)

isfaction to any one connected with the

occupied France during World War II and

that she didn’t remember any other Black

institution in any way.”

arrived on campus at Reinhardt’s invi-

students on campus. In fact, Catlett, at

Just after World War I, California

tation. Professor Emeritus Bert Gordon

the time a young mother of two chil-

urgently needed teachers. Mills responded,

credits Milhaud and others with making

dren, was the first Black student to earn

developing a School of Education that

a big impact: “Mills attracted, for a small

a graduate degree from Mills. “I had been

provided a five-year course leading to a

college, a reasonable number of artists

at [the University of Chicago]. I had been

master of arts degree or a state teaching

and intellectuals, who were fleeing Nazi

at Boston University, so I had no particu-

certificate. (Reinhardt had enrolled eight

Europe. It really was the heyday of the

lar feelings about being a Black person at

students in the program before the trust-

arts programs at Mills because of these

Mills,” she said, noting her previous expe-

ees had officially approved it.) Hedley

people,” he said in an interview. Later, the

riences at predominantly white institu-

stated in his book that Katherine Simon,

College purchased the Ming Quong Home

tions. Catlett went on to earn another

Class of 1920, received the first graduate

(renamed Alderwood Hall and now host-

graduate degree from the University of

degree a year later, with 50 earning the

ing the Julia Morgan School for Girls) for

California in social work, and many years

MA within 10 years.

graduate housing after Toyon Lodge was

later, she became a celebrated painter.

repurposed.

She called Mills a “garden of Eden” and

Bryn Mawr was the first women’s college to offer graduate-level education, with a PhD in social work avail-

Burgeoning Diversity

she said, after having experienced the loss of her second husband, “I just felt

In addition to bringing in international

that Mills was a beautiful place, and it

That program was opened to men

faculty, the College was keen to recruit

was calming on me.”

in 1931. Although the graduate pro-

students from a variety of backgrounds.

grams at Mills were not limited to just

In her 1945 autobiography, Fifth Chinese

women, the first men didn’t show up

Daughter, Jade Snow Wong (aka Connie

until 1935; according to Hedley, Howard

Wong Ong ’42) describes how, after com-

ual who made Mills what it became, that

Cooper received the first MA granted

pleting her associate’s degree at City

would be Aurelia Reinhardt,” says Gordon,

to a Mills man in 1936, followed by the

College of San Francisco, she met with

who taught a class on Mills history dur-

second male grad two years later. What

Reinhardt, who arranged a scholarship

ing his tenure. By the time of Reinhardt’s

might have been something contro-

and campus job for Wong: “Dr. Reinhardt

retirement in 1943, Mills was unrecogniz-

versial turned out to be a non-issue, at

refused to believe that money could be a

able from when she first stepped on cam-

least according to archived documents.

final obstacle,” she wrote.

pus. The College blossomed in the 27 years

able for enrollment starting in 1912.

A College Transformed

“If you want to point to any one individ-

There was no discussion about it in the

Wong, who later became an accom-

under her reign: Enrollment increased, the

trustee meetings, nor in any of the stu-

plished ceramicist, was at first hesitant

campus expanded from 11 buildings to 28

dent publications. Perhaps men weren’t

to go to Mills because of her perception

(including the Art Museum and the Music

noticed in those early days because they

of this “fashionable private women’s col-

Building), and the community became

were slow to arrive, small in numbers,

lege” being out of her reach, but she said

and didn’t live on campus. But offer-

she never regretted her decision. At Mills,

dents and faculty from around the world.

ing graduate degrees did further raise

Wong studied economics and lived on

Because of the times (two world wars, the

the College’s profile of Mills, and would

campus where she met other Asian stu-

Great Depression) and Reinhardt’s vision,

eventually attract renowned faculty and

dents, including Sun Yat-sen, the grand-

the College was in a constant state of tran-

even more students. Once the men were

daughter of the founder of the Republic

sition. Sometimes taking little steps, more

noticed by the 1940s, there were some

of China, and a young woman with ties

often making big leaps, but always with an

unhappy rumblings, but they didn’t last.

to the Japanese royal family. (Of course,

eye on what was happening in the world

In a 2001 interview with the Quarterly,

Wong was also on campus at the same

outside our campus. 

cosmopolitan,

welcoming

stu-

In addition to the sources mentioned, Fourscore and Ten Years: A History of Mills College by Rosalind Keep provided information for this piece. Thank you to Janice Braun, director of F.W. Library and special collections curator; Rebecca Leung, archives and manuscript librarian; the library staff; Professor Bert Gordon; and the Oakland History Center. SPRING 2022

AAMC NEWS & NOTES A Message from the AAMC President Also in December, the Alumnae Student Relations (ASR) committee partnered with the Alumnae Relations staff to host the Winter Celebration for mid-year graduates. President Hillman and College Officers, along with the Board of Governors and ASR Committee members, shared congratulatory remarks. The graduates talked about their time at Mills and future plans, and were then presented with eucalyptus ornaments and roses. The event concluded with a lovely reception enjoyed by family and special guests. Each semester, the ad hoc group of the ASR committee, Alums Helping Students, mails care packages to students during finals week. This has been a beautiful way for alumnae and students to connect and network. During last semester’s finals week, the committee assembled and distributed 100 snack bags. It was wonderful to meet the students and cheer them on in their finals as they came to our tables outside the Tea Shop. The year started with both the College and the AAMC mutually dismissing their lawsuits and meeting to negotiate our continued use of Reinhardt Alumnae House and access to the alumnae database, among other things—all essential for our continuity and presence on the Mills campus for generations to come. Many in our alumnae community are excited about the future of Mills College at Northeastern University while others are sad Dear Alumnae Community,

that the Mills we have all known, experienced, and cherished will

Spring semester at Mills is an exciting and anxious time for

not exist. Some are still holding out hope that Mills can remain

graduating students. They have worked and waited, and now

Mills. I have grown to respect and value the perspectives, pas-

they are on the threshold of both promising and unknown pos-

sions, and emotions of all alumnae surrounding the upcoming

sibilities. This is a significant year, as these students will be the

changes and know that we are bound by our love for our cher-

last to graduate from Mills College. The Alumnae Association

ished fostering mother—Mills. We have within us this treasure

looks forward to welcoming them into our community and to

of being united, which will never be taken away by any change.

planning special celebratory events in their honor.

We are and will forever be the alumnae of Mills. We came from

At the end of February, the AAMC held a summit in order to

all around the world seeking excellent education, and we found

begin conversations regarding the future of the AAMC with

riches at Mills in each other. That is a gift we can cherish and

broad representation of our alumnae community. It was facili-

share with succeeding generations of students at Mills College at

tated by Jim Langley, who facilitated a summit for the College

Northeastern. We can pass on our legacy and the fires of wisdom,

and AAMC under Alecia DeCoudreaux in November 2015 that

and keep Mills alive in spirit on this beautiful campus.

led to systematic engagement with alumnae, resulting in the Memorandum of Collaboration in 2017. We anticipate this process taking a few months of continued dialogue across all groups at all levels of engagement. This process will help us define our mission, our membership, and what it will mean to advance our purposes.

I leave you with inspirational words from Maya Angelou: If you are going to live, leave a legacy. Make a mark on the world that can’t be erased. We have inherited a great legacy at Mills that cannot be erased.

The Alumnae of Color Committee (AOCC) held its annual holi-

May this spring bring you good health, safe spaces, and cher-

day party and Kwanzaa celebrations for students, staff, faculty,

ished memories of your time at Mills. I look forward to seeing you

and alumnae in December 2021. The AOCC’s Alecia DeCoudreaux

at Mills’ last Commencement in May.

Endowed Scholarship has grown significantly due to a large dona-

Warmly,

tion (see page 8), and the committee members work continually

Viji Nakka-Cammauf, MA ’82

to ensure its growth to support students of color at Mills.

AAMC President

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

BOG Update We also recruiting alumnae interested in serving on the BOG for a three-year term! Governors will: • Work with other members of the board to make decisions that best represent alumnae and promote a strong working relationship between alumnae • Attend board meetings (typically four or five each year)

To stay up to date on the latest AAMC news, sign up for the AAMC-managed newsletter, and purchase mugs and other merchandise, visit our new website at aamc-mills.org.

• Participate on AAMC committees to develop policies, programs, and events Nominations for the 2022–25 term are due by Monday, April 11. See the “Leadership” section of the AAMC website, aamc.mills.edu, for more information. Send nominations to the Nominating Committee Chair at aamc@mills.edu or AAMC, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., MB #86, Oakland, CA 94613.

All alumnae are invited to the

AAMC Annual Meeting Saturday, May 14 2:30 pm (after Commencement) Reinhardt Alumnae House

At the annual Winter Celebration, mid-year graduates were asked to speak about their time at Mills and future plans, and were then gifted eucalyptus ornaments and roses.

There will be limited space available for alumnae who wish to participate in Commencement 2022. Registration and proof of vaccination will be required. Look for a link to sign up over email in the weeks ahead.

Alumnae Awards Call

ominate honorees for the AAMC’s coveted alumnae awards, presented during the class luncheon at Reunion in October. We are seeking qualified candidates for: • DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT, for distinction in professions, arts, or sciences;

• OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER, for commitment in serving the AAMC and the College; and • RECENT GRADUATE, for volunteer efforts that exemplify a spirit of caring and community. Nominations must be received by July 15, and candidates must be able to attend the awards ceremony in October. To nominate candidates, please send information about their achievements to Alumnae Awards Committee chairs Kristen Oliver ’17 or Courtney Long ’01 at aamc@mills.edu or AAMC, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., MB #86, Oakland, CA 95613. SPRING 2022

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 January 4 To submit listings, please contact alumnae-relations@mills.edu or 510.430.2123 Mary Dell Johnson Walz ’41, TCRED ’42, December 14, 2020, in Boise, Idaho. She used her Mills biology degree to teach, both in the Bay Area and in Idaho. After her husband’s death in 1984, she traveled the world with family members. Mary Dell was a “Pink Lady” volunteer at St. Alphonsus Hospital until her 91st birthday, and two former exchange students came back to the United States to celebrate her 100th birthday in 2019. She is survived by four children, nine grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren. Hazel-Clair Loewy Dwoskin ’43, October 12, 2021, in Seattle. With her late husband, Joseph, she expanded Hugo Loewy Co., a women’s apparel company founded by her father. After raising her family in the Magnolia neighborhood of Seattle, she went back to the Capitol Hill area as one of the first residents of Summit at First Hill. There, she continued to champion the liberal Jewish traditions she held so dear. Hazel is survived by her sister, Terry Loewy Breyer ’37; six children; five grandchildren; and a great-granddaughter. Doris Villadsen Mendell, TCRED ’49, December 9, 2021, in Oakland. She lived in the Bay Area her entire life. After receiving bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art from UC Berkeley, she came to Mills for her teaching credential. She was a lifelong teacher and prolific artist. She is survived by two children, four grandchildren, and eight great-grandchildren. Mary Ann Brown Tonkin ’50, November 10, 2021, in San Francisco. Mary Ann was a fourth-generation San Franciscan, and she started her own real-estate company in the city after graduating from Mills. She was also an avid athlete, loving to golf, ski, and play tennis, and she was one of the first women to swim across Lake Tahoe. More than a dozen charities benefited from Mary Ann’s generosity, and her family noted that one could find her riding the hills of San Francisco on her Vespa. She is survived by two daughters and six grandsons. Barbara Gilinsky Werlin ’50, November 8, 2021, in Los Angeles. She married her late husband, Jerry, the same year she graduated from Mills, and their family settled in Southern California after stints in Oklahoma and Northern California. Barbara adored teaching and considered the hundreds of students to whom she taught American history her “other children.” She was also a longtime member of LAMCA, and volunteered as a docent at Skirball Cultural Center after retirement. She is survived by two daughters, including Andrea Werlin ’76; a brother; and many nieces and nephews.

Professor Emerita of Dance Becky Fuller, MA ’54 Rebecca “Becky” Fuller, MA ’54, a dancer, choreographer, and Mills College emerita professor, died on January 7 in Santa Rosa, California. Becky was a member of the dance faculty at Mills from 1955 to 1988. She taught the entire dance curriculum, including Saturday morning classes for children, and served as head of the Dance Department from 1981 to 1988. Becky attended college at Michigan State University, then studied modern dance and choreography with Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and Louis Horst at Connecticut College, and later, with Anna Halprin, on the West Coast. In 1952, she moved to Oakland, where she received her MA under Marian van Tuyl, Eleanor Lauer, and Doris Dennison. She joined the Dance Department as a faculty member, choreographing numerous works in collaboration with the renowned composer Darius Milhaud and visual artist Tony Prieto— including ’Adame Miroir (1963) and L’homme et son désir (1967). She made works for specific sites, such as Gallery Dance in the Mills College Art Museum in 1978, and Roof and Fire with Trisha Brown ’58 surrounding the Haas Pavilion in 1973. She also choreographed dances for fellow Mills dance faculty members Mary Ann Kinkead, Kathleen McClintock, and June Watanabe. She was a beloved teacher of many young dancers who were inspired to pursue professional careers as performers/choreographers and teach in universities and their communities. Former students Brown and Molissa Fenley ’75 are internationally acclaimed dance artists. With another of her former students—Nancy Lyons, MA ’68; professor emerita in dance at Sonoma State University—Becky published dance resources that included The Moving Box, a tool kit for creative movement in primary, secondary, university, and community settings. She was predeceased by her partner of many years, John Rinn, and will be deeply missed by her many friends and former students.

Martha “Marty” McMaster Quimby ’51, October 21, 2021, in Anchorage, Alaska. At Mills, she studied art, and she met her late husband, Thomas, at a dance with Coast Guardsmen from Alameda. Marty worked in a variety of jobs before returning to school to become a nurse, and she specialized in emergency care. Her love of art persisted—she volunteered for several creative organizations in Anchorage, and she continued to paint watercolors until several days before her death. She is survived by five children, including Gretchen Neely ’85; 10 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren. Joy Blaney Patten ’52, October 21, 2021, in Daleville, Virginia. She continued on to Cornell, where she obtained her nursing degree and met her late husband, Robert, who was a medical student. Together, they worked as medical missionaries in South Korea, after which they returned to Virginia’s Roanoke Valley and she joined the nursing staff at Hollins University. Her favorite place to be was Ironbound Island in Maine, picking berries and spending time with her family. She is survived by five children, 12 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren. SPRING 2022

Gifts in Memory of Jane Farrell Gaw ’52, November 27, 2021, in Carson City, Nevada. She graduated from Mills with a double major in English and art. Jane and husband Bob were educators, teaching around Lake Tahoe and Northern California before exploring international opportunities in places like Kuala Lumpur and Saudi Arabia. Among other adventures, Jane was an advanced scuba diver who embarked on more than 100 dives, and she helped design and build the couple’s retirement home in Nevada. She is survived by Bob, three sons, and four grandchildren.

Received September 1, 2021 – November 30, 2021

Jo Ann Sandman Sharts ’53, October 2021, in Sequim, Washington. She graduated from Mills with a degree in education. She was predeceased by her husband, Clay.

Ann Sulzberger Wolff ’42 by Linda Cohen Turner ’68

Althea Sayward Parks ’53, MA ’55, October 16, 2021, in Sunnyvale, California. Her family reports that she was very proud of her Mills degrees—both in psychology—and she was a longtime counselor for gifted children in the Santa Clara Unified School District. She is survived by two children. Joan Blanchard Redford ’54, October 11, 2021, in Boise, Idaho. She attended Mills for her junior year, later graduating from USC. Joan and late husband Bob lived in the Southern California town of San Marino for 46 years, where she was an active Christian Scientist, a substitute teacher, and a member of arts-related organizations. In recent years, she relocated to Boise to be closer to her family and enjoy the area’s many festivals and performances. She is survived by a daughter, three granddaughters, and one great-granddaughter.

Willa Wolcott Condon, MA ’32, P ’69 by her daughter, Ann Condon Barbour ’69, P ’13 Tanya Wood Mollenauer ’60 by Sue McCall ’60 Florence Fox Rubenstein ’38, P ’64 by her daughter-in-law, Lisa Rubenstein, P ’06 Paula Merrix Sporck ’46 by Lucile Pedler Griffiths ’46, MA ’47, P ’75

Joanne Spitzer McGillis ’54, December 21, 2021, in Salt Lake City. She was awarded an art scholarship to Mills but returned to Utah before graduating to marry her late husband, Dick. Joanne devoted herself to the rescue and resettlement of persecuted Jews throughout the diaspora, and the couple helped reopen what was renamed McGillis School to champion Jewish values. She later described her 1980 trip to Israel as “my trip of a lifetime.” She is survived by two children, four grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren. Sally Zook Burdick ’54, February 16, 2019, in Northampton, Massachusetts. After Mills, she earned a master’s degree in literature from George Mason University. She is survived by two children.

Elizabeth “Betty” McMahon Wied ’55, November 25, 2021, in San Diego. After Mills, Betty immediately began teaching in Piedmont, but after meeting and marrying a Naval cadet, she and her family eventually moved to San Diego. She wrote columns for the local newspaper and got her certification as an interior designer, and she loved to garden and volunteer around the community. Betty was also extensively involved with the AAMC. She Wendyce “Wendy” Hull Brody ’68 is survived by her husband, Colin; three A former member of the Board of Trustees and a prolific alumna volunteer, Wendy children, including Beth Wied ’81; and four Hull Brody ’68 died on November 25, 2021, in Lake Placid, New York. grandchildren.

Shirley Buchanan Stigelman ’54, May 20, 2018, in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. She is survived by her sister, Martha Buchanan Billman ’52, and four daughters.

During her tenure on the Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2016, Wendy chaired a number of committees, including a presidential search committee. She was also an enthusiastic fundraiser who helped her peers from the Class of 1968 set a record for a 50th Reunion class in 2018, established several scholarship funds, and headed up alumnae groups in Palo Alto and San Diego. Wendy graduated from Mills with double degrees in economics and sociology. Her career took her from SRI International in Palo Alto to the Social Security Administration in Washington, DC, where she wrote a seminal work: The Economic Value of a Housewife. Later ventures took her family to Baltimore, where former husband Bill served as president of Johns Hopkins and Wendy was on the board at the Walters Museum. The Brody Learning Commons at Johns Hopkins is named for the couple’s contributions. In retirement, the couple settled in San Diego, where Wendy volunteered with a number of organizations, including the Museum of Contemporary Art, the La Jolla Music Society, and the Torrey Pines State Nature Reserve. She was notorious for her unlimited spirit and energy. Many will remember her athleticism in tennis, skiing, cycling, and hiking, and for wearing bright red lipstick while doing so. Upon Wendy’s passing, President Elizabeth L. Hillman announced her death to the Board of Trustees in an email: “What I remember most about Wendy, notwithstanding her service and fierce commitment to Mills College, is her devotion to her family,” she said. Wendy is survived by two children, three grandchildren, and three siblings. A Bent Twig several generations removed, Wendy’s great-grandmother Elizabeth Johnson graduated from Mills Seminary in 1870. 30

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

Joanne “Jo” Windberg Cannon ’56, December 20, 2021, in Austin, Texas. After Mills, Jo received her MSc in child development from the University of Texas. Her family remarks that she was exceedingly modest about her intellectual abilities, but her intelligence and quick memory for facts were the stuff of family legend. Jo was eager to be included in social events, and she showed up with a sparkly smile and easy laughter. She is survived by her sister, three children, and a number of nieces and nephews. Lavinia Lesh Swain ’57, October 5, 2021, in Berkeley. She departed Mills early to marry her husband, Donald, with whom she moved to Hawaii. Lavinia later finished up her degree and earned her teaching credential at UC Davis. While she did go into education, she also worked in real estate and business, and she served as the first lady at the University of Louisville, where her husband was president. She is survived by Donald; two children, including Cynthia Swain Castle ’82; and four grandchildren.

Laurie Rosen Rice ’60, October 16, 2019, in Fresno, California. At Mills, she studied occupational therapy. She is survived by two sons. Barbara Schwartz Meixner ’64, MA ’67, October 6, 2021, in Davis, California. She devoted her life to music: playing the piano and handbells, teaching, composing, and singing. Barbara trained in the Suzuki Method at the first US training institute, and a series of second-piano accompaniments she published is still in print today. More recently, she taught remotely, and she discovered a new passion in founding the Juuliebells Handbell and Handchime Choir in Davis. She is survived by a sister, a niece, and a nephew. Eva Brown ’66, July 31, 2021, in Oakland. Her Austrian parents met in New York in the early 1940s; both families had been killed in the Holocaust. Brown later graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA and an advanced degree in social work. At 23, Brown diagnosed herself with a rheumatological disease, which progressed to requiring bed rest in her last few years. However, it didn’t derail her practice of treating the grown children of emotionally disturbed parents. She is survived by her partner, David Widelock, and many lifelong friends and colleagues. Lucinda Merrill ’87, November 1, 2021, in Tiburon, California. Lucinda was a resumer who earned a degree in economics. The arts were a huge influence, as she was an interior designer who loved antiques and opera. She also worked for many years as head of human resources for the auction house now known as Bonhams. Lucinda lived in Tiburon for more than 50 years and worked with a variety of community organizations there. She is survived by a son, two grandchildren, and a sister. Celeste Holmes ’95, August 1, 2021, in Stanford, California. Michele Adamo ’02, October 5, 2016, in San Francisco. Michele was a resumer who earned her Mills degree in anthropology and sociology.

Faculty and Staff Elizabeth Karplus, former visiting professor of STEM education, September 22, 2021, in Orinda, California.

Spouses and Family George Basye, spouse of Mary Johnson Bayse ’51, February 6, 2021, in Sacramento. Robert Berkland, spouse of Lucy Do ’75, December 12, 2021, in Lafayette.

Friends Stephen Bechtel, March 15, 2021, in San Francisco. Nancy Bechtle, November 3, 2021, in San Francisco. Thomas Corry, August 11, 2019, in Naperville, Illinois. Jean Foster, July 5, 2020, in San Francisco. Margaret Gault, former Associate Council member, March 16, 2020, in Greenbrae, California. William Regan, December 8, 2019, in Walnut Creek, California.

Professor Emerita of Ethnic Studies Melinda Micco A beloved and instrumental figure in the Ethnic Studies Program, who taught at Mills from 1993 to 2018, Melinda Micco died on December 5, 2021, in Oakland. When she began at Mills, she was the only Indigenous member of the faculty, but in short order, she single-handedly championed better representation for her community on campus. Micco advocated for the planting of Indigenous healing plants across campus, and she organized the inaugural dinner for Native students in 1997. She also partnered with the group now known as the Indigenous Women’s Alliance to revive the Mills College Pow Wow, a student-driven event that annually brings people to campus from around Northern California. Her research specialized in the intersections between American Indian and African American histories; for example, she published “Blood and Money”: The Case of Seminole Freedmen and Seminole Indians in Oklahoma based on interviews she conducted with the Black Seminole community. As ethnic studies chair, she also helped initiate the integration of Latinx and African Diaspora studies in the department. Upon Micco’s retirement from Mills in 2018, the Alumnae of Color Committee of the AAMC honored her as a Phenomenal Woman of Color. In her later work on violence against Indigenous women, Micco partnered with Esther Lucero ’08, MA/MPP ’10, to direct a short film titled Killing the 7th Generation: Reproductive Abuses Against Native Women. All of these accomplishments built upon a most impressive entrance into academia: she enrolled at UC Berkeley as a 39-year-old single mother, and she graduated with her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate within seven years. She is survived by two children and two grandchildren.

William Eldredge, spouse of Pat Sawyier Eldredge ’56, May 3, 2021, in Hudson, Ohio. David Levin, spouse of Carol Eklund Levin ’64, January 15, 2020, in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Gerald McCullough, spouse of Mary Stuart McCullough ’58, May 29, 2021, in Hollister, California. Norman Piner, spouse of Loadel Harter Piner ’50, October 28, 2021, in Davis, California. Joseph Vanderliet, spouse of the late Louise “Weezie” Hayes Vanderliet ’53 and father of Sarah Vanderliet ’90, July 26, 2021, in Orinda, California.

SPRING 2022

RUBY WALL AU

RIDING THE WOODEN WAVE

four or so months and would not have weathered the elements. So, the original four students—Alexandria Batiste, Mark Lewis, Adrian Ramon,

After the January rains this past winter, an unusual sight popped

and Adele Biehl—regrouped and submitted new specs to the on-

up between the Student Union and the Moore Natural Sciences

campus carpentry shop. Materials in the five new benches are

Building: a wooden sculpture in an unusual combination of a

much hardier, ranging from Brazilian hardwood to mahogany—

bench and a seesaw. As the weather clears up, it can often be

and include a clear varnish on top.

found crawling with Faculty Village children—or students of a slightly older vintage. Gifted to Mills in August 2021, the installation is an interactive art piece titled “The Wooden Wave” that matches similar

The West Coast version of “The Wooden Wave” hosts Millsies of all sizes wanting to play, to chat, or both. The past year, with its various ups and downs, has been made manifest in functional form.

pieces on the Northeastern University campus in Boston. The original work was designed by four Northeastern architecture students in the fall 2020 Furniture Urbanism course, which saw four designs overall that were crafted in collaboration with Northeastern’s facilities department and installed in various places on campus. The project aimed to create a sense of community in shared outdoor spaces. In 2021, after the announcement of the impending merger between Northeastern and Mills, Northeastern President Joseph Aoun decided to ship a sister version of the design to Oakland as a symbol of partnership. Four other new manufactures will become permanent additions to the Boston campus. However, the original installation was constructed with poplar lumber and plywood, a combination that was meant to last RUBY WALL AU

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

2022

AAMC Travel Programs

Prince William Sound, Alaska

Changing Tides of History: Cruising the Baltic Sea July 11–July 20 Experience the cultural rebirth of the Baltic states during eight nights aboard the five-star Le Champlain. Enjoy a specially arranged presentation by former president of Poland Lech Walesa and Pavel Palazhchenko, interpreter and advisor for Mikhail Gorbachev. This cruise begins in Denmark; visits ports in Poland, Estonia, Finland; and ends in Sweden. Add a Norway Pre-Program and Stockholm Post-Program Option to this once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Alaskan Heritage and Wildlife July 24–July 31 Discover Alaska’s breathtaking landscapes, fascinating past, and abundant wildlife on a seven-night journey that will feature stays in Anchorage and Denali National Park. Encounter storied history in world-class museums, visit friendly communities, and search for remarkable wildlife! Enjoy visits to a working kennel and a reindeer farm, and witness jaw-dropping views during a spectacular train journey and scenic cruise. This small-group experience, with a maximum of 24 travelers, features first-class accommodations and a generous meal plan!

See the AAMC Travel Program website at alumnae.mills.edu/travel or email aamc@mills.edu for more information.

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

Music in the Fault Zone: Experimental Music at Mills College (1939 to the Present)

PHOTO BY PIE TER K ERS

This spring, the Mills College Music Department and Center for Contemporary Music celebrate their musical legacy with Music in the Fault Zone: Experimental Music at Mills College (1939 to the Present), a four-day festival from April 21 to 24. Featuring works by alumnae/i and former and current Mills faculty members, this festival will commemorate Mills’ path-breaking contributions to the development of experimental music. Performances will take place in two locations that played big roles in the buildup of the music program: Lisser Hall and Littlefield Concert Hall. A tentative lineup of performers and featured composers is below: Robert Ashley David Behrman John Bischoff, MFA ’73 Chris Brown, MFA ’85 Alexandra Buschman, MA ’12 Steed Coward Henry Cowell Alvin Curran Paul DeMarinis, MFA ’73 Sally Decker, MFA ’19 Nava Dunkleman ’13 James Fei Paul Flight Fred Frith Nalini Ghuman Brendan Glasson, MFA ’18 Anne Hege, MA ’04 Brenda Hutchinson Ione Marielle V. Jakobsons, MFA ’06

Chuck Johnson, MFA ’09 Joëlle Léandre Annea Lockwood Roscoe Mitchell Darius Milhaud Pauline Oliveros Nicole Paiement Zeena Parkins Maggi Payne, MFA ’72 Larry Polansky Terry Riley Danishta Rivero ’11 David Rosenboom Laetitia Sonami, MFA ’81 Mort Subotnik, MA ’59 Jeanie Tang ’13 Zachary Watkins, MFA ’07 Jennifer Wilsey, MFA ’12 Willie Winant, MFA ’82

For more specifics and information on how to attend, visit performingarts.mills.edu.

Mills Quarterly, Spring 2022

Articles inside

Letters to the Editor

In Memoriam

Transitions: Growth & A Graduate School by Moya Stone, MFA ’03

A New Leaf by Tri-an Cao ’21, MFA ’22

The Write Stuff by Rachel Leibrock, MFA ’04

Class Notes

Mills Matters

President’s Message