Mills Quarterly fall 2003

Mills Quarterly Fall 2003 Alumnae Magazine

The Class ofARRIVES 2007 AT MILLS PLUS An Interview with Author Dorianne Laux Book Reviews Reflections in Black New Faculty

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Mills Quarterly

CONTENTS FALL 2003 12

The Class of 2007

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Book Shelf

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Dorianne Laux

Shana Youngdahl, ’01

D E PA R T M E N T S 2

Letters

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Inside Mills

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Mills Matters

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Alumnae Action

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Calendar

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Passages

Facing page: photo by Philip Channing

ABOUT THE COVER: President Janet Holmgren shakes hands with incoming freshwoman Fiza Asar. Next to President Holmgren is Carolina Salazar, ’07, and between Carolina and Fiza is Ophelia Stringer, ’07. Cover photo by Peg Skorpinski.

Mills Quarterly Volume XCII Number 2 (USPS 349-900) Fall 2003 Alumnae Director Anne Gillespie Brown, ’68 Editor David M. Brin, MA ’75 <dbrin@mills.edu> (510) 430-3312 Design and Art Direction Benjamin Piekut, MA ’01 Quarterly Advisory Board Robyn Fisher, ’90, Marian Hirsch, ’75 Jane Cudlip King, ’42, Jane Redmond Mueller, ’68 Ruth Okimoto, ’78, Cathy Chew Smith, ’84 Ramona Lisa Smith, ’01, MBA, ’02 Sharon K. Tatai, ’80, Heidi Wachter, ’01 Lynette Williams Williamson, ’72, MA ’74 Class Notes Writers Barb Barry, ’94, Laura Compton, ’93 Barbara Bennion Friedlich, ’49, Sally Mayock Hartley, ’48 Heather Hanley, ’00, Marian Hirsch, ’75 Cathy Chew Smith, ’84 Special Thanks to Jane Cudlip King, ’42 David M. Hedden Board of Governors President Karen May, ’86 Vice Presidents Judy Greenwood Jones, ’60 Jane Cudlip King, ’42 Treasurer Bevo Zellick, ’49, MA ’50 Alumnae Trustees Leone La Duke Evans, MA ‘45 Sara Ellen McClure, ’81 Sharon K. Tatai, ’80 Governors Lynne Bantle, ’74, Micheline Beam, ‘72 Anita Bowers, ’63, Harriet Fong Chan, ‘98 Lynn Eve Fortin, ’87, Amy Franklin-Willis, ‘94 Mary Liu, ‘71, Leah Mac Neil, MA ’51 Rachael E. Meny, ‘92, Nangee Warner Morrison, ‘63 Ruth Saxton, MA ‘72, Ramona Lisa Smith, ‘01, MBA ‘02 Diana Odermatt, ’60, Sarah Washington-Robinson, ’72 Thomasina Woida, ’80 Sheryl Wooldridge, ‘77 Student Representatives: Cynthia Guevara, ‘04 Kathleen Stavis, ‘06 Regional Governors Joyce Menter Wallace, ’50, Eastern Great Lakes Joan Alper, ’62, Middle Atlantic Albertina Padilla, ’78, Middle California Adrienne Bronstein Becker, ’86, Middle California Judith Smrha, ’87, Midwest Linda Cohen Turner, ’68, North Central Brandy Tuzon Boyd, ’91, Northern California Karen Simi, ’89, Northeast Gayle Rothrock, ’68, Northwest Louise Hurlbut, ’75, Rocky Mountains Colleen Almeida Smith, ’92, South Central Julia Almazan, ’92, Southern California Dr. Candace Brand Kaspers, ’70, Southeast Elaine Chew, ’68, Southwest The Mills Quarterly (USPS 349-900) is published quarterly in April, July, October, and January by the Alumnae Association of Mills College, Reinhardt Alumnae House, 5000 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94613.

Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, CA and at additional mailing office(s). Postmaster: Send address changes to the Mills Quarterly, Alumnae Association of Mills College, P.O. Box 9998, Oakland, CA 94613-0998.

Statement of Purpose The purpose of the Mills Quarterly is to report the activities of the Alumnae Association and its branches; to reflect the quality, dignity, and academic achievement of the College family; to communicate the exuberance and vitality of student life; and to demonstrate the worldwide-ranging interests, occupations, and achievements of alumnae.

Letters to the Editor The Drama Department Closes Many alumnae have, understandably, expressed concern over the closure of the dramatic arts department. As an alum and as a member of the Faculty Executive Committee, Budget SubCommittee, I was intimately involved in this difficult decision last year. It is stated in the Summer 2003 Quarterly that “the faculty ultimately voted to eliminate the department . . . .” I want to make it clear that this was an extremely painful decision, reached after many hours of debate and negotiation with the Board of Trustees and the Administration.

Mills, like many institutions, is suffering from a depressed economy and too few undergraduate students. It became painfully clear in 2003 that budgetary reductions were inevitable and after many discussions among members of the administration, the Board, and the faculty, certain choices had to be made.

Personnel cuts, including faculty positions, were implemented across the College and a salary freeze was also adopted. Unfortunately, the dramatic arts department was particularly vulnerable. Lisser Hall is in disrepair and will cost an incredible amount of money to renovate. Also, the department has become understaffed since the departure of James Wright, and although everyone has tremendous affection and respect for Richard Battle, Deborah Sussil, Marty Berman, and Gemma Whelan, it is clear that at least one tenure-track professor needs to be hired to serve as a department head.

All of this represents a huge investment that the administration did not believe the College was ready to undertake.

Faced with the possibility of further cuts that they feared would jeopardize the entire academic program, faculty reluctantly made the difficult choice and

voted to eliminate the dramatic arts department.

I share the anguish of alumnae who have wonderful memories of their work in Lisser Hall. I was a dramatic arts minor myself, and it was horrendous to be involved in this difficult decision. But, as faculty members, our first concern has to be the long-term fiscal health of our College.

Mary Ann Kinkead, ’63, MA ’65, Professor of Dance Although I know nothing at all about the reasons behind the decision, I am saddened to read about the closing of the dramatic arts department. It was probably 1937 or ’38 when I played the role of Mamilius in Shakespeare’s Winter’s Tale, even though my English was rudimentary. Having grown up on campus, theater always seemed to me part of the very identity of Mills, and Mrs. Stebbins, she of the resonant voice, seemed a formidable power for good. But even beyond mere nostalgia, loss of theater seems a great diminution of the “liberal” in “liberal arts.”

Peter F. Neumeyer It is with a sense of unbelief that I read in the last Mills Quarterly that “the College” has decided to eliminate the drama department. Not just trim its budget, or limit productions, but close it. I have had no warning either from the College itself or from the Alumnae Association that this was contemplated. Your farewell article, filled as it was with a kind of smiling regret, seems to have missed both the history of the department and its outstanding faculty and accomplishments.

For heavens sake! With a fine stage, a Greek theatre, and young women in need—as they always will

be—of a chance to build personal security, clear speech, extensive historical study (theater being the best path to living history)—what was everyone thinking of?

Perhaps the faculty—which made the decision—is not aware that training in drama is the most liberating and empowering of the arts. Using the self as an instrument; vocally, physically, emotionally, and intellectually, under the necessity to communicate, cannot be matched.

The country is full of drama departments where women seldom explore powerful male roles: many a Desdemona or Ophelia (all victims).

No heroes. I was fortunate enough under Marian Long Stebbins, Eveline Uhl Wright, and Louise Stephens to play Benedick and Orestes and King Saul in a full beard.

At Mills as I experienced it there was no way to a narrow major. Our classes included literature, philosophy, psychology, art and music, history ancient and modern, language, science, labor relations, dance, fencing, and theater history. The latter course involved reading and reporting on 40 or more plays a semester. At that time everyone, in the department and out, had to pass a speech test to graduate.

This description is in no way a criticism of current curriculum practices. But the thought that the most enriching and broadening of the arts has disappeared from the Mills experience is sad indeed.

I have spent my working life (since graduating) teaching, writing, performing, directing, and producing at all levels of theater, using the skills and insights the drama department shared with me. I have four gifted children, two of whom work in theater with me

currently. I am writing in hope that the closure will be temporary and Lisser will once more be alive.

Marcia Gambrell Hovick, ’43 Romeo and Juliet In the Summer Mills Quarterly there is a picture (page 18) of a stage production labeled Romeo and Juliet, 1939.

In 1939 I played Romeo, and ravenhaired Emily Stevens was my Juliet— and that ain’t us. (See page 128 in the 1940 yearbook.)

I also designed and helped build that set, under the tutelage of Gus Breuer. It’s the same set shown on page 18 but looks a little the worse for wear. It looks as if it had been stored for a while and then brought forth for a later production.

I was saddened to learn that the dramatic arts department has been closed. I was a drama major and learned much beside acting— history, literature, music, design, costume, choreography, regional and national manners—you name it, we absorbed it.

Margaret Thomson Bromson, ’40 I was Juliet in your photo, with Joan Bromley as Romeo, during the reign of the distinguished, the majestic Marian Stebbins. Harriett Pratt Trueblood was Friar Laurence.

Opening night, the tomb scene, the friar enters, sees the bodies of Romeo and Juliet and, finally, Paris, at which he exclaims, “What! Who else!” The audience titters, the corpses twitch, and Mrs. Stebbins says in that voice like a velvety fog horn, “Harriett, don’t say that line again!”

As to the closing of the department, Lisser Hall and the Greek Theatre, put to more utilitarian use, will echo still their glory days. And

what of the related humane studies, music, art, dance? Are we losing the finest liberal arts college in the West to the passing high priests of P.C. and relevance? Evidently, needs must. But take heed of the barbarians at your beautiful gates. Farewell, friends, we leave you, indeed!

Caroline Bacher Hakin, ’46 Responses to the War in Iraq Having just read the splendid commentaries on the U.S. war in Iraq, I am reminded of being in Dr. David French’s class in government when World War II began, in December of 1941. I remember the emphasis that fascism and communism led to dictatorship. Only democracy could be counted on to protect the basic rights of people—through “open government.”

(Dorothy) Jane McVeigh Raney, ’45 Corrections and Additions The editor would like to thank David M. Hedden for transcribing Naomi Roht-Arriaza’s speech delivered at Spring Colloquium so it could be excerpted in the summer Quarterly.

The Mills College Strategic Plan, which appeared in the center of the summer Quarterly, erroneously stated Tina Lee’s birthplace. Tine Lee, ’01, MBA ’02, was born and raised in San Francisco’s Chinatown.

The obituary for Lydia Parks Wintemute, ’50, in the summer Quarterly incorrectly listed Mrs. Wintemute’s relatives with Mills affiliations. Mrs. Wintemute was the daughter of Anne Ireland Parks, ’21 (deceased) and the aunt of Janet Parks Swanson, ’80. We regret the error.

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inside mills MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Another academic year is off to a great start. New and returning students, staff and faculty arrived on campus with enthusiasm and anticipation of our work together.

The strategic plan completed last year and included in the summer Quarterly gives us a renewed sense of direction for this and future years.

Related to student recruitment objectives in the strategic plan, this year we will undertake a review of Mills’ marketing activities—encompassing organizational aspects of communications, publications, information management, and many other factors. We anticipate completing this project by spring semester when we will develop an implementation plan for the future, building upon the strengths already seen in the positive enrollment and retention figures for this fall.

The Mills Sesquicentennial Campaign continues to make progress even in these times of economic challenges in California and the nation. By June 30, the close of the College’s fiscal year, the Campaign’s total receipts reached $82.5 million. This is an increase of $2.5 million over the April figure reported in the summer Quarterly and represents the biggest fundraising success in the history of the College. The countdown from 17.5 million is on!

The Campaign’s success has touched every part of Mills—from student financial aid to faculty salaries to academic programs to new and renovated buildings. Thank you to everyone listed in this year’s Annual Giving Report for your continuing generosity and loyalty to our extraordinary Mills College. Thank you also to the many volunteers whose dedication and energy sustain us each year.

Mills Sesquicentennial Campaign Progress Since 2000 (in millions)

$100 $82.5 $72.3

$56.6 $49.7

$61.0 $52.0

$48.0

$50.5

$40.4 $32.6 $13.8 $15.2

Endowment and Current Funds

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$19.6

$21.8

Facilities

Total

August 2000 August 2001 June 2002 June 2003 Goal

S E S Q U I C E N T E N N I A L C A M PA I G N N E W S

AURELIA HENRY REINHARDT SOCIETY

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embers of the Aurelia Henry Reinhardt Society share a commitment to preserving the heritage of educating women at Mills College. By including Mills in their wills or by establishing a charitable remainder trust or gift annuity, the members of the Aurelia Henry Reinhardt Society have chosen to create a future benefit to the College.

More than 200 alumnae and friends are listed as members of the society.

During the Sesquicentennial Campaign we have seen the beneficial effect of estate planning decisions made in past years. For example, the largest single gift to the Campaign is the $6.5 million gift received in 1997 from the estate of Olga Taylor Scheffler, ’31. Mrs. Scheffler lived modestly and held a strong belief in the benefit of education. In correspondence from the 1970s with President Robert Wert, she

requested information about how she might word a bequest to benefit Mills science and premedical students. More than 30 years later, Mills has been able to support faculty, students, and equipment purchases through Mrs. Scheffler’s generosity.

In all, 108 bequests have contributed more than $21 million to the Sesquicentennial Campaign’s $82.5 million total received. Just in the last year, more than $4 million came to Mills through bequests. Substantial estates were received from Suzanne Adams, ’48, and Ruth Gillard, ’36, both of whom had also established life income gifts. “Receiving these estates was a bittersweet experience,” says Sally Randel, Mills vice president for institutional advancement. “Many of us counted Suzanne and Ruth as personal friends as well as great friends of the College. I like to think that their bequests carry on their inspiring presence at Mills and their dedication to the success of Mills women.”

Charitable gift annuities accounted for about $670,000 added to the Campaign last year. By establishing charitable gift annuities, many alumnae have increased their annual income, received an income tax deduction, and secured a future benefit for Mills. The 45 gift annuity contracts Mills has under management yield a total of $142,000 in annual income payments.

Legislation pending in Congress, called the CARE Act, may add some new ways to benefit the charity of your choice. Specifically, the bill as passed by the Senate allows a tax-free conversion of individual retirement accounts (IRAs) to charitable trusts. If you are interested in receiving more information about life income gifts and/or how to include Mills in your estate plans, please contact Sally Randel by email <sallyr@mills.edu> or phone (510) 430-2101.

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inside mills REFLECTIONS IN BLACK: A SUCCESS FOR MILLS AND OAKLAND

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thank Albertsons, Macy’s West, and SBC for contributing major support for the exhibition.

CAMELLIA HUDSON FRANKLIN, ’73

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Black Photographers 1840 to the Present (W.W. Norton).

The three collaborating institutions

CHRISTINE DAVIDSON, ’00

n June 7, 2003, the Mills College Art Museum opened its doors for the exhibition Reflections in Black: Smithsonian African American Photography. This milestone exhibition was the first-ever collaboration among Mills College, The Oakland Museum of California, and The African-American Museum and Library at Oakland; the firstever exploration of the history of black photography from 1843 to the present; and the first summer opening of the Mills College Art Museum in many decades.

Three Mills students, Tanzania Anderson, ’06, Vicky Harris, ’04, and Marin Hood, ’04, became experts on the exhibition. They conducted a total of 32 docent tours for Saturday visitors and special groups such as religious leaders and church study groups, senior citizens, YMCA groups, the SF AIDS Foundation, East Oakland Youth Development Center, middle school students from San Leandro and Hayward, a substance abuse recovery group, a sorority from Vallejo, and students in the Mills College Upward Bound Program. Saturday Family Day activities attracted 640 participants, and Wednesday evening jazz and poetry events brought in 230 guests. By the time the Mills exhibition closed on August 10, the attendance total had reached a record-setting 3,000.

Reflections in Black was organized by the Smithsonian Institution and the Anacostia Museum and Center for African American History and Culture. Deborah Willis was the exhibition’s curator. Ms. Willis was formerly at the Smithsonian and is now professor of photography and imaging at New York University School of the Arts. She is a nationally respected photographer and historian and author of the book Reflections in Black: A History of

Crystal Barb, ’00, enjoys the gathering.

Guests at the reception represented every decade of Mills graduates from the 1940s to the present.

Shown here, Benita Sheffield Harris, ’74, converses with well-known Oakland artist Frances Dunham Catlett, MA ’47, while Peggy Woodruff, ’58, looks on.

ALUMNAE OF COLOR ATTEND SPECIAL PREVIEW RECEPTION ore than 125 alumnae of color, faculty, staff, and students attended a special preview of the Reflections in Black exhibition at the Mills College Art Museum on June 6, 2003. The reception was sponsored by Bonnie Guiton Hill, ’75, and the Reflections in Black Preview Event Committee, co-chaired

by Estrellita Hudson Redus, ’65, MFA ’75, and Peggy Woodruff, ’58.

The reception was a welcome opportunity for alumnae to re-connect with each other and the College.

During the short program, Assistant Dean of Students Lisa McRipley reviewed some of the many diversity activities organized by and for students. She also noted that retention and graduation rates for students of color remain very strong. For the past few years and in the 2003 edition of U.S. News and World Report’s America’s Best Colleges Guidebook, Mills has been listed as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the nation. Specifically, Mills is tied with two other schools for 11th place on the list of the top 16 diverse institutions.

Estrellita highlighted some of Mills’ successes in increasing the diversity of the faculty and the development of multicultural curricula. For the last five years, faculty diversity has remained steady at about 20 percent, and about one-third of undergraduate students identify themselves as women of color.

Estrellita acknowledged President Janet Holmgren, Art Museum Director Stephan Jost, members of the Office

of Institutional Advancement, and the Alumnae Diversity Committee for their assistance in making the reception such a success. In addition, she thanked Benita Sheffield Harris, ’74, for desserts from Rubicon Bakery; Martha Rueca, ’96, and her staff at World Grounds Café for beverages and smoothies; Mary Liu, ’72, for arranging exhibition support from Macy’s West; and the members of the Alumnae Association's Diversity Committee for their enthusiasm in encouraging alumnae to attend the reception.

Comments about the exhibition

overheard at the reception included “It really moves your soul to observe all the faces that preceded us and make this world a better place,” and “It captured history in a way not done before,” and “Simply breathtaking.” About the reception, the universal opinion was “awesome!”

Various people contributed to these articles about the Reflections in Black exhibition and the preview reception. Thank you to Shauna Jones, outreach coordinator at the Mills College Art Museum; Estrellita Redus, ’65, MFA ’75, Sharon Tatai, ’80; and Peggy Woodruff, ’58.

Special guest Deborah Willis, curator of the exhibition, left, with Estrellita Hudson Redus, ’65, MFA ’75.

RALEIGH REDUS

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MILLS MATTERS Mills Collaborates with the City of Oakland William Hanson, former director of the Institute for Civic Leadership at Mills, saw a historic opportunity in the fall of 2002 when Oakland’s City Council District 6 elected its first woman representative. He took note that District 6 is adjacent to Mills, and the Mills Public Policy Program, also new, was unique in its mandate to train women for leadership. He brought together new Councilmember Desley Brooks and Professor Emery Roe, director of Mills’ Public Policy Program, and thereby facilitated an ongoing collaboration between the Mills Public Policy Program and District 6 stakeholders. The Public Policy Program was awarded a $10,385 Irvine Faculty Development Seminar Grant in spring 2003 for its Mills/District 6 Community Partnership Workshops. The Program has used the funds to build the collaborative partnership and identify priorities for future mutual benefit.

The grant made it possible for Professor Roe and

Councilmember Brooks to get right to work organizing workshops, presentations, and guest experts. Along with Hansen, Roe, and Brooks, David Glover, the executive director of the Oakland Citizens Committee for Urban Renewal, brought together Oakland community members and leaders, and many Mills professors to begin the dialogue of expanding Mills’ role and exposure in the Oakland community. The Mills professors involved to date include dean of social sciences Andy Workman, director of the Women’s Leadership Institute Margo Okazawa-Rey, and Professors Bruce Williams from sociology and Siobhan Reilly from economics, along with key staff Leslie Townsend, formerly of Mills CARES, Romeo Garcia of Trio Programs, Roia Ferrazares of the Public Policy Program, and Krishen Laetsch of Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform. Three workshops have taken place to date.

—Roia Ferrazares

New Faculty Assistant Professor of Music Nalini Ghuman Gwynne holds degrees from Oxford University and U.C. Berkeley. While at Berkeley, she was awarded a prestigious American Musicological Society Dissertation Fellowship; her doctoral dissertation is entitled “India in the English Musical Imagination, 1890-1940.” Gwynne’s professional interests include 19th- and 20th-century Western classical music, solo and chamber piano performance, ethnomusicology (particularly North Indian vocal music and Celtic folk music), cultural studies, and postcolonial perspectives on musical orientalism, nationalism, and cross-cultural musical exchange.

Nalini is involved in professional music-making in the Bay Area; she has enjoyed an active role in a number of locally based groups including “ConFusion,” a Celtic-Indian band that released its first CD in 2000; “Vox Populi,” an a cappella ensemble specializing in Renaissance choral music; and the chamber choir of U.C. Berkeley. Nalini is a native Welsh speaker and performs Welsh folk songs with a harpist in the area.

Assistant Professor of English Juliana Spahr was born in Chillicothe, Ohio, in 1966. She has worked as a country and western DJ, as a parking lot attendant, as a bartender, and many times as a secretary. She taught most recently at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. Her books include F*** You— Aloha—I Love You (Wesleyan University Press, 2001), Everybody’s Autonomy: Connective Reading and Collective Identity (University of Alabama Press, 2001), and Response (Sun & Moon Press, 1996). She co-edits the journal Chain with Jena Osman. She frequently selfpublishes her work.

“Whenever I told anyone I was taking a job at Mills, one of the first things they said was that the students at Mills are amazing,” Dr. Spahr said. “That is why I decided to come to Mills. That and the Bay Area’s thriving and exciting writing scene.”

“The reason I chose Mills over other universities or research labs was the people,” says Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Computer science Almudena Konrad. “The professors in the MCS department are very talented and a great team to work with. The students are very motivated, friendly, and interactive. I also like the small classes, which provide an excellent learning environment.”

Dr. Konrad earned a PhD from U.C. Berkeley in May of 2003. Her areas of research include computer networks, wireless communication, and modeling and analysis of network measurements.

From 1997 to 2000 she was the recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship.

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NEWS OF THE COLLEGE

Mills Community Tennis Program

DAVID M. BRIN, MA ’75

Thanks to Mills’ head tennis coach Marc Weinstein, and Peter Stiepleman, who is studying for a doctorate in educational leadership at Mills, kids from nearby E. Morris Cox Elementary School now have the opportunity to learn tennis and improve their academic skills. The Mills Community Tennis Program (MCTP) is a comprehensive community outreach initiative that has given local kindergarten through fifth graders after-school opportunities at a time when public libraries and recreation centers in the area are curtailing their services for youth.

Coach Weinstein and members of the Mills tennis team as well as others give tennis instruction to the kids, and Mills students also tutor program participants in math and other subjects. The Adopt-A-School component of the program introduces tennis to 4th and 5th graders who have generally had little or no exposure to the sport. The goal is to use tennis as a means to familiarize inner-city youth to a college environment and provide academic support to buoy their learning through the public school system. The children in this program will have the opportunity to continue tennis and academic instruction throughout their educational career. Those who show special potential in tennis will receive top-flight coaching, enabling them to play at the college level and compete for athletic scholarships.

Rebecca Levy, member of the Mills tennis team, and Brian Ng, student at E. Morris Cox Elementary School, on the tennis court.

New Location for Social Sciences The Vera M. Long Social Science Center is becoming a reality as contractors renovate the historic Walter Ratcliff, Jr., building.

A new classroom is being added to the structure, and the entire building is being retrofitted under the direction of architect Karen Fiene. Many on campus thought the building looked better than ever as brush was cleared away to reveal architectural details. The building was originally built as the Norman Bridge Health Center and was later used for many years by the Children’s School. The social science division expects to move in for the spring semester.

PAUL RICHARDS

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ALUMNAE ACTION Alumnae Association Annual Report

by Anne Gillespie Brown, ’68, Executive Director, Alumnae Association of Mills College

Karen May, ’86, concluded the second year of her three-year term as president of the Alumnae Association of Mills College at the end of the fiscal year 2002-2003. At the Association’s annual meeting on May 17, 2003, Karen noted that one of the student speakers at Commencement had recommended that you need to “do your work and then step back.” That sentiment fit in well with her reflections on the year. She reminded Association members of the two parts of our Mission Statement, to support the College and to connect alumnae to each other. She noted that our most visible support of the College comes in the form of our Annual Fund gift, but our contribution is much greater—we (along with others) help protect the mission of the College. Karen commented on the fact that fundraising had been particularly challenging this past year, and that difficult cutbacks needed to be made in the Association’s budget. She also noted that she was proud that the Association continued to look at our alumnae relations to try to find new ways to stay connected.

Treasurer Beverly (Bevo) Zellick, ’49, MA ’50, also noted that the year had been a difficult one financially because of the poor economy. She reported that the Investment Fund was holding up quite well at $1.4 million. However, it had been decided that work on the addition to Reinhardt Alumnae House would be postponed until the economy improves. (A review of that decision will be made annually.) The renovation of the patio was going to proceed, largely due to a generous bequest from Ruth Gillard, ’36. Bevo also acknowledged the extraordinary bequests to the Alumnae Association from Suzanne Adams, ’48.

Alumnae Fund Co-Chair Patricia Mok, ’81, reported that this fiscal year was the last year of the Participation Bonus Challenge: we had started with an alumnae participation rate of 36 percent

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in the annual fund, and this year our goal was 43 percent. Our fundraising efforts were consistently 13-19 percent behind the previous year; but while giving was clearly less, the good news was that alumnae were still giving consistently. Patricia commented on each of the Annual Fund programs: the Cyrus and Susan Mills Society (CSMS), the student phonathon program, reunion-giving programs, and the class agent program.

Vice President for Alumnae Relations Jane Cudlip King, ’42, reviewed the events of the past year sponsored by the AAMC Committees: Alumnae Student Relations, Class Secretaries, Diversity, Graduate, Reunion, Oral History Project, and Travel. She paid special tribute to the Alumnae Relations staff.

Alumna Trustee Sara McClure, ’81, reviewed the highlights of the past year at the College, starting with the approval of the Strategic Plan, which has been viewed as both a revolution and an evolution. She reported on the capital campaign and on building projects on cam-

pus. A lowlight of the year was the announcement of the $1 million functional deficit of the past few years, and the cutting of $500,000 from academic and administrative programs. This resulted in the phasing out of the drama department and the German studies major. More positive news was the announcement that the Julia Morgan School for Girls, a junior high school for girls, would be moving into Alderwood Hall.

Alumnae Director Anne Gillespie Brown, ’68, gave special tributes to the staff, acknowledging their hard work. She also spoke about the challenge of last year’s audit, and she paid tribute to Karen May for making it possible for alumnae to have input on the College’s Strategic Plan.

Other business conducted at the Annual Meeting included the approval of proposed revisions to the bylaws, the notice of election of nominees to the Board of Governors, the election of the Nominating Committee, and recognition of outgoing members of the Board of Governors.

New Giving Levels for Mills Gift Clubs Announcing new gift club levels for the new fiscal year 2003–2004! We have added a new gift club and changed the amounts on a few of the gift club levels.

FOUNDERS’ CIRCLE PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE DEAN’S CIRCLE CYRUS AND SUSAN MILLS SOCIETY CAMPANILE CLUB EUCALYPTUS CLUB LAKE ALISO CLUB GATE CLUB ACORN CLUB

$10,000 AND ABOVE $5,000–$9,999 $2,500–$4,999 $1,500–$2,499 $1,000–$1,499 $500–$999 $250–$499 (NEW GIFT CLUB) $100–$249 $1–$99

These new levels took effect July 1, 2003. Please contact the Alumnae Fund office at (510) 430-2123 if you are currently giving monthly or quarterly donations and need to increase the amount to maintain membership in a specific club. Also, any questions regarding these new giving levels can be directed to the Alumnae Fund staff. On behalf of the students and faculty who have benefited from your past generosity, thank you for your consistent support!

N E W S O F T H E A L U M N A E A S S O C I AT I O N

Recap of Events, 2002–2003

by Gail Indvik, Director of Alumnae Relations

Williams, ’72, Revered Cedric V. Alexander, and Monique Parker, ’04. The Lunar New Year event featured three performers including Jenny Hung and Xue Ling Wang on traditional Chinese instruments, and Terry Chan, who demonstrated the Chen style of Taijiquan, a form of martial arts. The annual Golden Girls Luncheon was a great success with Provost Mary-Ann Milford speaking on The New Mills Woman in April 2003.

Highlights from Reunion 2002 included the President’s Colloquium on Educating Women Through Changing Times: The Evolution of Mills from 1952–2002. Other events included the Celebration of Arts featuring Fires of Wisdom, 1913–1944, presented by the AAMC’s Oral History Project; a guided tour of the Art Museum; a studio arts exhibition; the jazz café; and dance performances featuring alumnae. Jane Cudlip King, ’42, led a tour of the Mills campus. Class secretaries were instrumental in getting the word out to their class-

mates for Reunion and class gatherings.

Association branches held many activities. The Palo Alto Area Mills College Club sponsored the annual House Tour entitled Charming Cottages of Palo Alto: Innovative Remodels of Vintage Homes. The Mills College Club of New York Auction took place on December 8, 2002. The Los Angeles Mills College Alumnae sponsored a reception on April 2, 2003, for the participants on the Los Angeles Museum Tour at the home Dr. Philip and Jacklyn Davidson Burchill, ’44. The OaklandPiedmont Branch and Neil and Leah Mac Neil, MA ’51, sponsored a reception and private viewing of the Jade Snow Wong Retrospective at the Chinese Historical Society in San Francisco on November 17, 2002, and the New England Mills College Club presented an evening with President Janet L. Homgren at the Cambridge, Massacutsetts, home of Melinda Mills Lee, ’65, on October 18, 2002.

The Alumnae Pearl M Dinner in honor of the Class of 2003 in Orchard Meadow Dining Room.

BRUCE COOK

The AAMC was pleased to sponsor a tremendous number of events during the fiscal year 2002–2003. To give you an idea of the scope of our activities, a few highlights of the fiscal year are listed below.

The Alumnae Student Relations (ASR) Committee, Diversity Committee, and the Graduate Committee sponsored and co-sponsored activities for undergraduate and graduate students and alumnae; freshwomen and seniors are guests at several annual events. The Welcome Barbecue for Freshwomen and Transfer Students was a great success in its second year, with more than 150 people attending. The Diversity Committee co-sponsored two events for freshwomen who participated in the Summer Academic Workshop (SAW). The ASR Committee celebrated with the Class of 2003 at the Alumnae Pearl M Dinner and Champagne Reception. The Diversity Committee sponsored the Phenomenal Women: Seniors of Color Dinner.

Students who completed their BA, MA, MFA, EdD, and certificates in January 2003 were honored at the annual Graduation Reception. Nancy Thornborrow, head of the economics department, was the featured speaker.

Lynne Withey, director of the University of California Press, spoke on “The Future of Publishing” at an event in the Heller Rare Book Room for graduate alumnae, alumni, current graduate students, and faculty in the department of English. The Graduate Committee and the Department of English co-sponsored this event.

The expanded series called Why Women Need to Invest was open to the Mills community and was co-sponsored by the ASR Committee and the National Association of Investors Corporation.

The Diversity Committee’s annual Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community, and Culture featured a dinner and performances by Vernola

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THE

CLASS

OF

2007 Wednesday, August 20, was a busy day as members of the Class of 2007 arrived on campus for orientation. They were greeted at the M Center by the orientation team, who had coffee and pastries waiting to sweeten their arrival. Many details were taken care of at the M Center: registration materials were filled out, room keys and parking permits acquired, and photo IDs snapped. Then the freshwomen moved into their rooms at Warren Olney Hall, had lunch in Founders Commons, took a tour of the F.W. Olin Library, met with their pilots, and attended the Opening Ceremony at the Concert Hall. Following the Opening Ceremony, President Holmgren held a reception in her garden for new students, their families, and faculty and staff. After dinner in the Faculty Dining Room, it was time to meet with the residential life staff. As if that weren’t enough for one day, many stayed up talking with new friends until early the next morning.

Concerning the class of 2007, Kennedy Friede Golden, assistant dean of students and international student advisor wrote, “Having welcomed 33 entering classes to Mills, I have particularly enjoyed meeting and working with this year’s freshwomen, transfers, resumers, and graduate students. While our state, our nation, and all of Mother Earth seem to be in turmoil, Mills is alive with optimism, excitement, and anticipation. Our newest community members are bright and eager to undertake the challenges of their education. This semester I have had the privilege of working with both international students and entering students with disabilities. They have all amazed me with their strength, their wisdom, and their honesty.

They have come prepared to learn and ready to access their Mills education. They expect Mills to honor their needs and rights and are articulate and clear when they encounter situations they feel must be addressed, whether they be accessibility for students with disabilities or critical information for international students. I have learned from all these entering students, and I look forward to watching as they grow through their Mills years and beyond. I believe that students in the class of 2007 know who they are, and what they wish to represent!”

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Above: Lauren Brown, from San Jose, California, center, arrives on campus with her parents, Debra and Rodney Brown. Lauren is studying calculus, chemistry, English, and African American womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history, taught by Associate Professor of Ethnic Studies Julia Sudbury. A career in mechanical engineering may be in Laurenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future. Below: Fiza Fatima Asar from Karachi, Pakistan, moves into her dorm room in Olney Hall. Her nephew, Tamur, helps her move in. Fiza, who is a Trustee Scholar, wants to study international relations, with a minor in Spanish. Although she has never studied Spanish, she has studied French, and her English is excellent. She has also studied Arabic; her native language is Urdu.

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Above: David Gin, director of student administrative services, helps Kimberly Swanberg register. Kimberly, who is from Seaside, California, wants to study English, creative writing, and the arts at Mills. Kimberly has been granted a Trustee Scholarship, a merit-based scholarship worth $18,000 per year. Below: Jessica Mosqueda ’07, left, Ebony Cain, ’05, member of the orientation team, Wendy Velasquez, ’07, Carolina Salazar, ’07, and Amira Fahmy, ’07, far right.

Some snippets of conversation heard that day: “Most of my friends are guys, but this is such a better learning environment.” “I feel so fortunate.”

“You made a great decision.” “I’m excited! I wish classes would start already.”

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“It is exhilarating to see and greet all of our entering undergraduates and graduate students and their families and friends on this beautiful day,” President Janet L. Holmgren told the audience in the Concert Hall at the official Opening Ceremony on August 20. Vice President and Dean Myrt Whitcomb welcomed and congratulated the 234 members of the Class of 2007. She described the class as ranging in age from 16 to 61. “Nineteen of you are moms. . . . We find poets and playwrights, newspaper, magazine and yearbook editors and staffers, a talk-show host, painters and sculptors, dancers, athletes, musicians, and volunteers among you.”

Provost Mary-Ann Milford, on behalf of Marianne Sheldon, director of graduate studies, welcomed the 196 women and 57 men who were beginning their graduate studies. “From Eureka to San Diego, California is the home state of 197 of you,” she noted. “Not one of you, at least at far as I know,” she continued, “appears to be a candidate for governor.”

“We welcome the rest of you from 19 states, seven countries, four continents, and two hemispheres. Fifteen of you crossed a continent, another six crossed an ocean, and at least six of you came half way around the planet to be here today. You’ll write home to one of 133 Zip Codes.”

DAVID M. BRIN MA, ’75

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Below left: At the age of 61, Laraine Downer is the oldest member of the entering class. She is living in Orchard Meadow Hall this semester. Her daughter, Kendra Van Cleave, is a 1996 graduate of Mills and inspired her to enroll as a freshwoman.

Carolina Salazar from Concord, California, poses with her new ID card.

Carolina is looking forward to studying public policy and ethnic studies at Mills.

Carolina was in the SAW (Summer Academic Workshop) Program and took a sociology class from Professor Bruce Williams. “It was the best class I ever took,” she said. Carolina is a member of the AAMC's Phonathon team.

On Friday evening, new students joined alumnae on the Art Museum lawn for the third annual Welcome Barbecue, cosponsored by the AAMC’s Alumnae Student Relations Committee, the Diversity Committee, and the Office of Student Life.

Veggie burgers were especially popular with the Class of 2007, but hamburgers and corndogs had a lot of takers, too.

KAY GILLILAND, ’50

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BOOK SHELF Laugh and Learn: 95 Ways to Use Humor for More Effective Teaching and Training by Doni Tamblyn, ’98; Amacom <www.amacombooks.org>.

Reviewed by Joni Goddard, ’02, MA ’04 espite the rubber chicken on the front cover of her book, Doni Tamblyn is quite serious in her attempt to make humor a pedagogical consideration. Her Laugh and Learn: 95 Ways to Use Humor for More Effective Teaching and Training is 247 pages of instruction, research, and resources supporting the effectiveness of incorporating humor into the learning environment, even for those who consider themselves at a humor handicap.

Tamblyn presents her theories in three parts: “The What and Why” explains her definition of humor, gives a brief and for the most part jargon-free definition of what brain-compatible learning is and how it relates to humor. “The How” discusses basic rules for using humor in a learning environment and tips for enhancing student learning in a way that relieves stress, rather than promotes it. In this section Tamblyn also provides numerous simple exercises for incorporating humor, complete with tips and custom directions for both large and small groups. The last section, “The Who Me?” focuses on the teacher/trainer and provides final tips for fearlessly and successfully incorporating humor into the curriculum.

The most enjoyable aspect of this text is that it is theory, but it does not read like theory. Tamblyn provides the necessary references to important cognitive studies to support her credibility, yet her writing style best reflects her background as a former comedian. Every few pages, she includes quirky quotes regarding humor and learning, from Benjamin Disraeli to an anonymous six-year-old. She interjects her instructions with stories of her teaching experiences, both good and bad, but all funny.

Overall, Tamblyn’s text provides a good read while simultaneously introducing interesting ideas to consider as a teacher/trainer. After all, how many educators are taught to consider laughter as pedagogy?

D

Joni Goddard, ’02, MA ’04, is a Bay Area professor of English and composition. She is currently working on a book of critical essays on 18th-century female authors.

The Lost Summer by Charlotte Baker Montgomery, ’29; Nortex Press. To order this book, call the Mills Quarterly at (510) 4303312. Reviewed by Moya Stone, MFA ’03 n her hometown of Nacogdoches, Texas, Charlotte Baker Montgomery, ’29, is known for her dedication to animal rights. For 37 years, she wrote “Noah’s Notebook,” a regular column in her local paper offering information about animals of all kinds, and she is the published author and illustrator of numerous children’s books about animals. A recent addition to her list of titles is a young adult novel, The Lost Summer.

The Lost Summer is a touching, sometimes uncomfortable, story about Inky, a well-loved black cocker spaniel who gets separated from his family. From chapter to chapter, the reader travels along with Inky as he wanders unfamiliar streets tired and hungry, gets hit by a truck, and meets some very unpleasant, unkind people. Without anthropomorphizing, Mrs. Montgomery narrates the Inky scenes from his perspective—simply, and effectively: “Inky lay still, hearing tires rip by, smelling hot rubber and exhaust fumes. For a while after the first awful pain he felt numb. When he raised his head he saw only a blur of movement and light. Then darkness swallowed him up. . . . Cars came by him. R-i-i-p! Wh-o-o-o-sh! Vr-o-o-m! The blistering air from their passage filled his eyes and nose with grit.”

How many of us ever consider what it’s like for a dog, or any animal, to be hurt, lying by the side of the road, with no one to help?

Mrs. Montgomery brings that to life, causing some discomfort for the reader, but also pause for thought.

While Inky drifts from one bad situation to another, his owner, 11-year-old Paula, is beside herself with worry. She spends her summer off from school checking the local animal shelter and praying for Inky’s safe return. To help soothe her grief, Paula ends up volunteering at the shelter and learning all about the plights of lost and abandoned dogs and cats—lessons for the reader as well as for Paula.

The Lost Summer is not a happy, cozy, dog story, but rather a disturbing look at the callousness of humans toward animals. By narrating from Inky’s perspective, Mrs. Montgomery brings Inky’s experience into the hearts of her readers, thereby, one hopes, fostering in young readers stronger sensitivity and compassion for animals.

I

Moya Stone, MFA ’03, has recently finished her first young adult novel, Underground Ghosts, and while looking for a publisher, she is working on the companion novel. Moya also works in the Mills College Library.

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BOOKS BY MILLS AUTHORS

The Cat’s Guide to Famous Lovers by Helga Dudman (Helga Wolski Dudman, ’42); Carta <http://holylandjerusalem.com>. Reviewed by David M. Brin, MA ’75 elga Dudman’s delightful book gives the reader glimpses into the lives of varied and interesting cat lovers.

Finding T.S. Eliot among the 50 or so personages who are distinguished by their fondness for cats is not a surprise, but did you know that Pope Leo XII’s cat, Micetto, “often snuggled in the pope’s ample robes during interviews with dignitaries”? Or that Mark Twain’s view of cats was sufficiently positive (or his view of humanity sufficiently negative) that he is purported to have said, “If man could be crossed with a cat, it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.” Doris Lessing, Florence Nightingale, and Edgar Allan Poe are here along with Maurice Ravel and Queen Victoria. One of my favorites is E.T.A. Hoffman, the 19th-century composer and author who created Murr, one of the most beloved fictional cats. Murr, a poet and diarist, exemplifies what most cat owners know: that cats and the people who enjoy their company have many a story to tell.

H

David M. Brin, MA ’75, is the editor of the Mills Quarterly.

Women’s Poetry and Religion in Victorian England by Cynthia Scheinberg (Associate Professor of English); Cambridge University Press <www.cambridge.org>.

Reviewed by David M. Brin, MA ’75 ynthia Scheinberg has written a scholarly but readable book on four women poets of Victorian England, two Jewish and two Christian. She considers Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Christina Rossetti’s relation to their own femininity and to their concept of Jewishness and the Old Testament as well as their place as women writers in Victorian society. The works and lives of two Jewish writers, Grace Aguilar and Amy Levy, are also examined. While Aguilar and Levy are less well-known to most readers, they are worthy of attention, and Scheinberg sets them in context with their better-known contemporaries.

C

Cross Sections by Catherine Wagner (Professor of Art); Twin Palms Publishers with the San Jose Museum of Art and the American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science <www.twinpalms.com>.

Reviewed by David M. Brin, MA ’75 atherine Wagner has produced a stunning book of black-and-white images that blend art and science. Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) technologies, Wagner has created beautiful prints of cross sections of pumpkins and pomegranates and has continued to explore microscopic details of life, such as cells dividing and one-celled organisms. “I wondered what it might look like if I were to literally see through matter, and these technological tools afforded me the opportunity, allowing me to see otherwise invisible microcosms inside of structures of our bodies and everyday objects,” Wagner writes. Her exploration of the interior of living things gives the viewer a renewed sense of life’s awe and mystery.

Some of the photos are in a traveling exhibition entitled Gene(sis): Contemporary Art Explores Human Genomics. The exhibition has traveled to Seattle; Perth, Australia; and Minneapolis, and can be seen at the Berkeley Art Museum in Berkeley through November 2003; at the Harn Museum of Art, Gainesville, Florida from January through March 2004; at the Worcester Museum of Art, Worcester, Massachusetts, from April through June 2004; and at the Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, in the fall of 2004.

C

Daughters of History: Centennial Memoirs of the Daughters of California Pioneers Compiled and edited by Jane Van Rysselbergh Bernasconi, ’53, and others; Berkeley Hills Books <www.berkeleyhills.com>.

Reviewed by David M. Brin, MA ’75 ompiled for the centennial of the Daughters of California Pioneers, this book presents the stories of pioneering ancestors from the SpanishMexican period through the days of the wagon trains, the arrival of the Mormons, the Mexican-American War, and the Gold Rush. Told by descendents of the pioneers, the stories will fascinate California history buffs. Some of the details conveyed are family gems handed down through the generations.

The book includes photos, illustrations, and a collection of brief biographies written in 1917.

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BOOK SHELF

CONTINUED

Liberating Losses: When Death Brings Relief by Jennifer Elison and Chris McGonigle (Christine Caldwell McGonigle, ’71); Perseus Publishing <www.liberatinglosses.com>.

Reviewed by Martha Ross, MFA ’98 ome of us who’ve suffered the death of a loved one share a dirty secret. It is that we feel in varying ways relieved and even liberated by our loss. This would be true of the woman trapped in an emotionally abusive relationship; of the husband watching his wife die a long and painful death from an autoimmune disorder; of the expectant mother whose son is doomed by a heart defect to die within hours after birth.

These examples of people coping with “atypical” forms of grief are cited in Liberating Losses: When Death Brings Relief. Authors Jennifer Elison and Chris McGonigle use such stories to illustrate and explore the complex emotions unleashed by death. They want to give voice to feelings that are frowned upon by our society. They argue that we live in a culture that proscribes us from speaking ill of the dead (even if the dead person deserves it) and demands that caregivers feel ennobled—not depleted—by the challenge of looking after a terminally ill loved one. This thoughtful, gracefully written book is recommended for anyone who has suffered a loss and wants reassurance that there is no right or wrong way to grieve.

S

Martha Ross received her MFA in creative writing from Mills in 1998.

She currently works as an editor for Diablo magazine in Walnut Creek, California.

Reading Water: Lessons from the River

by Rebecca Lawton, MFA ’93; Capital Books <www.capital-books.com>.

Reviewed by Susan Bono or many of us, water is what comes out of a faucet, its force and music determined by its journey through pipes and drains. Rebecca Lawton’s new essay collection, Reading Water: Lessons from the River, takes us to a world beyond the reach of plumbing and launches us into the swirl of untamed currents. As one of America’s first women whitewater rafting guides, the Sonoma County author writes with authority about “house-sized reversals that eat boats,” as well as the beauty of “water-worn boulders studding the shores, the sandy streambed as rippled as an ocean floor.”

Throughout, Lawton describes her rivers’ moods and temperaments in unique ways to reveal aspects of human nature. In “Braided Love,” we learn there are two principal types of channel patterns: meandering and braided. She compares predictable relationships to meandering rivers, “looping and winding in great, mathematically definable serpentine curves.” Braided rivers—“dividing around islands and rejoining to divide again like the cords in a plait of hair”—remind her of her tumultuous romance with a charismatic boatman.

After traveling with her along various waterways of the West, we learn that for Lawton, each river has its own peculiar nature, as well as its particular lessons. Many of the lessons are painful, but in each Lawton finds “a motherlode of metaphor as rich as the river.”

F

Susan Bono is a Petaluma teacher, editor, and writer who has published Tiny Lights, a journal of personal essays, since 1995.

Tiny Lights’ website is <www.tiny-lights.com>.

Wear More Cashmere: 151 Luxurious Ways to Pamper Your Inner Princess

by Jennifer “Gin” Sander (Jennifer Basye Sander, ’81); Fair Winds Press <www.fairwindspress. com>. Reviewed by David M. Brin, MA ’75 his book is a lovely reminder that we could all use a little more pampering. Jennifer Sander tells you how to “Pick up your princess self, get out there, and get started.” Her suggestions are practical, and most are not expensive: turn your bedroom into a palace by lighting candles; buy fresh flowers; make chocolate pudding (out of really rich ingredients); spend an afternoon or evening reading in a comfortable chair. Her advice might be summed up as follows: “What do you really need in life? Air, water, food, shelter, and some black velvet.”

T

AUTHORS: The Mills library always welcomes donations of publications of alums. If you are a published author, illustrator, or musician, this is a great way to support your alma mater and at the same time increase exposure for your work. To donate, send your publication to Nancy MacKay, Head of Technical Services, F.W. Olin Library, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. For more information, contact Nancy MacKay at <mackay@mills.edu> or (510) 430-2028.

The Mills Quarterly likes to review books by alums as space permits. Please send your review copies to the Editor, Mills Quarterly, PO Box 9998, Oakland, CA 94613.

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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24 4:00 PM Soccer Team vs. Bethany College Soccer Field (510) 430-2172 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24 8:00 PM Parallel Lines: Los Cenzontles, Mexican music and dance Concert Hall (510) 430-2296 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 17, 8:00 PM; SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 8:00 PM; MONDAY, OCTOBER 20,

OCTOBER 28– NOVEMBER 16 Works by painter Martin Mull and prints by Bruce Nauman from the Anderson Collection of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Art Museum (510) 430-2164 OCTOBER 28–DECEMBER 14 AND JANUARY 13– MARCH 7 Works by Elizabeth Murray and Jennifer Bartlett From the Anderson Collection of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Haas Pavilion (510) 430-2172 NOVEMBER 11–23 Richard Serra and “Fusion” Art Museum (510) 430-2164 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18 5:30 PM Contemporary Writers Series Poet Michael Palmer Faculty Lounge, Rothwell Center (510) 430-2236

cellist Joan Jeanrenaud and ROVA Saxophone Quartet.

Concert Hall (510) 430-2296 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24 7:30 PM Center for Contemporary Music Songlines Series: Carsten Seifarth in a discussion of current sound art in Germany.

Ensemble Room.

(510) 430-2296 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25 5:30 PM English Department: Works in Progress

CALENDAR 8:00 PM; THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 8:00 PM; FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24, 8:00 PM; SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25, 7:00 PM Tymon based on Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens.

Lisser Hall (510) 430-3308 MONDAY, OCTOBER 27 7:30 PM Center for Contemporary Music Songlines Series: Gunda Gottschalk German violinist Gunda Gottschalk presents Watermoons, a solo concert featuring cascading sounds, strings, voice, and noise.

Ensemble Room (510) 430-2296

Maliheh Nakhai, ’05, co-captain of the Mills soccer team and Amanda Garcia, ’05 get the ball past a defender from Bethany College.

Art Museum (510) 430-2164 TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4 5:30 PM English Department: Works in Progress The third of a series of informal readings by MFA students and faculty.

Cafe Suzie (510) 430-2236 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7 7:30 PM Volleyball versus Notre Dame de Namur University

THURSDAY–SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20–22 8:00 PM Mills College Repertory Dance Concert Featuring Marble Halls by Mark Morris, staged by MFA candidate Penny Hutchinson Haas Pavilion (510) 430-2175 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22 8:00 PM Composer Annie Gosfield presents a program of her work. Performers will include

The fourth of a series of informal readings by MFA students and faculty.

Cafe Suzie (510) 430-2236 NOVEMBER 25– DECEMBER 7 Prints by Anni Albers from the Anderson Collection of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco Art Museum (510) 430-2164 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3 6–8 PM Kwanzaa Celebration Sponsored by the AAMC’s Diversity Committee.

Faculty Dining Room and Lounge.

(510) 430-2111 For more information about arts events at Mills, see <www.mills.edu/ artsevents>.

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Dorianne Laux

by Shana Youngdahl, ’01

D

orianne Laux graduated from Mills in 1989 with a BA in English. Two years after graduation, her first book of poems, Awake, was published by BOA editions.

Since then Laux has published two collections of poems, What We Carry and Smoke, and co-authored The Poet’s Companion with friend and fellow poet Kim Addonizio.

In 1994, after years of teaching independent workshops, Laux joined the faculty at the University of Oregon’s creative writing department, where she continues to teach. Laux has also received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Pushcart Prize for poetry, a Guggenhiem fellowship, and she has served as a judge for the National Book Award in poetry.

I had the opportunity to meet with Laux in her home in Eugene, Oregon, this winter to talk about Mills and writing. Of Mills, Laux says she “can’t speak highly enough,” and states, “until I left Mills I really didn’t realize how comprehensive an education it had been, how great my teachers were and who they were.” She came to Mills as a single mother who was intimidated by the size of U.C. Berkeley. “I went into Mills because I thought, this is a college with only 1,000 people, and I’m too scared to go to a college that’s bigger than this. I came out saying, I can do anything now.”

Laux was a working poet at Mills and brought many of the poems published in Awake to her workshops. She recalls going over to Professor Chana Bloch’s house to review her manuscript line by line. Laux came to writing as an adolescent, journaling constantly and hiding her work under her mattress. She claims her process has remained the same since then, “except now I don’t have to hide it. Also, when I was a mother I wrote whenever I had a chance, when the kid was asleep or at day care or someone was able to baby-sit. I fit my writing in, and that’s sort of the way it’s been my whole life. It’s come to be how I work best.”

Though many people begin writing in adolescence, Laux continued to make it her lifelong process. She says, “I think most people, when they hit that age—12, 13, 14, 15— it’s a time of introspection, a time when you are trying to figure out who you are with the three great questions: Who are we? Why are we here? Where are we going? Most people talk to themselves. [In doing so] they are making their soul. A lot of people will go through that phase and find enough out that they are able to move through their lives.

Then there are some people who can’t stop asking those questions. They never get bored with it.” She goes on to point out, “I don’t really think there’s much difference between the writer and the reader. I think the writer is the one who goes on; other people continue to make their soul by having a really nice garden or raising chickens or being a mechanic. They find their sustenance and the answer to their questions by the things that they do. Writers have to find what they need in their writing.”

Laux addresses the place of women in American literature today and how it has affected our culture. She points out that conferences and MFA programs are mostly populated by women, while college and university faculties are still mostly male. “In this regard,” she says, “Mills’ faculty has been ahead of its time.” Then she adds, “One of the things about women writing is that they’re coming from a place where the men have been on top and that’s who everyone is listening to. No one was listening to the women, so they could say anything they wanted to! Women are writing in ways that surprise and inform the culture. It’s like [Muriel] Rukeyser said: ‘If a woman told the truth about her life the world would break open.’ I figure if anyone is going to change the world, it’s going to be middle-aged women. They’ve done their thing, and they have all this energy. Many of them—their husbands have left them or have died, and they are on their own for the first time in their lives. There’s a whole part of the culture that we haven’t heard from; it’s this voice that has been ignored or tamped down.”

Shana Youngdahl, ’01, has written for Curve magazine and Nervy Girl! She is currently working toward her MFA in poetry at the University of Minnesota.

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EXCERPTS FROM DORIANNE LAUX’S LATEST BOOK, SMOKE. Death Comes To Me Again, A Girl

How It Will Happen, When

Death comes to me again, a girl in a cotton slip.

Barefoot, giggling. It’s not so terrible, she tells me, not like you think: all darkness and silence.

You’ll be reading and for a moment, you’ll see a word you don’t recognize, a simple word like cup or gate or wisp and you’ll ponder it like a child discovering language.

There are wind chimes and the scent of lemons.

Some days it rains. But more often the air is dry and sweet. We sit beneath the staircase built from hair and bone and listen to the voices of the living.

Cup, you’ll say it over and over until it begins to make sense, and that’s when you’ll say it, for the first time, out loud: He’s dead.

He’s not coming back, and it will be the first time you believe it.

I like it, she says, shaking the dust from her hair.

Especially when they fight, and when they sing.

AAMC Trips 2003–2004 European Holiday Shopping Cruise November 29–December 7 Discover the European Advent spirit as it was centuries ago with an incredible cruise to the Christkindmarkt, or Christmas Market. Explore the famous craft centers of Germany and Austria, which have specialized in Christmas crafts since the 15th century. $2,298 plus air Fiji Islands February 3–10 A warm summer experience in our winter season. $1,723 from San Francisco The Copper Canyon March 20–27 A canyon larger than Arizona’s Grand Canyon, where 50,000 Tarahumara Indians live much as their ancestors lived. $2,495 plus air to Phoenix Art and Architecture in Seattle, Tacoma, and Victoria March 29–April 5 Visit the new Tacoma Museum, Chihuly’s Bridge of Glass to the Museum of Glass, the new Seattle Library, the Seattle Museum, and the Royal Museum of Victoria. $2,176, plus air

Alumni College in Ronda, Spain April 19–28 Lodging will be at the site of the historic old town hall converted to an opulent parador for modern travelers. The convenience of unpacking once with excursions to Sevilla, Costa del Sol, Jereza, and Cadiz. All meals included. $2,195 land only; $3,195 includes air The Imperial Passage on the Elbe River May 24–June 6 Charts a course through history with visits to Krakow, Warsaw, Berlin, Meissen, Dresden, and Prague. $2,995 land only; $4,495 including air Alaska Inland Passage on the Yorktown Clipper May 29–June 5 A naturalist and historian will be on board to speak on each day’s events. $2,250 plus air; Many optional excursions A Tale of Two Cities June 4–13 Cost-effectiveness and comfort of group travel. Four days in London and four days in Paris. Included is a panoramic tour of each city and plenty of time for your own adventures. Go to <www.orionworldwidetravel.com/mills> for details and registration. $1,310 plus air For more information about AAMC trips, please call (510) 430-2110 or email <lkrane@mills.edu>.

RUSSELL JOHNSON, COURTESY OF THE MUSEUM OF GLASS

M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY FA L L 2 0 0 3

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PASSAGES Gifts in Honor of Laura Lundegaard Anderson, ’45, by Christopher Anderson and Eleanore Lundegaard Nissen, ’42 Dorothy Profant Artaud, ’43, MA ’44, by Mimi Artaud Lara, ’70 Lynne Bantle, ’74,

by Karen May, ’86 Micheline Beam, ’72,

by Karen May, ’86 Enrico and Jane Van Rysselberghe Bernasconi, ’53,

by Barbara Hunter, ’57 Dr. Darl Bowers by Deborah Zambianco, ’70 Brandy Tuzon Boyd, ’91,

by Lisa Kosiewicz, ’91 Anne Gillespie Brown, ’68,

by Karen May, ’86 Kay Miller Browne, ’53,

by Carol Barkstrom Carney, ’53 Shirley Bruton, ’75,

by Patrice Bruton Cotham, ’78 Donna Nishiyama Chan, ’90,

by Sally Collins, ’91 Harriet Fong Chan, ’98,

by Karen May, ’86 Katie Dudley Chase, ’61,

by Sharon Tatai, ’80 Fred and Zada Clarke,

by Melody Clarke Teppola, ’64 Joan Coleman,

by Elaine Grossberg Dr. Wanda Corn

by Doree Allen, ’78, and Pamela Grau Twena, ’77 Joe and Dr. Wanda Corn by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Margaret Budinger Dunlap, MA ’91, by Miriam Savage Budinger, ’59 Remedios Espena,

by Joy Espena, ’97 Barbara Evans, ’63, by Phyllis Cole Bader, ’35, Jane Cudlip King, ’42, and Cathy McCormack McGilvray, ’56 Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45,

by Tamra Cummings Hege,

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MA ’97, Jane Cudlip King, ’42, Karen May, ’86, Alice Gonnerman Mueller, ’42, and Robina Royer, ’80 Gabrielle Filip-Crawford, ’03,

by Maud Steyaert, ’88 Dorothelle Willard Fites, ’39, MA ’61, by Heather Shepherd, ’96 Lynn Eve Komaromi Fortin, ’87,

by Karen May, ’86 Shirley Seip Foster, ’53,

by Cathy Foster Koko, ’85 Corinne Gilb by Pam Kreis Van Atta, ’61 Ashley Gilmore, ’03,

by Katie Thomas, ’88 Richard Gray, by Kristen Baumgardner Caven, ’88 Gretchen Bennett Guethner, ’82, by William Fallon Jean Marples Hammond, ’53,

by Marie Vial Hall, ’53 Diane Pitcher Hoffman, ’63, by Kathryn Forsyth Ashworth, ’63 April Hopkins, MFA ’03,

by Suzanne Hough and Sally Randel Barbara Hunter, ’57, by Phyllis Cole Bader, ’35, Barbara Evans, ’63, Jeannine Sova Jones, ’57, Jane Cudlip King, ’42, and Cathy McCormack McGilvray, ’56 Dr. A. Pringle Jameson

by Helen Binkley Gerbracht, ’37 Linda Jaquez-Fissori, ’92,

by Karen May, ’86 Judy Greenwood Jones, ’60,

by Karen May, ’86 Sally Jones by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Stephan Jost by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Jane Cudlip King, ’42,

by Barbara Evans, ’63, Karen May, ’86, Cathy McCormack McGilvray, ’56, and Sue Bengston Steele, ’42 Doreen Kolling

by Pearl Eng Kolling, ’72 Stephanie Miller Koran, ’66, by the Palo Alto Area Mills

College Club Liza Kuney, ’88,

by Michelle Balovich, ’03 Abraham and Sadie Lebenkoff

by Ethel Lebenkoff, MFA ’98 David Saft and Laura Lehrhoff – Congratulations on your wedding, by Julia Almanzan, ’92 Barbara Li Santi,

by Cathy LaRoche, ’85 Leila Lyons by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Leah Hardcastle Mac Neil, MA ’51, by Karen May, ’86 Lisa and John Malloy by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Karen May, ’86,

by Jane Cudlip King, ’42 Sara McClure, ’81, by Karen May, ’86 Cathy McCormack McGilvray, ’56, by Jane Cudlip King, ’42 Rachael Meny, ’92,

by Karen May, ’86 Madeleine Milhaud

by Kit Farrow Jorrens, ’57 Ronnie Alcalay Mindoff, ’81,

by Carol Rugetti Alcalay, ’53 Dr. Esther Lee Mirmow

by Sue Tucker Farrar, ’68 Patricia Mok, ’81,

by Karen May, ’86 Nangee Warner Morrison, ’63,

by Karen May, ’86 Jennifer Moxley, ’93,

by Karen May, ’86 Izzy Schemel Mulcahy, ’44,

by Phyllis Cole Bader, ’35, and Jane Cudlip King, ’42 Howard Neal,

by Elly McDonald Meyer, ’36 Margaret Saunders Ott, ’40,

by Ellen Graue Ferris, ’46, MA ’51 Patsy Chen Peng, ’51, MA ’53,

by Nancy Kenealy Soper, ’51 Marty McMaster Quimby, ’51,

by Leah Hardcastle Mac Neil, MA ’51 Dorothy Jane McVeigh Raney, ’45, by Nancy May de L’Arbre, ’46 June Burley Rensch, ’52, Happy Birthday! by Jacquelyn Jagger Parsons, ’52

Maureen and Paul Roskoph by the Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Dr. Marianne Sheldon

by Angela Luna, ’93, and Karen Soots Pare, ’91 Robin Smith, ’00,

by Breonna Cole, ’00 Sue Bengston Steele, ’42, Happy Birthday!

by Jane Cudlip King, ’42 Sharon Tatai, ’80,

by Karen May, ’86 Mark Teppola

by Melody Clarke Teppola, ’64 Margaret Stern Thornton, ’65,

by Susy Stern Fineman, ’68 Nicole Urbach, ’03,

by Maud Steyaert, ’88 Toni Renee Vierra, ’98,

by Karen May, ’86 Keith Vinson, MA ’88,

by Camellia El-Antably, ’95 Sarah Washington-Robinson, ’72, by Karen May, ’86 Dr. Reynold Wik

by Kit Farrow Jorrens, ’57 Flo Young Wong,

by Phyllis Broadnax Sheryl Wooldridge, ’77,

by Karen May, ’86 Jane Buehler Yates, ’59,

by Jane Cudlip King, ’42 Bevo Johnson Zellick, ’49, MA ’50, by Karen May, ’86 The AAMC Staff

by Patricia Mok, ’81 The Class of 1948

by Norma Feinn Rose, ’48 The Class of 1958

by Drusilla Eaton Binney, ’58 The Class of 1968

by Cynthia Duncan McIntyre, ’68

Gifts in Memory of Bernard Abramovich

by Jennifer Church Hahus, ’80 Suzanne Adams, ’48, by Betty Jo Chesney, Christine Daniel, ’86, Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45, Terry Hinkle Fairman, ’68, and Ruthie Sherrill Webb, ’48

Passages Jane Babcock Akins, ’40,

by Grace Sakata Sugiyama, ’40, and Norma Godfrey Vermilion, ’41 George Anderson by Muggy Feather Anderson, ’53 James Anderson

by Eleanor Fisk McCabe, ’45 Laura Balas, ’92,

by Helen Hovdesven Nina Keats Ball, ’60, by Barbara Christy Wagner, ’59 Molly Moroney Barkdoll, ’53,

by Sally Vilas Whiffen, ’53 Mr. and Mrs. Edward Barkstrom

by Carol Barkstrom Carney, ’53 June Barnum, ’50,

by Paula Merrix Sporck, ’46, and Sharon Tatai, ’80 Dorothy Brown Bronson, ’24, by Virginia Brown Liebergesell, ’53 Dottie Milliken Bullen, ’36,

by Thea Gast Greni Porter Caldecott, ’39,

by Pauline Trabucco, ’39 Katherine Caldwell

by Willa Klug Baum, MA ’50, and Carolyn Price Dyer, ’53, MA ’55 Terry Foskett Camacho, ’61,

by Kate Lantz Brewer, ’61, and Connie Gilbert, ’61 Jane Cassedy, ’37, by Fieby Fieberling Castor, ’37, and Lorna DuMont Shinkle, ’79 Borgee Ng Chinn, ’41,

by Jane Chang, Jocelyn Chang, Gary Fong, William Jue, Lane Nishikawa, Peter Pan, Jean Morgan Randall, ’41, Loretta Siu, Norma Godfrey Vermilion, ’41, Imy Fluno Whipple, ’43, Carolyn Willing, Dr. Judy Wong, and Carolyn Yee Gretchen Davidson Crowell, ’59,

by Barbara Christy Wagner, ’59 Peg Deane, ’41,

by Mary Hart Clark, ’42, and Loadel Harter Piner, ’50 Madeline Clark Divine, ’39,

by Pauline Trabucco, ’39 Dr. Justin Dorgeloh by Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45 Ginny Peterson DuMont, ’38,

by Jayne DuMont Mack, ’67

Carolee Rodgers Finney, ’48, by Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45, Elaine Younglove Lowe, ’48, and Ruthie Sherrill Webb, ’48 Roberta Foster by Diana Birtwistle Odermatt, ’60 Deborah Freiser, ’68,

by Susy Stern Fineman, ’68 Charlotte Frey

by Helena Kramer Kennedy, ’68 Gertrude Fujisaki

by Faye Fujisaki Mar, MA ’71 Isobel Douglas Gallagher, ’38,

by Betty Lane Baker, ’38, Christopher Gardner, and Dr. Patricia Tudbury, ’38 Dr. Barbara Garcia

by Sharon Heaton Kinney, ’56 Philip George

by Betsy Becker Epperson, ’49 Helen Odell Gilbert-Bushnell, ’43, by Madeleine Ebbesen Davis, ’46 Ruth Gillard, ’36,

by Florence Selvin Drake, ’35, Sue Tucker Farrar, ’68, Barbara Tudor Parker, ’36, MA ’41, Margaret Goold Slater, ’38, and Addie Hughes Thompson, ’36 Sara Amodei Grosskettler, ’58,

by Dru Eaton Binney, ’58 Bette Smith Guithues, ’35,

by Elizabeth McCaughin Mallory, ’48 Elaine Johnson Gutleben, ’44,

by Anne Sherwood Copenhagen, ’44, Marilyn Well Hyde, ’44, Jane Cudlip King, ’42, and Leah Hardcastle Mac Neil, MA ’51 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Halsted

by Koko Tsunematsu Tajima, ’69, MA ’71 Jean Foster Hargrove, ’29,

by Janet Armes Koupal, ’57 Betsy Rulison Harrington, ’40,

by Helen Smith Lou Harrison

by Joan Bell Cowan, MA ’85 Dr. William Hein

by Margaret Hein Theodore Hoffman, MA ’51,

by Leah Hardcastle Mac Neil, MA ’51 Edith Peterson Hutcheon, ’32,

by Jayne DuMont Mack, ’67

Irma Cummins Johnson, ’34,

by Elizabeth Swanson Fred Joyce

by Florence Selvin Drake, ’35 Lorraine Dewing Laird, ’37,

by Janet Armes Koupal, ’57 Carol Leland

by Janet Armes Koupal, ’57 Alexander Lieberman by Angela Thorpe Roebber, ’51, MA ’53 Lesa Hook Lips

by Yoko Tahiro Olsgaard, ’77 Sandra Cowan Long, ’61,

by Kate Lantz Brewer, ’61

Kawai Lui, ’74, by Hoo Kai Lui Raymond Lutzker by Helen Licht Margaret Oakley Mattis, ’41,

by Janet Oakley Moberly, ’41 Darius Milhaud by Marilyn Meany Shook, ’47 Martha Tway Mills, ’45, by Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45 Glenn Mowry

by Flora Kirschner Isaacson, ’54 Henry Ng

by Patricia Yoshida Orr, ’63 Roi Partridge

by Mary Fisher Moller, ’39

Elaine Johnson Gutleben, ’44 Elaine Johnson Gutleben, ’44, died on July 7 in Alaska after a tragic car accident. Her message to her friends was, “Spread the news: I have had a happy life . . . ” These friends have described her as being “gracious and noble,” having “great strength of character and personal courage,” and being a “good and happy person.” It was hard not to enjoy being in her presence.

Elaine was also an alumna who had a lifelong connection to the Alumnae Association and Mills after her graduation. She was president of the Oakland Branch from 1949 to 1950. She organized her class’ 15th Reunion in 1959 (when dinner was $3.00 per person), and then again in 1989 (no word on the cost). After declining invitations to join the Board of Governors in 1950 and 1956, she joined the Board for a three-year term in 1960.

Elaine once wrote, “There are few things I would not attempt for Mills—[I would] spark life into a lagging branch, plan Reunions that send everyone home happy and rekindled, collect trunk-loads of rummage, fill in for a commercial photographer, and lecture on ‘What Makes a Good Picture’ (I do not take pictures), but CLASS AGENT (!), thank you, but I don’t think so.” Those were the lines of her first class agent letter in 1966; she served until 1968. She later served as Decade Representative for the Class Agents for the 1940s. In more recent years, Elaine’s passion was serving on the Alumnae Association’s Travel Committee and in leading some of the Association’s trips.

Elaine paid attention to detail, and liked to have things be “just so.” Perhaps it is not a surprise, then, that she worked in the Office of Record at the College from 1969 to 1984. President Holmgren wrote that Elaine was a “treasured member of the Mills community, and we will miss her very much.”

She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Chester (Chet) T. Gutleben, two children, and three grandchildren.

—Anne Gillespie Brown, ’68

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Passages Hilary Stanton Pattee, ’40, by Patsy Chen Peng, ’51, MA ’53 Ann Paxton

by Kathleen Miller Janes, ’69 Joann Estey Payne, ’53, by Susan Wendel Black, ’53, and Emily McFadon Vincent, ’53 Margaret Alvord Pearson, ’59,

by Barbara Christy Wagner, ’59 Elizabeth Penaat, ’55,

by Joan Knuth Houston, ’55 Meg Quigley, ’63,

by Kiran Bawa, ’91 Rubye Campodonico Reade, ’33,

by Alice London Bishop, ’58, Relda Levy Eschen, ’33, and Owsley Hammond Jinny Carleton Reinhardt, ’39, MA ’42, by Leone La Duke Evans MA ’45, and Sue Tucker Farrar, ’68 Connie Rosenbaum, ’68,

by Gale Young Lingle, ’68 Dean and Ginny Foisie Rusk, ’36,

by Kay Anderson Stanley, ’35 Kimie Yanagawa Sanematsu, ’37,

by Kyoko Hoshiga Mukai, ’37, MA ’39 Jane Griffith Sebastian, ’42,

by Lesley Griffith Sproul, ’47 Carl Silverhart by Nancy Silverhart Shulman, ’60 Martha Malmo Smersh, ’46,

by Nicky Nicholson Turchi, ’47 Silver Sparks, ’57,

by Janet Armes Koupal, ’57 Robert Stalker

by Jean Morgan Randall, ’41 Myra Hall Stapler, ’40,

by Priscilla-Joy Everts, ’40, and Edith Merrell Swayne, ’42 Margaret Thompson Stryble, ’35,

by Phyllis Cole Bader, ’35 Dorothy Brimmer Swanson, ’48,

by Barbara Keaton Barnes, ’48 Koh Tatai by Tomoye Tatai Helen Bailey Thirion, ’28, by Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45 Charles Richard Trotter

by Judy Torrence Trotter, ’67 Louise (“Weezie”) Hayes Vanderliet, ’53, by Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45, and Sharon Tatai, ’80 Jamie Sonneland Vocature, ’73,

by Harriet Young Wilcox, ’73 Imogene and Franklin Walker

by Kit Farrow Jorrens, ’57 Jane Starbuck Wheatley, ’47, by Madeleine Ebbesen Davis, ’46 Helen Walker White, ’36,

by Carolin Mumper Benezit, ’62, and Addie Hughes Thompson, ’36

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Katharine French Willi, ’47,

by Norma Ross Maris, ’47, Jan Clark McCoy, ’47, and Liz Feldman Rosenfeld, ’47 Akira Yoshida

by Barbara Goldblatt Becker, ’63, Wendy Ng, ’79, and Patricia Yoshida Orr, ’63 Toshiko Yoshida,

by Wendy Ng, ’79, and Patricia Yoshida Orr, ’63 Ian Zellick, MA ’52,

by Waki Ballard Howles, ’52 The Deceased Members of the Class of 1956 by Barbara Parsons Sheldon, ’56

Manya Shayon Ungar, ’50 A longtime champion of public education, Mrs. Ungar lobbied on behalf of education at local, state, and federal levels. She served as the president of the New Jersey State PTA, vice president of legislative activities of the National PTA, and ultimately president of the seven-million-member organization. In her efforts to bolster public education, she appeared before Congress and Presidents Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton. She continued her volunteer work on behalf of a number of organizations including the New Jersey Math Coalition, the Martin Luther King Federal Holiday Commission, the National Commission for Drug-Free Schools, and the Centers for Disease Control Task Force on AIDS Prevention for Adolescent Youth. As a former professional actress and singer, she combined her love of the theater with her love of children by founding and co-directing the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Summer Theater Workshop. She is survived by her husband, H.F. “Skip” Ungar, two sons, and five grandchildren.

Esther Lee Mirmow Tom G. is Sonoma’s premier handyman; by his own modest admission, he can fix everything, build anything. Big and strong, a motorcycle enthusiast, he was called about a year ago to put a railing on the ramp to Lee Mirmow’s front door. That’s the first time he met Lee and Mary Helen Barrett, her long-time friend and housemate. From then on, he was hooked. He called them “my girls,” and offered to come at any time, day or night, to help out, especially to fix Lee’s motorized wheelchair, which always needed fixing. And he did, a number of times, and never charged a penny.

That’s the effect Lee had on people. To say that she made friends easily is like saying the sun is bright. More than that, her company made people feel good about themselves, she inspired self-confidence, she made people feel that what they said had substance. She was a good listener.

At the same time, Lee was never afraid to speak her mind. Many of her students sought her advice and she gave it to them, straight and simple. Even after her retirement, her former students still came to visit at her home in Sonoma, and one of those students, Mandy McManus, ’77, thought enough of her to endow the Esther Lee Mirmow Chair in Psychology, currently held by Professor Carol George.

Lee was a leader in the faculty, at the forefront of many changes in curriculum and procedures during the 40 years of her tenure at Mills. For many of those years she was chair of the psychology department.

As a colleague in committee meetings she was a delight. Usually the first to detect balderdash and bunk, she brought us quickly back to talking sense.

Youngest of three sisters in a pretty traditional family, Lee took an unexpected road early on. After attending Smith College, she accepted a scholarship for graduate work, and then there was no turning back: she had found her role in life and stayed with it. In an interview published in the Mills Quarterly at the time of her retirement, she confessed to feeling a certain amount of guilt over her original choice—it was, after all, the war years, and young women were expected to roll bandages or some such chore, not relax in a classroom—but she expressed no second thoughts about her eventual choice.

But perhaps these paragraphs make Lee seem merely a paragon of solemn rectitude. There was more. She had a marvelous, quirky sense of humor. She enjoyed parties and the company of friends above almost everything. Those of us who lived close enough to visit her and Mary Helen in their Sonoma home, where they lived all the years of Lee’s retirement, always enjoyed a warm welcome and cheerful hospitality. Her Fourth of July parties—where we all came early and sat outside at the curb to watch Sonoma’s wonderful parade—were legendary. And even after she was confined to a wheelchair, she directed the choice of dinnerware and cutlery and wine at her dinner parties like a major domo.

Herself the product of a women’s college, she will long be remembered as a strong supporter of Mills as a women’s college. She loomed large in the management of College policy while she was actively teaching, and her memory will continue for many College generations to come. She is sorely missed by everyone who was touched by her presence.

—Allan Wendt, Professor Emeritus of English

Mills Gifts!

Campus Gift Cards The Alumni Association of Mills College is happy to announce a new gift idea. Local Color Cards produces excellent photographic greeting cards of the Mills campus that have been a fixture in the campus bookstore for more than a decade. These handsome, handmade cards with envelopes capture the beauty of our campus setting. A portion of each sale is contributed to the AAMC. To view and purchase these unique items, go to <www.localcolorcards.com> and click on “Colleges.”

Mills “Post-It” Notes These note pads show a eucalyptus branch and the motto “Remember who you are & what you represent.” The lettering is green on yellow paper, and they come in pads of 50 at $2.50 each plus $1.00 shipping and handling for each order. Mail your check, payable to PAAMCC, to Cynthia McLaughlin, 797 Castle Hill Road, Redwood City, CA 94061.

PEG SKORPINSKI

Mills Hall Holiday Ornament The Alumnae Association of Mills College is pleased to offer a limited edition of the Mills Hall Holiday Ornament! This is the first in a series of historical campus buildings that will be produced over the next several years. This two-dimensional recreation of Mills Hall is made from solid brass and finished in 24-karat frost and shiny gold. Each ornament includes a colorful ribbon for hanging and is presented in a gift box. Buy an ornament for your own holiday celebration, give as a sentimental reminder of your college years to a friend, a gift for a graduate, or as a thank you gift for your favorite professor.

Order form Mills Hall Holiday Ornament $20 if you pick it up at the office $22 per ornament if you would like it shipped to you

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Number you would like _______ If you have questions, please contact Laurie Krane at (510) 430-2110 or email <lkrane@mills.edu>.

Dear Alums, My name is Sharada and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m

a junior at Mills this year. I have worked for the Alumnae Ass ociation since my freshman year.

I am pursuing my BA in En glish and hope to be a journa list someday. For now, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pro ud to be a writer and editor for the Mills Weekly.

Over the course of the two years I have spent at Mills College and at the AAMC, I have ha d the opportunity and pleasu re of meeting many interesting alu mnae. Your gift in support of student scholarships and faculty sal aries means a lot to studen ts and professors alike. Please contin ue your generous support of the Alumnae Fund!

Mills Quarterly Alumnae Association of Mills College Reinhardt Alumnae House Mills College PO Box 9998 Oakland, CA 94613-0998 (510) 430-2110 aamc@mills.edu <www.mills.edu> Please let us know if your address, phone number, or email address has changed. Send us email at <aamcrcds@mills.edu> or call us at the above phone number.

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