Mills Quarterly fall 2008

Meet the provost



They write—and make—the books



Reunion revisited

Mills Quarterly Fall 2008 Alumnae Magazine

Music at Mills From Milhaud to Mauleón

“Each morning,

as I approach the doors of Geranium Preschool, my heart skips a beat,

for I know that here at Mills I am living out my dream of being a teacher.

Nowhere else could I teach and learn simultaneously.

Nowhere else would I feel that others are investing in my future just as much as I am.”

Help more students like Caitlin attend Mills!

Caitlin Alegre-Thiry ’09 Major:

Child development.

Student-teaching practicum at the Mills College Children’s School.

Favorite class:

By awarding her a four-year scholarship package supported by individual donors like you.

How Mills invests in her:

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

Send a gift in the enclosed envelope.

Give online at www.mills.edu/giving.

15 12

12

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40

Mills Quarterly

contents

Fall 2008 12

A conversation with the provost by Valerie Sullivan

Sandra Greer arrives on campus with a wealth of experience and strong ideas on increasing women’s opportunities through education.

15

Living in the whole world of music by David W. Bernstein

Generations of musicians have contributed to the world-class reputation of the Mills Music Department. Today’s faculty continue to ensure that the College offers the best in artistry and teaching with a global perspective.

18 A woman of notes by Rachel Howard Pauline Oliveros made her own scene as one of the originators of electronic music in the 1950s.

Her example teaches women to claim their own voices in contemporary creative music.

20 Rising stars by Pamela Wilson and Linda Schmidt As they draw from disparate cultures and techniques, four recent music graduates forge the cutting edge of musical composition and performance.

22 A new chapter in book art by Sarah Stevenson With expanded studios and a new dual graduate degree program, book art and creative writing continue to build their reputations.

24 Alumnae awards and classmate connections highlight Reunion 2008 Three alumnae are honored with AAMC awards for service and achievement. Plus: other Reunion events and highlights.

40 Learning from experience by Sarah Stevenson For the past half century, the Class of 1958 has participated in a long-term psychological study of women’s development. The findings have meaning for all of us.

Departments 2 Campus Contacts 3

Letter to the Editor

4

Leadership Perspectives

6

Mills Matters

26 Bookshelf 28 Class Notes 38 In Memoriam

on the cover: Jazz musician Rebeca Mauleón ’89, MA ’97 and her band performed in the Student Union at this year’s Reunion, just a day before appearing at the Monterey Jazz Festival. Photo by Dana Davis.

Volume XCVII Number 2 (USPS 349-900) Fall 2008

At Mills, for Alumnae Alumnae Relations 510.430.2123 www.mills.edu/alumnae Find out about Reunion, alumnae clubs, and events; update your contact information; and request our @mills enewsletter.

Email: alumnae-relations@mills.edu Laura Gobbi, Director.....................510.430.2112 Alexandra Wong, Program Coordinator.................... 510.430.3363 Email for life https://alumnae.mills.edu Alumnae Admissions Representatives 510.430.2135 Help prospective students learn more about the College.

Joan Jaffe, Associate Dean of Admission Email: Joanj@mills.edu Career Services 510.430.2130 Connect with other alumnae in your field through Mills’ career network.

Giving to Mills www.mills.edu/giving Make gifts to the Mills College Annual Fund or the AAMC endowment.

Holly Stanco, Annual Fund Director Email: hstanco@mills.edu ...........510.430.2366 To contact any of these Mills College staff or offices by mail, please write to: Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613 Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) Learn about AAMC membership, merchandise, travel programs, Board of Governors, committee meetings, or reach your elected representatives on the College’s Board of Trustees Email: aamc@mills.edu..................510.430.2110 Anita Aragon Bowers ’63, President....................................... 510.430.3374 Email: AnitaAragonBowers@alumnae.mills.edu Bill White, Accountant................... 510.430.3373 To contact the Alumnae Association of Mills College, please write to: AAMC, P.O. Box 9998, Oakland, CA 94613-0998

2

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

President Janet L. Holmgren Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement Ramon S. Torrecilha Vice President for Development Virginia V. Rivera Director of Development and Alumnae Communications Dawn Cunningham ’85 Managing Editor Linda Schmidt Design and Art Direction Nancy Siller Wilson Contributing Writers Rachel Howard Kelsey Lindquist ’10 Valerie Sullivan Sarah Stevenson, MFA ’04 Pamela Wilson Research Assistance Amber Williams ’10 Editorial Assistance Kelsey Lindquist ’10 Special Thanks To Anita Aragon Bowers ’63 The Mills Quarterly (USPS 349-900) is published quarterly by Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, California, and at additional mailing office(s). Postmaster: Send address changes to the Office of Institutional Advancement, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613.

Copyright © 2008, Mills College.

Address correspondence to the Mills Quarterly, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613. Letters to the editor may be edited for clarity or length.

Email: quarterly@mills.edu Phone: 510.430.3312 Printed on recycled paper containing 30 percent post-consumer waste.

No secret: class agents inspire giving to Mills The Mills College Annual Fund is seeking volunteers from the following classes to serve as class agents:

Kit Farrow Jorrens ’57 (left) visits Madeleine Milhaud in Paris, 2002.

Letter to the Editor It was with immense joy that I joined my 1957 classmates in attending our

1944

1950

1968

1972

1978

1987

1945

1951

1970

1973

1981

1990

1948

1955

1971

1974

1983

1994

1996

50th Reunion in October 2007. I sent my Reunion gift to the Annual Fund in honor of my former French drama and poetry professor, Madeleine Milhaud, who was

Agents encourage annual giving to Mills by sending an annual letter to classmates and by helping the

living in Paris at that time, aged 105. Our

College thank its supporters. If you’re interested

resilient Madeleine died on January 17,

in serving as a class agent or would like more

2008, as noted in the Summer Quarterly

information, please contact Danielle Brown

by David Bernstein, then chair of the

Stapleton at 510.430.3331 or dabrown@mills.edu.

Music Department.

I had a sublime visit with Madeleine at her Place Pigalle apartment in Paris in June 2002, following her 100th birthday.

Frail in body but strong in spirit, she was her vibrant, witty self as she recalled the luminous moments of her life, including nearly 50 years of marriage to her first cousin, the renowned composer Darius Milhaud, who died in 1974. After the German invasion of Paris in 1940, the Milhauds fled the country and began their extraordinary teaching at Mills College. As a French major, I, along with legions of undergraduate and graduate students, reaped the enormous benefits of their presence on campus. I spent my junior and graduate years abroad when the Milhauds were also in Paris. What truly magnificent moments we shared.

By coming to Mills, I was forever blessed to have this radiant and valiant professor touch my life for more than 50 years.

—Kit Farrow Jorrens ’57 Acton, Massachusetts

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3

Leadership

A Message from AAMC President Anita Aragon Bowers ’63

Anita Aragon Bowers ’63 with classmates Beth Feldhammer Eiselman (left) and Roberta "Bobbi" Meyer Bear (right).

student newspaper, the Mills website, and other publications. You can directly support student recruitment by becoming an Alumnae Admissions Representative.

Contact Mills College’s Career Services about becoming a mentor to students or other alumnae. Your AAMC card entitles you to use the library, swimming pool, and gym; it also gives you reduced or free admission to campus events. Take part in regional branch or club events; for more information, contact Laura Gobbi, direc-

As I reflect on Reunion 2008—which was

ing, and fun—from the AAMC Awards

tor of alumnae relations at Mills College.

especially meaningful to me because it

Luncheon (see page 24) to the open stu-

Look for contact information for Laura

was my 45th—the word that is uppermost

dio of Professor Hung Liu (whose Going

and various Mills offices on page 2.

in my mind is “connection.”

Away, Coming Home mural was our visual

In addition, I urge you to nominate

Since the inception of the Alumnae

theme for Reunion) to the Saturday night

a candidate for Alumna Trustee. Three

Association of Mills College (AAMC) in

dinners of each reunioning class (which

Alumnae Trustees sit on both the AAMC

1879, one of the group’s main intentions

are always a high point of the weekend).

Board of Governors and the College

has always been to facilitate ongoing

Reunion participants became students

Board of Trustees. It is an excellent way

connections among alumnae and to the

again by attending classroom lectures and

for our voices to be heard at the College’s

College. This continues to be a primary

other faculty and student presentations;

deliberations on important issues. See the

goal of the AAMC today. Reunion events

we marveled at the accomplishments of

inside back cover of this Quarterly for

provide optimum opportunities for real-

today’s articulate, passionate Mills stu-

further information about the Alumna

izing the goal of connectedness while

dents; we saw exciting physical transfor-

Trustee

they allow us to honor our past, celebrate

mations on campus; and we learned about

encourage you to nominate candidates

the present, and embrace the future.

curricular and demographic changes

for the Outstanding Alumnae Awards (see

during President Holmgren’s informative

page 25).

Whether we are recent graduates or celebrating our 60th Reunion, many of

State-of-the-College Address.

nomination

process.

I

also

There are more than 20,000 Mills alum-

us returned to campus September 18–21

Alumnae were an integral part of the

nae throughout the world. Imagine the

to delight in the warmth of friendships

Mills community during Reunion, and

powerful, positive support we can give

sustained through the years. As AAMC

there are many opportunities throughout

our alma mater through the investment

president, it was my special pleasure to

the year to contribute our unique expe-

of our intellectual, emotional, and finan-

become acquainted with alumnae from

riences and vision for the benefit of our

cial capital. I encourage you to join our

all the reunioning classes. I extend my

College. Our actions and involvement

efforts to ensure that Mills continues to

heartfelt thanks to the AAMC volunteers

can support the educational mission

be a distinguished college at the cutting

and College staff who planned and facili-

and the strategic plans of the College in

edge of higher education.

tated a very successful four days.

many ways. I encourage you to remain

Events throughout Reunion Weekend

informed by reading the Quarterly, the

Sincerely,

were varied, inspiring, thought-provok-

@mills email newsletter, The Campanil

Anita Aragon Bowers ’63

4

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

Perspectives A Message from Mills College President Janet L. Holmgren

Not since the fall of 2001 have we had

arrangement between the College and

such a tumultuous and challenging polit-

the Alumnae Association of Mills College

ical and economic climate for the launch

(AAMC), we worked together to provide

of the academic year. The nation and the

a memorable and informative event for

world community are roiling with ques-

a record-breaking number of alumnae:

tions about social change, economic

81 from class years ending in 3, 118

stability, and the environment. In the

from those ending in 8, and more than

context of these challenges, it is truly a

50 alumnae from other classes. Activities

privilege to lead an academic community

throughout the weekend focused on the

that is full of the enduring strength and

core values of connection and investment

vitality that lie at the heart of successful

in women as “holding up half the sky”

educational endeavors. Mills is strategi-

that lie at the heart of Mills College.

cally focused on the education of our stu-

The tone for this inspiring time of

dents, whose creative, generative work

“Going Away, Coming Home” (as cap-

will change the future of our society.

tured in the beautiful artwork of Mills

There are many positive indicators that

faculty member Hung Liu reproduced

the 2008–09 academic year will be filled

on the Reunion brochure) was reflected

with energy, achievement, and distinction.

in events throughout Reunion. Class of

This fall marks the beginning of another

1958 alumna Trisha Brown, a renowned

academic year with record enrollment

choreographer, experimentalist, and artis-

for our current and future students. The

at the College. There are 1,481 students

tic leader, spoke at Convocation about

50th Reunion class led the charge with

enrolled at Mills: 973 undergraduates and

her career path, her willingness to take

the creation of the Class of 1958 Endowed

508 graduate students. A new strategic

risks, and her connection to her Mills

Scholarship of more than $390,000. Thank

plan, endorsed by the Board of Trustees

experience. Students in their senior year,

you to all of our alumnae for your gener-

at its May 2008 meeting, has set out a

alumnae from the classes of the 1930s

ous support for the College in so many

path to guide us toward 2013. A distin-

through the 21st century, families visiting

ways and for the reflection in your lives

guished team of College officers, includ-

for Family Weekend, faculty, and board

and connections of the values that con-

ing our new Provost and Dean of the

members listened intensely and cheered

tinue to inspire Mills. We hope you are as

Faculty Sandra C. Greer, is working with

her on—there was magic in the air as con-

proud of Mills College as we are of you.

the faculty and administration to imple-

nections of mind and spirit spanned the

ment that plan. Our fundraising efforts

generations.

for 2007–08 resulted in our exceeding

Trisha

Brown

Sincerely, ’58

was

honored

our $15 million goal once again, with a

again at the AAMC luncheon with the

grand total of $21.5 million. Importantly,

Distinguished Alumna Award, along with

at the end of June 2008 we had exceeded

Peggy Weber ’65 and Ramona Lisa Smith

our $3.5 million goal for unrestricted gifts

’01, MBA ’02. What a pleasure it was to be

by more than $500,000. Our fundraising

among alumnae, faculty, and friends to cel-

in 2008–09 continues the previous year’s

ebrate the amazing accomplishments and

strong pattern, including receipt of sev-

contributions to Mills of these dear friends,

eral large gifts and bequests.

alumnae from a range of generations.

The most inspiring highlight of fall

As always, Mills alumnae recognized

2008 at Mills was our Convocation

and stepped up to the College’s most

and Reunion Weekend. Under the new

important and pressing need: support

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

Janet L. Holmgren

fa l l 2 0 0 8

5

Mills Matters More students, more selective, more diverse For five consecutive years, Mills has succeeded in expanding and diversifying

Fall 2008 enrollment profile

its undergraduate student body while

Total students

becoming more selective in admitting

Undergraduate students

973

new students. Undergraduate enrollment

Students of color

34%

hit a new record at the start of this fall

Multi-ethnic

13%

Full-time

93%

Living on campus

56%

Age span

17 to 93

California residents

78%

total enrollment of 1,481 students also

New to Mills

322

high school class and more than half

marks an all-time high.

Graduate students

508

received academic honors or awards in

Women

80%

Students of color

31%

Multi-ethnic

10%

Full-time

84%

Living on campus

8%

California residents

82%

New to Mills

269

semester—973 women, an increase of 32 percent since 2003—reflecting a succession of large entering classes as well as improved retention of students as they progress from one year to the next. Mills’

In 2008, the College received more applications than ever from interested students (more than 1,700), admitted a smaller percentage of applicants, and welcomed a first-year undergraduate class with the strongest academic record in recent years. The 188 students in the Class of 2012 collectively hold a high

1,481

school grade-point average of 3.65. More than 40 percent of these freshwomen ranked in the top 10 percent of their

high school.

Mills’ first-year class is also remarkably diverse: half are women of color or multi-ethnic, half represent the first generation in their families to attend college, and almost half come from homes where a language other than English is spoken.

Twenty-four are Bent Twigs.

New loans and scholarship gifts help meet growing need for financial aid As the economic

tance from the College. Such aid is crucial to attracting and

downturn began

retaining an academically strong student body.

to hit families

But some students have seen their own resources dwindle in

nationwide in the

the time since they applied for aid and are struggling to close

first half of 2008,

the gap between their scholarship award and total educa-

American cam-

tional expenses. The Chronicle article quoted David Gin, Mills’

puses saw stu-

associate vice president of student finance and administrative

dents’ requests for

services, who said, “We had a number of students who have

financial aid soar.

had the economic hard times of parents losing jobs or their

The San Francisco

assets. What they can liquidate now is different than in January

Chronicle reported

or February [2008], when they filed their forms.”

on August 11 that requests in California have increased 20

To help students facing unexpected financial hardship, the

percent since last year. At Mills, applications for student aid

College established a one-time bridge loan program at the start

increased 17.1 percent.

of November. Emergency loans are now available to help full-

To help meet students’ needs, Mills earmarked $18 million of its 2008–09 budget for financial aid—the largest amount ever. This aid benefits 91 percent of undergraduate students,

time undergraduate and graduate students in good standing meet tuition and campus room and board expenses.

Most importantly, Mills’ ability to provide students with

who receive an average award of $30,835 toward tuition and

scholarships has received a major boost from several generous

expenses, which total $51,784 for a student living on campus.

gifts and pledges made since July 1. Among them are:

Among graduate students, 85 percent receive financial assis-

• $50,000 from the Alexander & Baldwin Foundation for the

6

photos by philip channing

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

Rising through the ranks Fall semester brings not only a new crop of students to colleges

organic waste, the residence

and universities across the country but also a slew of rankings

halls’ composting programs,

and reviews by independent national publications. Two new

and the use of sustainable

rankings give Mills particularly high marks and two well-

construction materials in the

established reviews continue to place Mills in the top echelons

College’s newest apartments.

of peer colleges.

A new ranking, published by Forbes in conjunction with

In its 2009 issue of America’s Best Colleges, U.S. News &

the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, rated

World Report ranked Mills

Mills 75th in the country, placing the College among the top 2

fourth for academic excel-

percent in the United States. Mills stacked up favorably against

lence among 53 universities

many other small liberal arts colleges in California, including

and colleges in the West that

another prominent women’s college, Scripps, which ranked

confer bachelor’s and master’s

139th. The Forbes list included only the top 15 percent (or

degrees, moving the College

569) of undergraduate colleges and universities nationwide

up from last year’s ranking at

and focused its ranking on quality of education, number of

sixth. In addition, Mills placed

alumnae listed in Who’s Who in America, student debt, gradu-

seventh in the West on the

ation rate, and the numbers of students and faculty who have

“Great Schools, Great Prices”

won nationally competitive awards like Fulbright grants or

list for high academic qual-

Guggenheim fellowships.

ity relative to the net cost of

KIWI Magazine, a national family magazine, listed Mills as one of the 75 most environmentally responsible colleges and

attendance.

For the fourth consecutive year, the Princeton Review fea-

universities in its second annual green college report. The mag-

tured Mills in its college guide, Best 368 Colleges. The Princeton

azine noted the College’s recent first place award in recycling

Review also named Mills one of the 117 “Best Western Colleges” and one of the greenest in the nation, earning a 92 out of 99 rating for environmental policies and practices.

Last year, for the second year in a row, the Chronicle

Matson Navigation Company Endowed Scholarship Fund, which will provide financial assistance to undergraduate students from Hawaii and Guam (Matson’s chairman, James Andrasick, is a Trustee of Mills College); • $50,000 from Suzanne Munk Ragen ’58 and Brooks Ragen for The Brooks & Suzanne Munk Ragen Endowed Scholarship, to be awarded to women from the greater Pacific Northwest who have financial need; • $50,000 from Aletha Waite Silcox ’54 and Hugh Silcox for The Aletha Waite Silcox Scholarship, an endowed fund for students enrolled in Mills’ 4+1 combined BA, MA, and teacher credential program or in Mills’ two-year graduate

of Higher Education named Mills a leading producer of U.S. Fulbright award recipients. This Fulbright-winning tradition continues in 2008 with two alumnae, Erika Martinez, MFA ’07, and Patricia Tumang, MFA ’06. Martinez will use her Fulbright award to study at the Universidad Autònoma de Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and complete her forthcoming anthology entitled Voz: Dominican Women Writing, a collection of English language prose and poetry

by Dominican-American women. Tumang’s award will support her work at the University of the Philippines and research for a novel, “A Visionary Life,” about Filipina heroines during the Philippine Revolution.

teacher credential program; • a $1.7 million bequest from the estate of Barbara M. Bundschu ’38 (see obituary in winter/spring 2008 Quarterly); and • a $330,645 bequest from Dorothy Gillard, sister of Ruth Gillard ’36.

To help provide Mills students with scholarship support, call the Mills College Annual Fund at 510.430.2366 or use the enclosed envelope to send in your gift.

fa l l 2 0 0 8

7

Mills Matters AAMC board and bylaws evolve

Alumnae Relations Update

On Saturday, September 20, at a special

The Board of Governors itself is

meeting during Reunion, the Alumnae

continuing to evolve. A new Alumna

Alexandra Wong became the College’s

Association of Mills College (AAMC)

Trustee, Lyn Flanigan ’65, joined both

alumnae relations program coordinator

approved a revision of the organization’s

the AAMC board and the College Board

in November. She had previously served

bylaws. The revision reflects changes

of Trustees in July. Alumnae are invited

as events coordinator in the Office of

in the structure of the AAMC and its

to nominate candidates for another

Institutional Advancement and played a

relationship with Mills College brought

Alumna Trustee who will begin a term

major role in the success of this year’s

about by the 2005 and 2007 memoranda

on July 1, 2009 (see inside back cover),

Reunion. Before coming to Mills, Wong

of agreement between the AAMC and

when Susan Brown Penrod’s current

worked at The Willows Community

the College. The bylaws also include

term concludes. Currently, the Board of

School in Los Angeles as associate direc-

provisions for electronic communica-

Governors consists of:

tor of alumni relations and development.

tions to facilitate the business of the

Officers: President Anita Aragon Bowers

Based now in Reinhardt Alumnae House,

AAMC Board of Governors. In addition,

’63, Vice President Linda Jaquez-Fissori

Wong reports to Director of Alumnae

the board has adopted a new set of goals

’92, Vice President Diana Birtwistle

Relations Laura Gobbi.

and objectives that responds to the

Odermatt ’60, and treasurer Karlin

evolving role of the AAMC.

Sorenson ’92.

The revised bylaws and statement of

Alumnae Trustees: Lyn Flanigan ’65,

goals, values, and objectives are now

Susan Brown Penrod ’71, and Gayle

available on the Board of Governors web

Rothrock ’68.

page, www.mills.edu/alumnae/board_of_

Faculty Representative: Vivian Fumiko

governors.php. You may request printed

Chin ’89.

copies of the bylaws and the goals state-

Members: Michelle Balovich ’03, Lynda

ment by contacting AAMC accountant

Campfield ’00, MA ’02, Beverly Curwen

Bill White at 510.430.3373 or aamc@

’71, Rina Faletti ’81, Cynthia Guevara ’04,

mills.edu; see page 2 for complete con-

Kathleen Janes ’69, Jennifer King ’00, Rita

tact information for the AAMC.

Stuckey, MA ’01, EdD ’05.

Show your pride: Join 700+ Mills fans on Facebook In mid-October, Mills College launched a Facebook page to help alumnae, students, and parents connect with and show pride in the College. By mid-November, more than 700 Facebook users had declared themselves “fans” of Mills College, exceeding the fan totals on the official pages of such sister schools as Wellesley and Scripps.

Mills College’s page includes the latest College news, photos from Reunion and other events, videos, posts from our fans, and more. Unlike individual profiles or groups on Facebook, this page—and anything posted on it—can be viewed by the public. Any Facebook user can become a fan of Mills, and anyone can join Facebook for free by going to www.facebook.com.

Facebook users have also launched dozens of informal Mills-focused groups, such as Mills Women Are Indubitably Hotter “because,” the group states, “we’re smart and we know it… we’re not intimidated by Chaucer, negotiation, racism, calculus, brain surgery, or you.”

...we’re smart and we know it… we’re not intimidated by Chaucer, negotiation, racism, calculus, brain surgery,

8

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

or you.

Board endorses five-year strategic plan In May, the Mills College Board of Trustees endorsed a new strategic plan

• Academic excellence and education for leadership. During the next five

an excellent and diverse student body as well as access for and retention of a

that will guide the College through

years, the plan directs Mills to enhance

2013. The plan was developed over the

the excellence of its undergraduate

course of 17 months by several work-

women’s liberal arts college, expand

ing groups that incorporated input

graduate and professional programs

expand and maintain its physical envi-

from the Strategic Planning Committee

for women and men in the context

ronment while incorporating concern

of the Board of Trustees, constituents

of that undergraduate program, and

for environmental sustainability, and

throughout the campus and alum-

strengthen the development of Mills

pursue strategic goals while maintain-

nae community, the Accreditation

students as leaders and innovators in

ing financial sustainability.

Steering Committee, and the Diversity

their chosen endeavors.

Committee. The plan focuses on three principal goals:

• Educational access and diversity. The

diverse faculty and staff.

• Environmental and fiscal sustainability. Finally, the plan calls for Mills to

The entire plan may be downloaded from the web page of the Office of the

plan calls for the College to enhance

President: www.mills.edu/administration/

educational access for and retention of

presidents_office.

Speaking in tongues Beginning in summer 2009, Mills will

riculums, and beautiful campus facili-

host more than 300 language students

ties,” says Mills College Vice President

enrolled in the Middlebury College

for Operations Renée Jadushlever, who

Language Schools program.

visited Middlebury this summer. The

Mills Post-It Notes

The summer residential program will

Mills campus also offers students study-

These note pads make great gifts

offer undergraduate-level courses in

ing a particular language the opportu-

for all of your alumnae friends! They

French, Italian, and Spanish. Mills will

nity to live, eat, and study within their

come in pads of 50 at $2.50 each

also house Middlebury’s only Arabic

individual language community.

plus $1.00 shipping and handling for

program. The College joins the Monterey

“We are delighted with this partner-

Institute of International Studies as one

ship to teach modern languages with

of Middlebury’s California language sites.

Middlebury College. This will be a

Middlebury’s almost 100-year-old

service to the Bay Area community and

language program is known for its high

a wonderful opportunity for Mills stu-

quality and effective teaching method

dents,” says Sandra Greer, Mills provost

that requires students to commit to

and dean of the faculty.

speak only the language of study for the

to PAAMCC, to Palo Alto Area Mills College Club, c/o Hunter, 316 Laurel Ave., Menlo Park, CA 94025.

Two Middlebury employees will be

entire summer session. “As the United

hired and housed in Reinhardt Hall year-

States sees the importance of second

round so that they become familiar with

or third languages as necessary in a

and part of the Mills community and

more globalized world, more people are

campus. The program’s first employee,

turning to intensive language instruc-

Operations Manager Abigail Bennett,

tion,” says Middlebury College President

began in November. A Middlebury grad-

Ronald D. Liebowitz.

uate, she received an MFA in creative

In selecting a new California language

each order. Mail your check, payable

writing from Mills in 2004.

school site, Middlebury was attracted to the similarities between Middlebury and

For details about Middlebury Language

Mills. “Both institutions share longstand-

Schools and admission information,

ing reputations as respected liberal arts

please visit www.middlebury.edu/

colleges, strong interdisciplinary cur-

academics/ls/.

fa l l 2 0 0 8

9

Calendar For information about the Mills Music Festival 2009, see back cover. For information about other Music Department events listed below, contact 510.430.2334 or steed@mills.edu. For the Contemporary Writers Series, contact 510.430.3130 or syoung@mills.edu. For information about art lectures or exhibitions, contact 510.430.2164 or museum@mills.edu.

January 21  Painting the Glass House: Artists Revisit Modern Architecture Opening reception, 5:30 pm, Mills College Art Museum Exhibition on view January 21 through March 22 The 16 artists featured in the exhibition are interested in the potential of utopian ideas as well as the sense of a passing idealism that modern architecture now embodies. The exhibition brings together two-dimensional works in various media (including video) by Alexander Apóstol, Daniel Arsham, Gordon Cheung, David Claerbout, Angela Dufresne, Mark Dziewulski, Christine Erhard, Cyprien Gaillard, Terence Gower, Angelina Gualdoni, Natasha Kissell, Luisa Lambri, Dorit Margreiter, Russell Nachman, Enoc Perez, and Lucy Williams.

February

Daniel Arsham, The M-House got lost found itself floating on the sea, affecting salination levels in the North Atlantic (2004), from the exhibition Painting the Glass House: Artists Revisit Modern Architecture. Private collection, Paris; Courtesy of Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, Miami/Paris.

17  Contemporary Writers Series: Christian Bök

24  Contemporary Writers Series: Rachel Tzevia Back

5:30 pm, Mills Hall Living Room, free An acclaimed performer of sound poetry whose conceptual artwork includes books built out of Rubik’s cubes and Lego bricks, Bök created artificial languages for two television shows. His second book, Eunoia, won the Griffin Prize for Poetic Excellence.

5:30 pm, Mills Hall Living Room, free An evening with the Israeli poet, translator, peace activist, and literature professor, co-sponsored by the fund for Jewish Women’s Studies Programming at Mills College.

19  Center for Socially Responsible Business Lecture: Inspiring High-Potential, Low-Income Women Entrepreneurs 7:30 pm, Student Union, free This lecture features Women’s Initiative, a nonprofit agency that aims to build the entrepreneurial capacity of women to overcome economic and social barriers and achieve self-sufficiency. For more information, check www.mills.edu/academics/graduate/mba/csrb/lecture_series.php, email pgordon@mills.edu, or call 510.430.3248.

1  Technology and Society Lecture: Aaron Betsky 3:00 pm, Danforth Lecture Hall, free Entitled “Blob Utopia: Digital Destiny or Aesthetic Escape?” this lecture offers a critical exploration of a new utopian architectural vision that relies on computer and communications technologies to free us from the prison of the straight and narrow into a sensuous world of automatically appearing blobs. Bestky is the director of the Cincinnati Art Museum and in 2008 was the artistic director of the 11th International Architecture Biennale in Venice. Contact 510.430.2164 or museum@mills.edu.

11  Art Lecture: Keith Boadwee 7:30 pm, Danforth Lecture Hall, free Boadwee produces photo-based works that address his continued fascination with actionism, the everyday, and the abject. His works have been exhibited at venues such as the Venice Biennale, MOCA Los Angeles, and PS 1.

10

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

Fast, factual, free: Mills’ email newsletter Mills hosts many more campus events and alumnae gatherings than those listed in this Quarterly calendar. To make sure you get the scoop each month on the latest events and breaking news, sign up for our @mills enewsletter. Send your email address to alumnae-relations@mills.edu along with your full name, previous name and class year (if applicable), and current address (if different from the address at which you received this Quarterly).

Write “@mills” in the subject line of your message.

25  Art Lecture: Angela Dufresne 7:30 pm, Danforth Lecture Hall, free The New York–based artist delivers a lecture entitled “Imitation of Life, or Why Queen Jane Should Be Approximately.” She describes her paintings, which bring together disparate sources from film, music, architecture, and the history of painting, as “mash-ups.”

March 11  Clare Rojas 7:30 pm, Danforth Lecture Hall, free A seminal figure in the “Mission School,” Rojas is a major influence in the Bay Area and performs regularly as the musician Peggy Honeywell. She has enjoyed major solo exhibitions at Deitch Project in New York and the MCA Chicago.

12–15  Signal Flow: A Festival of New Works by Mills Graduate Students Thursday through Saturday at 8:00 pm and Sunday at 3:00 pm, Concert Hall, free The Music Department presents its annual festival of new works by graduate composition students.

17  Contemporary Writers Series: Elmaz Abinader, Hayan Charara, and Fady Joudah 5:30 pm, Mills Hall Living Room, free Mills professor Abinader joins editors and contributors in discussing Inclined to Speak: An Anthology of Arab American Poetry, containing works by 39 contemporary American poets.

Hanako Hjersm an ‘ 0 9

Athletes build character through community “Sports test character, giving us opportunities to grow and make conscious choices about the way in which we act,” says Mills College Athletic Director Themy Adachi. Adachi puts her finger on one of the themes of Mills’ fall athletic season. When student athletes

Student-athletes also exercised their

weren’t competing in their respective

(saving a ball that has been spiked over

sports, the players from seven different

the net by an opponent) made by a Mills

character-building skills within their

teams were raising money for breast

player. The Mills team defeated William

own teams. In late September, three

cancer research, raising awareness of the

Jessup University 3–0, with a total of 48

students led their teammates through

dangers of alcohol and drug use, and

digs. The resulting funds were donated

an Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

raising the self-esteem of several dozen

to the Susan G. Komen Foundation,

Workshop, where they shared knowl-

future student-athletes.

which has raised over $55,000 this fall

edge they gained at a national con-

through the efforts of volleyball teams at

ference on substance abuse among

more than 150 colleges and universities.

student-athletes. “My main goal as a

and Recreation (APER) hosted Girls’

On October 4 and 5, Swim-A-Mile for

leader was to put across the message

Sports Day, an event geared toward

Women with Cancer, a fundraiser for the

that we are all intelligent, strong women,

8- to 12-year-old girls from low-income

Women’s Cancer Resource Center, took

and that we can make intelligent choices

Oakland schools. Mills athletes acted as

place at Mills’ Trefethen Aquatic Center.

with what we do with our lives and

mentors to their “little sisters,” teaching

Mills students and staff as well as par-

bodies,” said Robin Cumming ’09, one of

them about the values of respect, integ-

ticipants from the surrounding commu-

the national conference attendees who

rity, and support as well as how to swing

nity collected pledges for each lap they

headed the Mills event.

a tennis racket, throw a javelin, dribble a

completed, up to 72 lengths of the pool.

soccer ball, and exercise all-around good

The event raised an impressive amount—

hard work in helping their communities

sportsmanship.

On September 20, the Department of Athletics, Physical Education,

Adachi says that the student-athletes’

over $250,000—while it built community.

on and off campus has taught them just

Sports Information Director Elese

“We were all swimming for a common

how intelligent and strong they have

Lebsack ’98 received lots of positive

cause, so there was a sense of ‘we’re in

the potential to be. “They are learning

feedback from program organizers who

this mile together.’ Everyone was really

to view themselves as capable and as

brought girls to the event. She cites one

supportive,” said Mills swimmer Shelby

change agents in the world,” she says.

who said, “The activities were awesome!

Phillips ’09.

—Kelsey Lindquist ’10

The girls could not stop smiling and laughing. And the one-on-one mentors matched up with the girls were amazing.”

Continuing on their path of characterbuilding through community outreach, the Cyclone athletes began October with two events focused on raising money to support breast cancer research and awareness. The first, on October 3, was Dig for the Cure, a volleyball game like any other, except that friends and staff members pledged money for each “dig”

Swim team earns Academic All-American honor The Mills College swim team has topped the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Academic All-Americans with the highest grade point average in its division.

This honor, awarded annually by the Collegiate Swim Coaches Association of America, recognizes the spring 2008 academic successes of swim teams across the country. This year marks the sixth year in a row that the Mills team has been awarded an Academic All-Academic honor but the first time that the team placed in the number one

spot. Of last year’s team of 11 women, two had grade point averages above 3.85. The team’s overall grade point average was above 3.3.

“This award is a great acknowledgment of how our student-athletes are able to balance their school work with their pool work,” said Neil Virtue, head coach of the Mills College swim team. “The time commitment to be on a team helps students focus on time management. Also working the body out relieves stress and allows the student-athletes to get back to studying for class refreshed.”

fa l l 2 0 0 8

11

A conversation with the provost

By Valerie Sullivan

Sandra Greer combines teaching excellence with a commitment to increasing opportunities for women in all fields— especially the sciences.

As the College’s new provost, she’ll help develop a responsive and progressive campus environment.

d a n a d av i s

12

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

A

You’ve been recognized as an outstanding classroom leader. In your view, what constitutes excellence in teaching?

stay put. But Sandra Greer chose instead to move

You have to be willing to figure out where students

across the country and take on the challenging role

are in their own minds on a particular subject and

of provost and dean of the faculty at Mills College,

then bring them along to where you want them to

responsible for the faculty, curriculum, and under-

be. Students appreciate organization and logic and

graduate experience on campus.

yet, at the same time, a willingness to deviate from

fter a 30-year career in academic research, teaching, and administration, most women might be happy to rest on their laurels and

Greer was a distinguished professor of chemistry

a planned syllabus when you need to. You have to

and chemical engineering and held several admin-

lead students through a conversation in which they

istrative positions at the University of Maryland,

make the points for themselves, in their own heads.

College Park, earning numerous awards, including the 2004 Francis P. Garvan–John M. Olin Medal awarded by the American Chemical Society to women chemists to recognize their distinguished service to chemistry and the 2008 Kirwan Undergraduate

Education

Award,

which

she

received on the College Park campus on October 6.

She pioneered classes in research ethics and has long been an advocate for increasing educational opportunities for women and minorities. In 1988, she led a University of Maryland study which identified new ways to improve the educational environment for women. She also chaired the 1994 Women in Science Summit, which drew leading women sci-

“Every interaction I have had with Mills students reminds me how lucky our faculty members are to be working

with these students.”

entists to Mills to discuss ways for women to break through the scientific glass ceiling. with her dog, Greer is delighted to live just across

You have called Mills faculty “stellar.”

What sets them apart?

the bay from her two adult sons, Andrew, best-

At some institutions, people seem to find teach-

selling author of The Confessions of Max Tivoli, and

ing a chore. Here, it is a critical part of a faculty

Mike, director of web technology for The Onion.

member’s career; the people who succeed here see

The Quarterly spoke with her in her Mills Hall

it that way. Faculty members get to know their stu-

office to learn more about her vision for a “college

dents and spend a lot of time with them.

Now comfortably ensconced in faculty housing

of the future” and maintaining a campus environ-

And it astonishes me how much our faculty

ment that “is as supportive as possible for every

members accomplish in terms of their creative and

student who comes here.”

scholarly work. We have artists who are exhibiting, musicians who are performing internationally,

After 30 years at Maryland, what brought you to Mills?

and economists who are writing in the best refer-

I have such respect for Mills’ mission of woman-

to the leading biology textbook in the world and

centered education. Mills is one of the few places

written important books on ecology. The level of

that still succeeds at that mission. I see it as a noble

intellectual activity has been a delight.

mission in which I could invest these last stages of my career.

eed journals. Our science faculty have contributed

As provost, I want to make sure the wonderful faculty members we have here feel appreci-

I do miss teaching, but there are certainly lots

ated and have the best environment in which to

of challenges to my job now. It’s another kind of

do their work. That means helping them to help

problem solving. That’s what you do as a scientist:

themselves—through expanded research opportu-

you solve problems every day. This kind of job is

nities, for example.

like that.

fa l l 2 0 0 8

13

How do issues of diversity affect the faculty?

Let’s talk about students. How are academic programs and curriculum changing in response to the needs of today’s students?

In faculty recruiting we are particularly interested in making sure that we have a diverse pool of candidates to choose from.

We are searching this year for a tenure track faculty member

Since I’m a scientist, I’m interested in strengthening math and

for the Dance Department, which has been a jewel in the crown

science. We’ll constantly think about the balance and intercon-

at Mills for half a century or more. In all departments, we want

nection between the graduate and the undergraduate programs.

candidates to come to Mills, be impressed, and go away hoping

For example, the idea of having a four-year undergraduate program where, with one more year of study, you can get a master’s

they’ll get that job.

degree is very appealing to me. For students, it’s very cost- and

What about Mills would make them think that?

time-effective, and that has been one of the successes of the

It’s a beautiful place where they can find wonderful colleagues

MBA Program. Of course, we can’t do everything, but Mills has

to talk to about their work, and if you put them in front of the

been very strategic in thinking of areas to emphasize. Our School

students, I know they’ll be amazed. Every interaction I have had

of Education, for example, is a great success and a great contri-

with Mills students reminds me how lucky our faculty members

bution to California’s elementary and secondary education. And

are to be working with these students.

I’m very proud of our Pre-Nursing Program and our commit-

What are some of the other campus issues you’re looking at?

You’ve mentioned that one of your goals this year is to increase the amount of federal and state research money coming to Mills. How do you hope to do that?

I will be working closely with the Faculty Executive Committee

The National Science Foundation, for one, gives out a lot of

to think about new directions for the curriculum and whether

financial support for programs for women and minorities. There’s

we need to reconsider any general education requirements.

support for gender-related issues, minority health, economics,

ment to creating leaders in nursing.

As provost, I am responsible for what happens to the students

women’s career patterns, and art exhibitions. As a women’s col-

after they get here. That includes being sensitive to issues of

lege, Mills can take advantage of that angle.

diversity and access and making sure that the students have a

How does this translate into new opportunities for faculty and students?

good experience.

This kind of money often will

“I am responsible

include tuition for students, and it

for what happens

will provide summer research jobs

to the students after they get here.

That includes being sensitive to issues of

diversity and access.”

for students, summer salaries for faculty, and help with purchasing research equipment. This creates a real opportunity for students—it’s wonderful when they can work with faculty and have their names

philip channing

on publications.

How important is woman-centered education today?

Many women are going into non-traditional areas such as science and engineering, as well as leadership positions in politics and social justice. Woman-centered education gives women self efficacy, which means that you’re not only confident in your overall abilities, but you’re also not timid about your particular area of expertise.

It can be intimidating to be in a roomful of men. We’re not past that yet. But Mills is “a room of one’s own”—it is a space that’s physical, emotional, and mental, where women can grow and work and develop in freedom.

Sandra Greer chats with freshwomen during Student Orientation.

14

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

Living in the whole world of music

By David W. Bernstein When the music started, it was like nothing that I had

I will never forget the first time I heard music played in the Mills College Concert Hall.

Anthony Braxton, a legendary figure in the free jazz tradition, stood surrounded by a vast array of wind instruments, including a contrabass saxophone standing more than six feet tall. Next to him, computer music

ever heard before. Electronic sounds mingled with lightning-fast flurries of saxophone notes; percussive clusters of notes from the piano joined in an exciting dialogue with the vibraphone, gongs, cymbals, and tom-toms. Although Sankaran had only a single instrument at his disposal, a continuous stream of seemingly infinite rhythms and timbres flowed effortlessly from his drum, its magic easily matching the more “advanced” technologies of the other instruments on stage.

The concert took place during my first visit to Mills in the spring of 1989; in the nearly 20 years since, I have had countless experiences while sitting in the Concert Hall of being inspired by performances of a stunning variety of

pioneer David Rosenboom sat at a piano

music, from J.S. Bach to Pauline Oliveros, Joëlle Léandre,

alongside a tangle of wires connected to

and Meredith Monk; from rock, Balinese gamelan music,

various electronic devices. William Winant, one of the world’s great percussionists and a leading interpreter of new music who has

and mariachi bands to live electronic music, free jazz, and Schubert song cycles. I have had not only the privilege of observing musical history unfold before my eyes, but also the opportunity to learn more about Mills’ musical legacy.

performed with Sonic Youth and Mr Bungle,

The direction of music at Mills has changed dramati-

also stood amidst his own maze of gongs,

cally over time. Henry Cowell, John Cage, and Lou Harrison

tom-toms, timpani, cymbals, cow bells, and a vibraphone. A fourth performer, Trichy

taught here in the late 1930s and early 1940s, a period when each had begun to make crucial contributions to American music. French composer Darius Milhaud

Sankaran, a renowned specialist in Indian

arrived at Mills in 1940 and quickly established the Music

music, sat on the floor with an ancient

Department’s international reputation, attracting luminar-

barrel-shaped drum called the mrdangam lying horizontally across his lap.

ies such as Nadia Boulanger and Igor Stravinsky—who lectured and performed in the Concert Hall in 1944—as well as generations of talented students, including a young

fa l l 2 0 0 8

15

pianist and composer named Dave Brubeck. Milhaud, a member of the Parisian avant-garde during the 1920s who used noise, indeterminacy, Brazilian music, and jazz in his compositions, fit in very well at Mills. His support for the decision to move the San Francisco Tape Music Center to campus in 1966 made it possible for subsequent generations of creative artists to continue their focus on interdisciplinary art forms.

The Tape Music Center, later renamed the Center for Contemporary Music (CCM), placed the College at the forefront of the rapidly growing field of electronic music. Just as the Music Department as a whole has transformed over time, the aesthetic orientation of CCM has changed under a succession of electronic music pioneers who have served as its directors, including Pauline Oliveros, Robert Ashley, David Berhman, David Rosenboom, and, most recently, Maggi Payne and Chris Brown. Over the years, composers at CCM have created multimedia works with sound, light, and theatrical elements. They have played leading roles in the development of computer music, designed new forms of interactive works using acoustic and electronic media, and led

Creative artists from around the world joined our faculty, each making a unique contribution to our continuously

evolving musical landscape. the way in exploring musical interactivity on the Internet.

As the College’s reputation as a leading institution supporting musical innovation grew, creative artists from around the world joined our faculty, each making a unique contribution to our continuously evolving musical landscape. The list of composers who have taught here—Annea Lockwood, Iannis Xenakis, Maryanne Amacher, Alvin Curran, Lou Harrison, Anthony Music makers: Henry Cowell, John Cage with a student, Anthony Braxton, David Rosenboom and William Winant, Lou Harrison with Jody Diamond, and Maggi Payne.

Braxton, Hilda Paredes, Joëlle Léandre, Terry Riley, Pandit Pran Nath, and Annie Gosfield, to name but a few—is a veritable Who’s Who in the history of 20th-century music. Composers at Mills have played leading roles in the founding of musical minimalism; fused Western and Eastern musical traditions and incorporated cross-cultural influences from Java, India, and other countries into their compositions; boldly crossed the borders between rock and experimental music; and pioneered new expressions in free

16

Photo of Henry Cowell ©2 0 0 8 The Ansel A dams Publishing Rights Trus t.

jazz. With the recent addition of Fred Frith and Roscoe Mitchell to our faculty, Mills is on the cutting edge of exploring relationships between written composition and improvisation.

The diversity of our history and current practice notwith-

Giving free play to the imagination

standing, experimentalism remains at the core of the Music Department’s aesthetic and educational mission. Experimentalist composers work without preconceived notions about music;

For the past century, Mills College has been a hotbed of

they embrace an inclusive aesthetic rooted in an openness to and

musical creativity and innovation. Faculty, students, and

an active search for new sounds and musical forms. At Mills, we

visiting artists have come together here to define the cut-

also recognize that artistic innovation did not “fall from the sky”;

ting edge in a diverse range of practices, from classical

it has historical roots in the music of past generations of compos-

performance to electronic music to jazz improvisation.

ers and is a part of a global cultural, social, and political context.

But most importantly, experimentalism is an aesthetic attitude embracing creative, exploratory, and individual approaches to music, whether working in radical new directions or examining musical traditions from many historical periods and cultures.

Simply put, as composer and former Mills faculty member Henry Cowell said more than a half century ago, we “want to live in the whole world of music.” The Music Department’s curriculum,

The Music Building, designed in 1928 by influential architect Walter H. Ratcliff Jr., has been the crucible in which groundbreaking collaborations and experimentation have taken place. The works created here truly “give free play to the imagination”— a phrase that artist Raymond Boynton originally used to describe his murals in the Concert Hall, where exceptional performances have shaped the course of music in our time.

and particularly our pedagogy, reflects this commitment as we

Now, the building is emerging from a major renovation that has

encourage our students’ individuality, allowing them to develop

improved and modernized facilities and restored the historic

their unique musical “voice” during the process of experiencing,

artworks that grace the Concert Hall. To celebrate the reopen-

performing, creating, and learning about music.

ing of the hall, a six-concert festival in early 2009 will draw

Today, given the ubiquitous presence of technology that

attention to the Music Department’s rich legacy and ongoing

can provide access to any music at any time, the musical plu-

contributions to the world of music (see schedule on back cover).

ralism that we have practiced since the 1930s has become a

In these pages, the Quarterly explores these same themes in

dominant feature of cultural life in the 21st century. The syn-

words. Professor of Music David Bernstein provides an over-

thesizers and other electronic media developed at Mills begin-

view of the creative currents that have distinguished the Music

ning in the 1960s are no longer esoteric devices used by only a

Department. A feature on electronic music pioneer Pauline

handful of avant-garde composers. There exists more interest in

Oliveros, who received an honorary doctoral degree from the

our programs, particularly among our undergraduate students,

College in 2004, shows how Mills prepares women to play a

than ever before, as strikingly demonstrated by over-enrolled

leading role in contemporary music composition. Finally, four

classes with students spilling out into the halls. Although Mills

profiles of recent music alumnae/i demonstrate the department’s

has earned a reputation for training women composers, we are

enormous potential to shape the future of music composition

poised to make an even greater impact on this field, especially

and performance in both popular and experimental contexts.

following the final phase of the Music Building renovation project, which includes plans for a new CCM. Yet this newness doesn’t supplant the grand history of music on campus, but augments and continues the rich legacy. In 1928, Raymond Boynton described his daring decorative design for the Concert Hall’s murals to Aurelia Henry Reinhardt, then

The Mills Music Festival will provide audiences with an opportunity to experience first-hand not only the creative range of the Music Department but also the Concert Hall’s improved acoustics, seating, lighting, and stage. Look forward to more coverage of this impressive renovation in the next issue of the Quarterly.

president of the College, stating that his artworks would “give

The College seeks additional funding to meet the full expense of

free play to the imagination.” Today, 80 years later, that same

the building’s renovation, including a future phase focusing on

spirit holds true, and future generations of Mills music students

the Center for Contemporary Music. To give your support to the

will continue to pursue their own bold, unorthodox, and innova-

project, please call 510.430.2097.

tive artistic visions.

Professor of Music David Bernstein has been a faculty member at Mills since 1989, specializing in 20th-century music history and theory. His book on the history of the San Francisco Tape Music Center was published in summer 2008 (see Bookshelf, page 27).

fa l l 2 0 0 8

17

Terry Meier

Groundbreaking composer Pauline Oliveros teaches women to “create their own scene” in the world of music

A woman of notes

By Rachel Howard

P

auline Oliveros’ face peers down from a huge screen in

while a music student at San Francisco State College, she got

the Mills Music Department’s Ensemble Room. Her eyes

her first tape recorder and began recording the sounds outside

squint behind glasses, searching to see more clearly what

her apartment window. By the late ’50s, she had helped start a

the students in this Women in Creative Music course are doing.

cooperative studio with such fellow cutting-edge composers as

The legendary 76-year-old composer and visiting professor at

Terry Riley; this became the San Francisco Tape Music Center.

Mills is teaching via “telepresence” from her studio in Kingston,

It moved to Mills in 1966 with Oliveros as its founding director,

New York, watching the class through an Internet camera feed.

and became the Mills Center for Contemporary Music.

The high-tech pedagogy seems only fitting. Oliveros was one

Women working with technology were rare back in those days,

of the first maverick composers, in the 1950s, to begin using

but women in contemporary music were seemingly even rarer.

new technologies in art music. Her music has an out-of-time quality, whether performed on her electronically reconfigured accordion, recorded in acoustically sensitive caverns, or incorporating all atmospheric sounds according to the principles of her “deep listening” techniques. Yet she has always been in her times. In 1953,

18

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

Pauline Oliveros (at right) with others from the San Francisco Tape Music Center.

No wonder Oliveros is so keenly interested in today’s women in

ists. But they also learn practical lessons about the need to take

creative music.

power into their own hands, as when Oliveros asked the class

“Okay,” she says to the class in her gruff, no-nonsense voice.

how many among them knew any computer programming—and only the lone man in the room responded.

“Tell me what you got.”

The class has just finished one of Oliveros’ “Sonic Meditations,”

“We’re creating a resource that can reach the world, rather

a series of improvisations that can be performed by ordinary

than sitting here writing papers about women in music that no

people using only their own voices and breath. In this case, the

one will ever read,” says graduate student Zina von Bozzay.

students were asked to produce a vocal tone for one breath

Oliveros also has her students make their own creative work

cycle, and on the next breath cycle produce a pitch that they’ve

as quickly as possible. “Doing the creative work is enlivening

heard, then on the cycle after that, produce a pitch that they

and mind-expanding and gives you a spiritual base,” she says.

haven’t heard. Because each person’s breath cycle is different,

“Getting drilled in theory doesn’t prepare you to create. My class

the result is a beautiful structured cacophony.

is not about delivering criticism. It’s about providing an architec-

Now Oliveros has asked the class to break into groups to brainstorm how they might compose their own pieces based

ture for content to emerge in the group context.”

Often that architecture catches students by surprise. On the

on breath. One group talks about

first day of Oliveros’ current

giving

Women in Creative Music class,

people

physical

tasks,

another group proposes having their performers “give an intona-

Oliveros was one of the first

maverick composers,

tion of a universal memory, like blowing out a birthday candle.”

Oliveros leans back from the screen, squinting and scrutinizing. “Good. You’ve got some good ideas there. So come in next week with a piece. A sound piece based on the rhythm of breath. And be ready with performers.”

in the 1950s, to begin using

new technologies in art music.

Her music has an out-of-time quality....

Yet she has always been in her times.

cal warm-up, then asked them to remember an experience of music in their families. After a silent meditation, Oliveros had the students share their stories, first with their eyes closed, whispering. She also asks her students to keep private journals.

“She’s very down to earth and real,” von Bozzay says. “She relates to you on a person-to-

A few students look surprised

person level. She’s not hierarchi-

by the heavy demands of the assignment, but Oliveros has always held high expectations

she had her students do a physi-

cal. And she’s compassionate.”

for Mills women. She knows that although conditions have

Since she first began teaching at Mills in 1985, Oliveros has

improved, female composers still face a male-dominated field

seen her compassion encourage Mills students to take their

and will need to emulate her moxie.

own artistic risks. She’s especially excited about the boundary-

“Younger women today need to enter the scene or create

crossing she sees, as in the work of recent MFA graduate Kristin

their own scene,” Oliveros says during a break from teaching.

Erickson, who under the performing name Kevin Blechdom uses

“It wasn’t so wonderful that I didn’t have any fellow female com-

“wild, DJ-like stuff,” as Oliveros describes it, “to take a popular

posers, but I was so focused on doing my own music that I went

form and move it into a new genre.”

ahead and did it anyhow.”

The whole Mills Music Department, she says, is on a roll. “The

In a way, the challenge of being a “lady composer”—as one

growth began in the ’90s and has just continued. Mills is now the

condescending colleague called her—suited the temperament of

premier location in the United States for composers in graduate

a self-described “outsider musician” who took up accordion at

school.”

nine years old in her native Houston, Texas. From her first pieces

That growth, and Oliveros’ example, mean that soon women

at San Francisco State—so dissonant that fellow students fled the

in contemporary music may not be so rare. Closing her class,

room—to her groundbreaking “deep listening” methodologies,

Oliveros calls out the names of Mills music grads for her current

Oliveros has always followed her own vision.

students to research. “And here’s another I want you to know

At Mills, she’s determined to open students’ eyes to other

about, Ann Dentel,” she says. “She did something called Project

exceptional women who have done the same. One major proj-

365, a new piece of music every day for a year. It’s in the library

ect of the Women in Creative Music class is to update the Bay

here on campus. Go look that up.”

Area Women in Creative Music website, http://music.mills.edu/

She leans into the screen again. “That’s it for today,” she says.

bawcm, which Oliveros created when she first began teaching

“High five.” Oliveros raises a hand and her palm looms huge

the course in 1997. Students working on the site learn about fel-

above the room, her face behind smiling.

low female composers, songwriters, improvisers, and sound art-

“High five,” the students respond, their hands in the air.

fa l l 2 0 0 8

19

Rising Stars

By Pamela Wilson and Linda Schmidt

I

’ve been on a trajectory of playing music that’s rooted in Cuban traditional music but incorporates salsa, Latin jazz, and more

W

illow Williamson is always crossing the line—and in this case, that’s a good thing. The composer, keyboardist,

modern forms,” says pianist, composer, and bandleader Rebeca

singer, guitarist, and producer often creates music in the context

Mauleón. “I was a flamenco dancer before I started playing piano,

of film, theater, or dance; and she splits her time living in both

so there’s a little bit of that influence too. All these different styles

Senegal and the United States.

She completed her MFA in music and new media at California

people who stay within the traditional but try and push the enve-

Institute of the Arts in 2000. “I started getting more interested

lope. I always like to go outside and look around.”

in the commercial world after helping to engineer the women’s

d a n a d av i s

create a tapestry that is my musical sound. I’ve always respected

Rebeca Mauleón ’89, MA ‘97

When Mauleón arrived at

CD recordings there. And, being in Los Angeles, I was drawn

Mills as a resumer in her 20s,

into film. I love the collaboration and interaction with the

her career as a performer was

directors,” she says. Williamson’s music has been featured in a

already underway. While Afro-

dozen feature, documentary, and short films; other tracks can

Cuban music and Latin jazz

be heard on Extra and The Tyra Banks Show. In 2004, she and

were not quite Mills’ regular

two friends released a self titled album, This Side of North, which

musical fare, she knew enough

one reviewer described as “a narcotic landscape of seductively

about the Music Department’s

beautiful melody and rhythm.”

tradition of innovation to know

Williamson first visited Mills at the suggestion of Betty Wong

that she would be welcome. “I

’60, from whom she was taking piano lessons, and recalls,

didn’t have to go in there and

“I immediately felt how open the atmosphere was and how

explain why I didn’t follow a tra-

engaged the students were.” She cites exposure to technology,

ditional path,” she esays.

improvisation, and experimental music along with discussions

Rebeca Mauleón credits the

of the social and political context of music as formative aspects

Mills music faculty with help-

of the Mills curriculum. “Maggi Payne’s composition and record-

ing her push boundaries and for

ing techniques classes had a huge impact on me,” she says. “I

“instilling creative confidence

was so excited to find the space to finally start composing in the

in me. Composer Alvin Curran

way that I had wanted to.”

was one mentor and inspiration.

Williamson has been traveling to Senegal since 1997. She

Although our styles are quite

recently conducted workshops for musicians and filmmakers

different, I always will value the

in Dakar and scored a film project with middle school children

fact that he made me think out-

in West Africa. She is now producing music by local artists

side the box.”

and building a studio in Senegal. At Mills, she says, “I also was

This fall, the San Francisco Jazz Festival chose Mauleón for

exposed to music from all over the world, which helped open my mind to many possibilities.”

their annual Beacon Award, honoring her 30 years in the music business, during which she has performed with Tito Puente, Carlos Santana, and Mickey Hart. She is the author of the highly acclaimed “bible of salsa,” The Salsa Guidebook, has released three CDs of her own material, and teaches music at City College of San Francisco. When asked what she considers her greatest accomplishment, Mauleón responds, “Balance. I’m comfortable juggling my performing career, writing, teaching, and raising a family. I stay focused and find joy in my life.”

20

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

Willow Williamson ’96

Recent music graduates bridge genres Jennifer Curtis ’01 and cultures mariano friginal

W

hen I came to Mills I didn’t know anything about electronic music; I didn’t even have a computer,” says Cenk Ergün. “I

A

ll the world’s a stage for Jennifer Curtis—she has performed as a featured violin soloist and as a collaborative chamber

certainly didn’t expect to come out of Mills programming my own

musician across Europe, Latin America, and the United States. Her

software instruments and performing live laptop shows.”

premieres of new music pieces as well as her interpretation of

A native of Turkey, Ergün grew up in Istanbul in a household

classical masterpieces have earned glowing praise from the New

filled with music. He started playing classical guitar and, at the

York Times and Philadelphia Enquirer.

Having completed her

age of 17, moved to New York to study at the Eastman School of

master’s degree at the Julliard School, she is now a member of

Music. Once there, he says, “I realized I’d been spending most of

the International Contemporary Ensemble and the Astral Artists

my time on guitar making up my own pieces, so I switched my

roster and appears as a musician with the Mark Morris Dance

major to composition.”

Group. Also known for her excellent mandolin playing, her origi-

After four years of rigid conservatory education, the reputation

nal compositions have been featured at festivals in Switzerland

of Mills’ music faculty drew him to the Oakland campus. “I found

and Italy, and she has performed solo mandolin roles in New York

the open-minded philosophy of education at Mills inviting and

City opera productions.

nurturing,” he says. “The best teachers are those who let you find

Even for a child who began Suzuki training in violin at age

your own path without too much interference. I’ve had the luck

three, taught herself piano and drums shortly thereafter, and

to study with amazing artists who also happened to be brilliant

delved into music theory and audio engineering while still a pre-

teachers—including Fred Frith, Alvin Curran, and Pauline Oliveros.

teen, these are impressive accomplishments. “I was always more

The most important things I discovered at Mills were new ways

comfortable speaking through music,” she says.

of listening. Electronic sounds continue to inform what I do with chamber ensembles, and vice versa.”

Yet the classical repertoire is only one aspect of Curtis’ musical techniques. A rock-and-roll-friendly music teacher in grade

And Ergün has been doing a lot with both. He was nominated

school encouraged a broad range of expression. “The contrast of

for the Netherlands’ prestigious 2006 Gaudeamus Prize for

going to youth orchestra starting at age five and playing in a rock

young composers and performed at the16th Akbank Jazz Festival,

band at school by age nine was very cool, and pretty much set the

Istanbul in 2006. Last year, he and Curran released The Art of the

stage for my musical path to be inclusive of many different cul-

Fluke, an improvised laptop duo album. In the coming months,

tural concepts of music,” Curtis says. “I was equally excited to play

Ergün will release a collection of short laptop pieces, perform with

the Bach Double or to play the bass for Stevie Wonder tunes.”

two video artists at the Spektro Festival in Istanbul, and premiere a new percussion quartet at the MATA Festival in New York City.

Curtis has traveled widely to study the music of many different cultures—particularly West African, Haitian, and Afro-Cuban per-

“I see sound as material to work with as opposed to a tool for

cussion. She is dedicated to pursuing cultural diplomacy through

expressing ideas,” he says. “My music is influenced by everything

music; in 2005, she founded Tres Americas Project, a community-

I hear every day.”

focused nonprofit group that explores and preserves the musical traditions of the Americas by performing original, traditional, and Ce y l an Ergün

classical works.

Cenk Ergün, MA ’02, MFA ’02

fa l l 2 0 0 8

21

8

A new chapter in book art

By Sarah J. Stevenson, MFA ’04

cheri lucas

book art, with 13 courses and a minor.

Meanwhile, creative writing has been a focus of the Mills curriculum for more than 80 years, and the College offers a well-established, highly respected MFA degree in creative writing through the English Department.

The new MFA in book art and cre-

ative writing will integrate the strengths of both programs and address the rising interest in the book as an expressive art integrating both form and content.

“There is a renewed interest in the book as a form. Students have a much stronger material connection with their written work and want to put that interest to work for them,” says Kathleen Walkup, professor of book art and director of the Book Art Program.

The interdisciplinary degree program will train graduate students to teach cre-

Mills’ Book Art Program presses on with expanded studio space and the introduction of an innovative dual graduate degree

ative writing and book art, publish their

It is a late summer morning at Mills;

on dollies and platforms. A crane stands

contemporary books, or join the growing

at attention, ready to pull the heaviest

number of presses that offer unique let-

presses out via the second floor balcony.

terpress and hand-binding services.

sunny, cool, and quiet. But on the second floor of Carnegie Hall, behind an open door labeled “The Eucalyptus Press,” the hush is tinged with anticipation.

The home of the Mills College Book Art Program for the past ten years is empty, nearly bare of furniture. The huge, venerable letterpresses are gone, impressions in the floor the only evidence of their years in service. The seminar room where countless lectures were held contains only scribbles of dried glue on the walls.

Outside, however, is a different story.

Work trucks and forklifts are parked and ready in the Oval, just outside Carnegie.

Workmen wheel out heavy equipment

22

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

own writing and images, work in galleries or the book trade as specialists on

Everything is bustling in preparation for

Walkup has been a driving force in the

the move of the Book Art Program and

Book Art Program since 1978 and has

the Eucalyptus Press to their new facility in the CPM building. And it isn’t just the studios that are changing—next fall will usher in a brand-new MFA program in book art and creative writing, the first of its kind in the country.

The Eucalyptus Press opened its doors in 1930 as Mills’ private press imprint.

In 1975, the press became home to the College’s first book art classes, and today Mills offers the country’s most comprehensive undergraduate program in

photos by bruce cook unless otherwise noted

A thousand words: (Clockwise from left) A press rests in the Oval midway in its journey from Carnegie Hall to CPM; A student sets a line of type; Kathleen Walkup and Julie Chen examine a set of oversized prints; Deborah Barragan ’10 reveals a newly printed sheet.

There are plans for a computer lab, and Walkup has high hopes for a dedicated book art gallery on campus. A significant anonymous donation has been made, but additional funding is needed to make the gallery a reality.

Students in the new degree program will be able to take full advantage of the expanded facility, which includes three offices and three studio spaces: a bindery, a letterpress studio, and a dedicated graduate studio. The undergraduate studio is

recently co-founded a national college

will, in turn, inform their writing course-

book art association. “The field’s expan-

work. To complete the two-year program,

sion reflects a strong interest in using

each student will produce a creative writ-

traditional artmaking techniques in the

ing thesis as well as a book art thesis and

service of the new medium of artists’

exhibition.

books,” she says. Book art classes across

Off campus, students will tap into the

the country are in high demand, and the

Bay Area’s thriving book art community.

popularity of publications like Make mag-

Walkup has built connections in the area

azine and its “maker faires” are evidence

with a number of book art centers, which

of a new appreciation for handcrafted

seek to preserve the history and creation

works. Furthermore, book art offers a

of books as an art form. Mills’ book arts

means of incorporating modern digital

students have access to such resources

methods of production with traditional

as the San Francisco Center for the Book,

hands-on processes.

which hosts book art workshops, exhibi-

Walkup was instrumental in the design

tions, and public events; book collections

of the new MFA program and will be a

at UC Berkeley, Stanford University, and

key part of its implementation, along with

the Palace of the Legion of Honor; and

book art instructor Julie Chen. Students

Mills’ own F.W. Olin Library, which houses

will take an equal number of workshops

a notable collection of rare books and art-

in creative writing and book art, while

ists’ books as well as the Mills College

also pursuing courses that reflect the pro-

Center for the Book.

gram’s interdisciplinary approach: visual poetics, theoretical and critical aspects

Back on the Oval, several presses are

of artists’ books, and an annual intensive

halfway through the journey to their new

symposium with a visiting scholar focus-

home. Taking a short break from direct-

ing on the history of the book and the

ing the proceedings of the momentous

study of print culture. They’ll incorporate

move from Carnegie to CPM, Walkup

writing into their explorations of book

shows off spaces that will house a new

art, and their work creating artists’ books

darkroom, cutting room, and bindery.

already in place, with its familiar drawers of lead type set up in the middle of what was clearly once a science lab. Sinks surround the outside of the room; in another classroom, lab stations still fill up much of the space.

An additional press has been promised to the department by Gloria Stuart, who played Old Rose in the movie Titanic.

A printmaker as well as an actor, the 98-year-old Stuart still works in her studio every day, and “always wanted to go to Mills.” The new press will join the original 1860 cast-iron hand press that saw the very beginnings of the Book Art Program in the 1970s as well as a half dozen other presses of various types.

Today, signs of the move are apparent everywhere—boxes, stacks of chairs, the sounds of hammering, and the shouts of construction workers. But while the studios are being broken in by undergraduate classes throughout this academic year, it isn’t hard to imagine the first crop of graduate students setting type, crafting words, and pushing the boundaries of interdisciplinary art in these gleaming new facilities.

“These are students for whom moving between creative media is natural,” says Walkup. “They don’t work within traditional genre boundaries, and as such they are helping to shape tomorrow’s trends.

What is more thrilling for all of us than the opportunity to break new ground?”

For more information about the MFA degree in book art and creative writing, contact the Office of Graduate Admission at 510.430.3309 or grad-admission@mills. edu. The first cohort will be limited to six students to begin in fall 2009.

fa l l 2 0 0 8

23

Alumnae awards & classmate connections highlight

REUNION 2008

honored a trio of notable Mills women on the Reinhardt Alumnae House patio on September 19.

n overflow crowd of reunioning alumnae

Former Mills dance instructor and Dean of Fine Arts Mary Ann Childers Kinkead ’63 presented the Distinguished Achievement Award to Trisha Brown ’58 for her outstanding contributions to dance.

As a Mills student, Kinkead took classes from Brown, who was on campus as a visiting professor in the dance department. “I didn’t know how famous she was going to become,” Kinkead recalled, “but she was wonderful in the classroom and exposed me to ideas about dance and ways of thinking of movement that I had never thought about.”

“I’m so thrilled to be here, I feel overhonored,” Brown said as she accepted the award.

(For more on Trisha Brown, see the profile in the summer 2008 Quarterly.)

Peggy Weber ’65, recipient of the Outstanding Volunteer Award presented by Alumna Trustee Susan Penrod Brown ’71, began her career as a Mills volunteer while still in school, serving as Associated Students of Mills College (ASMC) president and orientation chair. After graduation, she became a member of the AAMC Board of Governors, worked tirelessly for the Alumnae Fund, acted as a class agent, and served as an Alumna Trustee from 1998 until 2006. But perhaps her greatest impact has been as a spokesperson for her class and for the College as a whole. In addition to maintaining strong connections with her classmates, Weber has been an alumna admissions representative for more than 20 years. She convinced dozens of students that Mills was the right choice for their undergraduate education.

Closer to her own home in Minneapolis, Weber hosts a monthly meeting for students home from campus, alumnae, parents of current students, and others of the Mills community.

“I am thrilled and touched to be recognized by the alumnae association and by all of you for what I have done for my pure pleasure,” Weber said after receiving her award. She encouraged alumnae to speak the name of Mills every day, saying, “When you weasel Mills into your conversation you make the most incredible connections.” Through her College-related activities, Weber has met alumnae from all across the country and from the Class of 1898 to this year’s incoming Class of 2012.

“Don’t forget to come back,” she encouraged, “especially for Reunions, admissions workshops, Trustee meetings—they’re the most energizing, rejuvenating, wonderful things you can do. Remember: you belong to Mills and Mills belongs to you.”

24

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

The award goes to: Peggy Weber ’65, Trisha Brown ’58, and Ramona Lisa Smith ’01, MBA ’02.

AAMC Vice President Linda Jaquez-Fissori ’92 presented the Recent Graduate Award to Ramona Lisa Smith ’01, MBA ’02. After a nine-year career with the Dance Theater of Harlem in New York, Smith was working in a volunteer management organization and was denied a promotion because she didn’t have a college degree. She decided this would never happen again and came to Mills as a resumer, commuter, and single parent. Smith wrote for the Campanil and, as a senior, sat on the Quarterly advisory board, a post she held for four years. After graduation, she was invited to join the AAMC Board of Governors and, over the course of six years, served on the finance committee, on the resource development committee, and as treasurer.

Smith works part time for the California Department of Public Health and runs two businesses: Imani Consulting, which provides a variety of business services, and Goin’ Bananas, through which she sells homemade banana bread. Smith continues her community service through MOHMS, a support group she cofounded for mothers of high and middle schoolers.

“There are so many wonderful women at Mills—and a few good men—who have volunteered so much of their time that this award could have gone to a number of alums,” Smith said. “I really appreciate the fact that I was nominated because Mills means so much to me,” Smith said. Smith explained that she left her old life as a survivor of domestic abuse and chose Mills as a means to start her life over. “After being in a situation where my power had been taken from me, Mills not only served as a safe haven for both me and my daughter, but it was a place where I was able to regain my power as a woman,” Smith said. “It helped me to rebuild my confidence and it helped me reclaim my voice. After receiving so much from Mills, I was more than happy to give back for as long as I did.”

Photos by Dana Dav is unless otherwise noted

Call for

2009

Award Nominations

Reunion revisited A jam-packed weekend of activities drew 250 alumnae and 70 guests back to campus September 18–21. The number of alumnae registered was 55 percent higher than last year.

See Reunion 2008 class photos throughout the Class Notes section.

The Alumnae Association of Mills College (AAMC) is seeking candidates for the following awards: • The Distinguished Achievement Award for distinction in professional fields, arts, sciences, and public affairs;

Paul Kuro da

• The Outstanding Volunteer Award for extraordinary commitment and service in promoting the goals of the AAMC and the College; • The Recent Graduate Award for volunteer efforts that exemplify a spirit of caring and community to the AAMC and the College. Alumnae/i within 15 years of graduation may be considered for this award.

Candidates must be able to attend the award ceremony at next year’s Reunion, October 1 through 4, 2009.

Mills alumnae/i may nominate candidates, and alumnae/i who attended Mills as degree candidates are eligible for consideration. Nominations may not include current Board of Governors members, current members of the Mills Board of Trustees, or members of the current Awards Committee.

Dozens of alumnae “robed up” with students and faculty at Convocation to mark the official start of the 2008–09 academic year. Convocation speaker and renowned choreographer Trisha Brown ’58 addressed the crowd on Toyon Meadow with words of experience and encouragement as the College entered its 137th year on the Oakland campus.

The Alumnae of Color BBQ drew a hungry crowd.

The Art Museum opened its doors for tours of the exhibit The Offering Table: Women Activist Artists from Korea.

Please send nominations with information about each candidate’s achievements and qualifications to: Chair, AAMC Awards Program, Alumnae Association of Mills College, P.O. Box 9998, Oakland, CA 94613. Please include your name, phone number, address, and email address.

Nominations must be received no later than May 18, 2009.

For more information, email the AAMC at aamc@mills.edu or AAMC President Anita Aragon Bowers at AnitaAragonBowers@ alumnae.mills.edu or call 510.430.2110.

Be sure to join us next year on October 1–4 for Reunion 2009, celebrating class years ending in 4 and 9 and the 50th Reunion of the Class of 1959.

Classmates, parents, and kids enjoyed a number of receptions, as well as panel discussions and campus tours.

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25

Bookshelf Alumnae authors shine at Reunion’s Literary Salon Nearly 50 alumnae and friends sat at rapt attention in the Bender Room on Saturday afternoon of Reunion weekend, as six Mills authors read excerpts from their books. From the tale of a young Egyptian queen who declared herself pharaoh of her land (His Majesty, Queen Hatshepsut, by Dorothy Carter, DFA ’42) to the contemporary poetry of Associate Professor of English Julianna Spahr, this year’s Literary Salon showcased a variety of fiction and non-fiction works.

Dancing Wisdom: Embodied Knowledge in Haitian Vodou, Cuban Yoruba, and Bahian Candomblé Yvonne Daniel, MA ’75 University of Illinois Press, 2005

Yvonne Daniel, professor emerita of

Now in its third year, the salon is organized by Daphne Muse,

dance and Afro-American studies at

director of the Women’s Leadership Institute. Reviews of two fea-

Smith College, draws on a unique

tured books follow.

store of knowledge accumulated over the course of more than 40 years to craft this comparative study of three African Diaspora “dancing religions.” As a dancer, anthropologist, and enthusiastic “observant participant” in the rituals of Vodou in Haiti, Yoruba in Cuba, and Candomblé in Bahia, Brazil, Daniel provides a multi-layered perspective on these three religions, which share music making and dancing as primary vehicles of spiritual transformation. In each tradition, dances are performed to specific rhythms in order to encourage the manifestation of particular ancestral spirits in the bodies of believers. Participating in such ceremonies allows human beings to transcend time and space and to benefit from changes in their physical, emotional, and spiritual being.

Daniel challenges the Western hierarchy of knowledge in which the scientific and theoretical is superior to practical, experiential, and kinesthetic understanding, and she shows how Haitian, Cuban, and Bahian dancers and musicians incorporate history, philosophy, physiology, psychology, botany, and mathematics in their ritual performance. To Daniel, rituals in these traditions serve as “social medicine” that promotes community cohesiveness and healing while they connect human beings

DANA DAVIS

with the spiritual plane and the cosmos.

The author participates fully in some of the rituals she observes. By reporting on the sensations she experiences while and after dancing in religious ceremonies, she breaks down the Bookworms: The authors featured at this year’s Literary Salon, pictured above with co-facilitator Joan Gelfand, were: Associate Professor of English Julianna Spahr: Things of Each Possible Relation Hashing Against One Another, This Connection of Everyone With Lungs, The Transformation; Lauren Speeth ’81: Tracks of Hope; Kathie Warne ’45: My Twentieth Century: Madeleine Milhaud Interviews with Mildred Clary; Yvonne Daniel, MA ’75, Dancing Wisdom; Dorothy Carter, DFA ’42: His Majesty, Queen Hatshepsut; Sharon Niederhaus ’63: Together Again: A Guide to Successful Multigenerational Living (reviewed in Mills Quarterly, winter/spring 2008). The audience listens attentively, below.

26

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

wall between anthropologist and “other,” between scholar and participant. And Daniel does not shy away from sharing the story of her own spiritual development, including the conundrum she faces when she is not able to return to Cuba to complete her initiation into the Yoruba religion but has the option to do so in the similar Candomblé tradition in Brazil—if and only if she agrees to cut ties with her spiritual family in Cuba. Daniel even shares guidance and information she received from spiritual entities with whom she communicated during her participation in religious practice.

the Americas. It is clear that participating in Vodou, Yoruba, and

The San Francisco Tape Music Center: 1960s Counterculture and the Avant-Garde

Candomblé rituals has enriched the author’s life, and Daniel’s

David W. Bernstein, editor

This book has something to offer those interested in dance, embodied experience, religion, and African Diaspora culture in

passion for her subject matter enriches this study with vivid detail along with something that is frequently missing from studies of religious practice—a phenomenological approach to what it feels like to participate in acts of praise and devotion.

University of California Press, 2008

The foreword to this book states that “if you can remember the ’60s, you weren’t really there.” For those whose recall is lacking or those who never witnessed the amazing countercultural forces germinating in

Tracks of Hope: The Forgotten Story of America’s Runaway Train and How We Can Change Its Course Lauren Speeth ’81 Elfenworks Foundation, 2008

San Francisco at that time, David Bernstein’s book is a fascinating and enlightening read. The San Francisco Tape Music Center documents a community of artists who both created and reacted to great cultural shifts in art, music, and performance. The volume contains oral histories with founding members of the Tape

With Tracks of Hope, Lauren Speeth

Music Center (which moved to Mills College in 1966

aims to develop a new way of think-

and is now known as the Center for Contemporary

ing about poverty—not as an over-

Music) as well as retrospective essays by leading schol-

whelming problem that belongs to

ars and artists. A DVD of performances from Wow and

“other people,” but as a complex

Flutter, a festival produced by the Experimental Media

result of many social injustices:

and Performing Arts Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic

lack of access to education and

Institute in 2004, completes the multimedia package.

health care, pervasive domestic

Though the book focuses on the Tape Music Center

violence and abuse, ineffective

and its founding members, other artists receive ample

criminal rehabilitation programs, untreated mental illnesses, and

attention: from Ann Halprin, founder of the Dancers’

personal crises. The coffee-table–style book features evocative

Workshop, to Tony Martin and his compositions of

photography of urban and rural landscapes, most of which were

light, to the wizards who developed much of the Tape

taken by the author herself. The book also serves to describe the

Music Center’s capabilities.

philosophical basis of the Elfenworks Foundation, where Speeth

In describing this little-studied group, Bernstein pro-

serves as CEO, which is dedicated to supporting those who are

vides an intimate and exciting portrait of remarkable

addressing issues of poverty and injustice.

people doing remarkable things in remarkable times.

Speeth presents the daunting facts of poverty in this country while noting the humanity behind the numbers. She points out that women and children make up large segments of the population most affected by poverty, and presents the variety of factors that can lead to homelessness. Moreover, she argues that many systems in this country exacerbate these problems rather than offering any hope for improvement.

Most importantly, Speeth shows how poverty creates both an ethical and monetary burden for our society as a whole. But this isn’t a story of doom and gloom: the author encourages each reader of the book to take action in any way, large or small, to combat the problem of domestic poverty and asserts that every individual effort is rewarding and fulfilling. The book concludes with a series of appendices that offer informative online resources and useful suggestions for volunteering or otherwise creating change.

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27

In Memoriam Notices of deaths received before September 26, 2008

Alumnae Edith Ottenheimer Miller ’25, August 5, in Portland, Oregon.

She was the 1922 Portland Rose Festival princess, a lifelong member of Temple Beth Israel, and a volunteer for the American Red Cross for 85 years. Survivors include her son Alan and a grandchild.

Celeste Malone ’38, August 25, in Sacramento. She taught school for a number of years and was a lifelong member of the First Baptist Church, where she helped form the Friendship Class, a Sunday school group. She often entertained friends at a summer home on the west shore of Lake Tahoe. Survivors include two children and four grandchildren.

Martadel Cooper ’39, July 22, in Las Vegas. She studied piano at Julliard and worked as a legal secretary. She is survived by several nieces and nephews.

Helen Funnell Helen Funnell ’27, September 7, in Monterey, California. She was a teacher in Oakland schools for 36 years and enjoyed performing in many dramatic productions.

Frances Lee Betz ’28, October 26, 2006. She is survived by three children and 12 grandchildren.

Mary Porter ’34, April 29, 2007, in Sacramento. A resident of Woodland until 2001, she was a member of the charitable sorority Omega Nu and of Chapter IX, an organization that supports women’s education. Survivors include several cousins.

Vernice Theisen Meskell, MA ’36, December 31, 2007, in Claremont, California. A longtime resident of southern California, she was active with the Pasadena Mills Alumnae Club.

Survivors include a daughter.

Margaret Cary Tunks ’39, November 3, 2007, in Los Angeles.

She studied biochemistry as a graduate student at the University of Iowa and moved to Seattle in the mid-1960s, where she became an advocate for sensible transportation policies. Survivors include two sons and two grandchildren.

Marjorie Armstrong Willard ’40, June 11, in San Ramon, California.

Survivors include a daughter and niece Dana Wildman ’53.

Patricia Paulin Davis ’41, March 17, in Sidney, British Columbia, Canada.

Ruth “Elizabeth” Duncan Aley ’42, June 8, in San Francisco. In 1945, she traveled to Berlin as a member of the Women’s Army Corps. She wrote and published poetry throughout her life, later teaching poetry and creative writing at UC Santa Barbara, and was an avid bird-watcher.

She is survived by three children and five grandchildren.

Billie Gardner Axel ’42, July 14, in San Luis Obispo, California. She worked at March Air Force Base and entertained the troops on stage during World War II, volunteered for several community service organizations, and enjoyed extensive travel and creative hobbies throughout her life. She was president of Mills alumnae groups in New York and southern California, served as alumnae regional governor for six years, and hosted several fundraisers for her alma mater. She is survived by her husband, Murray; three children; and two grandchildren.

Winifred Kowallis, MA ’42, June 26, in Sacramento. She was employed by the State of California as a home economist for 35 years. She is survived by two nephews.

Ruth “Deemsie” Deems Remington ’43, January 12, in Ashland, New Hampshire.

After college, she lived in the Philadelphia area and Williamsburg, Virginia, and worked as an elementary school teacher. She is survived by four children and 14 grandchildren.

Peggy van Horne Seligman ’43, September 2, in Stinson Beach, California. A longtime resident of San Francisco and a world traveler, she and her husband retired to Stinson Beach, where she thrived with her books and garden. She is survived by three sons and three grandsons.

Shirley “Chappie” Chapler Heublein ’44, June 11, in Sierra Madre, California. A PE teacher in Pasadena for many years, she was an experienced angler, skier, golfer, domino player, and all-around sportswoman.

She is survived by three sons, 13 grandchildren, and a sister.

Betsy Bamberger Lesser ’44, September 20, 2004, in Los Angeles.

38

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

Mildred “Patricia” Thomson Grinnell ’45, August 1, in Cohasset, Massachusetts. She was a renowned floral designer who exhibited, taught, and judged flower arranging throughout New England. She is survived by her husband, James; six children; 12 grandchildren; and a sister.

Frances Sanchez Peralez, MA ’46, February 7, in Lakewood, California. Survivors include her husband, Manuel.

Constance Rook Piper ’47, July 29, in San Clemente, California. She had a 40-year career teaching elementary school, was a member of Alpha Delta Pi, and was an experienced traveler. She is survived by her husband, Jim; four children; and 10 grandchildren.

Harry Donlevy, MEd ’49, April 17, in Oakland. He became a lieutenant in the Navy before undertaking a long career as an art teacher.

He worked in several high schools as well as the California College of the Arts and UC Extension and led art-centered trips in California, Asia, and Europe.

Phyllis Hill, MA ’52, August 10, in Madison, Wisconsin. She was a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for 25 years, serving in both academic and administrative positions, including director of the campus Peace Corps program and director of women’s athletics. After moving to Wisconsin in 1977, she continued working as an educator and curriculum specialist. She is survived by her longtime friend, Jane Ayer; a sister; and three nephews.

Mary “M.L.” Conner Allen ’54, May 15, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was a world traveler and assumed leadership in numerous civic and charitable organizations. She was active with the Mills College Alumnae Club of Oklahoma and chaired a committee that endowed a regional scholarship at the College. She is survived by three sons and seven grandchildren.

Gifts in Memory of (Received June 1–August 31, 2008)

Elsa Freudenthal Altshool ’55, March 28, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She gave folk guitar lessons for many years, sold her crafts at juried fairs, and operated Valley Insurance Agency. A vocal advocate for the disenfranchised, she was active with the Democratic Party, peace and justice movements, and many progressive community organizations. She is survived by a daughter.

Kay Reiten Meyer ’61, August 9, in Walnut Creek, California.

She owned her own interior design business and worked for Interform Commercial Interiors.

Janet Gill ’62, July 8, in Seattle.

She was the author of several novels, picture books, and short stories, and organized a BookFest to bring together writers and the public. She is survived by three children and a brother.

Marcia Miller ’63, August 15, in Palo Alto. A history major at Mills, she founded one of the Bay Area’s top interior design firms and earned great professional recognition, including the Sunset magazine Award of Excellence in 2000.

Survivors include two sons, three grandchildren, a brother, and sister Sally Miller Baumwell ’66.

Mary van Beuren Seavey ’70, August 29, in Saint Helena, California. She was a leader with the Oakland Museum, the Women’s Athletic Club of Oakland, and the English Speaking Union of the United States. With her husband, she was owner and operator of Seavey Vineyard in the Napa Valley. She is survived by her husband, William; five children; and four grandchildren.

Jean Hastings ’73, September 11, in Benecia, California.

Mary “M.L.” Conner Allen ’54, by Robert Allen, Laura Collins Neri ’54 Billie Gardner Axel ’42, by Doris Morton, Margaret Scott, Dwight Tate, Doris Turner Evelyn “Peg” Deane ’42, by Mary Hart Clark ’42 Grace Forlenz, by Jerome D. Oremland, M.D. Barbara “Bobby” Coleman Frey ’68, by Laurel Kathryn Burden ’68 Hollie Q. Hill

Helen and William Gaw, by Jane Farrell Gaw ’52 Ruth Gillard ’36, by Estate of Dorothy Gillard

Hollie Q. Hill, July 14, in Mountain View, California. A Mills student pursuing library arts, she had been an employee of Nokia Inc. and the Oakland Museum.

She was honored with the MS Society Mission Possible Award in acknowledgement of her outstanding fundraising efforts, and was considered joyful, artistic, and witty. Survivors include her husband, Wayne Runyon; parents Frank and Carol; and siblings Debra and Troy.

Spouses & Family Frances Akerlund, mother of Ellen Akerlund-Gonella ’68, April 2, in Sun City, Arizona.

Alexander Allison, father of Lynne Allison Phillips ’75 and grandfather of Kateri Allison Rein ’90, June 18, in Thousand Oaks, California.

William Cahill, husband of Ann Jones Cahill ’48 and father of Barbara Cahill ’76, August 10, in Seattle.

Elizabeth Yates Collender, mother of Tori Collender ’74, September 11.

Thomas Greer, widower of Dorothy “Dottie” Leech Greer ’43, May 23, in Rocky Mount, Virginia.

R. Theodore Leaver, husband of Bonnie Reuter Leaver ’58, July 17, in Beverly Hills.

Gailard L. Piper, father of Sonja Piper Dosti ’92, April 13.

Nancy Laston Gilmore ’68, by Elaine Elliott Flynn ’68 Sara Amodei Grosskettler ’58, by Drusilla Eaton Binney ’58 James Harper, P ’78, P ’90, husband of Nancy Gene Harper ’80, by Kristin Harper Bush ’78 George Hedley, by Mura Kievman ’64 Barbara Jacobson ’68, by Susan Stern Fineman ’68, Margaret Stern Thornton ’65 Marion Tonkon Kaufman ’51, by Jane Simonton Abts ’51, Rena Houston Du Bose ’51, Bette Dreyfous Goldsmith ’51 E. Alison Kay ’50, by Constance Black, P ’74, Betty Chu Wo ’46 Mary Larkin ’86 and Don Larkin, P ’77, by Sheila Larkin Brethauer ’77, MA ’89 Charles Larsen ’69, by Mura Kievman ’64, Catherine LaRoche ’85, Lisa Lemon ’86, MA ’93 Boitumelo “Tumi” McCallum ’07, daughter of Tebojo Moja, by Steven Burrell, Dennis Coll, Margaret Moja, Hilda and Tiisetso Moja, and Tebojo Moja Madeleine Milhaud, by Katherine Farrow Jorrens ’57, Mura Kievman ’64 Marcia Miller ’63, by Palo Alto Area Mills College Club Patricia Taylor Milligan ’47, by Donald Milligan, P ’73 Franklin Ott, husband of Margaret Saunders Ott ’40, by Margaret Saunders Ott ’40 Irene Damis Papan ’58, by Loretta Hirsh Shine ’58 Jane “Jinx” Rule ’52, by Jane Robinson Shoemaker ’64 Carolyn Nissen Rathbun ’68, by Gayle Rothrock ’68 Flora Elizabeth Reynolds, by Sandra Ong ’59 Lawrence Shrader, by Grayson and Jenifer Kirtland Gildee Abercrombie Vaughn ’68, by Gretchen FitzGerald Chesley ’68 Imogene and Franklin Walker, by Katherine Farrow Jorrens ’57 Helen and Reynold Wik, by Katherine Farrow Jorrens ’57

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

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39

Learning from experience

By Sarah J. Stevenson, MFA ’04

I

n fall 1957, Ravenna Helson, an adjunct professor of

“We are truly more our real selves—more at ease with who

psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, visited

we are, and more accepting of ourselves and each other,” says

Mills College armed with a battery of questionnaires, inven-

Cynthia Foskett Nestle ’58. “I sensed it in many of the classmates

tories, and assessments. Her goal: to select a representative sam-

I reconnected with at Reunion.”

ple of the Class of 1958 to participate in a long-term study on

Simply participating in the study imparted a sense of perspec-

“creativity, leadership, and plans for the future in modern young

tive. “I’ve looked forward to sitting down and reflecting on where

women.” The study would enable researchers to investigate

I’ve been and where I’m going,” says Mary Stuart McCullough ’58.

changes in personality and gender roles over time, against the complex backdrop of historical and social change.

Nestle also notes the broader historical context of her classmates’ lives: “I have come to see our class as part of a ‘bridge gen-

Just over 50 years later, on September 18, 2008, a lively group of Mills women from the Class of

eration’ caught between the traditional roles for women and the radically changed roles that emerged in the ’60s and ’70s.”

1958 gathered during Reunion to hear a presenta-

“The idea of ‘integrity’ as a final thrust in life is compelling and

tion by Helson, who has tracked the class through

true,” according to Marilyn Winans ’58. “I see the strengths that

significant life changes. Helson’s research team,

have been developing during my journey. I notice how they relate

now headed by Berkeley Professor of Psychology

to my past, and how that has shaped what I have done these 50

Oliver John, followed up with the Class of 1958

years after graduation. I am looking at what I need to do now to

sample and another group from the Class of 1960

truly have a life of integrity.”

a few years after their graduations and again at periodic intervals spanning five decades.

The findings of the Mills Longitudinal Study have resulted in more than 100 scholarly publications on personality, emotional

“When we entered into the study, I don’t think that we knew it would be this long,” laughs Margi Roberts Tomczak ’58, who introduced Helson that afternoon.

experience, relationships, and life satisfaction. Details can be found at the project website, http://millslab.berkeley.edu.

Even as our society changes with respect to gender roles and

One of the recent areas of study has been the concept of integ-

attitudes toward aging, so too does this dynamic group of Mills

rity, which psychologist Erik Erikson describes as the acceptance

alumnae continue to change, learn, and grow—and show alumnae

of one’s past as inevitable and meaningful and which Helson

across the age spectrum how we, too, can approach each decade

terms “the last major task of adulthood.” The study has revealed

with grace and integrity.

that integrity may not simply be a matter of acceptance, but that there is also an active component of “making yourself the person you want to be, or finding your authentic self.”

Many study participants reported feeling freer in their 60s and 70s to pursue creative work that they had been unable to commit to earlier in life, due to employment, health concerns, life events, or social expectations. Satisfaction with relationships tended to increase, and even losses and late-life regrets could be a source of strength and integrity.

Woman of integrity: Suzanne Munk Ragen (above left); Pauline Wood Bauer, Bonnie Reuter Leaver, and Sylvia Gerber Bruce (above right); Anne Sheridan Tiber (right).

40

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

“I have come to see our class as part of a

‘bridge generation’ caught between the traditional roles for women and the radically changed roles that emerged in the ’60s and ’70s.”

—Cynthia Foskett Nestle ’58

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

Total Solar Eclipse over China w July 15–24, 2009 An Extraordinary Event n

Witness the total solar eclipse from the centerline of the path of totality, where viewing will last an extraordinary 5 minutes and 55 seconds.

n

Enjoy lectures and commentary by California Academy of Sciences astronomer Bing Quock.

n

Explore the highlights of Beijing, including the Great Wall, Ming Tombs, the Olympic Village, and the Forbidden City.

n

See Xian’s terracotta warriors, and the Bund in Shanghai.

n

Extend your China Adventure with an optional Yangtze River cruise through the famed Three Gorges.

For more information, please contact the Alumnae Association of Mills College at 510.430.2110, or email aamc@mills.edu Program Costs Main Program (Per person, based on double occupancy)..... $3,895 Single Supplement....................................... $ 695 Yangtze River Cruise Extension (Per person, based on double occupancy)..... $1,995 Single Supplement....................................... $ 525

Nominate your choice for Alumna Trustee The Alumnae Association of Mills College Nominating Committee is seeking alumnae/i who have demonstrated service and support to the AAMC and the College to serve as Alumna Trustee, 2009–2012.

We invite you, the alumnae of Mills College, to submit candidate nominations before January 16, 2009.

Three Alumnae Trustees sit on both the Board of Trustees of Mills College and the Board of Governors of the AAMC. They are expected to attend several annual meetings of each board and serve as a liaison between the two boards. The term begins July 1, 2009. Contact Cynthia Guevara, Nominating Committee chair, at guevaracyn@yahoo.com, or call AAMC offices at 510.430.3373 or 510.430.3374 for further information.

Nominations may be submitted to the Nominating Committee, AAMC, PO Box 9998, Oakland, CA 94613, or via email to Cynthia Guevara, guevaracyn@yahoo.com. Please include your nominee’s name, class year, address, telephone, and email address, as well as your own name.

Up to three final nominees will be featured in the winter Quarterly. All alumnae/i are eligible to vote using the mail-in ballots provided in that issue.

Remember, the nomination deadline is Friday, January 16, 2009.

Giving Free Play to the Imagination Celebrate the reopening of Mills College’s historic Concert Hall, where for more than 80 years the Music Department’s performances have shaped the course of music in our time. Experience the hall’s renovated acoustics, seating, and stage, and see the restored frescoes, choir panels, and ceiling details by artist Raymond Boynton, who aimed “to produce a scheme of decoration that would give free play to the imagination.”

Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009

Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009

OPENING NIGHT

A Celebration of the Center for Contemporary Music

Pauline Oliveros with Tony Martin, Terry Riley, Joseph Kubera performs Roscoe Mitchell, Joan Jeanrenaud 8:00 pm Solo performances of works by pioneers in the experimentalist tradition. A champagne reception follows.

Free admission for the first 80 alumnae who reserve seats by January 16.

RSVP to alumnae-relations @mills.edu or 510.430.3363.

Pauline Oliveros

3:00 pm More than 40 years of electronic innovation.

Pre-concert talk with performers at 2:00 pm.

m i l l s

M u s i c

F e s t i v a l

Friday, Feb. 27, 2009

Sunday, Mar. 8, 2009

Legendary Composer and Improviser Muhal Richard Abrams

Arditti Quartet

8:00 pm With special guest Roscoe Mitchell.

Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009

Darius Milhaud’s Brazilian Connection 8:00 pm Dazzling orchestral works conducted by Nicole Paiement. A celebration of the Concert Hall naming follows.

3:00 pm The world-renowned string quartet plays works by Mills composers past and present.

Sunday, Apr. 5, 2009

The Music of Fred Frith 3:00 pm A rocking birthday concert of new music.

A special birthday reception follows.

Admission for alumnae: $12 for each concert; $60 for the series General admission: $20 for each concert ($12 seniors); $100 for the series ($60 seniors) Series tickets make great holiday gifts! To purchase tickets for individual concerts or for the series by credit card, visit www.boxofficetickets.com and search for “Mills Festival.” A limited number of tickets will be available at the door before each concert for purchase by cash or check. For more information about the festival, visit www.mills.edu/musicfestival or call 510.430.2296.

Mills Quarterly Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd.

Oakland, CA 94613-1301 510.430.3312 quarterly@mills.edu www.mills.edu Address service requested Periodicals postage paid at Oakland, CA and at additional mailing office(s)

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