Mills Quarterly, Summer 2017

THE CHAPEL TURNS 50  THE TRIUMPH OF FRIENDSHIP  COMMENCEMENT 2017

Mills Quarterly Summer 2017

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Mills Quarterly

CONTENTS 6

Summer 2017 Blood brothers by Meredith May ’91 Two men met as wartime enemies. Decades later, they found healing as friends.

Meredith May tells their remarkable story in her book, I Who Did Not Die, and shares how this tale of redemption changed her own life.

Plus: “The Cheers of Baghdad,” an excerpt from her book.

12 Symbol and sanctuary by Dara Olandt As the Chapel marks its 50th birthday, the campus chaplain reflects on the state of faith at Mills today and the importance of cultivating interfaith awareness in order to address today’s polarizing political and social issues.

14 A lexicon of justice by Linda Schmidt Before she ever enrolled at Mills, Lateefah Simon ’17 had helped hundreds of people escape poverty and incarceration through her work as an advocate and organizational leader. Her time on campus gave her the language and the knowledge to effect even greater systemic change.

Plus: 2017 Bent Twigs

28 It came from beneath the sea A newly acquired collection of ocean invertebrates enriches the Mills biology lab.

Departments 2

President’s Message

4

Mills Matters

18 Class Notes 25 In Memoriam

On the cover: Edil Yousef ’17, this year’s Commencement undergraduate speaker, is a public health and health equity major. She has been a health advocate at Highland Hospital and is spending the summer volunteering in a mental health clinic in her home country, Somalia. At Mills, she has been involved with the Muslim Student Alliance and Black Student Coalition. Photo by Steve Babuljak

A Message from the President of Mills College

Reimagining Mills today for a stronger tomorrow

By Beth Hillman During a spectacular 129th Commence-

with improved classroom technology

ment Day in May, a sense of celebration

and lab facilities is expensive. Our cam-

and accomplishment swept the campus.

pus, a source of joy and inspiration for

Feeling the impact of a Mills education

so many over the years, is losing value

on so many individuals, families, and

and functionality because of deferred

Volume CV Number 4 (USPS 349-900) Summer 2017

communities deepened my resolve to

maintenance and limited capital invest-

address the College’s continuing finan-

ment. As a result, Mills must restructure

cial challenges. Mills has long been a

to succeed.

President Elizabeth L. Hillman

place

Chief of Staff and Vice President for Communications and External Relations Renée Jadushlever Editor Linda Schmidt Design and Art Direction Nancy Siller Wilson Contributing Writers Meredith May ’91, Dara Olandt

responding

Mills can and will address the chal-

to evolving times by bringing the core

lenge of providing an accessible, trans-

mission and values of Mills to new gen-

formative education to current and

erations of students. It’s time for another

future generations of students. To this

transformation.

end, I am working diligently with all

of

transformation,

Many of you have already heard

members of the Mills community to

that the Board of Trustees declared a

develop MillsNext, a vision guided by

“financial emergency” to enable Mills

three priorities for undergraduate and

to restructure and regain financial sta-

graduate education:

bility. The board declined to approve a

 Academic excellence in the arts,

budget that projected a $9.1 million defi-

Editorial Assistance Russell Schoch

cit for the upcoming fiscal year, and this

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.

attain a balanced budget within three

summer will review a plan designed to years. Those of you who have closely followed the financial health of the College

humanities, sciences, social sciences, and technology,  Applied learning, global understanding, and real-world skills development, and

will not be surprised by this develop-

 G ender and racial justice in academic

ment. The costs of the many programs

programs and community engagement.

that support our students and keep the College running cannot be sustained

These priorities will help Mills revitalize

in our current configuration. Despite

its historic strength in the liberal arts,

Copyright © 2017, Mills College

working diligently to control costs and

bolster alternative revenue streams, and

Address correspondence to Mills Quarterly, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA 94613.

Email: quarterly@mills.edu Phone: 510.430.3312

diversify revenues over the past several

implement a set of initiatives to bring

years, Mills is suffering from significant

this vision to life. Ultimately, MillsNext

structural deficits.

will serve as a lens through which we

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

Declining enrollment, rising tuition

will re-examine Mills’ mission state-

discount rates, and increased compe-

ment and build a new strategic plan.

tition have taken a toll across higher

In the short term, these priorities will

education. These factors make small,

guide the painful downsizing that will

independent

allow us to achieve a sustainable future

colleges,

and

women’s

colleges—many of which have already closed or chosen to become co-educa(Please use outline)

2

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

for Mills.

Significant restructuring of academic

the

programs and co-curricular activities is

same time, the costs of maintaining our

underway with the needs and interests of

infrastructure have risen. Keeping pace

our students at the forefront. Programs

tional—especially

vulnerable.

At

serving fewer than five students are

that help first-generation and under-

likely to be eliminated or revised to

represented students adjust to college

become concentrations within larger

and increase a sense of social belonging;

programs in a new design intended to

early interventions for mental health

retain the breadth and appeal of a lib-

issues; and improved advising processes.

eral arts education in interdisciplinary,

It will allow the College to consider a

collaborative ways. The vast majority of

tuition re-set that will help students

academic majors and minors will still be

and their families better understand the

available, and all administrative func-

value and cost of a Mills education.

tions are being reviewed to improve effi-

MillsNext will also provide increased

ciencies. To meet our budget goals, we

opportunities

anticipate a reduction of approximately

faculty, the heart of the Mills experi-

for

our

outstanding

30 staff and faculty positions in a pro-

ence, to innovate and to teach in cross-

cess that both values the inestimable

disciplinary environments. Restructured

contribution of each person and sets a

academic programs will allow some pro-

sustainable foundation for the future.

fessors to bring their knowledge and

Change of this magnitude and speed

expertise to courses that may reside in

is unusual in higher education, and

multiple departments. And institutional

we understand that many people who

alliances will allow for more customized

care deeply for the institution may

educational tracks for a wider variety

feel uncomfortable or even distraught.

of students on differing life paths. We

Please consult the President’s Office

have established a program offering

website for updated details of the finan-

enhanced academic and financial coun-

cial situation and answers to frequently

seling to students enrolled at Peralta

asked questions. And please know that

Community Colleges that will ease their

the next iteration of Mills will meet an

ability to complete a four-year degree at

imperative in higher education today:

Mills, and we have initiated an explor-

by reducing Mills’ costs and enhancing

atory task force to deepen our partner-

our revenue streams, we will reduce the

ship with UC Berkeley. Further strategic

the lifeblood of Mills—its greatest advo-

need for students and their families to

alliances with public and private part-

cates, its most powerful ambassadors,

take on debt to finance their education.

ners in the arts, business, and technol-

the stewards of its history. Alumnae sup-

Mills educated women when society as

ogy communities will provide additional

port has always been vital. Our alumnae

a whole rejected that investment as folly,

academic scope and career preparation

have donated generously to fund student

hired immigrants when others shunned

for Mills students.

scholarships and other financial needs,

them, embraced refugees from fascism

Most of all, I see amazing optimism

and as we near the end of the current

as others looked away, and included

in the many alumnae/i and friends of

fiscal year our fundraising has already

transgender students before other wom-

the College who have reached out to

yielded $14 million of largely restricted

en’s colleges were ready to do so. The

show their unwavering confidence in

funds. We are committed to manag-

difficult transition now underway, and

Mills. Responses by phone, mail, and

ing all gifts with the greatest care and

the new model built on the foundation

social media have been overwhelmingly

responsibility toward our donors’ inter-

of MillsNext priorities, will enable Mills

positive and demonstrate the creativity,

ests and intent and, with your continued

to continue to offer accessible, trans-

dedication, and love that has sustained

support, Mills will regain the stability

formative educational opportunities for

Mills through thick and thin in the past.

necessary to achieve positive growth.

women long into the future.

Only days after the announcement of

This is an important turning point

The MillsNext vision will create a sig-

the “financial emergency,” I met with

for Mills. The College has a vital place

nature undergraduate experience, invest

Mills alumnae in Denver and Chicago.

in the academic landscape. It is a place

resources in areas of increased student

To a person, they were united in their

where an extraordinary education is

demand, and embrace technology and

support of Mills and ready to pitch in to

affordable and accessible to an inclusive

technology education to complement

support the financial stabilization plan.

community of thinkers, scientists, schol-

our recently refined core curriculum. It

This partnership with alumnae across

ars, educators, artists, and innovators.

will adopt a more robust and supportive

the world is the final key that will enable

Now, as we advance the legacy of the

system to increase student retention,

us to retain the academic excellence and

College, we ask you to stand with Mills.

with particular attention to creating an

thriving culture that have endured for

Have faith in our future and invest in

inclusive first-year experience; efforts

165 years. Alumnae in many ways are

the MillsNext vision.

PHOTO BY M ARC OLI V IER LEBL ANC

SUMMER 2017

3

Mills Matters Amid a gaggle of reporters and a

that, at the time, a college degree for

documentary film crew, National Parks

someone of her race and class seemed

Ranger Betty Reid Soskin, 95, received

like a magical, yet impossible, goal.

an honorary doctor of arts and letters

The Mills degree, therefore, holds

degree from Mills College for her work

special meaning for her. “To have lived

in remembering the discrimination and

into an age to be affirmed in this way

segregation of African Americans who

by Mills College, you have no idea what

worked in the Richmond, California,

that means.”

shipyards during World War II. The oldest National Park ranger in

GURPREE T TUNG

Honoring a “remarkable life”

Soskin continues to work as a ranger at the Rosie the Riveter World War II

“What a remarkable life she has led,”

the nation, Soskin received the degree

Home Front National Historical Park in

President Beth Hillman told a cheering

at Mills’ 129th Commencement on

Richmond and writes a blog at cbreaux.

crowd before presenting the degree.

Saturday, May 13.

blogspot.com. The granddaughter of a

“This is an accomplished woman whose

freed slave, she worked as a file clerk

advocacy and tireless voice over a lifetime

bus line throughout my childhood

in a segregated, all-black workplace in

has assured that the African American

and adolescence, past the great wall-

Richmond during World War II. In the

wartime experiences and African American

like bushes of Mills College, and

1960s, she was a political activist and

contributions before and after World

wondered what was behind them—

songwriter working for social justice.

War II are celebrated, remembered, and

a secret garden?” she related during

Later she founded a blues and jazz record

made integral to US history.”

her Commencement address. She said

store in Berkeley with her husband.

“I rode on the MacArthur Avenue

—Doug Oakley

Theater revival After 116 years of wear and tear, Lisser Hall is set for a major facelift and

commitment to the performing arts.

While Lisser Hall is closed for con-

Mills’ renewed commitment to East Bay arts communities is a welcome devel-

structural upgrade that promises a more

struction, the former book store near

opment, said Sandra Luna, head of the

modern and versatile performing arts

the Tea Shop on Adams Plaza will be

Julia Morgan School for Girls, which is

experience. On May 11, Mills College

the main performance space for dance

located on the Mills campus. “Lisser Hall

trustees and administrators officially

and theater, said Karen Fiene, direc-

is central to our theater arts program. We

kicked off a one-year, $9-million reno-

tor of construction, compliance, and

have all our big events there,” Luna said.

vation to the performing arts building,

sustainability.

“We are really grateful to be able to use

which serves as home base for the Mills

The temporary theater, dubbed “Little

the building, but it’s been well used—and this renovation is dearly needed.”

dance and theater departments. When

Lisser,” will hold 88 spectators and have

complete, the new space is expected to

two dressing rooms for performers as

freshen up the performing arts scene on

well as office space for the theater and

exterior includes a new flexible seat-

campus and in the wider community.

dance departments. Seating from Lisser

ing arrangement, technology upgrades

“It’s very exciting that we’ve broken

Hall was installed in the 2,800-square-

for multimedia performances, new

ground,” said Victor Talmadge, director

foot space; the stage and flooring are also

light and sound equipment, improved

of the Theater Studies Program. “Having

being reused from other Mills facilities.

accessibility and seismic upgrades, and

a flexible performance space is not only

“It’s a wonderful way to repurpose

an outdoor terrace overlooking Leona

important to the Mills community, but

an unused space at the hub of student

Creek. Construction is planned to be

also will be much more inviting to out-

activity on campus,” Fiene said. “I think

complete by fall 2018.

side dance and theater companies and

students will really love the spontaneity

will facilitate greater community partici-

this space will provide, and it will add a

tions from individuals and founda-

pation.” The ambitious scope of the proj-

dimension of activity and creativity to

tions over three years to the Raise the

ect, he added, underscores the College’s

the plaza.”

Curtain fundraising campaign.

4

The renovation to the interior and

The College received over 400 dona-

—Doug Oakley M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

Campus kudos A selection of recent achievements by faculty, staff, and students English Professor Kathryn Reiss

President Beth Hillman, an expert on sexual assault, harassment, and dis-

celebrated the publication of her 20th

crimination, testified before Congress in

novel, about a girl who finds a mys-

April about nonconsensual online por-

terious message in an abandoned

nography in the military. The hearing

California gold mine. Reiss, whose

followed revelations that private social

published works include fiction for kids

media groups in the Marines were used

and teens, currently teaches Craft of

to share nude images of female service

the Young Adult Novel and Beginning

members without their consent. Hillman

Fiction at Mills. While her 20th book

said the military needs a rule extending

is a milestone, she said she is equally

privacy rights to “sexual images distrib-

thrilled about the growing number of

uted without the consent of the person

her former students who are publishing

appearing in those images.” She later told

their own books.

The world-renowned Kronos Quartet

San Francisco radio station KQED that there should be criminal penalties for

selected Soo Yeon Lyuh, Music

distributing such items.

Department scholar in residence, as

The Morandi Museum in Bologna,

Soo Yeon Lyuh

one of 10 emerging musicians to compose new works that will be recorded

Italy, opened an exhibition by Professor of Studio Art Professor Catherine

for still life paintings of simple house-

and performed in concerts around

Wagner in April, featuring 21 photos

hold objects like bottles, bowls, vases,

the world. Lyuh plays the haegeum, a

inspired by works of the late Italian

and flowers. Wagner’s photographic

Korean stringed instrument. “Mills is

painter Giorgio Morandi. The exhibi-

take on his work uses the same objects

famous for improvisation, composition,

tion, In Situ: Traces of Morandi, opened

to create “new compositions through

and electronic music, and I am inter-

March 24 and runs through September.

repetition and the ephemeral nature of

ested in all three,” Lyuh said. “This is

Morandi, who died in 1964, was famous

shadows,” according to the museum.

all new ground for me.”

Building an enduring reputation The historic buildings of the Mills campus continue to earn kudos: In April, Mills College was declared a winner of a 2017 Art Deco Preservation Award in the category eclectic architecture of the Art Deco era. The awards recognize outstanding preservation of buildings, art, and culture from the 1910–1940 period.

Karen Fiene, director of construction, compliance, and sustainability, accepted the award from Art Deco Society Preservation Director Therese Poletti at the society’s black tie gala at the Oakland Scottish Rite Auditorium on April 29. Fiene had led the awards committee on a campus tour earlier in the year, with a focus on the Music Building and Art Museum, but also showcasing structures from Mills Hall, designed in 1869 and now listed in the National Register of Historic Places, to Julia Morgan’s 1904 Campanil and the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business and Public Policy, which opened in 2009.

“We really enjoyed seeing the campus and the College’s preservation and stewardship of all of your historic and contemporary buildings,” said Poletti.

Moya Stone, MFA ’03, submitted the nomination, and the award was presented in honor of Karen Geer ’85, a former board member of the Art Deco Society who passed away last October.

SUMMER 2017

5

BLOOD BROTHERS

BY MEREDITH MAY ’91

If men were music, Zahed would be punk rock and Najah would be jazz.

Zahed is impulsive, feisty, a bit of a trickster. He has always followed his own opinion, even as a kid growing up in Iran. He speaks loud and fast in Farsi, his native language, and he drives like a maniac—as if he’s still driving an ambulance on the battlefield.

Najah is more laid-back. Entrepreneurial and dashingly handsome, he was the social focal point in the falafel restaurant he operated before being called to fight with the Iraqi army. I imagine it like the Cheers of Baghdad: everyone came to talk and be with him, he charmed the ladies. His skill as a raconteur served him well there, and helped him survive nearly two decades as a prisoner of war.

6

Zahed Haftlang and Najah Aboud in Vancouver

Their two storylines first intersect on a battlefield

when he was homeless and where he stole food

in the Middle East, where Zahed Haftlang, an

and bicycles. He took me to the room where he

Iranian child soldier, risked his life to save Najah

attempted suicide. We visited the lobby where he

Aboud, an enemy fighter during the Iran—Iraq

and Najah met again. Zahed says his depression

War in the 1980s. Their lives connected again 20

vaporized at the moment of reunion. They now

years later when, both struggling with trauma and

call one another “brother.” They have shared his-

depression, they met by unfathomable chance at a

tories and blended families, and see or call each

Canadian help center for torture survivors.

other weekly.

I joined the plot when I undertook to tell their

The resulting book, I, Who Did Not Die, is told

astonishing story. I spent a month in Vancouver,

from the points of view of both Zahed and Najah,

where they both now live, interviewing each

in alternating chapters. It’s a moving story of war,

man. Speaking through an interpreter—Zahed

captivity, mercy, and miracle.

speaks Farsi and Najah speaks Arabic—we would

But it’s also more than that. As an assistant

talk for hours each day. And I studied both men

adjunct professor of journalism at Mills, I tell

outside of the interviews to understand how

my students that stories always have two layers.

they moved through the world. I met Najah’s sib-

There’s the surface layer, literally what the story

lings and heard their version of how they helped

is about: I, Who Did Not Die is the true story about

him escape to Canada. I hung out at Najah’s flea

how one young man’s astonishing act of kindness

market stall to see his entrepreneurialism in

ends up saving his own life two decades later.

action. Zahed showed me the park where he slept

The story of these men, forced to be enemies through the vagaries of politics and geography yet brought together and healed by their friendship, is about the power of humanity to conquer hate.

But underneath the facts of every story is its SUMMER 2017

7

Najah plays host to author Meredith May

emotional sub-layer, what the story is really

lowed behind. And in the end, there was no clear

about. The story of these men, forced to be ene-

winner. No borders changed and no reparations

mies through the vagaries of politics and geog-

were made. Along with the price paid in human

raphy yet brought together and healed by their

lives, the financial cost of war plunged both coun-

friendship, is about the power of humanity to

tries into multimillion-dollar debt.

When he was just 13, Zahed was forced to walk

conquer hate.

the minefields twice. Snipers shot him several times. Bombs and gunfire whizzed by him for

8 

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

The Iran-Iraq War took place

seven years. He was sadistically tortured for more

from 1980 to 1988 and was one of the most bru-

than two years as a prisoner of war. Najah’s tank

tal conflicts of the 20th century, with more than

was bombed while he was driving it. He crawled

700,000 killed, 2 million wounded or mutilated,

from the wreckage to an underground bunker,

and 1,800 villages along the Iran-Iraq border

and would have died there had not Zahed, by

destroyed. It was marked by large-scale trench

then trained as a field medic, secretly nursed him

combat and bayonet charges, extensive use of

with bandages, an IV, and morphine. Najah recov-

chemical weapons, fighter jets, and ballistic mis-

ered but was quickly captured, and spent the next

siles. Of the dead, 80,000 were Iranian child

17 years as a prisoner of war.

soldiers like Zahed, who were used as human

Like many POW’s ensnared in this conflict, he

minesweepers and forced to march unarmed

was held captive long after the war ended, a polit-

through minefields to detonate explosives and

ical bargaining chip in the war of words between

clear a path for the professional armies that fol-

Saddam Hussein and Ayatollah Khomeini. He

That both men not only survived, but also endured and restarted as refugees in Canada is miraculous. The chances that they would reunite again are beyond infinitesimal. But they did, and now I just have to believe that there is some unseen force watching over us.

survived that interminable imprisonment by tell-

shout-out here to former Mills Reference Librarian

ing stories. He had memorized all the Bruce Lee

Michael Beller for helping me find all this.)

films, and people would gather in the prison yard

I was weird to be around while writing this

to hear his reinterpretations. He’d take weeks to

book. Telling their story was like method acting,

tell a movie, embellishing and changing scenes.

on paper. I could hear their distinct voices in my

Later, he made up new movies in his head and

mind as I worked. As Zahed, I was a little staticky

told those.

and frenzied; high on caffeine. As Najah, I might

Najah is an exceptional raconteur, so he was good

play some Miles Davis and become a little more

at telling his own tale. Zahed, too, is an amazing

fluid. My wife could always tell which man I was

storyteller. Their narratives are so dramatic, so cin-

writing about, just by my behavior.

ematic. It was absolutely gripping to listen to them.

The rewards of this work My biggest fear in writing

have been incredible. I will never forget sitting on

this was that it wouldn’t be believable, that it

the couch at Zahed’s house while his 11-year-old

wouldn’t sound like it was coming out of Najah

son Niayesh read from the book out loud. Zahed,

and Zahed’s mouths. As a journalist with the

who struggles to read English, watched his own

San Francisco Chronicle, I had written a series

child discover his father – in real time.

about a war-wounded Iraqi boy during the sec-

After the book was published in late March of

ond Gulf War and so had some familiarity with

this year, Najah called to tell me that I was his

the world they came from, but in daily life I’m

hero. I countered that he was the hero because

a middle-aged white lady from San Francisco.

he lived the story. We argued back and forth a bit,

Could I authentically present the experience of

and then he said:

an Arabic or Persian man in the middle of a war in a Muslim country? I was very concerned that I

“If there is no book, and then I die, then nobody knows I am a hero.”

would make a huge faux pas with a cultural refer-

To hear such pride and happiness in the voice

ence, or mess up my geography or Middle Eastern

of a man who has suffered so much is a breathtak-

history. I really wanted to do my homework, so I

ing gift.

studied a dozen books on the war. I found psy-

That both men not only survived, but also

chological studies on Iraqi POWs and the oper-

endured and restarted as refugees in Canada

ator’s manual for the Russian T-62 tank that

is miraculous. The chances that they would

Najah drove. I reviewed military reports and all

reunite again are beyond infinitesimal. But they

the New York Times coverage about the Battle of

did, and now I just have to believe that there is

Khorramshahr, where Najah and Zahed first met.

some unseen force watching over us. Learning

Zahed told of stealing money from his father

their story has given me an incredible sense of

and skipping school to watch a three-hour Indian

calm that something out there has my back. We

movie called Sholay, so I watched that film to

humans have a lot of words for what we don’t

understand why it was so important to him. And

understand – we call this God, or Allah, or the

I tracked down a scientific report, “Scorpionism in

Universe, or Karma, or Luck, or Magic. But we are

Masjed Soleyman,” Zahed’s hometown, to verify

all saying the same thing: there’s an invisible net-

the childhood story he tells about trying to make a

work linking us together.

poisonous tea from scorpion tails. (I have to give a

What other explanation can there be?

SUMMER 2017

9

An excerpt from I, Who Did Not Die: A Sweeping Story of Loss, Redemption, and Fate by Zahed Haftlang and Najah Aboud, written with Pulitzer Prize–nominated writer Meredith May (©Regan Arts, March 2017).

Here the Iraqi Najah is speaking.

THE CHEERS BAGHDAD I DIDN’T NEED AN ALARM CLOCK to wake

samoon loaves baking, then a right at the sound

me to sleep with one eye open, at the ready. At least

of the trickling wastewater in the open trenches

I could thank the military for that. Oh, and the

lining the street. The shushing of the date palm

relentless jogging in

fronds in the breeze told me I was near the bus

formation and hiking

stop, which meant only a few more steps to reach

into the mountains of

my castle.

Kurdistan had turned

The metal retracting door clacked as I pushed

my body into some-

it up, and with a flick of a switch the outdoor

thing I could count

floodlight lit up the deserted street like a theater

on. Otherwise, eight

stage. That sudden explosion of light was the best

tedious years patrol-

part of my daily routine, like an invisible emcee

ling the Iraqi border

promoting a show to an audience that had yet to

for opium smugglers

arrive: “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Najah

was a duty that was

Aboud and his Bruce Lee Restaurant!”

finally, joyfully receding into my past.

I was a free man

the walls with Bruce Lee movie posters. Men and schoolboys alike were taken with the martial arts

kingdom was Shula,

hero, and the posters of him twirling nunchucks

one of the crummi-

and flexing his abs were good for business. Long

est neighborhoods of

after they finished their falafel sandwiches, peo-

Baghdad, where in 1979 cars were still brought

ple stayed late into the night drinking rivers of tea

to a standstill by muddy potholes in the rainy

and rehashing the plots of Fist of Fury or Enter the

season and family wealth was determined by

Dragon. Having seen all of Bruce Lee’s movies, I

which households could afford shoes. But in the

was only too happy to join in.

almost beautiful.

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

There was no name on the awning, but customers had started calling it that after I redecorated

now, at 26. And my

predawn before you could really see it, Shula was

10

prayer, then took a left at the scent of fish-shaped

me up at four in the morning; the army trained

That wasn’t the only change I made since my brother-in-law handed me the keys and offered

Guided by moonlight, I walked down the mid-

me half the profits if I would save this albatross

dle of the dirt road, my arms wrapped around a

on a dead-end street. All this place needed was a

50-pound bowl of uncooked falafel paste my sis-

few fresh ideas—and breakfast.

ter Samera had prepared the night before. By now,

I set the falafel down in the kitchen and turned

I knew the way to her husband’s restaurant by

on the propane burners to heat water for tea. I

sound and smell. I followed the incense wafting

slid a tape in the cassette player and the speakers

from the homes toward the low murmurings of the

crackled with the lulling sound of a man’s voice

men bowing inside the mosque for the predawn

reciting the Koran. This cheap tape was my fish-

ing lure, drawing the hungry faithful out of the

they were arguing about their shared border or,

mosques after their early morning prayer. It also

more precisely, over control of the Shatt al-Arab

worked on people waiting at the bus stop, soldiers

waterway, where the Tigris and the Euphrates

on their way to duty, and the insomniacs. It didn’t

came together and flowed as one down to the

take long before even the classier people from the

Persian Gulf. Whoever controlled that joint flow

side of town with paved streets began crossing

controlled the ships that carried Middle East oil

the park to pick up a few sandwiches before they

to the rest of the world. And oil was power, and

caught their shuttle bus to jobs at the airport and

power was money. Now the two lifetime enemies

government offices downtown.

were stirring up ancient ethnic and religious

“Hey, Basrawi, need some help?”

rivalries to try to intimidate the other into giving

I looked over my shoulder and saw one of my

up claims to that precious waterway.

regulars—a neighborhood boy who sometimes

The war of words consumed my customers, but

helped me prepare breakfast in exchange for a

I tried my best to ignore it. I’d done my time in

meal. Nobody knew my real name; I was just “the

the military and was trying to enjoy life as an

guy from Basra.”

apolitical civilian. When the talk got too politi-

“You’d be a great help, son, if you pulled the

cal, I took refuge in the kitchen. The Baathists

tables outside,” I said. “The village woman should

had spies everywhere, and you never knew who

be here any minute.”

was listening. Saddam made this perfectly clear

The baker came in next, asking me how many

just days after he became president. He called

loaves of samoon I’d need that day. I’d doubled

a televised meeting of several hundred of the

the bread order since I took over a couple months

most senior government people in Iraq, then

before, but I was starting to run out again before

announced he’d uncovered a plot against his

closing time.

regime. He ordered an informant to take the

“Give me a thousand.” He cocked an eyebrow

podium, and the man read aloud the names of

and put his hands on his hips. “I can give you all

the conspirators who were sitting in the audi-

I’ve got now, but I’ll have to bake more.”

ence. One by one, the accused were led, shak-

“How about if I pay you in advance, for your trouble?” I offered.

ing and sweating, out of the room by the secret police, while Saddam chuckled. I don’t know if

Like clockwork, the old woman appeared at

those men are alive or dead, and I don’t want to

4:15, carrying a huge bowl of clotted water buf-

know. But everyone saw the video, and the impli-

falo cream. My young helper stacked a pyramid

cation of it was loud enough to silence a culture

of flaky kahi pastry next to her geymar cream and

that used to revel in political debate. Fear was the

then fetched a jar of honey and the teapot. My

cement that held people together now. I’d even

breakfast menu followed one simple rule: give the

heard stories of children turning in their own

people what they want. And everybody loves gey-

parents for treason.

mar and kahi, the comfort food they grew up eat-

I was pulling a sack of chickpea flour out of

ing. The boy barely had time to get the teacups on

the storage closet when my older sister Samera

the table before hands began grabbing breakfast.

arrived for her shift.

I hustled back to the kitchen to brew more tea and, while it was heating, I brought a falafel sand-

“Your produce girl is here,” she said.

I dropped the sack right where I stood and

wich to the village woman to thank her for the

brushed the dust from my shirt.

geymar. She always tried to refuse, but I never let

“Do I look OK?” I whispered.

her. She had a beautiful daughter, after all.

She rolled her eyes and went back to chopping

After the breakfast rush, I turned on the radio

cucumbers. I grabbed a falafel sandwich from the

news, just in time for the retirees who were wak-

counter and smoothed my hair. This time the pro-

ing up and wanting to find out the latest reports

duce girl had a box of eggplants, and I could tell

about the Iranian Revolution. There were a lot

she chose them carefully. Not one was bruised or

of hot words flying between Iraq and Iran these

wrinkled.

days, now that Saddam Hussein and Ayatollah

“These were the rejects; my father was just

Khomeini were each in charge of their own coun-

going to throw them away,” she said, pushing the

try. Like all the rulers who came before them,

box toward me. “Take them.” ◆ SUMMER 2017

11

Symbol and sanctuary The Mills College Chapel marks 50 years of making meaning and bridging communities 9 by dara olandt In fall 1965,

longtime Mills

Within this context, the Chapel’s

chaplain George Hedley bent with a

founders aspired to create a physical

shovel to “turn the earth” at the ground-

site for open, pluralistic spiritual reflec-

breaking of the Mills College Chapel. Not

tion and awareness. At the building’s

unlike today, the country at that time

dedication on June 11, 1967, the circu-

was embroiled in passionate debates

lar sanctuary filled with the voices of

sparked by social movements advanc-

the choir along with students, faculty,

ing racial and economic justice, women’s

staff, and counselors to Jewish, Catholic,

rights, environmental protection, and the

and Episcopal campus groups. Coming

cessation of war. On the national stage,

together to celebrate, these multitudes

religious leaders were a powerful force in

began to fulfill the building’s promise

these efforts. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

to be a center for people from diverse

linked arms with Rabbi Abraham Joshua

religious and spiritual backgrounds—

Heschel and other diverse religious lead-

including those with no religious affili-

ers on the pivotal civil rights march from

ation at all.

Alabama—an

In 2017, the Chapel remains both a

image that encapsulates interfaith coop-

sanctuary and a symbol: a place for rest

eration aimed at a greater good.

and renewal, an opportunity to absorb

Selma

12

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

to

Montgomery,

beauty and music, a space to experience solace, contemplation, celebration, and ceremony.

Today, Mills—and

the religious landscape at across

our

country—has

changed dramatically from what it was only decades ago. Increasingly, when presented with a survey on religious or spiritual identity, students prefer to check the box labeled “none of the above.” Yet nearly half of Mills students this year consider themselves “spiritual or religious,” and the campus hosts a broad spectrum of student-led religious and spiritual groups: the Muslim Student Alliance, Jewish Student Collective, two Pagan groups, and Workers of Faith, a Christian-identified group focused on

The Chapel turns 50 this year!

Please save the date to celebrate with special activities planned for Reunion, September 14–17. Do you have a memory or milestone associated with the Chapel?

Please contact Chaplain Dara Olandt, dolandt@mills.edu or 510.430.3123.

service and social justice.

Yet, religious identity doesn’t necessarily fit into neat categories. Students

be one of the most engaging questions

Syria. Students in the Workers of Faith

may or may not claim affiliation with

of the 21st century.” Patel identifies col-

offered to cook a meal for the MSA, and

any specific religion, but wide-ranging

lege campuses as uniquely situated to be

members of the Jewish Student Collective

research offers evidence that the search

labs of learning in which students prac-

crafted a statement of solidarity.

for purpose and meaning in life contin-

tice engaging one another across lines

These instances of students figur-

ues to be a primary concern of college-

of differences and can work together in

ing out how to demonstrate their com-

age students here and elsewhere. At

mutual support and common cause.

passion reaffirms that times of great

Mills, we offer a broad and inclusive

Such questions and challenges have

challenge can also bring forward the

definition of “spirituality” as “meaning-

been deeply apparent at Mills this year.

best in people. These groups embraced

making.” We encourage people to claim

The heated rhetoric of the presidential

the hard work that goes into building

their own spiritual development and to

race, the uptick in Islamophobic hate

bridges of respect and creating a stron-

examine their various strands of iden-

crimes, the ongoing Syrian refugee cri-

ger, more resilient community. Not only

tity and how these connect to their life

sis, concerns about safety for undocu-

can mutual relationships be healing in

experiences, values, ethics, and sense of

mented families and individuals, and a

themselves but, practically speaking,

self within community. We also aim to

wave of bomb threats at Jewish commu-

such alliances provide a network that

create opportunities to understand the

nity centers across the country gener-

can be more successfully utilized to face

diverse identities of others; this year at

ated pain and anxiety for many.

challenges from hate crimes to natural

Mills we saw a reconstituted Interfaith

Students were keenly interested in

disasters. This is a core concept in com-

Alliance to foster dialog and under-

showing care for each other, but were

munity organizing and holds true for

standing across religious boundaries.

uncertain about how best to do so.

interfaith organizing as well.

And while many of today’s political

Interfaith Alliance offered a platform to

What students do in the microcosm of

and social conflicts are framed as reli-

help spiritual groups to reach out and

Mills is, in fact, a vital practice in mak-

gious struggles, supporting inter-reli-

show support for each other, beginning

ing stronger, safer, and more supportive

gious dialog, dismantling assumptions

with dialog on two key questions: “What

networks in the many communities they

and stereotypes, and cultivating inter-

can make crossing boundaries of religious

inhabit beyond campus. Navigating the

faith literacy remain critically important.

and spiritual difference seem risky? What

messy terrain of asking uncomfortable

Eboo Patel, founder of Interfaith Youth

are some barriers to sharing with and

questions, learning about one another’s

Core and a member of former President

learning from others in a multi-religious

worldviews, and exploring what soli-

Barack Obama’s Advisory Council on

setting?” This conversation exposed both

darity looks like in practice is a neces-

Faith-Based Neighborhood Partnerships,

differences and similarities, but allowed

sary skill for citizens today. Developing

suggests: “The question of how people

connection and positive action. Over the

honest, connected relationships that

orient around religion differently, or

course of the year, the Muslim Student

appreciate differences creates essential

interact with one another, whether that

Alliance (MSA) hosted a healing circle

human linkages upon which any collec-

be based on conflict or cooperation, will

for Muslim students and a vigil honoring

tive future is possible. ◆ SUMMER 2017

13

a lexicon of justice

W

By Linda Schmidt

hen I was 18, the last thing I was thinking about

She went on to work under Kamala Harris in the San Francisco

was going to college,” says Lateefah Simon ’17, a nationally recog-

District Attorney’s office, where she created a successful reentry

nized advocate for civil rights, racial justice, and criminal justice

program to help non-violent first-time low level drug offenders

reform. “I wanted to be a revolutionary; I wanted to figure out

get jobs, enroll in school, and improve their lives. The program

how to change the social conditions for everyone around me.”

reduced recidivism to less than 10 percent and has been repli-

It was 1995 and, at the time, Simon was deeply involved with

cated across the country. This May, Simon not only graduated

the Center for Young Women’s Development in San Francisco,

from Mills with her bachelor’s degree in public policy, but also

a non-profit that delivers peer education and advocacy training

delivered the College’s Commencement address.

that helps high-risk young women become positively engaged

“What got me out of trouble and onto this path of mak-

in their communities. Simon, a teen mother who grew up in

ing change was that a lot of folks, at different points in my

low-income housing in the City’s Western Addition, had begun

life, said, ‘Lateefah, you should try this,’” she explains. A high

slipping into truancy and minor scrapes with the law. Through

school teacher, recognizing her passion and facility in speech

the Center, she found purpose in conducting STD education

and argument, encouraged her to sign up for the debate team—

and outreach to the homeless, prostitutes, and drug dealers. A

a move that kept her academically engaged and, through travel

year later, she was named executive director of the organiza-

to competitions throughout the state, showed her a different

tion and, at only 26 years of age, received a MacArthur “Genius”

world. “I met affluent kids who understood how to articulate

Fellowship for her effective leadership there.

their own stories, and also the world’s,” she says.

14

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

PHOTOS BY S TE V E BABUL JAK

“

We are Cyclones. We are a collection of winds that are forceful and can never be stopped. Your responsibility is to give grace to those who now have less privilege than you. Because this education is privilege. You have it. Own it.

And not only be of service, but be a blessing and be a physical manifestation of what a Cyclone can be.”

–Lateefah Simon, from her Commencement address

Harris, too, was an inspiring yet demanding mentor. “She saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself as a young organizer. She rarely smiled at me but loved me at times more than I loved myself,” Simon says. “Great leaders impose an expectation for excellence but also, when things get hard, that person embraces you.”

Mentors aren’t always those people who are older or with more education, she points out. “I find inspiration in folks who fail and start again, and fail and start again and do it with humility and grace,” says Simon. “I find inspiration in the girls I’ve worked with in prison and on the street, and in the incredible resilience they show.”

Simon’s own experience, after all, could have been theirs, which gives her a deep sense of obligation to create the best possible options and outcomes for others. And the best way to do that, she has found, is to gain access to the systems that perpetuate injustice and change policies from the inside. “My responsibility is to be a voice in spaces that people who grew up like me are rarely in,” she says. “I believe in justice. I want to be in a world that is kind and that is safe, where everyone has the same opportunities. ” “I realized that if I continue to wait for people to speak for me, I’m going to be just waiting. At some point, we have to realize, ‘Hey, it actually might be me who can do this.’ Are the people in positions of power smarter than I am? No. So, I’m not going to stand outside their office with a bullhorn. I’m going to take their job.”

To get that job, however, she knew that a college degree would be a great advantage, even given her previous record of achievement. And she had seen the difference that education

reflection. “One of the things I love most at Mills was being able

made for hundreds of girls who had gone on to college after

to stop for a moment, to just sit and listen to a lecture,” she says.

being involved in the programs she was running—they were

“I want to hear and I want to understand. That’s how I learn.”

now doctors, attorneys, civic leaders, bankers.

Still, Simon’s expertise and interests led to multiple detours

The transition to the college environment wasn’t easy, she

along her college path. In 2008, she left school mid-semester

says. She chose Mills for its focus on social change and wom-

after being recruited to serve as executive director of the San

en’s empowerment, and for its strong sense of community.

Francisco Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, where she re-

Despite already having led a major nonprofit organization, in

focused the organization’s activities on criminal justice ser-

her first semester Simon felt both intimidated by the academic

vices. “I did not have a law degree and I did not have a college

achievements of her classmates and overwhelmed by the array

degree,” she says with a laugh. “But the Lawyer’s Committee

of resources available on campus. The measured pace of col-

was doing mostly poverty-centered work, and I didn’t think it

lege study also was a jarring change from the immediacy of

was living up to its mission.” Under her leadership, the orga-

her advocacy work, where daily decisions could literally be a

nization implemented community-based initiatives, including

matter of life and death. But she came to treasure the luxury of

the Second Chance Legal Services Clinic, which helps clients SUMMER 2017

15

overcome barriers to employment and housing due to past

may seem disparate but, in Simon’s view, they’re inextricably

arrest and conviction records.

related.

But she soon returned to Mills, which she had come to think

“My focus and my priority is for us all to be free,” she says. “I

of both as an intellectual home and a personally supportive

am a woman, a black woman, a woman with a disability. I am a

community. It was

mother, a widow, an aunt, an educator. My life is intersectional,

Mills professors who

as is everyone’s. So I cannot do work in housing, education, and

fostered her schol-

criminal justice without understanding the rights of LGBTQ

arly

development.

people, for example. Working in Oakland, I have to consider

It was Mills women

gentrification, disability rights, transit. Whether I’m in a BART

who comforted her

board meeting or discussing policies at Cal State University, all

after the death of

of these things are different parts of the same story.”

her husband, jour-

This comprehensive view took root early in Simon’s life, when

nalist Kevin Weston,

she saw the commonalities between the young women she was

in 2005, and who

working with, regardless of their race or circumstance. It came

remain her closest

into clearer focus at Mills, when she learned about theories of

friends. And it was

social stratification in Bruce Williams’ sociology class—which

the institution itself

she had already seen in action in her advocacy work—and when

that would not allow

she traveled with Professor of History Wah Cheng to do field-

her to fail. “My Mills

work on organizations supporting disadvantaged female work-

experience

ers in Hong Kong and China.

is

all

about people trying

“It was amazing to realize that the issues of poverty and

to figure out how

redevelopment and gentrification and displacement happening

to make it work for

in Beijing were the same as what was happening in the neigh-

me,” she says. “Even

borhood where I grew up,” she says. “Across communities, even

in my darkest days,

across countries, our lives are so different and yet so much

I never thought that

the same. We need to understand each person’s journey—their

Mills would give up

social, political, historical, and economic story. We need to see

on me. They keep after you, right?”

their humanity. ”

It’s an experience she sees as integral in the quest for a more

In the 22 years since she forged her revolutionary resolve,

equitable society. “College allows you an opportunity for explo-

Simon has achieved much in improving social conditions for

ration that poverty denies. I want that for every young girl,

some of the most marginalized people and has been rewarded

for every young person,” she says, adding: “A gendered educa-

for her work. She was a 2014 Social Entrepreneurs-in-Residence

tion, in particular, is critical in these times.” While government

Fellow at Stanford University, and her efforts have been recog-

policies and social attitudes affect women’s health and earning

nized with the Jefferson Award for outstanding public service,

capacity, human rights for queer and trans people, and educa-

the Levi Strauss Pioneer Activist Fellowship, the New Frontier

tional access for all children, she argues, women’s colleges have

Award from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library, and

a unique ability to develop principled leadership grounded in

inclusion on the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s 40 under 40 list,

deep knowledge and awareness.

as well as accolades from the Ford Foundation, the National

Most important, she says, “Mills gave me a lexicon—it gave

Organization of Women, O Magazine, and Lifetime Television.

me the language to understand and express a lot of things that

“Yes, I have received awards, but people are still poor, women

I was experiencing in my life. Such knowledge shifts narrative

are still in prison,” she says. “This is not just a career; this is my

and shifts people’s realities. ”

life’s work. And while I have a little bit of a platform, I want to

Now with a Mills degree added to her arsenal of tools and

use it to complicate our conversations.

experience, Simon currently juggles three jobs: she is presi-

“It’s important for us to envision that another world is pos-

dent of the Akonadi Foundation, an Oakland organization that

sible. I’m part of a movement that’s much larger than myself,

funds racial justice efforts and cultural expression; is serving

this thing called justice, and there are many different paths

a term as trustee of the California State University system;

that we can take to achieve it. Every day, we all have a job to do,

and, in November, was elected to the BART Board of Directors.

and we have to be simultaneously pragmatists and visionaries

(Simon, who is visually impaired, has never driven and relies

as we move our society, incrementally, towards this goal.” ◆

on public transportation.) The range of issues she’s addressing 16

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

‘Tis education forms the common mind: Just as the twig is bent, the tree’s inclined.

Bent Twigs 2017 1

—Alexander Pope, 1734

2

4

3

5 6

A Bent Twig is a Mills student or alumna whose family tree includes another Mills alumna.

1 Sarah Cefalu and her sister, Rachel Cefalu ’14, MPP ’15, ASMC

4

2 Abbey Beltram with her cousin, Darca Morgan ’94 7

6

3 Zuhra Ayubzai and her aunt, Zarena Osmani Jabbar ’04, MBA ’05 4 Allegra Curiel with her mother, Barbara Brinson Curiel ’79, and aunt Bernadette Janet ’79 5 Gigja Gisladottir Brose and her sister, Hrund Hermannsson-Gisladottir ’03 6 Deellan Kashani and Shawnim Kashani with their stepmother, Gabrielle Dobel Kashani ’94 7 Naomi Trinity Gaube and her sister, Jamie Sherman ’11, MA ’14 p h o t o s b y a l l i s u n n o va k

SUMMER 2017

17

In Memoriam Notices of death received before April 15, 2017 To submit listings, please contact alumnae-relations@mills.edu or 510.430.2123

Alumnae Janet Hopkins Richards ’36, January 14, in San Diego. She worked as a physical therapist, helping children with polio, and was a tireless advocate for her community. She is survived by three children.

Marian Cotton Schlessman ’40, October 6, 2016, in New Orleans.

She taught bridge, sang and acted in various choirs and plays, traveled the world extensively, and enjoyed cooking, gardening, and golf. She is survived by two children and four grandchildren.

Litheia Wong Hall ’41, October 11, 2016, in Honolulu. She served as executive secretary to three directors of the Honolulu Museum of Art over the course of 53 years. She also was a champion tennis player at the local and national levels. She is survived by her daughter and two nieces.

Jean Stott Lillig ’41, July 29, 2016, in Albany, Oregon. She loved playing bridge and golf and the company of her family. She is survived by two children and six grandchildren.

Emma Jane Wilder ’41, November 20, 2015, in Kearney, Nebraska.

She worked as a physical therapist, secretary, and property manager. She served as a board member for the Kearney Public Library and trustee to the University of Nebraska Foundation; she received the university’s Distinguished Service Award in 1993.

Survivors include her sister, Isabella Wilder Artman ’46, three nieces, and a nephew.

Marne Kuglis DeSilva ’42, March 31, 2016, in Rancho Santa Fe, California. She was proud of her time at Mills and incorporated an artistic touch in everything she did. Survivors include two children and four grandchildren.

Jane Records Ashcraft ’43, February 15, in Tucson. She moved to Arizona in 1945, raised a family, and worked as an administrator in the Tucson public schools. She was an accomplished horsewoman, athlete, leatherworker, pilot, and theater aficionado. She is survived by four children and six grandchildren.

Jeanne Robin Rousso ’43, March 9, 2016, in Tarzana, California. She was a hospital volunteer, avid golfer, and crackerjack bridge player. She is survived by three children and eight grandchildren.

Dorothy Swenson Benker ’44, December 15, 2015, in Volcano, California. An executive secretary for 30 years, she chartered a chapter of the Ninety-Nines, a women pilots’ organization, and was involved with Angel Flight, which provides free air transport for those with medical needs. She is survived by two children.

Jeanette Saroyan McGuiness ’44, July 30, 2016, in Saint Michaels, Maryland. She taught piano, was involved with a local children’s theater, and moderated an educational program on public television.

She later became a Christian Science practitioner and teacher. She is survived by three children and five grandchildren.

Mary “Kay” Simpson Adams ’45, February 13, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She and her husband built a successful manufacturing firm, and she was a member of the Broadmoor Garden Club, Junior League, and the Woodmen Valley women’s riding group. She is survived by five children and 11 grandchildren.

Norris Murphy Sartin ’45, April 9, in Metairie, Louisiana. A talented artist and lover of classical music, literature, and New Orleans history and culture, she was a tireless community volunteer. She is survived by two children and five grandchildren.

Mary Hoag Bardwell ’46, February 16, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. She was a past president of the Berkshire Botanical Gardens and a dedicated garden volunteer at Arrowhead, the home of Herman Melville. She is survived by two children and three grandchildren.

Mary Alice Garms Ramsden ’48, November 16, 2016, in Corte Madera, California. A longtime resident of Orinda, her husband’s work led to them to live in Indonesia, Japan, England, and Texas, and they explored many other countries by bicycle. She remained very involved with Mills College throughout her life.

Marillyn Stevenson Carlton ’49, December 5, 2016, in Bellevue, Washington. She worked as a school administrator and substitute teacher. A Seattle Opera season ticket-holder and an active member of the Bellevue Historical Society, she volunteered with several organizations serving children. She is survived by four children, including Debera Carlton Harrell ’74, and 11 grandchildren.

Betty Chu Wo ’46 A consistent and generous advocate for the College, Betty Wo served on the Mills College Board of Trustees for 10 years and as president of the Hawaii Mills Club for decades. She was a gracious hostess of countless alumnae gatherings and provided for Mills students through her support of the Robert and Betty Wo Scholarship, the Hawaii Mills Club Scholarship, and the Mary S. Metz Chair for Excellence and Creativity in Teaching. For her untiring service, she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters at Commencement in 2010.

Betty was also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Honolulu Museum of Art for 31 years, and an active participant in the Garden Club, investment clubs, golf clubs, and many mahjong circles. She passed away February 1, in Honolulu, and is survived by her husband of 71 years, Robert; five sons; and 12 grandchildren.

24

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

Marilyn Mullen Rainer, MA ’50, March 10, in Lake Forest, Illinois. A middle school English teacher and high school guidance counselor, she was involved with the Genesee Memorial Hospital League and the United Hospital Foundation. Surviving are two daughters and five grandchildren.

Alice Fram Washburn ’51, March 25, 2016, in Tucson. She was a teacher, founder of the Friends of the Library, and a tireless food bank volunteer. She leaves behind her husband of 65 years, Charles; three sons; and 10 grandchildren.

Hilary Moores ’52, January 13, in Glendale, Ohio. She joined the Sisters of the Community of the Transfiguration in 1953. She worked as a children’s teacher, published the book Caught by Glory, wrote poetry, and completed her MEd with a concentration in theology at Xavier University.

She is survived by her sisters in the Community of the Transfiguration and four siblings.

Dianne Patterson Eichelberger ’53, December 2, 2016, in Spokane, Washington. She loved her family, gardening, reading, old westerns, and crossword puzzles. She is survived by three children and four grandchildren.

Barbara Simmons Stewart ’53, April 24, 2016, in Sarasota, Florida.

A resident of both Sarasota, Florida and Colorado Springs, Colorado, she was a talented artist, quilter, teacher, and published author, with a love of bonsai. She is survived by three children; two stepdaughters; her beau, Harve Wolfe; and five grandchildren.

Barbara Harris Whang ’54, MA ’59, in Durham, North Carolina. She studied composition with Darius Milhaud and spent a year in Paris as a Fulbright scholar. She was a music faculty member at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill for four decades, was active in chamber music and, in 1992, formed the Janus Duo, dedicated to solo and duo piano works. She is survived by her husband, Francis; a daughter, son, and step-daughter; and eight grandchildren.

Betty Houston Carroll ’55, January 2, in Houston. Survivors include her husband, Paul, and cousin Rena Houston Du Bose ’51.

Sarah “Sally” Sloan Hannum ’55, February 24, in Portland, Oregon.

She was involved in PEO and Junior League and loved skiing and boating. She is survived by three children and five grandchildren.

Leal Davidson Portis ’55, March 24, in Nevada City, California. She had careers as a social worker, occupational therapist, and piano teacher. She was widely recognized for her years of public service to Grandmothers for Peace, Lions Club International, Interfaith Food Ministry, among other organizations. She is survived by her daughters, Amy Lovin Estes ’90 and Bonnie Portis, and three grandchildren.

Joan Borthick Binninger ’56, April 4, in Los Angeles. She worked as a journalist and lobbyist in Portland, advocating for women’s rights, gay rights, and immigrant rights. She is survived by two children.

Lucille Radovich Cannata ’56, February 21, in Hayward, California.

She had a career in direct marketing and advertising, was a member of the Alameda Christian Reformed Church, and was known for her unique Christmas gifts. Survivors include her son.

Eunice Jenkins Ellis ’56, April 16, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. An actress and model in her younger days, she was an active school volunteer, a member of the Junior League and other community organizations, and a woman of great faith. She is survived by three children and six grandchildren.

Noramah Sumakno Reksopoetranto ’56, February 16, 2016, in Jakarta, Indonesia. She came to Mills from Indonesia, then earned a master’s degree at Columbia University. After returning to her native country, she helped establish Planned Parenthood services and worked as a university librarian and teacher. Survivors include two children.

Mary Stewart McClain ’57, March 8, in Pleasanton, California. She taught kindergarten before shifting careers to work at JC Penney, and was an avid bridge player, a member of AAUW and other service clubs, and a kitty enthusiast. She leaves behind three children and three grandchildren.

Elaine Nelson Moss ’61, January 19, in Bellingham, Washington.

She was active in student government at Mills and worked as a teacher, editor, and marketing and management consultant.

Survivors include her husband, Fred, and two children.

Trisha Brown ’58 One of the most acclaimed and influential choreographers and dancers of the last half century, Trisha Brown died March 18 in San Antonio, Texas. “Brown was a silky, brainy, and witty dance maker who pioneered a movement style that appeared casual, even technique-free, yet demanded extraordinary mental prowess, kinesthetic mastery, and physical ease,” wrote Ann Murphy, historian and associate professor of dance.

Born in Aberdeen, Washington, Brown’s sense of play and experimentalism developed at Mills under the influence of renowned faculty in dance and music, including Rebecca Fuller, John Cage, and Lou Harrison. She moved to New York in 1961 and became a founding member of the avant-garde Judson Dance Theater group the following year. In 1970, she helped found Grand Union, an improvisation-based collective, as well as her own troupe, the Trisha Brown Dance Company.

In those years she often worked in unconventional spaces, including city rooftops and the sides of buildings, and without music. And as much as her choreography rejected standards of established modern dance technique and philosophy, Brown framed dance as a visual art and developed challenging pieces requiring rigor and precision to create the appearance of effortlessness.

After paring down dance to simple movement, in the late 1970s she began to build it up again, collaborating with artists Robert Rauschenberg, Laurie Anderson, Donald Judd, and others to create works with richly atmospheric staging, costumes, and music. The following decade saw her drawing inspiration from classical composers.

Brown’s seminal role in establishing postmodern dance brought a range of recognitions: She received the MacArthur Foundation’s “genius grant,” two Guggenheim Fellowships, the National Medal of Arts, and Commandeur dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from the government of France, and a Bessie Award for lifetime achievement.

She was recognized with an honorary degree from Mills College (1997) and the Distinguished Alumna Award (2008).

Brown is survived by her son, Adam, and four grandchildren.

Her husband Burt Barr died in November.

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Nancy Thornborrow Nancy Thornborrow, professor of economics since 1980 and mentor to countless students, died February 5 in Piedmont, California. Thornborrow earned her undergraduate degree in mathematics at Northwestern University and her master’s and doctorate in economics at the University of California, San Diego. She served as head of the economics department from 1992 until her retirement in 2015.

As founding dean of the Lorry I. Lokey Graduate School of Business, Thornborrow was a driving force in fundraising, curriculum development, faculty advocacy, and in developing the school’s focus on social responsibility. She also was an instrumental organizer of students, staff, and faculty in the College-wide 1990 Strike that overturned the Board of Trustees’ decision to admit undergraduate men— an action that underscored her dedication to the College’s mission of providing women-only education.

Above all, she was recognized as a smart, kind, and encouraging teacher.

She is survived by her husband, Steve; two sons; and four grandchildren.

Dorothy Neblett Fix, MFA ’62, July 11, 2016, in Cockeysville, Maryland. She was an artist and faculty member at Towson University. She is survived by a sister and several nieces and nephews.

Sandra Mosley Schneider ’62, November 1, 2016, in Los Angeles. She worked as a vocational rehabilitation counselor and expert witness and enjoyed tennis, bridge, and crossword puzzles. She is survived by her husband, Roland; four children; and eight grandchildren.

Viki Schooley Tyrrell ’67, December 22, 2016, in Vacaville, California. She had worked briefly for Del Monte Corporation and then for the federal government in San Francisco for 30 years. In retirement, she was an active on the Vestry Committee and the Altar Society for her church. She is survived by her husband, Tom; a son; and three granddaughters.

Kathleen McNair Collins ’73, May 6, 2016, in Ferndale, Washington. She was a learner and teacher throughout her life. She loved puzzles and games, decorating and design, and sports, especially ice hockey. She is survived by her husband, Charles; two children; and a grandson.

Rachelle Tyler ’73, July 6, 2015, in Los Angeles. After earning her MD at Boston University School of Medicine, she became chief of pediatric developmental studies at Mattel Children’s Hospital and director of the Early Head Start program at UCLA. She is survived by her mother, siblings, and nephews.

Carol Blackmer ’74, October 30, 2015, in Modesto, California. She worked as a pre-school teacher and restaurant manager, and was an avid reader and inveterate letter writer. Survivors include two sisters and many extended family members.

Gifts in Memory of Received December 1, 2016 – February 28, 2017 Silvy Alcalay, husband of Carol Rugeti Alcalay ’53, P ’81, by Patricia Heskins Gumbiner ’52 Theodore Anderson, husband of Sara Shuttleworth Anderson ’56, by Barbara Parsons Sheldon ’56 Nancy Van Norman Baer ’66 by her husband, Alan Baer Winifred Solomon Barad by Michelle Balovich ’03 Marilyn Frye Bettendorf, P ’75, by The Frye Foundation Marguerite Billard by Ricarda de la Fuente Nelson ’59 Gwendolyn Boger ’91 by her mother, Barbara Boger Erica “Rita” Weber Brevet ’51, P ’76, by Joan Thompson Armstrong ’51, P ’95, Leah Hardcastle MacNeil, MA ’51, P ’75, Jeanne Thomas ’51 Sara “Sally” Matthews Buchanan ’64 by Bertram Gordon, P ’88, Mura Kievman ’64, Joyce Listerman Martin ’64, Marion Ross ’44, Mary Wallon ’64

Wendy Engebretson ’62 by William Beadie Leone La Duke Evans, MA ’45, by Robina Royer ’80 Barbara Coleman Frey ’68 by Laurel Burden ’68 Patricia Ducommun Frey ’56 by Ruth Lima ’56 Constance “Connie” Gilbert ’61 by Elizabeth Frederick ’61, Gretchen Hardman-Riedell ’61 Denyse Gross ’72 by her husband, Kenneth Morrison Margaret Hein by Marion Ross ’44 Daniel Holmes by his wife, Joan Rice Holmes ’60 Rebecca Davidson Karlson ’69 by her husband, Douglas Karlson Elizabeth Trowbridge Kent ’23 by Ann Eddy Smith ’59, P ’82 Jane Cudlip King ’42 by Suzette Lalime Davidson ’94, Marion Ross ’44 Thelma Klein by Diana Bartera ’88 and Joan Klein Eloise Randleman McCain ’57 by her husband, Leonard McCain Elizabeth Bryant Miles ’34 by Carolyn Chapman Booth ’63, P ’91 Christina Miller ’71 by her sister, Kathleen Miller Janes ’69

Anne Petersen Burk ’61 by Elizabeth Frederick ’61, Mary Manning Graham ’61

Jean Walters Molnar ’65 by Corinne Hamada Tan ’65

Helen Nguyen Ngoc Chau, mother of N.T. Lucy Do ’75, by Kathleen Burke, Leah Hardcastle MacNeil, MA ’51, P ’75, Lesli MacNeil ’75

Nancy Parker ’52 by Joan Lewis Danforth ’53

Howard Cogswell by Laura McKeon Scholtz ’62 Marnelle Filippini Cripe ’43 by her daughter, Kirsti Cripe Rauser ’74 Grace Dote ’63 by Cordelia Chang ’65, Marion Ross ’44, Dorothy Cathcart Seagle ’63 Isadora Duncan by Melinda Green McGee, MA ’81 Caroline Plumb Easton ’56 by her daughter, Jennifer Easton 26

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Marjorie Nicholson, MA ’96, by Dawn Cunningham ’85, Lesli MacNeil ’75 Lynda Knapp Prange ’71 by Elizabeth Frederick ’61 Charlotte Reed ’14 by Lori Damrosch, P ’15 Janet Hopkins Richards ’36 by Melody Fujimori ’69, Jorie Bolton Townsley ’69 Bernice Rosenkranz by her daughter, Clare Rosenkranz Sig ’68 Dorothy Rothrock by her daughter, Gayle Rothrock ’68

Karen Gillogly Lang ’74, September 27, 2016, in Seattle. She worked as an editor and property manager, organized the 15th Street Ladies Book Club, enjoyed travel and camping, and volunteered for many causes. She is survived by her husband, Rich, and many nieces and nephews and friends.

Cynthia Prescott ’74, May 28, 2016, in Roswell, Georgia. A resident of Pendleton, she worked in fashion merchandizing, marketing, and graphic design before completing her master of divinity degree and serving as a Unitarian Universalist minister for congregations in South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. She is survived by her father and many friends.

Nancy Butts Whittemore ’48 A graduate of the Harvard-Radcliffe Program in Business Administration, she provided executive support in several major corporations and as head of her own business. She was also a certified needlework instructor and a consummate volunteer, contributing time and effort to the American Red Cross, Junior League, and several organizations benefitting children.

To Mills alumnae, however, she will be remembered as the woman who developed the now-iconic eucalyptus pin, which she initially created for the 50th reunion of the Class of 1948. Whittemore died January 6 in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. She is survived by two children and five grandchildren.

Therese Rozowski ’79, April 2, in Auburn, California. She was a dedicated educator at St. Joseph Catholic School who loved singing, painting and the great outdoors. Survivors include three children.

Susan Hodges ’89, March 25, in Oakland, California. She devoted much of her life to social causes, particularly the Berkeley Free Clinic and disability rights. She contributed to the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, and in 1999 was honored as Woman of the Year by both the state of California and the city of Oakland. She is survived by two siblings.

J. Roussel Sargent by Kristin Ritter Carver ’65, Marion Ross ’44 Eleanor Marshall Schaefer ’29 by Nicole Bartow Joseph Shuttleworth by his wife, Rebecca Marsh Shuttleworth ’64 Cristina Simoni ’70 by Virginia Rice ’71 Rodney Skjonsby by his daughter, Kristen Skjonsby ’11 Mary Lois Hudson Sweatt ’60, MA ’62, by Elizabeth Frederick ’61, Marion Ross ’44, and by her husband, James Sweatt Jennifer Kiyomi Tanouye ’07 by Kathleen Burke, Kathryn Cabunoc, MFA ’99, Nancy Crooks, Solee Darrell, Charlotte Evanofski, Fumiko Grant, Robbin Green-Yeh, Masako Sakai Hamada ’58, Kris Imada ’98, Chizuru Iwahashi, Renee Jadushlever, Devin Kinyon, Judy Li, Courtney Long ’01, Jessica Dewey-Hoffman Lundin ’07, Michael Matsumoto, Osvaldo Ramirez, Kathleen Brown Sanborn ’83, Carolyn Sherwood Call, Julia Stein, Gurpreet Tung, Paul Umeda, Heidi Wachter ’01, Judy Wakabayashi, Jared Young Nancy Thornborrow, P ’93, by Brisen Vannice Brady ’93, Carol Chetkov, Katrina Corbosiero ’12, Gladys Halper, Susan Masetti, Helen Drake Muirhead ’58, P ’89, P ’93, Carolyn Sherwood Call, Kathleen Stavis ’06, MBA ’07, Roselyne Chroman Swig, P ’80, Theresa Vevea ’07, MBA ’08

Sheila Price Brown ’80, November 15, 2016, in Oakland, California. She was involved in efforts to promote justice and equality among all people, starting with the March on Washington in 1964. She was a devoted member of Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church and finished her career as co-owner of an international management consulting firm headquartered in San Francisco. She is survived by her husband of 50 years, Declan; her sister, Sondra Price ’78; and several nieces and nephews, including Katherine Washington ’03.

Cynthia Wilson Nelson ’93, April 12, in San Jose, California. She earned a master’s degree from San Jose State University and worked as a special education teacher. She is survived by her husband, Zack; two sons; and her parents.

Sandra Belanger ’05, April 4, in Worcester, Massachusetts. She worked as a paramedic in Oakland and San Francisco, traveled widely, held her pilot’s license for many years, and taught her African grey parrot to speak Chinese. Survivors include two sisters and 10 nieces and nephews.

Emily Ercanbrack, MBA ’12, January 19, in San Francisco. She enjoyed world travel and cultural exploration, live music, and deep discussions, and worked at bookstores, nonprofit organizations, and software sales companies. Survivors include her wife, Marisa Sympson; her mother; and a sister.

Spouses and family Theodore Anderson, husband of Sara Anderson ’56, June 1, 2016, in Scotts Valley, California.

Claude Arnold, husband of Nancy Noftsger Arnold ’52, December 23, 2016, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Harold Thorne, husband of Evelyn “Muffy” McKinstry Thorne ’48, by Leah Hardcastle MacNeil, MA ’51, P ’75

Bernard Benezit, husband of Carolin Mumper Benezit ’52, March 3, 2016, in Coye-la-Foret, France.

William Walton, husband of Flavia Batteau Walton ’67, by Katherine Letteer Haimson ’67

Vyvian Calonico, mother of Adrianne Calonico Rose ’74, February 26, in Gustine, California.

Robert and Nancy Warner by their daughter, Nangee Warner Morrison ’63

Mary Jean Place, mother of Nicola Place ’95, February 9, in Portola Valley, California.

Betty Chu Wo ’46 by Kathleen Burke, Helen Drake Muirhead ’58, P ’89, P ’93 P=parent. For information about making a tribute gift, contact 510.430.2097 or donors@mills.edu.

Dorothy Rothrock, mother of Gayle Rothrock ’68, December 21, 2016, in Portland, Oregon

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It came from beneath the sea If your grandmother were a scientific type, instead of jams and jellies she might have jarred a collec-

tion like this: nearly 300 preserved invertebrates, from tentacley octopodes to squishy sea worms.

This wide-ranging assortment of spineless creatures was recently donated to the Mills biology department by the University of Nevada, Reno.

Many of the specimens were originally gathered between 1940 and 1965 from the nearby waters of Bodega Bay and Humboldt Bay. The age of the collection creates both a challenge and an opportunity: over time, the data associated with some specimens became lost or incomplete, so Professor of Biology Jenn Smith and Lab Manager Dana Carrison-Stone have been working with students in the marine biology class to identify, organize, catalog, and re-preserve each specimen as needed.

“For example, this one says ‘shrimp’,” says junior Ruby Fisher as she points to a jar of mixed fauna, “but clearly it is not shrimp.”

When those clearly not shrimp—and the rest of the collection—are relabeled and ready for classroom use, they’ll provide a valuable and intriguing

A sea star and other denizens of the deep now make Mills their home (top).

Sarah Travenick '17 inspects a geoduck, one of hundreds of newly acquired invertebrate specimens (above).

teaching resource.

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

PHOTOS BY DOUG OAK LE Y

Double your pleasure!

Australia & New Zealand are scheduled so that travelers can take both trips back to back. Reims & Normandy can also be combined into one spectacular journey.

New Zealand

ALUMNAE TR AVEL 2018 Australian Splendors March 2–15, 2018

Visit Australia’s cosmopolitan cities, from Sydney’s iconic Opera House to the cafes and jazz clubs of Melbourne. Experience the Great Barrier Reef up close and visit the unspoiled habitat of Kangaroo Island, rich with sleepy koalas, sea lions, and wallabies. And taste your way through regional food specialties in Australia’s fertile wine country.

New Zealand March 17–31, 2018 Spectacular natural wonders await! Sail through majestic Doubtful Sound fjord, enjoy an epic train ride across the Southern Alps to Christchurch, and feel the intensity of a Maori haka war dance—all set against New Zealand’s diverse landscapes of sparkling lakes, stunning mountains, and lush rain forests.

Journey Along the Elbe April 18–29, 2018 This luxury cruise makes it easy to admire Berlin’s famed landmarks, including the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate, delve into Martin Luther’s revolutionary teachings in Wittenberg, and immerse yourself in enchanting scenery and centuries of history.

Picturesque Meissen, Dresden, and breathtaking Prague round out your itinerary.

Reims May 15–23, 2018 Discover the essence of France’s Champagne country and explore the history, culture, and joie de vivre of this magnificent region.

Sip Champagne, stroll through picturesque towns, and commemorate the centennial of the WWI Armistice with a visit to historic grounds of the Battle of the Somme, Verdun, and the MeuseArgonne American Cemetery.

Scottish Isles and Norwegian Fjords May 17–25, 2018 Follow the footsteps of early Viking explorers from Norway’s majestic fjords to Scotland’s rarely visited northern islands aboard the small ship MS Le Boréal.

Explore the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Orkney’s neolithic Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae, including a special archaeological presentation, and excursions on two of the world’s most scenic rail journeys. Norway/Copenhagen pre-cruise and Edinburgh/Glasgow postcruise options available.

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

Australia Normandy May 21–29, 2018 Delve into vibrant Normandy with a special emphasis on its World War II legacy. Take an emotional journey to Omaha Beach, the American Cemetery, and the inspiring Peace Memorial. Explore Honfleur, visit a fromagerie, and journey to Mont Saint-Michel. Look back through the ages when you view the famous Bayeux Tapestry. (No supplement for solo travelers.)

Cruise the Rhine July 4–12, 2018

Discover the timeless beauty of the Rhine River on a fascinating cruise through Holland, Germany, and France. Glide along Amsterdam’s picturesque canals, explore medieval river towns, and marvel at forested hills crowned by castles. Throughout your journey, learn about the region’s history and culture from expert guides and lecturers.

(No supplement for solo travelers.)

Mills Quarterly Mills College 5000 MacArthur Blvd.

Oakland, CA 94613-1301 510.430.3312 quarterly@mills.edu www.mills.edu

Thursday, September 14, through Sunday, September 17 Honoring the Golden Alumnae of 1967 and alumnae from class years ending in 2 or 7 All alumnae are invited!

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: • Updates from President Hillman and other campus leaders • Class luncheon and AAMC awards ceremony • Darius Milhaud concert • 50th Anniversary of the Chapel • Writers’ Salon, dance performance, and art exhibits • Special programs on women in public service, book art, and student journalism • Sports events including volleyball, swimming, tennis, rowing, and a fun run • Class dinners and photos

JOIN THE REUNION BOOK GROUP Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race is the amazing true story that inspired 2016’s award-winning Hollywood film. We invite Reunion attendees to read the book—which all incoming students have been assigned— and join a lively discussion with faculty, students, and the AAMC Alumnae of Color Committee on Friday afternoon.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Reunion hotline: 510.430.2123 Email: alumnae-relations@mills.edu Web: alumnae.mills.edu/reunion Brochures with full schedules and registration information have been mailed to all alumnae from class years ending in 2 or 7; they are available to other alumnae by request.

Visit alumnae.mills.edu/reunion for the full scheule and periodic updates M I L L S Q U A R T E R LY

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