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VOLUME 96 ISSUE 6
Polls
Tuesday | Nov 2, 2010
Open
Today is election day! The polls are open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m. For a list of polling locations in Oakland, see page 3. For profiles of the California gubernatorial and Oakland mayoral candidates see pages 2 and 3. Also see pages 8 and 9 for opinions about the propositions and candidates on today’s ballot.
Third party candidates fight for recognition in election Lauren-Marie Sliter BREAKING NEWS EDITOR After the arrest of Green Party candidate Laura Wells during the Oct. 12 gubernatorial debate between Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman, candidates have raised concerns about the lack of exposure third party candidates receive during elections. Wells was arrested while trying to enter and participate in a debate between the two main party candidates. Though the third party candidates have been able to participate in some public debates this year, Wells and other independent candidates feel they have been barred from the most well-publicized debates. The existence of third parties in American politics extends back to the end of the Civil War, when the two-party political system was created, according to Mills visiting assistant professor of public policy, Robert Brown. Since then, third parties have remained an integral part of American politics, according Brown, but have been held back from major political success because of institutional and demographic barriers. The American electoral system is a huge part of the political institution holding third party candidates back from winning elections, according to Mills government professor Martha Johnson. The
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American electoral system uses single member districts, meaning that no matter how close the results are, only one candidate will win. This is different from many parliamentary systems, which often use proportional representation, allowing all parties to be represented based on the percentage of votes they receive. Jonson also mentioned that third parties tend to be issue-based, meaning they attract voters based upon a current problem. This makes it difficult for third parties to remain strong for extended periods of time, as issues’ importance are constantly changing to voters. "Third parties emerge to address a certain problem," Johnson said. Once the problem is solved or is considered less important, the third party positions tends to be absorbed by one of the major parties. Once the major party takes over the third party's platform, the third party tends to disappear. "Third parties become a way of changing what the two parties believe," Johnson said. Brown has observed connections between the Populist Party of the 19th century and the Tea Party of today. "They (the Populist Party) were mostly white agrarians and were anti-city," Brown said, noting that a lot of the Tea Party rhetoric used today mimics that of William Jennings Bryan, a well-known Populist politician of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, famous for his fight against the teaching of evolution in public schools.
It is the similarities between these two parties that has shaped Brown’s prediction of the Tea Party's future in American politics. Like the Populist Party, which fused with the Democratic Party in the early 20th century, Brown thinks the Tea Party will eventually fuse together with the Republican Party. If this were to happen, the Republican Party would have to take positions on certain issues, such as immigration and religion, that may push away mainstream voters, said Brown. "I personally hope that's what happens," he said. When this happened to the Populist Party and the Democratic Party, so many voters were pushed away that the Republican Party enjoyed 30 years of dominance in politics. Despite the strong influence third parties can have on American politics, Brown does not see them as a threat to the two-party system in the United States. Instead, he believes the third parties will continue to shape and alter how the Democratic and Republican Parties appeal to their constituents. "The third party can affect the election," Brown said, noting that major party candidates can lose a pivotal number of votes from vote splitting or when a strong third party candidate steals votes from the main candidate. "I mean, Ralph Nader elected George Bush." Though the two-party system in America may never truly transform into a multi-party system, some believe there is an increase in voter support of third party candidates.
Chelene Nightingale, 45, is running as an Independent, but is representing the Constitution Party, also known as the Tea Party, in the current gubernatorial election. She has observed an increase in interest in third party candidates over the past few years. "Americans are frustrated," she said. "And they are looking for alternatives." One of the biggest challenges Nightingale has faced during this election is the inequality among candidates. "Elections are not free and equal," she said. She was frustrated that she and other third party candidates were not allowed to participate in the gubernatorial debates. "That's the opposite of liberty," she said. Members of the Mills community are also concerned about the equality of elections. Deborah Long, the M Center operations manager, was frustrated that third party candidates were unable to participate in the gubernatorial debates this year. "I think that if more candidates are allowed to participate in widely publicized debates, the voters will ... benefit by hearing more perspectives," she said. "That could even produce a greater range of creative solutions because it would get people to think." Laura Wells, the Green Party candidate in the current gubernatorial election, understands first hand the challenges third party candidates face when they try to enter public debates. Wells was arrested
when she tried to enter the Oct. 12 gubernatorial debate between Whitman and Brown in San Rafael. "If the four independent candidates are not included in the debate, then it's not a debate," she said. Wells said she chose to run in the gubernatorial election despite its many challenges because "California's worth it." Another problem third party candidates face is raising campaign funds, according to Nightingale. "Every candidate should have the same spending limit," she said. Between Jan. 1 and Oct. 16 this year, Whitman spent a total of $143,651,194 on her campaign. Nightingale spent a total of $50,416.71 for her campaign during that same time period. Nightingale also expressed how important she felt women leaders are in today's politics. "To restore our country, we really need the women," she said. Her biggest piece of advice for women pursuing leadership positions is to not "take anything personal." Other third party candidates in this election include Carlos Alvarez, the Peace and Freedom candidate, and Dale Ogden, the Libertarian candidate, both of whom were unavailable for comment.
For more information on the gubernatorial candidates in this election, see page 2.
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2
Voter Guide
Nov 2, 2010
An in-depth guide to the top A closer look at the California gubernatorial Jerry Brown
Carlos Alvarez Alvarez, 23, is representing the Peace and Freedom party in this election. He‘s a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Alvarez is described as a "working-class candidate from a poor neighborhood" on his website. He is the son of El Salvadorian immgrants and is a resident of Los Angeles. He is against government cutbacks and layoffs and believes that the wealthiest banks and businesses in California should "pay their share" of the fiscal burden in California. Alvarez is also anti-war and pro gay marriage. Website: www.votepsl.org
Brown is representing the Democratic Party in this election. He is currently serving as the California State Attorney General and has served previous terms as Governor in 1974 and 1978. Brown's current campaign focuses on job creation, education and fixing California's budget. Brown's platform also includes plans for pension re-form, protection of civil rights and creating clean energy jobs. Brown opposes Prop 23.
Website: www.jerrybrown.org
Chelene Nightingale Nightingale is repres e n t i n g t h e Constitution Party (aka Tea Party). She notes that the major difference between the Libertarian Party and the Tea Party is the existence of Judeo-Christian values in the Tea Party. Nightingale supports securing the California borders, removing sanctuary cities and ending benefits for illegal immigrants. She is in favor of Prop 23.
Website: www.nightingaleforgovenor.com
Prop 23 suspends the implementation of air pollution control laws until unemployment reaches 5.5%. Prop 19 legalizes the use and possession of marijuana.
Dale Ogden Ogden is representing the Libertarian Party in this election. His primary political beliefs are individual freedom, personal responsibility, minimum government and lower taxes. He supports Prop. 19 and Prop 23. He opposes closed borders, and believes "freedom should not stop at the border," but until other issues affecting immigration, such as the "war on drugs", are resolved, borders should remain secure.
Website:http://www.daleogden.org/
Laura Wells Wells is representing the Green Party in this election. She has been living in California for 30 years and her daughter was born in Oakland. She supports the creation of a single-payer universal health care program as well as reducing emissions through government incentives. She does not support nuclear power as a solution to energy problems in California. If elected, she wants to create a state bank of California, which would be much like the one in North Dakota. She supports Prop 19. Website: www.laurawells.org
Meg Whitman Whitman is representing the Republican Party in this election. Former CEO of eBay, Whitman is concerned with California's fiscal crisis. Whitman aims to create more jobs for California residents, cut government spending and fix California's failing public school system. Whitman is pro-choice, but believes that minors should obtain parental consent before having an abortion. Whitman opposes Prop 19 and supports the Second Amendment right to bear arms. Website: www.megwhitman.com PHOTOS COURTESY OF 2010 CALIFORNIA GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES
THE
CAMPANIL
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Voter Guide
Nov 2, 2010
3
candidates in 2010 election and Oakland mayoral candidates for 2010 Terence Cerene Candell Candell was born and raised in Oakland and has been an educator and a businessman, winning the Educator of the Year Award five times. He has received the Allstar PHAT Friends Award for working with inner-city youth.
Donald Macleay Macleay has been a small business owner for the past five years. He is Green Party, focusing on community support for education and public safety, justice and job growth in Oakland.
Arnold Fields Fields has worked as a real estate broker, and is a third generation Oakland resident. He is focusing on job creation and fostering entrepreneurship.
Don Perata Perata was the Alameda County Supervisor, California State Assemblyman, California State Senator and Senate President Pro TEm. He is focusing on local businesses, education and crime.
Gregory Harland Harland has created and sold five businesses in the last 40 years. He is focusing on the economy, jobs, public safety and education in Oakland.
Jean Quan Quan's family has lived in Oakland for over 100 years. When she was a councilmember, she helped co-write Measure Y. She is focusing on government accessibility to citizens and jobs in Oakland.
Marcie Hodge
Rebecca Kaplan
Hodge is currently pursuing her PhD at Alliant University. She has worked with fostered youth and was on the Budget Advisory Committee for Oakland. She is focusing on jobs and multiculturalism.
Joseph Tuman Tuman has lived in Oakland for 25 years. He has been a professor of politics, a political analyst and small business owner. He is focusing on crime and spurring local business in Oakland.
Kaplan attended MIT and Stanford Law School. She is an Oakland Council member and helped create the free Broadway shuttle. She is focused on green jobs, local businesses and improving transportation.
Larry Lionel Young Jr. Young has worked as an entrepreneur, quarterback, youth-leader and teacher. Young is focusing on the budget deficit, public safety and education as his main points of interest in Oakland.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALAMEDA COUNTY VOTING GUIDE
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4
News
Nov 2, 2010
Student demands surpass language offerings at Mills Ellen Newton COPY EDITOR
Wellesley: 11. Smith: Nine. Mount Holyoke: Six. Vassar: Nine. Amherst: Seven. Pomona: Six. Oberlin: Ten. Mills: Two. The numbers are hard to deny - while other liberal arts colleges of similar size offer language courses covering everything from Chinese and Russian to Italian and Arabic, Mills offers French and Spanish. When did Mills become the exception? A quick look at Mills’ history shows how the college’s attitudes toward languages have changed over the last century. In 1910, every Mills student was required to learn Greek and Latin as well as either French or German. By 1960, the classics were replaced with Italian and Spanish. In 1990 Italian was gone and the German department folded a decade later. But while Mills’ languages were disappearing, other colleges were responding to a growing emphasis on globalization that reached out to Russia, Asia and the Middle East. Slavic and East Asian departments bloomed alongside French and Spanish studies, and a resurgent interest in the classics over the past 20 years helped bring Latin and Greek back into vogue. Many students at Mills feel the college is weakened by the lack of a strong language department. “I think it's shameful that a school that prides itself on its diversity and global awareness offers so few language opportunities," said sophomore Kayla Isaacs in an e-mail. Louise Leck, a senior English major, also saw conflicts in Mills’ stance on diversity and lack of languages. “If we have diversity goals here at Mills, they should also support our understanding of … other cultures through language.” And in a world that places increasing pressures on its college students to distinguish themselves from a growing pack of degree-carrying graduates, bilingualism has become a silent expectation if not a requirement. Many graduate schools require students know or learn a second language within the first year of graduate studies. In some cases, Mills’ small language department impacts students in other fields. Lauren Kong, a biology student, pointed out how connected languages are to travel. “If the College offered German, Arabic, Chinese … it would be easier for Mills students to travel abroad,” she said in an e-mail. “It's another opportunity to explore another culture.” Mills offers study abroad locations in 76 different countries. Italy, Russia, Germany and China are among the countries where Mills students can find the most program options, yet some students are dissatisfied that their language studies have to stop once they return. Blaire Kleeman studied German abroad but upon returning to America, “was incredibly disappointed that Mills did not offer the
language that I have been studying since I was 12.” Mills offers cross-registration at UC Berkeley, an option that is emphasized on the Mills website and in the Mills brochure. Academic advisors often tell students to cross-register to find courses not offered at Mills. Kayla Isaacs, already fluent in Spanish, wanted to study Russian abroad. But because Mills only allows students to cross-register after they’ve completed freshman year, Isaacs couldn’t finish the two years of language required for all the Russian programs Mills offers. “Now that I am a sophomore … I have unfortunately moved on to other opportunities.” She explained that biology labs left her little time to study Russian at a campus nine miles away. Aside from the logistical challenges of cross-registration, recent budget cuts leading to course cutbacks across the UC system have left some Mills students feeling less confident that they can secure seats in already overflowing classes. Freshman Shelby Duncan felt Mills falsely advertised its connection to UC Berkeley when she visited Mills as a prospective student. Duncan wanted to study linguistics, and her faculty contact assured her that Mills offered Chinese and Arabic even though the College website showed no current courses for either. Her advisor told her that cross-registration at UC Berkeley would be an essential component of her linguistics major, which she would design herself. “I was told that cross-registration at UC Berkeley was easy,” Duncan said. But when Duncan showed up at Mills in the fall, she learned that freshman weren’t allowed to crossregister and that Mills had no Arabic or Chinese classes. Duncan managed to get permission to study Arabic in the spring because her high school AP classes gave her sophomore status. Then her current advisor told her that she had to start talking to the language professors well before the registration date to assure her spot in the class. “They want you to start talking to professors in early October, but the classes and professors aren’t posted for the spring until late November. You don’t have a chance to build a bond with UC Berkeley professors and show your interest.” “UC Berkeley is already stuffed. They don't have room in their classes for their students, so why is Mills continuing to say that there are spaces?” Duncan asked. “That’s not a solid plan to offer students,” Duncan continued. “It's not an honest exchange of information. If you're honest with your students, they'll create their own pathways to their success." Despite her frustrations with cross-registration, Duncan expressed praise for the Spanish department. “I think Borges is amazing.” Christian Marouby, professor
of French studies, acknowledged that Mills’ two language offerings are below the standard in liberal arts colleges but emphasized Mills faculty had a strong interest in changing that. “We are all coming to the same conclusion (about) places we compare ourselves to, in terms of size and endowment. None of the schools smaller than Mills have less than four languages,” Marouby said. However, Marouby added, “I have a sense now that the faculty and the provost is coming to the same conclusion.” Marouby cautioned that too quick an attempt to expand the language offerings at Mills could prove disastrous if it didn’t include proper long-term planning. “It’s not going to be instantaneous, and it cannot be done piecemeal. The last time some attempt was made to have Chinese and Arabic, the attention was good, but there was no long-term support.” Mills briefly offered an introductory Arabic course several years ago, but intermediate and advanced level courses were never offered and Arabic is no longer available at Mills. The College website still lists Arabic as a department. Marouby said that a long-term plan for expanding languages at Mills does not exist, but that a com-
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mittee had been appointed to look at other college models. The committee includes Wah Cheng, professor of history, and Fred Lawson, professor of international relations. “We are … studying what other colleges are doing to have an idea, possibly to have a model, an inspiration. It also has to be adapted to Mills … It is in a way our task to produce a plan or a blueprint of what it might look like,” Marouby said. Marouby links the expansion of the Mills language department with the arrival of a new president. “We need to double (the languages). This is going to coincide with a new president... It would be great if we could present the new president with a plan that she possibly could embrace and seek resources for,” Marouby said. Even if the new president threw his or her energy behind the plan, Marouby said the expanded Mills curriculum would not be available to students for awhile because the process of getting new instructors is not instant. “It’s going to take a couple of years at least to get this going,” Marouby said. He explained that hiring instructors was a gradual process, because Mills needed to produce students interested in intermediate and advanced language courses before
offering them. Marouby also stressed that any effort to expand the language department at Mills had to have the support of the faculty, administration and especially the students. Without it, Mills runs the risk of foiling an attempt at expanding languages that could harm the department’s future, Marouby said. “It’s important this initiative that isn’t just by the faculty, that its a college-wide initiative,” Marouby said. And the idea of expanding the language department, Marouby added, is not simply the addition of new courses. “We need a cultural change. Mills College needs to open up to the world. To bring in languages means to embrace other large cultural traditions of the world,” Marouby said. "When we bring the language, we also bring the culture and the literature that goes with.” Even if Mills organizes to offer new languages, students closer to graduation would not be around to see the benefits. In the meantime, students are changing their studies to accommodate Mills’ lack of languages. “I might've done study abroad and intensive Arabic,” Duncan said. “Now that I'm here, I'm leaning more toward International Relations.”
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Arts & Features
5
Nov. 2, 2010
Not your average after-school job:
Mills student fires up couples’ sex lives MELODIE MIU
Senior Maya Gilbert coaches clients to help them learn more about their desires in bed so that they can have better sex lives.
Melodie Miu ONLINE EDITOR
"Desire is how we get to know who we are. We put a lot of ‘shoulds’ and conditions -- just stuff on top of what we actually want," she said. "When you let those things dissolve and really feel what you want in life, you get freedom." For the past six months, senior and psychology major Maya Gilbert has coached both individuals and couples in slow sex and desire. With her open light blue eyes and her patient expression, Gilbert engages her clients in deep conversations about intimacy and relationships to help them discover what they want the most out of from sex. Her method, which is known as co-active coaching, is meant to help her clients overcome their fears about sexuality by working alongside them. “Really what my job is is to be a beacon of light; to hold you to your desire, keep you focused on it and let you have it,” Gilbert said. With the help of her training at OneTaste, an experimental research center in San Francisco specializing in sexuality, Gilbert helps her clients uncover what they desire most -- whether it's better sex or a stronger relationship with their partner -- and how to get it. Each weekly coaching session lasts for about an hour and ends with "homework," an experiment Gilbert devises for clients to do on their own to feel closer to their bodies. Portia Marchman, a recent University of Texas at Austin grad-
uate, is one of Gilbert’s clients. So far, Marchman has done two coaching sessions over the phone. A mutual friend of Marchman’s recommended her to Gilbert when she was experiencing heavy self identity and esteem issues and needed someone to talk to. The homework Gilbert assigns to Marchman is to go on dates or out by herself and be honest with friends and romantic interests. "(Being coached) really helps me put my behaviors and my concepts of myself in perspective,” Marchman said in an e-mail to The Campanil. “(Gilbert) often calls me out on my self-sabotaging behavior — which is good for me to hear. I need that.” Most of her clients have a difficult time moving past fixations on their fears because they don’t believe their desires are attainable. Gilbert believes part of their struggle stems from sex being one of the biggest places people harbor shame. Her goal is to help her clients overcome the negativity they associate with their bodies, thereby empowering them to have self-worth. “By allowing yourself to have the sex life you want, you allow yourself to have this whole part of you that, in many cases, might not have been expressed ever before in the way you felt good about it,” Gilbert said. Gilbert also specializes in Orgasmic Meditation - coyly nicknamed OMing - which sprung from the Eastern philosophy of Tantric sex. It is an experimental partnered practice during which a woman is intimately massaged by her partner for fifteen minutes. After the meditation, the couple discusses their experience -- the sensations during
and how they feel afterward. Gilbert is present in the room to guide the whole procedure by offering advice. "People get naked” during this meditation, Gilbert said. "What this practice does is have our sexuality be something that can be clean and not something we have to be embarrassed about. But everyone does it at their own gradual pace." After taking coaching classes at OneTaste for the last ten months, Gilbert also saw improvement in her own sex life that she feels obligated to coach as she was coached. "I was having sex with these beautiful partners, but I couldn’t feel that much," Gilbert said. "Through doing the work, I’ve realized just how powerful it is to have your sex wake up. How couldn’t I share this with other people? I have to, it’s almost required of me." What secrets does Gilbert have to share with Mills? To let desire be your compass, Gilbert advises people to make lists of what they desire -- without thinking too much about what they're writing -- and write that list over and over again. "Anything from chocolate to the best sex life you’ve ever had to living in Paris -- it doesn’t have to be realistic," Gilbert said. "The more you can hold them and feel them, the more active they’ll be in your life, the more you’ll start thinking about your life that way." For students who feel stressed and rushed by their busy schedules, Gilbert suggests they slow down, because she believes taking your time can make everyday tasks pleasurable. “So, in things that you have to
do -- like eat -- just spend a minute to eat that fig in your hand. Really look at it, smell it and taste it and it’ll give you this momentary relaxation and nice feeling that brings you back to your body so you can feel more connected to yourself, to other people and to life,” Gilbert said. As Gilbert has noticed, people hesitate to be coached because there is a social stigma attached to counseling. Marchman was initially skeptical as well. However, in just two weeks, she saw herself changing the way she lived her life. Her life was becoming exciting. "Working with Maya provides clarity to what I need to do to be completely turned on as a human
Helpful Information
being,” Marchman said. “Who wouldn't want to live life to the fullest every day?” Currently, Gilbert's clients range from age 20 to 56. While they tend to be heterosexual, Gilbert has coached some lesbian couples. Although she doesn’t have a client from Mills College yet, Gilbert hopes to coach a fellow student soon. “The women here are amazing, and I would love to have all of them be in touch with their desire and sexuality in any deeper way that I could help them,” Gilbert said.
Stephanie Scerra contributed to this report.
Want a better sex life? You have a lot of ways of getting it. Here are just a few: 1 ) Contact Maya Gilbert for coaching services at maya.gilbert@gmail.com. Or visit her personal website WonderUniversity.com. Gilbert charges $100 per month for desire coaching and $500 per 3 sessions (about 2 weeks) for Orgasmic Meditation. 2) Go to the local OneTaste center, located on 1080 Folsom Street in San Francisco, CA 94103. OneTaste offers a number of workshops that last anywhere from a day to six weeks. Classes include Foundations of Slow Sex, Sex & the Modern Woman and Relating Revealed. You can find workshop schedules and even sign up on their website at OneTaste.us. 3) Become a desire coach yourself. The year-long process involves everything from teleclasses to books. Many argue that the best thing about becoming a coach is learning about your own desire as you go. Visit OneTaste.us/coach_train.php to download an informational packet, listen to recordings of past classes and sign up to start your training.
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6
Nov. 2, 2010
Arts & Features
STEPHANIE SCERRA
Above: Dance department head Sonya Delwaide teaches her intermediate ballet class. Delwaide hopes the dancers will learn what it’s like in a professional company from the Oakland Ballet. Middle Left: Two dance students practice their dégagés at the barre. Middle Right: Delwaide helps one of her students adjust her developpe.
Oakland Ballet and Mills dancers join forces Shelby Gibbs CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The light pitter-pat of freshly worn pointe shoes echoes across one of Haas Pavilion’s dance studios. Without a place to rehearse after the Company closed in 2006, Oakland Ballet’s dancers now pirouette across the marely floors of Mills College in preparation for this winter’s rendition of The Nutcracker. Without Mills’ help, Oakland Ballet might not have dainty snowflakes, heroic toy soldiers and decadent bonbons preparing to perform the classic ballet this December. Instead of giving up the Christmas tradition, Oakland Ballet has decided to partner with the College by providing Mills attendees with opportunities of their own. “I think there are all sorts of possibilities here,” said Graham Lustig, the new artistic director of the Oakland Ballet. “There’s a lot more dance traffic coming to Mills.” The growing number of students interested in dance has been rewarded by the Mills College dance department’s addition of an advanced ballet course taught by Amy Seiwert, a professional choreographer recommended by the Oakland Ballet. It was an opportunity Sonya Delwaide, head of the dance department, couldn’t deny her students.
“I thought, why can’t we host them? Why can’t we support them?” Delwaide said. Since the Company will continue to use Haas to rehearse, students will be able to watch the inner-
STEPHANIE SCERRA
workings of a professional company. Dance students look forward to getting a first-hand look as well as a professional name attached to the Mills dance department. “If we had a deeper collaboration with a professional company, it would give us a deeper look into how a company runs, financially, politically,” said Lacey Carter, a second-year graduate student studying choreography and performance.
The collaboration between the Mills dance department and Oakland Ballet has been a long time coming. While this is the first time the two representatives have had a formal partnership, the groups have been helping each other for quite some time. “Some of the marketing grad students (at Mills) have done research on the Oakland Ballet Company that was critical to the launch of the Oakland Ballet, and to enhance the new website” in the spring, Lustig said. “We’re now talking about how to develop marketing for performances.” Lustig has taught dance classes at Mills as well, an idea that sparked from Delwaide’s belief that creative collaboration is beneficial to both the ballet company and the Mills department. “We’re known for a strong modern department, but less known for ballet,” Delwaide said. “I love the way we can have a strong ballet component along with our strong modern.” However, as Seiwert teaches advanced ballet this semester, she advises dancers against meshing two styles together - Seiwert believes meshing can generate conflict - and encourages her dancers to focus solely on ballet in her class. “The class…is going to make (you) more aware,” Seiwert said. Students in Seiwert’s class agree. “I think for us at Mills, Sonya is a fantastic dance teacher, but she is
the only one - besides Amy and Yukie Fujimoto - to teach ballet technique,” said Abbie Ackerman, a second-year graduate student in the MFA dance program. “Having someone else’s view on technique
STEPHANIE SCERRA
would help expand ours.” Carter appreciates Seiwert’s way of delivering critique. “(Seiwert) really knows how to take a ballet class and give it a modern perspective. She has a way of communicating her ideas,” Carter said. Oakland Ballet intends to make more classes available to Mills students in the future. “I have offered to give a choreographic workshop,” Lustig said.
“I’m also hoping to offer a summer program that would be opened to Mills students.” Students had the option of auditioning for and performing in Lustig’s “The Nutcracker,” but the intense rehearsal schedule conflicted with their academic demands, according to Delwaide and Lustig. “I encouraged them to attend auditions for ‘The Nutcracker,’ but given the schedule, many felt they couldn’t fit it,” Lustig said. “Once it’s been on stage, I hope people can see it and will want to participate.” Currently, the partnership does not require a large commitment from Mills or the Oakland Ballet, but both representatives hope to see their relationship strengthen over time. “I would love to have them all year around,” Delwaide said. “They could be part of our curriculum – it could really blend.” However, Delwaide said that setting aside studio space for the whole year is difficult, especially because the Oakland Ballet is still in the process of relaunching thier company, which Delwaide thinks will take two to three years. “First, they need to see if they can get on their feet,” she said.
Wanna see the Oakland Ballet’s Nutcracker? The Oakland Ballet will perform The Nutcracker on Dec. 23, 24 and 26 at the Paramount Theatre. Tickets range from $38.00 to $58.00 depending on where you sit in the Theatre. Enjoy the show!
PHOTO BY RON LESSARD, COURTESY OF AMERICAN REPERTORY BALLET AND PRINCETON BALLET SCHOOL
Above: A photograph of one of the previous Nutcracker performances directed by Graham Lustig, Oakland Ballet’s new artistic director as of August of this year. Find more stories, photos, videos and live updates at www.thecampanil.com
Arts & Features
Nov. 2, 2010
7
ALL PHOTOS BY LOREN SANCHEZ
Top: Edgar Abundis commemorates those who died in Oakland homicides. Bottom: Ofrendas, or altars made in honor of the deceased for this year’s Day of the Dead.
Locals honor living and dead for Dia de Los Muertos Loren Sanchez CONTRIBUTING WRITER The light rain didn’t stop people from attending an early celebration of the Mexican holiday Dia de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, by the Fruitvale BART Station on Oct. 24. Participants ate authentic Mexican foods, listened to live music from different bands, and watched both Aztec and folkloric Mexican dancing. Yet the focus remained upon the traditional focal point of Dia de Los Muertos: ofrendas, or altars that serve as an annual remembrance of those who have passed on. “The altar is for the deceased so they can return and smell the aroma of the foods that are put out," said Auerli Sanchez, originally from Veracruz, Mexico. As Sanchez stated, ofrendas usually serve as commemorations and offerings to the deceased, whom people believe return home that day each year. They include objects significant to the deceased - photographs, toys and foods - as well as objects associated with the dead - marigold flowers, religious symbols and candles. While many altars are dedicated to people the creators knew personally, some people make ofrendas in honor of those they never knew. “This year, the altar is for those who were killed (in Oakland) and to commemorate those homicides,” said Luis Abundis of the altar he and his nephew Edgar Abundis created. “And I’m proud that even though it’s raining, there are people here to commemorate the dead.” However, not all participants made altars in honor of the
deceased. Some creators, like mother and son Adriana Diaz and Ernesto Castellanos, made altars in honor of Dia de Los Muertos itself. “We made an altar to represent the Day of the Dead,” Catsellanos said. “In the altar we set an equal number of candles for balance and an arch with flowers to illuminate the past for the deceased ones onto heaven.” Although it was not made for one of the dead, Diaz and Catsellanos’ ofrenda contains many symbolic items found in traditional altars. “Our altar is an authentic display of what is seen in Mexico,” Castellano said. “You see the mantel, the cross, the candles, perforated paper - which is essential - but this isn’t an altar for a person; it’s an altar displaying how an altar is set up and how it should look like.” Sebastian Sanchez, husband of the Auerli Sanchez mentioned earlier, appreciated the tribute to Mexican culture. “It’s wonderful to come see, especially those who have Mexican roots but have never lived there," said Sebastian Sanchez, husband of the Auerli Sanchez mentioned earlier. "People should come to learn and know how it’s done. I encourage everyone with Mexican roots to visit Mexico and really see what they hear about." In some cases, companies sponsored various ofrendas, such as Oakland artist Daniel Camacho's altar for State Farm. “Part of the idea was to put this together with the students from the Melrose Academy school. The students created the sugar skulls and flowers for the dead. It is also tradition to put the foods that the dead liked. It’s good culture and it
makes people look back at that person who is being celebrated,” Camacho said. Many people who came to look at the ofrendas were impressed. “The altars were really pretty, decorative and colorful,” said observer Jessica Scalzo. Nevertheless, the most memorable ofrendas were those with emotional significance. Gonzalo Hidalgo's altar, entitled “Si, Se Puede,” used cornflower black beans, tree chili and paprika to pay tribute to a hot issue causing much political hysteria: illegal immigration. “I made it as a tribute for those who cross the border illegally, work on the fields and for temporal labor workers. I have been doing this for the past eight years,” Hidalgo said. Across the altar, Hidalgo wrote the phrase "Los Majados," which translates to the "soaked," "damp" or "moist." “Los Mojados is a name usually given to the people who cross the Rio Grande to this side of the border. This is a dedication to people I know, not my case but nevertheless it is good to mention," Hidalgo said.
More Ways to Celebrate Day of the Dead 2010 - Join Mills College club Mujeres Unidas at Mills Hall at 12:15 p.m. for the Day of the Dead - Nov. 2. Club members will be holding a ceremony to pay their respects. - Attend the Dia de Los Muertos Procession and Festival of Altars today, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. in the Mission District of San Francisco - Visit Oakland Museum’s VIVO: Days of the Dead 2010 exhibit, open until Dec. 5
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Nov. 2, 2010
Opinions & Editorial
STAFF EDITORIAL To Vote or Not To Vote for Third Parties
On Oct. 12, 2010, third party candidate Laura Wells — the official candidate for the Green Party — was arrested while attempting to participate in one of California’s gubernatorial debates. Rather than being granted inclusion and participation as a third party candidate, Wells was charged with “trespassing.” The arrest of Laura Wells points to a larger problem in today’s mainstream political arena: the perpetual banishment of third parties to somewhere outside “real” politics. Most of us here at the Campanil agree that the current two-party system and its enforcement does not embody or represent the interests and needs of the country’s diverse citizenry. Third parties are the essential ingredient in destabiliz-
ing the corrosive two-party political culture of America. The lack of options inherent in the current two party-centric system alienates citizens and voters, leaving their possible avenues of representation very narrow. In theory, even if third parties are never elected, their presence brings different ideas and platforms to the table and is supposed to ensure that members of dominant parties remain accountable to their constituency. If their presence is prohibited — as in the case of Laura Wells — this accountabilty is diminished. So if third party candidates are unlikely to be elected, should we vote for them anyway? This is something many of us will be thinking about as we mark our ballots today. Given the current
political climate, that vote may be considered “wasted,” yet some of us still feel compelled to vote for the candidate who closest matches our interests and needs, regardless of whether that candidate belongs to a third party. Perhaps over time, voting for candidates who truly represent our interests may lead others to follow suit, creating a culture in which voting intelligently and authentically is more important than dejectedly choosing between brand A and brand B. After all, the inexorability of our two-candidate system is sustained by the public interest in 'resisting the worst of the two.' Here at the Campanil, we encourage you to consider the possibility of resisting both and choosing better.
O PEN F ORUM Cultural Misappropriation: Yep, Still Racist Melodie Miu ONLINE EDITOR The last few weeks I've been appalled by such music videos as Justin Bieber's “Somebody To Love” remix featuring Usher, Nicki Minaj's “Your Love,” and most recently, Travie McCoy's “Need You.” How could I not be? Honestly, they're VERY catchy songs and visually interesting videos. These singers are going to accomplish exactly what's expected of mainstream performers: gain recognition, expand fan bases and of course, make bank — but I will not be a part of that fan base. Why not? Because all three videos had something else in common: cheap, tired Asian stereotypes. By covering their videos with chopstick hair and swordswinging samurai, these so-called artists and their companies attempt to make their otherwise generic work exciting at the expense of already disadvantaged people. The videos were so blatantly offensive that it boggled my mind by how easily mainstream music gets away with cultural misappropriation. Production companies are yet again demonstrating social irresponsibility by ignoring how their actions are negatively affecting the very people who created the cultures they're stealing from. It's going to be nearly impossible for anti-racists to convince others why this all-too-common trend of Orientalism is harmful when mainstream products are masked as 'art.' How can viewers question chopsticks sticking out of their hair when artists make it look so darn pretty? If you make their fans a pleasing shade of fuchsia pink, people won't care how overdone and hokey it is for Asian dancers to carry them. Up the exposure on everything until even the light bouncing off the greasy skin of Peking ducks glistens like a thousand stars–because you don't have
to be original as long as it’s exotic. So, glamorize every stereotypical Asian aspect you could think of and fit it into one video until each frame is spilling with tasty chinky otherness. Want a cheesy background? Just emblazon a red Chinese character for 'love' in awesome CGI dragon flames and forgetaboutit! Heck, you can even squiggle 'gullible' on a rice paper scroll in black ink as long it appears foreign and Asian-looking. As blogger Angry Asian Man has pointed out, why is it even necessary for some artists to use Asian culture in their work? They could get the message of their songs across without being offensive because yeah, sure, Travie McCoy is totally convincing as a romantic lead when he wears a coolie hat! Exoticism has also made its way into television. My laughter ceased when I saw a Special Asian episode in the criminal comedy series, Psych, where my heritage was degraded by a horribly cheap Chinatown backdrop, stereotypical kung-fu fighting Triad gangs and Asian ‘jokes’ thrown around rike no tomollow. Not only are they ripping off cultures, they do everything they can to keep people of color in the background. Even though it’s awesome to see a whopping three Asian characters in FOX’s Glee, it’s not empowering when they only talk about how super-duper Asian they are. I squirmed when those very kids groaned about how weird Chinese cuisine is (Because we even add chicken feet to salads, ha ha!) compared to normal Western food like McDonald’s cheeseburgers and apocalypse-proof Twinkies. I can’t watch black-and-white films without waiting with bated breath, knowing a Random Racist Moment™ will make its way into the next scene. In the French movie “The Rules of the Game,” I saw a rich white woman in a kimono staring admiringly at her toy-collecting husband’s creepy new Little Black
Sambo wind up doll. After witnessing ALL these amazing levels of offensiveness play out on screen and airwaves, it’s not surprising that I’m going to be supporting the upcoming Jersey Shore-remake reality show series called K-Town based in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. They even have a Snooki! Not only will the amount of Asianness be off the charts – there will be Asian producers looking over the project rather than all white guys controlling how cultural images are displayed for the wider audience. I want to see an all-Asian cast party and get drunk not because “Ha ha, let’s see how red they get,” but because I'll be witnessing agency from real-life people who are more than the slant of their eyes. Fellow Asian Americans and I get to see these people discuss their identities outside ethereal depictions of familiar The Joy Luck Club proportions. I rather enjoy how the media is fawning over ab-tastic cast member Peter Le simply because Asian men aren’t worshipped the same way hunks like David Beckham are. ‘The Situ-Asian,’ as he’s called, breaks emasculating stereotypes which have confused so many people about their manliness and the endowment of their junk. The news of the series did receive backlash in fear of further stereotyping. But the fact that KTown will be bringing in money for Koreatown businesses and in turn benefiting their community is saying a lot more than the mainstream media, which has been stealing and profiting off non-white cultures without giving a cent back. This show is definitely a step up in fighting cultural misappropriation in so many ways. After reading K-Town creator Mike Le's honest and thought-provoking blog post about hoping to demonstrate a fair representation of Asians, I think the show is in good hands and we’ll just have to see how it goes...
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Question of The Week
If you were to dress as one this year’s candidates for political office on Halloween, who would you be and what would you wear? “I’d be Queen Meg. I’d have a scepter, crown, dress, and big blonde wig.” — Amelia Lopez, senior
“Jerry Brown. My costume would be very manly and I’d be holding a billboard about education.” — Lilly Sahagun,
first year grad student
“Rebecca Kaplan, because she’s my future wife. I’d wear an ill-fitting men’s shirt and a vest, pompadour my hair, and just be really awesome.” —Rachel Gregg, senior
“Meg Whitman. I’d be a giant pair of scissors, ready to eliminate all social spending that is anathema to the Republican party—cause we’re down to our last 100 million, you know. —Terrilynn Cantlon, senior
Have something to say?
LET US KNOW. e-mail soldano@thecampanil.com
Opinions & Editorial
The first time I saw a photo of Rebecca Kaplan on her mayoral campaign website, I got a little swoon-y. I am definitely a sucker for a strong-looking woman in a vest. I started posting a steady stream of links to Facebook, most with such well-crafted titles as “Sexy Dyke For Mayor.” I was in love with not just her vests, but also her platforms — i.e., making Oakland neighborhoods more livable and increasing quality of public transit. However, that was only my initial reaction — me being the susceptible young lesbian I am. When I started researching more about the candidates and their platforms, I realized that Jean Quan is actually my choice for mayor of Oakland. Quan, like Kaplan, serves on the Oakland City council. However, Quan has been involved in Oakland politics since 1989, when Kaplan was just nine years old. While Quan was at UC Berkeley in the late 1960’s and early 70’s, she became
active in the Vietnam War protest movement and the civil rights movement. Quan was also deeply involved in starting the ethnic studies department there — the first ethnic studies department in the nation. She has shown further commitment to enriching education, as she has worked to maintain art and music programs in public schools as a member of the Oakland Unified School District board since 1989. Jean Quan is the first Asian American woman to be elected to the Oakland City Council. She represents District 4, which mainly consists of the Laurel and Dimond districts. During her time on city council she worked to revitalize those neighborhoods under her leadership: the revived state seen in the Laurel shopping district just outside of Mills’ gates exists largely due to her efforts. The Dimond district now consists of similarly revamped business and housing because of Jean Quan's initiative to support local businesses. She has served as President Pro Tempore of the City Council and Vice
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Kaplan, Oakland’s Rising Star
Quan vs. Kaplan: Experience over “Eye Candy” Nicole Vermeer DESIGN EDITOR
Nov. 2 2010
Mayor — basically, she’s had experience running the city. Some other highlights from her extensive list of experiences include: Chair of the Chabot Space Science Center of which she was a founding member, City representative to the California League of California Cities, and member of the Environmental Policy Council. Oakland needs Quan’s experience in rebuilding and reclaiming itself, and her leadership and voice are indispensable. As the first Asian American woman mayor she will give a voice to underserved and underrepresented communities. Sure, Rebecca Kaplan is a great leader, I agree with most of her platforms, AND she’s dead sexy — but as I said before, she has had limited experience in local politics. Her time as mayor will come. Quan has already proven herself in regards to drive and experience. As a longtime Oakland resident, I can tell she loves Oakland as much as I do and will work to improve my favorite city to make it safer, more vibrant, and even more beautiful.
Ellen Newton COPY EDITOR
I'm not going to vote for Rebecca Kaplan just because she's easy on the eyes for an incumbent, nor because I first met her at Art Murmur–one of the coolest places to meet a politician ever. I'm going to vote for Kaplan because she is one of the most exciting, innovative and promising candidates to run for mayor of Oakland in years. She's got big competition - Don Perata and Jean Quan - but voting for Kaplan is our best chance to change this city. The fat cat of the race— former president pro tem of the California Senate, Don Perata—has a long history of inaction. Perata aims to be another high profile figure that wins Oakland over out of career habit. Oakland voters should choose someone who isn’t settling into a hiatus—we need a rising star whose success is linked inextricably with our own. In Sacramento, Perata had one of the worst records for getting his legislation passed into law. After signing state contracts with friends’ businesses and splitting the rewards, Perata was investigated for five years by the FBI over charges of financial corruption (local
officials ultimately decided not to prosecute). Perata's campaign has spent $221,000 more than Oakland's campaign expenditure limit of $379,000. His rationale? An independent committee broke the limit first, freeing everyone to follow suit. That committee is led by one of Perata's longterm friends. Jean Quan may seem like the safe alternative to Perata's bid, but there is a reason the Oakland Educational Association has outright refused to endorse her. She has consistently ignored and voted against teacher's interests, sidelining the group with the most support for Oakland youth. Her support for Measure Y was misguided and damaging. Compare Perata and Quan's histories with Kaplan's record. At 40, Kaplan is younger than her competition, but highly intelligent and brightly innovative (she went to Stanford and MIT). In her two years on City Council, Kaplan spearheaded the campaign for a free Broadway shuttle, reformed outdated nightclub and cabaret laws and led the effort to tax and regulate medical cannabis. Kaplan’s vision of Oakland features more neighborhood police beats,
consistent with her vote against the police layoffs. She understands the importance of smart growth and wants the city to start seriously attracting new green businesses, which would provide thousands of jobs for the unemployed of this city. She recognizes Oakland’s potential and wants to build up from its existing strengths. The incredible emerging art scene, the strong attraction the city holds for college graduates and young professionals, the space Oakland has for green businesses, its thriving cuisine, citizens' interest in environmental and social justice – these are all things that Oakland has to offer. Kaplan’s the one candidate who has expressed clear commitment to each and every one. Kaplan knows simple things can solve big problems, but she’s just as invested in the big solutions. She would be historic – Oakland’s first woman and openly lesbian mayor, but also the first mayor in decades that was truly committed to healing Oakland’s painful history and making a space for the growth, creativity and social change that our citizens want and believe in.
Prop 19 Will Create Solutions, Not Problems On Nov. 2, California voters will have a chance to change history. Prop. 19 is providing an opportunity for voters to decide whether or not to legalize and tax marijuana for adults over the age of 21. While opponents (including large alcohol companies) have recently come out strong against the proposition, the momentum to pass the bill has also stayed strong. After working on the campaign and hearing the discussions that have circulated amongst activists, it has become apparent to me that passing Prop. 19 is the next best move for our state. Since the criminalization of
marijuana in the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, America has never seen a decline in marijuana use. In my experience, smoking cannabis has become an activity that many people participate in and enjoy, particularly on college campuses. However, these students take a chance by smoking something that has a disputable amount of physical harm. Why should hard-working students face enormous fines and jail time for smoking something that has been used as a medicine in our state since 1996? Prop. 19 is the key to changing the current marijuana laws into a reasonable, manageable, and safe
set of regulations. Many against the proposition are concerned that children will somehow have increased access if legalization occurs, but I would argue Prop. 19 will help to better regulate marijuana sales. It will take the age limit of marijuana out of dealers’ hands and into a system that will be regulated like tobacco and alcohol. I've heard high schoolers say getting their hands on marijuana is easier than it is to acquire alcohol. I think this is a much better solution and will keep our children safe. So yes, voting yes on Prop. 19 is the best decision to make in keeping our children safe as it will regulate the
avenues from which they can purchase marijuana. As a result of California’s enormous budget deficit, the state continues to cut budgets for programs essential to the well-being of our state. For example, the public education system has taken a huge fall due to budget cuts. Sports, arts, and other extra curriculars have been cut entirely – examples include the recent cuts of Cal Berkeley's baseball, gymnastics, and lacrosse teams. I personally experienced the crunch of the economy last semester when at Diablo Valley College three of the five classes I planned to take had been canceled
due to budget cuts. The State Board of Equalization predicts that Prop. 19 will bring in $1.4 billion a year from taxes – a possible solution to the budget crisis. On top of that, many more millions will be saved in police money from not prosecuting cannabis crimes, according to the official “Yes on 19” campaign website. Today, I will vote yes on Prop 19—both for myself and in hopes of a much larger positive change for California. —Zoe Schreiber, SSDP President
Are YOU an aspiring cartoonist? An actual cartoonist? Do you just love drawing stuff ? If you answered yes to any of these questions, send your ideas/comix to soldano@thecampanil.com Find more stories, photos, videos and live updates at www.thecampanil.com
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Events & Information
November 2, 2010
NOVEMBER 2 - NOVEMBER 15 2
Tuesday
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Wednesday
Works In Progress Reading When: 5:30 p.m. Where:Bender Room Contact: eboni.dunbar@gmail.com
Exploratorium Free Day What: Enjoy free admission to the museum! When: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Where: 3601 Lyon St. San Francisco
Sunday
Monday
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Oakland Museum Free Day When: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Where: 1000 Oak St., Oakland Contact: (510) 238-2200
12 Friday
Drag Dance: Corporate Drag When: 9 p.m. - 1 a.m. Where: Student Union Cost: $3 presale for grads and undergrads, $5 for guests and at the door
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4
Thursday
Berkeley Art Museum Free Day When: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Where: 2626 Bancroft Way Contact: (510) 642-0808
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Tuesday
M Center Announcement! Works In Progress Reading What: Online registration When: 5:30 p.m. begins at 6 a.m., continues to Where:Bender Room Nov. 17th. Contact: Contact: (510) 430-2000 eboni.dunbar@gmail.co
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Saturday
Africa Africa When: 8 p.m. Where: Littlefield Concert Hall Cost:Free for Mills students, faculty, and staff. $15 general admission
14 Sunday
Bay Area Brew Fest What: Unlimited beer with admission When: 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Where: Fort Mason Center, SF Cost:$30 - $35
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Friday
Garden Gathering When: 10 a.m. - 1p.m. Where: Community Garden Contact: Christina McWhorter (510)430-2230
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Wednesday
Native Heritage Month Dinner When: 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Where: Founders Contact: ethnic@mills.edu
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Monday
Songlines: Matthew Goodheart Cost: Free When: 7:30 p.m. Where:Music Building, Ensemble Room
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Saturday
Honoring Revolution with Visions of Healing What: Day of the dead exhibit closing ceremony When: 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Where: SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St., SF Cost:$5 - $10
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Thursday
Brandon Flowers Cost: $30 When: 8 p.m. Where: The Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave, Oakland
For more events, check out www.thecampanil.com If you have events for the calendar, email soto@thecampanil.com
BY INQUISITIVE COONEY
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Sports & Health
Nov. 2, 2010
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NICOLE VERMEER
Rebecca Frank, Mills College’s record holder in discus, came to the new track and field facility lunchtime celebration on Wednesday, Oct. 27 to do the inaugural throw.
APER celebrates new track and field facility Nicole Vermeer DESIGN EDITOR After three years as an official NCAA participant, the track and field team now has a throwing facility for practicing discus, shotput and javelin throwing. The facility is located on the far end of the Richards parking lot in a formerly unused field. The Mills department of Athletics, Physical and Educational Recreation held an inaugural ceremony at the new facilities on Wednesday, Oct. 27 at noon. The opening celebration
included a pasta cookout, the presnece of various Milla athletes and APER staff members and the grounds and facilities workers who helped build the facility. Rebecca Frank, the school record holder in discus, came to do the inaugural throw. According to athletics director Themy Adachi, the throwers had been “sort of homeless," often being kicked off of practice spaces. Those practice spaces were often at other school campuses and required transportation time. The ceremony drew current team members and students as well as alumnae. One attendant, Perla
Cantu, was a javelin thrower who graduated in 2009. Cantu said said the new facilities were a much-needed addition to Mills. “As a thrower it was stressful to sit around at practice,” said Cantu, noting that meanwhile, runners were able to do their training. Many say that the new facilities will help the track team. Before the new facilities, the throwers had to practice at different schools such as Samuel Merritt University on Telegraph avenue in Oakland. Several staff members of APER said this will lead to more efficient practices, including less
class time missed. According to Laché Bailey, who is starting her first year as track and field coach, the new practice facility will allow throwing students to practice longer and more often. Bailey said this change would probably make “a huge difference in performance.” “Most importantly it shows a commitment by the school and the department … there are people here making it happen," Bailey said. "It shows to athletes that we are using school funds to support what they’re doing." According to Adachi, the facilities construction was a team
effort mainly headed by the Mills grounds manager Ron Galvan. “We know this wouldn’t have happened unless you went above and beyond the call of duty,” Adachi said. “It was a long and involved process. It could have cost $100,000, but Ron said 'I can do it for you,' and he did it for a much more reasonable price. And on the hottest day of the year.” Galvan was also present at the facility’s ceremony. “I’ve been here 15 years … it’s always a matter of funding," Galvan said. "If I see the need I’m more than happy to do it and at a lower cost too.”
A Mills student explores food’s uncooked side with a raw vegan diet Nicole Vermeer DESIGN EDITOR When Mills student Mariah Olivera was 14 she became a vegetarian, much to the dismay of her family. When she switched to veganism at 15, her family was still wary, but by the time she went raw vegan at age 16, they were unfazed. "My family was most disturbed when I became vegetarian," Olivera said. "By the time I became a raw vegan they were used to it." Raw veganism is a diet that completely eliminates all types of animal products, much like a vegan diet. However, the different is that raw veganism does not allow any cooked foods. According to Robert Alan Ross, who has been studying nutrition for over 40 years, enzymes are denatured by the process of cooking and applying heat. "...when you eat more cooked food you are consuming acidic tox-
ins faster than your body can eliminate them so they back up, disrupting your body's delicate acid/alkaline balance, a major cause of excess weight and disease," said Ross on www.rawfoodlife.com. According to Ross, food should not be cooked above 118 degrees Fahrenheit. Cooking it hotter will destroy the natural enzymes that eliminate toxins from the body. Olivera's reasons for becoming a raw vegan were much simpler. She chose it for environmental reasons, citing the increased emissions caused by meat production. "I want to make my carbon footprint as small as possible," Olivera said. Mills College professor Bertram Gordon, currently teaching a History of Cuisine course at Mills, says that raw food diets are sometimes problematic because it is hard to define what "raw" food actually is. "Cooking is the application of heat," Gordon said. "Digestion is
cooking too." However, he said he was "not arguing for or against the raw food" but that the definition of "raw" is sometimes questionable. Olivera's diet is simple. She mainly eats soaked beans (such as soybeans), oats and other grains, and hefty servings of fresh, raw fruits and vegetables. "When I first started at Mills people were concerned that I had an eating disorder or that I wasn't getting enough nutrition," Olivera said. "But when they hear I eat two cups of soybeans a day, they start to realize I do get enough nutrition." For Olivera, the health benefits were obvious almost immediately after. "I was doing cross country, and my 5k time decreased by 4 minutes in two months," Olivera said. Many raw foodists point towards the past, saying that before the agricultural revolution humans solely relied on raw foods to sus-
tain them. However, according to Gordon, humanoid species learned to cook before the evolution into homo sapiens occurred. Additionally, Gordon said there was evidence of cooking up to 1.5 million years ago. Harvard professor Richard Wranghan said in his book Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human, that cooking lead to the evolution of homo sapiens. "Cooking enabled hominids' jaws, teeth and guts to shrink, freeing up calories to fuel their expanding brains," Wranghan said. Scientific citations aside, Olivera said she is content with her raw vegan lifestyle. Still, her eating habits come up from time to time with her family, who is half Cuban and half Mexican. Olivera said that despite social aspects of cooking, sharing a meal usually isn't a problem. "People expect that I bring my own food," Olivera said.
Mariah Olivera’s favorite fresh vegetable & tomato chili (serves 2 to 3) Ingredients: -2 cups blended tomato (3-4 medium tomatoes) -1/2 cucumber, peeled -2 stalks celery -1/2 red bell pepper, seeded -1 cup fresh basil, mint or cilantro leaves, or combine -1/2 cup whole-leaf dulse -3 cloves garlic, peeled -1/3 cup fresh lemon juice -1/4 cup olive oil -1/4 cup Nama Shoyu (or any raw soy sauce) -1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder -1 teaspoon ground cumin -1/2 teaspoon sea salt Directions: In a blender, combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. (Recipe from RAWvolution: Gourmet Cooking Cuisine, by Matt Amsden)
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Nov. 2, 2010
Sports & Health
How to do yoga’s standing forward bend
Mills yoga teacher Sarah Harvey demonstrated the yoga position called ‘standing forward bend.’ With twenty years’ experience teaching yoga, Harvey said this position is one of the easier for a beginner. “This position is so people can learn how to open up their hips and hamstrings,” Harvey said. “It’s great for someone who’s never done yoga before.”
SHELBY GIBBS
Face the chair with feet shoulder-width apart, back and legs 90 degrees apart.
SHELBY GIBBS
After placing one hand at a time on the ground slowly bring arms closer to legs.
SHELBY GIBBS
Carefully bend forward, letting go of the chair while maintaining leg strength.
SHELBY GIBBS
Move arms behind legs, bringing the head as close as possible to the knees.
No rest for the weary: students discuss their sleeping schedules and how resting up can up grades and moods Loren Sanchez STAFF WRITER With classes, homework, studying, work and activities, who has time for sleep? According to Kim Baranek, Director of Wellness and Community Outreach, most adults should get at least seven to eight hours a night of deep rest. Despite numerous studies citing this statistic, most Mills students aren't hitting the hay nearly enough. Katy Kondo, a sophomore, spent last year falling asleep at 5:30 a.m. and waking up at 9 a.m. almost everyday the entire year. “I’m a night person and it’s easy to sleep late when you live on
campus," Kondo said. "Now I live off campus and I really have to plan my day. I’m forced to be more scheduled; I get seven to eight hours of sleep now. Before I got maybe five." She’s not the only one who has had to change their routine. Sometimes the courses students take requires them to change their normal routine. TerriLynn Cantlon, a senior, is an English major and enjoys writing during all hours of the night. “I write from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. I work better at night, I’m more productive and I like it better because it’s more quiet," Cantlon said. "I have 8:30 a.m. classes and it’s really difficult because I either have to
sleep earlier and stop writing or not go to bed. It’s been a constant battle waking up at 8:30 everyday. Forcing me to go to be sooner has discombobulated my writing." Baranek said she has had people come to her to talk about sleep. She gives advice depending on the issue. “Students often have a hard time falling asleep," Baranek said. "What I recommend is keeping a quiet environment, dimming the lights an hour or so before bed, and doing relaxing activities such as bath or reading.” “It’s more about the number of hours you sleep than the time,” Baranek said. Gladys Dulay, a freshwoman,
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said she agreed with Baranek's statement about sleep quality. “I nap during the day because I’m so tired, I have a lot of homework," Dulay said. "I try to nap in between classes and after work. My body needs 10 hours of sleep, I know that.” But sleep goes beyond basic needs. According to an article in the pamphlet Your Guide to Healthy Sleep, studies have shown that people perform more effectively after a full nights' sleep. “What’s interesting is students will stay up late doing homework or studying," Baranek said. "They retain better by getting a good nights sleep and they’ll be in a better mood.”
Giselle Eastman, a first year graduate student, has learned her mistakes as an undergraduate. “I’ve been trying to get six to eight hours of sleep," Eastman said. "I’m trying to improve. As an undergrad my sleep schedule was terrible. I had so many classes, four hours of sleep. I was really depressed and it’s because of lack of sleep. And I determined it this year because I’m happier.” Agreeing with Eastman, Cantlon said that a person must take control of their own sleep schedule and get the recommended hours of rest. “Be the architect of your own life," Cantlon said. "That’s how I look at sleep.”