AAlliixxaannddrraa GGrreeeennmmaannCONTRIBUTING WRITER

Noted author and environmental-ist Stephanie Mills, who graduatedfrom Mills College in 1969, willreceive a honorary degree Friday,Oct. 2 as part of Convocation.

Mills, who will also give thekeynote speech at the ceremony, isno stranger to the podium. She wasvaledictorian of her graduatingclass and emerged as an ecologicalactivist with her 1969Commencement address, “TheFuture is a Cruel Hoax.” In thespeech, she pledged not to havechildren as a way to take a standagainst what she saw as an over-population problem.

According to Renee Jadushlever,Vice President of Operations, Millsprefers the term “bioregionalist” to“ecological activist.” A biographyof Mills describes bioregionalismas “harmonizing the natural sys-

tems of the locations where we liveby making choices that enhanceour local ecology, economy, and culture.” In other words, Millsbelieves one’s individual choicesaffect the world’s environment.

Currently, Mills is working on abiography of peace activist andcommunity economics pioneerRobert Swann. She is active in pro-moting a local alternative currencysystem in her community toencourage local trade and lessenthe impacts of global commerce.

Mills will receive a doctorate ofhumane letters, conferred as anhonorary degree. Usually, an hon-orary degree is bestowed to high-light a distinguished person's con-tributions to a specific field.

Honorary degrees “are specialrecognition for people who havedistinguished themselves in some way and have close connections to Mills,” said Marianne Sheldon,

KKaattee RRuupprreecchhtt CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Students and faculty met at sun-down Sept. 16 to break their day-long fasts, a pledge for charity inlight of the Islamic holy month ofRamadan. The Fast-A-Thon's goalwas to generate money to help edu-cate girls in South and Central Asia.

This is the third year the MuslimStudent Association (MSA) hasheld its annual Fast-A-Thon. Eachyear students pledge to fast for oneday from sunrise to sundown. Inreturn, MSA asks local businessesto donate one dollar for eachpledge to the Barakat Foundation, anon-profit working to improve thelives of marginalized groups in Asia.

Barakat, a word which literally

means “blessings” in Arabic, is a Massachusetts-based organizationthat marked its beginnings in 1987.Its mission is to help women andchildren by providing access toeducation and a healthy environ-ment in the form of female educa-tion and literacy programs, as wellas ecological preservation.

A chapter has recently opened on campus.

"Our semester goal is to raiseenough money to educate five to 10girls. It takes approximately $40 toeducate each girl for one year," saidsophomore Pernian Faheem, thechapter president of Barakat andMSA treasurer.

The MSA is currently lookingfor businesses to sponsor thepledges, and hope they will donateat least one dollar per Fast-A-Thon participant. The fundraiser

MMoorrggaann RRoossssASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

It has been nearly twomonths since Iranian authoritiesdetained three Americans, all grad-uates of UC Berkeley, during a hik-ing trip in the mountains of IraqiKurdistan.

Shane Bauer, a linguist anddocumentary photographer fromEmeryville; Joshua Fattal, 27, anenvironmentalist from CottageGrove; and Sarah Shourd, anEnglish teacher and Oaklandresident, left for their hiking trip July 31.

The three are world travelerswho sought to learn about differentcultures and religions, and studyArabic in Damascus, Syria. Bauerand Shourd are both freelance jour-nalists, and Shourd even wrote forBravenewt rave le r. com andNewamericamedia.com.

According to the New YorkTimes, the travelers were hiking ina popular area with Westerntourists when they strayed over theKurdish border into Iran. Thedetails of their “illegal entry” arestill vague, and their arrest was notconfirmed until a few days later.Iran's national television station

stated that hikers were arrested fordisregarding border guard's warn-ing.

The hikers are believed to bedetained in Tehran, the capital ofIran. This case has become anothersource of tension between the U.S.and Iran.

Sarah Shourd wrote about herdecision to study the Middle Eastin a Transitionsabroad.com article,“Brave Eyes, Laughing Hearts: MyFirst Encounter With Yemen”:

“I wanted my introduction tothe Middle East to be memorable,and I was drawn to Yemen's tradi-tional culture and geographical iso-

lation. I was also both fascinatedand repelled by what little I knewof its gender dynamic,” wroteShourd.

She even spoke about dangersto her own safety.

“Of course there were thesecurity concerns, Westernersbeing kidnapped and sometimeseven killed, but I decided that itwas more likely I would get hit bya car while riding my bicycle athome, and bought my plane ticket.I wanted to check it out for myself.”

In a recent CNN interviewwith international correspondent

Christiane Amanpour, IranianPresident Mahmoud Ahmadinejahwas reported as saying that he waswilling to push for leniency, say-ing, “What I can ask is that thejudiciary expedites the process andgives it its full attention. … And tobasically take a look at the casewith maximum leniency.”

This marks a decided contrastfrom the remark Ahmadinejah gavereporters in Tehran on Sept. 18 thatthe hikers “need to be punished.”

Amanpour said she believesthat Admadinejah, who was in the

As part of the ongoing creekrestoration efforts, 41 volunteersparticipated in Oakland’s annualCreek to Bay Day.

Leona Creek, which runsthrough Mills, was one of 25clean-up sites sponsored by thecity. Students, faculty, and localresidents worked as part of along-range plan to improve thelandscape of the creek by restor-ing its original biodiversity ofnative plants.

Organizers and several EarthCORPS representatives helpedvolunteers get waivers signed,provided snacks, tools, gloves,safety instructions, and a workingplan to identify and remove inva-sive, non-native plants.

Oakland resident GeorgeDuncan said he understandsLeona Creek geology. He, with

organizers, agreed that Leona’sheadwaters originate in the hillsabove campus; after arrivingfrom a culvert beneath the free-ways, the Leona glories in its‘day-lighted’ flow across campusbefore it gets diverted into anoth-er culvert, funneled beneath thestreets and yards of East Oakland,until entering Damon Sloughnear the Coliseum, where it sur-faces again, but as a canal whichflows into Arrowhead Marsh onSan Francisco Bay.

The work party concentratedits efforts on the area near theoval, across the road from theFine Arts building. BrianHarrington, ArchitecturalAssistant, said he recalls summer2007, “when a grove of around40 Eucalyptus trees covered withivy was cleared from this site.”

Christina McWhorter, botan-ic garden coordinator, said how,“Native plants were propagated

on campus using seeds fromsome of the remaining nativesfound here, which were then rein-troduced to this site; this helps topreserve the biodiversity ofplants on campus. It was onething to remove the non-nativespecies and replace them with theinitial planting of natives,” sheexplained. “But restorationrequires maintenance, lots of hardwork and skillful eyes to knowwhat stays and what goes.”

Volunteers had differentmotivations for pitching in.Sophomore Catherine Norman, aself-professed “hoer,” is enrolledin Professor Bruce Pavlik’s biolo-gy class, where students areencouraged to get hands-on expe-rience, and class credit.

Norman said, “It’s fun toweed – would I do it again?

Most likely. Besides, I must

Volume 94Number 03

www.thecampanil.com Keeping in time with the Mills community since 1917

Sept. 28, 2009Monday

Volunteers contribute to creek restorationStudents and faculty fast for Ramadan

SStteepphhaanniiee MMiillllss hhoonnoorreedd

Senior Diva Zumaya participates in Creek to Bay Day at Leona Creek on Sept. 19 . Mills page 3see

see

page 3

Families and friends hope for safe return of hikers detained in Iran

DDeebbbbiiee BBaarrrraaggaannCONTRIBUTING WRITER

UPCOMING

OUTSIDE THE GATES

JENNIFER COURTNEY

CULTURE

Hikerssee

Fast page 3see Creek page 3

Opinions & Editorial22 SSee pp tt .. 22 88 ,, 22 00 00 99

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Mills is known for being a lib-eral and open-minded community,one in which most actions arepassed off as personal self expres-sion and diversity of thought.However, sometimes that blaséattitude disrupts classes. TheCampanil thought it time to begindiscussing what is appropriate inclass to keep it productive.

This is not about telling ourpeers how to behave. It is aboutrespect: respect for our fellow stu-

dents, our professors, and for Millsas an institution where learningshould occur without interruption.

One of the main things that canimpede learning is verbal distrac-tion — whether it be studentsspeaking amongst each other whenthe professor is lecturing, jumpingin during discussions or continual-ly interrupting the instructor to askquestions. Of course students areencouraged to be inquisitive, andmost teachers at Mills will gladlyexplain something again.

However, in lecture-based

courses, the instructor needs tocommunicate a certain amount ofinformation each class period. Thismeans that asking too many ques-tions can get the class behindschedule. If something really does-n’t make sense, go to office hours.Same goes for asking questions rel-evant only to you: you're wastingeveryone’s time.

And if you're sick, please stayhome. It's okay to sneeze or blowyour nose in class once or twice,but constant sniffling and coughingcan be distracting. You can borrow

notes from a classmate or attendoffice hours to catch up on whatyou've missed, instead of potential-ly infecting other students.

Then there are matters a bitmore trivial. Take food, for exam-ple. Most instructors allow food inclass – and often a snack will helpkeep you alert if you’re unable toconcentrate because you are hun-gry or sleepy. An aromatic take-outmeal or a bag of chips, however,can be too much. Your food shouldnot call attention to itself.

Another is choice of dress.

Class sessions are still formal inter-actions, so wearing appropriateclothing is important. So is wearingyour shoes.

There are many other thingsthat might annoy your classmates,from incessant pencil-tapping tonot preparing for class, Facebooksurfing to leaving for the bathroomright before the class is scheduledto end.

The main thing to remember iscommon courtesy. If what you’redoing is likely to disrupt anyone’sfocus wait until class is over.

Classroom etiquette: important but often overlookedEditorial

So accord-ing to myChronicle andjournalist Jus-tine Sharrock,C o l i nBeaven, known as “the man whowent without toilet paper,” iscoming to town to do a promo-tional tour for his Blog, Book anddocumentary movie titled “NoImpact Man”. While I admit I ama bit out of touch with the rockstars of the eco-conscious com-munity, I am intrigued by his fam-ily’s story of trying to leave noenvironmental footprint for a year.

I mean, I do my best to saveour planet. I shop almost exclu-sively at thrift stores (I hate whenI am wearing the same thing assomeone else); I don’t run my air-conditioning (well, I don’t haveair conditioning as my apartmentwas built in 1928, but if I did, Iwouldn’t run it for more thanmaybe like 2, 3 or 5 hours). I buylocal foods, (Berkeley Bowl isright down the street) and I recy-cle (though I admit I only learnedtwo weeks ago what compostingwas). But no toilet paper? Do Idare? My Chronicle has told me todo some crazy things before, butthis feels drastic (and honestly alittle gross).

I Google “how to live withouttoilet paper,” and several blogslater learn the best thing to do isuse cloth strips. I cut my redcheckered dish towels withsewing scissors into strips, I givemyself a pep-talk, I think, I can dothis. I decide: I do not live in LAanymore; this is the Bay Area, it’stime to fight global warming andwasteful consumer apathy withthe big boys.

As I go to bed Friday night Ilook at the glass of water on mynightstand. I am thirsty but I alsoknow that tomorrow is my first notoilet paper day. I do not drink thewater. I do not drink.

In the morning, I turn on mycoffee maker and go to take ashower. As I undress I can feel thetoilet cloths leering at me.Afterwards I go to blow dry myhair but stop when I realize theblow dryer is probably evil aswell. With wet hair piled on top ofmy head, I sit down to my morn-ing coffee and Saturday morningChronicle. As I sip my Folger’sSelect, I read about Newsom’snew baby girl, Montana. I sigh,knowing this is just one moreobstacle between myself and myschoolgirl crush on San Fran’sslick-haired, sweet-tweetingmayor/gubernatorial candidate.Suddenly my stomach gets thatcoffee-first-thing-in-the-morning-feeling. This is not good. I am notready to face the bathroom and theleering checkered clothes. I pourout my coffee, take a deep breath,and I am better.

I meet my friend Kim for ourweekend walk and talk aroundLake Merritt. I don’t bring myusual jug of water because I don’twant the temptation. Besides, Idid not figure out how to gopaperless on the go! It is a beauti-ful warm sunny day — too warm,in fact — and as we walk, myempty, coffee and liquid-lessstomach is gurgling in a dehydrat-ed and hungry rage. My head isbeginning to pound from caffeinewithdrawal, and a faint hint ofdizziness is starting to set in. Theworld feels like a carousel.

I know I can’t go on in this

condition. I can’t just not eat ordrink for the entire weekend. Soon my way home I stop at Subwayand order a large Diet Coke anddrink the whole thing. Knowingmy fate has now been sealed, I canfeel my bladder expanding. Feelthe urgent pressure. Why, I think,of all the articles in the Chronicle,did I follow this one. This was aterrible plan. As I do a childishbouncing dance in front of mybathroom door, I know themoment has arrived. I go in thebathroom and sit down on the toi-let. The checkered toilet clothesare still leering. I, of course,thinking myself clever last night,hid all my toilet paper on the topshelf of the living room closet, sothat I couldn’t back out. I knowme too well.

Suddenly, an idea dawns onme. The shower! Duh! Of course,I turn on the water and jump in.Three hours, two cups of coffeeand five showers later, I realizethat my plan is a bit of a failure. Iam just wasting water — during adrought, no less — which com-pletely defeats the purpose, not tomention I am now water loggedand in shower-induced-auto-pilot-haze. I have washed and condi-tioned my hair five times, and Iam now suffering from a severeoverdose of Herbal Essence thathas left my hair unresponsive.

I realize that while I want to bea decent citizen, a healthy memberof our ecologically-challengedworld, there are some creaturecomforts I am just not capable ofliving without. However, I vow,from this day forward to try andonly use one single-ply square perbathroom visit. That’s got to countfor something.

I write this letter not as aDemocrat, Republican, liberal orother affiliation. I write this as anAmerican. As someone who lovesher country and loves the freedomswe have been given by our foundingfathers. I am not an eloquent writer,but I am an ardent patriot.

On Sept. 10 I went to the cam-pus Tea Shop to get lunch and wasimmediately appalled at what Ibeheld. A group of Marxists/Communists were handing outpropaganda and literature. This isthe most un-American, unpatrioticevent I have ever witnessed formyself, other than 9-11. These com-munist groups work slowly, seepinginto our society, quietly pushingtheir agenda. It will be no big hit aswith 9-11, but a slow degradation ofour fundamental rights and beliefs.It begins in our schools, on our cam-puses, with each one of us andworks itself into our society — andwe are allowing it!

I am dumbfounded that this wasblatantly allowed and no one somuch as blinked an eye of disap-proval. I have attended many col-leges and have very much enjoyedmy time here at Mills. Mills is abeautiful community, not simplybecause of the topography butbecause of the people who makeMills what it is. For the first time, Iwas ashamed to be part of this com-munity. To be part of something thatoverstepped its bounds in the arenaof tolerance.

Am I not the only one who willstand up and voice my disdain forthe tolerance of communism in ourhomeland? We have the freedomswe cherish because we are not acommunist community. When willenough be enough? Will we tolerateso much and voluntarily end upwith no freedoms? When we don’thave the freedom of speech topreach tolerance anymore, what willyou do then? I submit even less thanyou have done now, in order to pre-serve these freedoms.

I know Mills is a communitywhich prides itself in diversity andtolerance, and I understand that allhave a right to voice their opinionwhether we agree with it or not. I

will tolerate many things, but com-munism running through my schoolcampus is not one of them.Notwithstanding our first amend-ment rights, I propose there aresome things we as Americansshould not be complacent about. Ienjoy my freedoms just as much asevery one of you, yet there are thosewho use these rights in order to takeour freedoms away.

Serving our country is one of themost patriotic acts we can partici-pate in. If we can council to haveour military denied rights of attend-ing on campus for recruiting, yetallow communism free reign toinfiltrate their propaganda through-out our schools, what does that sayabout us? What does that say aboutour patriotism, or lack thereof?

My dad is a Marine, a Vietnamveteran. He, along with countlessothers, have taken bullets and sacri-ficed more than some of you arewilling to admit all in the name offreedom and liberty. Many are stillserving and giving their lives on ourbehalf, and yet we allow the propa-ganda of communism to be spreadin our home, in our backyard, on ourcampus. I watch my dad sufferevery Veterans Day as he remem-bers his friends who have given all,even their lives. For those who havedied in his arms, for those who lefttheir families behind, for all thedeath that he caused. What messageare we sending our heroes? It isnothing less than a slap in the face.

I would hope that I am not alonein my conviction, and that others arestrong enough to share their voiceas well. In working to be a betterand tolerant community, I wouldthink we would not tolerate extrem-ist groups like Aryan Nation, theKKK or The New Black PantherParty for Self Defense. How is com-munism any different, and whyshould we allow such rampantunpatriotic on our campus?

Let us, just as our government,take a personal oath to protect ourconstitution against all enemies,both foreign and domestic. Let it notbe us who sit on the sidelines wait-ing for someone else to protect ourfreedom. It is our responsibility.

— Catherine Taylor, sophomore

Letter to the EditorA beat behind:MY ADVENTURE AS A NO-IMPACT WOMAN

by Tara Nelson

Clarification: In the feature “Oh the places you will go... on the Mills shuttle” in our Sept. 14 issue, The Campanil wish-es to clarify that although Mills students can use the Kaiser Oakland Medical Center, if they don’t haveKaiser insurance, either through Mills or individually, they will have to pay fees for any services.

News 33SS ee pp tt .. 22 88 ,, 2200 00 99

More stories! www.thecampanil.com

LLuuppee CCaazzaarreessSTAFF WRITER

As part of Latina HeritageMonth, Mills College welcomedSan Juan Bautista’s TeatroCampsino, a non-profit MexicanHeritage Performing Arts Program,to learn about street protest theater.

The event was held on Sept.10 in the Student Union, with over35 people attending. TeatroCampesino, which translates to“Farm Workers Theater,” wasfounded in 1965 in Vallejo,California. This theatrical troupewas used as a basic tool for farmworkers to create performances toaddress the “political [and] socioe-conomic difficulties” inspired bytheir own life hardships.

“It [consists of] theater tradi-tions passed on through genera-tions to create social change,”explained Lakin Valdez, a per-former for Teatro Campesino. “Wecan utilize our bodies to unleashimpulses, and create images thatare going to stand out in a protest.”

At one point during the event,students formed a circle that brokeinto a snake form as studentsremained holding hands. They ranaround the room shouting differentsounds, imitating animals and dif-ferent laughs.

It was to learn how to “forget about being normal,” said Valdez tothe audience.

Abigail Orona, a senior atMills, sat down after being part ofthe circle, but watched and laughedduring the performance.

“My feet began to hurt”, shesaid, “but I remained watchingbecause I was really impressed ofthe energy in the room.”

Kinan Valdez, brother of LakinValdez and also in the troupe,expressed his passion by explain-ing the concept of “El ACTO”, or“the act” — a one-act play, whichhe considers essential to street the-ater.

“A is to activate the spine to approach the problem, C to cultvate

the heart, T to teach to learn, O toopen the mind, S to serve socialjustice,” he said.

Ruben Gonzalez, also withTeatro Campesino, said that animportant aspect of street theater is“to satirize the opponent.”

“Farm workers had to laugh atsomething that they could not real-ly laugh at, it was a way for them todominate their situation,” saidGonzales.

At the end of the night, stu-dents were given a political cartoonto reenact with props. The contro-versial political cartoon depicted aminute m a n , holding a whip as

an undocumented immigrant wasin the position of his horse.

First they reenacted the cartoon,and then they hinted a social justicesolution.

Lilana Gonzalez, a sophomoreat Mills, said, “I liked bringing thesocial justice into the cartoon…itmade me feel that I was creating asolution underway.”

Kinan ended the evening withclosure on what Teatro Campesinostands for within life.

“Solidarity is always a solution,we need to come into consciouswith one another,” he said.

Students learn street protest theater log in 18 hours.”

First year student AlexandriaFiorini is an Earth CORPS repre-sentative who came by to help.

“I like this project,” she said.“And I am very impressed withMills’ commitment to have astrong recycle and compost pro-gram on campus.”

Britta Bullard, Botanic andCommunity Garden Coordinatorsaid, “More work days will takeplace in October and November –keep an eye open for announce-ments. We have been averagingtwo or three work ‘care’ days persemester, and our goal is to dothis on a monthly basis.”

Another phase of the creekrestoration program involvesLake Aliso; upcoming plans willbe presented at the upcomingAlumni Weekend.

McWhorter said “I like toimagine what the fruits of ourefforts will look like in 10, 20 or50 years from now. I envisionbeautiful native trees, shrubs, andperennials, here, in this spot.”

received $42 through donationsfrom individuals in the Millscommu-nity.

The Fast-A-Thon is also held“so people can learn more aboutthe MSA and Islamic culture.Ramadan is extremely sacred, itmarks your devotion to God, andhow much you can give up forhim,” said Faheem. “You fast toremember the poor, look at theimportant things in life, and bemore spiritual than otherwise. It isa month long, from one full moonto the next. You fast from dawn tosunset.”

The event, which was held inthe Student Union, began with aprayer, and was followed by a mealof dates, lentil soup, salad, rice,beef kofta (meatballs) in a tomato-based sauce with vegetables,steamed vegetables and baklava.The food was donated by Julie’s

Healthy Cafe in Berkeley, rightacross from the UC Berkeley cam-pus. The restaurant is Muslim-owned, and also hosts the UCBerkeley MSA’s daily iftars (fast-break dinners) during Ramadan.

“We're looking forward to nextyear's Fast-A-Thon and hope tomake a few improvements as far asincreased vegetarian options andusing more environmentally-sus-tainable materials,” said SaharMomand, a junior and the MSApresident.

The handmade construction-paper lan-terns on the tables werethe result of a Ramadan craft that isbased on the traditional use of reallanterns to decorate people's housesand streets during this holy month.

During the dinner, participantsshared their experiences and les-sons from fasting.

“It was pretty hard to remember

I was fasting. I gained an apprecia-tion for people who fast for thewhole month. I would do it again,”said Michelle Arauz, a sophomoreand ASMC Accountant who haspledged before.

Other students who are notaccustomed to fasting for Ramadanalso found it challenging.

“It was harder than I thought itwould be. It was hard to rememberto wake up before sunrise,” saidAmanda Christenson, a sophomorewho also pledged last year.

For Muslims, Ramadan is atime to focus on worshiping God,studying the Qur'an, donating tocharity and purifying one's behav-ior. Fasting is a secondary goal thatdevelops sympathy for the less for-tunate by experiencing hunger.

“The tradition of fasting is fam-ily and community oriented. Ithought fasting at Mills would be

different in a bad way, but throughthe Fast-A-Thon and Mills commu-nity, the experience is similar tohaving your family and friendsfrom home around you,” saidMomand.

The Fast-A-Thon began underthe previous MSA president, andhas continued under the guidanceof Momand.

“I loved the tradition andthought it should carry on. Fastinginvolves your whole day. It is agreat opportunity to connect withyour peers,” said Momand.

“I am so proud of this group,its dedication, sense of generosityand devotion to causes of socialjustice. I hope more folks in theMills community will partake inthe communal rituals of fasting andfeasting,” said Brinda Mehta, aFrench professor and the MSA fac-ulty advisor.

history professor and assistantsecretary to the Board of Trustees.

Jadushlever said she and mem-bers of Mills’ Alumni Committeepushed her name forward for con-vocation speaker because theywanted the honoree to be aCollege alumnae.

According to President JanHolmgren, the process for award-ing an honorary degree beginswith a recommendation that cancome from anyone.

"I have occasionally gottenrecommendations from the facul-ty, from alumna and from studentswho are part of an organizedgroup,” she said.

Holmgren discussed the sig-nificance of an honorary degree.

“It's a very special thing tohave an honorary degree from acollege because it helps you tolearn more about the college andto be more distinguished in theworld,” said Holmgren. “Steph-anie Mills will not only receive ahood, but she will be given a cita-tion, be listed as on honorarydegree recipient, and it be honoredas a member of the Mills commu-nity in a renewed way.”

Convocation formally marksthe beginning of the academicyear. This event honors students inthe graduating class and also wel-comes new students to campus.The College’s first convocationwas held in 1902.

As a part of Convocation fes-tivities, the documentary EarthDays, featuring Stephanie Mills,will be screened from 1:30 to 3:30p.m. at Littlefield Concert Hall onSat., Oct. 3.

After the screening, Mills willbe signing some of her publishedworks, which will be available forpurchase, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Her books include WhateverHappened to Ecology? (a memoirthat includes reflections on someof her experiences at MillsCollege and her work in the ecol-ogy movement), EpicureanSimplicity, Tough Little Beautiesand In the Service of the Wild.

Despite repeated attempts,The Campanil was unable to con-tact Mills for this story.

United States visiting the GeneralAssmebly at the U.N., intends to“pave some kind of atmosphere”with the U.S. government.

Christine Thiers, an Oakland res-ident and a good friend of Shourd,spoke about what Shourd’s mothermust be going through during thisordeal, “I really feel for her. I wishit had never happened. I just hopethis situation works out and it doesnot end in violence. Make it into apositive experience.”

Thiers, who has known Shourdsince 2003, said that she hopes noone would forget about the hikers.

“I have not heard much from themedia,” she said. “My fear is thatpeople will continue to live theirlives and be apathetic. The morethey're gone, the more it makes meworry and uneasy.”

On Freethehikers.org, the homepage for the cause, a digital clockticks calculating the duration of thehiker's captivity. The website hasbeen helping the hikers’ familiesconnect with activists around theworld to bringing Bauer, Fattal, andShourd home.

The website includes a petitionand letter-writing campaign with

over 358 signatures thus far, aswell as means of sending letters tostate governors and local politi-cians, and even to the hikers them-selves via the Swiss embassy.

Meredith Walters, another closefriend of Shourd and fellow UCBerkeley graduate, talked about thework behind the website.

“Sarah's friends are reallyinvolved at home, and have put alot of time in helping them. Iencourage people to visit the site, Iknow a lot of people don't knowabout the hikers.”

Walters, who last saw Shourd

before she left for the Middle Eastin June 2008, had some kind wordsfor her friends in Iran. “I love themand hope they are safe and sound.Have hope and strength, and knowthat a lot of people are thinkingabout them and working to bringthem home.”

The U.S. State Department isnow working through Swiss diplo-mats representing American inter-ests in Iran to offer consular accessto the three detainees. According tothe New York Times, Iranian diplo-mats are scheduled to meet withU.S. diplomats next month.

Creek

Hikers

Mills

Fast

Joshua Fattal, 27 Sarah Shourd, 31 Shane Bauer, 27 FREETHEHIKERS.ORG

Students perform a scene during the Teatro Campesino workshop on Sept. 10. LUPE CAZARES

Times of economic crisis haveled many California school districtsto cut health education coursesfrom public high schools, andOakland is no exception.

Ninth graders at severalOakland high schools, includingYouth Empowerment, Unity andSkyline, would have been without ahealth education class if it weren’tfor the Peer Health Exchange pro-gram, according to Mills Collegejunior, Dalia Cuenca, a PHE co-coordinator. The program aims tofill the void by providing healtheducation for and by young people.

The Peer Health Exchange,now beginning its sixth year inexistence and its second year atMills, trains students at participat-ing colleges to teach one of 10 dif-ferent curriculums including alco-hol and drug addiction, contracep-tive and sex education, abusiverelationship awareness, nutritionand physical education.

PHE members met recentlywith the local director of PHE,Nathan Hood, as he informed thegroup about PHE's larger nationalgoals. Currently, PHE educates11,000 students nation wide, 1,700in the Bay area, and Mills studentsalone teach 350 local high school-ers.

“We hope to reach 100,000public school students in the nextfive years,” said Hood.

Members at Mills hope to visit

more high schools this year, and inthe years to come as its member-ship continues to grow and morepeople take notice of the workbeing put into the program.

The Peer Health Exchangeoffers health education beyondwhat a book can offer, said BiancaLouie, a Mills sophomore who hasbeen a member of the program fortwo years and is now training othervolunteers.

Volunteers learn as they go, butare required to go through exten-sive training before they begin

their high school presentations.Many volunteers believe the

program offers college students achance to experience the ups anddowns of the public education system.

“We’re learning how the teach-ers feel,” said Cuenca, referring tothe challenge of working in class-rooms where students "don't neces-sarily respect their teachers.”

Though the teachers are presentduring each class, some volunteersfind that it’s not always easy tokeep control of a class that does not

wish to learn. “You never know at that

moment if they are learning or evencare,” Cuenca explained. “It wasn'ta bad experience. It was challenging.”

Despite the difficulties Louieand Cuenca have sometimes facedduring their presentations, they saythey still feel fulfilled.

“I feel like I really am making adifference,” said Cuenca.

She described the moment thatmade her realize that her work withPeer Health Exchange was worth-

while. After finishing the last work-shop with her class, Cuenca askedthe students if they had any ques-tions. One student raised her handto thank the volunteers for theirhard work and the time spent withher and her class.

“It melted my heart,” Cuenca said.

PHE will begin teaching highschool classes this semester at theend of October. Until then, they areworking hard to train new volun-teers and to organize their curricu-lums.

Features44 SSee pp tt .. 22 88 ,, 22 00 00 99

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Peer Health Exchange National Statistics

Club brings health education to public schools

The rock opera got a punk-and-plaid makeover with the Sept. 16premiere of American Idiot, arowdy new musical based onOakland pop-punk group GreenDay’s 2004 album of the samename. The Grammy-award-win-ning album traded the band’s signa-ture four-chord wonders for epic,structurally complex songs detail-ing the story of Jesus of Suburbia,an anti-hero on a punk rockodyssey from the suburbs to the big city.

The musical, whose run hasbeen extended to Nov. 1 at theBerkeley Repertory Theater, wasdirected by Spring Awakening’sMichael Mayer in collaborationwith Green Day frontman BillieJoe Armstrong. Aside from writingthe lyrics to every song in the pro-duction, Armstrong also providedMayer with creative support.

With a scantily-clad cast, copi-ous swearing and a hefty dose ofsimulated sex and drug use,American Idiot is certainly not Catsor Annie.

It chronicles the exploits of agroup of suburban punk rockers

dealing with impending adulthood.Frustrated and bored in the fiction-al city of Jingletown (a nod to thenickname of Oakland’s Fruitvaledistrict, where Green Day has livedand recorded), the friends attemptto reconcile their youthful thirst forrebellion with the pressure theyfeel to grow up.

As the production unfolds, wewatch as Johnny (John GallagherJr.), based on Jesus of Suburbia,leaves Jingletown for the city,where he meets girlfriendWhatsername (Rebecca NaomiJones) and befriends showstopperSt. Jimmy (Tony Vincent), awicked drug dealer who gets himhooked on heroin. Meanwhile, hisfriend Tunny (Matt Caplan) joinsthe army and is deployed — muchto the horror of his buddies —eventually getting injured. Will(Michael Esper), still inJingletown, accidentally gets hisgirlfriend Heather (Mary Faber)pregnant, prompting the crowd tocheer with East Bay pride as shewalked onstage, belly protrudingunderneath a shirt that read "I HellaHeart Oakland."

These stories are told withoutthe use of any dialogue. Instead thecast, backed by an onstage band,

rips through song after song. Theset is minimalism at its best: awarehouse covered in yellowingpunk fliers and posters, with sever-al television screens mounted highon the walls. There’s even a scenewhere Tunny and his dream girlfloat above the stage on wires,engaged in an aerial pas-de-deuxwhile he is heavily drugged in anarmy hospital.

All in all, American Idiot suc-ceeds in capturing punk rock ethosand suburban ennui onstage. If youcan accept the unusual pairing oftheatrical vibrato singing with thefuzzy distorted guitars, it is easy toenjoy the lively adaptation ofGreen Day’s record. Despite thefact that there is something inau-thentic and forced about attemptingto translate the grimy spirit of punkrock into a musical, the cast is tal-ented enough to pull it off. They arean ethnically diverse group — arefreshing feat in both the world ofmusical theatre and world of punk.

If the standing ovation at theend of the show was any indication,Andrew Lloyd Webber, reigningking of the rock opera, may have towatch out. He can have JesusChrist Superstar. Jesus of Suburbiais the new kid in town.

Ashley Ramirez and fellow Peer Health Exchange volunteers prepare for their upcoming workshops at a Sept. 21 meeting.

RRaasshhiiddaa HHaarrmmoonnFEATURES EDITOR

LLaauurreenn SSlliitteerrCONTRIBUTING WRITER

PHOTO COURTESY OF MELLOPIX.COM

Left to right: John Gallagher, Jr. and Tony Vincent take the stageas Johnny and St. Jimmy in Michael Mayer’s American Idiot.

SOURCE: WWW.PEERHEALTHEXCHANGE.ORG

LAUREN SLITER

American Idiot blasts out of your iPod and onto the stage

Nearly 90% of PHE high school stu-dents said they will use somethingthey learned from PHE workshops tomake a healthy decision in the future.

57% of PHE high school studentssaid they had already used some-thing they learned from PHE work-shops to make a healthy decision.

96% of high school principals whoparticipated in the program said theywould recommend the program toother schools.

99% of PHE volunteers said theywould recommend PHE to other col-lege students.

Features

Faith Adiele must be a blast atdinner parties. From her timespent as a Buddhist nun inThailand to her televised reunionwith her father and siblings inNigeria, the new MillsDistinguished Visiting Writer cer-tainly doesn’t lack impressive sto-ries — nor does she lack the talentto tell them. Her memoir MeetingFaith: The Forest Journals of aBlack Buddhist Nun earned her the2005 Pen Beyond Margins Awardfor Best Memoir and received astarred review from Publisher’sWeekly.

Adiele’s story begins on a farmin the rural town of Sunnyside,WA. She was raised by her Finnishgrandparents and her mother, fromwhom she inherited a passion forsocial justice and a thirst foradventure. Her love for writingbloomed early too — she wasalready writing as a toddler andwas a published poet by 15.

They were a family of progres-sive Democrats in a communitymade up primarily of evangelicalor Mormon Republicans, but thatwasn’t the only reason Adielestood out. Her brown skin was alingering reminder of her Nigerianfather, who had returned to Africawhen Adiele was too young toknow him.

With Nigeria engaged in abloody civil war, her mother dideverything she could to preventthe young girl from asking abouther estranged father, shushingpeople who brought up West

Africa in Adiele’s presence. “I didn’t realize that

[my mother] was trying to not letme know what she suspected —that my father had been killed.”

It wasn’t until she unexpected-ly received a package from herfather at age 12 that her motherrealized he was still alive. Manyyears went by before she heard from him again.

When she was 16 years old,Adiele’s itch for adventurebecame hard to ignore. As she pre-pared for one of her first trips outof the country, she pestered hermother for legal documentation,which caused her mother to facethe fact that she could no longerhide the history of Adiele's birth.

Her mother explained thatAdiele was not born in a Spokanehospital, as she had previouslybeen told. In reality, she was bornin a home for unwed mothers,where her mother's parents senther for refusing to have an illegalabortion. Kicked out for wantingto keep the baby of a man her par-ents did not approve of, Adiele’smother relied on the kindness ofstrangers before reconciling withher parents for her baby’s sake.Adiele was shocked.

“These people I’d been livingwith my whole life, who I adored,I had to realize that these were thepeople who had created this situa-tion for my mom,” she said.

“That was interesting and verycomplex. It was like, so myfather’s kind of a hero in this storybut he’s gone and my grandfatheris not a hero, but he was there forme and he raised me.”

The complexities of her racialand national identities were just ascomplicated when she enteredHarvard University. Boston washostile and cruel, a racist townwhere, in her words, “you felt likeyou could be killed at any momentif you were black and in the wrongneighborhood.”

The dynamics of race, classand gender on Harvard's campus

were no easier: the African stu-dents rejected her for being tooAmerican, and the Black studentsdidn’t understand her African-Finnish identity or her feminist politics.

“I just felt like I was asked tochoose between my two races andcut out my gender, and I just feltlike there was no place for me atall,” she said. “I felt like I couldnot articulate what was going on,so I just imploded.”

Unable to handle the stress,she flunked out.

Little did she know that whatfelt then like total failure wouldultimately result in spiritual andintellectual growth. At Harvard,when a student flunks out, theyhave no choice but to take a yearoff. Adiele’s year off began to looka whole lot better when her friend

suggested she look into a year-long study abroad program inThailand. Adiele’s instinct told hershe needed to go.

“It was the opposite of theHarvard experience,” she said. “Itwas a place where they were notgoing to make me choose betweenbeing black or white," she said. "Itwas a place where I could just bemyself. For me it was just likecoming home.”

As a part of the program,Adiele had to pursue an independ-ent research project. She chose tostudy Thai Buddhist nuns and, inan act that surprised even herself,she committed to ordaining at theend of her research. As a nun, shetook a vow of silence and devotedmuch of her day to meditation, allwhile living on one meal a day.The journaling she did in Thailandeventually took the shape of hermemoir Meeting Faith.

At 26, Adiele felt the pull ofher Nigerian heritage. As part of aPBS documentary called “MyJourney Home,” cameras followedAdiele as she went to Nigeria tofind her father for the first time.She returned home with the mem-ories of a warm, welcoming fami-ly and siblings she never knew shehad, including a sister who is herspitting image.

She also returned home with anew passion for her craft.

“I think it was going to Nigeriawhen I was 26 and meeting mydad and my siblings and notknowing how to articulate thatexperience — that was when Ireally started writing again inearnest,” she said.

She hasn’t stopped since. She is currently busy finishing up her social/cultural memoir Twins: GrowingUpNigerian/Nordic/American, and ishard at work teaching both fictionand creative non-fiction at Mills.

So far, Mills’ emphasis onsocial justice has made Adiele feelright at home.

“The things I wanted to do inwriting and teaching were toempower people and use literatureas a way of engaging with theworld and learning about things,but at a lot of institutions that Iwas at… that was actually seen asa detriment,” she said. “I feel likehere, the things that I care aboutare the things that matter to the institution.”

Mills English professor ElmazAbinader recognized her gift forteaching after inviting her to co-teach a memoir workshop atVoices of Our Nations Arts, a sum-mer program for writers of colorin San Francisco. Soon after theirinitial encounter, Abinader nomi-nated Adiele to join the Mills fac-ulty.

“I had seen her teach and shemakes it joyful — filled with spir-it and enthusiasm and acceptanceof the people she’s with. She’s notonly a great memoirist but she hasdone travel writing, writing forchildren — she brings a variety ofexperiences and expertise that fillsgaps in our programs,” Abinadersaid. “In addition, she’s a womanof color who has been recognizedin the mainstream, not by compro-mising or whitewashing her story,but by telling it honestly.”

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A group of Mills women sit in acozy circle of couches in theGraduate Student Lounge. Theyplay a name game called “Aroundthe World,” in which you spell outthe title of the game by calling outwhere you are going to ‘travel' forexample, “A, Africa” followed by“R, Rhode Island.” Laughing whenone person messes up, they eagerlystart over.

They are members of SistersInspiring Sisters, (SIS) at their sec-ond meeting of the semester on

Sunday, Sept. 13. The club is in its second year at

Mills and its purpose is “to act asrole models for young women…and to provide them with a supportsystem,” according to its club'sconstitution.

The organization connectsMills students with young womenfrom Oakland's Unity High Schoolto form “sister” pairs, serving asmentors for the young women.

The "big sisters" host an intro-ductory meeting at the start of eachschool year with the "little sisters"and their parents, maintain weeklycontact with the students and also

meet as a group once a month.Prior to this school year, SIS

members were allowed to accessthe students' grades, in order toencourage and tutor them in anyclasses they might be having diffi-culty with. This practice has nowbeen dropped, due to one studenthaving complained of an invasionof privacy.

The group plans to write a letterrequesting sponsorship to provideadvertisements for SIS. This way,they can “form connectionsbetween SIS and Oakland fami-lies,” said club co-presidentAlexandria Magallan, a junior.

Members make some time forplay, too. They meet with their lit-tle sisters twice a month individual-ly and go on excursions together.As a group, they hold socialsdesigned for fun and, Magallan added, “to build relationships.”

But some club members,including Kirstyne Lange, a sopho-more, have had trouble getting theyoung women to participate in allSIS events.

“Some little sisters only want togo to the fun stuff,” says Lange.She had some words of advice forher fellow club members facing

such difficulties. “Prepare yourself mentally for

rejection. Be persistent,” she said. Mills Professor Robert

Anderson and Unity High Schoolcounselor Frankie Ramo help facil-itate the process.

Some other changes SIS isimplementing this year includedecreasing the number of socialsper month and limiting every mem-ber to just one little sister.Members said they hope thesechanges will improve the SIS expe-rience and help little and big sistersalike become wise, confidentyoung women.

Campus group aims to forge ties with local high school studentsCChhaaii BBoollttee

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

RRaasshhiiddaa HHaarrmmoonnFEATURES EDITOR

New visiting writer brings storied life to classroom

“The things I wanted to doin writing and teaching wereto empower people and useliterature as a way of engag-

ing with the world andlearning about things.”

Faith Adiele (in red) jokes with students from her Advanced Fiction Workshop. This semester she is also teaching a graduate Creative Nonfiction Workshop.

55

RASHIDA HARMON

Calendar66 SS ee pp tt .. 22 88 ,, 2200 00 99

Tweet! www.twitter.com/thecampanil

SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER

6TuesdaySummer Reading in the LaurelWhat: Author Diane Frankensteinwill read from her book ReadingTogether: Everything You Need to Knowto Raise a Child Who Loves to Read.When: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.Where: Laurel Book Store, 4100MacArthur Blvd., OaklandCost: FreeContact: laurelbookstore@att.net

5MondayFilm Premiere of “For the Next 7Generations”What: The film premier will featurelive Native American music, refresh-ments, and the products of localindigenous artisans.When: 5:00 p.m.Where: Grace Cathedral, 100California St., San FranciscoCost: FreeContact:www.grandmotherscouncil.com

ProgenyWhat: Progeny will perform contem-porary gospel with an eclectic blend ofR&B, jazz and hip hop influence.When: 8:00 p.m.Where: Yoshi’s Oakland, 510Embarcadero West Jack LondonSquare, OaklandCost: $20Contact: yoshis.com/oakland

28Monday"Punk Rock Sideshow"What: DJ Tragic and the Duchess ofHazard will play classic and hardcorepunk rock.When: 10:00 p.m.Where: Hemlock Tavern, 1131 PolkSt., San FranciscoCost: FreeContact: www.myspace.com/punkrocksideshow

State of the College AddressWhat: President Janet Holmgren willgive the State of the College Address.All members of the Board of Trustees,faculty, staff, and students are invitedto attend. Light refreshments will beserved.When: 12:15 p.m.Where: Lisser HallCost: FreeContact: Carol Doden,cdoden@mills.edu

1Thursday

2Fr iday

30Wednesday

Convocation 2009What: Convocation will honor the157th year of Mills College, and for-mally mark the beginning of the aca-demic term. This year’s convocationaddress will be given by ecologicalactivist and Mills alumna Stephanie Mills.When: 10:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.Where: Littlefield Concert HallCost: FreeContact: Linda Northcott,events@mills.edu

Darius Milhaud ConcertWhat: The concert will featureStravinsky’s immortal “Soldier’s Tale”narrated by Carla Kihlstedt, with tworarely heard Milhaud masterpieces.When: 8:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.Where: Littlefield Concert Hall Cost: FreeContact: Steed Cowart,steed@mills.edu

Pacific McGeorge Law SchoolInfo SessionWhat: Looking into law school? Comesee what Pacific McGeorge Law schoolin Sacramento has to offer.When: 12:15 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.Where: Cowell Conference RoomCost: FreeContact: Neepa Parikh,nparikh@mills.edu

29TuesdayMills Volleyball vs. UCSCWhat: Come out to support the Millsvolleyball team as they play at homeagainst UC Santa Cruz.When: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.Where: Haas GymCost: FreeContact: athletics@mills.edu

4SundayReunion 2009What: Mills College will welcomeback the classes of 1934, 1939, 1944,1949, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974,1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, and2004.When: 8:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.Where: Reinhardt Alumnae HouseCost: FreeContact: Alexandra Wong, alumnae-relations@mills.edu

Cha’s Earth ExhibitWhat: Conceptual artist Theresa HakKyung Cha’s Earth exhibit uses lan-guage and repetition to explore theelemental and the natural.When: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.Where: Berkeley Art Museum, 2626Bancroft Way, UC BerkeleyCost: $5 for studentsContact: www.bampfa.berkeley.edu

3Saturday10th Annual World Veg FestivalWeekend in San FranciscoWhat: This two-day event commemo-rates World Vegetarian Day, and willfeature lectures, vegetarian cookingdemonstrations and loads of interna-tional vegetarian food to sample.When: 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.Where: San Francisco County FairBuilding, Lincoln & 9th Ave., SanFranciscoCost: Free for students with IDContact: www.sfvs.org/wvd

Family Weekend 2009What: Parents and family of Mills stu-dents are invited to come for a fullweekend of events to give them a tasteof Mills College.When: 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.Where: Mills HallCost: FreeContact: Linda Northcott,events@mills.edu

I Graduated. Now What?Personal Finance 101 WorkshopWhat: Mills alumna Kim Bess willpresent her Student Financial Literacy& Debt Reduction Workshop. Comelearn how to stay out of debt anddevelop your financial identity.Therewill be pizza.When: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.Where: Faculty Staff LoungeCost: FreeContact: RSVP by Oct. 5 to LinaBlanco, kblanco@mills.edu

7Wednesday

8Thursday8th Oakland International FilmFestivalWhat: The Oakland International FilmFestival will showcase independentfilms made by local artists as well asfilms from around the world.When: 12:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.Where: Various locations in OaklandCost: FreeContact: www.oiff.org

9Fr idayGarden Gathering in the MillsCollege Community GardenWhat: Come cultivate this sharedwith others who care about sustain-ability and community consciousness.This event is open to the whole Millscommunity.When: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.Where: Mills Botanic GardenCost: FreeContact: Christina McWhorter,cmcwhort@mills.edu

11SundayDead Boys: A World PremiereMusicalWhat: Dead Boys is a multi-disciplinarymash-up of dance, music, and theaterinspired through a conflicting time ofhope and apathy.The performance willbe followed by a discussion with direc-tor/choreographer Joe Goode andcomposer Holcombe Waller.When: 2:00 p.m.Where: Zellerbach Playhouse, 2099Kittredge St., UC Berkeley Cost: $15 General AdmissionContact:tdpsboxoffice@berkeley.edu

10SaturdayFall 2009 Holloway Series atUC BerkeleyWhat: London-based poet and visualartist Tom Raworth will read some ofhis recent work.There will also be anopportunity to purchase his booksand have them signed after the event.When: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.Where: Maude Fife Room, WheelerHall Room 315, UC BerkeleyCost: FreeContact:holloway.english.berkeley.edu

Does your department, group or club have anevent that you would like to see on the online

edition of The Campanil calendar?

Send it to macias@thecampanil.com

To see more events, check out the online calendar at: www.thecampanil.com/calendar

Sports and Health 77SS ee pp tt .. 22 88,, 22 00 00 99

More stories! www.thecampanil.com

The Mills College cross coun-try team placed third overall in thewomen’s race, and first in the divi-sion III conference during theironly home meet of the semester.

The 22nd Cross CountryInvitational hosted 14 teams, sevenof which had female runners partic-ipating.

Senior Lupe Cazares lead theMills team, finishing 15th place outof 90. Her final time was 21 min-utes and 14 seconds on a 5K coursethat laced through campus, includ-ing a stretch past the SunnysideCemetery and up Pine Top Hill.

“It was definitely a fun race,good weather and good competi-tion,” said senior Perla Cantu, whocame in seventh on the team.“Overall, it was awesome.”

The mens race included 84 run-ners on an 8K course.

“I liked the hill. It was chal-

lenging and the scenery was nice,”said Roger Grijalva, who came in70th place for the men’s race.

“Back at UC Merced, we don’thave that kind of hill,” Grijalvasaid.

Arturo Arriaga, from Sac-ramento City College came in firstplace for the men’s 5-mile racewhile Jessica DiMascio, a non-col-legiate athlete, came in first for thewomen’s 3.1-mile race.

Division II teams included CalState Monterey Bay and SanFrancisco State University, whoplaced first in both races.

“I am definitely excited. We rana lot of miles to prepare,” Joe Krtilsaid before his race.

Krtil ran for Sacramento CityCollege, coming in 33rd place forthe men’s race.

Kim Crouch from SacramentoCity College, who came in secondfor the women’s race, also enjoyedthe invitational.

“It felt good; it was a goodcourse and I think the team did

really well,” she said. A lot of volunteers came to

cheer and help the players out dur-ing the race by handing out waterand directing people throughout thecourse.

Alumna Loke Davis came outto the event to continue her hostessduties throughout the event.

“This was the third time I havebeen an MC,” said Davis, whograduated in Spring 2009.

“It went smoothly, and eachyear it gets better. There were a lotof hard-core athletes out there. Idon’t know if I could do the same,” Davis said.

This was the sixth invitationalhosted by Mills College, withhopes for high school athletes tocompete in future invitationals oncampus.

“It would be a huge initiative toadd high school races,” said LauraDavis, Mills head coach of thecross country team.

“Every year, we always takethese races a step further,” she said.

Soccer team holds head high after loss

In it’s second match of the sea-son, the Mills College soccer teamlost 7 to 1 against HopeInternational.

Mills scored one point at thebeginning of the Sept. 18 gameagainst their strong defensiveopponents.

Mills has yet to beat theFullerton-based athletes in recentyears, but that did not stop the soc-cer team from playing their best,according to Themy Adachi, the

Director of Athletics. “I am really excited on how

well they’re playing,” said Adachi.“They play with such intensity,heart and focus.”

Adachi was one of the manyMills supporters who came outcheering with signs and loud noise-makers. “Refuse to lose!” was oneof many chants as the crowdclapped for the Mills team.

The soccer team ended thegame on a bright note: besidescomplimenting the other team on a“good game,” they serenaded theirfellow soccer player Chloe Garciafor her upcoming 21st birthday.

Oakland Ice Center offersskating, free hockey games

Among offering free hockeygame nights on Mondays, theOakland Ice Center Ice SkatingRink offers a variety of ice skatingactivities, including hockey, publicskating and curling after openingits doors to the Oakland communi-ty in 1996.

More commonly known as theOakland Ice Center, the facilityoperated by Silicon Valley Sportsand Entertainment offers aNational Hockey League (NHL)size rink and an Olympic-size rinkfor public use, according to thecenter’s website. The ice rink isindoors and open year-round.

Adult and youth hockey, speed,public and figure skating, ice danc-ing and broomball, curling andevent rentals are all available at thecenter.

Katya Svizeva, a senior eco-nomics major frequents the ice rinkto support her boyfriend’s hockeyhobby. “I think it’s great. Thisleague is for people who havedreams of turning hockey into acareer. It is also a healthy way toexercise and release aggression.”

Her boyfriend is Jamal Baker, aseven-year player for theMavericks Hockey Team at theOakland Ice Center. “This is a goodplace to bring a date, but hockey isa sport where the audience definite-ly brings sweatshirts and blankets,”he said.

“The games are entertainingand the center is convenientlylocated. Also, it is fun to go and

cheer on the players because youget to be as loud as you want,” saidRhiannon Hecht, a graduate stu-dent in the InterdisciplinaryComputer Science (ICS) program.

Public skating for adults costs$8, youth (12 and younger) costs$7 and skate rentals are $3. AMonday through Friday matineefrom 1:15 to 2:45 offers a $5.50admission with a $1.50 skaterental, and Sundays are familyskate days. Tuesday EveningCheap Skate offers a more eco-nomical package at the rink, andTuesdays and Thursdays are CoffeeClub days.

A snack shop is offered from 10a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays throughFridays, and from 7 a.m. to 9:30p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Avending machine is also on site andvisitors may bring their own snacksand drinks.

Hockey games have start timesranging from 7:15 to 10:00 p.m.,according to Baker.

They are made up of three peri-ods of 15 minutes each in theMaverick’s Gold division league.There are seven other teams in theleague that the Mavericks playagainst.

“The players on my team are allolder guys who used to be reallygood hockey players in their youthbut now have real jobs. They’re all‘wives with kids’ guys playinghockey and then going backhome,” Baker said.

Any questions pertaining to theice skating programs can be direct-ed to the Oakland Ice Center at510-268-9000.

JENNIFER COURTNEY

Sophomore Mariah Olivera races to the finish line against a runner from UC Merced.

CCrroossss ccoouunnttrryy tteeaamm rraacceess ttoo tthhiirrdd ppllaacceeMMoorrggaann RRoossss

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

CCaarrrrooll PPaaggeeSPORTS AND HEALTH EDITOR

When Safi Karmy-Jonescame to Mills, she had neverbeen on an athletic team.Coming from parents who wereelite Canadian runners, runninghad been a regular pastime sinceshe was a teenager. But thismonth, the first-year cross coun-try runner discovered a taste forcompetition.

Safi came in first for MillsCollege at the University of SanFrancisco Invitational on Sept. 5,placing 63rd overall in the raceof 100 with a time of 21:50, andbeating runners from competi-tive schools like UC-Santa Cruz,the Academy of Art, andUniversity of Pacific. If she wassurprised to find herself leadingthe Mills runners, she didn’tshow it at last weekend’s MillsInvitational, the only home eventfor the Mills cross country team.She placed 18th in the race of 90

runners, coming in second forMills with a time of 21:27, justthree seconds behind SeniorLupe Cazares.

“We are only just beginningto see what Safi can do,” saidHead Cross Country CoachLaura Davis. “She came in withthe experience of someone whohas been running for a long time,but who has never trained to

race. Now that she’s getting intoracing shape, the real funbegins.”

While it may seem twisted tocall a 5k cross country race fun,given that every runner knowswith certainty that the race goesnot just to the swift, but to theone who can tolerate the mostpain, Safi has evidentlyembraced this idea. The MillsInvitational fell on her 18thbirthday, but rather than be dis-appointed that she would be rac-ing, Safi used the day as a cele-bration of what she could do forher team, who placed 3rd out of14 teams (and 7 scoring teams),and a chance to see how fast shecould be.

Safi and the Mills cross coun-try team will compete next at theepic Willamette Invitational inSalem, Oregon, on Saturday,Oct. 3.

Cyclone Spotlight

New found competition tastes so good

With an ending score of 7 to 1, the Mills soccer team celebratestheir loss to Hope International after their Sept. 18 game.

MMoorrggaann RRoossssASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

MORGAN ROSS

COURTESY OF APER

A public service announcement from APER

88 SS ee pp tt .. 22 88,, 22 00 00 99 Election Feature

Alexis SavageHistorian, Class of 2013

“My goals for the next year are to make surethe experiences of class of 2013’s freshmanyear are remembered for years to come, andto be the most amazing historian MillsCollege has ever seen.”

Lin Rui LiTreasurer, Class of 2013

“As treasurer, I not only hope to be a goodmanager of the class of 2013’s budget, butalso to promote enthusiasm for student gov-ernment.”

Aisha GonzalezVice President, Class of 2013

“As your freshwoman vice president, I wishto spread awareness not only about issues atMills but also in the broader community. Ihope to represent the class of 2013 to the bestof my ability.”

Shana RoarkPresident, Class of 2013

“As freshman class president, I want to puttogether events, acitivities, and fundraisers tobring the class of 2013 together while givingthem memories they will never forget. I wantmy classmates to know that my ears arealways open because what they have to saymeans everything to me, and having theirinput will help me to meet their needs. I loveMills, and I love them, and I promise I willdo my best to give them an amazing year.”

Kalisi KapuHistorian, Class of 2012

“As Class of 2012 Historian, my goals are toimprove my leadership skills and to effec-tively open the lines of communicationbetween the Class of 2012 and ASMC.I am excited to begin working collaborative-ly with other strong women within the Millscommunity this year.”

Emily GrantzVice President, Class of 2010

“I’m hoping to make the ASMC processmore understandable to the Mills students.Based on various discussions I’ve had withfellow Mills ladies, I suspect that less than50% of the Mills student body knows whatthe ASMC acronym stands for, and even lessknow what it does and how it works. I’d liketo spread our message far and wide and getpeople more involved with ASMC activitiesat the same time.”

Rebecca WaterhousePresident, Class of 2010

“I intend to plan the traditional events, sell aton of really cool T-shirts to the whole cam-pus, do some exciting fundraising, and hope-fully build some superb class pride. Wish meluck! I have an excellent VP to help methough, and a possible treasurer already linedup.”

ASMC recently announced the winners of this fall’s student government election, an event which saw much greater turnout than the election held lastspring. According to ASMC about 150 students voted this time around, compared to an estimated 40 votes in the spring. The election itself was held forboth 2013 class offices and the numerous positions which had still been unfilled. “I think we publicized a lot this year on student-news, posters, and weeven made a Facebook page,” Internal Affairs Chair Aya Fawakhiri told The Campanil. Even after this election, there are still positions available for the ASMCSenate and the 2010 historian and treasurer. Below are those who were elected this fall and what they hope to accomplish during their tenure.

ELECTION RESULTS IN

2010 Officers

2013 OfficersASMC Senate

2012 Officer

Jaia OrientSocial Sciences

“As Senator, I will work to strengthen thevoices of my fellow students and make themheard in both the Social Sciences divisionand in the administration as a whole. I willalso work to increase transparency betweenstudents and the college. Thank you for yourvote!”

*Senators at Large Divinia Anderson and AriNelson could not be reached.

Meet your newest ASMC representatives from the fall election