With graduation less thantwo weeks away, many seniorsare feeling a mixture of excite-

ment, sadness and anxiety asthoughts of the pending futuresend them on an emotionalroller coaster.

For many, the happiness ofwalking across the stage May15 at Commencement is meas-ured against the realization thatthey are graduating soon andunaware of what the futureholds. For others, anticipationis rising as they prepare fortheir next stage in life, whichfor many is graduate school.For all 300 or so studentsreceiving their diploma thisspring, the young and

old, undergrads and grads alike, graduation itself repre-sents successful completion of one important goal: earning a degree.

94-year-old Hazel Soares,an art history major, is one ofthe oldest women to ever grad-uate from a four-year universi-ty. Winner of the HerringerPrize for Excellence at lastMonday's Academic AwardsCeremony, Soares is also theCollege’s oldest graduate ever.She told the San FranciscoChronicle she is looking for ajob after she graduates, one

where she can use the skills andknowledge she acquired at Mills, perhaps as a docent in a museum.

“I have the endurance and Iwould totally put my heart intoit,” she told the Chronicle.“I’ve put in my time and I dohave the background for thiskind of work, you know.”

While many graduates willspend the summer job hunting,public policy major ChloeDiamond is moving to NewYork to attend the GraduateSchool of Education at

see

With Nancy Pelosi’s com-mencement speech rapidlyapproaching, Mills College stu-dents had the opportunity to givetheir input on what they would liketo hear the Speaker of the Housediscuss in her talk.

Pelosi’s office contacted theCollege to arrange a phone callwith student leaders to discuss theimportance of women’s education.The meeting, which was facilitatedby Media Relations DirectorJeanne Herrera, was held lastmonth and consisted of a speaker-phone conversation between students and Pelosi’s speech-writing team.

Students represented differentclubs, sports and organizations oncampus. Present at the meetingwere sophomore Kirstyne Lange,the Vice President of the BlackWomen’s Collective; junior JessicaBrennan, the ASMC Vice Presidentand Diversity Chair; junior AmeliaLopez, the President of FemDems;Senior Class President RebeccaWaterhouse and Senior ClassHistorian Marlene Hurd.

Pelosi’s team asked the studentsto discuss in a round table discus-sion why they chose to go to Mills.Brennan shared how she felt aboutthe College after her first visit on aPreview Day.

“I left that day literally in tearssaying I have to go to that school

Keeping in time with the Mills community since 1917

VOLUME 95 ISSUE 8 www.thecampanil.com Monday | May 3, 2010

GRADUATIONEVENTS

JENNIFER COURTNEY

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MMoorrggaann RRoossssNEWS EDITOR

page 4Pelosisee

Communityprepares forPelosi speech

Seniorsreflect onlife after

collegeAAlliixxaannddrraa GGrreeeennmmaann

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

page 5Seniors

Mills College is undergoingseveral renovations to help beauti-fy and improve the campus for theupcoming Commencement cere-mony and the fall semester.

Some of these projects are esti-mated to be completed prior tograduation on May 15.

The “Turtle Pond,” located nearCowell along Richards Road, willbe refilled this month, for example.It was drained last summer afterleakage damage occurred to theconcrete base, according toArchitectural Assistant BrianHarrington. This time a plasticliner is being installed to prevent

any more leaking, and the stonespout will be rebuilt.

The turtles that resided in thepond before it was drained weremoved to the reflecting poolbetween Orchard Meadow andWarren Olney residence halls.

In addition to the pond, LisserTheater is being repainted and con-struction on a joint biology depart-ment and Botanic Garden facility iscurrently underway. The shed willbe named Gaia House and willserve as an educational facility andstorage shed for propagating plantsand storing materials. Harringtonsaid he hopes it will be finished bythe end of summer.

Other renovations won’t begin until the academic year

comes to a close.“Over the summer, Carnegie

Hall will be renovated to housemore offices for the [Office ofInstitutional Advancement] OIAfundraising,” he said, and alsoadded that the C-Wing in WhiteHall will receive minor improve-ments to include the OIA commu-nications staff. In addition, plans tomove and expand the Mail andCopy Center to Rothwell Centerwill unfold over the summer.

The initiative to renovateFounders Commons dining hallwas launched at the beginning ofthis semester and is estimated to becompleted before the fall semesterbegins, though construction for the

College undergoes renovations to beautify campusMMoorrggaann RRoossssNEWS EDITOR

page 4Constructionsee

STEPHANIE SCERRA

Construction workers build Mills’ Gaia House. The structure willbe used for educational classes, storage and plant propagation.

FACILITIES

ALIXANDRA GREENMAN

Graduating seniors Amanda Bailey and 94-year-old Hazel Soares on stage in the Littlefield Concert Hall April 26. Theywere two of the students to receive the Herringer Prize for Excellence from Professor of Art History Mary-Ann Milford.

Get crafty

p. 8

One class, many beginnings

“In every community, there iswork to be done. In every nation,there are wounds to heal. In everyheart, there is the power to do it.”

— Marianne Williamson

Iam often reminded of themagical and transformative

moments that not only shape awoman’s life and awareness, buther education and her world as well— especially at Mills College.

During my tenure as the dean ofstudents at Mills (2005 to 2007), Ihad both the honor and privilege ofworking closely with not only anamazing league of women, theclass of 2010, but a Division ofStudent Life (DSL) team who alsohelped us transform campus life.

Just as Williamson speaks tothe importance of the “work to bedone” within our communities andthe “wounds” to be healed, our sen-iors leave us with an important giftof the heart, as they prepare tograduate: a legacy of social changethat informed all of us how to bet-ter respond to the diverse needs ofour students, which, in turn, hasbenefited our campus community.

There were a lot of “firsts”associated with the class of 2010,as it was one of the larger first-yearclasses to ever enroll in theCollege. The students entered at apivotal time, when a successfulcapitol campaign led to an infusionof major funding for DSL, academ-ic programs and new learning tech-nologies to support the expansionof campus-wide programs and

services for students. \The class of 2010 was the first

to be served by my new hires inDSL — Erika Macs, CourtneyYoung Law, Gina Rosabal and JessMiller — who all joined a dedicat-ed DSL team of staff advocatingfor student: Themy Adachi, DorianNewton, Kate Dey and others.

As first-year students, their firstlesson of students activism andempowerment revolved around ral-lying with 300 other peers for theCoalition for Change, a movementreminiscent of the early 1980s atMills.

They were part of a successfulsilent protest to bring importantissues to the forefront for the pres-ident, senior administration andBoard of Trustees to address differ-ently than before and, thus, workedclosely with DSL to put Mills stu-dents’ needs first.

There were also other “firsts”related to their social advocacy,such as working with DSL teams

and me to infuse staff training andorientation programs with morediversity and social justice princi-ples to better handle the issuesaffecting our students of color, reli-gious and spiritual groups,LGBTQI and students with disabil-ities both inside and outside ofthe classroom.

We also instituted unprecedent-ed national policy changes inNCAA guidelines to protect ourfemale athletes.

They were the first to experi-ence the resurrection of a 15-year-old tradition at the College by ral-lying and aligning different studentorganizations, DSL, academic andCollege offices to co-host one ofthe only two remaining NativeAmerican pow-wows in the BayArea — an event that still contin-ues today. They worked togetherwith Andy Workman and me toestablish a Parenting Lounge and anew Wellness Center, the latterestablished with current dean JoiLewis’ help.

They were also the first toexperience the wounds associatedwith the tragic death of a class-mate, which led to Erika Macs’special ministry and outreachwork, an important part of the com-munity’s healing process.

As these amazing women pre-pare for their commencement, I amproud to say I have been an integralpart of their evolution as socialchange agents. I also celebrate whothey have become: legacy-buildersof the new millennium.

As Lao Tzu once said, remem-ber that “there are many paths toenlightenment. [So] Be sure to takethe one with a heart.”

California’s $20 billionbudget deficit has assault-

ed the state’s public education sys-tem. On March 4, thousands of out-raged students, teachers and com-munity members participated in ahistoric demonstration on manypublic university campuses.

Even Governor ArnoldSchwarzenegger acknowledged thesituation is terrible in a March 4speech saying, “We have doneeverything that we could.”

There is more California cando. California taxpayers spendapproximately $256 million a yearon the death penalty’s convictioncosts, according to the AmericanCivil Liberties Union of NorthernCalifornia. Eliminating the deathpenalty would enable California toredirect millions to the public edu-cation system.

According to a report by theACLU of Northern California, thecost of housing one person ondeath row is $90,000 more per yearthan the cost of housing a personsentenced to life in prison. WithCalifornia housing over 700 peopleon death row, that is more than $63million a year spent on housingcosts alone. Death judgments intrial require additional expendi-tures, adding up to $1.1 million.

In the last 10 years, 15 peoplefrom Alameda County have beensentenced to death and districtattorneys have spent more than $16million seeking death judgments.

At a March 4 meeting with edu-cation leaders and students,Schwarzenegger said, “I mean,that’s terrible. 30 years ago, wespent three percent of our generalfund on prisons and now we spend10 percent. At that time we spent11 percent on higher education;now we only spend 7.5 percent onhigher education.” What he didn’tpoint out is that it was just over 30years ago that California reinstatedthe death penalty.

The inherent racism in thecriminal justice system targets peo-ple of color. Black men representjust under four percent of the totalpopulation of California and 37percent of the death row popula-tion in the state, according to theCalifornia Department ofCorrections and RehabilitationCondemned Inmate List. Thus, thedeath penalty is worthless, waste-ful and racist. Making life in prisonthe harshest punishment possiblefor murder and redirecting funds tothe public education system woulddemonstrate that Californiansvalue education over vengeance.

California is making progress. Last week, the Democratic

Party resolved that the party’s plat-form will no longer support thedeath penalty.

But our state needs to do more.Abolishing the death penaltywould save more than $1 billion injust five years. Californiansdeserve a well-funded, accessiblepublic education system and anequitable, just and functional crim-inal justice system. The deathpenalty has no place in California.

KKeerrrrii LLyynnnnee TThhoorrppGUEST CONTRIBUTOR

everal Mills College students have told The

Campanil they had unpleasantexperiences with the room drawprocess this year. Not only haveresidential students complainedabout not being able to live next totheir friends and not getting theirfirst choice of dorms, but they havesaid the way the room draw processwas organized was flawed.

Students said new rules imple-mented this year are confusing andmake it more difficult to obtaintheir preferred rooms. One exam-ple is that if a student wants a dou-ble room and pulls up another per-son with a lower lottery number,

the two must room together, orbeside each other. Before this year,she could choose whichever roomshe liked.

There are reasons for this newrule, presumably to prevent peoplepulling up those they have no asso-ciation with, which would possiblymake them room with someonethey didn’t know.

According to some studentsthese changes were not well publi-cized. Residential Life shouldmake sure students are aware of theprocess before they have to choosetheir rooms and not rely on stu-dents reading the fine print in thehousing manual.

In addition, the number ofrooms set aside with special char-

acteristics have exceeded demand.Resumer, substance-free and

24-hour quiet areas are indeedimportant, but some students saidseveral groups of friends whowanted to remain together endedup signing up for the 24-hour quiethall even though, as a group, theyoriginally had little intention ofremaining quiet all the time. A sim-ilar outcome happened with thesubstance-free hallway.

While living completely sub-stance-free is an admirable thingthat like-minded students shouldsupport, students who do not alignthemselves with living such alifestyle will be rooming in this hallbecause it was one of the onlyoptions left. And if some students

do indeed want to live in a round-the-clock quiet space, living withstudents who don’t plan to adhereto that will render the space’s des-ignation useless.

Doesn’t it defeat the purposeof a specified living area when stu-dents who don’t plan on maintain-ing that standard live there?

The real issue is not that Millsoffers students such options in itson-campus living spaces. There arestudents who want a quiet place tolive free from loud music blaring inthe middle of the night.

Others might not like theirneighbors having parties in theirrooms where they consume alcoholor smoke marijuana, and wouldprefer to live with those who don’t

use such substances. However,Mills should have done more togauge the level to which studentswere interested in such accommo-dations before the room drawprocess began. E-mailing a surveyto students or setting up a booth inthe plaza to survey students mayhave been an option.

In the end, although someMills students found the process farfrom perfect, there is one thing theycan count on: Unlike most publicuniversities and even other privateinstitutions, the College guaranteeshousing to all enrolled students.

And while most dorms at otherschools are very tiny and house twoor three students, the majority ofunits at Mills are single rooms.

Opinions & Editorial22 MM aa yy 33 ,, 22 00 11 00

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The Campanil welcomes public commentary on subjects of interestto the campus community, as well as feedback on the paper itself.Submissions for Open Forum should be no more than 400 words.Letters to the editor should be no more than 150 words. Submissionsmay be edited for length and clarity.

All submissions must include the author’s name and contact infor-mation and may be submitted via e-mail or in typewritten form, accom-panied by a CD. No anonymous submissions will be accepted.Submissions must be received one week before publication date toappear in the next issue.

The Campanil reserves the right to upload all content published inprint, in addition to original content, on our websitewww.thecampanil.com.

The Campanil is published every other Monday. The first copy ofThe Campanil is free. Additional copies are 50 cents. Students inter-ested in joining should contact the editor-in-chief.

Jennifer CourtneyEditor-in-Chief

eic@thecampanil.com

Managing Editor Rashida Harmon

Sports & Health Editor Carrol Page

Opinions Editor Nicole Vermeer

Features Editor Anna Belle Peterson

Online Editor Melodie Miu

CAMPANILTHE News Editor Morgan Ross

Asst. Online Editor Maxamaris Hoppe

5000 MacArthur Blvd.Oakland, CA 94613510.430.2246 phone

510.430.3176 fax

Photo Editor Christina Macias

Asst. News Editor Alixandra Greenman

Asst. Features Editor Heather McDaniel

Design Editor Lisa Bergquist

Room draw leaves students frustrated

Staff Columnists Carla Hansen,Tara Nelson, Ellen Newton

Editorial

Calendar Editor Lauren Sliter

Death penalty is killingour education system

Copy Editor Stephanie Scerra

Class of 2010’s campus initiativesleave a legacy in the community

JJooaannnnaa IIwwaattaaGUEST CONTRIBUTOR

As our seniors leave uswith an important gift ofthe heart as they prepareto graduate: a legacy ofsocial change thatinformed all of us how tobetter respond to thediverse needs of our stu-dents, which in turn hasbenefited our entire cam-pus community

Staff Writers Carmen Otto, Lauren Soldano

S

Opinions & Editorial 33MM aa yy 33 ,, 22 00 11 00

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There’s no mistaking it: I ampro-choice. But unlike most of thepeople who prescribe to this belief,I think Roe v. Wade, the 1973Supreme Court case that madeabortion legal, is not the only legalway for women to have controlover their reproductive rights. Ifoverturned, women would still beable to get legal abortions —maybe not in their hometown, butdefinitely in the United States.

But before all of you staunchpro-choice activists out thereholler, hoot and come after me, lis-ten to what I have to say.

In a column titled “If Roe wereoverturned” written for USA Todayin 2005, reporter Laura Vanderkamsaid, “A Roe reversal would notchange the country’s total numberof abortion providers much. In fact,a year after Roe is overturned, itwould be … rare [that a] womannotice[s] a difference in her life.”

Vanderkam and I share thesame opinion. I love my right tochoose, and I wish to maintain thatright, but it is frankly unnecessaryfor there to be a federal law protect-ing a woman’s right to an abortion.

I definitely want to preserve myright to choose, but I live inCalifornia, a relatively consistentdemocratic state, and my ability toget an abortion is not going to behindered if Roe is overturned.

That being said, I know somestates will vote to make abortionillegal if Roe is reversed. Still, evenif abortion becomes illegal on thefederal level, reproductive rightsgroups such as National Networkof Abortion Funds (NNAF) will be

able to provide assistance towomen in states where abortion isillegal. Organizations such as theseare not going to allow women to beforced into back-alley abortions.They will find a way to helpwomen pay for the cost of an abor-tion if there is no other option.

I am not trying to be an idealist.I know abortion access can be dif-ficult, particularly for low-incomewomen, but I also believe thatmajor organizations like PlannedParenthood and NNAF have a lotof resources and know a lot of peo-ple who will help women in need.

Everyone knows there are twosides to the abortion rights debate:pro-choice and anti-abortion.Within the pro-choice movement,two separate groups have emerged,consisting of the pre-Roe genera-tion that remembers the sufferingendured before 1973 and the post-Roe generation.

There may be research and his-tory books that try to paint a pictureof what the pre-Roe era was reallylike, but no matter what, there is noreplacement for actually livingthrough it. The truth is that, eventhough young reproductive-rightsactivists believe in a woman’s rightto choose just as I do, they did notlive through the era when abortionwas illegal and, therefore, do nothave the same drive to keep it legalat the federal level as the currentleaders of women’s organizations.Due to this “lack of drive,” in acouple of decades when the currentpre-Roe leaders retire, there maynot be a new set of people ready tostep up to the plate with the samefire and passion the current leadershave. If this happens, change isgoing to occur.

There is no doubt in my mind

that pre-Roe was a nightmare.Abortion was illegal and danger-ous, and fatal back-alley abortionswere rampant across the country.The heart of my opinion is that thestatus quo cannot and should not bemaintained forever.

Every one of us, even if we arenot willing to admit it, wants tomaintain the status quo in one wayor another. Most people who sub-scribe to the pro-choice belief wanteverything to stay the same. Theydo not want to restrict abortion andthey definitely do not want it to beillegal again. I am the same way. Icertainly do not want to go back topre-Roe suffering, even though I donot have any personal experiencewith abortion being illegal.

Where I differ from a lot ofother people is that I know main-taining the status quo is not possi-ble forever, especially with repro-ductive rights being such a “hot”issue. I want abortion to be legal,but I know that change is inevitablein every life situation, includingreproductive rights. This is not aquestion of if but when Roe v.Wade is going to be overturned.

There will be a huge uproarwithin the pro-choice communitywhen this happens, and each statewill have to decide for itselfwhether or not abortion should belegal. What I am saying may differradically from the opinions of mostpeople who are pro-choice, buteven though my opinion may becontroversial, I know a society can-not progress without change.Therefore, I say reproductive rightsleaders stop all the fuss and preparefor change because, as Robert C.Gallagher once said, “Change isinevitable — except from a vend-ing machine.”

RRooee oorr nnoo RRooee:: rreepprroodduuccttiivveerriigghhttss wwiillll rreemmaaiinn tthhee ssaammee

“It was horrible.Therewere people crying.It's just awful because,by the time you get upthere, everyone beforeyou has already takenthe spots you want.... Ireally wish it would belike it was back in theday, where you keepyour room for fouryears.”

— Melanie Weston,sophomore

How did you feel aboutroom draw this year?

“It was stressful.Therewas a lot of discrepancybetween what they toldyou and what actuallyhappened. Overallthough, it was prettysmooth, but I had agood number.”

— Amanda Christenson,sophomore

Soapbox

“I thought the wholeprocess could havebeen done differently— and by that I meanbetter.”

— Shana Roark,first-year

“It was tearful andsweaty. My friend and Idecided we had to beroommates because itwas the only way wecould live up on thehill.... I think if peoplewant 24-hour quietthey should not be at acollege; they shouldnot be around people.”

— Jessica Glennon,first-year

When I came to Mills as a first-year in the fall of 2006, I knew Iwanted to be on the newspaper'seditorial staff. I loved journalismand wanted to positively impactnews coverage on campus, but Icould not envision just how impor-tant a role The Campanil wouldcome to play in my life and how far

we as an institution would come. I am immensely proud of the

work my staff has accomplished inthese last few years. It has been alabor of love for all of us — exper-imenting with new technologies,missing class when it got in theway of reporting and pulling morethan one all-nighter to make surethe latest edition made it to theprinter on time. But the hard workhas paid off and only made usstronger journalists.

As I step down from my posi-tion as Editor-in-Chief, which I’veheld since January 2009, I am con-fident in my successor Tara Nelson.She brings enthusiasm, curiosityand intelligence to her new role,and I know she will continue topush boundaries and move TheCampanil in a positive direction.

I thank the community for sup-porting our work and look forwardto seeing what next year’s staff willachieve. I hope you do as well.

AAlliixxaannddrraa GGrreeeennmmaannASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

JJeennnniiffeerr CCoouurrttnneeyyEDITOR -IN-CHIEF

Farewell from current Editor-in-Chief

ILLUSTRATED BY MELODIE MIU

new pathways has been haltedbecause of the rainy weather.

“They [the construction crew]haven’t been able to grade it andpour the concrete,” said DorothyCalimeris, the Director ofAuxiliary Services. “Every timethey plan to start it, it rains, so theycan’t get started.”

The new renovations atFounders include building smoothpathways to lead up to the newentrance of the building on theback patio and an additional bath-room on the second floor, whichshould be completed in the nextfew weeks, according to Calimeris.

Founders will also be refur-nished with soft seating, new tablesand chairs and Bon Appetit is plan-ning to rearrange the building toaccommodate more dining options,such as a taqueria.

Founders will close May 17 anddining services will be moved tothe Tea Shop for summer studentsparticipating in EF, the Hellmanprogram, the Summer AcademicWorkshop and the MiddleburyLanguage Program.

The kitchens located in OrchardMeadow and Warren Olney will beopen during the summer to servestudents staying in the residencehalls.

Plans to renovate RothwellCenter to accommodate more stu-dent services have been put on holdindefinitely, though Vice Presidentfor Operations Renee Jadushlever

said at a campus-wide meeting thatsmall changes, including possiblypurchasing heat lamps for the plazaseating areas, are in the works fornext semester.

Calimeris said she hopes a newstudent center, if one gets built, willaccommodate more dining serviceswith a continuous access to food.

“Until we get the new studentcenter, we really are confined inanswering student complaintsabout dining services,” she said.“We want to offer more flexibility.”

News44 MM aa yy 33 ,, 22 00 11 00

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no matter what,” she said. “It justmade sense that I come here and ithas felt like home ever since.”

The team then proceeded to askabout issues pertinent to students,including incarceration, genderissues and concerns about getting ajob after graduation.

Lopez talked about the Collegestepping up and helping theOakland community.

“We are very active, but at thesocial realm outside the school,being a part of something bigger —and I think having the outside com-munity follow what Mills teaches— really helps drive that into you.People are really just getting outthere and being a part of the com-munity,” she said.

Students then shared what theywould like to hear from Pelosi forher personal speech at graduation.

“I would be interested in what,

if any, challenges she encounteredduring her education.. How shewas able to overcome them andhow being at a women’s collegefurthered her to overcome them,”Brennan said, referring to the factthat Pelosi attended women’s insti-tutions for both high school andcollege. Pelosi earned her Bachelorof Arts in political science fromTrinity Washington University.

Lange had a personal messagefor Pelosi.

“One important thing that youshould know about Mills is that itwill welcome you with warmarms,” she said, to which Lopezresponded.

“That is how welcoming andloving this environment is and it isprobably one of the only placeswhere everyone loves doing theirjob. I think that is one of the great-est things that Mills has to offer notonly for students, but for the world,too.”

Students help prepare forupcoming graduation speech

Pelosi, from page 1

Construction underway to renovate campusConstruction, from page 1

STEPHANIE SCERRA

Above: The Turtle Pond located near Cowell is undergoing renovations this year to fix the leaks from the weak concrete base. A tarpis used to seal the pond after a rainy day. Below: A stone structure is being rebuilt with a circulation pump to recycle the water.

Commencement Weekend Activity Schedule:

Friday, May 14:

9:00 a.m. Student Union:Rehearsal continental breakfast forall graduating students.

10:00 a.m. Lisser Theatre: manda-tory Commencement rehearsal.

5:30 p.m. Chapel:baccalaureate ceremony to honorgraduating students.

Saturday, May 15:

9:45 a.m. Toyon Meadow:Commencement Ceremony.Graduation candidates must meeton the Mills Oval by 9 a.m.

12:30-1:30 p.m. Art MuseumMeadow: Champagne and strawber-ry reception and the Bent Twigphoto session.

News 55MM aa yy 33 ,, 2200 11 00

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“Sharkwater” is a documentary by Rob Stewart that discusses the stereotypes of sharks and the exploitation shark-finning, a multibillion-dollar industry. Above: SharkFishermen in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo chop off several sharks’ fins to be sold in Hong Kong markets as a Asian food delicacy and for health products.

Students raise awareness about shark-finningInspired by an internationally

acclaimed documentary, two MillsCollege undergraduates organizeda screening of “Sharkwater” as partof Earth Week to spread awarenessto the campus community aboutshark-finning, the killing of sharksfor their fins.

Seniors Tarra La Valley andEmma Giboney’s newly createdEnvironmental Studies club seeksto rally Mills women to petition theselling of shark cartilage productsin local health food stores, whichcontributes to an estimated 100million sharks that are killed annu-ally for their fins.

“I just want to make sure own-ers of health food stores know whatthey’re selling. I don’t think theyknow what goes into making those

products,” said La Valley, vice-president of the EnvironmentalStudies club.

La Valley and Giboney, bothenvironmental studies majors, firstwatched Rob Stewart’s documen-tary “Sharkwater” this semester.The documentary debunks sharkstereotypes and explain sharks’crucial contribution to the marineecosystem as predators that keepfish populations and oxygen levelsin balance.

It also reveals the exploits ofshark-finning, the illicit practice ofchopping off sharks’ fins — usual-ly while the sharks are still alive —before throwing the carcasses backinto the ocean.

“It changed my life,” La Valleysaid.

After five years of filming offthe coast of Cocos Island, CostaRica and the Galapagos Islands —

during which time he suffered fromWest Nile virus, tuberculosis and aflesh-eating disease, Dengue fever,all at once — Stewart contextual-ized what marine biologists havebeen asserting for years: Sharks arenot our enemies and we are drivingthem to extinction.

According to the “Sharkwater”website, the shark population hasdecreased 90 percent in the last 50years because “one pound of driedshark fin can retail for $300 ormore,” making the shark-finningtrade a multibillion-dollar industry.

Why are shark fins worth somuch? Demand for shark-fin soup,an Asian delicacy, pushes between26 million to 73 million shark finsthrough Hong Kong markets everyyear, according to Shark Savers.

“It’s crazy because the shark istasteless; the soup tastes like chick-en broth,” said Giboney, the club’s

president. Asian countries are notthe only places that sell shark-finsoup. Just across the bay in SanFrancisco, there are more than 60restaurants listed by the AnimalWelfare Institute for selling prod-ucts containing shark fins. .

Shark fin products are not limit-ed to shark-fin soup. In fact, brandslike Vitamin Shoppe, Seagate andArizona Natural sell shark cartilagein pill form, boasting of its healthbenefits.

“People eat them because theythink they’ll cure arthritis and can-cer when, in reality, they don’t,” LaValley said.

In fact, Shark Savers says sharkfins often contain high levels ofmercury, a poisonous chemicalknown to cause birth defects inwomen, sterility in men and dam-age to the central nervous system inboth sexes.

Determined to help stop theunnecessary slaughter of sharks, LaValley and Giboney created a peti-tion against the selling of shark car-tilage products in local health foodstores. During Earth Week, the twotabled to collect signatures andhosted a viewing of “Sharkwater”to raise awareness and support.

“Like [Rob Stewart] said, wedon’t need everyone to make achange, but a group of people —like Mills women — can reallyhelp,” La Valley said. “The mainproblem is people are unaware.”

Giboney agreed.“The more people that know,

the more people would changetheir opinions,” Giboney said. “If acountry as powerful as the U.S. cando something about it, theyshould.”

This was one of the events heldfor last month’s Earth Week.

The Class of 2010 prepares for graduation and the future

COURTESY OF ROB STEWART FROM THE DOCUMENTARY’S WEBSITE “SHARKWATER”

KELSEY MERCADO

Senior swimmer Amelia True hugging Head Swim Coach NeilVirtue during an celebration honoring graduating seniors.

Columbia University in the fall tostudy education policy. She saidshe is eagerly and nervously await-ing her move to the East Coast,which promises not only a neweducational environment, but anew cultural landscape as well.

“I have always wanted to live inNew York. I am really excited, butit is going to be a big change, itmakes me nervous,” Diamond said.“It is a different coast, different cityand different culture. I just hopethat I adjust quickly.”

Although slightly less anxiousthan Diamond, fellow public policymajor Bethan Lamb is also filledwith mixed emotions surroundingher move to Massachusetts forgraduate school at the University ofMassachusetts Amherst.

“I am terrified. I am lookingforward to moving, but the wholeidea is really scary,” she said, asshe plans to study communityhealth in graduate school.

Lamb said she is mostly wor-ried about the change in environ-ments. Despite spending a semesterstudying abroad in South Africa,she has always lived in the BayArea.

She grew up in Concord, 30minutes away from Mills, so shehas never known anything else.Still, she is looking forward to hav-ing a chance to experience a newplace.

“I figured this was as good ofan opportunity as any to get out ofmy comfort zone,” Lamb said.

Other seniors are worriedbecause they do not know whichaspect of their field of study theywant to continue to pursue.

Amelia True said the difficultyof choosing a psychologicalresearch area and graduate programhas led her to decide to remain inthe Bay Area. The psychologymajor and philosophy minor saidshe will get an apartment and workin the Mills research lab, amongothers in the area, for about a year.

“Ideally, I would just like tohave a year off, get myself situated,take my GRE’s and go back toschool in the fall of 2012,” Truesaid. “I am hoping that my work inMills’ research lab and possiblyother labs in the Bay Area will helpme narrow down what area ofresearch I want to go into.”

True said it is important to herto find her focus before committingto two more years of schooling.

“I think it would be really coolto go out of state ... and experiencesomething new. But what reallymatters is that I find a program thatI want to do,” she said. “I really donot care if it is in Timbuktu orHawaii.”

Still, like many seniors, Truesaid she is comforted by the notionthat, somehow, everything willwork itself out.

“Whatever happens, I am surethat it will not be a disaster,” Truesaid.

The ceremony will be held onMay 15 at Toyon Meadow.

SStteepphhaanniiee SScceerrrraaCOPY EDITOR

Seniors, from page 1

Features66 MM aa yy 33 ,, 22 00 11 00

Imagine you are walking through theLaurel District and come across a muralpainted on the outside wall of a local book-store. Inspired by the uniquely colorfulneighborhood, the scene depicts birds fromall over the world enveloping the sunset skyusing a stencil-like technique. Below is a fig-ure kneeling on the ground and sewing alarger-than-life quilt that engulfs the bottomhalf of the scene.

This mural, the concept of Mills Collegealumnae Sophie Leininger and Jen Martin,will soon become a daily attraction for thosewho live and spend time in the LaurelDistrict. It is part of the Laurel DistrictAssociation’s (LDA) Public Art Project, aninitiative of a diverse group of local studentsand professional artists who are creating fivemurals to be installed in the neighborhood.

According to Thomas Wong, director ofthe LDA, the Laurel District is one of themost diverse neighborhoods in the country,and each mural was designed with that in mind.

Leininger also said that, while inspirationfor each painting is up to the artist or artistsworking on them, a lot of the muralists gotinspiration from the ethnic, age and socioe-conomic diversity that exists in the Laurel.

Wong said it was important to “have amulti-generational representation in thepaintings. That is why we are working withpainters from middle school-aged to profes-sional artists.”

The murals will be installed alongMacArthur Boulevard between 35th Avenueand High Street. One was completed andinstalled last year and the remaining four —including Leininger and Martin’s mural —will be painted and installed in June on vari-ous blank outdoor walls along the corridor.

Leininger, who graduated in May of2009, is also the coordinator for the project.She said she wanted to participate to fuse herlove of art with activism and politicalchange.

“This project was definitely up my alleyfor sure. When I was a student at Mills, myartwork was not necessarily political, but thishas always interested me,” she said. “Art canbe an affirmation of the change you want to

see or the things you already like [in] your environment.”

Leininger became involved in the projectafter Mills art professor Hung Liu heard shewas looking for work and gave her Wong’scontact information. She said she was excit-ed by the project’s community-driven focus.

“I liked the intention and approach of theinitiative. It is a very neighborhood-specificproject,” Leininger said.

Martin, who graduated this pastDecember, got involved with the projectafter Leininger sent out an e-mail to some ofher former classmates asking if they wantedto work on a mural with her. Martin saidmural-painting has always been somethingshe saw herself doing.

“It just seemed like a great opportunity. Ifelt that the project itself was really going toliven up the neighborhood,” Martin said.

Each mural is required to incorporate theleaf emblem representing the ‘Grow theLaurel’ theme for the project. According tothe project’s mission statement, found on an

i n f o r -mation-al flyer,“the logo was created as a symbol of [the]neighborhood, with all its roundness and itssharp points, its current challenges andpromise for the future.”

All of the artists have drawn up theirsketches, and business and property ownersat the four selected locations are currentlyapproving the designs.

Wong said once the murals are finishedand installed the LDA will plan a public art walk.

The new artwork will also befeatured in the annual LaurelStreet Fair in August.

The project comes at a timewhen the organizers hope themurals will beautify the neighbor-hood, stave off crime and slowdown the more than 16,000 carsthat drive down MacArthur Boulevard daily.

“This is our first step. It is very excitingto be able to include Mills. This is a very cre-ative way of addressing several issues thatwe have at the same time,” Wong said.

Another goal of the project is to connectLaurel residents and business owners withstudents who live and go to school at Mills,located only a mile away.

“We hope to build a stronger connectionwith students at Mills. It is their neighbor-hood as well,” Wong said.

Top left: A sketch of the muralthat two Mills alumnae will bepainting. Top right: TheLaurel Bookstore wall wherethe mural will be installedlater this summer. Bottomright: The toy shop where thebelow mural will be installed.Bottom across: A sketch ofthe proposed mural, whichwill integrate the existingwindows on the wall.

AAlliixxaannddrraa GGrreeeennmmaannASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR

SKETCHES COURTESY OFLAUREL DISTRICT ASSOCIATION

PHOTOS BY ALIXANDRA GREENMAN

Find more stories, photos, videos and live updates at www.thecampanil.com

Laurel Districtmural

project underway

Let there be paint

Features 77

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MM aa yy 33 ,, 22 00 11 00

Ready for a

Up and coming band, Ra RaRiot performs at the NewParish in Oakland

RIOT?

Beneath the flashing stage lights,Rebecca Zeller moves with the music,sometimes rocking in place with herviolin and, other times, movingacross the stage in short, snappy hops.

Zeller and her fivefriends make up Ra Ra Riot,

the New York-based groupthat visited The New

Parish in Oaklandon April 20.

Zeller, theband’s 26-

year-old violin-ist, began playing music with college friends she

met while studying at Syracuse University andcreated Ra Ra Riot in 2006.

Though the band has only released onealbum, 2008’s The Rhumb Line, with Barsuk

Records, they have enjoyed a good deal ofsuccess. Fresh off a tour with Death CabFor Cutie and with features in both SPIN

and Rolling Stone, the band has createdquite a name for itself.

Still, Zeller is humble when dis-cussing the band’s success.

“I’m so excited and proud we cando what we do,” Zeller said. “[But] therewas a time when we wondered if any-

one would show up. You would go to avenue and there would be four people there.”

If press coverage is any indication, Ra RaRiot no longer has any problem drawing acrowd. In 2008 Rolling Stone put the band on its“Hot List” and SPIN declared Ra Ra Riot “one

of the best young bands we've heard in a reallylong time.”

Though Zeller may seem a little nonchalant,she says she is happy about the band’s progressfrom house parties in New York, to the Oakland’sNew Parish and, finally, to the stage at Coachella,one of California’s most popular music festivals.

“Our first three goals when we started theband was get signed, have fun and go to Japan,” said

Zeller with a knowing smile.Lucky for them, their third goal has just

become a reality. Zeller said the band just con-firmed that it will be touring in Japan.

While the goal of taking a trip to Japan wasoriginally thought of as a joke, Ra Ra Riot’s dream is

a tribute to the band’s fun, spirited vibe. Though often catego-rized as indie rock, SPIN’s review of the band noted that they “seem immune tothe sort of stoicism that accompanies much of today’s best drama rock. In person,

every moment is imbued withurgency and emotion.”When playing live, lead vocalist

Wes Miles dances across stage whilebassist Mathieu Santos and guitarist

Milo Bonacci partner up to dance withwhatever band mate crosses their path.

Alexandra Lawn, the band’s cellist, furiouslyplays her instrument as she sways back and

forth and drummer Gabriel Duquettebeats forcefully on his set.

Their chemistry is obviousand as the thick, vibrating tones of

cello and violin weave themselves into thepop bass/guitar riffs in “Ghost Under Rocks,” it’s

almost impossible to stay still.Miles’ melodic voice surges to high notes that are sometimes joined

by Lawn’s own perfectly-timed harmonies.Seeing them this way, it’s easy to forget that Ra Ra Riot is not just a

hobby, but part of a career that Zeller hopes will achieve a new level ofsuccess with the release of their second album this summer.

“Obviously you don’t go pursue music for the money, but if this is yourcareer, then it’s important,” Zeller said. “I’m hoping, with this next record, it’llpropel our career to the next level and we’ll all be able to get apartments.”

Zeller maintains a relaxed attitude about the project, but it’s important to herthat the next record does well. If it doesn’t, “we don’t have anything to fall backon,” Zeller said.

But despite the anxiety of releasing a new album, Zeller says she is pleasedwith the way the project has unfolded thus far.

“I think it’s brought us to places we’d never thought we’d go,” she said.“Obviously, we all think the payout is worth it.”

PHOTO BY CARMEN OTTO

CCaarrmmeenn OOttttooSTAFF WRITER

Mercedes Martin sat behind a table decorated withearrings of all shapes, sizes and colors. Like other peoplearound her, Martin, a senior, was selling her handmadejewelry at the Mills College Craft Fair, held for the firsttime on Earth Day.

Tables displaying candles, hats, pins, purses andpaintings were set up around Adams Plaza April 22. Asmall stage was also assembled for people to perform on.The wide array of crafts brought a burst of color to thealready budding campus, and students busied themselvesby moving from table to table with cash in hand.

“My earrings are made out of old fliers, magazinesand bottle caps,” said Martin, gesturing toward the acces-sories around her. “Everything reflects what I’m interest-ed in: I’ve got a lot of hip-hop, some African Americanliterature authors and some African beads.”

Describing the process of her craft, Martin said,whilesome pairs are relatively easy to make — such as thesmall square earrings adorned with pictures of Spike Lee— others, like the California-shaped mosaics on thetable, take quite some time.

Next to Martin, junior Anna Basalaev-Binder satbeside a table covered in cloth patches and T-shirts sten-ciled with cupcakes, hearts, seahorses and birds.

“I get thin sheets of plastic and cut images intothem,” Basalaev-Binder said. “Then I sponge silk screenink onto the fabric through the plastic.”

When asked why the purple and pink cupcake sten-cils had “queer” stamped on them, she shrugged and smiled.

“I think cupcakes are pretty inherently queer,” shesaid with a laugh. “But I thought I’d just state the obvious.”

Moving down the line of tables, it was apparent theMills community has a diverse set of creative interests.While some crafted handmade buttons, others craftedknit hats and bound books.

Lara Durback, the studio manager for the book artsprogram, uses scrap materials to make her pieces.

“I have access to book-binding scrap leather, so I canuse scraps entirely to make everything,” Durback said.

Small journals, bracelets and earrings in varying geo-metric shapes — some embossed with text — coveredher table.

“I print on them with this foil-stamping machinecalled a quick print,” she explained.

Even her business cards were labor-intensive.“I printed those [on a] letter press,” Durback said.

“Lead type, letter by letter.”Kelly McCoid and Jessica Reff, two sophomores who

used a hot pink sign to draw in customers, sat at their sta-tion surrounded by bottle-cap earrings, magnets and pins.Reffy and Kelly Crafting Co. was created by the twofriends who said they often listen to cheesy 1990s musicwhile crafting.

“We listen to the Spice Girls and Avril Lavigne,”McCoid said.

Their bottle cap accessories were decorated with mis-cellaneous pictures of Lady Gaga, kittens, hamburgersand more, yet the philosophy behind their craft is simple.

“We try to make recycled jewelry out of used beercaps and put pretty pictures in them,” Reff said.

Reff and McCoid get their images online by usingGoogle images and clip art. They also said they use envi-ronmentally-friendly resin, something they also foundonline, to fill the bottle caps.

Products made of felt, lacquer, leather and yarn werenot the only crafts on display. Even a small organic pro-duce stand visited the campus to sell strawberries, chard,beans and other fresh fruits and vegetables.

Along with the din of chatter were the melodicsounds of musicians performing on stage. Lanterns andhandmade flags dangled from the trees in the courtyardand students ate their lunch by the fountain as they wereserenaded.

“The theme of the festival was ‘Mama Earth is artsy,sexy, musical and smart,’” said first-year Zoe Frost, whohelped organize the event. “Smart was generally exhibit-ed through the idea of making smart choices about theenvironment and supporting the students and their educa-tion at Mills.”

Features88 MM aa yy 33 ,, 22 00 11 00

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Left: Senior Mercedes Martin shows off her handmade jewelery. Right: Handmade bottle-cap earrings made by sophomores Kelly McCoid and Jessica Reff, were someof the many crafts available at the Craft Fair. Other crafts sold at the fair included cat-nip toys, knit scarves, vintage-inspired hair accessories and scented candles.

CCaarrmmeenn OOttttooSTAFF WRITER

CARMEN OTTO

Each issue this semester we have looked at theCollege’s past, going further back in time. This finalstory, originally published on May 1, 1919, reminiscedabout the past school year and reflected on the future.

Mills through the decades

Events & Information

May3

MONDAY

6THURSDAY

7FRIDAY

5WEDNESDAY

4TUESDAY

Documentary: "LettersFrom the Other Side"WHAT Watch and discussthis film from theANSWER Coalition.WHEN 7:30 p.m.WHERE ATA Theater992 Valencia St. at 21st St.San FranciscoCONTACT (415) 821-6545

99MM aa yy 33 ,, 22 00 11 00

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CRIME LOG

The art of Dr. SeussWHAT In honor of Dr.Seuss’ legacy, the gallerypresents alternative forms,such as lithographs and“unorthodox taxidermy,”of the icon’s artwork.WHEN 7 p.m.WHERE Dennis Rae FineArt Gallery, 351-A GearyStreet, San FranciscoCONTACT(415) 292-2379

Earthjustice presentsFlorian SchulzWHAT Acclaimed wildlifephotographer FlorianSchulz reveals the threatsto and the beauty of theArctic region in his photo-graphs.WHEN 6 – 8 p.m.WHERE The David BrowerCenter, 2150 Allston Way,BerkeleyCONTACTwww.earthjustice.org/arctic

Art MurmurWHAT Enjoy several differ-ent art gallaries throughoutUptown Oakland for free.WHEN 6 – 10 p.m.WHERE Visit the websitebelow to view a map of allgallery locations.CONTACT http://oaklandart-murmur.com/

The above information was collected from the public crime log located in the Public Safetyoffice in CPM 113. For more information contact safety@mills.edu.

20th anniversary ofMills College studentstrikeWHAT Launch the anniver-sary of the strike withalumna. Enjoy snacks, thestrike documentary andchat with alumnae. KristenCaven, alumnae of 1988,will be signing books.WHEN 6 – 8 p.m.WHERE Student UnionCONTACTactivities@mills.edu

April 19, 2010

SMOKING COMPLAINTLocation: Ethel Moore hall-wayNotes: Public Safety respond-ed to a smoking complaintfrom the residential hall.Contact made with the occu-pant.

BURGLARY OUT OF VEHICLELocation: White HallNotes:Staff member reportsequipment taken out of facili-ty truck.

April 22, 2010

VANDALISM/PROPERTYDAMAGE/ALCOHOL POLICYVIOLATIONLocation: White HallNotes: Disturbance at resi-dence hall. EF Director con-tacted.

April 24, 2010

MEDICAL RESPONSE:AMBULANCELocation: Ethel MooreNotes: Intoxicated studenttransported to hospital.

BURGLARYLocation: White HallNotes: EF student reportsitems missing from residencehall. Oakland PoliceDepartment contacted.

Nonemergency alarms, January 2, 2010 – April 22, 2010

Above: the percentage of nonemergency alarms (generallycaused by improper door useage) that have gone off in specificbuildings this spring. Campus-wide, there were 277 such alarms.

Other 39%

Orchard Meadow Hall 6%

Ege Hall 4%

Ethel Moore12%

WarrenOlney6%

MaryMorse5%Graduate

School ofBusiness14%

NaturalSciencesBuilding3%

KaiserHealthCenter3%

TrefethenAquaticCenter 5%

EducationBuilding3%

(Includes numerousbuildings such asthe Art Museum and the Prieto Lab.)

Sports & Health1100 MM aa yy 33 ,, 22 00 11 00

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TOP AND MIDDLE PHOTO: COURTESY OF APER, BOTTOM PHOTO: CARROL PAGE

Top photo: The Hellman Pool was located in Adam’s Plaza in Rothwell Center where recreational swimming and pageants were common activities the community held.Middle photo: Construction of the new pool located near Haas Pavilion allowed Cyclones the chance to compete and was dedicated to Mills Trustee Eugene Trefethen.Bottom photo: The Trefethen Aquatic Center meets NCAA regulations and provides the Mills and Oakland communities with a safe, clean and positive place to swim.

On May 1, the Mills College Aquatic Centercelebrated its 12-year anniversary. Built toreplace the Hellman Pool, the Haas Pavilionfacility was constructed to meet national athlet-ic standards, thus beginning the College’s com-petitive swimming program.

At only four lanes wide, the prior pool’s pri-mary use was for recreational swimming pag-eants, while the new pool offered a place forcompetition since it meets National CollegiateAthletic Association (NCAA) requirements.The new facility is also more private in its loca-tion near the front entrance to campus — theHellman Pool was located in Adam’s Plaza inthe middle of Rothwell Center.

“If you wanted to swim, you swam in frontof everybody at the Tea Shop,” Aquatics and PECoordinator Carol Berendsen said. “The deep-est part of the pool was only nine feet.... Therewas not a distinct shallow end of the pool.”

The outdoor chlorine swimming pool, locat-ed at the Trefethen Aquatic Center, was com-pleted in April 1998 in memory of TrusteeEugene Trefethen.

To put the current pool in its location, onetennis court and the tennis hut were torn down.The soccer field was also shifted away from itsformer location by the tennis courts to its cur-rent location near the road.

Upon finishing the Trefethen AquaticCenter, an unofficial christening took place,according to Berendsen.

“A bottle of Hellman Pool water was putinto the pool for continuity,” she said.

Long before this christening, when the poolwas nothing but a hole in the ground with nosurrounding buildings, Berendsen was hired tostart planning programs for the rapidly develop-ing swimming center. 13 years later, her effortsled to several aquatic classes and activities,including water exercise and fitness swimming.

“Carol does a good job scheduling classes,”said Head Swim Coach Neil Virtue. “Classesget priorities.”

Whether she’s scheduling classes or coordi-nating swim meets, Berendsen insists that safe-ty is her primary concern.

“Safety is our first interest. We do not allowdiving unless it is for a class or a competition,”Berendsen said. “We have been open for 12years and have never had any serious emer-gency situations.”

CCaarrrrooll PPaaggeeSPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

Expandedpool allowsfor Cyclonecompetition

Sports & Health 1111MM aa yy 33 ,, 2200 11 00

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Mills College alumnae and staffmembers Lola McCall and ChavonRosenthal plan to participate in thisyear’s AIDS/LifeCycle 9 event,which focuses on raising money fororganizations that provide HIV/AIDS education and services.

From June 6 to 12, participantswill ride from San Francisco to LosAngeles in an event sponsored bythe L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.

The AIDS/LifeCycle 9 websitedeclares the event to be a “life-changing ride — not a race,”because of the people the ridersmeet along the way and the experiences they have.

Designated roadies along theride will dress up in costumes forthemed rest stops, offering sportsdrinks, food and rest rooms alongwith entertaining activities for the bikers.

According to third-year riderMcCall, an Academic RecordsSpecialist and 2009 English litera-ture graduate, “You want to get torest stop four.... 10 of the hottestgay men on the planet do a showevery day. They are the same group every year.”

To get through the average 85miles traveled each day, McCallsaid she uses the rest stops to breakthe miles into smaller quantitiesthat trick her mind into thinking theride is shorter than it appears.

“It is all about playing mindgames with yourself,” McCall said.

Rosenthal, who works asInterim Accounts PayableSpecialist, said she has prepared bycompleting 80 and 90-mile trainingrides. She will be completing theride for the first time and believesin the event’s mission.

“This event helps to open people’s eyes to see how many various others are effected by HIVand AIDS,” said Rosenthal, whoearned her Bachelor of Arts in economics in 2008 and a Mastersin Business Administration last December.

For many participants the eye opening seven-day ride proves tobe a demanding feat. According toMcCall, days begin around 4 or 5a.m. and end as riders come into the last rest stop between 5 and 6 p.m.

“We get out on the road by 7a.m., but we have to wake up earlyto get the tents down,” McCall

said. “And you have to budgetextra time for the long lines.”

With 2,200 riders signed up forthis year’s ride thus far, accordingto McCall, the ride will begin at theCow Palace in San Francisco andend at the Veteran’s Center in Los Angeles.

Not only will McCall andRosenthal have to find transporta-tion home upon their arrival in LosAngeles, but they also must raise a$3,000 entry donation and providemany of their own camping sup-

plies and necessities.“We have to raise money to

cover the cost of our ride,” McCallsaid. “The organization breakseven at $3,000 if that is all theriders raise. We have to have camping permits, food, canopies,fuel for cars, three meals a day and snacks.”

On May 16, McCall andRosenthal will be hosting a gettogether at the White Horse in SanFrancisco to raise funds. Queerburlesque showgirls, including

some Mills alumnae, are scheduled to perform.

McCall called theAIDS/LifeCycle “utopia onwheels,” and both she andRosenthal said they are grateful forthe many connections they’vemade because of the ride.

“I want to help fight the diseasebecause I can’t stand the thought ofliving without the people I havemet on the ride,” said McCall. “It is a huge network of people that are affected.”

Mills College track andfield thrower Perla Cantu, abiology major, has only a fewchances left to compete as aMills Cyclone, but she’s mak-ing them count.

Cantu, who has been a topdistance runner on the Millscross country team for fouryears in a row, took up thejavelin her sophomore yearwhen she couldn’t run due to achronic injury.

A year after she learned tothrow, Cantu set a schoolrecord of 81 feet, nine inchesin 2009. But at the MauriceCompton Invitational atMerritt College April 17,Cantu broke her own schoolrecord and set a new record of97 feet, 4.5 inches.

She was pleased with theaccomplishment, which ear-ned her seventh place in themeet, but wasn’t content to

stop there.“Perla’s got her eye on

breaking 100 feet,” said HeadTrack and Field Coach LauraDavis. “When Perla is deter-mined to do something, shemakes it happen.”

Cantu has been a captainof both the cross country andthe track and field teams forfour years and has been therecipient of countless teamawards, including the presti-gious APER Service Award in2009 and the Myrtt WytcombAward in 2010, both of whichare given to only one student-athlete from all Mills teamseach year.

“Perla’s teammates havesome big shoes to fill,” Davissaid. “She hasn’t just set newstandards for throwing; she’sset the standard of what itmeans to be a leader and amodel Mills student-athlete.”

Cyclone Spotlight

A public service announcement from APER

Perla Cantu throwing javelin. She hopes to breakher current record and throw to the 100 foot mark.

CHAVON ROSENTHAL

Chavon Rosenthal plans to bike her way from San Francisco to Los Angeles in June, along with fel-low Mills alumna Lola McCall (left), as a way to raise money for HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

CCaarrrrooll PPaaggeeSPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR

Gearing up for the ride of one’s life

COURTESY OF KURT LOEFFLER

Lola McCall