This fall, Mills is starting a new series of student programs,
headed by the department of student activities, which seek to help
freshwomen get off-campus. Some students say that it is a move to
satisfy concerns about freshwomen not meeting boys.
“Programs like ‘Boys in Berkeley’ seem like veiled attempts to
promote heterosexuality among the first year students and keep
straight freshwoman straight,” said sophomore Ali Uscilka.
“The real goal of the creation of these programs is to answer
the tired criticism of Mills that there are too many lesbians. The
college just needs to learn to deal with it, instead of coming up
with inane programs about hunting down dudes in Berkeley. And why
Berkeley, when we’re in Oakland, and, yes, there are boys here,
too,” Uscilka said.
Liza Kuney, director of student activities, says that “Boys in
Berkeley” is meant simply to help new freshwomen who are unfamiliar
with the Oakland/Berkeley area get acclimated with different social
resources.
Kuney also adds that the event, which she admits caters to the
needs of straight women, would consist mainly of them going to
small coffeehouses or clubs, and generally having a good time
outside of campus.
Cynthia Mendez, who works with student activities, commented,
“It’s a good idea to get people off-campus, but part of the whole
college experience is to explore everything on your own.”
While “Boys in Berkeley” is a new addition to student
activities, the idea of organizing events which specifically deal
with Mills women meeting men is not new. In the 1980s, men from
California Maritime Academy (CMA) were not an uncommon sight at
special events. However, the men became more difficult to control
over time, and were eventually banned from the Mills campus, until
recently men from CMA visited Mills last year for events such as
the “Black and White Ball.”
“The men were interviewed first, before they were deemed
eligible to be at Mills events,” notes Kuney.
Upcoming “Boys in Berkeley” dates are September 16th and
November 7th.
