published semi-anually for BSC alumni and friends alumni Spring 2015 association Editors, Madeleine Loh, BSC Development Director Kashmir Kravitz, Lothlorien Resident Designer, Lydia Tuan, Cloyne Court Resident Cooperatively Yours Executive Director Kim Benson Pays Respects to Founding Members DAVIS HOUSE gets ready for a REUNION MONG THE architectural the room and board houses at that beauties of Southside, time, Davis House did not rely on A behind International House, prepared food from Central Kitchen. lies a pathway of brick steps lined “When we moved in as the first with lush foliage that leads to the group students, we were required Julia Morgan house now known as to help clean up. The house had Davis House. been vacant for over a year. We felt Julia Morgan originally designed privileged to live in a Julia Morgan, Davis House in 1913 as the Richard and took great pride in making the Clark house, for the son of William house clean and beautiful,” says XECUTIVE DIRECTOR Randolph Hearst’s attorney. During Carleton MacDonald, who later Kim Benson and Madeleine E Loh enjoyed tea and the 1920s, the house became the became President of the BSC. Alpha Xi Delta sorority until it After 35 years, Davis House is conversation about family history closed in the 1960s. gearing up for a big reunion in with founding member Edward G. In 1969, the Berkeley Student Fall 2015. Due to its small size and McGrath at his home in Carmichael, Cooperative purchased the relatively new status as a co-op, the CA. Ed is a tenth generation establishment for $75,000 and Davis House alumni base is smaller descendant of the Spanish Valencia opened Davis House in January than the alumni base of houses like family which settled in Mexico and 1970. Davis House started as a co- Oxford Hall or Cloyne Court. The California. op for only juniors, seniors, and alumni contact list is further limited Ed graduated in 1940 from UC graduate students. Unique among because records of house lists prior to (CONTINUED on page 5) Former Davis House Manager Maritza Polanco, former BSC Melissa Mersy Tu and Allen Tu met at Davis House. Students and alumni on the Davis House roof patio at a reunion organized by George Soohoo. The Davis President and Davis House alum Omar Shakill, and Madeleine House residents greeted alumni with scones, iced tea and smiles. Loh in Puerto Rico with Maritza’s brother. 1990 were destroyed. However, the BSC is October 10-11, 2015 slowly reconstructing house lists and alumni SAVE THE DATE DAVIS HOUSE REUNION contacts with the help long while. I just wanted to know of volunteers. how they were doing and have fun Despite the limited alumni data, with them. I would advise people to Davis House alumni involvement keep their connections when they with the BSC remains strong. George leave school.” Soohoo, one of the first residents of In the meantime, official reunion Davis House organized a reunion on planning is beginning among a circle February 21, 2015. Twelve of the first of alumni including George Soohoo, residents of Davis House visited their Joy (Brooks Molina) Castillo, Ivy old home, where they were warmly Moya, Mario Wilson, Robert received by current residents and Cheng, Lucia Haet, Maha Haji and managers with scones, iced tea, and others. BSC Development Director smiles. The alumni were grateful for Madeleine Loh is only too happy to the hospitality and enjoyed reliving encourage reunion planning as she old memories with the students. “It lived in Davis House from 1993-96. was very generous of the students Madeleine attended a house council to spend time with us,” says David meeting, where twenty students Fariello. The visit to Davis House unanimously decided to host the was followed by a potluck lunch at event, and she is also recruiting the home of Harriett Ann Goldman. graduating seniors Raphael Bernabe, The success of the reunion Workshift Manager, and Nick was due in large part to George’s Herson, House President, to the independent efforts to track down reunion committee. Madeleine will and connect with his old housemates. continue to coordinate with the “I felt a need to reconnect with old Davis House managers and residents friends that I hadn’t seen in such a as preparations begin in earnest. 2 Cooperatively Yours Spring 2015 Students and alumni on the Davis House roof patio at a reunion organized by George Soohoo. The Davis House residents greeted alumni with scones, iced tea and smiles. October 10-11, 2015 DAVIS HOUSE REUNION Cooperatively Yours Spring 2015 3 Meet the BSC Staff MANDY SHAPIRO (RIGHT) Mandy balances the house checking account with Sherman Hall house manager Elise Levin-Guracar. (BELOW) Mandy with her husband at CZ. VERY SEMESTER IS A better for the planet and really all managers and contain both a E huge change for the Berkeley awesome for meeting people and summary and detailed report of house Student Cooperative: students move making friends. I also really think it expenses and account information. out, house manager teams change was really great for learning how to The managers use these reports to and house culture transforms. Each take care of myself,” Mandy said. provide financial transparency to house has a new set of students Mandy also met her husband their communities. Mandy says that who choose to spend money on Austin Shapirio, a math teacher, at there is still room for improvement, different food, furniture, and other CZ. including incorporation into amenities than the semester before. She resided in CZ until 2004 manager training and facilitation of Therefore, every semester presents a when she transferred from Berkeley manager transitions. new mass of bills and finances that City College to UC Davis, where Mandy says another major part BSC Accounts Payable Bookkeeper she lived in their cooperative living of her job is educating house and Mandy (Combest) Shapiro balances. community called The Domes. finance managers. Most students As the Accounts Payable Mandy then moved to live in the who come into house and finance Bookkeeper, Mandy pays house and Inter-Cooperative Council in Ann manager positions were high school central level bills on time, tracks and Arbor, MI; there, she started a students only a few years ago and reports house finances, and handles temporary 10-hour-a-week position have little to no experience managing reimbursements. as an accounting filer. Her job finances for a small community. Mandy is also an alumna of Casa later broadened to include more Mandy trains these students in all Zimbabwe. She moved into CZ as a accounting responsibilities and aspects of financial oversight: she student in Berkeley City College in eventually led her back to Berkeley. teaches them how to understand 2002 after another resident moved “I never would have thought to decentralization reports, how to out and she got in from the waitlist. pursue accounting as a career choice, determine house account balances, She accepted the offer, sight unseen. so I’m grateful to the co-ops for explains the reimbursement process, She grew up in a small town in hiring people with no experience,” and clarifies how the different house Ohio, had no experience with group Mandy said. budgets function. living and had never heard of a co- In 2011, Mandy began her “Educating students is part of any op before she moved in. Despite her position as the Accounts Payable job at the BSC,” Mandy said. “I limited knowledge of cooperative Bookkeeper for the BSC. During really love working with students. living, Mandy said that, after some her time here, Mandy has improved It’s cool to know that I’m helping initial apprehension, she “fell in the “decentralization reports” to a a movement that really did make it love” with CZ. simpler design. The decentralization possible for me to go to college.” “Living cooperatively is cheaper, reports are sent out bi-weekly to 4 Cooperatively Yours Spring 2015 BSC Celebrates 100th Birthday of Founding Member GROUP PHOTO (left to right, from top): Gideon Anders, Bill Blythe, Gretchen Taylor Lira, Omar Shakill, Richard T. Lira, Kim Benson, Spencer Hitchcock, Bonnie Blythe, Robert Warren Jones, Li Chu, Theresa Yuen, Arthur Walenta, Madeleine Loh, Bishop Richard Millard, Haven Thompson, Pasteur S. T. Yuen (ABOVE) Kim Benson shakes Bishop Millard’s hand at his birthday party. (CONTINUED from front page) Berkeley with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history. He later had a distinguished teaching and research career at Syracuse University, Oregon State, and Sacramento State. Ed believed he is the oldest surviving Co-oper until he was pleasantly surprised to learn that his old housemate at Barrington Hall, Richard Millard, is still around and, at age 100, older by three years! Cooperatively Yours Spring 2015 5 Cooperatively Yours Spring 2015 5 Hoyt Hall in thePhotos 1950s from Dolores W. Powell 38 39 40 41 Group at Tea House Mother 44 42 43 45 Dolores Powell, Linda Dolores Powell Bush, Joan Colman Dolores Powell & Oron & Carol Bell 46 47 48 49 Group with House Mother 50 51 52 53 Can you identify the people in any of these photos? 6 Cooperatively Yours Spring 2015 a part of the student housing to my son who lives in Berkeley, ALUMNI NOTES cooperative here. Even though I and my impression was not good. It Dolores Warren Powell (Hoyt won’t be able to attend Bay Area seemed so rundown, and the yard in 1956-1958). events in the near future, the values the courtyard was a disgrace. For the My workshifts were dusting and of the BSC have stayed close to me four years I lived there, my five hours cleaning the living room, dish duty, and will continue to as I navigate per week were spent as a gardener.