Volume 94Number 01

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

August 26, 2009Wednesday

Eco-friendly newMBA buildingopen for business

see Kaiser page 6

JENNIFER COURTNEY

Mills Collegetransitions toKaiser health

center

After years of campaigning formore comprehensive health care,students now have access to an on-campus Kaiser health facility.

Kim Baranek, Director of Wellnessand Community Outreach, worked withstudents at orientation to answer anyquestions and address concerns aboutthe switch to Kaiser and the new healthcenter.

“Part of my job is to hear what’sworking and what’s not,” said Baranek.

Baranek works as a liaisonbetween Kaiser Permanente andMills, advocating on behalf of stu-dents. Baranek said the Division ofStudent Life has had good commu-nication with clinic staff, and mostof the issues were resolved quickly.

“So far there hasn’t been anything tocome up that we haven’t been able todeal with,” said Baranek.

Students who do not enroll inthe Kaiser health plan may also usethe on-campus center.

The center opened Aug. 17.“There are students who have

already used the services who don’ thave Kaiser insurance,” said Baranek.

She said it is important for stu-dents who plan to waive the insur-ance to do so by going to the KaiserStudentNet via the Mills websiteunder “Student Services” and then“Health and Counseling.” Studentsmust enroll or waive by Aug. 31. IfKaiser health insurance is notwaived, the student will be auto-matically enrolled in the program.

According to Baranek, therewill be one doctor and one voca-tional nurse on site during clinichours. There will also be a websitewith doctor biographies, where stu-dents can search for a doctor that isright for them, and if enrolled inKaiser insurance, choose a primaryphysician. Baranek also said walk-ins are accepted, but appointmentsare preferred.

Baranek is a new full time employ-ee at Mills, and is happy to address stu-dent concerns about healthcare.

“My phone has been ringing offthe hook about insurance stuff,”said Baranek.

She said she appreciated thatstudents could get convenient care.

“It’s a good resource for stu-dents to have something righthere,” said Baranek.

Bus passes provide students with more travel options

This semester, undergradu-ate students are starting theschool year with AC Transit EasyPasses for the first time, paid forby an increase in student fees.

Assistant Director for PublicSafety Niviece Robinson issuedEasy Passes outside Sage Hallduring new student orientation.She said students were thrilled toget their Translink cards.

“It’s freedom for those whodon’t have cars,” said Robinson.She said the passes will allowMills students to get out into the

community more often, and stu-dents who drive can use the pass-es in case their cars break down.

“It’s emergency back-up,”said Robinson.

She also mentioned the conven-ience of having an Easy Pass for rid-ing BART, as money can be loadedonto the card to use the train.

The passes are intended tocreate a more sustainable andpractical transportation optionfor Mills students living both onand off campus. Many students,especially those who workedwith AC Transit to make thepasses a reality, feel the unlimit-

ed ridership passes are a way tomake Mills a more “green” cam-pus, and to provide students agreater connection to theOakland community.

Sophomore Kelly Hill was amember of the AssociatedStudents of Mills College(ASMC) last year when studentswere working to get both ACTransit and Mills on board.

“I know how hard some stu-dents worked to get this greatservice to Mills students,” saidHill. “As students living in theBay area, the passes will serve asa great tool to explore the area

around us.”Although Hill admitted she

might not use the pass as often asstudents who do not drive, sherecognized the benefit of votingfor the passes.

“It would have been nice ifstudents with cars had the optionto opt out of the bus passes; how-ever, I understand that it was nec-essary for all students to get thepasses to keep the cost for every-body low.”

An Easy Pass will cost stu-dents a fee increase of 96 dollars

KKiimm HHaarrrriissNEWS EDITOR

KKiimm HHaarrrriissNEWS EDITOR

see Transit page 3

The Lorry I. Lokey GraduateSchool of Business was finished onschedule Aug. 12 and is now open tostudents and faculty. Classes begin inthe building today.

The building has such environ-mentally sustainable features as a roofgarden with plants that are drought-tol-erant, an iris pond that catches rainwa-ter and the low-flow toilet and faucetsystems that were also used in theNatural Sciences Building.

Prominant features of the buildinginclude floor to ceiling windows thatcover most walls, allowing for naturallight and heat.

The building is L-shaped and cov-ers 28,500 sq. ft. Designed with morethan the environment in mind, it hasunique architectural aspects, such as afloating conference room and furnituremade from cypress trees that oncestood on the site of the building.