Alumni tell me CMC has prepared me well for the journey, but have I really learned much since the 5th grade?  I have some plans, but I’ve never been more unsure of where I’ll be in five years.

Despite my personal confusion, I think I have a pretty good idea of where Claremont McKenna will be in five years. There are a lot of good “Decade in Review” articles and posts around the web lately, but I say those are written by people like Kevin Burke who can’t see into the future. Here’s what’s going to happen at CMC in the next decade.

2010:

• CMC amends the science GE requirements to allow computer science courses as an alternative option.
• The music video “That’s So North Quad” drops and takes the school by storm (just wait).
• I graduate.

2011:

• The Kravis Center opens.
• In his final act of bravery before graduation, the ASCMC Social Activities Chair will throw the largest CMC party ever in the middle of North Quad. There will be strippers, midgets, fifths, handcuffs, clowns on stilts, clowns on goats, Kanye West, and a 40-foot crane hanging a roasting pig over a spit. Epic. The next morning, a townie tied to a chair, gagged and missing his two front teeth, will wake up in the Appleby laundry room. Nobody will know how he got there. A Claremont McKenna water polo player will find the missing teeth days later at the bottom of the CMS pool. The townie will sue CMC for a few milli. In response and retaliation, the administration will cancel all ASCMC parties for the following three weeks.

2012:

• CMC announces a plan to tear down Ducey Gym and build a new gym in the “pit” across Claremont Boulevard. They have been doing this annually for years, but this time they “mean it.”

2013:

• The company that owns the College Park Apartments tries to found the sixth “Claremont” college, Upland College. The Consortium decides not to admit the school, so the company founds their own consortium — The Upland Colleges.  Holla.  The Upland Colleges will become renowned for their strict alcohol policies, degree in ergonomics, and loose women.

2014:

• An ambitious CMCer will hear about this thing called Claremont Confessions. “Sounds cool,” he says, so he brings it back. This time the site implements an anonymous video and hidden camera feature. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination.
• Chipotle adds a store to the Claremont village. In-N-Out Burger takes over for Bon Appetit at the Hub.

2015:

• A few weeks ago I said to President Gann, “Tear down whatever buildings you want and rebuild them, but don’t try to tear down North Quad.”  She laughed.  ”That’s what everyone tells me!” she said.  In 2015, she draws up plans to tear down North Quad as part of what she dubs “Ganny-Gann’s Masta Plan.”

2016:

• Facebook groups remain a vehicle to achieving powerful institutional change.  President Gann mysteriously retires following the creation of the Facebook group, “WE LOVE YOU NORTH QUAD – DON’T LEAVE CMC!” The Board of Trustees hires an Economics Professor (finally!), Brock Blomberg, to take her place.  The plans to tear down North Quad are dropped.
• ASCMC gets audited by the Internal Revenue Service. Uh oh. As the ASCMC CFO shreds files associated with line items for “Tropical Lei Expense,” “Cigars for Meetings,” and “Income from Extraordinary Sources,” a CMC alumnus who was appointed head of the IRS in 2015 calls off the audit.

2017:

• Newly appointed Athenaeum Director Ward Elliot reinstates the Madrigals tradition as his first order of business. The wassail will flow once again.

2018:

• Moose Halpern (CMC ‘10), running on a campaign of “What up, chief?” is elected the youngest US Senator in California history.
• Scripps goes coed and quickly becomes the most competitive 5C school to get into. Mudders will cry. The Motley will stop serving “feminista” coffee.

2019:

• Henry Kravis bequeaths a large amount of cash money to CMC under the condition that we buy, restructure, and annex Pitzer with it, renaming the school “Claremont McKravis College” (see image).
• CMC will have the largest liberal arts college endowment in the world.

________________

I can’t predict what will happen beyond 2019 — CMC might open a water park in Montclair, the senior class might take over the Children’s School playground, the consortium might kick out Pomona College — only time will tell.  Who knows what’s coming?

I gave a talk not too long ago on a college campus. The event was sold out, so the administration started a waiting list for seats.

CMC Dean of Faculty Gregg Hess

The daughter of a good friend found herself on the waiting list. When I heard she still hadn’t gotten a ticket the day before the event, with just a touch of guilt for trying to bend the rules, I emailed a Dean at the college whom I know:

Dear G—-,

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. There is a young woman named B——- who is on the wait list. Is there any chance you can get her in?

Steve

The Dean called me back almost immediately, asking whether B—— had applied early-action or was going through the January admissions process.

Confused, I told him I had no idea and all I knew was that she was a freshman. Only then did he realize that I was just trying to get her a seat in the auditorium, and I realized that he thought I was trying to get her accepted into the college!

Could this anonymous Dean G— be none other than our own Greg Hess, Dean of the Faculty?  From their personal rapport and Levitt’s mention of going “way back” with Hess at the Ath talk, it’s likely the case.  If so, it’s the second time this week Hess and SuperFreakonomics have been linked in the national press; his review of Levitt’s book appears in yesterday’s Los Angeles Times.

On civilian journalism…
Saberi recognized the impact of civilian journalism, citing the example of Neda Agha Sultan, the woman whose murder was recorded by a bystander and widely publicized, especially on YouTube. “Civilian journalism does not replace professional journalism, but can complement it,” Saberi said.

On youth…
Saberi provided insight into the lives of Iranian youth, speaking of the young people who participated in political demonstrations, as well as those who expressed their feelings in other ways, including music. She shared a song titled “In Iran” by an Iranian rock band headed by a young man named Ashkon who was arrested for putting on a show without a permit, which Saberi asserted the authorities saw as “cultural invasion.”

Ashkon’s motivation behind the song, relayed by Saberi, provided a vivid glimpse into the concerns of Iranian youth. He spoke of youth taking their beliefs to the streets “at any price.” “But what about their lives? What about their futures? I sang this song because Iranians just need peace. Why doesn’t anyone ask, ‘Is Iran at peace?’ instead of asking ‘Is Iran making nuclear weapons?’”

On women…
Saberi described Iranian women’s significant involvement in the political process, ranging from campaigning and voting to protesting, where they outnumbered the men at times. Saberi displayed a clip from a 2006 news report she had done about women in Iran. Through the clip and a series of photographs, female firefighters, police officers, and taxi drivers were introduced, showing that there is some progress being made despite the restriction of women’s rights in Iran. Opinions from Iranians on both sides of the issue were shared, including from one woman who stated, “If the woman wants to go to work, the family will have many problems.”

On children…
Saberi spoke with some young girls at a Kurdish school, who want to be teachers, doctors, or police officers when they grow up. She also described the confusion that children face  with the incongruity between public and private lives, giving the example of a child being taught to hide parents’ “sins” when in public to avoid their suffering punishment or shame.

On identity…
Saberi touched on the “duality, or multiplicity, of identity” in Iran. Fear of punishment by the authorities causes many Iranians to live very differently in public than in private. The resulting discrepancy between what is said in public and what is done in private can cause a lot of confusion and identity struggles.

The bottom line…
The range of attitudes and beliefs Saberi encountered reveal that Iranians are a very ideologically diverse group, making the social and political situation highly complex. When asked whether a secular government, as opposed to a theocracy, is necessary for stability in Iran, Saberi asserted that she wants what the Iranians want, although there is no reliable way to determine what that actually is, nor is it likely that all the citizens desire the same thing. The speech provided a moving insight into a country whose people we would do well to understand.

On Monday, September 28, The Forum will hold Student Debate night at the Athenaeum. CMC has already proven itself as a environment that encourages intelligent discussion and debate– whether it’s online or during afternoon tea at the Ath — and students have proven themselves to be knowledgeable and passionate about national and international issues. Student Debate Night would further cultivate that atmosphere of lively discussion, but redirect it towards campus issues, an area less popular but just as important for students. The topic and speakers will come from YOU.

Suggest a campus issue for debate below. The possibilities are endless, but issues could include such topics as the Dartmouth Plan, admission policy, or general education requirements. We’ll take suggestions for a week.  An ASCMC committee will select the three best suggestions and open a poll on the Forum.  Students will vote for the issue they want to see torn to pieces on the Ath stage.

Once we announce the topic, we’ll ask you guys to come forward as speakers.

If you’d like to share your suggestion and get more feedback, post in the Comments Section after the submission form.

The two may face challenges in the new year if budget cuts affect the Athenaeum’s sometimes costly speaker program. But we’re sure they’re up to the challenge. Congratulations, David and Paige!

Although the Fall 2008 Athenaeum schedule has not been finalized, former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove and New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd will be coming to CMC this semester.  Karl Rove is slated to speak September 15 as a Res Publica Speaker; Maureen Dowd will speak November 17 as a President’s Office Speaker, according to information posted on the Athenaeum website.

Living up to its reputation, the Athenaeum is bringing us two very ideologically opposed speakers.  In a recent column of Dowd’s, she criticizes Rove’s tactics:

“Actually, that sounds more like W.

The cheap populism is really rich coming from Karl Rove. When was the last time he kicked back with a corncob pipe to watch professional wrestling?

Rove is trying to spin his myths, as he used to do with such devastating effect, but it won’t work this time. The absurd spectacle of rich white conservatives trying to paint Obama as a watercress sandwich with the crust cut off seems ugly and fake.”

In the past, the Athenaeum has featured speakers as politically diverse as President Bill Clinton and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.   As always, seats to see these speakers will be free to CMC students and open to others on a space available basis.

Other speakers this fall include leaders of industry from the Robert Day School Distinguished Speaker program, professors, authors, musicians, and scholars from all disciplines.  The full Athenaeum schedule should be available within 1-2 weeks.

“Being a conservative columnist at the New York Times is like being Chief Rabbi at Mecca,” joked Brooks about working for a newspaper that many believe to have liberal-leaning ideologies.

A young boy with his parents at a “be-in” in Central Park (“where hippies could go to Central Park and just ‘be’”), Brooks saw a man burn his five dollar bill and throw it down, so instinctively Brooks picked it up. He jested that the step to pick up the bill was his “first step to the right.”

“Good journalists tend to be aloof and emotionally detached,” said Brooks, who was both witty and personable in his speech. “They say what they think and they don’t have trouble being honestly critical of even the people they like.”

Brooks, who grew up in the highly liberal Greenwich Village neighborhood of NYC, related the influences thoughout his life that affected his political views. A former liberal himself, Brooks admitted to having been deeply inspired into the ideology of conservatism by William Frank Buckley, Jr., who passed away the same morning of this speech. Brooks spent a good portion of his talk on Buckley’s illustrious career and amiable personality.

A common conviction among conservatives is a “distrust in government,” alleged Brooks, who expressed his view that the world is too complicated for the government to fully understand and successfully fix with legislation. He addressed the state of conservatism and the Republican Party, whose base has been rapidly eroding and many of its followers dissipating into both the liberal and independent camps. Unlike the confidence in conservatism that Buckley was able to inspire, Brooks expressed the unfortunate truth that the modern conservative movement has “too many sleezeballs rather than eyeballs” (think Bill O’Reilly and Ann Coulter). The growing consensus among conservatives, according to Brooks, is that Republican leaders are not genuinely representing the ideology of their own party.

Brooks went on to address the political culture of our time, as well as a range of social issues and current events – such as health care, global warming, the occupation of Iraq, and the ongoing 2008 U.S. Presidential Election. He expressed his skepticism for “Obamamania,” but did not stop short of praising Senator Barack Obama for his many admirable qualities. He seemed certain that Senator Hillary Clinton has effectively lost the race for the Democratic nomination. Brooks also conveyed his “love” for Senator John McCain, who he believes is deeply motivated by a sense of honor.

According to Brooks, the general election will be a contest between the nonpartisan left-winger, Obama, and a nonpartisan right-winger, McCain.

The honesty, eloquence and comical nature of Brooks’ speech offered a fresh perspective which, even as a non-conservative, I believe was worth hearing.

Mr. Gergen began with a talk about the presidential race and the fresh results from Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. “McCain survived a scare, and almost lost Virginia, and if Obama wins next week, that would give him ten straight. Then there will be a momentum change,” he said. But he added a caveat: “There is something about this election that we truly do not understand.” Indeed, the pundits have misjudged this election cycle with the predictions of an Obama win in New Hampshire and the end of the McCain campaign last summer.

Beyond the primaries, Mr. Gergen talked about foreign and domestic policy issues that get lost in the media excitement over the presidential race. He spoke about Iraq, Iran, the economy, health care, and global warming as the major issues facing the United States. He emphasized his opinion that the next President may have to face the most difficult and complicated issues since President Franklin D. Roosevelt took office in 1933. As a veteran of Washington, Gergen shined most when he described what is and not politically possible. He related an exchange with Newsweek columnist Fareed Zakaria on whether the U.S. would subsidize green technology, saying “I turned to him and said that Congress would never subsidize China.”

On Barack Obama, Mr. Gergen had mixed feelings. He said Senator Obama holds an unknown factor– that is, he has a very large potential upside and equally large potential downside if elected. According to Gergen, Barack Obama could come as the “beginning of a new politics” or could turn out to be “just another Jimmy Carter.”

Mr. Gergen held his highest praises for Senator John McCain. Gergen recounted the service Senator McCain gave to this country in detail and lauded the Senator as one of the greatest patriots this country has ever seen.Mr. Gergen was mostly unbiased in his political analysis, but advocated strongly for national service at the end of his talk. As a board member of Teach for America, he talked up the organization and its founder, Wendy Kopp. Yet, Gergen did not acknowledge some of the widespread criticisms over the effectiveness of the program.

Gergen expressed his hopes for the future of American politics, hoping that young Americans would step up and give the national service that is “expected” from our generation. Gergen opined that our generation is “more idealistic, more spiritual, and believes in social change.”

As happens occasionally at the Athenaeum, a student challenged the speaker directly during the Q & A session. Charles Johnson ’11 disagreed with Gergen’s ideas about national service, stating that paying taxes was enough service. Mr. Gergen turned the question on Mr. Johnson, asking if he paid his own tuition and whether he felt he owed anything to his country. Mr. Gergen, visibly taken aback by the student’s responses, declared that national service is not “suggested,” but is “expected.” At this point, the audience erupted into applause and Mr. Johnson sat down.