The CMC Celeb section features interesting personal stories and there is no better celeb to start with than Isaac Goldberg. Isaac, a senior from Scarsdale, NY, is a passionate Democrat. He is majoring in Government with a sequence in Leadership. Isaac spends his free time playing on the CMC Regulators baseball team. He is the President of the Democrats of the Claremont Colleges and has political experience that would make most CMCers drool. Isaac has worked a number of internships. Notably, he has worked for two Congressional campaigns and on the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Washington, D.C. Most impressive of all, Isaac was offered the unique opportunity to work on Barack Obama’s 2008 bid for the White House.

To get to know Isaac better, the Forum asked him a set of six questions that can be found in all future CMC Celeb articles:

“The Six”

1. What are the top 5 most played songs on your iTunes?

1. Thunder Road, Bruce Springsteen
2. Cotton Fields, Credence Clearwater Revival
3. The Weight, The Band
4. You Don’t Know How it Feels, Tom Petty
5. Perfect Gentleman, Wyclef Jean

• “It was good, how was yours?”
• “It was really nice to see my family and friends.”
• “It was soooooo relaxing.”
• “My family and I went to (insert London, the Caymans, Aspen, et al.) and it was a absolutely awesome.

If these are your planned responses, spare me– I won’t bother to ask about your break. I know conversations in passing can’t always be as thorough as your experiences deserve, but lord, relay some information that doesn’t make me want perform Chinese water torture on myself. If anything, make a story up. Or delve into your strange family dynamics and pull out a fragment of truth that can be both amusing and brief. So I don’t cut you with the dragon handle dagger my mom got me for Kwanzaa. It’s fucking sweet.

Do you understand what I am saying? No? Here are some things to say that won’t make my life feel as stale as the box of Nilla Wafers your dementia-ridden aunt-in-law thought you would like for Christmas. Some of these are based on my family experiences, others pulled out o’ me buttocks. Oh and I gave them titles. Suck on that, title haters.

The Nebraskan: I watched the entire discography of Seinfeld and gained 15 pounds. Laugh tracks and fried mayonnaise balls are a bad combination.

The Mac: I played Apples to Apples as a drinking game. You can put Helen Keller down for anything and it’s funny. (Wordplay/pun cross-action, if you are the first to identify what this means I’ll give you a free Charles Johnson tee).

The Homewrecker: It was the first time I drank with my parents and I went shot for shot with my mom until she had alcohol poisoning. We spent New Year’s Eve in the hospital. Wear it, mom.

The Mudder Clause: My boyfriend got me an electric toothbrush for Christmas. We’re not together anymore.

The Banjo Baker: I watched my uncle taser a raccoon. It was funny until I got the pelt for Christmas. I hate Arkansas.

The Mood Ring: I Just chilled in Idaho with a couple friends, all my family has died of scurvy.

The Colorado Killer: I slept with Greg Oden and…well…my pregnancy tests are negative. I’m contemplating rape charges. Girls gotta eat, right?

And, I’m Old: You know that song by The Moldy Peaches when Dawson says, “You shook a little turd out of the bottom of your pants?’ My grandpa does that on the reg. And it’s not like he’s senile, he thinks it’s hilarious. When people call him out, he sticks his tongue in his cheek and does blow job impressions. Perv.

So you got it, right? I just set the standard. Be weird!  Lose friends to your vulgarity! Come up with more and post them in the comment section. Titles I wish someone would elaborate on: The Charlie Jo, The Skinny Squirrel, maybe something like The Beaumont Heidrich. I dunno, it’s not like you’re doing anything yet, make me smile.

Career Services is currently searching for a replacement and has hired on an interim Assistant Director, Jason Jeffrey, to fill her position. Jeffrey, who will take over the sponsored internship program, starts at CMC on January 11.

After Dean Huang’s interview with (and ultimate decision to decline an offer from) Amherst earlier this semester, not to mention his replacement as Dean of Students by Mary Spellman, Beth Ricca’s departure rounds out something of a tumultuous semester for the administration.

There were a few standout performers and a few more people who should probably not quit on that finance sequence. The first one act “Miss You” is unlikely to fall under the standout category. “Miss You” chronicled the phone conversations of four entangled lovers.  I didn’t find the plot particularly compelling but my largest complaint was the softness of the actor’s voices. One attendee put it best by saying, “I wanted to yell, ‘Speak up!’”

The next play “The Philadelphia,” a humorous scene set in a small diner, was, judging from the crowd reactions, a far more successful production.  Some of the play’s regional jokes surrounding Philadelphia went over my ignorant midwestern head, yet, I still found the actors’ performances funny. Max Menke in particular stole the show with a decidedly CMC attitude, a feat even more impressive coming from a Pitzer student, in addition to a number of well delivered punch-lines.

“The Sandbox” was another instance of something that went over this reviewer’s head. I couldn’t even begin to explain the meaning of the third play’s surreal, bizarre mix of Los Angeles oriented religious references. I spent most of the act trying to figure out what was going on. But big props to Tyler Lamon for sporting his junk through all fifteen minutes of the play.  Acting is nerve wracking enough without having nothing but a thin piece of spandex between your pee-er and your peers.

The staging of “Post Its” was effectively simple although I found it to be at points emotionally ambiguous. Blow-up doll and Viagra jokes were interspersed with profound reflections on relationships and growing old. The stage directions were minimal and “Post Its” could have easily sunk into monotony had it not been for the strong performances from Wade Vaughn and Andie Wheatley.

I appreciated the attempts by the “Crack The Whip” cast to adapt the the play to the Claremont audience. Caroline Taylor was great as the air-headed Pitzer dream girl. Unfortunately, during the Saturday showing the actors seemed to have a few problems remembering lines and keeping straight faces. Still, the play stood apart in my mind both because of the unique script changes and less-contrived subject matter. My largest criticism of the one acts would certainly be the script choices. The acting wasn’t exceptional but it certainly wasn’t abysmal either, rather I felt many of the chosen plays felt cliche and overwrought. Except in the case of “The Sandbox” — where I just had no clue what was going on.

The final play “Chocolate” probably got the most laughs of the night thanks to amusing performances from Jennifer Baute and Will Kahn. Kahn’s hilarious British/French/German detective accent, a ridiculous amalgamation of strange syntax and odd emphasis, got a laugh every line. The entire play was a Kahn accent delivery system. Baute did a great job of setting up Kahn and getting out of the way. She let him roll his Rs and pace around the stage and never missed an opportunity to draw out another “No, thank you.”

All in all, watching Under The Lights One Acts was a satisfying way to spend ninety minutes  of my Saturday night– plus there was free food.

Stencil Safari

The first thing that people notice when walking into junior Garrett Smith’s Benson single are his stencils inspired by the English graffiti artist Banksy. Despite his painted shelves, hand-made clock, and snazzy entertainment system, visitors only want to talk art. You actually made these stencils? How do you do it? What’s your inspiration?

From a young couple kissing to grenades to sunglasses, Garrett has captured the stencil aesthetic: “My favorite is probably the man with the umbrella. From the idea to the spray-painting, the entire process was my conception.” His designs are fresh and colorful. With only a few simple forms, he’s able to capture the essence of his subjects.

Twinkle Twinkle, Art and Sparkle
This double room is just above Stark Lab and its occupants frequently hear passers-by comment on its artwork and twinkle lights. The room certainly is eye-catching! Sophomore Meagan Biwer has meticulously placed every poster and photograph to exhibit her varied tastes. Her wall of art “reminds me that there’s a life, an existence outside of my room and staying up till 2 am doing homework.” She loves surrealist art and especially Salvador Dali– of whom she has 4 prints on her wall.

Meagan has created a living space full of color and eye-candy, yet calming with its soft lighting and fine touches (such as the Tiffany lamp on her bedside table and the Dali-inspired clock).

Scandinavian Solstice
The original inspiration for my own room is from Scandinavian design (note the birches tapestry which is actually a shower curtain, as well as the hand-made bulletin boards and pillows with a floral design – both are from the well known Finnish fabric designer Marimekko).

My rooms in the past have been jam-packed with museum postcards, magazine tear-outs, and other art posters that I’ve collected. But this year I tried to take a step back and leave some white space on the walls.

By wrapping a yellow roll of paper around the room, I’m able to bring in different design elements for a cohesive whole. Nature, bold colors, and modern art are the other forces guiding my décor. From my Warhol-esque digital prints of my friends and silk-screens of Atticus Finch (done for a Civ10 project), to my own photography, 3-D shadow boxes, and collages, I’m proud of how my room reflects me. I have invested a lot of time to each design detail but most everything was done on a tight budget.

An aesthetically pleasing room is a must for my survival at CMC. And the cherry on top is my scenic view overlooking Parents Field and the mountains.

To view larger photos and extra photos, check out the CMC Dorms & Décor Flickr account.

Know about an awesome room that we could feature (not necessarily relating to art)? Yours or a friend’s? Any suggestions? Feel free to send us (that’s Cameron and Gloria!) any and all ideas about dorm room design at chanson10@cmc.edu or gchang10@cmc.edu.

“The process is very drawn out,” explained Johnson, who posted in-depth about his experience on his blog, the Claremont Conservative. “We took the [initial] test over the summer and we won’t hear back from the Jeopardy! folks, if at all, until December.”

There were several portions of the audition itself, testing candidates in a variety of fields.  First, Lewis and Johnson took a written test of 50 questions with a recording reading a different question every 8 seconds.  While they are unable to comment specifically on the material of the test, these questions were, in general, more difficult than those appearing on the show.  Following this exam, the CMCers and roughly 30 other prospective contestants were called to the front of the room three at a time to play mock rounds of the show in front of a panel of judges.  According to Lewis, the judges would call on contestants regardless of who buzzed in first, testing how well they could answer questions in a television setting.  Finally, the panel interviewed each person at the front of the room for roughly two minutes, asking questions such as “What’s your major?” and “What will you do if you win the money?” to get to know each individual briefly.

“A surprising number of contestants were very smart and very boring,” said Lewis.  ”Everyone got to watch everyone else’s interviews, and it was surprising how few people showed creativity or any personality in their answers. We heard a lot of the same answers to interview questions over and over.”  Prior to the interview, the contestants were asked to submit five interesting stories or fun facts about themselves, material for Alex Trebek’s banter between rounds.  The judges simulated this during the interview, asking Lewis about his mountain climbing ambitions and Johnson about a childhood memory involving the Jeopardy! theme song.

While waiting to hear back from the show’s producers, Lewis and Johnson will remain regulars at CMC’s very own Hub Quiz, where the teammates are a force to be reckoned with.  If their interviews are successful, the pair will join Professor John J. Pitney and Tournament of Champions winner Dan Pawson ‘03 in the ranks of CMC Jeopardy! contestants.

1. Mark Teixeira & Brian Hoffstein: The Yankees first baseman bares a striking resemblance to Stag infielder Brian Hoffstein (’12).

2. Alex Rodriguez & Jordan Rosenberg: Not only do A. Rod and J. Ros look alike, but they also both play third base.  Rosenberg (’12), however, has not been involved in a steroid scandal while playing for CMS baseball.

3. Johnny Damon & Moose Halpern: Damon was one of the top performers in this World Series with a .364 batting average.  And when he’s clean-shaven, he also happens to look a lot like Stag catcher Moose Halpern (’10).

Post your agreements, disagreements, and suggestions for more lookalikes in the comments.

The first of these classes, BIOL 84LJT: Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, which will be taught by Professor Emily Wiley of the Joint Science Department and Professor Steven Casper of KGI, debuts next semester and promises to “introduce students to molecular concepts and techniques underlying the evolution of genetic engineering for commercial purposes including pharmaceutical development/production, cloning, tissue generation, genetic testing, and biological enhancement.”

These courses will also de-emphasize traditional lab-based study and instead use lecture, discussion, and case-studies in an effort to draw out the connections between policy, economics, and science.  According to Chris Wiedey, CMC’s Director of Foundation & Corporate Relations, the new classes aim to “align more closely with the existing college curriculum, while still presenting fundamental scientific concepts. These courses will not be isolated, compartmentalized components of the curriculum. Instead, we expect them to complement CMC’s demonstrated strengths in economics, government, and public policy.”

One current Joint Science professor, who wishes to remain unnamed, admits that some students can be “adversarial” about their GEs and hopes that “the more concrete idea of showing exactly how scientific thinking affects other fields would help engage otherwise leery students,” and that “anything that would encourage students to take a science course early and of their own volition will ultimately lead to happier outcomes for everyone… excitement and enthusiasm go a long way towards making a course worthwhile… students feeding off of the faculty’s enthusiasm and vice-versa in a feedback loop.”

The scheduled implementation of the new curriculum means that most of us will never experience it, but it represents a not insignificant step in CMC’s ongoing efforts to balance its dual nature as a liberal arts school and a government-econ specialist.

The dominant social status game at every college in the US is partying. Partying lets us judge how fun other people are to be around, how much other people seem to like them and what sort of sexual partners they attract. On its face it makes little sense that our nation’s best and brightest youth are so willing to drink; alcohol use kills brain cells, hurts academic and athletic performance, makes us more aggressive/more prone to engage in risky behavior, and has severe long-term health effects.

But drinking gives us higher status, because it’s a credible signal of commitment; by drinking, we show our peers that we’re willing to take risks and hurt ourselves for the benefit of the group. Drinking also gives us high status because it’s wasteful – it kills brain cells, makes the drinker feel sick, and makes schoolwork impossible, so it’s notable if you can party hard and still get good grades. When you see studies showing that drinkers earn more money than nondrinkers, it’s not because alcohol opens pathways in the brain – it’s because people who drink have higher status than nondrinkers, and thus are more likely to get paid more, compete in the workplace, and get bonuses.

CMC is the hardest partying school of any of the 5C’s, due mainly to our cultural legacy as a men’s only college, and the high proportion of athletes here. Because of our reputation and culture, not only do we attract students who are more likely to engage in hard partying, but we also train each incoming class to value partying as well. We assign social status to other CMC students based on how fun they are to be around and the status of their sexual partners, both of which are facilitated by partying and alcohol.

As long as drinking gives students higher status, then any attempts by the school to reduce the amount of drinking, either through more restrictive policy or through admitting more introverted students, will fail. Partying will get pushed inside dorm rooms, to the other colleges, Claremont bars or College Park. But people will continue partying; they have to, to preserve their status. High status people could announce that they’re playing a different game, but they earned their high status by being good at partying, so they have little incentive to change the game, just like you wouldn’t want CMC to suddenly begin admitting students with low SAT scores.

To be alcohol-free is to risk being judged harshly by one’s peers and not invited along the next time everyone goes out. While Kenley Turville works her tail off for SLC, dry events will never be a big draw, because everyone worries that they’ll be assigned low status for choosing not to drink. We assert that we can have good time without drinking, or we know someone who’s fun and doesn’t drink, but we’re still there on a Saturday night taking pulls from a handle of Captain Morgan and bragging about how drunk we were the next morning at Collins. While the administration thinks the problem is simply about alcohol, for students, the stakes are far higher than a few shots.

(with thanks to Andy McKenzie and Charlie Sprague for discussion, and Katie Walker for the photo)

Should CMC change its alcohol policy?  Come listen to the discussion on Tuesday, November 17 at Debate Night at the Ath.  Sign up here.