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No graduating class would be complete without a list of seniors winning fun awards outside the realm of academics. Who in the class has the best humor? Who is most likely to become president? Who is always working in Poppa? Well, the votes are in, and here are the Senior Superlatives of 2019! Compiled by Jessie Ainslie, Teagan Knight and Edgar Warnholtz Colgate - Best Smile Jason Barbarosh Becky Monroy Betzy Perez Adele English Emma Houston Genghis Khan - Most Likely to Rule the World (and have a banger named after them) Melia Wong Lindsay Burton Edgar Warnholtz Corbin Bethurem The John Faranda - Most Likely to Come Back for Every Alumni Reunion Samarth Chawla Connor Bloom Betzy Perez Edgar Warnholtz Adele English The Oval Office - Most Likely to Become President Lindsay Burton Maddie Lee Melia Wong Bryn Miller Edgar Warnholtz Robin Williams - Best Sense of Humor/Class Clown Marisa Galvez Andrew Friedlander Isaac Roth Patty Shore Full of Tea - Best Athee Bruno Youn Becky Shane Sasha Houy Jeremy Anderson Farrah Fawcett - Hair Goals Ieva Burk & Dani Chami Riley Hoffman Jessie Ainslie Nikaya Manley Chandler Koon Your Last Name Hall - The Next CMC Trustee Jared Barclay Logan Miller Nick Federochko Connor Bloom Edgar Warnholtz Call Me Poppa - Find them Cranking Here, Always Kai Vogel Will Cullen Jason Barbarosh Amiya Narula Becky Shane Frank Sinatra - “I Did it My Wayyyy” (Most Unique CMCer) Isaac Roth Lindsay Burton Jake Hudson-Humphrey Quincy Brown Dexter’s Lab - Science G’s Who Wish they Came to CMC Post-Keckxit Tim Gallagher Mary Bryan Owen Gayatri Ketavarapu Adrienne Jo Elena Seifert Mr. Stag(s) &/Or Ms. Athena(s) - Couple Goals Jake Hudson-Humphrey and Nick LaBerge Henry Frome and Maya Guttierez Patrick Hennessey and Renata Drucker Franny Lin and Kevin Hsu Jack Huang and May Mcdonald Da Vinci - Artist, Genius, Scientist. A True Renaissance Woman Jahnavi Kocha Melia Wong Emma Houston Isabel Milano Air Bud - The Most Athletic Person Ever. Also Cute AF and Fun to be Around Corie Hack Adele English Corbin Bethurem Elijah Jackson Peter Williams Sydney Talmi Arya Stark - Will Save the World from Impending Doom Zippy Wilson Lindsay Burton Emma Houston Maddie Lee Adele English Friends Most Likely to Get Married Ninu Dev and Malka Kausar Andrew Friedlander and Anthony Burre Melia Wong and Skip Wiltshire-Gordon Jason Barbarosh and Edgar Warnholtz Wish They Were Your FYG - Teagan Knight Most Likely to Drive You to In-and-Out - Skip Wiltshire-Gordon Most Likely to Reverse Climate Change - Maddie Lee & Sam Becker The Next Anna Wintor (Great Style)- Jen Petrova

"For sale: baby shoes, never worn." Ernest Hemingway told his readers an entire story in six short words, and decades later we are asking the class of 2019 to do describe their CMC experience the very same way. They came up with fun, unique quotes that define themselves and their lives so far. Here they are! Hey lets order some chicken nuggets Blaze Li Sorry, gtg 2 tutorial Jack Gleiberman Good morning and sco nas. Megan Lo Whats up betch, time for selfcare Malka Kausar “I drink and I know things” James Jiang Picked my battles: all of them Zippy Wilson Corie Hack has a back. Corie Hack Dodge duck dip dive and dodge Peter Williams It's hard being a meme of yourself Allie Carter Successfully did not over-destroy people Pocket-Sized Satan Chris Raguz Chris Raguz Chris Raguz Nick LaBerge De pronto me gusta la adrenalina Patricio Aguilar 4th Quarter, Stag Quarter! Malcolm Stolarski Squirrels, resilience, capitalism, owls, laughter, chaos Ande Troutman I go to newport for haircuts Jason Came back for the Athenaeum strawberries! Saloni Dhir watching Friends with Maya, wanna join? Elena Seifert I mastered the art of procrastination Annie Park biggest win- not falling off collin’s roof Emily Wang Gledaj napred ali osvirni i nazad. Ajlina Bašić No recording, no phones, yes cannolis Bruno Youn Fue un chinga, pero lo hice Jenny Perez Resendiz Welcome to Roberts! What's your loop#? Remi Edwards Remember when JLaw...? Neither does he Matt Psaltakis “Wait, doesn’t she go to Scripps?” Malea Martin Finesse tomorrow before tomorrow finesses you. Patrick Jamal Elliott The best parties are at RYAL Riya I thought I went to Keck. Kathrine Whitman Please come to my party Adele English Probably burned my tongue this morning. Peter Brody-Moore No, I'm not a literature major. Emma Henson Hey, wanna Uber to Millikan? Ieva Burk I've still never been to Oldenborg. Ellery Koelker-Wolfe Keep the change, ya filthy animal. Jack G. Lori Science Midterm. Mental Breakdown. Repeat. Ravi Sadhu 320,000 dollars worth of wood chips. Laira Aggarwal Grilled chicken and one-on-ones Brendan Suh Freedom's a wager for more freedom George Charles Nigel Jeremy Gregorio Anderson Stark Resident Assistant Jeremy Anderson Barn party! Barn party! Barn party! Kimmy Tuttle Strangers to friends, friends to family Andrew Friedlander A little cortisol, so much serotonin David Brown Skipped class but met prof @Collins Sylvan Zhang Beach? ElRanch? Elvira’s? Let’s send it Tess van Hulsen Degree made possible by Starbucks Coffee Natalie Coffin Please pay in coffee, books, ramen. Kevin Mercado Learn to love your own company! Pallavi Deshpande Hot take? Civilization prospers with kindness Sam Becker Good vibes save lives☮️ Namrata "Ninu" Dev Future brighter than my Asian glow. Alice Chen These were the good old days Conor Hogan Who’s calling Uber to El Ranch? Maya Gutierrez fOR uS cMC kINDNESS pLEASES pLENTY Sarah Malott Want to study at Scripps pool? Jennifer Mace KFBR392 Matt Daruty Reading room anyone? Sco nas. Sydney Talmi I’m glowing, I know, it’s fine ! Krystal Sung Can we have a dance party? Jahnavi Kocha Left for a year, now cultured. Luke Radice ALL LIGHT BEERS TASTE THE SAME Guggs I am like Collins, consistently mediocre. Nolan D. Rajakumar Let’a go to Juanchos on Thursday. Kelly Ransom CMC: Poppa, Keck, Friends, Repeat! Katie Carrillo Umm, did someone say Wine Wednesday? Amiya Narula Sorry, I’m on shift in poppa Becky Shane I came, did my job, left André Simoneau I'm gonna go take a nap Seoyoon Choi “Let me check my GCal.” Michelle Cao SOURCE Meetings, Snack, and Filtered Water Lili Muskal Is the course catalog out yet?!?! Leya Aronoff Do it later, let's go skiing Bryn Miller How many junifer berries in gin? Jay Chung Civilization prospers with Ath lemon bars Hamsa Keil is texting me gifs again Celeste Terni Long live Collin's dry ass chicken Eryn Rogers I need to take a nap Kiki Yang I can handle the business side Patrick Hennessey What am I even doing here? Jack Huang Collins has lasagna AND garlic bread Hannah Berg Civilization prospers when you're not an asshole Marisa Galvez Every thing happens for a reason. Julian Castañeda Hey, can you play Paper Planes? Charlotte Morrissey Retainers in. Swiffer out. Party on. Megan Schneider c'mon, let's go out! Betzy Perez gayer than expected Sara Freimuth Team, life's short, drink good wine Connor Bloom First we must fight for Eros Jake Hudson-Humphrey Cottage Cheese. Caffeine Pills. DoLab Warrior. Corbin Bethurem Sponsored by Claremont's local coffee shops Meredith Thieme Got that Slumdog🐶 Millionaire💰 Bollywood💃🏽 Flow🌊 Devang Patel "I see your light" - Leanne Betasamosake Simpson Kandace Fung Always down to party. Or sleep. Kara Schachter Festivals, friends, and full sends. Yup! Patrick Myers How many words is six words? Patrick Shore This many words is six words Sean Smooke Extras on flex? Mackenzie Bradford A transformative, unforgettable and rewarding experience. Mengting (Valerie) Huang i would do it all again Vanessa Romo Let’s help the world without “productivity” Isaac Roth trust that mf process! sco nas Teeana Cotangco 1Gen Forever Rafael Velasco Each Claremont day I am becoming. Blake Lapin Turned this in way too late Michael Chen And so the SAGA continues... C.C. Schwab Time is a flat circle Christian Tchamitchian I'm heading up to the Rose Alec Lopata Stop doing it for the prestige Roxane Sazegar drank the kool-aid, spat it out. Kai Vogel No, it’s called EEP, not PPE. Will Cullen Shooters shoot -JR Smith Tre Gonzales I'm taking my talents to vlogging Tony Chau Your name’s too ethnic for me!' Shivali Joshi Patrick Shore is actually very mature Logan Miller Wait, did someone say Tequila Fest? Payson THIS IS MY LAST BRAIN CELL Jess Winssinge

Alumni weekend festivities brought to campus a nostalgic air of celebration. Campus buzzed with alum reminiscing on their days spent walking around CMC’s campus, making memories worth a lifetime. Read on to dive into the stories alumni shared in six short words with The Forum this weekend: Photo Credits: Sara France, France Photography Abbie Johnson ’04: “Late nights at Library and Mckenna!” Jennifer Hosel ’99: “So much fun, so little responsibility” Adam Miller ’03: “Why did I ever leave Claremont?” Kate Keating (Key) ’04: “Maturity, growth, in sun with friends” Lissa Pressfield ’04: “Claremont was a wonderful place for college! I have so many amazing memories!” Michael Jordan ’89: “The strongest friendships I’ll ever forge” Rick Neault ’89: “Easier to get in back then!” Francisco Perez ’89: “Stags/Athenas/Swimming/Suitemates/Surviving/Smiling” Francisco Perez ’89: “Why I left: To start again a new adventure”

If you walked through campus last week, you might have noticed hundreds of orange butterflies that dart and bop and skitter past the Hub, kiss their shadows on the sidewalk, and swoop around the Cube before climbing the air over Kravis. The perfect backdrop for existential musings-- where are they from and where are they going? More fundamentally, what are they? “Painted ladies,” says Pomona Biology Professor Johnathan C. Wright. The British accent is so natural that the words can never be said in another way. Professor Wright contributed to butterfly census work in the UK, and has done butterfly projects in Bernard Field Station since coming to Claremont 20 years ago. He said that Vanessa cardui are perhaps the most widespread butterfly in the world, and he saw them even when he was growing up in England. These guys are migrating north from deserts in Mexico and Southern California as they do every year, but having this many is rare. In fact, Professor Wright said there has been a terrible decline of butterflies globally. “The decline is due to increased pesticide use, grubbing out of native grasslands and old pastures with lots of wildflowers, and also drought and peculiar weather probably linked to climate change,” he said. But painted ladies have several advantages over local California butterflies. “Because they are incredibly mobile and breed throughout the year, they are much more adaptable in the short-term because they can move away from adverse conditions,” Professor Wright said. “In contrast, butterflies that are monophagous (exploit only one food plant), are very sedentary, and are single brooded (one brood per year) are often the most vulnerable. With the more erratic weather patterns, painted ladies might be a species that actually fares well.” The high rains in Southern California this year have led to a population boom, since the plants the larvae depend on have flourished early this year. They are breeding as they follow the blooms north, and can sometimes reach all the way to Alaska. There hasn’t been a painted lady migration on this scale since 2005. Keck Science Professor of Biology Diane Thomson remembers driving back from Anza Borrego then. “This big wave of butterflies came over the ridge and along the road,” she said. “They were so dense that it was almost hard to see out the windshield. It was completely amazing.” How many butterflies have been flying through Claremont this year? It’s difficult to tell exactly, but Professor Wright and I did the math. Professor Wright counted one butterfly a second flying over his head when viewing a 10-meter range. He first saw the butterflies ten days before we spoke. On the West Coast, painted ladies follow a narrow migration route up to Canada. On really good years, they might make it all the way up to Alaska. “If it’s a hundred-mile band of them going north, 100 times that would be 10 kilometers, 1000 times that would be 100 kilometers-” he’s doing these calculations too fast for me to keep up, but there are around 160 kilometers in a 100 miles — that’s where this estimate comes from. “So it could be over a thousand times the volume at any one time that I am counting, then extrapolated for however many seconds there are in a day-” he reaches for his phone. “Eight-six-four-hundred seconds in a day,” I offer (Turn it all around or throw it all away). “Oh, very good! So 10 days is 864,000, so close to 1 million seconds in 10 days,” he said. “So a million times … It’s probably on the order of a billion butterflies.” That’s 1,000,000,000 butterflies. Birds that eat these butterflies are probably very satiated. So is Ravi Sadhu ‘19, who wrote his senior thesis on bird species that mate in the spring. He said that the butterfly migration was a beautiful thing to watch. “Apart from the many things that make Claremont so special, watching different animal species such as birds and insects find a home for themselves and add members to their families during the spring is wonderful,” he said. “It reflects how intriguing biodiversity can be, and how the lack of it in urban life is disappointing. I hope this butterfly migration period will inspire all to learn more about species native to Southern California and gain a newfound appreciation for their existence!” Kandace Fung ‘19 wasn’t as excited about the butterflies as Sadhu. “I thought they were moths,” she said. “My classmate was biking and was hit in the face.” But something changed once she found out they were butterflies, and she agreed that it was beautiful. Once the flowers start withering in the summer, the butterflies migrate back down to their breeding homes in the southwestern deserts. Since the reverse migration route is more dispersed, we don’t see them in the same numbers. But in England, the reverse migration of painted ladies has been a paradox for centuries, Professor Wright said. “Even when you get really good years and they migrate all the way to Scotland, no one has ever convincingly shown that the migrants ever return to Africa,” he said. “There is some speculation that they’re flying higher and we simply lose them, but despite all the efforts there’s not really a convincing case to be made.” For Professor Wright, this trip seems futile. “You can argue that there is a point to migrating north so you can exploit food plants,” he said. “But if you can’t do anything, if all you’re going to do is die up there and not successfully reproduce, why would they evolve that way, why are they doing that?” Maybe the journey doesn’t make evolutionary sense, but there is something to be said about a one-way ticket. Spring Break means graduation is looming ever closer, and I’m struck with an apprehension of all to come. The magnificent painted ladies migration is a reminder and an assurance: we’re all just passing through Claremont.

The Resident Assistants for the new year have just been announced, and they will be starting their RAships after Spring Break. The room draw process will take place shortly after that. Check out these profiles to meet your new RAs! Appleby - Martha Baker Hello friends! My name is Martha Baker and I am from Denver, Colorado. My two younger brothers are my favorite humans and inspire my highly energetic, goofy and situationally-competitive personality. We were raised on skis and I #findmyzen in the mountains. Ask me about hiking in Patagonia for an enthusiastic recap of my abroad experience in Argentina. I study International Relations (at CMC) and Cognitive Science (at Pomona) and nerd out over education policy, international human rights and social norms. I am probably the only non-athlete CMC student consistently waking up at 6am, and I fuel my days with numerous hot almond-milk lattes. My planner is more colorfully composed than your average Picasso. I am obsessed with Soulcycle and am 100% obnoxious about it. Outside of class, you’ll catch me walking backwards around campus as a Tour Guide. Please reach out for a date at The Motley or Augies. I can’t wait to meet all of you! Much love from your new Queen Bee. P.S. I am also really in to leopard print right now. Auen - Bianca Carrizal Hey y’all! My name is Bianca Carrizal and I am SO excited to be an RA for the Golden Tower, along with my awesome Co-RA, Savannah! I’m from Houston, Texas (you’ll see me “throwing up the H” literally all the time.) On campus, I work at the Office of Admission as a tour guide and as the Student Director of Outreach, and I’m apart of organizations like Mi Gente and 1 Gen! I’m a Government major, but I’m really passionate about Texas politics and studying ways to support historically underrepresented communities in higher education, so if you have an interest in those things let’s chat! In my spare time, I enjoy reading (please share your favorite books with me <3) going out for ice cream, writing on my blog, creating poetry, blasting all types of music through my homegirl Alexa, and scrolling endlessly through Twitter (the superior social media site, duh.) If you ever want to talk about traveling abroad, Shawn Mendes, astrology, or the weirdest words in the English language then hit me up! Auen - Savannah Green Hey Everyone! I am Savannah and I am from the Bay Area. I am dual majoring in Economics and International Relations. I play softball for the CMS Athenas (Sco' 'Nas!), I am part of CPB, and I write for the Claremont Journal of Law and Public Policy. I spent last semester studying abroad in Freiburg, Germany (yes, I am a huge fan of beer and sausage now) so if I start saying random words they are probably in German. I am beyond excited to be back on campus in the Golden Tower: Au(en). You will most likely see me in Heggblade, on the softball field, or sitting outside the Hub. I love Big Bang Theory, The Office, Brooklyn 99, and The Good Wife and am always down to binge watch full seasons. Feel free to stop by Auen anytime and say hi. I promise there will always be snacks! Beckett - Sam Whittemore Hello! I’m Sam and I am from Mill Valley, California. I love the 5C’s (Curry, Cookies, Coffee, Christmas, and CMC!). I am always ready to talk all things Peaky Blinders, Jim Croce, Ghibli, and Podcasts … if you know, you know. In my free time I enjoy watching the Warriors win and playing video games. I am an economics major and I spent last semester in Edinburgh, Scotland where I learned a lot about whiskey, kilts, and how to herd sheep! I am often found distracting myself from important work in Beckett Lounge or frantically trying to catch up in the Beckett study room. I am beyond excited to get to know everyone better with my wonderful Co-RA Jess. Beckett - Jessica Kim Hi!!:) I’m Jess, a Beckett flood survivor and coffee addict. I love the 5S’s (snacks, slumber parties, sunlight, spontaneity and silliness). I’ve lived in Beckett for the past four years, and for the sixteen years before that I lived in Murrieta, CA (you probably have to look it up). I’m an APAM mentor, editor at The Forum, and co-president of the 5C Korean Student Association. You can probably find me napping in the library, eating lunch at the Oldenborg Japanese table, or hanging out in the halls of Beckett. Looking forward to becoming friends with all the future Becketteers with my tall co-RA Sam!! Benson - Juan Villaseñor Hello everyone! My name is Juan Villaseñor, but you can call Johnny. I am from Chicago, Illinois the best city in the world! I am so excited to be one of the Co-RAs of Benson Hall! I am a Biology major on the Premed track. At CMC, I am part of ¡Mi Gente!, I am involved in IM soccer and trivia, and I love going on and to CPB events! At the 5Cs, I work as a Peer Health Educator at Health Education Outreach and have served as a CLSA mentor for the past two years. In my free time, I love to play soccer, play the guitar and bass, go to concerts (bands I’ve seen recently include Joyce Manor and Remo Drive), play FIFA with friends (Real Madrid is my team), go to the movies with friends (Marvel and horror movies are my favorites), act and do improv(if you’re interested in improv HMU), find memes, buy shoes (Vans are life), and listen to podcasts (My favorite is Lore)! If you ever see me around please say hi! Best, Juan "Johnny" Villasenor Benson- Ariel Sepulveda Hi Everyone! My name is Ariel (like the mermaid) and I am one of the new RAs of Benson, the best dorm at the 5Cs of course. I am a SoCal girl, born and raised in LA county. I have signed my life away to major in Economics and Engineering. I am on the CMS Track and Field team competing in the pole vault (that thing where you run and jump with a large pole to get over another large pole). When I’m not jumping, you can find me dancing with Groove Nation, a 5C urban dance team. I enjoy capturing moments on my canon whether it be through videography or photography. Come hangout with me if you enjoy going on boba runs, listening to Ariana Grande, or nerding out over Dodger Baseball. If you don’t like any of those things, still come find me. I can’t wait to see you at the Benson table during room draw ;) Berger - Maya Love Hi friends! My name is Maya Love and I am the new Berger RA! I am from Aurora, Colorado and I am a dual major in international relations and a government dual with a leadership sequence. I spend a lot of my time learning about how the school works with ASCMC and on the basketball court as a CMS student athlete. I am passionate about traveling, language-learning, 3-v-3, and student advocacy. In my free time I love drinking tea, listening to music, telling jokes and meeting new people *hint*. Whether you are a Berger Resident or not, please do not be shy to visit! For my Berger Residents get ready to bust it down in Bergiana! Boswell - Amanda Kandasamy Hey! I’m Amanda and I’m so excited to be back in the best dorm/frat on campus (#fullsend)! I’m from Palo Alto (like the fifty-percent of students not from Seattle), and I’m a Gov/Psych major. When I’m not in Poppa, you can find me at the gym (probably laying on the ground instead of actually working out), watching The Office, and tagging friends in FB memes. Top five favorites: my golden retrievers (all four of them gudbois), carbs on carbs on carbs (I studied abroad in Italy and yes, I can work that into any conversation), the feeling of freshly cleaned sheets, and beaches but not the sandy parts. Please come talk/vent with me about Wikipedia as a reliable source, hiking/national parks, and why Pitzer omelets are the best (or anything else you want, ofc!) — my door is always open! Claremont - Vin Srikanth Hey y’all, I’m Vin! I’m from San Antonio, Texas (hence the “y’all”), and in stereotypical CMC fashion I’m an Economics and Government major. When I’m not busy pretending to be studying so I can feel less bad about my grades, you can catch me trying to get swole in Roberts (emphasis on “trying”) or watching whatever NBA or NFL game or tennis match is on. I’m also super passionate about politics and world affairs, so if you want to waste far too much of your time listening to me talk then just ask me about those. Good coffee, good tea, and good food are the ways to my heart, so if that’s your thing then hit me up and we’ll grab some. I’m hyped to be the RA of Chall! Feel free to swing by any time; I’m super excited to meet more people! Crown - Sydney Baffour Hi guys! My name is Sydney and I'm from Arlington, VA. I currently study Economics with a Computer Science sequence. On campus, I work as a Tour Guide, and a Care Center Fellow. I'm also part of the Black Student Association, and actively argue about random topics on the Debate Team. I love spoken word, and going to plays at Seaver Theater. I love dogs (as every logical person should), and can be easily bribed with a Chai tea from the Motley. I love music and am always looking for a good playlist so if you ever have any good suggestions please stop by Crown and see me! Crown - Taylor Hughes Hi y’all! :-) My name is Taylor, and I’m from Tucson, Arizona. You might doubt the authenticity of my use of “y’all” when you discover that I don’t, in fact, have a southern accent, and to THAT I say… it’s a great gender neutral group pronoun, and people I knew growing up had horses, okay. I’m a Biochemistry major with a Leadership Studies sequence, and I’m on the CMS Women’s Golf Team (#ScoNas!). I’m also a supervisor at Roberts Pavilion, and a peer leader with The Body Project. I firmly believe that rainbow goldfish are different flavors, and to date I have a 75% success rate at guessing their color in a blind taste test. I’m a huge proponent of chicken nuggets, never letting Vine die, going to the movies, Disney music, and dogs! I cannot wait to be one of the RA’s of Crown. If you’d like to challenge me for goldfish identification supremacy, let me know that actually the red goldfish is just *naturally flavored with beet dye*, or need literally anything else, my door is always open! Fawcett - Alex Garcia Delgado Hey Everyone! My name is Alex and I am one of the new RA's of Fawcett (AKA South Green Beach and the #1 South Quad Draft Pick!). I'm from Phoenix, Arizona, born and raised. I am Mexican-Guatemalan American and also the oldest of four siblings. I am 3-2 Engineering Major, which I am more than happy to talk and answer questions about. One of my favorite pastimes include plunging down the rabbit hole that is youtube and ending up watching the most random videos on there. I am huge fan of Game of Thrones( I'm counting down the days to April 14th!!!) and also Black Mirror. I'm also the proud owner of an accordion I'm trying to learn to play and a small succulent I've had since freshman year called "El Tanquito" (The Little Tank). You can usually find me working at the CMC Bike Shop, studying at Keck, or grinding at MUDDs' engineering labs. I'm excited to get to know you all, swing through to Fawc-Lit fourth floor! Fawcett - Lia Gagliuso Hi I'm Lia, one of the RAs of Fawcett (maybe known as: the classic Fawc-lit-, (South) green beach, or the lesser know #1 Draft Pick for Best Tower in south quad! I'm originally from Hinesburg, Vermont, but I recently moved to Portland, Oregon (does this mean I'm a ~PNW~ kid? lmk). I'm majoring in Neuroscience, planning on going to medical school and love everything about the brain and science-y things. I also thoroughly enjoy the outdoors and am always down for a trip to the mountains or beach (#neature). On campus, you can usually find me in Keck, my newfound love Poppa Computer Lab, or Ath Tea enjoying both the lemon squares and copious amounts of coffee. Come by for snacks and/or to help me think of a more original name for my room on the 8th floor than the Penthouse! See u there! Green - Connor Gaskin Hi everyone, my name is Connor Gaskin and I'm from Canton, Michigan. I'm studying economics and finance at CMC. Being from the Detroit area, I'm a huge fan of all of the Detroit sports teams, especially the Lions (which has obviously been rough for many years). Beyond my Detroit sports teams, I played soccer here for the Stags and am a huge fan of soccer, so if you ever want to watch/go to a game with me, talk soccer, or play some FIFA, swing by my room in Green! Besides my obvious love for sports, I love going to concerts, trying out new restaurants, and binging shows on Netflix. Looking forward to being RA of the best dorm on campus! Marks - Sam Lee Hey there, my name is Sam! I'm from San Diego where I grew up eating REAL burritos (suck it NorCal), playing soccer, and going to the beach. Although I'm an Economics-Accounting kid, CMC somehow let me study film and arts (and maybe a tiny bit of Econ) in Prague last fall. When I'm not sleeping, eating, studying, or driving the DOS golf cart, you can find me taking photos, eating dark chocolate, and/or working on CPB stuff. I'm super excited to seize the means of production and continue leading the proletariat in the good fight against the bourgeoisie, so feel free to swing by and experience the one and only Free Dorm on campus! Marks - Danny Martinez Hey y’all! I’m Daniel or Danny (whichever is easier for you) one of the new Marks RAs. I’ve been told that I’m the prime example of a Libra, so do with that as you like. I’m an Accounting/Spanish major and lived in Berger the last three years so I’m super excited about the change. On campus, I work as a Research Assistant for the Spanish Department. Spanish is my first language so if you’re looking to practice it or need help, be sure to reach out! I love FIFA and all things soccer, #NoEraPenal #MessitheGOAT, you can catch me at the library or the Motley drinking coffee and pretending to study. When I’m not busy, I love to watch TV/movies including B99, Queer Eye, and all sorts of documentaries. My fav of the Fab Five from Queer Eye is Tan so definitely hit me up if you’re looking for any style tips! Phillips - Julia Weinstein Hey y’all, my name is Julia and I am a native San Diegan majoring in neuroscience with an emphasis in neuropsychology. Around campus, I am a tour guide for the admissions office, a yoga instructor for the Sunday drop-in class at Roberts, and a student researcher in a Keck neuroscience lab. In my free time, I like to forget things in my room and go back for them, be really covert about my embarrassingly extensive knowledge of Harry Potter, and try to get new slang phrases in popular rotation. Stark - Janeth Garcia Hi everyone! My name is Janeth and I’m from Houston, Texas. I am a Math and Econ-Accounting major so catch me crunching numbers in Beckett study lounge every now and then. I love shopping (maybe a little too much), drinking coffee (also maybe a little too much), and having dance parties in my room. I love talking and meeting new people so whether you’re my resident or not, come by my room for tea/coffee/snacks anytime! Super psyched to be your new RA! GO STARRRRK!! Apartments - Gloria Bates Hey there, I'm Gloria. I'm from Anaheim, California; I actually grew up two blocks from Disneyland! I'm majoring in biochemistry, but also dabble in computer science, and I play for CMS basketball. Once I'm back in my room, I'm definitely into the Uncharted series, Battlefield, and I'm working my way through Destiny 2. Then again, I also love spoken word events and movie screenings. If you ever find yourself out at the apartments, don't be afraid to knock on my door! Apartments - Max Kirsch Hi all, I’m Max. I’ll be one of the three appartments RA’s. I’m a Chemistry-Economics dual major from New Hampshire (so I never think it’s cold here). You can often find me in Roberts as I’m a member of the CMS Men’s Basketball team. My favorite thing about the consortium is eating at all of the dining halls. In my free time you can find me at Collins Snack or eating somewhere else. I love to play cards love talking to anyone and everyone about almost anything. Excited to meet as many of you as I can! Apartments - Melanie Wolfe Hello CMC! I'm psyched to be one of the incoming RAs of the Apartments, and for anyone thinking of introducing themselves, I promise to maintain a constant stream of freshly baked goods down in 651G. Coming from South Florida, I was not expecting the desert chill of Claremont, but I've come to love CMC in spite of its winters and now use them as an excuse to drink more coffee. I'm a PPE major, studied abroad in Madrid last semester, and have had quite a few jobs and roles around campus, but I'm most proud of the work I've done with the team at Free Food for Thought--if you've never listened to our podcast, check it out! Generally, listening to podcasts and audiobooks are about as close as I get to "quiet time," so if you ever have a great rec or need one, please come by! For the (few) morning people out there, I can almost always be found catching up on readings at Frary breakfast. Wohlford - Crystal Salinas Hi, I’m Crystal and I’m from Chicago. Yes, I know Obama. Yes, I know Chance the Rapper. But no, I cannot introduce you (it’s against the contract). As a Science Management major, I’m passionate about healthcare and business and spend an unreasonable amount of time in the reading room....When I’m not studying, you can catch me at the next half marathon, saving the turtles #shellsquad, or listening to bangers only. I am also a CARE lead where I work with the most incredible people to promote diversity and inclusion on campus (swing by!!!). Super excited to continue the Wohlf pack legacy, don’t be afraid to reach out. I won’t bite :D

After sprinting through pouring rain, I arrived drenched, but nevertheless ready for my first Athenaeum lunch of the semester: the celebration of Professor John Farrell’s installation as the Waldo W. Neikirk Professor of Literature at Claremont McKenna College. Eager to learn more about “Literature and Utopia,” as his talk was titled, I sat at a table surrounded by Professor Farrell’s gushing past-students. Over salmon and salad, we talked books, classes, and expectations for the talk. Many recalled his engaging lecture style, thought-provoking questions and probing subject matter. After Dean Uvin introduced and congratulated Professor Farrell, the talk commenced. To my surprise, “Literature and Utopia” actually prompted more questions about dystopia and disorder. What does it tell us, Professor Farrell asked, that we are often drawn to and intrigued by chaos in literature? Using examples from novels like Brave New World and philosophical references to Plato, Professor Farrell made an argument for the nuanced dystopia. But what I found most compelling about Professor Farrell’s talk was the last reference he made to Montesquieu. “If we only wanted to be happy, it would be easy,” he said. “But we want to be happier than other people, and that is almost always difficult, since we think them happier than they are.” On that resounding note, Professor Farrell concluded his talk. Overall, in touching on questions of individual happiness and utopian ideals, Professor Farrell found a way to seamlessly thread together personal narrative and literary commentary. His talk reminded me that, ultimately, a big part of college is figuring out what fulfills us and contributes to our livelihoods as individuals. It is often easy – particularly here at CMC – to forget about the bigger picture concerning self-care and mental health. We must work to remind ourselves that there is more to life than summer internships, academic assignments, and extracurricular deadlines. The bigger picture is out there, we just need to find it. Tune in next week for another edition of the Ath Chronicles – get ready for a fun semester!

Anticipating being bored as winter break dragged on, a couple of friends and I planned a road trip for the last week of break. The plan was to drive from Phoenix, Arizona, where my East Coast friends flew in, then to Sedona, the Grand Canyon, then a quick stop in Yuma, Arizona (my hometown on the Mexican border), and then back to CMC with a stop in Slab City. As the trip neared, we realized that the government shutdown didn’t show any signs of stopping and we started to fret about how it might affect our trip. Although in the end it didn’t drastically alter any of our plans, it was interesting to see the shutdown’s effects firsthand as we traveled through state and national parks and crossed the border into Mexico. Our first encounter with the shutdown came as we drove to Sedona. We stopped at the visitor’s center, only to see a note scrawled on the door that the hours of operation were cut to only a few hours in the middle of the day because the only employees on-site were volunteers. All of the federal national park workers were furloughed during the government shutdown; if they worked, it was without pay. We managed to find the trails and sights on our own though, so the effects in Sedona for visitors weren’t too drastic. Sedona is beautiful and the red rocks are stunning. There are multiple vortexes in Sedona, which some residents claim contain special energy for healing, yoga, and other spiritual practices. We visited a Buddhist Stupa and enjoyed talking to the quirky residents of Sedona. Each person we talked to offered us a variation of spiritual guidance, which is kind of novelty in conservative Arizona. The most remarkable stop affected by the shutdown was the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon normally has a $35 entrance fee, which was waived because there were no employees to work in the Grand Canyon Village. There are normally 382 people employed by the federal government alone, which does not include those employed by private outfitters in the Village, who were also affected. January isn’t the peak season to visit the park, but the parking lots were packed. It’s disconcerting to think that the already underfunded National Parks forfeited the fees from 35 days worth of visitors. Additionally, the normally bustling Grand Canyon Village was a ghost town. It had snowed and none of the walking paths had been shoveled. There was not a single person to explain the Grand Canyon’s plethora of hiking trails or their shuttle systems. Although not a huge disappointment to my friends and me, as we are familiar with the area, the effects of the shutdown were also felt by the many people who traveled to visit the Grand Canyon. From the Grand Canyon we drove to Yuma. Since Yuma is on the border of Los Algodones, the most northern city in Mexico, it is normal for Yumans to park in the parking lot on the U.S. side and walk across. I brought my friends to show them around the little town and eat lunch. Since it’s something I’ve been doing for years, I didn’t even think about how the shutdown would affect the border crossing that controls the vehicle and foot traffic back in. The line to get back into the U.S. was longer than I had ever seen because the border patrol agents were understaffed and working without pay; it took us an hour and a half to get back into the U.S. when it normally takes ten minutes. Our last stop was in Slab City, or what most call Salvation Mountain: the colorfully painted mountains featured in many, many Instagram posts. In contrast to our other stops affected by the Government Shutdown, Slab City is known as the ‘Last Free Place in America,’ free from government control and filled with a conglomeration of people: snowbirds, the homeless, free spirits, anarchists, and artists. Though a lot of visitors only go as far as Salvation Mountain, which is located at the “entrance” of Slab City, if you continue on you will see an interesting assortment of life and art. We visited East Jesus, an interactive art garden, which is the creation of some of the residents. All the attractions are free, but donations are welcomed to a fund and support the artists’ costs. Visiting Slab City— a place that boasts its lack of government— was a noteworthy way to end the trip on, and was definitely a bit eerie when juxtaposed to our shutdown government. As we drove out of Slab City we noticed the upsetting amount of trash lining the roads and empty lots as a result of their unmonitored lives. This disarray was reminiscent of the unkemptness we saw at the unstaffed Grand Canyon. In some places, like Joshua Tree, the lack of staff caused damage that will take many years to repair. The trip was a exciting end to break, but it also offered us a stark reminder: if our government can’t reliably protect our national parks, they may not be there for us to enjoy much longer.

We are all well-accustomed to the presence of Public Safety officers on our campus. Not many students, though, know the story behind these familiar faces in uniform. Just like us, they are all here for a reason, filled with passion and love for the Claremont McKenna College community. After spending a few hours with our PSOs filled with subtle jokes, interesting stories and endless laughter, I have come to know our officers for their quirks, their hobbies and, to put it very dramatically, their true selves. Read on to get to know the talented, motivated and supportive officers and delve into their world beyond CMC! ROMEO ALEXANDER PEREZ “I am the baby of the group,” shared the cheeky and charismatic Romeo Alexander Perez. Born and raised in L.A., Perez is continuing his family tradition of military service. Choosing this path was hard, but through his work at CMC, Perez wishes to experience the college life that he never had. “I want to make a presence here, form connections with students that last, and so far, everything is off to a promising start,” Perez shared with a wide smile when asked what motivates him to be at CMC. Brian Weir attests to Perez’s ability to achieve this goal, given his approachable, caring and intentional approach to safety and wellbeing. When asked what the most challenging aspect of this job is, Perez shared, “It is probably getting students to realize that public safety isn’t here to punish them. I am here to help students get through school in a safe, yet fun manner.” So far, Perez has only had rewarding conversations with students about their lives, goals and aspirations. He is happy to talk with students about anything and everything, and is always up for a good debate. View Perez as the elder-brother you don’t have. Give him a high-five in passing or even stop and say what’s up. I strongly attest Perez’s words of wisdom, “I’m hip, I’m cool, I’m chill!” RATHANA KRY Often described as a ‘social chameleon’, Rathana “Thana” Kry can hold a conversation with anyone. Born and raised in Cambodia Town, Long Beach, Thana grew up in a multicultural hotpot. There is never a dull moment in her life because she is surrounded by people from various cultural backgrounds, as well as constantly being exposed to new traditions, festivals and food. Her adaptability is evident given the variety of security roles she has held in the past. Ranging from customer-service security in shopping strips, low-rise and high-rise buildings, to urgent security dispatch, Thana has done it all. “These diverse positions contribute to my ability to act quick, communicate and adjust to different environments with ease,” Thana said. Much to our good fortune, Thana’s love for an educational environment like CMC brings her here. She believes her innate ability to adapt to different situations, as well as her dynamic past experiences will positively contribute to our safety and security. “Every time we get a new call, we do not know what we are getting into, and that is exciting. The trick is to trust in your teammates and be confident in your ability to deal with the problem,” shared Thana with a determined and fulfilled smile. When she isn’t busy being CMC’s superwoman, Thana loves talking about the beautiful scenery in Claremont. She strongly believes that “the team members complete each other and complement each other really well. Everyone laughs, jokes about things but also corrects each other when needed.” BUTCH TROPEZ Originally from Compton, Butch Tropez has now been in Rialto for over 31 years. A retired police officer, Tropez has seen the good and the bad in the field of security. Thus, the serene and scenic Claremont is the ideal new work environment for Tropez. Given his love for the outdoors and fishing, it only helps that there are rabbits and squirrels roaming about while he works. Beyond the natural beauty, Tropez’s desire to work in a college setting in his home state, brings him here. “I love the people at CMC, the staff and the students,” Tropez told The Forum. “Being able to meet an eclectic group of individuals and learn what they’re doing in there time at CMC and after it, is very rewarding.” While Tropez loves to listen, he is also willing to share. His great-grandparents were plantation workers. A year ago, he got the chance to visit South Carolina and walk the same grounds that his ancestors were once enslaved on. “The entire experience was extremely moving for me. We all have a history, and I am more than willing to talk about mine,” shared Tropez. Tropez’s love for Claremont and its people reflects in his nurturing, vulnerable and open mindset to life, and he cannot wait to share that with the rest of our community. ELVIS MORALES On a random night in 1990, Elvis Morales met his wife at a gas station. Two years later, they got married. Twenty years down the line, “she’s still here,” Morales chuckled. Born in Tijuana and raised in San Diego. Morales served in the marines for six years. Public safety at CMC is his first security job and coming into it, he shares that he didn’t know what to expect. “Growing up in the area, I knew of Claremont and the CMC community, and I am extremely excited to finally be here. While I was nervous, the experience has been nothing but rewarding,” Morales said. Morales is honest and critically reflective, which I could gauge when he spoke about his challenges so far. “Learning everything required for the job and adapting to be all-encompassing towards the diverse student body takes getting used to,” shared Morales. Morales’ adaptation process appears to be one of growth and, in turn, reward. “I have seen a positive difference in the way public safety is viewed on campus and built relationships with students along the way,” Morales said. ROBERT A. GONZALES JR. “The staff, the students, (and) the vibrant atmosphere” bring Robert A. Gonzales Jr. from Rancho Cucamonga, to the Claremont community. His motivation to be a part of the CMC community is to support campus safety and show his dedication to everyone who is a part of it. “My favorite interactions are always when a student flags me down for an escort when its cold or raining outside,” Gonzales remarked of his student interactions so far. For someone with thirteen years of experience in security, the job has not proved too challenging so far. It is “all a day’s work and I’m enjoying it,” Gonzales said. Gonzales’ goal is to be there when needed, and actively contribute to any situation he can. “I want to apply my past experience with medical emergencies and other urgent security cases to CMC and be a supporting figure,” Gonzales affirmed with conviction. Besides his professional role, Gonzales wants to be your friend: “Come talk to me about anything and everything, ranging from how your day is going, to sports and current affairs! I am always willing.” The presence of enhanced security and public safety officers has naturally brought some confusion and questions with it. Some students were dissatisfied with this presence and did not understand it. The best way to bridge that gap is to get to know the officers and their intentions. At the end of the day, the team is here to help students enjoy their time at CMC safely. The goal is to make our community the safest space possible, and such a goal cannot be met without the collaboration of students and the team. So what are you waiting for? Step out and get to know who these new, friendly faces really are. You’d be surprised at how much you may have in common. Feel free to talk to them in passing, or reach out to Brian Weir at DOS if you have questions.

If you were recently hired or have been thinking about working on campus, it is necessary that you familiarize yourself with Payroll. Payroll, a part of CMC’s Office of Treasurer, manages everything related to student employment: employee/supervisor information, the amount paid to employees during a pay period, all the records of the wages and totals for the year, etc. The Payroll office is located in Bauer South B31, and is open Monday through Friday from 8:00am-noon and 1:00pm-5:00pm. Monica Diaz is the supervisor of Payroll. She oversees all the activity happening in the office and is willing to help students with their paperwork. Not a CMC student, but an on-campus employee? You can still be cleared through Payroll. There are a few steps you need to complete at Payroll in order to get cleared to work. STEP ONE: GET YOUR WORK-CLEARANCE CARD In order to get your work-clearance card, you are REQUIRED to bring original copies of UNEXPIRED documents and complete a Student Information form packet. In the packet, you will need to fill out the required paperwork provided. This includes your I-9, W-4, Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate, Acknowledgement of Meal and Rest Period, Deposit preference, and the CMC Employee Identification Record. Filling out the packet is straightforward, but, again, if you have any questions, Monica is there to help. After Payroll photocopies your documents and collects your completed packet, you will receive your work-clearance card. STEP TWO: COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR BOSS If you have already been hired, it is important to check in with your supervisor. Your supervisor needs to send a Personal Action Form (PAF), a form that provides Payroll with your information, start date, position title, wage, and account information. The PAF gives Payroll a heads-up that you have been hired. STEP THREE: WORK AND WAIT When you log into your Workday account, you will see the picture above. There are different applications for you to access here, but the most important aspect of this system is Kronos (circled in red). Begin working and keep track of your hours! While you do so, Payroll will be processing all of your information from the PAF into the Workday system. Once your information is put into the Workday system (usually takes 2+ weeks depending on the high volume of new student hires), you will receive two emails to complete the on-boarding process for your Kronos account. Your Workday account will allow you to see your information given to Payroll and will give you access to Kronos. You will be able to record all of your hours on a timecard within a certain pay period in Kronos. When you receive these emails, return to Payroll WITH YOUR COMPUTER and complete the on-boarding process there. Upon completion, you will have access to your timecard on Kronos in 24 hours. STEP FOUR: RECORD YOUR HOURS ON KRONOS As soon as you gain access to your Kronos timecard, it is best to ask Monica to show you how to input all of your hours into a timecard for the current pay period. Each pay period covers a span of two weeks, and your timecard in Kronos will show you the current pay period. It is important to make sure that all your on-campus jobs are listed when clicking on “Transfer.” If you have worked during a previous pay period, Payroll has paperwork for all the past pay periods where you can manually log your hours. Be sure to submit your timecards in Kronos or to Monica. STEP FIVE: RECEIVE YOUR PAYCHECKS Within a few days, you will start receiving your hard-earned money! If you have not received your paychecks, make a trip to Payroll to resolve the issue.

Happy holiday season CMC! As we make our way through the best time of the year, I’m sure you don’t have time to think about much other than finals. So to ease a bit of your stress, I put together a gift guide for all the people in your life while sticking to a college student budget. So whether you celebrate Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, or just the end of the semester, I hope you find some inspiration from these gift ideas! For your roommate: If your roommate is from the U.S., give them a piece of their home state with one of these candles, each of which has a specific scent to remind them of home ($30). If your roommate constantly loses their phone or is now on their fourth Hydroflask, get them a tile so they’ll never lose their essentials again ($15). For the room setup that doesn’t allow for a bedside table, this bedside caddy will keep your roommate’s phone, water bottle, or chapstick in reach ($22). For your friends: These multicolored lights have bluetooth speakers on them, so your friend can spruce up their dorm while also having surround sound ($24.99). A weighted blanket might sound like a strange concept, but these blankets are insanely relaxing and really do help with stress relief, making them the perfect post-finals gift ($59.88). Help your friend find the perfect studying and/or Netflix watching position with this wedge pillow that will take their XL twin the the next level ($30.99). For your suitemates or hallmates: You can never go wrong with fuzzy socks, and this 12-pair pack, will have enough to go around ($27.99). Buy this 2 pound bag of pink Starbursts and split it between your suitemates or hallmates so they don’t have to experience the disappointment of a yellow Starburst ($21.07). While it may seem a little bit strange, this squatty potty can be a suite or hall bathroom game changer. This is the gift that never stops giving ($19.99). For your significant other: Your significant other would no doubt love the opportunity to see your face when they wake up every morning with this cardboard face cutout ($27.99). You can also pamper your significant other a bit with a super luxurious feeling silk pillowcase so they get good sleep and never have a bad hair day ($37.99). This one is a bit pricey, but a sports-loving significant other would definitely love to spruce up their dorm with an Art of Words print ($49.99). For your professor: An Augie’s gift card to grab some coffee from one of Claremont’s most well-loved coffee shops ($ varies). If you’re feeling generous, a massage certificate to relax after frantically grading finals is always appreciated, or at least re-gifts well ($ varies). This peppermint bark is a holiday classic that is easily shareable and sure to please ($21.71). For your siblings: A game for game night that they will want to play with their friends! I know a board game may not sound like the most exciting gift, but I promise this game is insanely addictive ($14.89). I always bonded with my brothers by mildly annoying our mom together, so reminisce about the good old days of childhood with a sibling through this mug that is perfect for anyone who used to love to play with their food ($25). CMC gear is always a great option as you make an effort to indoctrinate your younger siblings to the CMC way of life. For your parents: A gift card to their favorite restaurant in your hometown. Now that you’re out of the house, your parents can finally have some time to themselves, so treat them to dinner on you. Hire a local photographer to do a family photo shoot when everyone is home for once. Your parents would no doubt appreciate the photos for years to come. These inexpensive herb planters that look great in the kitchen are also extremely functional and, more importantly, hard to kill with their hydroponic growing system ($18-25). I hope these were helpful, and happy shopping! Credit for many of these ideas goes to Business Insider’s gift guides.

From fielding hilarious questions about your country to stuffing your suitcase full of Amazon items that your family obsessively orders to your CMC address every time you go home, there are certain struggles that every international student at CMC has experienced. As an international student from Vancouver, Canada, being closer to home does not make these issues any less prominent. I decided to interview a few other international students on campus about their experiences going to college in the U.S. in order to increase awareness of the international student experience at CMC. “How I misprinted all of my papers in the first week of school” Saskia Shirley ‘22, Sydney, Australia For most international students, there are unforeseeable differences between the U.S. and their home country. From experiencing culture shock to being forever confused when hearing temperatures in Fahrenheit instead of Celsius, the differences seem never-ending. Shirley’s story perfectly demonstrates this notion: “I went to go hand in one of my first papers at CMC, and as I was handing it in, I realized that the whole bottom half of the essay had cut off, and I had no idea why! This kept happening for a while, until one of my friends actually looked at the printer settings on my laptop and we realized that Australia has different paper sizes to America; we print on A4 in Australia, and Americans print on U.S. letter size. So my essay had printed supposedly on A4 paper, and a whole chunk of the paper was cut out. My professor was pretty understanding, but it was still a little awkward.” Shirley listed people being unfamiliar with Australia as a general frustration of hers. “People have asked me why I can’t go home for Thanksgiving, because they don’t realize how far Australia truly is. That would be a really long way to travel home for a holiday we don’t even celebrate in Australia. I’ve even been asked if Australia is part of the European continent!” Shirley also finds the responses her peers give when they try to guess where she is from quite humorous. “When I first got to CMC, the first question I would get asked when I spoke to someone was where I was from. Eventually, I got tired of answering that question, so I had people guess. I was amused when people would guess places like Sweden, Belgium and England.” She went on to discuss that she struggles with people only focusing on where she is from when she first meets them due to her noticeable accent. “I, of course, don’t notice that I even have an accent, but when I was meeting people in the first week of my freshman year, I would get a little frustrated when the first thing they would ask after talking to me for a bit is ‘Where are you from?,’ because I felt as though they hadn’t been listening to anything else I said, and just focused on how I said it. It is very understandable though, people are just curious because they aren’t familiar with where I am from.” “How I almost got registered as a woman on my social security form” Harrison Hosking ’21, Auckland, New Zealand International students must obtain a social security number in order to work on campus. It can be a lengthy and, frankly, annoying process that many international students struggle with. Hosking’s story is a particularly comedic example of this. “In the first semester of my freshman year, I wanted to work at the Atheneum, so I needed a social security number. The director of the Athenaeum wrote me a letter of recommendation, and I went down to the social security office in Pomona with it, along with all of other my forms. It was about a three hour wait, until I finally got to the booth to hand in all of my documents. The process was very matter-of-fact; the man at the booth was extremely serious. In a very professional manner, he asked me to look over the final documents and make sure everything was in order. I was about to tell him everything was okay, when I suddenly noticed a small error. I said, “everything is correct, except ... I’m not a female.” He stammered “oh” and awkwardly chuckled and then went back and corrected it … and that is how I was almost registered as a woman in the U.S. social security database.” Hosking also humorously noted how people constantly confuse New Zealand and Australia, as a general struggle he experiences. “A lot of people seem to think I’m from Australia, because they can’t decipher between a New Zealand and an Australian accent, despite the fact that they are two very different countries. Someone I met even thought that New Zealand was in Europe, sort of around where England is, and another person thought New Zealand was in Canada, which I was very confused about.” “How I found out my family’s culture” Mrinalini Bhushan ’21, New Delhi, India International students are generally used to getting hundreds of questions from their peers, curious about their country of origin. While this can get exhausting, sometimes we are asked questions we don’t even know the answers to, encouraging us to learn more about our roots. I get asked a lot of questions about free healthcare in Canada and have been forced to educate myself more about the Canadian healthcare system as a result. While questions can come across as offensive or ignorant, people are usually just trying to educate themselves about other countries, taking advantage of the presence of international students in order to do so. Bhushan learned this when one of her friends asked her a question in her freshman year: “A friend of mine once asked me what an Indian household looks like. Instead of understanding why he was asking me that, I got offended. I responded ‘It looks like any other American household’ and he was unable to understand my frustration. In retrospect, I realized that there are minute differences between Indian and American households such as the presence of certain artifacts, religious symbols, and even architecture, that do make Indian households unique. This made me realize that I need to be a little more accepting of questions about India, even though they may initially come across as aggressive or offensive. I take for granted that people would know what it’s like to live in India, but that is not the case. People are genuinely just curious and trying to learn more about the world.” International students see life at CMC through an entirely different lens than domestic students and go through hardships, big and small, humorous and serious, on a daily basis that color our overall experience. However, I can confidently say that going to school in the U.S. allows us international students to learn more about ourselves and to view our home country from a brand new perspective.

CMC alumnus and White House correspondent for The New York Times Michael Shear ’90 spoke about his college life and professional experiences with Miriam Farah ’23 on the sixth episode of CMC Conversations: Journalism in Politics. The live show on Instagram started at 4 p.m. on January 14, and lasted 30 minutes. About 30 people attended the Instagram Live, which was the largest audience CMC Conversations had and retained. The recording was uploaded to CMC’s official Instagram page. At CMC, Shear received a public policy degree with a self-designed journalism minor while working as a student journalist for The Forum and later The Collegian, a 5C newspaper that no longer exists. During his time as an Athenaeum fellow, Shear invited many professional journalists to campus. Shear also interned for the Los Angeles Times and helped cover the inauguration of George H.W. Bush when he participated in CMC’s Washington Program. He loved his time in Washington, D.C., and believes that “at some level, the experience at CMC and doing student journalism was kind of what ultimately led me to what I’m doing there,” Shear said. Before working for The New York Times, Shear worked for The Washington Post and covered the local government in Virginia, and then Virginia’s State House for six years before covering national politics, including both of President Donald Trump’s impeachments. Shear enjoys reporting news regarding the presidency because he can “travel all over the world on Air Force One [...], and [he] sees the world in a very different way,” Shear said. “One thing about covering the White House and national politics is that you’re at the heart of stories that are global in nature where the whole world is watching.” To cover White House news, Shear would be alerted every time Trump tweeted, and one of his colleagues would even be on duty as early as 4:30 a.m. to quickly report news. When asked about Trump’s attack on the press and his constant undermining of public health messages regarding COVID-19, Shear said that his job remains the same — reporting useful and important information. Farah mentioned that Trump's attacks on the media can lead to huge consequences. In agreement, Shear believes that “there comes a time when you need the media to be putting out these important messages. In this case, it turned out that it was about a pandemic, and you ended up having something like half the country not believing in masks or that the virus is real.” According to Shear, these are consequences of Trump’s actions. Nonetheless, Shear noted that his “responsibility is not to get into a big fight with [Trump].” He continues to say that he “will never win a fight with the President of the United States. But what I can do is say ‘Okay, that’s fine. You have your opinion.’ But, I will ask you about this policy and what you meant when you said this. I think the more we stick with the news instead of engaging with him in a back and forth, I think we would be better.” Shear also talked about his experiences writing investigative pieces about the pandemic, including slow COVID-19 testing, missing information, and vaccine development. He said that the duty of journalists is not just about daily news coverage. “I think that’s kind of a twin responsibility for a journalist: react to the news, cover the news, but then also do some investigative stuff to give people a sense of what’s really going on,” Shear said. Since the pandemic has caused people to cancel or postpone events, Shear advised the student journalists to “make the pandemic your friend.” Shear believes that the pandemic grants journalists the opportunity to learn about people’s current struggles and lifestyles. “I would recommend making the pandemic your inspiration for your news,” Shear said. “Do as much as you can to report about how CMC students, faculty, and administrators are managing during this crisis.”