CMC In The News

ABC News featured Sarah Chen’22, who is the third CMC senior to be awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, the most competitive and prestigious scholarship in the world. Chen '22, a dual major in philosophy, politics, and economics (PPE) and international relations, is Claremont McKenna’s first female Rhodes Scholar and the first from the College in 28 years.

The story notes that Chen is the only Rhodes Scholar who attends a Southern California school. She will head to the University of Oxford in England to begin her graduate studies in Oct..

"My ultimate plan, or my dream, is to wargame for the defense and security of the United States and the world, internationally, and promoting peace through the usage of technology and cyber space," she told ABC.

"She's so deserving of this," said Hillary Appel, one of Chen's professors. "She'll be a wonderful ambassador for the College, for Southern California and for her home state of Alaska too."

The California News Times also featured Chen.

The Anchorage Daily News covered the story that Sarah Chen ’22 has been awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, which funds recipients’ graduate studies at Oxford, and is the oldest international academic fellowship and one of the most prestigious in the world.

Chen, who grew up in Anchorage, is studying the emerging discipline of strategic wargaming. “I want to explore more into technology and the ethical issues and vital implications,” she said. “And then I’m hoping to continue my path into developing more quantitative skills because I think that a large part of wargaming is developing accurate analyses and working with data.”

Yahoo News also covered the story.

The International Business Times interviewed Prof. Jack Pitney about former President Donald Trump’s possible 2024 presidential bid. "If he wants the GOP nomination, it's his for the asking,” Pitney said.

The Washington Monthly interviewed Prof. Lily Geismer about the history of microfinance. Geismer, whose research into microcredit and the liberal establishment is part of her upcoming book, “Left Behind: The Democrats’ Failed Attempt to Solve Inequality,” described how microfinance disappeared as an ideal. In the early 2000s, she said, “plenty of idealistic people I knew went on to work for microfinance organizations. My students today who have similar values are not interested.”

In an op-ed for Nikkei Asia, “China must not shut the door to cultural exchanges with the U.S.,” Prof. Minxin Pei wrote, “As bilateral ties between Beijing and Washington have steadily deteriorated in recent years, the cultural ties that bind the two nations are also fraying fast.”

“Local politics is the place for ordinary citizens to go if they want to exert control over the political process,” wrote Prof. Lily Geismer in a New York Times op-ed,” co-authored with Eitan Hersh.

The Dallas Morning News published an excerpt from Prof. Ken Miller’s book, "Texas vs. California: A History of Their Struggle for the Future of America.” Miller is the director of the Rose Institute of State and Local Government.

Prof. Jack Pitney was interviewed by The Daily Beast about how the Virginia Governor’s race is the first key indicator of where U.S. politics is headed. “People in Virginia may simply want a change after eight years of Democrats. Even if that’s so, what matters is the perception. It’s the first battle of the 2022 campaign,” he said.

Prof. Jon Shields wrote an op-ed for the New York Times, “A Hard but Real Compromise Is Possible on Abortion.” “Why have pro-life sentiment and activism survived this past half century of far-reaching social liberalization?" he asked.

C-SPAN broadcast Prof. Jack Pitney’s class on presidential speeches and public opinion, focusing on the 1970s through the 1990s, and examining the evolution of presidential communication. C-SPAN also shared the lecture as a podcast.

In an opinion essay for “The Constitutionalist” about the landmark 1964 Supreme Court case, “New York Times vs. Sullivan,” Prof. George Thomas argued for “revisiting this venerable decision.” Thomas is the director of the Salvatori Center.

In an interview with New York Times, Prof. Albert Park provided historical and cultural context to the resurgence of Dalgona, a Korean candy central to the life-or-death contest featured in the worldwide Netflix hit series, “Squid Game.” According to Park, because of the popularity of “Squid Game,” the candy has made a comeback as a retro, nostalgic snack. “For some of these young Koreans, I don’t think they consciously think it’s Korean candy, but it’s a way to connect to their history that they don’t want to necessarily do in a history book,” he said.

Prof. Minxin Pei was interviewed by the New York Times about how China plans to avert a financial crisis. Censorship of the press and social media makes it hard for the general public to know about the extent of such problems.

“The government can place them under watch and pressure them through their employers or relatives not to make trouble,” said Pei, who is writing a study of China’s domestic security apparatus.

President Hiram Chodosh was interviewed about results of the 2021 College Free Speech Rankings, which placed Claremont McKenna the nation’s No. 1 college for free expression. “At CMC, we respect and engage in robust discussions around diverse viewpoints, including those with which we most strongly disagree,” Chodosh said. “We seek to examine the underlying basis for those disagreements, including any about the proper protections and limitations of free speech. This is how we can learn from disagreements and reach stronger levels of shared understanding. This is how responsible people serve and lead others, not through the sheer exercise of power, but through the power of persuasion.”

The story highlighted CMC’s commitment to free speech noting that dialogue and debate are central to CMC’s culture. The school sponsors The Athenaeum, a public-affairs program that brings a range of speakers to campus to meet with students and discuss important political and cultural issues. It dedicates several pages on its website to affirming and explaining the school’s commitment to free expression. According to the Free Speech Survey, 54 percent of CMC students surveyed felt it was “very” or “extremely” clear that the administration protected free speech on campus,” according to the story.

CMC Profs. Ken Miller and Andy Sinclair appeared on KPCC’s “Air Talk” to discuss the findings of their Rose Institute poll comparing political attitudes in California and New York states leading up to the recall challenge of Governor Gavin Newsom and Governor Andrew Cuomo’s resignation amid a sexual harassment scandal. Both states are large, Democratic-leaning, with a significant divide between urban and rural voters, and governors in trouble with some voters.

LAist also covered the results of the poll.