Students

Inspired by conversations she was having in May about police brutality and killings of Black Americans, Sobechukwu (Sobé) Uwajeh ’22 knew she had to take action. On the lookout for literature to educate others about racism, she posted to her Instagram account a “starter kit” of recommended books about how to be an anti-racist.

Hailey Wilson ’22 saw Uwajeh’s post and immediately and enthusiastically texted her with another idea - they should start an anti-racist book club at CMC.

They’ll forever be bonded in 2020—one class exiting CMC, one class entering—and both experiencing the loss of their senior years to COVID-19. With our newest students from the Class of 2024 starting their second week of virtual classes, our latest graduates from the Class of 2020 offered their best advice about embracing and enjoying all that CMC has to offer.

Mrinalini Bhushan ’21 wasn’t sure what to expect when her CMC classes launched online this week. After leaving hastily for home in March, and wrapping up the spring semester online, she fully anticipated to be back on campus this fall.

All Claremont McKenna College students received a surprise gift in the mail this week.

A 5-pound care package arrived chock-full of CMC goodies. The shiny brown box included a 6-foot round blanket (for social distancing), blue block glasses (for Zooming), four CMC folders, an academic planner and notepad (for class organization), and magnets, stickers, and other CMC-branded desk supplies. The 340 first-year students received a tumbler as a welcome to CMC bonus.

Lexi Punishill ’24 chose a small liberal arts college like CMC, in part, because she “wanted to be friends with everyone” on campus. Craving community with her new classmates while stuck in quarantine since early spring, the Connecticut native decided to give her social calendar a boost by doing the most 2020 thing she could think of.

“Let’s start a Zoom and just see how it goes,” she said with a laugh.

Peter Uvin couldn’t contain his enthusiasm.

As teaching plans poured in from faculty members during the past two months, he saw the promise and power of a virtualized fall semester coming together. New, topical courses. Innovative pedagogies. Smart software tools. Special projects, guest speakers, and at-home labs. Nearly 20 pages and growing—a “magnum opus,” joked Uvin, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty—whose rich details for adaptation to online-only engagement “are a testament to the faculty’s commitment to student learning this fall,” he said.

Academic achievement. Leadership. Personal integrity.

These are the attributes that define this year’s senior award winners, with graduates receiving special recognition for stellar achievements, either as the top students in their academic departments or as leaders and difference makers on campus.

Like everyone in higher education this spring, Brian Davidson ’08 has been doing his share of adjusting and re-adjusting with advisees. The good news: CMC has, once again, produced an impressive roll call of selective domestic and overseas fellowship and scholarship winners, including five Fulbrights. The challenges: Some programs have gone virtual, postponed travel, or been cancelled completely given ongoing restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.