Alumni

CMCAA News

CMCAA welcomes all alumni back for Reunion Weekend, May 20-22, an historic first for CMC as the Pacesetters celebrate their 55th reunion.

This year CMCAA will honor former Trustee Fred Merkin ’67 with the Jack L. Stark Distinguished Service Award and Trustee Michael Larson ’80 with the George C.S. Benson Distinguished Achievement Award. CMCAA also will induct two honorary alumni: Georgette DeVeres, associate vice president of admission and financial aid, and Jerome Garris P’91 P’01, incoming vice president and dean of the faculty. Those interested in attending the Awards & Honors Dinner should contact the Office of Alumni Relations.

CMCAA has had a busy and productive year, with events scheduled for nearly all 17 domestic chapters. Internationally, Sara and Ben Conte ’92 will host Euromeet XVI, May 27-29, in Dublin, Ireland. They will be joined by Vice President for Alumni Relations John Faranda ’79 and this year’s Euroscholar, Ben Chambers ’06. If you will be in the area, contact the Office of Alumni Relations for more information.

Other recent chapter highlights include a wine tasting in Los Angeles, featuring wines with a CMC connection; a 5-C alumni tour of Craftsman Farms in New Jersey, led by David Lowden ’71; a tailgate party in Portland prior to a Lewis & Clark football game; a celebration and open house for Washington, D.C., alumni to visit the new Washington Program facilities; and Dr. Janet Conney ’86, speaking on her specialty, Alzheimer’s research.

Under the leadership of Giving Chair Laura (May) Grisolano ’86, the CMCAA Board has taken on the task of increasing alumni participation in the Alumni Fund, hoping to increase awareness that participation directly impacts the College on a number of levels. Annual gifts support student scholarships, reinforcing CMC’s ability to maintain a need-blind admission policy, and participation is a measure of alumni satisfaction, which impacts the College’s rankings and grant applications. Each alumni gift contributes to CMC’s success.

CMCAA would like to thank the many volunteers who contributed to our successful efforts. We look forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Alumni Association’s incorporation, Dec. 5, and to many more years of service.

Parents

Family Weekend a Success

More than 440 CMC family members visited campus for Family Weekend 2005, Feb. 19-21, welcomed by Parents Club co-chairs Gipsy and Ed Bergstrom P’05 and Suzi and Joe Schomer P’05.

The weekend provided a variety of activities to help families learn more about their student’s education and to meet the College’s faculty and administration. The weekend featured an update from President Pamela Gann, sessions on using the Career Services Center and studying abroad, a faculty reception in the Founders Room, a traditional student-parent dinner at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, and a Stags basketball victory over the University of Redlands.

Other programs included a lively student debate on Idle Hands Are the Devil’s Tools: The United States Should Bring Back the Military Draft, and discussions on The Danger of Dangerousness: Can Jurors Think Rationally about a Defendant’s Future Dangerousness?, led by Assistant Professor of Psychology Dan Krauss, and The Ongoing Research Agenda of the Rose Institute, led by Ralph Rossum P’01 P’08, Salvatori Professor of Political Philosophy and American Constitutionalism and director of the Rose Institute of State and Local Government, with students Jeff Simonetti ’05, Michael Peel ’07, and Julia Cox ’07.

All who attended are encouraged to complete the Family Weekend survey at: www.claremontmckenna.edu/parentgateway.

“I especially appreciate parents’ comments about how happy their children are at CMC,” says Ed Bergstrom, “and I also thank everyone for attending.”

Special Events

Steve Frates ’69, senior fellow at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government, spoke to Los Angeles-area parents on The Governor’s Quest to Improve California’s Government&mdah; Problems and Prognosis. Carole Curb-Nemoy and Dr. Norman Nemoy P’07 hosted the event.

Parents in New York gathered at the home of James Quella P’08 to hear Director of Career Services Susanne Mahoney Filback discuss the Career Services Center’s programming and current trends in on-campus recruiting.

Parents interested in hosting an event should contact the Parents Club, parents@claremontmckenna.edu.

Upcoming Dates

Aug. 25: Parents Orientation Parents are needed to greet new parents and participate in informal panels. To volunteer, please contact the Parents Club, parents@claremontmckenna.edu.

Visit the parents’ gateway, www.claremontmckenna.edu/ parentgateway, for updated information.

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The inaugural Alumni Golf Tournament will take place Friday, Nov. 11, at Los Serranos Country Club in Chino Hills. For more information, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations.