Athenaeum

Join the Athenaeum at CMC on Thursday evening (Oct. 19) for the first installment of the new Athenaeum Concert Series!

This year, the series of musical performances throughout the academic year focuses on the theme Renewal from Ashes – War, Destruction, Remembrance, Peace. In the first concert, “War,” come listen to the Bijoux Saxophone Duo (Aiwen Zhang and Valentin Kovalev) explore the fascinating ways in which composers react to periods of conflict and change, and how their works continue to resonate with us today. The Bijoux Saxophone Duo are world-class performers, featuring some of the best young saxophonists in the country right now – don’t miss this exclusive concert!

Registration is open to all 5Cs.
https://www.cmc.edu/athenaeum/athenaeum-concert-series-renewal-ashes-war

Welcome back – the fall semester at the Athenaeum begins today!

Swipe to see our first lineup of speakers and sign up via our bio link. From government, to culture, to photography, to economics – a diverse range of topics and speakers awaits you at the Ath, a signature program at Claremont McKenna.

Which event will you attend?

Congratulations to our Ath Fellows Miriam Farah ’23 and Abe Vasquez ’23 who will be graduating this Saturday!

Thank you for your leadership and dedication to the Athenaeum this year. Your support helped make the Ath successful. You will be missed!

Congratulations to our third and final retiring staff member, Lydia Aguiar. Lydia has been the face of the Athenaeum front office for 16 years. Always willing to go the extra distance for any student, faculty, or staff, Lydia prides herself on being helpful wherever and whenever needed.

The secret to her tenure at the Ath, she says, has been her love of being around young people and their open curiosity. Like her Ath colleagues, Lydia is most thankful for the students she has met over the years. What makes her the proudest is when, years later people come back and specifically remember her. Gifts and cards from generations of students adorn her office.

Though retiring from the Atheaneum, Lydia is not quite ready to retire full time and instead will transition to a lighter schedule, helping around the College as needed.

Read our special interview with Lydia: https://www.cmc.edu/athenaeum/historical-archives/2023-ath-retirements

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow Friday, May 5, 3-4:30pm for a special Ath tea to celebrate the incredible service and dedication of our retiring staff members, and to share your own remarks!

Congratulations to our second retiring staff member, Chef David Skinner. For nearly 32 years, he has put his passion for cooking into service for generations of CMC students, as well as for faculty, staff, and the greater community. It wasn’t just a job for Chef Dave – it was a calling which he embraced with creativity, responsibility, and pride of craft. An advocate for using fresh, local ingredients, Chef was an early adopter of the California cuisine movement that revolutionized the culinary world. He also mentored hundreds of students in the kitchen, even inspiring some to pursue careers in the food industry. In retirement, Chef hopes to dabble in catering, food demos, and private cooking, but his primary focus will be his golf game and travel adventures with his wife. In summing up his experience at CMC, Chef says he was: “Lucky. I was so fortunate to work with generations of students over all these years. What an opportunity for me!”

Read our special interview with Chef Dave: https://www.cmc.edu/athenaeum/historical-archives/2023-ath-retirements

Stay tuned tomorrow as we recognize our final retiring staff member.

Join us this Friday, May 5, 3-4:30pm for a special Ath tea to celebrate their incredible service and dedication, and to share your own remarks.

The bittersweet time has come to celebrate three important staff members who are retiring from the Athenaeum this year.

Congratulations to the one-and-only David Edwards, who has served as Athenaeum manager for over 36 years. When he joined the Ath team in October 1986, John K. Roth, co-founder of the PPE program, was serving as the director of the Athenaeum.

With indelible wit and humor, David has helped manage thousands (yes, thousands) of Athenaeum events over the years. Yet he is most proud of the relationships he has developed with students, watching them develop at CMC, and then come back as successful alumni and even trustees. Some of the student workers he mentored now have their own children at CMC.

David promises to visit the Athenaeum often in retirement, though his primary focus will be to make sure that his four-month-old grandson Luke is a regular at the Los Angeles Zoo. Summing up his tenure at CMC, David asserts that “Every day was a new adventure!”

Read our special interview with Dave here: https://www.cmc.edu/athenaeum/historical-archives/2023-ath-retirements.

Stay tuned this week as we continue to recognize our retiring staff members.

Join us this Friday, May 5, 3-4:30pm for a special Ath tea to celebrate their incredible service and dedication, and to share your own remarks.

Cornel West, a prolific author, professor of philosophy, and Black public intellectual, visited the Athenaeum on March 23 for a wide-ranging conversation on race, sponsored by the Presidential Initiative on Anti-Racism and the Black Experience in America and the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies.

With decades of experience teaching at Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and currently at Union Theological Seminary, West greeted several colleagues and friends in attendance and engaged openly and warmly with many members of the packed audience.

Watch his Ath talk "Race Matters" on the CMC Youtube channel – link in bio.

📸 : Sidney Smith IV ’25

Ath Fellows are critical in helping suggest speakers as well as hosting them during their visits. This includes sitting at the head table with guests and leading the question-and-answer session after the formal presentation.

The Ath Fellows will be hosting casual, informational sessions about the fellowship at Ath Tea on:

- Monday, April 3, 3:45 to 4:15 pm
- Thursday, April 6, 3:45 to 4:15 pm

Gain valuable experience and be a part of this Athenaeum tradition since 1983! Apply via Handshake by April 12 – link in bio.

Meet Yahjairi Castillon ’26, an International Relations major and Crown Hall resident from Carbondale, Colorado.

"I love working at the Ath because I get to listen to all these fantastic speakers while working and hanging out with the Ath crew. The clean-up is my favorite part of the night," she said.

"My favorite Ath Dessert is the chocolate mousse!"

Before you head out to Spring Break, take a look at the Ath events open for registration through March 29.

Register now: https://www.cmc.edu/athenaeum/open-events

Tom Linebarger ’86 shared his leadership lessons in a recent talk at the Athenaeum including living a purpose-driven life.

“When I tell somebody that I'm scared or worried, they actually think I'm a better leader, not worse, which was, of course, not intuitive to me,” he said.

https://www.cmc.edu/news/learning-live-purpose-driven-life

It's time for another Ath Eats recipe! 🍽️

If you're looking for a vegetarian dish for your next get-together, try our moussaka! Made with eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, and fingerling potatoes, this dish is sure to satisfy.

Screenshot the recipe in our stories, and find it with other recipes in our Ath Eats highlight on Instagram.

Have you met CMC's former first lady and the Ath's first director, Jil Stark ’58 GP’11?

You can often find Jil at CMC and Ath events meeting new students and parents and catching up with returning alumni.

Comment below with your favorite memory with Jil!

Another week, another great lineup of Athenaeum speakers. Check out the topics and speakers through March 24 and register today.

https://www.cmc.edu/athenaeum/open-events

Today marks one year since Ukraine was invaded by Russia. An expert on European and Russian affairs, intelligence, and security issues, Dr. Fiona Hill visited the Ath to discuss these and other pressing topics, including global nationalism and populism, shortly after the war began.

The conversation was moderated by Professor Hilary Appel, the Podlich Family Professor of Government and George R. Roberts Fellow at Claremont McKenna College.

Watch the talk via the CMC Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VsGpSY1Wcng

A new week of Ath speakers is now open for registration! Check out the lineup through March 9, featuring talks on globalization, fentanyl, and decentralized finance.

Register now:
https://www.cmc.edu/athenaeum/open-events

Professor Lisa Cody traced the history of reproductive healthcare in the U.S. through the prism of 20th century popular media, including films, TV shows, and magazines during her Feb. 9 talk at the Athenaeum, “Silver Screens and Rap Sessions: How Women Took Abortion Rights from the Shadows to the Supreme Court."

"Birth control, abortion and premarital s*x were risqué topics for a mass audience," she said after highlighting “Where Are My Children?” a widely popular silent film which tells an abortion-themed story.

https://bit.ly/41kNcbn

Meet Kiren Kanazawa ’24, a Neuroscience major with a cellular molecular sequence, and Benson Hall resident from Tokyo.

"I joined the Ath simply wanting a job, but I instantly fell in love with my cohort of workers," she said. "Working at the Ath has taught me to work proactively for the group and be a team player, which I am confident will be valuable skills beyond my time at the Ath and CMC."

Kiren's favorite Ath appetizer "has to be the spicy tuna on crispy rice! Bacon-wrapped dates are a close second."

This Thursday, Feb. 23, the Ath will flip its schedule. As a way of promoting conversation, the dinner and discussion will take place after the talk.

Come to the Ath to discuss "Unsettling Climate Science" with Steven Koonin, theoretical physicist and NYU Professor who served as Undersecretary for Science in the US Department of Energy under President Obama from 2009-2011. Koonin will describe some of the surprises in the official science that belie the notion that we’ve already broken the climate and face certain doom unless we take prompt and drastic action and will suggest some pragmatic conclusions about national and international climate policies.

"We have all had the experience of attending a provocative Ath talk, only to find the conversation is cut too short as we reluctantly depart for the evening," said Jon Shields, faculty co-director of The Open Academy.

"By flipping the structure of a few Ath events, we hope to highlight both the significance of the Ath to our community and the importance of providing the time to listen, pause, think, and then engage in discussion over dinner," said Heather Ferguson, faculty co-director of The Open Academy.

Register for this event: https://bit.ly/3KsKGK9

"Fourth of July"
by John Gibson
1998
Oil painting on gessoed panel

From the collection of Christopher V. Walker ’69
Featured in the Athenaeum hallway

Meet Natalie Bitetti ’24, a Human Biology major and Benson Hall resident from La Crescenta.

When she is not a hostess or server at the Athenaeum, she is running cross country and track for CMS, or serving as a student trainer aide in the Roberts Pavilion athletic training room. She appeared on CMC's Rose Parade float on January 2 and departed the next day for her study abroad program.

"Working at the Ath, I have made some awesome friends, learned a fancy way to fold napkins, and tried some foods I had never been exposed to before. It has also been a safe and inviting place to improve my professionalism," she said.

Come to Ath tea now and enjoy our delicious Valentine’s Day spread, served by Allie Umegboh ’26 and Nary Park ’26! 🫶

Meet the Athenaeum Pastry Chef Juan Herrera!

Chef Herrera started out as a kitchen helper at the Ath in 2002. In 2008, the Ath needed a new pastry chef and appointed Chef Herrera. Unfamiliar with baking, he developed his skills with the help of the Ath staff at the time. Since then, he has baked all the delicious desserts you see and enjoy at Athenaeum events - including our famous holiday party dessert lineup! 🎄

What he enjoys most about working at the Ath? The students. Many alumni who worked with Chef Herrera baking Ath tea treats still keep in contact with him. Some even became chefs themselves! To all students and alumni with who he has worked, Chef Herrera says "Thank you for helping me!"

♥️ For Valentine's Day, Chef Herrera wanted to share his favorite recipe with the community - chocolate crème brulée! Check out our stories for the recipe and share it with someone special!

What does a career in Major League Baseball look like?

At a recent Athenaeum discussion, Scott Akasaki ’98, senior director of team travel for the Los Angeles Dodgers, joined colleagues Emilee Fragapane, director of integrative baseball performance, and Michael Voltmer, director of baseball strategy and information.

They encouraged CMC students pursuing careers in professional sports, and discussed the types of opportunities that have become available in the MLB over the past two decades, particularly performance science and data analytics.

https://www.cmc.edu/news/inside-baseball-careers-ath

Have you been to an Ath event yet? This is your sign to register!

Check out the latest lineup through February 23. Invite a friend and join us at the Ath!

Tamara F. Lawson ’92, the new dean of the University of Washington School of Law, delivered a powerful 2023 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Lecture at the Ath. She spoke on creating meaningful change in our lives and across society, and explored how the principles of nonviolence can guide us.

“Education shapes individuals,” she said, “but it also shapes social movements.”

https://www.cmc.edu/news/tamara-lawson-92-mlks-core-principles-nonviolence

Meet Matthew Servin ’25, a Biology major and Berger Hall resident from Lawndale.

"Since working at the Ath, I have gained valuable work experience that I will take with me when I apply to jobs in the future...My work has certainly shown me the importance of teamwork, organization, efficiency, and taking pride in one's work," he shared.

Matthew's favorite Ath dessert is "basically anything with chocolate...chocolate makes everything better."

Did you know many recent Athenaeum events are available to watch on the Claremont McKenna College Youtube channel?

Subscribe to the channel and check out the Athenaeum playlist, which features over 300 Ath talks and speakers from recent years.

Subscribe: https://bit.ly/3JT7BOq
Athenaeum playlist: https://bit.ly/40AnTSj

Meet Elizabeth Gutierrez ’26, an Athenaeum server, Government major, and Valach Hall resident from Albuquerque, N.M.

"I love working at the Ath because I've gotten to know so many new and interesting people that I wouldn’t otherwise have met. Plus the food is always delicious," she said.

Elizabeth's favorite Ath dishes are the bacon-wrapped dates and steak salad. Her favorite spot is the reception room with a grand piano. "I think that room is just so magical, I love it."

Things you can do at the Ath:

- meet new friends 👭👬
- chat with a professor 👋
- share a delicious meal 🍽️
- grab a snack 🍓
- listen to influential speakers about relevant topics 🎤

What else do you love to do at the Ath?