Michael Johns lives in Chino, Calif., and Courtney Scott lives in Billings, Mont.
But on April 15, both were in Claremont touring the Pitzer College campus. They were among 124 students and more than 155 parents who took part in Pitzer's "On Campus Day" for students who have been admitted to the College.
"The event gives recently admitted students and their parents a chance to get a first-hand experience of seeing what the campus is like and interacting with faculty and staff," said Arnaldo Rodriguez, vice president for admission and financial aid. "Every student admitted to Pitzer has probably been admitted to several other colleges and universities, so this is a chance for students to ask, 'Is this the right place for me; do I see myself being part of this community?'"
"I'm trying to make a decision," said Johns, a student at nearby Chino High School. He and his parents are concerned about financial aid and have been trying to work that out with the College, he said. Rodriguez said financial aid was the top issue with most students and parents.
Scott, who attends the private Fountain Valley School in Colorado Springs, Colo., has narrowed her choices to Pitzer and Occidental College. She said she likes the small size of Pitzer and the resources of a five-college consortium. She plans to study biology. Pat Puleo, a parent from Northridge, Calif., said her top concerns were safety and affordability.
After a welcome assembly at the Gold Student Center, the visiting students listened to a panel of current Pitzer students in the Broad Performance Space. The high schoolers peppered the panelists with questions about the school mascot, taking courses at the other colleges and parking, among other things. "Classes are small at Pitzer so the professors know the students," freshman Anoop Anand said. "You get a lot of personal attention. It's the perfect size: You know everybody, but not too intimately." Other students asked about the work load. "That depends on how seriously you take college, your classes and attitude," Anand said. "There's a big jump in the amount of reading." Added sophomore Brian Schoeck, another student panelist: "It's hard. I had quite a bit of studying." Senior Griselda Suarez, another student panelist, called Pitzer "the conscience of The Claremont Colleges" because of its emphasis on social responsibility.
After the question-and-answer session, the students went to different classrooms to get a taste of what classes will be like at Pitzer. Johns and Scott went to the Keck Science Center, where they listened to a chemistry lecture from Professor Robert Pinnell. Meanwhile, parents were at the Gold Student Center listening to sociology Professor Peter Nardi. After lunch, students and parents attended a performance by "Without a Box," an improvisational theater group.
Rodriguez praised the efforts of College personnel who organized the event. "It is a monumental event to put on—grounds crew, maintenance, food service staff, faculty, admissions staff and students all participated. Everyone was very gracious in helping us out," he said.
Five Pitzer students have won coveted fellowships to study overseas. Seniors Britt-Marie Alm, Hayden Hamilton and Lyssia Lamb-MacDonald were awarded Freeman Foundation Asia Fellowships for 1999-2000. Seniors Long Nguyen and Jennifer Kunitsugu won Japan English Teaching Fellowships to teach in that country next year.
Freeman Fellowships, awarded to seniors of The Claremont Colleges, provide an $18,000 stipend for yearlong study in Asia. This is the second year of a three-year pilot program for the fellowship. Japan English Teaching (JET) Fellowships are a highly competitive program sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Only 30 fellows were selected from 30,000 applicants.
Lamb-MacDonald, whose concentration is international intercultural studies with a focus on Asia, will be living in a Tibetan Buddhist convent in Katmandu, Nepal, and in a refugee camp in southern Nepal. Residents of the convent are Tibetan refugees expelled from Tibet by the Chinese. Living in the camps in southern Nepal are Nepalese who have been forced out of neighboring Bhutan.
Lamb-MacDonald said she wants to debunk stereotypes about refugees, more than 80 percent of whom are women and children. She wants to show the conditions that refugees face. "It's amazing how they cope," she said. Her goal is to show them as individuals. "It goes beyond numbers and statistics."
Nguyen will be in Japan helping to teach English to middle and high school students. A senior concentrating in psychology, he will receive a $30,000 stipend to study and teach in Japan. Nguyen studied in Tokyo in 1998, forming "deep connections with the people," he said. "I've always wanted to go back."Although he has not received word yet on where he will go, Nguyen said he has asked to be assigned to the Osaka-Kyoto region in the central part of the island.
ANNOUNCEMENTS &
O P P O R T U N I T I E S
The European Union Center of California at The Claremont Colleges recently announced student and faculty research and travel awards. The recipients are listed on the center's Web site.
Students chose Alex Clark the new chair of the student senate in elections earlier this month. Also elected were Asra Ahmad, vice chair; Anthony Lopez, treasurer; Meghavi Shah, communications secretary; and representatives Lawrence Chan, Thanh Hoang, Lori Cohen, J.R. Killigrew, Erin Hayne, Robert Montenegro, Ivan Tse, Gabriel Garcia, Daniel Williams and Patrick Britell.
Pitzer's alumni magazine, the Participant, won a 1999 silver medal for excellence from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education or CASE. It is a first for the magazine. The award is part of CASE's national circle of excellence awards program for alumni relations and communications. CASE is an international association of education advancement officers, who include alumni administrators, fund raisers, public relations managers, publications editors and government relations officers.
WEEK OF APRIL 26
MONDAY
Peter Fryer shows his documentary film "Children of the Shatila" at 5 p.m. at the Intercollegiate Women's Studies Center. Fryer is a freelance photographer based in the United Kingdom who has done extensive photojournalism work in the Middle East for the last decade. Fryer's art collection, "Palestinian Children's Photography from Southern Lebanon: An Illustration of Rights Denied," is on display today through Friday at the Claremont McKenna College Auditorium. This event is part of the "Truth, Lies and Democracy" series.
TUESDAY
Michel Shehadeh speaks on "Arab Discrimination in the United States" at 5:30 p.m. at Wilbur Hall, Scripps College. Shehadeh is a Palestinian-American who holds a BA in journalism and a master's degree in public policy and administration from Cal State Long Beach and has been involved in an array of Arab-American political activities since his arrival in the United States in 1975. This event is part of the "Truth, Lies and Democracy" series.
Pitzer's center for career and community services holds a ceremony honoring outstanding individuals and projects in community service at 5:30 p.m. in the Founders Room. If you are interested in attending, please call x18519.
The Pitzer student art exhibit of Marco Madrigal opens at 7 p.m. at the Salathe Gallery in McConnell. The exhibit for Brendan Karg opens at 7 p.m. at the Hinshaw Gallery at the Grove House.
Howard Zinn, professor of political science at Boston University, lectures at 8 p.m. at Seaver Theater, Pomona College. For more information, call x18610.
WEDNESDAY
Robert Sternberg, professor of psychology at Yale University, lectures on "Leadership and Practical Intelligence" at 12:30 p.m. at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, Claremont McKenna College. For more information, call x18244.
Pitzer holds a fellowship information meeting at 6 p.m. in the McConnell Living Room. Faculty and fellowship recipients talk about fellowship opportunities and the application process. Students should sign up for the program by calling the center for career and community service at x18519 or e-mail.
David Winter, professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, lectures on "The Motivational Dimensions of Leadership: Power, Achievement, Affiliation" at 6:45 p.m. at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, Claremont McKenna College. For more information, call x18244.
D.Z. Phillips, Danforth Professor of Religion at Claremont Graduate University, lectures on "Trust, Rationality and Religious Trust" at 7:30 p.m. in the library of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity. For more information, call x18085.
THURSDAY
Marilyn Ngales, administrator of the first college in the Philippines to specialize in indigenous education, discusses "Indigenous Women of the Philippines: Their Struggle to Protect Their Land" at 12:15 p.m. at McKenna Auditorium, Claremont McKenna College. Food of the Philippines is served at 11:45 a.m. For more information, call x77869.
Suchi Branfman, dancer and choreographer, performs at 4:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the Richardson Dance Studio, Scripps College. For more information, call x18326.
Peter Fryer shows his documentary film "Children of the Shatila" at 5 p.m. at the Intercollegiate Women's Studies Center. Fryer is a freelance photographer based in the United Kingdom who has done extensive photojournalism work in the Middle East for the last decade. Fryer's art collection, "Palestinian Children's Photography from Southern Lebanon: An Illustration of Rights Denied," is on display today through Friday at the Claremont McKenna College Auditorium. This event is part of the "Truth, Lies and Democracy" series.
Young alumni associations of the five colleges in the Bay Area host a gathering at 7 p.m. at AsiaSS in San Francisco. For more information, contact Greg Saks at 621-8130.
Pitzer's worker appreciation dinner and celebration takes place at 8 p.m. in the multipurpose room of the Gold Student Center. For more information, call x74176.
The Oscar Micheaux film series presents "Salt of the Earth" at 9 p.m. in Avery Auditorium. Free pizza and drinks.
FRIDAY
The Pomona Asian Studies Conference discusses "Empires East and West: Roman and Chinese Imperialism" at 2 p.m. in Room 101 of the Hahn Building, Pomona College. For more information, call x78035.
Harvey Mudd College holds a performance of Shakespeare's "Henry IV, Part 1" at 2:45 p.m. at the Thomas-Garrett Hall courtyard. Also on Sunday. For more information, call x18478.
The Pomona College orchestra performs the work of Dvorak, Copland and Shostakovich at 8 p.m. in Bridges Hall of Music, Pomona College. For more information, call x18155.
Sarah Mihalec directs a five-college performance of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at 11 p.m. at the Elizabeth Monroe Wood Steps, Scripps College. Also on Saturday. For more information, call x75050.
SATURDAY
The Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden offers guided wildflower tours at 2 p.m. Admission is $2 per person, $5 for families. Tours are also offered tomorrow and on May 8, 9, 15 and 16. For more information, call 625-8767.
The Pomona Gospel Choir performs at 8 p.m. at Bridges Hall of Music, Pomona College. For more information, call x18155.
Sarah Mihalec directs a five-college performance of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" at 11 p.m. on the Elizabeth Monroe Wood Steps, Scripps College. For more information, call x75050.
SUNDAY
Scripps College presents a video of the Gilbert and Sullivan opera "Mikado" at 6:30 p.m. in the Humanities Auditorium, Scripps College. For more information, call x73266.
F E A T U R E:
Admitted Students Visit Pitzer for "On Campus Day"
P R O F I L E:
Pitzer Students Win Fellowships to Study Abroad
COMING
UP
A celebration of student research takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the Harvey Mudd College campus. For more information, call x18478.
The golf team competes in the SCIAC championships at the Moreno Valley Ranch. All day.
Chris Chyba, Carl Sagan chair for the study of life sciences, SETI Institute and Stanford University, lectures on "The Rebirth of Exobiology" at 11 a.m. in Galileo Hall, Harvey Mudd College. For more information, call x18478.
Karsten Voigt, coordinator for German-American cooperation in the German Foreign Office, talks about the recent resignation of the leaders of the European Commission, objectives and accomplishments of the German presidency of the European Union, and the implications of the crisis in Kosovo for the European Union as well as for European relations with the United States at 11 a.m. in Balch Auditorium, Scripps College. For more information, call x78103. The European Union Center of California sponsors the event.
Pitzer dormitory room drawings for the 1999-2000 academic year take place beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the Gold Student Center multipurpose room.
Beginning at 10 a.m., the men's and women's track and field teams compete at the UC Irvine Invitational.
Harvey Mudd College sponsors a performance of Shakespeare's "Henry IV, Part 1" at 2 p.m. in the Thomas-Garrett Hall courtyard. For more information, call x18478.