A Reading with Rob Magnuson Smith PZ ’91 and Melissa Chadburn

Rob Magnuson Smith PZ ’91 is winner of the Elizabeth Jolley Prize, the David Higham Award, and the William Faulkner Award for his debut novel The Gravedigger. His novel Scorper, published by Granta, was called by the Independent as ‘odd, original, darkly comic; Kafka crossed with Flann O’Brien.’ Rob’s third novel Seaweed Rising had its US release in January 2024. Novelist Akhil Sharma described it as ‘truly weird and wonderful.’ Rob is a dual citizen of the US and the UK. Since 2013, he has co-directed the Creative Writing Program at Exeter University in Cornwall.

Melissa Chadburn’s writing has appeared in The LA Times, NYT Book Review, NYRB, Paris Review online, and dozens other places. Her debut novel, A Tiny Upward Shove, was published with Farrar, Straus, & Giroux in April 2022 and was longlisted for the PEN/Hemingway Debut Novel Award. She was just awarded her Ph.D. from USC’s Creative Writing Program. Melissa is a worker lover and through her own work and literary citizenship strives to upend economic violence. Her mother taught her how to sharpen a pencil with a knife and she’s basically been doing that ever since.

7C I-Festival

As a part of the 7C I-Week, celebrating our international community at The Claremont Colleges, the 7C I-Festival will take place on Friday, April 12, 2024 on the Claremont McKenna campus. This event is open to the 7Cs and local community. The event will highlight all of the different cultures that make up our community including food, games, activities, and performances!

I-Festival: International Cuisine, Games, Performances & 7C Mixer | 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Flamson Plaza & Gann Quad, Claremont McKenna College

Interested in hosting a booth or performing? SIGN UP HERE by March 22, 2024.

Moonlight Club Film Screening and Panel Discussion

The film Moonlight Club is a movie about love, joy, acceptance, and happiness. This film has been shown at multiple screenings and festivals in Japan. The three actors, the director, and a Pitzer alum, Makiko Young, who is involved with the film will all be travelling to Pitzer from Kyoto, Japan and New York, New York, respectively. This showing at Pitzer marks the US debut of this film, which has been newly closed captioned in English, specifically for this US premier.

2nd Annual Harvest Fest

This year the Student Engagement and Activities Team is looking forward to hosting our 2nd Annual Harvest Fest in collaboration with the Pitzer Garden, Grove House Committee, and Orange Jam.

Harvest Fest is essentially a small festival celebrating student performers at the 5Cs, as well as student vendors and student led organizations. Fall themed food like corn, pie, chili, etc. is catered by the Pitzer Grove House, and live music is continuously performed throughout the event with the logistical aid of Orange Jam.

The event starts with an open mic session for students who want to perform a short set, and ends with full sets performed by student bands from the 5Cs. There are also activities to participate in such as corn hole toss, fall themed arts and crafts, activities related to the Pitzer Garden, and possibly more elaborate activities this year such as a dunk contest, etc. due to a greater amount of allocated funds. Lastly, there are student vendors selling their crafts such as jewelry or pottery.

The most important aspect of Harvest Fest that also separates it from all other events of its scale is that all vendors, music performances, collaborators, and food are 5C student-led.