Summer Blast Event
The City of Claremont Community and Human Services Department will be hosting Summer Blast, a free event on Saturday, May 19 from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Alexander Hughes Community Center, 1700 Danbury Road. Summer starts early with this special day of previews and early registration. Staff and instructors will be on site to answer questions, provide demonstrations, and give you the information you need to plan your summer. This will be the first chance to sign up for Camp Claremont (grades 1-8), Summer Aquatics Program, one week recreation camps for kids, and other activities. The event will include class demonstrations, instructor meet and greets, early registration discounts, and more. This is a great opportunity to learn about the activities, programs and services offered through Claremont’s Community and Human Services Department.

Neighborhood Safety and Preparedness Program Meeting
Community members are invited to a neighborhood meeting presented by Claremont Emergency Response Team (CERT) on Wednesday, May 23 at Vista Del Valley Elementary School. The program will begin at 6:00 p.m. and end at 8:00 p.m. CERT members will teach attendees how to prepare their homes for an emergency, create an emergency plan, and assemble an emergency supply kit.

Memorial Day Services
The City of Claremont and American Legion Post 78 are proud to announce the Memorial Day Services at Oak Park Cemetery, 410 S. Sycamore Ave. on Monday, May 28 at 11:00 a.m. For more information about the Memorial Day Services, contact the Community and Human Services Department at (909) 399-5490.

Recently, Business Insider listed Pitzer College as one of the top 20 “most exclusive schools”, by selectivity (acceptance rate). In addition, Pitzer is the youngest school in the US News and World Report top 50 liberal arts colleges, as well as the fastest mover in most conventional college ranking systems. But how did the administration at Pitzer foster such a rapid rise in status? The Claremontian spoke with Pitzer Vice President and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Angel Perez to find out.

“First off, I would like to say on record that I disagree with their usage of “exclusive” in that article,” Dean Perez said of the Business Insider article. “Also, don’t even get me started on the US News and World Report rankings! I even taught a class at UCLA about how unrepresentative that list is!” When asked to discuss Pitzer’s rise, Dean Perez stated, “People always ask us how we did it. How we became and ‘elite institution’. We did absolutely nothing at all!” He explained, “Every year when the numbers come out, we look at them, then disregard them. We don’t let numbers or rankings affect who we are or how we do things.” This philosophy, one followed strictly by the admissions department, is reverberated throughout the entire Pitzer community. Part of how they “do things” here at Pitzer is living by their five core values: social responsibility, intercultural understanding, interdisciplinary learning, student autonomy, and environmental sustainability, a unique set of values that sets Pitzer apart. Also setting Pitzer apart, according to Dean Perez, is the students and faculty at Pitzer. “At most schools, when the acceptance rate goes down, students pat themselves on the back and smile. At Pitzer, I was called out by students when the acceptance rate went down every year, as they felt that Pitzer was straying away from its values of accessibility to everyone!” Perez recalled. He further went on, “We are looking for students who can change the world. Honestly, 75-80% of applicants can handle our course load, but we can only take 15% a year, so we truly look for applicants who ‘bleed orange (the school color)’.” When asked about the fact the Pitzer is a test-optional institution, meaning that applications do not have to send in SAT/ACT scores, Dean Perez lit up, “Every year we reject students with perfect SATs. But every year we accept students who have perfect scores but don’t send those scores to us, because they don’t believe in testing. That is the kind of student we are looking for. 72% Of our entering class did not submit test scores.” Pitzer remains the only US News and World Report “highly-selective” school in the country who is SAT-optional, a value they vow to stand by.

Thus, is Pitzer improving, changing rapidly to meet the demands of the modern world? Dean Perez does not think so. He believes that Pitzer was well ahead of its times, that the world is changing to meet the ideals of Pitzer college, not vice versa. He points out that Pitzer “went green before people even knew what green meant.” Perez concluded, “Before Pitzer, I have never worked at a place like this before. I love it. Students at other elite institutions would memorize a phonebook at the request of a professor without question. Students at Pitzer ask ‘why’.”

Despite increasing stability in our economy, Claremont’s unemployment rate remains at around 6.3%, far better than California’s 11.5%, but still a major problem facing our recent high school and college graduates. One of the companies who has supplied our community with jobs is UPS, with a branch in the village and a hub at Ontario International Airport. UPS has hired 376 new workers this past quarter, most of them recent high school graduates working on their associate’s degree. UPS has stepped in to pay for their employees’ college education, a program available to all UPS workers which reward them with up to $15,000 in financial aid. This program, along with their creation of new jobs, has helped ease the burden on many Claremontians. Myles Allen,19, said, “UPS really helped me with paying off my school (Chaffey College). I needed a job, and they helped me be able to go back to school again.” Cole Dorman,20, agreed, “I was about to be kicked out of my house when UPS gave me a job. The hours are tough, but nowhere else was hiring.” Cole is considering finishing up his GED at Mt. SAC with his newly rewarded UPS financial aid money.

Current Claremont McKenna College President, Pamela Gann, announced her decision to step down following the completion of “The Campaign for Claremont McKenna,” the $600 million fundraising campaign, which is set to wrap up after the 2012-2013 school year. After 14 years of leadership she believes that it’s time for new leadership. “Leadership changes are healthy for all organizations, and they provide an opportunity for the community to come together to reflect seriously and intelligently upon its future. This leadership change will also come at a time when the College is well positioned to attract an exceptional new President,” she stated in her letter to the CMC community this afternoon. After her leave in the 2013-2014 school year, she will return to the CMC community as a College Professor of Legal Studies. The full text of the letter has been replicated below.

May 15, 2012

Dear Members of the CMC Community,

About a year ago, I discussed with Harry McMahon, the Chair of the CMC Board of Trustees, my intention to step down as your President upon the completion of The Campaign for Claremont McKenna, as well as my interest in returning to teaching. It has recently become clear that our highly successful Campaign will wrap-up next year, so it feels like the time is right for the College and for me, personally, to move forward with a leadership transition. I therefore officially notified the Trustees at their meeting last Saturday of my plan to step down as your President on June 30, 2013, following 14 years of service. I write now to inform you of this decision, and to thank you for the privilege and honor of serving as the President of this splendid institution.

Leadership changes are healthy for all organizations, and they provide an opportunity for the community to come together to reflect seriously and intelligently upon its future. This leadership change will also come at a time when the College is well positioned to attract an exceptional new President.

I am very proud of the advances made in all aspects of the College over the past several years. The faculty has never been stronger in teaching and research, and it has grown substantially in overall size. It is a faculty that cares very deeply about the central role that it plays in the aims of all outstanding institutions of higher education. Along with our exceptional academic programs, our expanded financial aid policies help us recruit a talented student body nationally and internationally. Our students benefit from an ever larger set of co-curricular, internship, and off-campus study opportunities. Our physical surroundings are being transformed by a set of Master Plan principles that not only take advantage of our exceptional geography and climate, but also reflect, architecturally, the quality and significance of the educational work that takes place here. As a result of this progress, the College continues to contribute to and strengthen The Claremont Colleges. These advances are made possible through the leadership of our Board of Trustees, hard-working staff, faculty and students who care about our College, as well as through the generosity in service and philanthropy of our alumni, parents, and friends.

On a personal level, I will have had the special opportunity to serve in leadership roles at two fine institutions: first, as Dean of the Duke University School of Law for 11 years, and then, as President of CMC for 14 years. It has been a personally rewarding career to be involved as a professor and administrator for more than 37 years in the higher education of so many fine young people. I very much look forward to returning to the activities that drew me to academic life in the first place, particularly teaching and research. After a year’s leave, I will continue to be a part of the CMC community as a College Professor of Legal Studies, which presents a fantastic opportunity to teach our outstanding students.

During the coming year, I will focus on completing The Campaign for Claremont McKenna and be involved with moving forward several building projects, as well as the recruitment of our exceptional faculty and students. I also will work with the Board of Trustees to ensure a successful transition to the next President.

It is a rare opportunity to be asked to serve such a fine liberal arts college, and I will forever be grateful to be a part of this special place of higher education.

With personal appreciation,

Pamela B. Gann
President

The annual OLA Fiesta carnival kicked off last might and will be ongoing until tomorrow night. Check is out for some weekend fun with family and friends!