DRT panel on student journalism, February 22 lunch
Join the Dreier Roundtable for a panel centering the role of student journalism on college campuses. In today’s political and social climate where free speech is under scrutiny, student newspapers play a critical role in amplifying various voices and perspectives across the campuses. In this lunch event moderated by John J. Pitney Jr., Roy P. Crocker Professor of Politics at CMC, we will have Ben Lauren, editor-in-chief of The Student Life, Nate Weisberg, editor-in-chief of the CMC Forum, and Jameson Mitrovich, managing editor of the Claremont Independent, in conversation with one another. Learn about the philosophy of reporting at our campus’s publications, free speech on college campuses, and how we can promote productive and respectful discourse.
Minxin Pei on Chinese dictatorship, February 22 dinner
CMC’s own Professor Minxin Pei will address his upcoming book on the endurance of China’s dictatorship. For decades China watchers argued that economic liberalization and increasing prosperity would bring democracy to the world’s most populous country. Instead, the Communist Party’s grip on power has only strengthened. Why? The answer, Professor Pei argues, lies in the effectiveness of the Chinese surveillance state. And the source of that effectiveness is not just advanced technology like facial recognition AI and mobile phone tracking. These are important, but what matters more is China’s vast, labor-intensive
Candace Valenzuela on civic engagement. February 26 dinner
The daughter of two military veterans who was living in financial instability on the border of the United States and Mexico, Candace Valenzuela ’06 spent her life before CMC at the intersection of some of this country’s biggest issues. Upon arriving on campus, she gained a broader sense of the context of her life and its connection to the American dream. Now as a former elected official and a Presidential Appointee, Valenzuela is excited to share what her CMC education means for her life and the work she does for her family, her neighborhood, and communities across five states.
Anthony Rendon on California politics, February 28 lunch:
Join Anthony Rendon, Speaker Emeritus of the California State Assembly, as he shares his journey from struggling high school student to second longest-serving Speaker in California history, and gives an inside look at California’s complex policies and politics.