Claremont McKenna Petitions to Secede from the Consortium

While the outcome of last week’s election is still being debated, because Florida is up in the air and Romney could still totally pull through with a win, several states have taken matters into their own hands. All 50 states have now started petitions to secede from the Union, with several garnering major support.

Inspired by their states of superior intellect, members of the Claremont McKenna College community have started a similar initiative that hits a little closer to home. Led by Charles Johnson ’11 and funded by the Student Investment Fund, a small but vocal group of students have banded together to petition President Gann to secede from the Consortium. Even though Johnson graduated two years ago, he still feels “that this is what the school really needs at a time like this. With my help, we can save the college.” He has returned to Claremont and plans to promote the campaign on his syndicated blog, The Claremont Conservative.

Hoping to return the school to what Johnson describes as “your father’s college,” the group wishes to rename the school the Confederate Men’s College, a move that would not only harken back to a yearned-for era, but also distance the college from the surrounding Claremont Consortium.

The group cites economic issues as its main motivation for the initiative. CEO of the Student Investment Fund and ASCMC Financial Advisor David Hirsch ’13 believes that “with the projected downward spiral of the economy now that Obama has been reelected, we just don’t think CMC can continue to support the other schools.”

Said Johnson, “It is ridiculous that CMC continues to fund programs for lesser institutions.”

ASCMC President, Aditya Pai ’13  agreed. “We’ve recently closed TNC to the other four schools. And instead of being grateful that we still have one 5C TNC a month, all we receive are complaints!” She noted, “We looked into it, and it turns out that 47 percent of TNC attendees are from other schools. They don’t even try to throw their own parties, they just come here and want us to provide DJs and beer for free. It has to stop.”

Despite several obstacles, including CMC’s geographical location at the center of the Consortium and general lack of support from the deans and students, the group is hopeful. According to Johnson, “One-hundred-percent confident this will be a victory.” The petition, drafted three days ago, has 17 signatures.

– Haley Patoski ’14 CMC