Why there are very few photos of me on this blog

Several individuals (okay, maybe just Marcus and my cousin Kate) have wondered why there are so few pictures of me on this blog.  Well, there are two glaring reasons:

1) This blog isn't really meant to be about me.

2) This is a lucky thing, because here is what happens when I attempt a looking-busy-and-important-at-work photograph:

Cameras and I don't fare so well together.  Something about that lens pointed my way brings out my most fidgety tendencies -- or maybe I'm just inspired by my favorite comic hero:

My resolution for the 2011-2012 academic year: learn to shoot better photographs so I can appear on the blog even less often.  This will benefit all of us.



Thanks to Raissa for her patience and her many valiant attempts to steer me towards less-idiotic facial expressions!

Where have all the juniors gone?

If you are one of the (many) students who has interviewed with me over the past week or so, I have a confession to make: I am not ready for you yet.  You've decided, very sensibly, that the summer before your senior year is a fine time to start your college search process.  You're asking about regular decision deadlines and essay questions and first-year housing, and I hope I'm giving you rational responses.  But what I'm thinking is, "Heavens to Murgatroid, you're a senior already?"  Because, you see, you're applying to the Class of 2016.  And according to my memory, we admitted the Class of 2015 approximately yesterday.  When did all this growing up and graduating happen?

This is all a lead-in to say that I am very sorry for my lack of recent blog posts, but summer has not yet settled down into a normal routine.  We've had a well-fed staff retreat, interviewed job candidates, escorted 80 middle school students through the labyrinthine basement hallways . . . and to top it all off, apparently there are rising seniors who want to apply to Mudd next year.  This year.  Yipes!

My vacation to balmy, beautiful New Jersey starts Monday and I hope two weeks is enough for my poor kerfuffled brain to make the transition from the Class of 2015 to the Class of 2016.  It's also very possible that by the time I return, this will be gone:

Yup.  Exciting times here in Claremont!

Farewell, Hannah!

It's the sad truth. Our beloved Hannah Hoersting '09, Admission Counselor, competitive ballroom dancer, and valued blog contributor is leaving HMC for greener pastures.  While I'm sure she'll greatly miss maintaining her college fair spreadsheet and devoting all of her weekend hours to file reading (ha), the truth is, she's been a wonderful colleague with a killer sense of humor and excellent taste in birthday cakes.

In honor of Hannah's very last day in the office, we felt lunchtime festivities were in order.  First, it was off to the Pita Pit in the Claremont Village.

Can you identify all six admission staff members hidden in this picture?

Oh, the joy.

But the main event was Hannah's favorite Claremont destination -- Yogurtland!  If you're from California, then you're likely familiar with this phenomenon -- self-serve yogurt in a dozen or so flavors, oodles of topping options, endless fun.

Aasim and I display our creations.  Am I the only one who likes Cap'n Crunch on my yogurt?

Warning: day not as warm as it may appear in pictures.  It was only in the seventies.  Brr.

Katie Shepherd '14 (right) is our full-time summer tour guide and student blogger.   

Hannah, we'll miss you.  Do great things, come back and visit, and feel free to leave behind your chocolate.