First retreat, AAMP snack, Intergen dinner and more | AAMP Newsletter #1
Welcome to AAMP's first newsletter!
Hello everyone, welcome to the first AAMP newsletter!
The newsletter will contain biweekly event announcements, recaps, resources and other content related to AAMP and the 5C APIDA community. A pair of AAMP Community Resources committee members will rotate in pairs to write the newsletter.
This newsletter is written by Samson, a Pomona sophomore from New York majoring in Physics and Media Studies; and Catherine, a Pomona sophomore from Saipan majoring in Econ and CS.
Upcoming events
Mentor-Mentee committee — SECOND INTERGEN DINNER, NOV. 3, 5-7 PM
Meet mentors and mentees from previous years at the second intergen dinner of the year! Location TBD, but please mark it on your calendar!
Muriel, Phyllis, Bella, Vivien — SECOND AAMP Snack: Fried Rice Bar, date TBD
Will be on the week of 10/30 — Follow AAMP on Instagram to see when the date is announced!
Heal.comm (Community Healing) and HEART (Art Healing) — upcoming events to be announced :)
Community shouts
Muriel Alejandro PO ’25 — VOLUNTEER FOR STEP
Are you interested in tutoring and connecting with communities outside Claremont? The Saturday Tongan Education Program (STEP) connects 5C student volunteers with the Inland Empire Tongan community, & fosters growth in local Tongan youth by providing academic tutoring, cultural activities, and other resources every Saturday. For the first time in 2 years, STEP will be back in-person at Walker Lounge, and will meet on SATURDAYS from 10 am to 12 pm! The next volunteer session will be on OCTOBER 29. Here's the link to sign up: tinyurl.com/step22form
Event recaps
What AAMP has been up to these last few weeks!
Fall Retreat (10/1)
On October 1, AAMP took over SCC for its full-day fall retreat, featuring two workshops, a bouncy house, and more.
Workshop 1: AAMP: Past, Present, Future
Headed by AAMP mentors Bella, Cassidy, Catherine, Kendrick, and Muriel, Workshop 1 formally welcomed mentees to AAMP Retreat. Focused on creating community and learning about the history of AAMP and the overall Asian American experience at the Claremont Colleges, Workshop 1 activities included: a snowball activity (mentees wrote what AAMP means to them and threw the paper around the room to be read by someone else); ordering the timeline (the winning team was awarded two buckets of Lychee jellies!); and finally, crafting a page for the AAMP scrapbook.
Workshop 2: Find your APIDA politics
Led by mentors Samson, Vio, Josh, Amara, and Phyllis, Workshop 2 pushed mentees to think about the issues and politics connected to their APIDA identity. Readings, discussions and other activities emphasized connections between historical and contemporary experiences of various "Asian American" communities and larger structures of imperialism, capitalism (labor exploitation), etc., and made space for participants to start or deepen their exploration of APIDA history and activism.
Bouncy house and more
What did you get out of retreat?
Lynnsean Young PO ’26: “reintroduced me to spicy food”
Get your response on the newsletter by replying to our Instagram stories!
Mentor/Mentee — First Intergen Dinner/Karaoke Night (10/13)
On October 13, current and past AAMP members gathered in the Blue Room in Frank for a dinner and karaoke night. We had 5 cohorts of mentors/mentees represented, ranging from 2018-2019 to 2022-2023!
Reactions
Kaylin Kim PO ’24: “It was like so good I didn’t even have to be there”
Get your response on the newsletter by replying to our Instagram stories!
First AAMP Snack (10/20)
Allen, Vio, Samson, and Cassidy restarted the AAMP Snack tradition for the year by making scallion pancakes and miso soup for mentees on October 20. AAMP Snacks will be run by pairs of pairs of mentors every two weeks throughout the semester!
Movie night (10/21) and cloud watching (10/23)
The Mentor/Mentee committee hosted an “Everything Everywhere All at Once” movie night on Friday and Heal.comm hosted a cloud watching picnic on Sunday!
Community spotlight: Muriel Alejandro PO ’25
I wanted to express my initial transformation from apolitical to political. This transformation is felt as you listen to the song. The initial dissonance and quick rhythm wrings my gut into anxiety, tip toeing on thunder. Powerless, tender, afraid, and lonely. Then, a breath of fresh air. The music continues to build on itself, changing and adding airy chords, while still maintaining the same quick—rushing like there's no time left—rhythm. A break in the song disrupts this repetitive pace, introducing a more gentle melody that feels safer, warmer. More free—you can go at your own pace.
With my dancing, I tried to embody this experience. Part choreography and part improvisation, I experiment with different levels, the floor, the air above and around me. I begin sitting, reaching out but ultimately returning to myself many times before getting up. I hold myself.
Read Muriel’s full Critical Personal Narrative project here!
Want to be in this newsletter?
Is there an upcoming 5C APIDA-related event (KSA, VSA, etc.) that you want to advertise?
Do you want to show off an art piece, essay, or something else you’ve made?
Do you have links or resources you want other community members to see?
Please fill out this Google Form to be included in the next AAMP newsletter (11/3)!