EVENTS

EVENTS

Our busy campus is host to events that gather experts from Silicon Valley, visiting delegations from around the world, and gatherings that bring current topics to the students. Here are a few of the exciting activities this fall.

Four candidates vied to serve on the Atherton Town Council this fall, and just prior to the election, Menlo College and the League of Women Voters of South San Mateo County hosted the candidates for a forum conducted by student moderators Joshua Villalva ’23 and Diana Guardado ’23.

Menlo College hosted a Rotary Connects networking event for Bay Area college students and members of the Menlo Park Rotary Club.

More than 5,000 pounds of food that was collected for distribution to students and their families who were in need over the holidays. Menlo community members also collected over 400 toys for the Good Tidings Foundation to distribute to children in December.

Participation in extracurricular clubs has been a mainstay of the Menlo experience for students dating back to the founding of the College in 1927. Shown is the Club Fair that took place this fall, which exposed students to the many campus clubs that reflect the diverse passions of Menlo students.

For three days in September, the forty-acre Menlo College campus was once again adorned with largescale outdoor art under the banner Silicon Valley Sculpture 2022. The thirty-six large-scale sculptures on display this year were created by twenty-one artists from the U.S., Europe, and Asia, all in exploration of this year’s theme, water.

The annual exhibition was launched in 2020 as a partnership between Art Ventures Gallery Director Katharina Bernau and Menlo College. “I have a theme each year,” said Bernau, “because I want the artists and the visitors to really think.” The visitors Bernau has in mind include current Menlo College students. “Engaging with art provides a chance for our students to embrace the unknown, expand their world view, and be inspired,” said President Steven Weiner. “A balanced business education should include an exploration of the arts.”

Two of the largest sculptures were created by Chicagobased artist Ruth Aizuss Migdal, whose 90th birthday was celebrated at the exhibition’s opening reception. In all, she arranged for five pieces to be transported from Chicago: “Red Wave,” “Whirling Dervish” (which soars to more than thirteen feet high), and three life-size abstracted figurative bronzes, all of which reflect her long-explored ideas of feminism and the silent strength women possess. “My large red dancing sculptures are about women’s power, strength and love of life,” said Migdal. “The red wave symbolizes perseverance, withstanding natural forces through material confidence.”

While most of the sculptures were de-installed after the show closed, Migdal and several other artists generously agreed to extend the display of their creations for some time to come. Even several months later, visitors are still being awed by the art on display on the Menlo College campus. More sculptures are on the following pages.