A little drizzle on Saturday, Feb. 3 did not deter hundreds of 5C students from attending Club Claremont, a nighttime social event hosted by Claremont McKenna College (CMC) to honor Ali Wallace Mirza CM ’15 who passed away on campus in May 2013.
“He was a fun-loving kid, no question about that,” Marc Massoud, professor of accounting at CMC and close friend of the Mirza family, said. “Ali loved the campus. He would try to be involved as much as he could.”
Alongside being a psychology major and having a deep interest for all forms of media, Mirza was a popular DJ at parties, served as co-president of the 5C Hip-Hop club, and played for the 5C club volleyball team.
“He was a very intelligent young man who was eager to learn and prosper in our CMC environment,” Massoud said. “Unfortunately, his life was cut short.”
An email to students on Jan. 29 stated that alcohol would not be served at the event and that the consumption of substances would not be permitted within its perimeter. As Mirza passed away due to substance use, his family asked that the college not provide alcohol at the event.
“Club Claremont is in memory of Ali Mirza, so please be respectful of our substance-free event policy,” the email said. “This means no drinking and smoking INSIDE of the event. If you choose to engage in those beforehand, it’s OK — please just leave it at the door.”
When the event was first held in honor of Mirza, his family donated a lump sum to help the ASCMC host it each year. However, the last of the Mirza family’s donations was used last year, so this year’s celebration was funded entirely by ASCMC.
“It is my understanding that the Mirza family made that request to ensure none of their donations went towards substances of any sort,” Victoria Williams CM ’25, vice president of student activities, said in an email to TSL. “Now, even when we ran out of funding from [them], I made the decision to continue to not provide alcohol at this event and respect their original wishes.”
Director of Student Securities Richard Bershtein CM ’24 described the positive energy Club Claremont has brought to CMC’s campus culture.
“[The event] is for people to show up, dance, have a good time and eat some pizza,” Bernstein said. “It’s the most inclusive college party you’ll ever see.”
Club Claremont intended to be a space for students to participate in party culture without the pressure to engage in substances. A majority of the funding goes to DJ equipment and speakers to mimic a real nightclub experience for 5C students.
“There’s a lot of kids out there who want to party but are afraid of substances,” Bershtein said. “Having a party they know they can go to without feeling any amount of peer pressure to do substances is great.”
Lauren Lambrecht CM ’27 found that this did not affect the party’s fun environment.
“Honestly, it was more fun than I expected it to be,” Lambrecht said. “[The] music was really good and everyone pulled up.”
Club Claremont was an annual event prior to Mirza’s passing but has been dedicated to him in the years since.
“He loved this event as an attendee and as a DJ, so it only made sense to make the event in his memory,” Williams said.
Mirza’s legacy has been commemorated on campus in multiple ways, including a Recreational Court in Roberts Pavilion that features Mirza’s name. In March 2014, the Mirza Summit on Personal and Social Responsibility was held to encourage conversation about student behavior and campus life, particularly the use of drugs and alcohol. Mirza was also awarded an honorary degree at CMC’s 2015 Commencement Ceremony, which was met with a standing ovation.
“With the help of President Chodosh and the trustees, we were able to grant him a degree with his graduating class,” Massoud said.
Club Claremont’s dedication to Mirza through this year’s event continues a tradition of remembrance.
He is survived by his father, Mustafa Mirza CM ’76, CG ’78, CG ’79, his mother, Liz Mirza CG ’79 and his brother, Akbar Mirza CM ’13.
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