Unlike the other 5Cs, Harvey Mudd College has long organized its class presidencies in pairs. This year, Swetha Madhanrajan HM ‘29 and Jimin Bang HM ’29 — colloquially known as “SWIM,” a quirky mix of their first names — have stepped into the role together.
Through steady check-ins, late-night planning and an easy rapport with the people around them, Madhanrajan and Bang are crafting their own vision of what the co-presidency looks like.
The duo described how their partnership began with an entirely earnest intention: meeting all the students of Mudd’s first-year class.
“We saw the election as an opportunity to get closer to the class of 2029, as we knew we would inevitably meet more people as we campaigned,” Madhanrajan said. “Our primary goal wasn’t to win, it was to strengthen our bonds with our fellow Mudders, who we’ll be with for the next four years.”
This energy and commitment to get to know their class hasn’t gone unnoticed. Charlotte Wong HM ’29 described how Madhanrajan and Bang’s campaign felt less like a bureaucratic procedure and more like two friends wandering around the Mudd dorms spreading good vibes.
“They make an effort to get to know everyone, Jim and Swetha simply tried to bring the [first-year] community together,” Wong said. “Every time I walk with them, we end up talking to new people. They’re constantly waving or saying hi or asking someone’s name.”
Kimberly Liang HM ’29 remembers their campaign for a similar reason: its sincerity.
“They told me they wanted to be presidents so they could get to know the grade better and I always see them trying to talk to new people,” Liang said. “It shows me that they would be collaborative and empathetic as presidents.”
Their approach to the first-year presidency leaned heavily into presence — showing up, checking in and being the kind of people others naturally gravitate toward. That instinct to connect with individuals became a hallmark of their co-presidency long before either of them ever stepped into the role.
If you ask Bang how he fits into the leadership puzzle, he’ll point you to an unexpected source.
“Buzzfeed calls me a ‘Committed Leader,’” Bang said. “[The quiz told me] ‘No man left behind’ is your personal motto. ‘People come to you for your loyalty, and you don’t disappoint.’ Buzzfeed might be on crack.”
Despite the inherent comedy of Bang’s Buzzfeed reference, this philosophy of “No man left behind” is clearly reflected in SWIM’s initiatives this fall. Riham Shahid HM ’29 points out that while the duo jokes constantly, they also dig deeply into campus governance. She watched them pore through the history of Associated Students of Harvey Mudd College (ASHMC), trying to figure out how to revive Mudd traditions.
“They talk to ASHMC to better represent the class of 2029, and go through ASHMC history to bring Mudd traditions back,” Shahid said.
In addition to focusing on reviving traditions of the past, Madhanrajan and Bang are focused on looking to the future. One issue they’ve highlighted is some of the stereotypes they’ve encountered across the 5C campuses about Mudd students.
“One common misconception I’ve seen people at the 5Cs hold was that Mudders were distant and difficult to work with,” Bang said. “I think more conversations with actual Mudders could help shift this narrative. Get the Mudders out into the wild — Zelda style.”
Madhanrajan approaches the same perception with slightly less Nintendo imagery, but the same underlying goal. Their administration, she explained, wants to work with the other 5C class presidents to host more intercollegiate events. Her goal is to dispel these rumors about Mudd students by showing the larger consortium community that Mudd has a lot to offer.
Many of these stereotypes center around the rigorous workload and core program of Mudd students. Manhanrajan and Bang acknowledge that their school is definitely academically intense on a normal day — apocalyptic during midterm season — yet the two insist that academic pressure doesn’t eclipse community life.
“Although Mudders have an incredible work ethic, we also know how to have fun,” Madhanrajan said.
Both she and Bang came from competitive high schools, so navigating high expectations isn’t new to them. Finding the balance between moments of joy and the grind, however, is something they are constantly striving for themselves and their classmates.
“We won’t let the intense academics take away from our ability to host events,” Bang said. “We will make sure our events are separate from the academic stressors students may face. Work hard, play hard.”
Blending their official responsibilities with a profound care for their friends, both presidents rely on grounding habits that keep them sane.
“I love my room,” Bang said. “But I’m partial to doomscrolling and playing Minecraft. Modded, of course. Before Mudd, when I had something called ‘free-time,’ I used to bask in the sunlight and read books.”
On the other hand, Madhanrajan’s grounding space is a bit more hands-on.
“I work as a makerspace steward,” she said. “And I love crafting random pretty things I see on Pinterest. I also love attending social events spontaneously with my friends and playing Minecraft while judging modded players.”
It’s these small glimpses into sleep schedules, makerspace projects and doomscrolling rituals that reveal why their co-presidency works. They don’t lead as perfect, polished representatives. They lead as real first-year students, trying to build something fun.
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