The call went out for a college anthem and, immediately, the entries poured in.

Submitting their sheet music and recorded lyrics, contestants melodically reflected on HMC’s mission, its academic integrity and the college’s quirky spirit.

In the end, the ceremonial “Hail Thee, Harvey Mudd,” written and composed by engineering/philosophy graduate Amy Lewkowicz ’90, was chosen the winner. (See PDF of words and music or listen to the MP3 audio file.)

“Amy’s words were true to the Harvey Mudd experience,” says Kate Sims ’00, one of the judges who reviewed the 14 entries. Sarah Harris, assistant professor of engineering, managed the anthem contest.

It didn’t hurt that Lewkowicz has always been interested in music, from her time at HMC—when she penned “The Harvey Mudd Blues” and “The HMC Bulletin Song” with Jim Brutocao ’90 — to her graduate school years.

Lewkowicz holds a master’s degree in theology from Franciscan University, a master’s in liturgical music from Catholic University of America, has studied musicology and was a church music director. She plans on attending graduate school for musicology studies as well. (Currently, Lewkowicz is using her technical skills as an environmental consultant in Oak Ridge, Tenn.)

When she heard about the contest, Lewkowicz spent time listening to college songs and studied the difference between an alma mater and a fight song.

“The funny part is I’d actually been interested in school songs from a music history point of view,” she says. “I like to learn school songs wherever I go, why not write one?”

Lewkowicz said judges picked the first song she wrote, but her favorite was actually the one entitled “This is My College,” which she describes as “a kind of schmaltzy” song. She also wrote and submitted, “Harvey Mudd Uber Alles” set to the German national anthem (music by Haydn).

For “Hail Thee, Harvey Mudd,” Lewkowicz said she tried to embed jokes in language that sounds lofty and traditional, and “maybe even a little poetic.”

“You have ‘stern and noble mining engineers,’ ‘sailing dawnwards…,’ ‘blue sky of the valley...,’” she says. “At the same time, you’re referring to a joke that insiders will get and outsiders won’t. Outsiders will feel, ‘Oh, they’re jesting, but I don’t know what they’re talking about.”

“Hail Thee, Harvey Mudd”—performed by the Harvey Mudd Singers led by Lewkowicz—made its public debut at Maria Klawe’s presidential inauguration Feb. 2, 2007.

The song was a hit with the crowd.