THE STUDENT LIFE FRIDAY, NovembeR 8, 2019 | CLAREMONT, CA | VOL. CXXX NO. 7
Williamson back in Claremont
Reports of rape at Pitzer nearly doubled in 2018 AALIA THomAS CW: sexual violence
JULIA FRANKeL Presidential candidate and former Pomona College student Marianne Williamson wants 5C students to know she’s not a “wacko crystal lady,” as some have characterized her. Speaking to a packed Rose Hills Theatre at Pomona on Wednesday night for a forum hosted by TSL, Williamson discussed her vision for a more loving America while refuting claims about her candidacy she said are inaccurate and have contributed to declining national interest in her campaign. “The first day after the second debate I was the most Googled person in 49 states,” Williamson said. “But starting the third day after the debate you could hardly pick up a newspaper [or] magazine [where] there wasn’t anything about what a dangerous, crazy [person] I am. That was a smear intended to place in the minds of reasonable Democrats, particularly, the idea that I’m the last person you could take seriously.” Williamson’s return to Pomona — the first time she’d been back to Claremont since leaving school in 1972 partway through her college career — was eagerly anticipated by 5C students who had watched the author and spiritual leader captivate the country with her unconventional policy proposals and quirky presence in the first two Democratic presidential primary debates this past summer. Though Williamson has failed to qualify for subsequent debates and is polling at under 1 percent in a RealClearPolitics polling average, more
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TALIA BERNSTEIN • THE STUDENT LIFE
Top: Presidential candidate and former Pomona College student Marianne Williamson speaks at the Rose Hills Theatre on Nov. 6. bottom: Marianne Williamson autographs a pamphlet for Alex Fischer SC ’22 after speaking at the 5C Dem’s event at Scripps College.
Reported rapes at Pitzer College almost doubled in 2018, but students and administrators say the spike could actually mean students feel more comfortable about reporting incidents. Fifteen rapes were reported in 2018, compared to eight in 2017 and six in 2016, according to the college’s annual Clery Report, federally mandated crime logs. “Seeing higher rates of reports is not necessarily something that we’re super concerned about, because in many ways that can actually be a good thing,” said Max Meyers PZ ’20, who works with Pitzer Advocates to provide support for survivors. “We know that sexual violence is incredibly prevalent on campuses across the nation [and] on campuses here in the 5Cs, [but] if we see a rise in reports, oftentimes, studies have shown that that actually means that people are just feeling more comfortable with administration,” Meyers said. A 2016 Bureau of Justice Statistics campus climate survey of nine colleges found 87 percent of rape incidents went unreported to school administrators. Kirsten Carrier, associate dean of students and director of residence life and conference services at Pitzer, provided additional context for the Clery Report which seems to support the idea that the increase in reports reflects an increased comfort with reporting. Eight of the rapes included in this year’s report occurred between 2014-17, Carrier said in an email to TSL, but they weren’t reported until 2018 — and thus appear on the 2018 report.
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PO pulls student information from app after TSL inquiry mARIA HeeTeR Curious about your roommate’s address? What about a famous alum’s cell phone number? Until this week, any Pomona College student could log on to the school’s networking app, Sagehen Connect, and find personal data about students or alumni who had not expressly requested they be removed. In response to concerns about privacy raised by students in interviews with TSL, Pomona removed some personal information including street addresses, work addresses and phone numbers, according to senior director of advancement services and information systems Nadine Francis. The college also plans to launch a new version of the app in fall 2020 in part in response to privacy concerns about the previous version of the app. Before this week, Sagehen Connect made alumni’s and students’ home addresses, work addresses and phone numbers available to any student using the app, often without the prior knowledge of the individuals in question. The list included well-known alumni like Sen. Brian Schatz PO ’94, D-Hawaii, and Mike Budenholzer PO ’92 — the head coach of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks — as well as presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, who attended Pomona for two years. Students could also access other current students’ home addresses and phone numbers, although alumni could not access this information.
And a “nearby” function allowed users to search for alumni by location and view mapped results showing where alumni live and work. Nathan Stringham PO ’20 said he had no idea his home address was accessible to fellow students until he heard about Sagehen Connect from a friend. “I didn’t know where the app came from; I hadn’t heard much about it before,” Stringham said. “I just thought it was pretty strange that someone could look up my home address without me knowing that was out there.” Now, all that is displayed by default is class year, major, name of employer, graduate school, city and state, according to Francis. The school retracted all users’ street addresses, home addresses and phone numbers. “The purpose of Sagehen Connect is to provide a digital directory of contact information for alumni and students to assist with career networking and staying connected within the Pomona alumni community,” interim vice president for advancement Robin Trozpek said. The information provided in profiles is pulled from Pomona’s constituent records database, populated with information provided by alumni and/or retrieved from student records, according to Francis. Previously, students and alumni had to specifically request that their information be removed, according to Trozpek.
Claremont sales tax increase seems headed for defeat, but supporters not ready to concede JASPeR DAvIDoFF A proposed 0.75 percent Claremont sales tax increase that supporters say would have boosted city revenues by $2.5 million appears headed toward defeat, with the “no” vote leading 51 to 49 percent as of Thursday night. But with more than 1,000 ballots from Tuesday’s special election yet to be counted, a community group supporting Measure CR isn’t conceding. Residents have been bitterly divided on the tax, which was projected to generate an addition-
al $2.5 million in annual city revenue to address a budget deficit by raising Claremont’s sales tax from 9.5 percent to 10.25 percent — the state-established maximum local sales tax. Preliminary results from the Los Angeles County Registrar show the “no” vote ahead by just 122 votes in an election in which over 6,200 were cast. More than 1,060 mail ballots and 326 provisional ballots are still outstanding, according to Laura Roach, a committee member for “Yes! For Claremont,” a group that lobbied for the tax increase.
While the opposition group “No on Measure CR,” has already declared victory, Roach said “Yes! For Claremont” is waiting on the remaining ballots to be counted. “We could still eke out a win, and we are not conceding until every vote is counted,” she said. An updated vote count will be released Friday, the Registrar’s Office said in a press release. “We’re feeling pretty awesome,” “No on Measure CR” committee member Donna Lowe said. “I think this is a benefit for us and I think
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LIFE & STYLE
First-generation students celebrated their identity and place at the 5Cs with 5C First Gen Week, a series of daily events hosted at each college. Read more on page 5.
The student newspaper of the Claremont Colleges since 1889
LIFE & STYLE
OPINIONS
At the Weekly Writing Workshop, 5C students cultivate confidence in local children through creative writing mentorship. Read more on page 5.
“In the depths of my dissociative, anxiety-ridden haze, I had what might be the most important revelation of my undergraduate education: Oh my god, I need to chill out.” — Schuyler Mitchell PO ‘20. Read more on page 7.
INDEX: News 1 | Life & Style 4 | Opinions 7 | Sports 10
News
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CLERY: Reported rapes decrease at Scripps, CMC, Mudd Continued from page 1 The other seven incidents were both reported in and allegedly occurred during 2018. This year’s Clery Report also indicates an increase in reported rapes at Pomona. Seven rapes were reported at Pomona in 2018, compared to four in 2017 and six in 2016. At Scripps College, reported rapes increased from four to seven from 2016 to 2017, but decreased to two in 2018.
Everybody who works on issues around sexual violence is incredibly overworked, and there needs to be more funding [and] more staff on it. max meyers PZ ’20
At Mudd, reported rapes increased from five in 2016 to six in 2017 and then decreased to two in 2018. At CMC, reported rapes dropped from 10 in 2016 to five in 2017 and just one last year. Since six of the seven incidents from 2018 occurred in residential facilities, Carrier said Pitzer Residence Life has invested in measures to make its dorms safer. These include “bystander intervention training for RAs, nightly RA duty rounds, a dedicated Campus
Safety officer on Pitzer’s campus during peak hours, roommate and suitemate agreements, doorto-door RA initiatives on consent in collaboration with [Health Education Outreach] and the EmPOWER center, Title IX resources on the back of every door in the residence halls and additional resources given to new students during orientation,” she said. “Campus Safety shares the view that any act of sexual violence is unacceptable and a larger threat to our community,” Laura Muna-Landa, a spokesperson for The Claremont Colleges Services, said in an email to TSL. Muna-Landa said Campus Safety would like to “[join] all students, faculty and staff in their appreciation of each of the sexual assault survivors who chose one of the available reporting resources to raise awareness across their campus, and to access the many confidential resources.” Muna-Landa did not directly respond to questions about the rise in reported rapes at Pitzer. Despite the possibility that the rise in reports points to an improving campus culture around sexual violence, much work remains to be done both within and outside the administration, Meyers said. “Everybody who works on issues around sexual violence is incredibly overworked, and there needs to be more funding [and] more staff on it,” Meyers said. “This is, in my opinion, the most pressing issue on campus.”
JAIMIE DING • THE STUDENT LIFE
NOVEMBER 8, 2019
In Memoriam: Former Pitzer president Frank Ellsworth JASPeR DAvIDoFF Frank L. Ellsworth, president of Pitzer College from 1979 to 1991, died at his home Oct. 20. He was 76. Upon his appointment at Pitzer, Ellsworth, then 36, became the youngest president in the history of the Claremont Colleges, Pitzer President Melvin Oliver said in an Oct. 22 message to the Pitzer community. “Frank was known for his love of students, his upbeat personality and for his work in strengthening Pitzer financially in both budget and endowment,” Oliver said. Ellsworth was born March 20, 1943 in Wooster, Ohio to an academic family and graduated from Wooster High School, according to an online encyclopedia. After earning his bachelor’s degree cum laude in liberal arts from nearby Case Western Reserve University in 1965, he went on to earn a master’s in education from Pennsylvania State University in 1967 and a master’s in language and literature from Columbia University in 1969, Oliver wrote. He began his long career in higher education administration at Sarah Lawrence College, where he served as a professor of literature and director of special programs, an announcement of his hiring said. He was hired as assistant dean of the University of Chicago Law School in 1971, where he served until he moved to Pitzer. Ellsworth also served as an instructor in UChicago’s Collegiate Division of the Social Sciences, where he taught the school’s well-known Great Books sequence, according to a biography in his book “From Grantmaker to Leader.” In 1976, while at UChicago, Ellsworth earned his PhD in education history. His dissertation chronicled the history of legal education and the founding of the UChicago law school. During his first semester as president of Pitzer in fall 1979, he told the Pitzer Participant that he hoped “the written record of the Ellsworth years would observe that Pitzer was an institution that realized that it could do pioneering curricular changes within the social and behavioral sciences, but beyond the realization, did something.” Ellsworth showed a profound commitment to shared governance, his daughter Kirstin Ellsworth said. “That included students, faculty and staff,” she said. “He was very much interested in
COURTESY OF PITZER COLLEGE
Former Pitzer College President Frank L. Ellsworth died Oct. 20. In 1979, he was the youngest president ever appointed to head a Claremont college.
mentoring the individual person, and what that person wanted to do within the institution. He had a lot of respect for what the faculty were teaching.” Ellsworth was also committed to supporting Pitzer’s core value of intercultural education, she said. He encouraged students to pursue opportunities off the beaten path and integrate their experiences in a foreign country with their work at the college. “I wanted to help our students and ourselves understand and respect ‘otherness,’” he told the Participant in 1991. “Those were, and remain, important goals for me, for without intercultural understanding, we will not be able to make any major difference in making our societies and countries better communities in which to live.” Faculty and administrators interviewed in the Participant upon Ellsworth’s 1991 departure from Pitzer noted his exceptional commitment to Pitzer’s mission and to the liberal arts, his mentorship and support of faculty interests, his strong interpersonal relationships and his steadfast leadership. After serving as Pitzer’s president for 12 years, Ellsworth re-
signed to become president of the Independent Colleges of Southern California, the Los Angeles Times then reported. He went on to serve at other institutions, including as interim president of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and of Sofia University in Palo Alto, according to his LinkedIn profile. In addition, Ellsworth’s work in intercultural education at Pitzer led him to help found Global Partners Institute, an organization that facilitates international exchange programs. His LinkedIn profile lists him as the organization’s board chair since 1982. Ellsworth, an avid collector of Japanese art and other prints, also served as trustee of the Japanese American National Museum and the Japanese Foundation for International Education, according to his book biography. There is no memorial service planned, Kirstin Ellsworth said, since her father wasn’t one to seek attention. “If people were thinking, ‘Well, what can I do as a memorial?’ I would say, get out there and mentor people because he was so into mentoring people,” she said. “That would be something he would really like.”
TAX: supporters warn city services at risk Continued from page 1 the city will be surprised to see that they’re probably going to gain more revenue by doing this.” The measure would contribute to the city’s general fund, which supports services such as parks, youth and senior services, infrastructure and public safety. “Yes! For Claremont” said bringing Claremont to the maximum sales tax rate could ensure Claremont receives a full 1.75 percent of sales tax revenues instead of its current 1 percent. “If [Los Angeles County] or another agency passes a regional sales tax measure before the city, it would capture the remaining potential sales tax revenues up to the state maximum of 10.25 percent and steer locally spent dollars to another agency’s budget while also limiting the city’s ability to collect its own sales tax in the future,” a report from the city’s Future Financial Opportunities Committee said. Advocates for the proposal included all five city council members and the Claremont Chamber of Commerce, according to “Yes! For Claremont”’s website. “I want to express my deepest gratitude to all the community volunteers who worked so hard to get Measure CR passed. The results are disappointing,” council member Jennifer Stark PZ ’98 said via email. “I have confidence that together, we
will find our way towards economic resiliency and a more cohesive vision of the future.” The “yes” campaign said the increase was needed to address the city’s looming structural budget deficit, which the city projects will rise from $800,000 in the next fiscal year to $2.8 million by 2023. But opponents worried the measure would place a regressive burden on low- and fixed-income residents and give the city a blank check to spend irresponsibly, Lowe said. Lowe said Claremont’s rejection of the tax-increase “could reverberate throughout California and send a clear message that the city governments need to clean up their budgets.” “You can’t keep going back to the public and saying, ‘we’re going to raise your taxes, and you’ve got to pay for this.’ There’s got to be better ways of doing it,” Lowe said. Local sales tax hikes have been on the ballot in 11 California cities this year, according to a Ballotpedia list. Eight passed with a margin of 20 percent or more. Based on current results, only Claremont looks poised to reject an increase. Lowe criticized the city for what she saw as a pattern of irresponsible fiscal policy, including a failed acquisition of the Golden State Water Company and spending $55,000 on the election solely for Measure CR
CHRIS NARDI • THE STUDENT LIFE
Claremont residents remain split over Measure CR, a proposed 0.75 percent sales tax increase.
instead of waiting for the March primary. But members of the “yes” campaign said generating new revenue remains necessary to prevent critical cuts to city services. “There’s no more fat to be cut from the budget,” Roach said. “The next round of cuts that they make are going to be things like youth and senior services.” The city made $4.7 million in cuts over the past two fiscal years to achieve a balanced budget, city staff said in a presentation to community members. They warned that services like village maintenance, community organization/homeless funding, police enhancements, after-school programs and senior programs may be in jeopardy. “We’re looking at the possibility of diminished maintenance and services in the village,” Roach said. “Those things are very, very important to our merchants. Those things are also very important to students and their families when they’re here.” If the measure passes, 5C students would see higher taxes on many purchases made in Claremont, including at on-campus shops like the Huntley Bookstore. “It would have made just about everything 5C students buy more expensive,” Claremont McKenna College accounting professor Matthew Magilke, an opponent of the measure, said via email. Lowe and Magilke also questioned whether the state’s 10.25 percent local sales tax cap is enforceable. Members of both groups said they regretted the division that debate over the tax increase had caused and hoped to work collaboratively with the city to pursue future fiscal health. “Our committee is totally committed to doing what we need to do to reconnect and move forward,” Roach said. “I would love nothing more than to find an issue we can all work on together.”
Pomona fixes emergency notification system Electronic issues prevented Pomona College from sending out a notification to the college community through its EverBridge notification system during the Great Shakeout earthquake drill in October. But the issues have now been resolved, administrators said. “The Pomona College group within EverBridge was renamed, and the administrative rights needed to send out a message was not transferred to the new name,” assistant vice president of facilities Robert Robinson said in an email to TSL. Robinson said this error has since been resolved, and the system should now be fully functional. Pomona tested the system on Thursday, and it appears to have worked. He added that, even if there had been an emergency while EverBridge issues were occurring, Campus Safety would have been able to message community members instead. — Marc Rod
THE STUDENT LIFE Editorial Board meGHAN bobRoWSKY, Editor-in-Chief mAbeL LUI, Managing Editor mARC RoD, Managing Editor
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News
NOVEMBER 8, 2019
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SPEECH: Williamson makes case for reparations Continued from page 1 than 200 people still came to see her Thursday, lining up for more than an hour before the speech and student-moderated discussion, filling the theater and spilling into overflow rooms. Williamson also visited Scripps College earlier in the day for a meetand-greet hosted by Democrats of the Claremont Colleges. After the TSL event, students said hearing Williamson articulate her platform made them think of her as a more serious candidate. “Even though her opinions are kind of out there I appreciate that she’s not the typical establishment candidate. … She’s a great speaker,” Olivia Gleason SC ’21 said after the event at Rose Hills. “I definitely like her a lot more than I did [before hearing her speak] and I definitely wouldn’t count her out.” Williamson’s nearly hour-long speech — and the following conversation between Williamson and student moderators — delved into topics ranging from reparations for slavery to American capitalism to mental health and the need for “collectivized love.” Williamson has made headlines for her unique background, policy platforms and debate appearances.
But she criticized the idea that her past hasn’t prepared her for the presidency. “I challenge the idea that only those whose careers have been entrenched within the political system, the mindset of which drove us into this ditch, are the only people qualified to lead us out of it,” she said. “We need a political visionary more than we need a political mechanic.” Williamson referenced reparations paid to Japanese-Americans after internment and Jews after the Holocaust to justify her call for $500 billion in reparations for slavery to be paid to African American descendants of slaves, but avoided elaborating on some details of her plan. “By the middle of the 20th century,” Williamson said, “it was totally accepted that if one people had harmed another, economic remuneration was reasonable. It was what you do.” Williamson also looked to history while discussing perceived harms of the modern economic system, which she traced to trickle-down economics beginning in the 1980s. “The political establishment is hand-maidened to an economic system that represents a virulent strain of capitalism,” Williamson said. “I’m not anti-capitalism at all, I’m for capitalism with a conscience.”
Parking lot being torn down for Keck expansion won’t immediately be replaced
ANNA HORNE • THE STUDENT LIFE
The W.M. Keck Science Department’s expansion will replace an existing parking lot used by faculty and staff.
CHLoe mANDeL The W.M. Keck Science Department’s long awaited expansion will finally break ground next semester. But it’ll eliminate a critical parking lot for faculty and staff that won’t be immediately replaced, a spokesperson said. The parking lot, which has 57 spaces, is located directly south of the Revelle House, the former residence of the Scripps College president where about 20 students now live, according to Scripps College spokesperson Rachael Warecki. A project to add parking to the Platt Boulevard median between Scripps and Harvey Mudd College completed in summer 2018 partially made up for the lost spots by adding 31 spaces for student parking, Josh Reeder, executive director of facilities management and auxiliary operations, said via email. He didn’t say whether any staff or faculty parking had been added
Each week, TSL answers your questions about anything at the 5Cs. Ask us a question at editor@tsl.news with the subject line “Ask TSL.” Include your name, school and year if you want.
Question: Who decided Frary is the best restaurant in Claremont? While Frary Dining Hall may be open to the public, many students have nevertheless been puzzled by the origin of an award currently plastered in Frary declaring it “2019 Best of Claremont” in the “Restaurant” category as selected by the “Claremont Award Program.” This award, in fact, appears to be part of a money-making scheme that may not actually evaluate the award recipients on their merits. Online reports originating in cities like Portland and Memphis have previously exposed scams from “The Best of Portland Award Program” and “Best Memphis Awards,” respectively, according to news articles and blogs from both cities. The organization behind these awards prompts recipients to purchase plaques and crystal awards that are nearly identical to the plaque hanging in Frary, with just the city and business names changed. Its process for identifying winners is unclear, and does not appear to be
anywhere. Reeder additionally said a review of all the parking spaces is currently being conducted at Scripps to evaluate the impacts and possible replacement of parking. The expansion follows Claremont McKenna College’s decision in fall 2018 to withdraw from Keck and create its own science department. Construction on Scripps’ and Pitzer College’s new Keck building will begin on Feb. 7, 2020, pending approval from the City of Claremont Architectural Commission, Warecki said. Architects considered “several possible locations” for the building, but the Revelle parking lot was the best option because of its “connectivity to the existing Keck Science Center,” Keck Dean Ulysses Sofia said via email. For Sheetal Gandhi, who works in Scripps’ dance department, the Revelle parking lot is the only designated parking area convenient to her building, which is directly west of the lot. “There’s not another designated space that I know of that’s close to this department,” she said. “This is the only [parking lot] I’ve parked in.” In terms of replacing the parking area, Gandhi said, “they’d have to come up with something where they’d have as many spaces as we have right now because there’s not a lot of space on the street.” Scripps professor Marina Pérez de Mendiola also depends on the Revelle lot for parking. “I believe that other parking solutions will have to be considered in the plan to expand Keck,” she wrote via email to TSL. “There are already very few parking structures.”
highly selective. “As an Award recipient, there is no membership requirement. We simply ask each award recipient to pay for the cost of their awards,” the site states. “The revenue generated by the Claremont Award Program helps to pay for operational support, marketing and partnership programs in support of local businesses.” Frary General Manager of Dining Services Jose Martinez said staff assumed the award was a recognition from the City of Claremont and the result of voting by Claremont residents and community members. He said he had been told by longtime staff that Frary has received this award for three consecutive years. TSL’s own editor-in-chief received an email Oct. 17 from the same organization, congratulating TSL for winning the “2019 Best of Claremont” award in the “Newspaper Publisher” category, despite TSL not entering any such competition. The email with the award announcement came from the email address info@company-notifications-2019.net. The Claremont Award Program did not respond to request for comment. Its website claims a mission “to
Williamson discussed her focus on education and childhood policy, drawing applause from the young crowd. “The key to having the most stunning society and the most stunning economy 10 years from
I have an idea for what we can do about the mental health crisis — stop driving so many people crazy! marianne Williamson
now is to take better care of your 10-year-olds today,” she said. “In the richest country in the world, to withhold education from a child for no other reason than that child does not have well-to-do parents is a form of passive oppression.” She blamed a “mental health crisis” in the U.S. on a deep-rooted desire for love. “I have an idea for what we can do about the mental health crisis — stop driving so many people crazy!” Williamson said. “Where the mental health crisis comes from is the fact that there’s so much despair. … We
have to address these problems on the level of cause and not just on the level of symptom.” Williamson said at the event that she has enough money to stay in the race, and wrote in a Washington Post op-ed last month that she has no plans to drop out. She asked attendees Wednesday to help her raise the $1 million she needs to air television advertisements. The event attracted a cadre of Williamson proponents and volunteers. Elijah Navarrette, a Williamson supporter from Los Angeles, criticized how Willamson has been depicted in the media. “People always talk about misleading things about Marianne,” Navarrette said. “But it’s a clear smear and they do this with people who disrupt the status quo. … What she’s saying is ultimate truth.” But many students in the audience remained unconvinced by her policy proposals and expressed doubt that she’ll be able to stay in the race. “While I don’t support her personally, I’m really excited to see what she has to say in this competitive primary,” Sofia Gardenswartz PO ’22 said. “I expected to see more of a domino effect after Beto [O’Rourke] dropped out, so personally I don’t know that she’ll last much
longer.” Some attended simply for the chance to see a presidential candidate speak but still viewed Williamson’s candidacy with skepticism. “I’m very excited that she’s on campus because I’ve never seen a presidential candidate speech, but I do find it a bit comical that she’s the presidential candidate we have here,” Rachel Marandett PO ’20 said. Others appreciated her non-traditional approach to the presidency, but stopped short of supporting her. “I’ve heard other candidates speak, and I think she has a very different approach to the candidacy,” Lily Fillwalk PZ ’22 said. “I think she’s very different than the media makes her out to be in terms of crystals and orbs, but I think she has a strong message.” However, Fillwalk wasn’t convinced by Williamson’s policies. “She has a lot of good ideas but it doesn’t seem like she has enough policy to implement that or back it up in any way,” Fillwalk said. “This event amplified how I originally felt about her.” Other students were excited to see a former Sagehen in such a prominent role. “It’s good to have some Pomona spirit in the race,” Peter Heckendorn PO ’21 said. “Go hens!”
APP: students unaware personal info public
TALIA BERNSTEIN • THE STUDENT LIFE
Pomona College students were concerned about the Sagehen Connect app making their location and contact information public.
Continued from page 1 “We have anticipated the growing concerns about digital information generally … which is one of the reasons we are migrating to a new software platform later this month that displays fewer data points by default and provides alums with more control as to what they choose to make available,” Francis said. “Any [alumni] may request at any time to be removed completely from the online app.” Of approximately 26,000 alumni, Pomona has received roughly 200 “opt out” requests over the past seven or eight years, Francis said. Some who asked to opt out voiced concerns about their data being presented in the app, according to Francis. In each of those cases, contact information was hidden and removed immediately. Approximately 100 alumni opted out when they were emailed about the launch and recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.” The enclosed link directs to a website selling award plaques for $149.99, crystal awards for $199.99 or both for “one low price” of $229.98. But Martinez said the plaque seen in Frary was not purchased, but rather mailed to Frary for free. “Any expenditure through company card will have to come to my approval and we haven’t paid $150 for that,” Martinez said. “The only certifications we pay for are for food safety, food allergy training and certification and anything related to operations.” Martinez said he would dig deeper into the origin of the 2019 Best of Claremont plaque. “To be truly honest, it’s something that’s great to have, great to receive, but it’s not something we work for. As long as the guests are happy, the students, that’s really our award,” he added.
Question: Why were people carrying a boat around last weekend? Stray wanderers on Halloweekend found themselves spectators to a grand sight as a 25-foot long, 8-foot wide and 10-foot tall boat sailed its way across the 7Cs. It was a final crusade for a merry, sailor-dressed band seasoned in distant voyages. The spectacle, viewed by many through a video posted on the Meme Queens of the 5Cs Facebook
the information that would be provided in 2011, Francis said. Pomona started its plan to transition to a new platform in summer 2019, as part of Pomona’s plan to switch the database over to a new vendor and continue to address privacy concerns, according to Trozpek. When TSL contacted Pomona about the information available on the site, the college decided to retract personal information earlier than planned, Francis said. “In the intervening years since Sagehen Connect’s launch, the climate surrounding data has changed, and in light of this trend, a new directory project was initiated this past summer to shift the alumni directory to a new platform vendor,” Trozpek said. “Part of this project included revisiting and revising the policy of providing all contact information by default.” The new platform, serviced by Graduway, is set to roll out in early December. It will only provide class year, major, name of employer and city and state by
default, according to Francis. Prior to this week’s changes, many students weren’t even aware that their information was available, and they were also not notified about the latest changes. Stringham said the new version of the app makes him more comfortable. “I get the idea of connecting alumni and having a specific network just for alumni, I think that’s a great idea. But I just don’t see a reason why everybody should be able to get an address,” Stringham said. “There’s some information that you don’t need to give out just to everybody.” Jay Scott PO ’22 has never used Sagehen Connect, but feels that it could be useful later on, and was not concerned about the level of personal information previously displayed. “I don’t mind that it has personal [information],” Scott wrote in a message to TSL. “I feel like it’s a resource that could be useful later on, and I trust members of our community not to give out all my personal information.”
page, was this year’s iteration of an annual Pomona-Pitzer cross-country tradition celebrating the end of the SCIAC championship. PPXC athlete and “chief engineer” of the last two years’ operations Ian Emlet PZ ’21 said the boat was constructed in three hours using around $100 worth of Home Depot materials, rounded out with PPXC race tape and a Sagehen flag. This year’s voyage saw the 50 to 60 runners and friends, many dressed as sailors or sporting other nautical costumes, shoulder the boat from Pomona College through Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College and Harvey Mudd College campuses before taking it over the Scripps College wall near the Rose Garden, Emlet said, interrupted only briefly by an encounter with Campus Safety officers checking up on the commotion. Upon hearing that Campus Safety had been contacted a second time, Emlet said, the team decided to avoid any further commotion and dismantled the boat, recycling its pieces in a bin. The video posted to Meme Queens attracted the attention of several PPXC alumni, Sheridan Grant PO ’15 among them. Grant provided insight on the history of the tradition, which dates back to at least 2007. “It’s a bit of the chicken or the egg problem, whether the boat or the viking costumes came first,” Grant recounted. “It’s basically a team costume, where everyone gets those little plastic viking helmets, which you can get for 10 bucks from wherever the Montclair Mall
is, or on Amazon. Some people go out to thrift stores so you can go shirtless with a fake fur vest and viking helmet.” In addition to a wider variety of costumes, the modern tradition appears to have taken on greater structure and refinement than in prior generations. Grant recalled piecing together boats using whatever materials the team’s upperclassmen could gather throughout the semester, adorning it with recycled pieces and an old PPXC jersey for a mast. “For … the whole fall semester, the team basically collects recycled or used or trashed materials. We would often get them out of dumpsters,” Grant said. Grant said he was “happy to see that other 5Cers were taking delight in the ridiculousness of the costume” and presumed that “construction has probably gotten better,” a sentiment Emlet agreed with. “I think it’s one of those traditions that is just weird enough to be consistently fun,” Emlet said. “Every year it sparks attention and it’s like, why would you do that? That’s really weird. But it’s at the liminal standpoint of being just weird enough where people still want to do it and people aren’t too afraid to do it.” Grant saw the tradition as a special bonding opportunity because of its timing following SCIAC championships, which serve as the end of the season for most of the team’s runners. “I think that it’s kind of a nice way to say to everyone, even if your season is ending after SCIAC and some of the rest of us are going on to run at regionals and nationals and continue training, that everyone is still part of the team,” Grant said.
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Life & StyLe
NovEmbEr 8, 2019
Pomona Employment Partners tackle When to call it quits homelessness one resume at a time CArEEr CorNEr
OLIVIA TRUESDALE
LILLY HAAvE • THE STUDENT LIFE
Pomona Employment Partners shift lead Emily Tomz Po ’22, lead coordinator Ash maria Po ’22 and data tracker Connor Woods Po ’20 stand outside the Draper Center for Community Partnerships.
YASMIN ELQUTAMI When you think of the words “California” and “housing,” a third word immediately comes to mind: “expensive.” The median price of a home in the state has surpassed $600,000, according to the California Association of Realtors. More than half of California renters are “cost-burdened” by housing, spending over 30 percent of their household income on rent, according to the California Budget and Policy Center. It’s no wonder, then, that an increasing number of California residents have found themselves homeless, unable to afford housing costs. Pomona Employment Partners is hoping to change all that, one volunteer at a time. Managed through the Draper Center for Community Partnerships’ Hunger and Homelessness Initiative program, PEP is a student-run volunteer employment agency for Californians experiencing houselessness, said PEP student leader Ash Maria PO ’22. Volunteers visit the Hope for Home Centralized Service Center in the city of Pomona and act as case managers — employment agency representatives — to assist in employment and wellness success of clients. PEP’s services are holistic, Maria said. The program provides resume and job application assistance resources for PEP’s clients as well as providing resources for transportation, interview prep and emotional and wellness support. “We’ve realized that people come to our table for a myriad of reasons,” he said. “A lot of times, it isn’t employment related, but that doesn’t mean we should treat them any differently. We supply humanizing dialogue, ask [them] how they’re doing,
and let them talk about their story or their day.” Sophie Roe PO ’19, founder of PEP, began the program in fall 2017 when she realized 5C students had the potential to be optimal employment case managers. They have a willingness to engage with the community, a knack for applying to a myriad of jobs and geographic proximity, she said. “I came to the conclusion that employment assistance [is] an area where college students seem uniquely positioned to help people experiencing homelessness,” Roe said. “Plus, a lot of times [other] case managers might be focused more on [obtaining] housing, so there aren’t necessarily … resources to provide [employment assistance]. But obviously, in Los Angeles, you really can’t maintain housing without employment.” Some students face an adjustment period upon beginning volunteering, citing discomfort that comes from the social perception of people experiencing homelessness, Maria said. “During the first few [volunteer shifts] … there’s always a bit of a caution,” he said. “Once folks can get a demystified picture of what it means to be houseless in Southern California, that discrepancy goes away.” Maria acknowledged the necessity of ending the “othering” of people experiencing homelessness. “In reality, homelessness looks like you and I,” he said. “There are people who literally look like they could be Claremont College students who pass through [Hope for Home]. We just need to normalize what it means to be houseless. [Houselessness] really [does] look like you and your family.” Allison Liu PO ’21, a volunteer
since PEP’s inception, acknowledged this reluctance in her own experience, but said she now looks forward to engage with others during her time at Hope for Home. “PEP has definitely been a growing experience for me,” she said. “I remember being apprehensive to go up to people and talk to them, but now I love conversing with those at [Hope for Home] and learning more about their thoughts and backgrounds.” Roe said PEP allows her to recontextualize her student life, keeping her from being occupied over potentially trivial matters and reminding her of what matters more in life. “[PEP] gave me perspective,” she said. “I’d be very stressed about a paper, and then I would go to my PEP shift. It’s very sobering to see the things that really matter in life to people — being housed, having food to eat. It really makes our on-campus stresses seem extremely small.” PEP is mutually beneficial, Roe said. “It was incredible to … build friendships with people at Hope for Home,” Roe said. “It was really heartwarming. I still go in there … for [shifts] and say hi to people; we ask each other [about our days]. We’ve developed friendships.” Maria also commented on the rewarding nature of being part of PEP. “Being houseless is extremely wearing,” he said. “But because of that, when we do see folks have a mindset shift and say, ‘I am employable, I am worthy of love and this is not my permanent state,’ that is the most beautiful thing.”
You’re constantly frustrated and stressed about work. Your coworkers are irritating, and you can’t wait to get some space. You disagree with the decisions being made by your higher-ups, and you are so exasperated you could cry. It might be time to throw in the towel. Clubs and work may be obligations, but that does not mean that you should dread going to meetings or a shift. As college students or professionals, we juggle a number of commitments and should be asking ourselves if what we do is truly worth the time and energy it requires of us. We often pick activities or work that are meaningful to us, whether it’s social justice activism, playing a sport or student journalism. Sometimes we care about our work so much that we may not want to walk away even if we should. There’s always the question of waiting things out, that maybe they’ll get better next semester or next year, but sometimes your mental and emotional health isn’t worth the risk. Harassment, discrimination and resentment toward work-related issues or supervisors who do not value your effort can all be key signs that it’s time to take a break. But how do you know for sure? My supervisor from this summer told me that everyone should draw a line based on their closely held values, and that once one’s workplace environment is so contrary to what they value or need most, it’s time to leave. For example, if you work for the government, at what point are you willing to support the greater good of your cause by working for leadership actively hostile toward your core beliefs? Toxicity can be as present on
campus as in a workplace; school clubs and classrooms are not immune to the unpleasant environments built from high stakes and passion for a cause. They can even be worse. In toxic situations, it’s easy to let anger build. It may feel like the most cathartic exit would be going out with a bang, yelling and calling out the injustices you sustained — but it’s not the professional approach. If you’re feeling overcome and burned out, first try to assess what specifically is upsetting you and whether or not those things can be fixed by talking to your supervisor or by changing your work habits. You may also want to think about filing an official complaint if there’s been harassment or other inappropriate behavior. If the situation isn’t something you can change, start thinking about what you can do to leave or change your commitment without leaving loose ends. Though you may not be in the mood to be doing others any favors, think at the very least about how you want to be remembered. Try to get to a reasonable stopping point in your work, whether it is the end of an assignment or payment cycle, before bowing out. If you can, leave feedback when you leave. Avoid slandering your coworkers or boss because that information isn’t as anonymous as most would hope. Try to be rational, but honest, and if you have ideas for solutions, toss those in the mix, too. When you care about something, it can be hard to walk away. But at the end of the day, if you’re unhappy, it might be time to step back and try something new. Got career-related questions? Submit them to olivia.truesdale@ tsl.news or anonymously at bit.ly/ CareerCornerTSL. Olivia Truesdale SC ’21 is TSL’s career columnist. She’s a career consultant at Scripps Career Planning & Resources and currently studying abroad in Seoul, South Korea. She encourages you to check out the resources available at your campus career center.
ANNIE WU • THE STUDENT LIFE
CoUCH PoTATo
HBO’s ‘Watchmen’ is a fresh take on the iconic comic book series GABRIELLA DEL GRECO CW: death The first episode of HBO’s “Watchmen” opens with a massacre, specifically the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. The Tulsa Massacre was a real event, in which militia forces destroyed a black neighborhood so prosperous that it was sometimes referred to as “Black Wall Street.” “Watchmen” makes little effort to hold back on the gory details. The massacre is seen through the eyes of a child who watches as bodies are sprayed by gunshots and set on fire. Later, he wakes up alone in a field after witnessing his parents’ death. For many, the premiere of “Watchmen” was the first time they had heard of the Tulsa Race Massacre or of Black Wall Street. The response was mainly positive, and many congratulated Damon Lindelof, the white showrunner, for highlighting an ugly part of America’s past not taught in most high school history courses. Others expressed doubt that a show about superheroes could handle the legacy of the Tulsa Massacre without trivializing it. “Watchmen” may be peppered with recreations of historical events, but the TV show is more of an allegory for our world than a direct representation. The Watchmen are a vigilante police force, who wear masks after a white supremacist group called the Calvary killed many of their members. Among the survivors are Sister Night, played by Regina King, and Judd Crawford, the police chief (Don Johnson). The plot of “Watchmen” is put into motion when a member of the Calvary murders one of the Watchmen, ending a three-year long peace. As in the original comics, HBO’s “Watchmen” takes place in a universe parallel to ours. In this universe, superheroes appeared on
ELAINE YANG • THE STUDENT LIFE
Earth in the 1940s and changed the course of history. Robert Redford has been president for 30 years, black people received reparations in the 70s and purple squid occasionally fall from the sky — the work of comic-book regular (although unseen in the show so far) Dr. Manhattan. The fantastical elements of “Watchmen” make the inclusion of the Tulsa Massacre somewhat more disturbing. Rather than de-
tracting from the social commentary of the show, the disreality of the Watchmen universe lures the audience into a false sense of safety. You could be forgiven for thinking that the Tulsa Massacre is just another deviation from history. Upon learning that it’s not, the comic book facade of the show fades back into something more sinister. Lindelof’s choice to depict the Tulsa Massacre points to a larger
theme surrounding the conversation about “Watchmen.” “Watchmen” is “woke.” It has a black female protagonist and tackles hot-button issues such as the rise of white supremacy and reparations. Lindelof also made the admirable choice to hire mainly black writers for the show. Yet certain events that take place within the first two episodes cast doubt on whether “Watchmen” truly has social justice in
mind. In the first episode, a black policeman is shot by a white man because he can’t get out his gun in time. If only that police officer had had his gun, the show seems to say, then everything would be alright. Later on, Regina King’s character, a black woman, puts a white supremacist in a futuristic version of a lie-detector test and proceeds to torture him for information, as if in some sort of topsy-turvy version of Guantanamo Bay. This is not to say that “Watchmen” is reverse racist. Rather, “Watchmen” appears to justify police violence by depicting scenarios in which the police are black and the people they shoot, kill and torture are white supremacists. It’s all too easy to come from an episode thinking that those methods are necessary, ignoring the very real history of police in our country abusing power to oppress minority groups. Nowhere is this dichotomy more apparent than a scene from the second episode, in which the Watchmen police force violently tases a group of innocent people, some of whom may or may not be members of the Calvary. The sight of policemen dragging people out of their homes and assaulting them almost calls to mind the wreckage of the Tulsa Massacre. With such an explosive and politically radical beginning, “Watchmen”’s regressive take on police violence is disappointing. Yet, at the end of the second episode, something happens that implies that the viewer is not always meant to side with the Watchmen police force. It remains to be seen how much of the Watchmen’s actions the show actually condones and how much it wishes to play with audience expectations. Gabriella Del Greco SC ’21 is one of TSL’s TV columnists, majoring in economics. Her favorite meal is Malott breakfast, and she probably spends too much time watching TV.
NovEmbEr 8, 2019
Life & StyLe
PAGE 5
Weekly Writing Workshop inspires local kids to write
CHrIS NArDI • THE STUDENT LIFE
During Weekly Writing Workshop, 5C students mentor children from neighboring areas and help them improve their writing abilities.
KEATON SCHILLER Students fill up the desks of Pomona College’s Hahn Hall each day, ready to learn lessons and engage in discussion. When 4:30 p.m. comes around on Mondays, these desks continue to be filled, but by much smaller shoes, as the Weekly Writing Workshop commences. In the Weekly Writing Workshop, also known as 3W, students from across the 5Cs gather to mentor young students and help them improve their writing abilities. Coming from neighboring areas like Upland, Pomona, Ontario or even right here in Claremont, these students participate every Monday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The mission of 3W is “to empower students from low-income communities by strengthening their technical writing skills and creative expression through in-depth, individualized feedback,” according to Voices, Pomona College’s student blog. Because many 3W students attend under-resourced schools, the program aims to provide them with the support and materials they would not otherwise receive. 3W is partnered with Uncommon Good, a nonprofit organization in Claremont. But besides check-ins with a representative of Uncommon Good, 3W is completely student-run, directed and organized. Each week’s workshop is split up into two groups — one group of fourth to sixth graders, and another
group of seventh to ninth graders. Each age group has two coordinators who lead the workshop’s lessons, as well as five to six mentors. These mentors work closely with a smaller group of students, with usually around five students per mentor group, according to Catherine Mayer SC ’22, coordinator of the fourth to sixth grade group. In a classic 3W day, Mayer said, the session begins by the mentors catching up and reconnecting with their students. The students are then given time to free write, participate in a workshop lesson and given a short break where they often run around or play soccer. 3W mentor Layla Elqutami PO ’22 expressed how tight-knit and fun-loving the relationship between mentors and students is and how it allows her to better communicate her lessons. “It’s pretty rambunctious … we have that community when we’re playing Jeopardy and everyone is shouting the answers,” she said. “But I’m still able to meet with my students one-on-one and go over a grammar error or plot device.” After releasing some energy, students return to their desks and begin to free write again. Each semester, students are given a theme to focus their stories around. While the students wrote graphic novels last semester, mystery is the primary subject of 3W for this term.
Mayer discussed how a primary goal of 3W is to “cultivate an interest in writing … to show [students] that it can be fun and not just like boring essays.” By designating creative themes like mystery each semester, 3W encourages students to both explore different genres of writing and focus on a common and cohesive style. The majority of 3W students come from first-generation households. Unlike high school tutoring workshops or adult-run tutoring sessions, 3W is unique in its college location. Mayer notes how many of the students may not have had much exposure to a college classroom before. “Few of them have family members who have gone to college,” she said. By making college an everyday part of their lives from a young age, 3W hopes to show students that college is not a distant, romantic idea, but a tangible and very much possible future for them. A primary goal of 3W is to help students develop confidence in their writing skills. “A lot of them struggle with insecurity about their spelling, grammar, handwriting or just writing skills in general, which is very inhibitive,” Mayer said. She further explained how students refused to take part out of fear of writing something bad.
“For students who are struggling, [we strive] to get them over that so they can start to feel more comfortable,” she said. Mayer told a story of a “big victory” that happened during last week’s session. “There was this kid, Ryan, who, for all of last year and this semester, literally never wrote more than a sentence, really didn’t want to be there and really didn’t seem to care,” she said. “His mentor this semester talked to him everyday and kept asking him, ‘Why don’t you want to write?’” After encouragement from his mentor, Ryan went on to create a two-page story. Mayer explained how gaining this student’s trust and developing his comfortability was the key to helping him overcome his mental block. By providing students with one-on-one support, attention and instruction, 3W aims to nurture faith in students for their own skills. Elqutami reflected on how the talent of her students is often overlooked. “I feel like people underestimate kids and their ability to create fun stories and really good characters,” she said. By investing time in 3W, mentors like Elqutami hope to create an environment where students can form their voice, both on and off paper. Many 3W students have experienced deportation within their
immediate family, extended family or even in their own lives. For instance, Mayer recalled an experience that occurred during her first semester working with 3W. “My first semester, one of my kids was writing a story about her best friend,” she said. “It was a fictional story, but it was about how her best friend was really sad because her mom has to go back [to Mexico].” After discussing the story further, the student soon revealed that the story was about another student in Mayer’s mentor group. Throughout their process, 3W teaches students how to use their writing to work through their thoughts, emotions and experiences. Because 3W provides students with ample, concentrated free write time, many students can use workshop sessions as an opportunity to tell their own personal stories. Elqutami believes the Weekly Writing Workshop can teach both children and adults alike about the power of writing. “The art of writing and literature is so much more of a valid medium than people realize,” she said. “There’s so much transmission of emotion and personal experience that you can put through even a mystery story.” For more information on how to become involved in the Weekly Writing Workshop, students can visit 3W’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ WeeklyWritingWorkshop/.
5C First Gen Week brings festivities and celebration to the first-generation student community YASMIN ELQUTAMI The first annual 5C First Gen Week kicked off this Monday, commencing a week-long celebration of students’ first-generation identity. Organized by first-generation student coalitions at each college, the week consisted of daily events spanning the 5Cs, including a kick-off event with donuts and coffee, a photobooth event to increase first-generation visibility at Hoch-Shanahan Dining Commons, a screening and discussion of the film “Freedom Writers” and a firstgen open-mic night at the Scripps College’s Motley Coffeehouse. The week will wrap up at Pomona College on Friday, where students will paint Walker Wall as part of First Gen Field Day and dance the night away at the “#CelebrateFirstGen” party in Doms Lounge.
First Gen Week makes me feel like my identity matters and has a presence on campus, all throughout my first year, and even now sometimes, I feel scared that I [don’t belong], and events like First Gen Week are really healing. Shuxin Zhou PO ’22
Pomona FLI Scholars co-president Karla Ortiz PO ’20 acknowledged that 5C First Gen Week addressed a long-standing need of the colleges’ individual first-generation organizations to collaborate. “There has been a large necessity to have a united 5C first-gen/ low-income community, because we are often involved in our own schools [and] forget … that our community is stronger and bigger
DomENICo oTToLIA • THE STUDENT LIFE
Angel Sierra Hm ’20 and Phousawanh Peaungvongpakdy Hm ’22 serve ice cream outside of Harvey mudd College’s Hoch-Shanahan Dining Commons for 5C First Gen Week.
than our own schools [individually],” she said via message. Daniel Caballero, Pomona College assistant director of First Generation, Low-Income and Undocumented/DACAmented Student Programs, echoed Ortiz’s sentiment. “There’s tremendous value in creating partnership opportunities and establishing strong networks across the 5C’s first-gen programming,” Caballero said via email. “Cross-campus collaboration … allows for fruitful interactions amongst an amazing cross section of people. Ultimately, bringing together multiple offices and involvement from all the Claremont Colleges allows for greater outcomes that perhaps no one office or institution would be able to reach alone.” 5C First Gen Week differs from separate week-long first-generation events, like Money Matters Week, in that the programming
is specifically focused on festivity and pride. Whereas Money Matters Week events involve panels and faculty mixers alongside its more celebratory events, 5C First Gen Week is more jubilant, evident in the week’s promotional hashtag and theme, “#CelebrateFirstGen.” “Visibility and celebration are at the core of all of this,” said Aileen Villa SC ’22, president of Scripps College’s QuestBridge chapter. “It’s such a beautiful thing that there’s so many firstgen students here. Education and support are always needed, but celebrating is an important part of [the identity]. You’re the first one [at college], and you should celebrate that.” Monica Lopez CM ’20, vice president of Claremont McKenna College’s first-generation club 1Gen, organized the week’s kickoff at CMC and noted how the event’s high visibility at The Hub
allowed for its attendees to feel supported by the greater student community. “We had students come up and ask what this event was for, and it was great to see that they appreciated the … celebration of first-gen students,” she said via email. “People genuinely support [us] and are there for us, so it was an amazing feeling to be surrounded by this sense of warmth within the community.” Socorro Nieves PZ ’20, intern at Pitzer College’s FirstGen program and an organizer of Pitzer’s 5C First Gen Week movie screening, also spoke to the importance of giving the greater student body awareness of first-generation students through initiatives like photos on display at dining halls or open-mic nights at the Motley. “These [events] … [give] the First Gen community an image at the 5Cs,” Nieves said via email. “It allows other people to see that
we are here and that we belong.” First-generation students felt that the week was necessary and provided them with an assurance that can be lacking at times at the 5Cs. “The first-gen events on campus have only reaffirmed why I decided to enroll in Pomona and come to Claremont,” Candy Lucero PO ’23 said. “To know that there is a community that supports each other, even when it feels like I am unsupported by the administration, provides me with the security I need to prosper in school.” The week reassured students who might have felt they may not have a place at the 5Cs. “First Gen Week makes me feel like my identity matters and has a presence on campus,” Shuxin Zhou PO ’22 said. “All throughout my first year, and even now sometimes, I feel scared that I [don’t belong], and events like First Gen Week are really healing.”
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NovEmbEr 8, 2019
SCENE oNE, HoT TAKE oNE
Bong Joon-ho’s masterpiece ‘Parasite’ spotlights rise of lower class BEN HAFETZ While not a household name, Bong Joon-ho has quietly become one of the defining directors of this decade. The Korean auteur burst onto the scene with his sophomore film, “Memories of Murder,” a murder mystery film that rose to fame in Korea and made him a film snob’s darling state side. After the success of “Memories of Murder” and his follow-up films, “The Host” and “Mother,” Bong came to work in the Hollywood studio system. But despite featuring big names like Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal, Bong’s two American films, “Snowpiercer” and “Okja,” lacked the critical and commercial success of his earlier Korean language films. After the mixed reception to Bong’s English-language films, he returned to his Korean roots to make “Parasite” — a film that cements his status as a master director. “Parasite” opens with its protagonists, the lower-class Kim family, scrambling around their house trying to connect to WiFi so they can search for online job postings. The opening tells us all we need to know — the Kims are a working class family that cannot find work, and the widespread class inequality of modern-day South Korea keeps them from changing their class status. Eventually, the eldest Kim son, Kim Ki-woo, played wonderfully by Choi Woo-shik, hatches a plan to trick the upper-class Park family into hiring his lower-class family as “the help.” This plan comes together in a remarkably fun caper of forgery, deceit, blackmail and even framing others for crimes — all in order to simply secure work from the comically wealthy Parks. It’s in the lengths that the Kims go to secure basic work where
GrETA LoNG • THE STUDENT LIFE
“Parasite” makes its most powerful point. When faced with the inability to provide for one’s family, people will lie, cheat and steal just to make ends meet. The Kims’ heist to secure work is where Bong’s eye as a director shines the brightest. Bong’s camerawork makes a task as simple as removing the fuzz from a peach seem as edgeof-your-seat thrilling as a bank
THE DoWNbEAT
If you do a quick google search of “EDM musicians,” the first 10 who pop up are all white males. You actually have to scroll to find a single non-white EDM artist. Even worse, Forbes published a list of the highest paid DJs in the world, and besides Steve Aoki and Afrojack, it is completely white (even with Aoki and Afrojack, it’s completely male). So to say the return of TNGHT is refreshing is, well … an understatement. EDM, or electronic dance music, is a genre that seems to have been dissed by almost everyone. A google search of “why edm is…” comes up with the options “trash,” “not music” and “bad,” among the top five options. The Miami Times began an article about EDM with, “Listen up, people. If you still think EDM is exciting and fresh, that’s a sign you’re a newb.” Even worse, many artists have proclaimed there is no future in EDM. Steve Aoki is now producing deep house, a possible sign that even he believes EDM is over. One electronic duo who calls themselves TNGHT promises to shake up the typical EDM scene. Formed in 2011 and composed of Scottish producer Hudson Mohawke and Canadian producer Lunice — the son of Filipino and Haitian immigrants — TNGHT has been on hiatus since 2013, a year after the release of their first EP. They plan to release their second EP, called TNGHT II, later this month. TNGHT’s first eponymous album received a score of 8.5 and the ranking of “best new music” from Pitchfork. Though the album was only 16 minutes long, it broke boundaries for what electronic music could do, setting the bar for musicians down the road. TNG-
heist goes off smoothly, and they all secure jobs with the trust of the Parks. The wealthy Parks, however, will never let their superior class status go unnoticed. This dynamic is represented best by the interactions between the patriarch of the Park family (Lee Sun-kyun) and his driver, the patriarch of the Kim family (played to perfection by Korea’s greatest working actor, Song
“Parasite” 5/5 Stars Ben Hafetz PZ ’20 is one of TSL’s film columnists. He’s a media studies and politics double major who likes to not only see movies, but also tell his friends why they should or should not like certain ones.
WUSS PoPPIN’
Could the return of tNGHt save a dying genre? ELLA BOYD
robbery. His meticulous and detailed set design makes the Parks’ mansion seem like a lush and hyperreal paradise that the Kim family can only aspire to live in. Most importantly, Bong’s mastery of pacing and tone allows the film to switch from pitch black comedy to thriller to deeply-moving melodrama with ease. For a while, the Kim family’s
Kang-ho). During their conversations, Mr. Park continually makes it clear that Kim should never attempt to cross the line of worker to friend. Their scenes together heartbreakingly illustrate how a man like Mr. Kim will always seem inhuman to a man like Mr. Park. Eventually, a wrench is thrown in the Kims’ plans when they spend the night at the Park mansion while the Parks are out of town. It would be criminal to spoil this incredibly shocking twist that sends the film into overdrive. However, I will briefly mention that this twist takes the film from thought-provoking class heist to delightfully insane thrill ride. The jaw-dropping intensity of the film’s final two acts would not work without the remarkable setup that Bong and his cast created in the first half of the film. This setup ranges from Mr. Park continually emasculating Mr. Kim (which pays off in the film’s explosive climax), to the son of the Kim family constantly commenting on “how metaphorical” key objects in the film are. The intentional, artful cues to certain objects beg the audience to pour through the text of the film and find significance in the film’s most minor details, elevating the fun thriller to a masterpiece. “Parasite” will be looked upon as a decade-defining film. Whether it be the camera, set design, themes, details, story, characters or gut-punch of an ending, it succeeds on every level. “Parasite” is a masterpiece, a film I cannot and will not stop recommending for a long time.
HT’s beats were unique, weird and, at times, completely new uses of sounds. One word used across the board to describe their sound is “big.” Even Kanye West sampled TNGHT’s song “R U Ready” for his song “Blood on the Leaves.” It’s even more interesting that their sound has been described as both electronic and hip hop. Perhaps this combination of genres could be the very thing to revitalize the dying genre of EDM. Listeners are tired of the same drops that made Skrillex and Diplo popular in the 2010s, and groups like TNGHT prove that these drops aren’t necessary to hype up a crowd. Although TNGHT is an electronic group, they’re also categorized as trap, bass and hip hop. Trap might also seem a little dated (think Lil Pump, Fetty Wap, Waka Flocka Flame) but the fusing of genres makes the music feel exciting and fresh. One song, called “DOLLAZ,” has already been released from their upcoming EP. The song features multiple different chopped, sampled vocals and a sharp, banging bassline. The track is simplistic, repetitive and somehow still an engulfing and pleasurable experience. The song sounds like it could go in any direction at any point, like its opportunities are yet to be explored. I think the same holds true for TNGHT as a group, and, hopefully, electronic music as a genre. Ella Boyd SC ’21 is one of TSL’s music columnists. Besides writing, she enjoys listening to (and mixing) music, writing poetry and making art.
ANAGA SrINIvAS • THE STUDENT LIFE
Clown memes: The modern fool’s gold NADYA SIRINGO RINGO In Japan, a kanji character is voted through a national ballot to be the kanji of the year, one that thematically encapsulates the major events within the country that year. If the same concept is applied to online pop culture, I vote for nothing but a persevering, classic icon to be meme of the year: the clown. Clowns have had an iron grip on culture for decades now. Originally, they amused spectators by providing slapstick comedy in the days of big top circus glamour. Now, thick makeup, unnaturally bright clothing and a trickster demeanor make the clown a sore thumb in almost any environment, unnerving children and adults alike. This disturbing liveliness allows for the easy translation of the clown from a comedian to an evil character in popular media, a villainous subversion that strips the comic relief of the original profession and instead petrifies with his unpredictability, irrationality and unsettling appearance. Evil clowns are pervasive in current media — some striking examples include Pennywise from the recent 2017 and 2019 iterations of “It,” as well as the titular character of 2019’s “Joker.” Both clowns are well-known icons of villainy, but because social media users refuse to take much seriously, they also serve as memetic scapegoats for genuine laughter. Some ubiquitous examples include Pennywise’s dancing and Joker’s bathroom dance as a shameful lamentation for boys in TikToks. Much of the popularity of these movies on social media can be attributed to the influx of general clown memes that started this summer, in which tweets and memes referred to fools as clowns. A popular picture of a clown typing on a keyboard is used to represent those making a fool of themselves online, such as keyboard warriors who start online arguments or users that make tired jokes. There’s also clown school memes, which encourage people to get degrees for their idiocy, or portray James Charles strutting toward the school, donning bright pink spandex. Although clowns are used to denigrate other people, they also serve as a great self-depreciation tool. People yearn-
ANNIE WU • THE STUDENT LIFE
ing foolishly for unattainable desires are rendered in memes as they put on clown costumes. A similar, popular format compares the rationalizations for impossible hopes with each stage of clown makeup. The more desperate a desire is, the more makeup is caked on the subject’s face, sealing their fate.
Nowadays, the clown isn’t a subject but rather a reflection of the fools we see in ourselves and others. The memes capitalize on the universality of mistakes and false hope. Nadya Siringo Ringo SC ’21
The theme of foolishness is constant. Before memes, clowns were renowned for their con-
ventional, lighthearted circus role or undermined when used as genuine, paralyzing symbols of fear. Nowadays, the clown isn’t a subject but rather a reflection of the fools we see in ourselves and others. The memes capitalize on the universality of mistakes and false hope — they rebuff viewers for striving toward something that leads to worthless results but validates them at the same time. As shameful as it is to be called a clown, the influx of clown memes shows that no one is safe from being called one. We pity ourselves and judge others for clownery, but these two are so intertwined because of how applicable these memes can be to any struggling optimist. Like the best of memetic subjects, the clown’s malleable nature is the key to its popularity, and its ability to express shame has led to an incredible amount of memes in 2019. Who knows what it will represent in the future? Nadya Siringo Ringo SC ’21 is one of TSL’s pop culture columnists. She is a dual cognitive science and media studies major from Jakarta, Indonesia. She’s very passionate about pop music, video games and the Enneagram.
OpiniOns
November 8, 2019
PAGe 7
I am literally begging you to chill out SCHUYLER MITCHELL Last semester, I went batshit crazy. I don’t use this phrase lightly — claims of insanity have long been used as tools for demarcating certain bodies as inferior and enacting violence against women and people of color. So, believe me when I say: Last semester, I went batshit crazy. Or at least that’s what it felt like. I’ll give you the abridged version. My nervous breakdown was the culmination of four sudden deaths of various acquaintances in the span of one week, pre-existing mental health issues and unresolved trauma, family problems, my therapist unexpectedly getting a new job, a lack of access to psychiatric medication (Monsour had no openings for the last month of the semester), coupled with the self-imposed pressure of securing an impressive summer internship and the disorientingly stressful environment of Claremont after a relaxed study abroad experience. Over the course of three months, I felt my mind slipping and my anxiety spiking. I developed obsessive, intrusive thoughts about my health and life and death, and by the end of the semester, I was having multiple panic attacks every day that left me exhausted and numb. In the depths of my dissociative, anxiety-ridden haze, I had what might be the most important revelation of my undergraduate education: Oh my god, I need to chill out. Chances are, if you’re a Pomona College student, you need to chill out, too. When I started my first year at Pomona in 2016, I heard stories from upperclassmen about the “old Pomona,” a school that
was characterized by its equal balance of laid-back fun and intellectual rigor. In recent years, however, the scales have clearly tipped toward the latter. As the acceptance rate continues its steady decline, parties on the Pomona campus have become fewer and farther between. It’s not uncommon to see students with laptops and books open in Frary, opting to study through meals instead of taking a 30-minute break. I often hear friends talk about how little sleep they’ve gotten, how they’ve committed to a million clubs and activities, how they wish they could slow down but they don’t know how. This is by design. I n a 2013 p r e sentation on Pomona “brand strategy,” Mark Neustadt, principal of Neustadt Creative Marketing, stated that the Pomona narrative “revolve[d] around the theme of happiness, laid-backness, balance and ease,” and recommended that “the institution push back against this narrative of ease and replace it with one that is more consistent with faculty values and the longterm interests of the institution.” In an April 2013 TSL article, Pomona’s then-Senior Director of Communications Mark Wood argued that Pomona’s re-
branding would not necessarily change the college’s identity. But in that same month, Pomona announced that it “[would] rewrite its admissions materials based in part on the study conducted by marketing professional Mark Neustadt,” according to TSL. Pomona is attracting increasingly driven, intelli-
students this year. As a low-income student, imposter syndrome is real. I often feel like I have to try harder, do better and take on more activities and commitments to prove to myself and others that I deserve to be here. In fact, it’s not just a feeling. According to data from The New York Times, a Pomona education doesn’t necessarily guarantee better outcomes for low-income students. Only “2 percent of students at Pomona came from a poor family but became a rich adult,” the data shows. When I lost my mind last semester, I realized I’d been on an endless academic grind since I was 13. I’d set ridiculously high standards for myself, and by spreading myself thin across so many responsibilities, I had doomed myself GreTA LoNG • THe STUDeNT LIFe to fail. I decided, then, that senior gent and talented individuals year would be my year of chill— and that’s fantastic. Over ing out. That doesn’t mean givhalf of the students in the ad- ing up, or “slacking” — it means mitted class of 2023 are domes- prioritizing my personal well-betic students of color, and one in ing, being honest with myself five are first-generation college about what I can and can’t hanstudents. dle and only applying for things But Pomona isn’t adequate- I genuinely want to do, not things ly supporting these students I think I should do. once they arrive, as evidenced This goes beyond “self-care.” by last semester’s rally for in- During my breakdown, I tried creased mental health support lighting candles, meditating, exand the administration’s fail- ercising, putting on face masks ure to implement the allegedly and eating three meals a day. promised Bridge program for These things are bandaids, not first-generation, low-income cures. Real self-care requires an
overall shift in mindset, a radical re-framing of one’s priorities. Therapy is equally as important as homework — if not more so. Period. Real self-care is systemic; it’s only made possible through increased mental health funding, access and institutional transparency. In The Baffler, Laurie Penny writes, “the isolating ideology of wellness … persuades all us that if we are sick, sad and exhausted, the problem isn’t one of economics. There is no structural imbalance … there is only individual maladaption, requiring an individual response.” The institution certainly wants us to prescribe to this “isolating ideology of wellness.” This month, Dean of Students Avis Hinkson sent an email to students announcing that we’ll have free access to the Calm app, which will “aid in your sleep, meditation and quieting your mind.” You know what would really quiet my mind? A student health insurance plan that doesn’t decrease coverage and increase costs. I’m sharing my story because I’m worried about future Pomona students, ones for whom stories of the “old Pomona” might sound like distant fantasies, ones who might not realize that chilling out does not mean slacking off, and who might think that their struggles are solely “individual maladaptions.” So, please, if you related to any of this — I am literally begging you to chill out. Schuyler Mitchell PO ’20 is from Raleigh, North Carolina. Hopefully, she is chilling out right now.
Jasper’s Crossword: Marine warfare Surge in California’s wildfires is abnormal, and colonization is to blame CAROLANN JANE DURO Guest Writer As I begin writing this article, there are currently half a dozen wildfires burning across California. California is home to more than 39.5 million people and a portion of that population is made up of 187 California Indian tribes, 109 federally recognized and 78 petitioning for recognition. While the explanation of the increasing wildfires over the past several years has been often attributed to climate change, rightfully so, an unacknowledged factor in the discussion is the ongoing settler colonization of California. California Indians and many indigenous people across the diaspora have a unique relationship with the land and the environment, some often describing indigenous people as stewards of the land. In comparison to the capitalist and colonial concept of “private property” where human beings “own” land, many indigenous people share a relationship with the land, a responsibility to live in balance with the environment. An important and relevant example of this is the California Indian tribal tradition of prescribed burns to the land during the offseason for wildfires. A prescribed burn is described as “a planned fire; it is also sometimes called a ‘controlled burn’ or ‘prescribed burn,’ and is used to meet management objectives.” California Indians were historically responsible for expansive amounts of prescribed burns and would use prescribed burns for various ecological purposes. Prescribed burns were useful for eliminating invasive species, clearing areas for new plants to grow, diminishing overflow of flammable shrubbery, pest control and most relevant to our discussion: prevention of major wildfires. This is not to suggest that before colonization California Indians never saw an extreme wildfire. However, my argument lies in the frequency and enormity of the wildfires we see today that are compounded by climate change. My own elder shares stories with me of our tribal ancestors traveling to the hills to conduct prescribed burns to manage the abundant shrubbery in the area. However, these traditions have not been passed down in my community and are the case for many other California Indians as California laws eventually prevented
the public from conducting prescribed burns. In many ways, our stewardship was robbed from us, but the most related example is how California has reserved fire management to solely the government and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE). As California Indians, this has been our homeland for thousands of years and our responsibility to protect and preserve this land for the wellbeing of all living creations is still a foundation of our values.
As California Indians, this has been our homeland for thousands of years and our responsibility to protect and preserve this land for the wellbeing of all living creations is still a foundation of our values. Carolann Jane Duro SC ’20
CAL FIRE has expressed before that they don’t have enough bodies and volunteers to do prescribed burns, but there are plenty of California Indians and our relatives included who are earnestly wondering how we can contribute in the efforts to save our land. If the California government and people are seriously thinking about what we can do to prepare and prevent the wildfires we are inevitably going to face in the future, we should very seriously consider consulting the multitude of California Indian tribes across the state for collaboration efforts on how to revitalize traditional fire ecological methods. And I emphasize a collaboration, because California Indians are obviously no longer the sole inhabitants of this land, but we are the original and have years of experience tending to this earth. Carolann Jane Duro SC ’20 is from the Maara’yam tribe in Southern California. They love spending time playing with their husky and collecting records.
JASPer DAvIDoFF • THe STUDeNT LIFe
ACROSS 1. Thanksgiving serving 4. Bloated 9. HW, to W 12. Program for young int’l students 13. “You’re _____ talk!” 14. Noted Buckeyes sch. 15. Fishy combat vehicle? * 17. Up to 18. Nation incl. Dubai 19. Class paper 21. Hufflepuff mascot 24. Assert 26. Watery ambush? * 28. Old sport 31. “___ Little Teapot” 32. Yemeni capital 34. Experimental musician Brian 35. Those in hot water? 37. Oceanic spear? * 39. Fairy tale brothers 41. Start over 42. Place for pectorals 44. The Blue Jays, on a scoreboard 45. P-P mascot 46. Amphibious blade? * 52. Van Gogh’s field 53. Harvey Weinstein-opposing hashtag 54. Mendel experiment subject 55. Tres — uno 56. ABC sports awards 57. Closer landing than LAX DOWN 1. “Is the Pope Catholic?” 2. Grate stuff 3. Citation style
4. Vehicles that are on track 5. First chips in a pot 6. Spongebob’s home 7. Amtrak stop (abbr.) 8. Symbols of tyranny 9. Checks the details 10. Nepal spot 11. Properly 16. Regrets 20. [as written] 21. Article with grave connotations? 22. Domesticate 23. People doing pat-downs 24. Former int’l airline 25. October birthstone 27. Former Obama chief of staff Emanuel
29. Retired tennis star Huber 30. Whitman or Wordsworth 33. Jimi Hendrix and Diana Ross hairstyles 36. 12th graders (abbr.) 38. Ideal, shortly 40. “Hello, _____” (Adele opener) 42. Country bordered by Sudan 43. Guitar ____ 44. Big horse spot 47. Director Anderson 48. Ideal couple, slangily 49. Recent financial event for Uber 50. Abbr. before Ted Cruz 51. Beanie or fedora
LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS
OpiniOns
PAGe 8
November 8, 2019
Drop Sodexo has to go all in and Cell phones are stop being hypocritical more toxic than the California wildfires GEORGIA SCOTT As I write this, there is a 77,758acre fire burning about an hour and a half from my house. The Kincade fire in Sonoma County has displaced almost 200,000 people and left 960,000 homes and businesses without power. My family lost power for three days, and it felt like the apocalypse. My family and friends described our hometown as quiet, spooky and dark. The store quickly ran out of food, the gas stations ran out of gas, no one was out and about, the hospitals were overflowing and there was no cell service to be found. That last detail is an important one. After driving around for hours looking for cell service, my mom finally got a hold of me and updated me on the family. She told me about the increasing worry that my aunt would run out of oxygen if the power remained off, and that my 96-year-old grandpa had moved into our house (and my bed) to be taken care of. Yet as all this drama ensued, one of the first things she said to me was how nice it was to be away from her phone and social media. Now maybe my mom was just trying to find some upside, some good news to share with a sad, worried, scared, far-from-home college first-year, but I took what she said to heart and it got me thinking. The next day I talked to two of my friends still at home, one attending community college and one still in high school. They had gone into San Francisco for the day to go to Starbucks and get homework done. The city still had power and cell service so it was easy for me to get in touch with them. Unprompted, they both said it was refreshing to have a day or two locked inside with their families playing games and reading. I’d be lying if I said they had no complaints about the situation — one friend told me his mom made him paint the baseboards in the house, which is something I can fully picture my dad making me do if I had been home. They said it was nice to “finally get some sleep” and have time to think and be with themselves. So, you might think this is a stretch, but what I got from talking to my mom and friends is that their cell phones are more toxic than the absurd fires threatening our home. And I couldn’t agree more. I hate my cell phone, and I hate everyone else’s cell phones. You can argue that they save lives and are a natural part of a developing society, but we all know that’s not the primary purpose of cell phones. Cell phones have become the most addictive vice in many people’s lives. They control our moods, sleep schedules, friendships and cultures — things that
were never supposed to be controlled by man-made material objects. Cell phones are toxic. They degrade human relationships and behaviors. They have created a vicious cycle of hatred and unhappiness. We would be so much better off without cell phones. The stupid things have no real upside, and that’s all too apparent when people are happy to be away from their phones due to a massively destructive fire. Putting down your cell phone won’t make even the slightest difference at all in the world, but it will make a huge difference in your life. Free yourself from the most destructive part of society — you won’t miss out on anything. If your cell phone is an extension of your body, and it probably is, you are unable to engage with the world around you. I challenge you to keep your cell phone in your pocket next time you’re waiting in line for food at the dining hall. Just stand there and feel awkward. Next time all your friends pull their phones out, don’t join them. And even if they don’t realize you’re not on yours, don’t join them. Just sit there and feel awkward. Engage with your world by cutting off an extension of yourself. It sounds counterintuitive, but it’s absolutely necessary.
Putting down your cell phone won’t make even the slightest difference at all in the world, but it will make a huge difference in your life. Georgia Scott PZ ’23
The fire is now 86 percent contained. My hometown has power again. My aunt didn’t run out of oxygen, my grandpa is out of my bed, there’s cell service again and life has resumed. But let this serve as a very important lesson for us all: If your screen time creates a bigger source of dread than natural disasters, something is seriously wrong with our society. Figure out a way to save yourself from your phone so you can focus on what really matters. Georgia Scott PZ ’23 lives in Marin County, California. She recommends you read Maureen Dowd’s “Requiem for White Men,” an opinion piece written for The New York Times.
ANAGA SrINIvAS • THe STUDeNT LIFe
MARGOT ROSENBLATT I recognize that it’s hypocritical that I, a grade-A Jeff Bezos hater, have a student Amazon Prime account. As much as I despise Amazon’s attack on small businesses and alleged terrible labor practices, I really really wanted that pig onesie for Halloween so that I could dress as, of all things, a “filthy capitalist.” That said, I am not so lucky as to be leading a movement against Amazon, nor am I in a position in which my refusal to buy a onesie will make an impact on Amazon’s sales in the United States. However, the leaders of Scripps’ Drop Sodexo movement are, in fact, in that lucky position. Where they choose to eat has an impact, and whether they’re attacking Sodexo halfheartedly or wholeheartedly matters. That’s why Drop Sodexo should start tackling Sodexo and Harvey Mudd College, and why any 5C student against Sodexo should stop eating at Malott Dining Commons or Hoch-Shanahan Dining Commons. Otherwise, the movement can appear hypocritical. On Wednesday after Core I, the mandatory Scripps class for first-years, I usually head on over to the Hoch for pho. If I didn’t know where the Hoch was, it would hardly matter. I could just float atop the tide of Scrippsies charging towards the delicious noodle soup. Anyone familiar with the Hoch on Wednesdays knows that the lines can stretch to a 10- to 15-minute wait. This is just one manifestation of Scripps’ love affair with HMC’s dining hall. In fact, in my experience, it seems a relative
consensus among 5C students as a whole that Mudd and Malott have some of the best food on campus. Both dining halls use Sodexo (even if Mudd does to a lesser extent), which can’t be a coincidence. Therefore, it’s fair to assume that a change in management at Malott alone could alter its food quality, which might send more students to Mudd for superior fare. In this situation, Sodexo could end up serving a similar number of students as it did before Scripps’ switch. Either way, whether dropping Sodexo makes HMC more popular or not, Sodexo will still make money off the 5Cs, and Drop Sodexo’s mission would be incomplete. All they will have achieved was dissociating Scripps’ name with Sodexo’s. Some Scrippsies will argue that they have neither power over HMC’s administration nor a place deciding HMC matters. To this, I’d point out that Drop Sodexo didn’t ask everyone who goes to Malott whether they wanted Sodexo gone; they just went for it because they felt strongly about the issue. Just like how the Scripps dining hall is not just for Scripps students, HMC’s dining hall is not just for Mudd students. It’s meant for Scrippsies, too, and thus Scrippsies have skin in the game and tokens with which to play. I believe that Scripps students have just as much pull over HMC’s dining hall as they do over their own. Also, and this should be obvious, Scripps students can rally HMC students to the cause. They can lay the groundwork for a rebellion when HMC’s contract with Sodexo goes up for renewal. Drop Sodexo has the power to effect change everywhere, and it’s choosing not to wield it.
Altruism knows no borders. So why does Drop Sodexo? I understand that Drop Sodexo has limited resources and is marshalling them towards Scripps, where they can make their biggest possible impact. But the optics of the situation matter. If Drop Sodexo ignores HMC, it can make it seem like they only care about not being associated with Sodexo at Scripps and that they only want to drop Sodexo because Sodexo hurts their image. And it makes it seem like Drop Sodexo is not willing to go “all the way” or take on big challenges to reach their goals. If I were in the Scripps administration, I would take Drop Sodexo much more seriously if they showed interest in HMC as well as Scripps because it would show that their moral grounding in the movement is strong enough to keep them fighting, even in the face of large, tough obstacles like the HMC administration. In an interview with TSL in October, one of Drop Sodexo’s organizers, Sophie Peters SC ’20, said that the campaign is “currently centered at Scripps and at Malott, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t still talking about Harvey Mudd.” This is a good start, but if they want to seem like they’re serious and make a real difference, Drop Sodexo should boycott Malott and the Hoch, get others to do the same and start efforts to rid the 5Cs of Sodexo as a whole so we can never support it again. In short, Drop Sodexo needs to whole-ass their movement, and they need to do it now. Margot Rosenblatt SC ’23 is from Manhattan, New York. Instead of subjecting her friends to her political rants, she now directs them to a piece of paper that people can choose to read. She would like to thank her roommate Lena for this piece of brilliant kvetching.
Algorithms used to vet job candidates allow biases to slip into hiring process MICHELLE LUM Is my application or resume ever going to reach the hands of an actual person? How can I best tailor my application to match the criteria of a computer program going through thousands of applications that, for the most part, are pretty much the same? Why does a computer get to decide whether I get a job? As I’ve been submitting application after application for summer internships, these questions have all crossed my mind. With the high number of applications received for single positions nowadays, many companies are turning to automated applicant tracking systems (ATS) and artificial intelligence to vet candidates in the hiring process. It’s been strange navigating the technology-infiltrated hiring process. To increase my chances of getting my resume past computer programs, I’ve been told to submit my resume only in the format of a Word document, use keywords matching job descriptions and get rid of any fancy formatting (which, by the way, I love). I’ve done a recorded video interview with HireVue, a software that allows companies to have applicants record themselves responding to questions on video, then analyzes participants’ speech and facial expressions. As a first-year, I have limited experience with the hiring process, and wanted to know more about how I was being evaluated as a job candidate, so I did some research online. What I found shocked me, and showed me that computer programs are really not yet sophisticated enough to serve as fair evaluators of job applicants. Since most computer programs
NATALIe bAUer • THe STUDeNT LIFe
that sort through resumes rely on machine learning and base their scoring systems on patterns seen from past applicants, they can often reinforce prejudices. For instance, last year, Amazon was caught up in a huge scandal over its gender-biased application-sorting algorithms. Since most past applicants were male, Amazon’s algorithms favored patterns like keywords related to males more so than those relating to females. In fact, they penalized applicants for having the word “women’s” on their resume, and even blacklisted applicants who
had graduated from two women’s colleges. Having learned its lesson, Amazon no longer uses computer programs to sort through job applications. And in December 2018, Upturn conducted a study titled “Help Wanted: An Examination of Hiring Algorithms, Equity and Bias” that concluded that “predictive hiring tools can reflect institutional and systemic biases.” Additionally, algorithms are subjective even in their targeting of potential job applicants. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that Goo-
gle’s advertising system shows high-paying jobs more often to men than to women. Companies like Hilton and Unilever now use HireVue, the software that I had to use for my recorded video interview, and one that analyzes candidates’ speech and facial expressions. Problems are abound with the use of such technologies as well. For example, people from different cultural backgrounds do not have the same perception of facial expressions, and HireVue’s speech analysis technology may discriminate against people with different accents.
Human beings are not infallible, and computers can make mistakes, too. The biases of computer programs that are designed by subjective human beings have made me question the fairness of using algorithms to vet job applicants. We shouldn’t use algorithms in the hiring process until technology becomes sophisticated enough to the point where it can rate job candidates objectively, lest we allow for discrimination to perpetuate in the hiring process. Technology is a wonderful thing. Every day, it awes me with the things that it can do — address society’s most pressing problems, cure the incurable and even solve the unsolvable. But we must be more cautious in exercising our use of technology. This is especially pertinent to many of my fellow students at Harvey Mudd College who are pursuing careers in science and technology. I guess that’s the whole reason HMC’s mission statement reads: “Harvey Mudd College seeks to educate engineers, scientists and mathematicians well versed in all of these areas and in the humanities and the social sciences so that they may assume leadership in their fields with a clear understanding of the impact of their work on society.” The impact of our work on society is something to keep in mind as we navigate the complex world of technology. Michelle Lum HM ’23 is from San Jose, California, and just wants a job. To the computers out there that are currently busy scanning her resume, she pleads for them to extend some sympathy to her.
OpiniOns
November 8, 2019
The big business of breast cancer — How to better support the cause
If you’re giving, you want to know that your hardearned money is being put to great use. Georgia Tuckerman CM ’22
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Goods website notes, in fine print, that some of the companies selling the pink products it offers do not donate any money to breast cancer charities,” according to The New York Times. It’s not okay to commercialize a deadly disease. Instead, it’s always best to support locally, where there is heartfelt, viable impact. Strive to be a little more like my grandmother. She’s an incredible chef and dedicates her days to making soups and delivering them to cancer patients of the James Cancer Hospital. Additionally, in place of our annual walk, she now supports Pelotonia, a biking fundraiser that has raised over $184 million for cancer research over 10 years, with “100 percent of every dollar raised by its participants to cancer research at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center — Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital
ISe
When I was in elementary school, I annually walked in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure with my mom and grandmother. My grandma is a breast cancer survivor, and every year, she showed up in a pink baseball cap and pink outfit, ready to conquer the 3.1-mile parade around downtown Columbus. Despite how little I was, it was easy to see how much the day meant to my grandma. Every time we crossed the finish line, her eyes brimmed with tears. She beat cancer because of events like these that fund new research and catalyze innovative treatment. But it wasn’t as easy for me to understand why we suddenly stopped this yearly tradition. My grandmother opted to invest in local organizations rather than Komen’s massive national agency. I only remember it being something about the way the Komen Foundation was spending money. Prompted by the unavoidable deluge of pink during this October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I started thinking about our sudden abandonment of the Komen Race. In 2012, Nancy Brinker, former CEO and founder of the Susan G. Komen Foundation, made an annual salary of $684,000, according to CNBC. They also reported that President and CEO of Charity Navigator Ken Berger believed Brinker’s salary to be “extremely high.” Berger further elaborated: “This pay package is way outside the norm … It’s about a quarter of a million dollars more than what we see for charities of this size. ... This is more than the head of the Red Cross is making for an organization that is one-tenth the size of the Red Cross.” Additionally, the Foundation faced harsh criticism for its use of funding. According to their Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplemental Schedules from a decade ago, roughly 21 percent of their expenses went toward research. While the remaining funding supports program services like health screening services, treatment services and public health, the 21 percent statement still sparked alarm. These are certainly all worthy initiatives in theory, but umbrella categories like “public health education” scare donors. It’s difficult to see a tangible impact from their dollars if they are going to awareness campaigns, for instance. There is no doubt much of Susan G. Komen’s work is valuable. It’s ranked No. 76 on Forbes’ 100 Largest U.S. Charities List of 2018, and the scope of its influence and power has pushed breast cancer awareness to the forefront of our national dialogue. However, there may be worthier charities to support, ones perhaps with more than a two-star rating for its financials on Charity Navigator. If you’re giving, you want to know that your hard-earned money is
being put to great use. To that point, the right answer isn’t simply buying the abundance of pink merchandise on the market. It’s often dubious and unclear if sales from pink apparel are really going towards the fight for a cure. For instance, “The Dick’s Sporting
eLo
GEORGIA TUCKERMAN
and Richard J. Solove Research Institute.” My grandma spends the morning of the bike ride on the side of the route. She double-fists obnoxiously loud pink cowbells and rings them persistently and pridefully. Another great way to support the fight against breast cancer is by listening and leading by example. By making breast self-exams and yearly mammograms a habit, we normalize the conversation about breast health and make life-saving prevention less taboo. We shouldn’t be throwing money away on pink merchandise if it isn’t whole-heartedly supporting the cause. Instead, we should be supporting credible, local organizations, and we should be supporting patients and survivors in our communities. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t care who you are, or where you come from — and it has probably affected every single one of our lives. Research, prevention and treatment for breast cancer is far too important of a cause not to prioritize. Georgia Tuckerman CM ’22 is from Columbus, Ohio. She’s passionate about government and foreign affairs and enjoys playing tennis and drinking La Croix.
PAGe 9
To avoid a repeat, we need Pete BRYNN PARKINSON Guest Writer This September, a TSL poll found Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., as the favorite among 5C students for the Democratic nomination. But I’m here to make the case for one of her competitors: South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Once the golden boy and now the dark horse, Buttigieg slipped past competitors in the ongoing clamor for the Democratic nomination for president, according to a recent Iowa poll. He now joins Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden in a new top trio of candidates. Buttigieg also more than doubled his percentage lead compared to a June poll, rising from 6 to 13 percent. That surge of support shows that people are catching on to Pete, which is why I’m continuing that momentum and making this case. The Democratic party needs Buttigieg as its candidate, and the country needs him as its president. To simmer nerves that mild-mannered Mayor Pete is a moderate in disguise, let me reassure you that he’s the liberal you want. Despite accusations that he joins the small faction of cloaked Republicans on stage, Buttigieg touts a progressive platform. He envisions a strengthened Medicare program to cover any American who wants or needs it. He aims to cancel student debt and make college affordable for all. He calls for an assault weapons ban, universal background checks for gun purchases and enforced red flag laws. He believes in eliminating the electoral college. He upholds a Green New Deal and re-entrance into the Paris Climate Agreement. He advocates for decriminalized border crossings. He supports abortion rights. His Douglass Plan endorses studying the best plan for reparations. These are not the platforms of a Republican candidate. In fact, they are the antithesis of the current Republican party. But while Buttigieg’s goals aren’t moderate, his steps to reaching those goals — the same as his party and running mates — are. That’s what makes them attainable and Buttigieg the pragmatist we need. For example, his “Medicare for All Who Want It” plan aims to create a “glide-path” for the American healthcare system into socialized medicine. But instead of a complete overhaul in four years, Buttigieg’s plan involves boosting the capacity and coverage of a public option so that all Americans — the uninsured and insured alike — have an accessible option. Strengthening the public option, in the meantime, forces private insurers to lower costs. Additionally, such a plan doesn’t scare off people hesitant to immediately swap to a socialist system — a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 69 percent of Americans prefer a public plan that competes with a private, compared to 53 percent who favor an immediate “Medicare-forall.” Likewise, Buttigieg’s plan for higher education involves asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their share while making costs
free for the rest. This system means both “middle-income” and lower-income families at public colleges pay “zero tuition.” The plan also involves dramatically increasing Pell Grants and committing resources to historically black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions. The end goal is to make college “truly debt-free” and for all. It’s not weak to state that we can’t make end goals like these happen fast. It’s bold to state that we need clear steps to make them happen at all. And to do so, we also need a Democrat who can win the general election. Fortunately, Buttigieg is the kind of fresh public servant which history says voters prefer. He’s not an established politician — a trait that hasn’t worked for Democrats for the last five election cycles.
Despite accusations that he joins the small faction of cloaked Republicans on stage, Buttigieg touts a progressive platform. Brynn Parkinson PO ’19
Al Gore, a former vice president, may have unfairly lost the electoral college ruling in 2000, but he garnered an uncomfortably close popular vote against President George W. Bush. John Kerry, longtime senator from Massachusetts, likewise ran an unsuccessful popular and electoral race against Bush in 2004. Former President Barack Obama won the Democratic candidacy — and the presidency — as an inspiring, relative newcomer in 2008. Former First Lady and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s extensive political experience wasn’t enough to swing voters in 2016, particularly the 13 percent of Trump voters who voted for her Democratic colleague four years prior. That’s what makes this Buttigieg’s election. Some have argued that his newcomer status makes him too inexperienced to govern. But a detailed look at his resume says otherwise. His Oxford education in philosophy, politics and economics says he has relevant knowledge. His eight years serving as mayor — one who revitalized his city and won re-election with more than 80 percent of the vote — says he has the governing experience and likability. And his newness, applicable only in this first run for president, is precisely what makes him appealing, and what makes his time irrevocably now. We have one chance to cut short the legacy of the 2016 election and prove we’ve learned our lesson — running heavily on experience and riling up the base is not enough to win. We have one opportunity to instead choose a progressive candidate with clear plans for big goals who can win a general election. In the office, in the debate, in the lead: We need Buttigieg. Brynn Parkinson PO ’19 is a politics major and transfer student from Indiana. She’s only been to four concerts in her life, and all of them were for Lana Del Rey.
OFF THE RECORD TSL hosted Marianne Williamson at a talk We did it, folks!
Williamson doesn’t have a stance on the Oxford Comma Spoken like a true politician
A series about making and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, mathematics)
Justin’s hiccups Delightfully different
BART Pony is a Sweets-ie more equines on public transit, please
I called my parents today Great catching up
*hic* Telling on himself... He’ll never be able to blend in People complaining about BART Pony
How could you dislike such a wonderful animal?
They can’t hear me because they’re listening to Kidz Bop better luck next time I guess
The Harvey Mudd community is seeking to create a culture for its new makerspace in the Scott A. McGregor Computer Science Center that is inclusive, creative, playful, sustainable and builds upon the College’s liberal arts environment. Think beyond traditional makerspaces to envision maker cultures that are mobile, use living materials, re-make with recycled parts and cross disciplinary boundaries.
ELLEN JORGENSEN Chief Scientific Officer, Carverr Founder, Biotech Without Borders
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 16 | 7 P.M. SHANAHAN CENTER AUDITORIUM
“Biohacking and the DIYbio Movement” Can grassroots innovation be applied to biology? That’s the question asked by the DIYbio movement, which strives to democratize biotechnology through the creation of biomakerspaces open to the general public. The first biomakerspace opened in Brooklyn in 2010, and now there are community biolabs all over the world. What were the hurdles in creating this ecosystem of citizen scientists, and how has the movement evolved over the past 10 years? Has the creation of these spaces really jumpstarted innovation? And what are the risks and benefits of amateur biology in this day and age of increasingly accessible technology?
For speaker information, visit hmc.edu/nelson. Direct inquiries to stewardship@hmc.edu, or call the Office of Stewardship and Events at 909.607.1818. Harvey Mudd College is a member of The Claremont Colleges. | 301 Platt Boulevard | Claremont, CA 91711
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NovEmbEr 8, 2019
SCIAC SEMIFINALS
Stag soccer storms past Occidental MATTHEW KIM Riding its momentum from a 4-0 thrashing of Caltech last Saturday, the No. 1 seed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men’s soccer team (13-3-2, 9-1-2 SCIAC) took down the No. 4 seed Occidental Tigers 2-0 in the semifinal of the SCIAC postseason tournament Wednesday night. The Stags peppered the Tigers’ goal throughout the first half, getting off eight shots — five of which were on target — in the first 45 minutes of play while keeping Oxy from shooting. However, CMS struggled to get past Oxy goalkeeper Scott Drazan, whose five crucial first-half saves kept the game scoreless at the break. CMS opened the second half with the same attacking mindset, putting up four more shots within the first 10 minutes. In the 56th minute, the Stags’ aggressiveness paid off. A free kick by William Birchard CM ’21 deflected off an Occidental defender and found the back of the net, ending the scoring drought. Less than four minutes later, Ethan Tyng CM ’22 put another one past Drazan off a ball from William Barton CM ’22, effectively sealing the game. Defender Adam Singer CM ’20, who was recently named 2019 SCIAC Athlete of the Year and a First Team All-SCIAC honoree, attributed the Stags’ second-half perfor-
ALLIE GOULD
HUXLEYANN HUEFNEr • THE STUDENT LIFE
Kevin Proudfoot Hm ‘21 jumps up to kick the ball during the SCIAC men’s soccer semifinal Wednesday. CMS beat Occidental 2-0.
mance to “sheer desire.” “We lost this game last year to Chapman, and I know nobody on the team wanted that to happen again,” he said. “We started wearing them down with our pace, with our strength, and things just opened up for us.” The victory was reflective of the Stags’ strong conference play all year, as they finished the regular season with only one SCIAC loss. “At our best, nobody can hang with us,” Singer said. “We’re more disciplined, we’re more talented, we work harder than every other team in SCIAC.” However, Singer noted that the Stags will need to be at the top
of their game to take down the No. 2 seed Redlands — against whom CMS tied in both of its regular season matchups — in the championship game. “They’re just as hungry as us, so we just have to make sure that we do all the little things better than they do: work harder, connect our passes, win every first and second ball and finish chances when we get them,” he said. “We had some chances here today that we didn’t put away, and a really good team like Redlands is going to make us pay for that.” The Stags will host Redlands at 7 p.m. Saturday as they look to win the SCIAC tournament for the first time since 2012.
CMS volleyball dominates La Verne BEN JONES The No. 1 seed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women’s volleyball team (15-1, 25-3 SCIAC) secured its spot in the SCIAC championship match by taking down La Verne 3-1 Thursday night. The first set was a back-and-
p-p women’s soccer shuts out oxy in ‘clinical’ victory
forth battle between the two teams, but unforced errors by CMS allowed La Verne to pull ahead and win in a 26-24 nail-biter with 14 kills by the Leopards. The Athenas jumped out to an early lead in the second set and cruised from there, winning the middle two 25-15 and
mEGHAN JoYCE • THE STUDENT LIFE
The CmS women’s volleyball team celebrates its win against La verne at roberts Pavillion on Thursday, which secured the Athenas a shot at a third straight SCIAC championship Saturday.
25-17. The final set was an easy victory for CMS, which started out with an 8-0 lead and only gave up 13 points total. The win marks the Athenas’ return to the SCIAC final for the seventh consecutive year. They’re currently ranked No. 5 nationally. Right-side hitter Amanda Walker SC ’20 led the Athenas’ offense with 14 kills, while libero Sarah Tritschler CM ’20 and setter/right-side hitter Phoebe Madsen CM ’20 had 19 and 14 digs, respectively. Coach Kurt Vlasich emphasized his team’s strong serving and blocking during the game. “I think when we serve tough, and we have that sort of blocking performance, we’re a really tough team to side-out against,” he said after the game. “At this point in the season, it’s about little tiny things,” he added. “You’re not making major adjustments or major focuses in practice.” CMS will host Chapman on Saturday at 4 p.m. in its bid for a third consecutive SCIAC title.
The Pomona-Pitzer women’s soccer team dominated its SCIAC semifinal match Thursday afternoon, burying Occidental 5-0 and advancing to the conference tournament final Saturday. While the win was unsurprising considering P-P’s outstanding regular season (161-1, 11-1 SCIAC), this game was a shot at redemption for the Hens who lost the SCIAC championship last season to the Tigers in double overtime. This year, the difference in score was notable, as was the fact that five different players recorded the goals. “We were very ... clinical with our finishing,” head coach Jennifer Scanlon said. “We haven’t been like that all season long. There’s been plenty of games where we’ve dominated and had lots of shots, but nothing clinical to finish, so we were really good with our execution of our shots today to make sure they ended up being not just good chances but being goals.” Throughout the season, Bria VarnBuhler PO ’20 and Hannah Mandell PO ’23 led P-P’s scoring. They were just named SCIAC Player of the Year and SCIAC Newcomer of the Year, respectively. The pair accounted for 25 of P-P’s 47 regular season goals. In this matchup, Ciannah Correa PO ’22, Anna Ponzio PZ ’22 and Maya Nitschke-Alonso PO ’22 also got on the board to ensure the blowout. Goalkeepers Isa Berardo PZ ’20 and Lindsey Uteda PZ ’22 com-
bined for the shutout. “We’ve got players all over the field who are just high level players and when we’re all in sync together, we can compete with anybody,” Scanlon said. Thursday’s win means the team will advance to the conference tournament final Saturday and face Cal Lutheran — the only SCIAC team P-P has lost to this season. “Cal-Lu is the second-place team in the conference for [a] reason and you know you wanna play the best competition you can in that kind of championship game,” Scanlon said. A win Saturday would be especially significant for P-P’s senior class, who, despite having enjoyed successful regular seasons and NCAA tournament competition, has never taken home the SCIAC title. “That’s been a goal in the back of our mind all season, and we had all the work to do to get to Saturday, and they’ve taken care of that,” Scanlon said. “But this Saturday definitely would mean a lot to the team and the program and that group of players in particular because it’s kind of the one feather in their cap that they have yet to achieve in their career.” A win Saturday would also secure the No. 8 Sagehens’ spot in the NCAA postseason tournament, as the winner of the SCIAC tournament receives an automatic qualification. “We don’t [want to] leave anything to chance,” Scanlon said. “We can’t control who they select if we don’t have the [automatic qualification], so we [want to] make sure and take care of the thing that’s in front of us and the opportunity we have to seal that.”
TALIA bErNSTEIN • THE STUDENT LIFE
The Pomona-Pitzer women’s soccer team celebrates bria varnbuhler’s Po ‘20 goal during the SCIAC semifinal match Thursday. P-P won 5-0.
‘Sky’s the limit:’ Under Walsh, Odermann, P-P football continues to build winning culture LANEY POPE Building on their dramatic turnaround they’ve experienced in the past few seasons, the Pomona-Pitzer football team (5-3, 3-2 SCIAC) is enjoying another strong season and maintaining a slim shot at SCIAC co-champions. Led by dual-threat phenom quarterback Karter Odermann PO
’20, the Sagehen offense is humming to the tune of 405 yards per game, and averaged nearly 40 points in dominant wins over conference foes La Verne, Cal Lutheran and Whittier. P-P did drop two crucial SCIAC matches — to nationally ranked teams Redlands and Chapman — eliminating their chances for a bid to the NCAA
tournament, but could tie for the conference title with a little luck. Over the past four years, head coach John Walsh has overseen a substantial improvement; the Hens finished with a 5-2 conference record during the 2016 and 2018 seasons. Before that, in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons, the Sagehens went 1-6 in conference play.
TALIA bErNSTEIN • THE STUDENT LIFE
CHrIS NArDI • THE STUDENT LIFE
Karter odermann Po ‘20 is the quarterback for the P-P football team. odermann leads the SCIAC in rushing touchdowns with 14, and is third in the conference for passing yards with 260 per game.
“It used to be if we could beat Whitter, or if we could give [Claremont-Mudd-Scripps] a run for their money, then that was a good season,” linebacker Jack Storrs PO ’19 said. This season, though, the level of play has improved so much that the Sagehens were eyeing the program’s first SCIAC championship since 1955. “The last four years have been the most successful in program history,” Walsh said. “This is history right now.” P-P football players credited the program’s newfound success in part to Walsh, who’s been with P-P football since 2013 and is in his third season as head coach. “The longer he’s here, the more success you’ll see the program having,” Odermann said. This season, Odermann himself has played a crucial role in the team’s success, leading the conference in rushing touchdowns with 14 this season — at least five more than any school’s running back — and ranking third in passing yards with 260 per game. His top target, receiver Win Hunter PZ ’21, is second in the SCIAC in receiving yards with nearly 97 per game. “I wouldn’t be able to have success without my teammates,” Odermann said. “I just go out and have fun and let things take care of themselves.” The Sagehens lost their shot at an NCAA appearance after falling to Chapman 26-21 on Nov. 2. “We had some simple mistakes,” Storrs said. However, he was proud of how close his team
was to beating the Panthers, who are currently ranked No. 16 nationally. “We were winning twice during the game ... and they had only been down once all year,” he said. Despite the pair of disappointing losses and only a narrow chance at the SCIAC title, the Sagehens are still looking to take care of business in their last two games of the season — their rivalry matches against Occidental and CMS. The P-P rivalry with Oxy, in which they battle for “the Drum,” dates back to 1895, and is the oldest rivalry west of the Mississippi for college football, according to Storrs. The Sagehens are also hoping to repeat their Sixth Street rivalry victory against CMS, which went on to win a share of the SCIAC title last year. Walsh said he’s encouraging his players — seniors especially — to try not to let emotions about the end of the season affect their performance in the Oxy and CMS games. The Hens are “preparing and searching for that perfect game,” Walsh said. “We still have a lot of work to do.” Storrs and Odermann both believe they’re leaving their team in good hands and with a culture of success. Storrs hopes to be leaving behind a “focus on winning and buying in ... you never know where you can go if you don’t 100 percent buy in.” “The sky’s the limit for this program,” he added.
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CMS women’s soccer misses SCIAC tournament for 2nd straight year
CoUrTESY oF CmS ATHLETICS
The CmS women’s soccer team comes together, wrapping their arms around each other’s backs in a team huddle. CmS lost to Chapman 1-0 on Nov. 2, falling one spot short of qualifying for the postseason playoffs.
ALLIE GOULD The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women’s soccer team’s (10-4-3, 6-4-2 SCIAC) 2019 season came to an unexpected end last Saturday evening with a crushing 1-0 loss to Chapman, eliminating the Athenas from contention for the SCIAC postseason tournament at the last minute for the second year in a row. CMS finished the regular season in fifth place for a second straight year, and had been hoping the 2019 season would not end in the same devastating fashion as the previous year. “It was definitely heartbreaking to not be able to make the SCIAC tournament last year,” Gabby Clouse CM ’20 said ahead of the season-ending loss. “I think that’s been a motivation for a lot of people to re-
ally work hard this season because traditionally we’ve always been a team that makes the tournament.” The Athenas last made the playoffs in 2016, when they won the SCIAC title and received a bid to the NCAA tournament. With the team’s strong showing this season, it thought it had a shot at claiming the championship once again. “Our team has really had our eyes set on an NCAA bid,” Clouse said. “We played a lot of really tough opponents at the beginning of the season and had some really good results, and so we know if we can make it to that tournament we’re gonna do really well.” Saturday’s outcome means CMS won’t have an opportunity to see how it fares in the postseason. CMS needed to win or tie to make
the SCIAC tournament, as their Oct. 12 win over Chapman meant they would have won the tiebreaker over the Panthers. Athena soccer players repeatedly declined requests for comment after they lost, and head coach Jennifer Clark did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Going into the game, the team was confident it was capable of pulling out a win. “This is 100 percent something that is in our control,” Clouse said. “I think if we come to the game and play the best that we can it shouldn’t be a problem at all, but that being said we do need to play the best that we can. It’s not gonna be an easy game.” Kira Favakeh HM ’20 was also confident, and understood the
high stakes of the matchup. “I don’t really think there’s any doubt floating around, but I think we’re still aware of the challenge we have to overcome to keep moving forward,” Favakeh said. “I feel like we’re looking at it like there’s no other option really other than to beat them.” Chapman scored in the 65th minute of Saturday evening’s matchup in Orange County, and also outshot CMS 12-8. Despite the Athena’s strong season, the competitiveness of the SCIAC conference meant this one goal in this one game would put an end to their season. “In all honesty, we didn’t want to get to this point,” Favakeh said. “We didn’t want our last game to be the deciding factor, but with the way SCIAC is, you’ve got a lot of
really level teams playing against each other so there usually is that final battle for the last spot.” These four closely-matched teams were fighting for the final three spots in the tournament, while the sixth ranked team in SCIAC — Redlands — trailed far behind with only three conference wins. For CMS, it all came down to the last game. Despite coming up just short of the tournament, the Athenas said before the game they were proud of what they’d built and accomplished this year. “The team has a lot of energy and we definitely have a lot more depth than most teams typically do,” Clouse said. “It’s not just like the starting 11 who are playing and getting stats, it’s everyone contributing which has been really fun.”
CROSS-COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS Dynasty defended: Sagehens’ Cardillo wins race, but Athenas earn 10th straight title
D’Anieri leads Stags to thrilling tiebreaker victory over Sagehens ADITYA BHALLA
JUSTIN SLEPPY • THE STUDENT LIFE
From left: Georgia Scherer Cm ’20, Dulcie Jones SC ’21, brooklyn button Cm ’22 and Isabella brusco SC ’23 charge up a hill at the 2019 SCIAC Cross-Country Championship meet on Nov. 2. CmS beat Pomona-Pitzer through superior depth.
ADITYA BHALLA As a pair of Sagehens sprinted across the finish line at Saturday’s SCIAC Cross-Country Championship meet to claim the top two spots, spectators could be forgiven for thinking the Pomona-Pitzer women were about to win their first conference title since 1991. But a long line of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps runners soon crested the grassy hill 200 meters from the finish, dashing P-P’s hopes and propelling the Athenas to yet another SCIAC championship through strength in numbers. P-P’s Lila Cardillo PO ’22 won the individual title in the 6,000-meter race, but strong pack running by CMS led the Athenas to a 37-64 win over the Sagehens — CMS’ 10th consecutive conference title. The Athenas were led by Riley Harmon SC ’22, who finished in third place with a time of 21:56. CMS rounded out its top five with runners placing seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th. “It was really important that that group behind me all hung together and worked together because that’s how we can continue to move forward and keep everybody up where they should be,” Harmon said. “We went in with the idea that we were going to run for the team and run for each other.” The CMS women were aware of the gravity of the meet: an opportunity to extend their conference championship streak to a decade. “We really wanted that 10th straight championship. We’re such a close-knit team and we’ve worked so hard together,” said Olivia Gleason SC ’21, CMS’ No. 2 runner of the day. “It’s just really rewarding to get this and run a really good race that we’re
all proud of.” It was the Athenas’ 29th title since the women’s championship meet began in 1976; no other program has more than 13. The Sagehens placed second at Saturday’s race — held in the Wash, Pomona College’s expanse of dirt trails and athletic fields — with Cardillo running 21:40 for the win and Helen Guo PO ’20 finishing second in 21:50. Cardillo, however, credited her team for powering her to the individual championship. “It felt great because it was very much a team effort,” Cardillo said. “Helen and I wanted to stick together for as long as we could and stick in the front pack as long as we could. [We wanted to] try to let someone else take control of the race and then, when we felt good, take it away.” Both the Sagehens and Athenas have aspirations of making waves at the Division III national meet in Louisville, Kentucky, later this season. Continued success for the Athenas will come from maintaining a positive mindset, Gleason said. “Our training is there, and at this point we just need to keep running to stay in shape,” she said. “At this point in the season, the mental component comes through a lot more with running.” Cardillo said she believes that if the Sagehens maintain their team unity, they’ll be successful moving forward. “I want to see a continued strong team effort through regionals and to make it to nationals as a team again,” Cardillo said. “[We want to] be in it all together, keep running in packs, keep working hard and keep having fun.” The Sagehens and Athenas will next compete at the Division III West Regional Championship on Nov. 16 in the Wash.
In a race that spanned eight kilometers and 25 minutes, a single second made the difference in Saturday’s neck-and-neck battle between Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and Pomona-Pitzer for the SCIAC men’s cross-country title. CMS’ Miles Christensen HM ’22 held off a hard-charging Joe Hesse-Withbroe PO ’22 at the finish line by just a second — 25:12 to 25:13 — securing a razor-thin tiebreaker victory for the Stags over the Sagehens and ending P-P’s two-year conference championship run. CMS and P-P both scored 31 points, but the Stags won the tiebreaker 3-2 to claim the title. The Stags benefited from a first-place finish by Thomas D’Anieri CM ’20, who won the 8,000-meter race in 24:52. After D’Anieri, the Stags had finishers in fifth, seventh, eighth and 10th. CMS, picked by the conference’s coaches before the season to finish behind the Sagehens, understood the magnitude of its accomplishment. “It’s really special to be able to go against a really strong team like Pomona and be able to eke out a victory,” said Stevie Steinberg HM ’21, who finished seventh. “CMS has found ourselves in a good position. Everything’s coming together just right.” While the meet didn’t go as planned for the Sagehens, P-P head coach Jordan Carpenter wasn’t discouraged by his team’s performance. “We have goals to bring home a trophy at the national meet, and I don’t think today changed that,” Carpenter said. “I thought we had a solid day, but there were one or two spots where [CMS] got
the best of us and that determined the outcome of the meet.” The Sagehens claimed 11 of the 20 All-SCIAC finishes Saturday, an achievement Carpenter said he was proud of. Ethan Widlansky PO ’22 led the Hens with a second-place finish in 24:55, and said the Sagehens don’t need to change much as they move toward the regional and national meets. “We’re just going to try to win. … We’re going to try to work together. I don’t think there’s any explicit strategy or tactic,” he said. “I think it’s just a lot of team-building and working off of each other and just trying to push everyone to their limits.” The Stags’ strategy during Saturday’s meet — held in the Wash, Pomona College’s expanse of dirt trails and athletic fields — was to be flexible and adaptable during the race, something Steinberg believed the team executed well. “Thinking about what you want to get accomplished should always be in your mind and that’s the larger, permanent goal, and then, minute-by-minute, step-by-step, you try to see what the right move is,” Steinberg said. CMS and P-P runners claimed all but one of the top 16 spots at the race, making the competition essentially a dual meet between two of the nation’s top programs. The close victory was decided by a tiebreaking procedure in which the finishing places of both teams’ top five runners were pitted against each other in head-to-head matchups; CMS won three of the five. The men’s cross-country teams will compete again during the Division III West Regional Championship on Nov. 16 in the Wash.
JUSTIN SLEPPY • THE STUDENT LIFE
Front row from left: Dante Paszkeicz Po ’22, Kyril van Schendel Cm ’22, Stevie Steinberg Hm ’21 and Miles Christensen HM ’22 lead a pack of runners across a field during the 2019 SCIAC Cross-Country Championship on Nov. 2.
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NovEmbEr 8, 2019
WEEKLY ROUNDUP
Pomona - Pitzer Sagehen men’s cross-country loses SCIAC championship to CMS in tiebreaker The P-P men’s cross-country team lost a heartbreaker Nov. 2, falling to CMS in a battle for the SCIAC championship via tiebreaker. Both squads scored 31 points and combined for 15 of the top 16 spots in the 8,000-meter race hosted at Pomona College. Ethan Widlansky PO ’22 led the Sagehens with a second-place finish in 24:55. P-P had 11 runners earn All-SCIAC honors by finishing in the top 20. Cardillo leads P-P women harriers to second-place SCIAC finish Lila Cardillo PO ’22 won the SCIAC individual title Nov. 2 — with teammate Helen Guo PO ’20 finishing second — but that wasn’t enough to lead the P-P women’s cross-country team to victory. The Sagehens finished second to CMS 37-64 in the 6,000-meter conference championship race at Pomona College. Cardillo led the field in 21:40. Comeback bid falls short in P-P football’s loss to Chapman Though the Sagehen defense pressured Chapman all game long and kept P-P football (5-3, 3-2 SCIAC) in the running Nov. 2, the
offense made a series of mistakes and couldn’t make a comeback, falling 26-21 to the Panthers. Quarterback Karter Odermann PO ’20 ran for two touchdowns but also accounted for a number of the Hens’ miscues, throwing for 291 yards with no scores and three interceptions. Sagehen men’s soccer ends season with a tie and a loss The P-P men’s soccer team (3-10-5, 2-6-4 SCIAC) ended its season in disappointing fashion, falling to Redlands 3-0 and recording a tie in double-overtime against Cal Lutheran. The future is bright for the young team, though, which has just one senior on its roster. The Sagehens were led all season long by youngsters like Jorge Guillen-Lopez PO ’23 and Henry Smith PZ ’23, who scored four and two goals this year, respectively. P-P women’s soccer on the cusp of SCIAC title After an easy 4-0 win over Caltech to conclude its regular season, the P-P women’s soccer team (16-1-1, 11-1 SCIAC) blew out Occidental 5-0 in the conference semifinal matchup Thursday
ANNA HorNE • THE STUDENT LIFE
vicky-marie Addo-Ashong Po ‘20 and Chloe Kerstein Po ‘22 jump up for a block. P-P lost to Whittier 3-0 Nov. 1.
afternoon, setting up a rematch against Cal Lutheran — the one team to beat P-P this year — for the SCIAC title Saturday. Five different Sagehens scored against the Tigers. P-P swim teams face Cal Baptist, CSU Bakersfield in tri-dual meet The P-P swim teams posted several impressive results in a tri-dual meet against two Division I programs Nov. 2: Cal Baptist and CSU Bakersfield. Allison Liu PO ’21 led the Sagehen women with a third-place finish in the 100-yard backstroke and also contributed to a third-place 200-yard medley relay finish. Paddy Baylis PO ’22 led the men with victories in the 500- and 1,000-yard freestyles. Sagehen men’s water polo crushes Redlands, Riverside CC The P-P men’s water polo team (18-9, 8-2 SCIAC) cruised to victory in its doubleheader Nov. 2, steamrolling Redlands 15-4 and Riverside Community College 17-6. Joseph Schafer PO ’20 scored four goals against the Bulldogs and Dylan Elliott PO ’21 had a hat trick. Riley Mangan PZ ’20 led the Sagehens with a hat trick of his own against Riverside, while Schafer and Sam Sasaki PO ’22 chipped in two goals apiece. P-P volleyball falls to Whittier and Chapman to conclude season The Sagehen volleyball team (12-14, 6-10 SCIAC) rounded out its season with two losses to conference foes Whittier and Chapman, both in three sets. The veteran team will lose middle hitter Vicky-Marie Addo-Ashong PO ’20 and rightside hitter Isabel Kelly PO ’20 to graduation — both of whom received second-team All-SCIAC honors — but returns a host of younger players, including Lauren Asato PO ’23, who tallied more than 500 digs this year.
Athlete of the Week Hannah Mandell po ’23 Women’s Soccer Frisco, TX
The Sagehen women are sailing into the SCIAC Tournament Championship following Thursday’s 5-0 semifinals win over Occidental, which featured five different goal scorers, one of them being Mandell. Mandell also coled the Hens with a goal in their Nov. 2 game at Caltech, which ended in a 2-0 triumph to end their regular season. With just one year of her college career under her belt, Mandell has been a standout athlete and was honored with various postseason awards from the SCIAC, including SCIAC Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-SCIAC. Mandell has netted nine goals on the season, putting her at second in the SCIAC.
Calendar Friday, Nov. 8 Women’s Swim & Dive vs. Fresno Pacific Men’s Swim & Dive vs. Fresno Pacific Saturday, Nov. 9 Football vs. occidental Women’s Swim & Dive @ Cal Lutheran & La verne
Men’s Swim & Dive @ Cal Lutheran & La verne Women’s Soccer @ SCIAC Tournament Men’s Water Polo vs. La verne Men’s Water Polo @ Whittier Wednesday, Nov. 13 Men’s Water Polo @ Claremont-muddScripps
Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athlete of the Week phoebe Madsen CM ’20 Volleyball Santa Barbara, CA
CMS’ Nov. 2 game against La Verne saw the Athenas recover from a 2-0 deficit to edge out a narrow 3-2 victory on the road, featuring Madsen’s second straight triple-double, her seventh of the season overall. Madsen ended the game with 27 assists, 15 digs and 11 kills, giving her the second-most kills in the game. Earlier, the Athenas’ Oct. 29 game against Redlands was a 3-0 sweep by CMS and featured a triple-double by Madsen as well as 20 assists, 10 digs and 10 kills with only 17 attempts. The setter and right side hitter was recently named SCIAC’s Volleyball Athlete of the Year for the second year in a row.
Calendar Friday, Nov. 8 men’s basketball @ Whitworth
men’s basketball vs. George Fox @ Spokane, WA men’s Soccer vs. redlands
Saturday, Nov. 9 Football @ Chapman Women’s Swim & Dive vs. Caltech Men’s Swim & Dive vs. Caltech Men’s Water Polo vs. occidental
CMS men’s cross-country edges out rival P-P for SCIAC championship The Nov. 2 SCIAC championship race saw both the CMS and P-P men’s teams finish with 31 points total, with each team’s higher finishers among their top five deciding the tiebreaker in head-to-head matchups and giving the Stags the win. The Stags had higher first, fourth and fifth-place finishers, with Thomas D’Anieri CM ’20 winning the meet in 24:52. Athena cross-country continues decade of domination, earns 10th straight SCIAC title The Athenas celebrated their 10th straight SCIAC championship win at P-P’s cross-country course Nov. 2, beating their Sixth Street rivals 37-64. The Athenas had five top-10 finishers, with Riley Harmon SC ’22 leading in third with a time of 21:56. Although P-P accounted for the first and second finishers in the race, CMS had nine runners cross before the third Sagehen. CMS football gets second straight conference win The Stags (4-4, 2-3 SCIAC) left Whittier Nov. 2 with a standout 52-16 win, their second over a conference opponent this season after their Oct. 29 rout of Occidental. The game against Whittier was another impressive performance on the
ground, as they ran for a total of 393 yards to Whittier’s 45. Garrett Cheadle HM ’20 had 165 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries.
throughout the season thus far. Clark also led the charge against Whittier, netting three goals to contribute to the formerly undefeated-in-conference Poets’ first loss of the season.
Stag soccer squad notches two shutout victories heading into SCIAC final The Stags (13-3-2, 9-1-2 SCIAC) are tournament championship-bound after consecutive shutout victories over Caltech on Nov. 2 and Occidental on Wednesday. Their 4-0 win over Caltech fell on the team’s senior day and featured four different scorers, including a goal off a diving header by midfielder Isaiah Alba CM ’20 with just nine seconds remaining. Their 2-0 semifinal triumph over Oxy was uncertain until second-half goals just four minutes apart by William Birchard CM ’21 and Ethan Tyng CM ’22. CMS will face Redlands on Saturday to determine the SCIAC champion.
Athena soccer ends season with heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Chapman The CMS women’s soccer team (10-4-3, 6-4-2 SCIAC) left Chapman Nov. 2 with a heartbreaking 1-0 loss that cut short their journey to postseason play. The loss leaves CMS in fifth place for the second straight year, just one spot away from qualifying for the playoffs. Forward Sarah Tocher CM ’20 and midfielder Rhiann Holman CM ’20 came close to scoring after Chapman’s second-half goal. But both shots were saved by Chapman’s goalkeeper, shutting out the Athenas on the day and from the postseason.
CMS men’s water polo gets two razor-thin victories over conference opponents Both the Stags’ Nov. 2 game against Chapman and Wednesday contest with Whittier ended in narrow 10-9 wins for CMS (14-9, 9-2 SCIAC). Will Clark CM ’22 led the Stags against Chapman with four goals and two assists, and has been a standout player on offense
CMS volleyball advances to SCIAC finals following two wins over La Verne The Athenas (25-3, 15-1 SCIAC) clinched a suspenseful 3-2 victory at La Verne on Nov. 2 and followed up Thursday night with a 3-1 win over the same opponent in the SCIAC semifinal. The first win saw setter/ right-side hitter Phoebe Madsen CM ’20 notch her second consecutive triple-double and Amanda Walker SC ’20 lead offensively with 15 kills. Walker also led the semifinals match with 14 kills.
Wednesday, Nov. 13 Men’s Water Polo vs. Pomona-Pitzer Thursday, Nov. 14 volleyball @ NCAA regionals (if CMS qualifies)
volleyball - SCIAC Tournament
JUSTIN SLEPPY • THE STUDENT LIFE
Will Clark CM ‘22 prepares to shoot on goal. CMS beat Chapman 10-9 Nov. 2.