Vol. CXXXV No. 8

VOL. CXXXV NO. 8

FRIDAY, November 10, 2023

Over 400 7C students protest, picket urging Pomona divestment from Israel REIA LI & SARA CAWLEY On Thursday morning at 7:00 a.m., Claremont College students began gathering outside Pomona College’s Smith Campus Center for “Shut Pom Down for Palestine,” part of a “global call” to action for divestment organized by Palestinian Youth Movement, National Students for Justice in Palestine and International People’s Assembly. This protest comes just over two weeks after hundreds of 7C students walked out of classes to demand Pomona divest from Israeli companies. The protest is part of a series of demonstrations, events and talks hosted at the 5Cs this week regarding violence and deaths in Israel and Palestine. The week leading up to the protest saw a flurry of emails from Pomona administrators over freedom of speech, student safety and protestors’ etiquette and rights. From 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., student protesters in masks wearing all black sat in front of all visible entrances to Alexander Hall to prevent Pomona faculty and administrators from entering the building. Protest chants included “Israel bombs, Pomona pays. How many kids did you kill today?,” “Pomona College you can’t hide,

we charge you with genocide” and “How many Gazans have to die before you hear their freedom cry?” Close to 9:00 a.m., Campus Safety Officers escorted faculty and administration into Alexander Hall through a basement entrance at the front of the building. Protest organizers pivoted, regrouping students outside the SCC. Around 9:15 a.m. protesters entered Alexander Hall and circled the first floor repeating “What the fuck do we want? Divestment / When the fuck do we want it? Now!” in a call-andresponse chant. Two hours later, around 11 a.m., students sat in a circle on Marston Quad for a teach-in with four students in the center leading a presentation. Pamphlets with QR codes to “The ABCs of BDS” slides were passed through the crowd. The teach-in began with some definitions on Boycott, Divest and Sanctions (BDS) terminology and background on the movement. Organizers said Israel receives more money in aid from the United States than all other countries combined and argued that because of this, students in the United States have the

CLAREMONT, CA

Annie Lowrey talks universal basic income at Ath talk

responsibility to push their colleges to divest. Nicholas Black PO ’24, co-president of Divest 5C, spoke at the teach-in to provide students with language to use with the administration when talking about divestment. Black told TSL that he thinks the administration’s response to calls for disclosure and divestment is overly concerned with language. Specifically, he highlighted responses that have pointed out tuition and fees are completely separate from the endowment. “It doesn’t matter if the money is coming from donors or from students,” Black said. “We’re still funding Israeli apartheid.” Other speakers, who didn’t identify themselves, explained that Pomona is being targeted specifically for its large endowment. Multiple students and resources from the protest measured the endowment value at $3.8 billion, but a TSL investigation into 5C endowments found that number to be $2.7 billion currently. “Pomona has the largest endowment,” one speaker said to the crowd. “Because it is the

See PROTEST on page 3

THE STUDENT LIFE

Thursday’s actions come after weeks of protests, vigils, faculty talks and administrative statements at the 5Cs following Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack and Israel’s subsequent and ongoing bombing of Gaza.

ANDREW YUAN • THE STUDENT LIFE On Tuesday, Professor Cameron Shelton and journalist Annie Lowrey discussed the benefits of using Universal Basic Income to bridge America’s wealth gap.

ELLIE URFRIG On Tuesday night, enthusiastic economists and passionate politicos packed the Athenaeum at Claremont McKenna College as Professor Cameron Shelton and journalist Annie Lowrey took to the stage. In conversation with Professor Shelton, Lowrey, author of “Give People Money” (2018), advocated for universal basic income (UBI) as a strategy to bridge the wealth gap in America. The discussion was co-sponsored by the Lowe Institute of Political Economy at CMC as part of its public policy speaker series. It acted as a continuation of a student debate hosted by the Athenaeum in September, which questioned whether the United States should adopt one version of the basic income proposal. Like students at the debate, Lowrey advocated for a specific type of UBI. She believes parents with kids under 18 should receive a $1,000 monthly cash stipend. “In the 1980s, [Brazil and Mexico] started doing something called ‘conditional cash transfers,’ mostly to moms,” Lowrey said. “They said, if you get your kid some basic inoculations and enroll them in school, you get cash, and [we] won’t tell you what to do with it. This is a really, really powerful policy intervention that gets replicated in dozens of low and middle-income countries. And you also saw an example of this in [America’s] COVID-19 response.” A similar policy in the United States would have many beneficiaries, she said. Impoverished children would be one of the primary groups.

“Kids are quite likely to be in poverty growing up in the United States, much more likely than they are in our peer countries. This is really bad for a lot of reasons,” Lowrey said. Lowrey referenced studies that found impoverished children are less healthy and suffer from reduced lifetime earnings. Additionally, many students living in poverty will not complete a high school or college degree. This pattern, Lowrey said, has serious repercussions, especially in a country that “is heavily racialized.” As it stands, U.S. welfare programs are largely dictated by eligibility, which frequently changes over time. However, Lowrey’s proposed plan addressed that issue. “The United States does have some very, very large social programs that have a great effect. But they’re kind of complicated [and] often let people fall through the cracks. The people who need the help the most, are the least capable of going and getting it,” she said. “We’re talking about everybody and we’re talking about the basics. It’s enough to help you live, but not really enough to live totally comfortably on. And, it’s unlimited in time, so we’re gonna leave this for forever.” But forever is a long time, especially when it comes to cash. Lowrey doesn’t want to get rid of effective programs like Medicaid and replace them with UBI, although she thinks less effective initiatives, like TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families), could be dismantled. Additionally, she points to taxes. “There’s only so much money you can raise from the 1 percent because there’s just not that many of them, even if they’re making

See INCOME on page 2

5C endowments experience decreases of up to 14.5 percent in the 2022 fiscal year BRECKEN ENRIGHT Endowment funds across all Claremont Colleges experienced decreases of up to 14.5 percent in fiscal year (FY) 2021-22, according to a TSL analysis of the colleges’ public financial statements. Scripps reported the largest decrease of 14.5 percent in net endowment assets, while CMC’s endowment was the least affected, experiencing a decrease of 6.5 percent. This is a stark contrast to FY 2020-21, which saw unprecedented growth of endowments: 30 percent on average nationally and up to 43 percent at the 5Cs. Endowments consist of funds classified as either restricted or unrestricted. Donations with specified purposes, like funding scholarships or faculty-endowed positions, make up the restricted portion of an endowment. Unrestricted endowment funds account for the rest of the endowment and are managed by a Board of Trustees in accordance with the Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act, a law regulating the amount of the endowment an

organization is allowed to spend in a year. These funds are often designated to cover institutional operating expenses like student services, academic support and research. Only 41 percent of Pitzer College’s endowment is donor-restricted, making it the least restricted endowment at the 5Cs. In contrast, 90 percent of Scripps’ endowment is restricted by donor specifications. Despite significant endowment gains or losses across the 5Cs in the past few years, the percentage of endowment that is restricted or unrestricted has held constant. Laura Schaefer, Pitzer’s chief operating officer and treasurer, described an endowment as a savings account in which you can only spend less than or equal to what the account earns in interest. “For example, if you endow $100, and it earns on average 7 percent interest per year ($7), then $7 is the maximum you can spend,” she told TSL. Endowments are invested and growth is achieved either through reinvestment of the returns earned or donor gifts. It is possible that endowment losses last year were the result of two main factors: losses on

BRECKEN ENRIGHT • THE STUDENT LIFE

on investments and endowments allocated to be spent. Every year, each college at the 5Cs aims to spend anywhere from 4.5-5.5 percent of the average fair value of the endowment over the last 20 quarters. In accordance with this spending policy, once the school determines how much of

ARTS & CULTURE From “The West Wing” to the West Coast: Iconic screenwriter, director and playwright Aaron Sorkin spoke at Scripps College on Nov. 7, covering the highlights and struggles of his legendary career.

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the yearly budget should be covered by endowment spending, that money is taken out as long as it is within this established percentage range. Pomona’s endowment is the largest, meaning that they spent the most — in FY 2022, this number exceeded $104 million. All 5Cs experienced losses on

investments where they usually see gains. These positive returns normally bring in revenue for the college to either spend or reinvest, further growing their endowment. A percentage of each school’s endowment was allocated for spending de-

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OPINIONS

SPORTS

Sarah Burch PO ’22, a Pomona College alumna, argues that the college is inadequately supporting Palestine and Palestinian students.

On Saturday, Oct. 28, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) women’s cross-country team earned their thirteenth straight SCIAC championship title, and finished with six runners in the top 10.

INDEX: News 1 | Arts & Culture 4 | Opinions 7 | Sports 9

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November 10, 2023

Creating safe spaces for the Latinx community: A preview of Latinx affinity groups across the 5Cs COURTNEY CHEN & CRYSTAL WIDADO

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Latinx affinity groups create spaces for 7CLatinx students, also referred to as Latine, to find community on campus. TSL spoke with student leaders from Pomona College and Claremont McKenna College to learn more about their organizations. Pomona College Latinx Alliance The Pomona College Latinx Alliance (LXA) strives to provide a safe and comfortable space for Latinx students. This year, there are eleven students on the executive board. TSL spoke with LXA co-presidents Bayardo Lacayo PO ’24, Brisa Salazar PO ’24, treasurer Brandon Karagozian PO ’24 and vice president Kelley Delgadillo Garcia PO ’25. Lacayo said Pomona LXA’s primary goal is to foster a space where the Latinx community can celebrate their similarities and differences. They hope to create a community in which students can feel comfortable. “It’s very difficult to go to a predominately white institution. It’s an institution that doesn’t have spaces for us,” Salazar said. “LXA is meant to create space for community to come together.” The student leaders spoke about the diversity in their affinity group. Eager to embrace differences within the Latinx community, the group strives to understand the community’s heterogeneity and welcomes any student who identifies as Latinx. “It’s not only about recognizing our differences but [...] just understanding what it means to be Latinx across the country, across the world, and learning that from each other,” Delgadillo Garcia said. Pomona LXA hosts music and dance events, Lotería nights and painting nights, among other events. The organization also collaborates with other 5C Latinx affinity groups, such as Scripps College’s Café con Lèche and the Pitzer College Latinx Student Union. The executive members told TSL about the group’s founding. When a CMC student and Scripps student dressed up as stereotypical Mexicans for Halloween in 2015,

INCOME: Ath talk discusses UBI, wealth inequality

COURTESY: JAVIER GONZALEZ TSL spoke with student leaders from Latinx affinity groups at Pomona College and Claremont McKenna College (CMC). CMC’s Mi Gente is pictured above.

discourse was sparked across the 5Cs. Students came up with demands for an alliance of Latinx students and presented their list to the president, leading to the official founding of the Pomona LXA. Since the group’s establishment, its biggest challenge was bringing underclassmen into the group after COVID struck. However, Garcia emphasized that they have been working to overcome this. “It got to a point where LXA and the traditions were mostly known by upperclassmen, and we struggled to bring in the lowerclassmen,” Garcia said. “There are a few first-years on our board right now [...] I think we’ve definitely done a lot to bring in and create that comfortable space for any Latino.” Claremont McKenna College Mi Gente At CMC, Mi Gente aims to strengthen community among Latine communities at the college and throughout the 5Cs, accord-

ing to their leadership. Founded in 2016, the club said they celebrate Latine culture through programming, events and creating an inclusive space on campus. This year, Mi Gente is run by Javier Gonzalez CM ’24. For Gonzalez, a first-generation low-income student, Mi Gente was important in transitioning into CMC, helping him strengthen his passion for community building among marginalized students. “My parents immigrated from Mexico, so coming into a space that was predominantly white, I was really able to find footing with people that looked like me,” said Gonzalez. “I felt like this is a community that helped me become my own person and led me to the resources I can find here.” Gonzalez emphasized the lack of affinity group spaces as a challenge Mi Gente has faced as a student club. Instead, most affinity groups meet at the Civility, Access, Resources and Expression (CARE) Center, a room located in the second room of the Heggblade Center at CMC. “We obviously have the CARE

Center. But that’s not the equivalent of having an actual space,” Gonzalez said. “We don’t even have a space to hold our meetings. We have to try to reserve and it’s a first come, first serve basis.” When thinking about previous events Mi Gente has hosted, Gonzalez recalled the strength and beauty of their previous celebratory and educational events. His favorite social event was a 5C quinceañera party from the previous academic year. “It was basically for a graduating senior that did not get to have their quinceañera. We got them a dress and everything and learned a surprise dance. It was beautiful.” Moving forward, Gonzalez hopes to move Mi Gente towards an inclusive space for all identities and experiences within the Latine community. “We recognize that the Latine experience is not a monolith,” said Gonzalez. “We want to be able to celebrate and hear from and have the input from all cultures, Mexican culture.”

huge amounts of money,” Lowrey said. “Most of the money is being made by the 99 percent. So, the second issue is, do we not want to set an example… for politics? Do we not want to convince people in the middle class, that it would be better for them to pay a little bit of higher taxes, but have better social services? Could we show them that?” Lowrey acknowledged this is easier said than done, saying that in order to “permit more human flourishing,” we must “get over the idea that giving people cash isn’t great.” Her notion resonated with economics and public policy major Josie Aspromonte CM ’26. “The conversation around UBI is not only timely but also essential for shaping our society’s future,” Aspromonte said in an email to TSL. “We must continue to engage in informed, constructive discussions on this critical issue in order to see meaningful improvements in our society and address the pressing issue of wealth inequality.” Other attendees, like international student Filiana Kostopoulou PO ’26, didn’t leave so convinced. “I first heard about UBI in high school and I loved it because, coming from Greece, we have all of these taxes, but we never receive any money. But after coming to college and learning more about the theory of [economics], I realized that UBI may not be very feasible,” Kostopoulou said. “I feel like it would be better and more effective to actually provide school for infants and to make college more affordable.” To Kostopoulou, UBI won’t ubiquitously solve our nation’s problems. However, attendee Jo Keyser PO ’26 reiterated one notion that stuck out to her. “As Lowrey so beautifully said, UBI is a tool … not an end. Creating a widespread economic floor sends a message that you’re not going to let people fall through it, and that’s powerful rhetoric we need more of in this country,” Keyser said.

‘The story is not over’: Bauer discusses California Indigenous portrayal HANNAH GOTHELF This Tuesday, Professor William Bauer headlined a lecture exploring California’s Indigenous history at Pomona College’s Rose Hills Theatre. Bauer is a historian and program director for the American Indian and Indigenous Studies minor at the University of Nevada. The Nov. 7 “Know Your History” talk was organized through a collaborative effort between the Institute for Inclusive Excellence and the Pomona History Department. The talk centered around discussions of California Indigenous portrayal throughout history as well as the role of Indigenous land in the state’s history as described in Bauer’s co-authored book, “We Are the Land: A Native History of California” (2021). Joshua Thunder Little, associate director of Native American Initiatives at Pomona, opened the lecture with a land acknowledgment. He then set the stage for reflective discourse by calling the audience to action. “What are you doing to better your relationship with the Gabrielino Tongva peoples, and what are you doing to connect and honor your relationship with the land?,” Thunder Little asked audience members. Following Thunder Little’s opening remarks, Bauer took the stage and broke down the timeline of his book, which he explained was intended to combat the erasure of Indigenous American history. “We tried to refute the notion that California Indian people and nations had disappeared from the land,” Bauer said. “The book is the resilience of them to maintain connections with land and with one another.” Bauer asserted that the history of California — and, more broadly, of the United States— is incomplete without the stories of its Indigenous peoples, arguing that “you cannot understand U.S. history without understanding Indigenous California history.” The Gabrielino Tongva people, whose story is a cornerstone of the book, were presented by Bauer not as a relic of the past, but rather as a people with a history

and legacy that “does not end in 1860.” Bauer challenged depictions of California Indigeneity as vanishing peoples who had been completely erased; instead, he emphasized the persistence of the Tongva. Bauer also critiqued the portrayal of Indigenous narratives in California history books, which he explained often emphasize stories like that of Jane McCrae, a white woman who was allegedly scalped and killed by Indigenous peoples during the American Revolution. According to Bauer, McCrae’s death became a symbol of American patriotism — yet most history books remain silent on the parallel tragedies that Indigenous women in California endured. Bauer brought to life the diverse and resilient history of California’s Indigenous peoples, highlighting the over 100 languages spoken before the European invasion of California. “California is really probably the most diverse linguistic place in North America,” he said. Bauer specifically highlighted Yuma, Rome, Sacramento, Ukiah, the East Bay, Riverside, Los Angeles, the Ishi Wilderness and San Diego as “prominent native spaces.” Focusing on Ukiah, Bauer illustrated the resilience of the Pomo people in the 1870s. According to Bauer, the Pomo people pooled their wages to buy back their land: “Not the entire valley, but maybe ten to twenty acres at a time of rebuilding and reclaiming their connection.” Bauer addressed the challenges in capturing such a rich history within “We Are the Land: A Native History of California.” “It’s exciting and actually daunting ... understanding that, at least we tried to address and keep the diversity [of California] in mind,” he said. In his talk, Bauer sought to encourage the audience to rethink their understanding of California’s Indigenous landscape today. Travis Brown, co-director of the Institute for Inclusive Excellence at Pomona, highlighted

WENDY ZHANG • THE STUDENT LIFE On Nov. 7, at Pomona College, Professor William Bauer lead a discussion on California Indigenous thought and the role of land in California’s history.

the institute’s initial efforts to launch a more inclusive curriculum at the 5Cs, emphasizing the importance of Indigenous perspectives. Brown explained that the creation of the institute began with discussions on equity and inclusion. Some of the goals envisioned during these discussions, such as the mission to create inclusive classrooms, are reflected in Pomona’s Faculty Handbook. The faculty’s commitment to support this inclusivity is supported by an $800,000 Inclusive Excellence Grant from Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Brown said the “Know Your History” events were intended to address a gap in students’ historical knowledge and a need for the integration of California Indigenous history into campus discourse. He also outlined the Institute’s overall mission of nurturing an inclusive environment at Pomona, emphasizing

the value of feeling a sense of belonging. “If you feel that you belong some place, if you feel that you are a part of the community, you are more likely to flourish, you are more likely to do well,” he said. Brown stressed the Institute’s role not as an enforcer but as an advocate for diversity in educational materials. He encouraged faculty to diversify the voices in their syllabi to include those historically marginalized, including Indigenous authors and scholars. “Be as diverse and inclusive as possible,” Brown urged, proposing that the decolonization of curricula reflect a wide range of perspectives. In the Q&A segment of the talk, a Pitzer College student asked Bauer about the isolating nature of predominantly white institutions for Indigenous students. “That isolation continues,

even if you continue on the path into academia,” Bauer answered, highlighting the lack of Indigenous presence in higher education and emphasizing the role students must play in transforming the academic landscape. “Finding the right community is always advice that I give, making sure to connect with other people.” Addressing a Pomona student’s question about the role of universities in making sure the institution is committed to integrating more accurate historical teachings, Bauer cited a pattern of historical unawareness that he has encountered in his career. Holding the institute accountable, according to Bauer, is essential in fostering a community that is not only aware of its history but also active in shaping an inclusive and educated campus. To him, change means creating an environment where everyone can flourish – where students are not just informed about history but know that “the story is not over.”

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PROTEST: Claremont communities express frustration, voice criticisms Continued from page 1 oldest college in the consortium we recognize that it has influence and that once it discloses and divests, the other 5Cs will do the same.” Student speakers also shared information about the legal complaint Divest 5Cs filed with California Attorney General Rob Bonta on Oct. 30. The teach-in ended with organizers asking attendees to sign a “Cross-Coalitional Solidarity with Palestine” petition. Around a dozen faculty watched the teach-in from the shade of one of the trees. A Scripps College professor, who requested anonymity due to concerns over job security, attended the teach-in because their students said that the best way to support them was to be physically present at the various actions on campus. “I’m deeply energized, and I’m grateful that our students are organizing so powerfully and that they’ve really taken the time to create space for community and public education,” the professor said. “As divisive as this issue is, it is also one way for many of us to connect.” By the time the teach-in ended on Marston Quad at 12 p.m., over 400 students had gathered to demand Pomona and the other Claremont Colleges “immediately divest from U.S. weapons manufacturers and Israeli and Israeli-affiliated companies.” “I feel really happy to see my peers come out to support the Palestinian cause,” a student demonstrator, who requested anonymity for safety concerns, said. Another student said Pomona College’s refusal to divest from companies funding Israel is antithetical to their position as a socially progressive institution. “My education at Pomona College has been about calling out settler colonialism, understanding colonization and becoming a conscious and ethical citizen of the world and calling out these internalized interlocking systems of power,” said the student, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns. “It would be incredibly disingenuous and antithetical to everything I’ve tried to learn here if I don’t actually manifest that into action.” Despite escalating student protests, Pomona said they have no plans to pursue this kind of divestment. On Oct. 27, protestors blocked Starr’s welcome address to parents during Parent Weekend. Two weeks ago, hundreds of students walked out of class. A delegation to Jeff Roth on Nov. 3 culminated in students blocking an intersection between 6th Street and the Pomona gates. Kendall told TSL that “Pomona’s investment policies do not single out any nation, nationality or region for investment exclusion. There are no plans to pursue any exclusion of this kind.”

During the last two hours of the protest, which ended at 3 p.m., students ate a catered lunch and made phone calls to congressional representatives at the Pomona College Organic Farm. In the days leading up to the protest, a series of emails from administrators and student groups went out to the Pomona and 5C community addressing the coming events. On Nov. 8, President Gabrielle Starr sent an email to Pomona’s community outlining the college’s approach to student activism. In the email, Starr reaffirmed that Pomona upholds free speech and academic freedom. “In the weeks since the Oct. 7 attacks, we’ve received complaints regarding slogans, chants and statements that were assessed, under our established process, to fall within the realm of protected speech,” Starr wrote. In a Nov. 9 email to TSL after the protest, Mark Kendall, Pomona’s chief communication officer said that “an atmosphere of free speech and the right to protest also requires following reasonable community policies such as not blocking entrances/ exits to buildings.” Avis Hinkson, Pomona’s dean of students, sent an email on Nov. 8 “in light of the activism planned on campus” telling students to contact their class deans if they wanted a space to “study, reflect and unwind.” Starr ’s email also informed students that they may be asked to remove masks for identification purposes because “wearing masks that prevent recognition of individuals poses a challenge to the ability to maintain campus codes of conduct.” Some students and faculty expressed concern that the language in Starr’s email echoed an open letter that StandWithUS, an international nonprofit that “supports Israel and fights antisemitism,” published on Nov. 7 as part of a campaign to remind universities of “their legal duties to Jewish and Israeli students.” In the Nov. 7 open letter to Starr, leaders of the organization suggested Starr prohibit masks and inform faculty that “attending, endorsing and encouraging planned walkouts … likely violates school policies on use of class instruction time.” In response to TSL’s inquiry about whether Starr was influenced by StandWithUs’s letter, Kendall, Pomona’s spokesperson, said that Starr “was not aware of such outside concerns.” “The mention of masks [in Starr’s email] was in response to significant concerns related to our own campus -- not in response to any outside organization,” Kendall told TSL via email. In response to Starr’s email, a student expressed concern for other students, particularly undocumented and international

THE STUDENT LIFE Over 400 students participated in Thursday’s protests and demanded Pomona to divest from Israel.

students “whose presence at this college hinges upon them abiding by school rules.” “The fact that we’re eliciting such a strong response within them means that the actions that we’re taking are actually hitting them where it hurts,” the anonymous student said. “But also it kind of terrifies me that they’re willing to sacrifice their students to such an extent.” On Nov. 8, Jeff Roth, Pomona’s vice president, and Melanie Wu, dean of the college, sent an email to faculty and staff informing them that students would be protesting. An anonymous professor provided TSL with this email. “As always, we continue with normal campus activities as planned, with appropriate modifications,” the email reads. “Please be thoughtful about how you proceed with your classes and your work.” Some Jewish student groups expressed concern over Jewish students’ safety during the protest. On Nov. 8, Hillel at the Claremont Colleges sent an email to their community members with the subject line “URGENT: Safety Information for Tomorrow (11/9).” In the statement, Hillel urged members to avoid protests if they felt unsafe and document antisemitism when possible. “We are facing a context of deep tension and even hostility and emotions are running high,” the statement said. “It is so important in times like this to be

aware and keep yourself safe.” Student group Haverim sent a statement with recommendations to members on Nov. 8 in anticipation of Thursday’s protest, Emilio M. Bankier PO ’27 told TSL. The recommendations included filming protesters, limiting interaction with protesters and attending classes if students felt safe to do so. “Show those who seek to intimidate you that you are stronger than them by continuing your day as you would normally,” the statement read. Bankier, who is Haverim’s director of public relations, feels there needs to be tangible acknowledgement from administrators, students and faculty that antisemitism is unacceptable at the Claremont Colleges. He expressed concern around signage included in a memorial erected by Claremont students at an Oct. 20 vigil arranged at Pomona’s Smith Student Center which expressed mourning for “insurgents who have died for the liberation of Palestine.” “There is a difference between mourning the deaths of civilians and mourning the deaths of terrorists,” Bankier said to TSL via email. “To us, mourning the terrorists who perpetrated the atrocities of Oct. 7 is no different than mourning the Nazis. It needs to be made clear that such rhetoric has no place in Claremont, as it stands against the values of the colleges as well

as basic humanity.” A core tenet of Haverim, Bankier noted, is that it’s a space for community members to discuss Israel, which “includes criticism.” He also said that he holds “critical views” of Israel, and doesn’t believe any concrete change will occur until people with opposing views are willing to converse. “I am opposed to settlements in the West Bank, for example, and I think that Benjamin Netanyahu’s policies over the last decades have been a disaster for Israelis and especially for Palestinians, who I think absolutely have a right to statehood and sovereignty.” Both Palestinian and Jewish students have echoed their concerns and hopes for continuing conversations on the issue. Claremont Jewish Voice for Peace representative, Bella Jacobs PZ ’24, argued for the need of an anti-Zionist Jewish space on campus. “[Jewish Voice for Peace] is a place where Jewish students can build community and find other like-minded, anti-Zionist students and also bring students who are questioning their Zionist values,” Jacobs said. “There’s a lot of evidence showing that antisemitism has been on the rise in the last decade…but I think it’s extremely dangerous to conflate antisemitism with anti-Zionist, pro-human rights and pro-Palestinian speech on college campuses.” Maya Zhan and Annabelle Ink contributed reporting.

ENDOWMENT: 2021-2022 fiscal year in review Continued from page 1 investments and endowments allocated to be spent. Every year, each college at the 5Cs aims to spend anywhere from 4.5-5.5 percent of the average fair value of the endowment over the last 20 quarters. In accordance with this spending policy, once the school determines how much of the yearly budget should be covered by endowment spending, that money is taken out as long as it is within this established percentage range. Pomona’s endowment is the largest, meaning that they spent the most — in FY 2022, this number exceeded $104 million. All 5Cs experienced losses on investments where they usually see gains. These positive returns normally bring in revenue for the college to either spend or reinvest, further growing their endowment. A percentage of each school’s endowment was allocated for spending despite these losses. Not only were the 5Cs unable to reinvest as much back into their endowments, they had to spend some of it too. Similar losses occurred nationally. The 2022 NACUBO-TIAA Study of Endowments (NTSE) estimates that college endowments across the United States decreased by 8 percent on average, with smaller schools seeing the greatest impact. We took a closer look at each college’s endowment value, restricted/ unrestricted ratio and spending below.

Pomona College Pomona College’s endowment is the largest of the 5Cs and is currently valued at over $2.7 billion. This is an 8.8 percent decrease from last year’s value of over $3 billion. According to Pomona’s website, 57 percent of the school’s operating expenses are covered by endowment spending. The college authorized endowment spending of $104 million in 2022 and $102 million in 2021. Many student groups are calling for disclosure of the sources of Pomona’s endowment investments. Divest 5Cs recently filed a legal complaint against the college asking California Attorney General Rob Bonta to review the school’s investments and force the administration to divest the endowment from fossil fuels. Students demonstrating in solidarity with Palestine have also organized a series of protests asking the administration to divest from companies and manufacturers that support the Israeli government. Pitzer College Pitzer College has the smallest endowment among the 5Cs, currently valued at $168 million. This is a 6.8 percent decrease from last year’s estimates of $179 million. In 2017, Pitzer divested their endowment from fossil fuels and is the only Claremont college to

have done so. “Pitzer’s commitment is to invest wisely and responsibly to ensure financial responsibility, but also in ways that support our core values, such as social rights,” Schaefer said in an email to TSL. They accomplish this by screening out companies that violate the UN Global Compact Principles when deciding where to invest the endowment. While Pitzer has the least donor-restricted endowment, they do not understate the necessity of endowed gifts. According to Pitzer’s website, endowed gifts allow the college to “operate with assured financial security and give donors the personal satisfaction of knowing they have made a permanent and lasting contribution to a world-class institution, the students we serve and the faculty who teach and inspire them.” The endowment spending rate stayed the same at 4.3 percent for both FY 2020 and FY 2021. The college reported a loss on investments of $8 million in 2021. Scripps College In FY 2022, Scripps College’s endowment was valued at over $461 million. This is a 14.5 percent decrease from last year’s total at $542 million, the largest decrease across the consortium. While Scripps experienced the greatest endowment losses in FY 2022, it reported the greatest en-

dowment growth in FY 2021— almost 43 percent. Previously, Scripps emphasized the importance of its endowment, naming it the college’s “financial anchor.” Endowment spending accounts for approximately 20 percent of the operating budget in any given year to fund institutional costs, financial aid and academic programs. Notably, Scripps increased their endowment spending in 2021 to 6.6 percent to account for pandemic-attributed losses in the previous year. This is just below the 7 percent maximum endowment that a university can spend each year set by the UPMIFA. In an email to TSL, the Office of Business Affairs explained that “there were also numerous costs to keep our community safe upon our return to campus, including medical expenses, quarantine and isolation costs, outdoor classroom spaces and modifications to campus” which led to the increase in spending. Claremont McKenna College Claremont McKenna College currently has the second largest endowment at the Claremont Colleges, valued at over $1.1 billion. However, in FY 2021, it was 6.5 percent larger at over $1.2 billion. The audited financial statement cites “investment performances and reclassification of endowed funds” as reasons for these losses.

CMC ended up spending less by percent of their endowment due to outsized gains experienced last year, dropping from 5.0 percent to 3.4 percent. Unlike Scripps, Pomona and Harvey Mudd College, CMC published their 2022-2023 financial audit. In the wake of investment losses during 2022, this number jumped back up to 4.4 percent in 2023. Approximately 32 percent of the college’s operating budget is covered by the spending of endowment funds. Harvey Mudd College The Harvey Mudd College endowment is currently valued at $401 million, 9.6 percent less than last year’s value of $444 million. The ratio of restricted/unrestricted endowment funds at HMC is almost identical to CMC’s. According to HMC’s website,“ named Endowed Funds support lecture series, academic and extracurricular programming, student-faculty research, professorships and other important areas of activity and discovery at Harvey Mudd College.” Overall, donors “invest in supporting what makes Harvey Mudd College unique.” The college highlighted the role of donor gifts in allowing students access to opportunities like research conferences and other academic and professional experiences. Ambika Gupta contributed reporting.

Corrections In Issue 7, columns two and three were switched in an article titled ‘Divest 5C files legal complaint against Pomona College.’ TSL regrets the error.

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Arts & Culture

November 10, 2023

Indigenous resistance at Confessions of a shopaholic the Benton: An exhibition by Leah Mata Fragua FASHION BIBLE

LISA GORELIK

SARAH ZIFF • THE STUDENT LIFE The Benton invited Leah Mata Fragua to speak for a talk titled, “An Exploration of Memory, Resistance and Creativity in a Time of Environmental Flux” on Nov. 2.

ANANYA VINAY On Nov. 2, the Benton Museum of Art invited Leah Mata Fragua to speak on the climate crisis’s impact on the practice of Indigenous art. Fragua is a place-based artist and a member of the yak tityu tityu yak tiłhini Tribe, located on the California coast. She is also an adjunct professor in the Indigenous Liberal Studies Department at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Fragua presented a talk titled “An Exploration of Memory, Resistance and Creativity in a Time of Environmental Flux,” followed by a conversation with Dr. Meranda Roberts regarding ephemeral art and advocating for change in art institutions. Dr. Roberts, a visiting professor of art history at Pomona College, is a member of the Yerington Paiute Tribe and aims to hold colonial institutions accountable for the harmful narratives related to Indigenous people. Realizing that there isn’t much of an Indigenous presence at the Claremont Colleges, Dr. Roberts invited renowned artist Fragua to help shine a light on the history of these people for students and faculty. “I really wanted to bring out, specifically, a California native artist because I feel like at the colleges that we do not have enough of a native presence here,” Roberts said. “I realized as I’m teaching that there’s so much history of native people here being represented or talked about but not from the communities.” Fragua began the conversation by elaborating on her artistic philosophy: place-based artistry. “I consider myself a place-based artist … and [that means] work that comes from a place [with] materials of shared stories, shared history [that] is low tech, heavy on process,”

she said. “It actually shapes the way that we make things, the way they aesthetically look … also helps shape our identity.” Many of her pieces use Indigenous art mediums, such as traditional wooden baskets and shellwork. However, due to the ongoing climate crisis, Fragua reflected on how Indigenous artists, herself included, often cannot access those materials. “My main medium was … traditional shellwork … but there has been a shift in the availability of abalone, and it is no longer legal for us to harvest it,” Fragua said. “It’s more than just an environmental concern … I feel like oftentimes Indigenous communities are left mitigating our own problems we didn’t cause.” Dr. Roberts also shared her perspective on a modern approach to Indigenous art: ephemeral art, which Fragua practices. “There’s something beautiful about adding a piece of art that isn’t supposed to live forever in conversation with pieces that are kind of forced to live forever … because we get to have our ancestors be in conversation with each other,” Roberts said. “We don’t have the opportunity from the collection items [to] hear those stories, but they exist and we have to make space for them.” Fragua’s tribe isn’t federally recognized. As a result, despite having access to health services, they do not qualify for scholarships. In addition, the Indian Arts and Crafts Art only permits members of federally recognized tribes to sell their art as Indigenous art. “I have a legal situation I’m constantly having to navigate because those treaties were never ratified,” Fragua said. “If you look at the federally recognized tribes

in California … they’re not off the coast and they’re not gold territory … Our coasts offer ports for the military and oil refineries … There is a reason why there are no federally recognized tribes on the coast.” Attendee Tatiana Jaimes PO ’25 found the talk to be a refreshing perspective on art, especially through an Indigenous perspective. “A lot of art has been forced into a capitalistic lens, just producing and being admired and not having a purpose,” Jaimes said. “Art [doesn’t] need to be here forever and … humans [are not] here forever [either] … So [art is] an extension of self, which is [an] Indigenous way of thinking.” Attendee Lina Tejeda, a graduate student in history at a school in San Bernardino, was surprised to learn about the Indian Arts and Crafts Act. “I didn’t take into account that artists have to prove they’re native and that people will actually come looking for them for answers to verify that they’re actually selling their own [culture’s] art,” Tejeda said. Fragua urged artists to reject the binary mindset of either completely following traditions or abandoning them. She observed that Indigenous peoples have always shifted and adapted traditions. “I will have elders saying ‘but that’s not traditional,’” Fragua said. “We’ve had such great loss of our material culture that oftentimes to steer away from it might seem less traditional … I think that there is room for both: that we can still practice our traditions but we can also be innovative at the same time so that we don’t stop creating.”

Do your cupboard drawers barely close after you stuff in your whole T-shirt collection, forcing you to resort to violently pushing and tugging the furniture? Do the clothes in your closet hang so closely together that it is almost impossible to pick something out of the stacks? Are your shoes slowly beginning to take over the entire floor space of your room? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may be a shopaholic. There is no need to panic. As a self-proclaimed recovering shopaholic, I am here to help you before it’s too late. I realized that I had a problem when I had to purchase an additional set of drawers to fit all of my possessions in my dorm room, in addition to the three suitcases currently under my bed stuffed to the brim with clothing that I never wear anymore. I feel incredibly guilty getting rid of my clothing. I feel like I didn’t get my money’s worth out of the pieces, and that by getting rid of them, I am wasting my money, even though I never wore them anyway. Believe it or not, I actually imagine my clothes as having feelings, and that they might be upset if I decide to get rid of them — what a blow to their self-esteem! Obviously, this is a problem, not only because I feel like I am living surrounded by cluttered, useless items, but also because I just keep bringing more stuff in. This is not only an emotional issue for me, but a financial burden and an unsustainable way of living. I struggle between wanting to have outfit options and having different pieces for different seasons, and desiring the peace of mind that comes with a minimalist space and wardrobe that only contains the clothing you truly love. Recently, I have been taking steps and implementing measures to mitigate my shopping addiction and clear out my living space, and I want to share my tips with you, shopaholic to shopaholic. Unfortunately, the path to recovery is not easy, and it starts with a wardrobe purge. Curing this addiction does not only require you to change your spending habits; the first step is getting rid of everything that you may not wear or use. To start this process, pick out a

free day (trust me, it will take all day) to go through every single item in your wardrobe, aiming to eliminate around 30 percent of what you currently own. Seriously ask yourself: How often do I wear this? Can I see myself ever wearing this in the future? Do I have any other items that are similar to this? Once you have your heap of exiled clothing, shoes, accessories and jewelry, you can separate them into three main categories: sell, upcycle and donate. If you feel that you have spent good money on a brand new item that you have barely worn, it is probably best to consider reselling it on an online marketplace such as Depop, eBay, Poshmark or Vinted. Make sure that your item is in good condition, take aesthetically pleasing pictures of it, write up an informative description and price it fairly — otherwise it will end up living in your closet for the foreseeable future. This way, you get rid of an item that is cluttering your closet and your money back, or at least part of it. You may be left with pieces that are not in good enough condition to sell or may not be the trending items that buyers are looking for. In this case, I try to upcycle these kinds of items. For example, I recently made a pair of long jean shorts from a pair of jeans that I had ripped a hole in. Another time I cropped a denim skirt that I never wore, which has now become a staple piece. Upcycling allows you to feel like you have just acquired a brand new item, even though you haven’t spent any additional money on it and are not adding to the piles of clothing overcrowding your closet. Finally, if the piece is in bad condition, you don’t feel bad losing money on it or maybe you just don’t like it that much, the best that you can do is donate it to your local Goodwill, thrift store or charity. Another tactic against shopping that I have been trying out recently is the “one in, one out” policy. Whenever I purchase a new item of clothing and bring it home, I have to pick out one item that I will get rid of in return. This allows my cleared out closet to remain restricted and not allow it to become overflowed again. I believe in you, my fellow shopaholics! Let’s overcome this addiction and leave the clutter in the past. Elizaveta (Lisa) Gorelik CM ’25 is from Moscow, Russia. She is currently obsessed with the Western/cowboy aesthetic.

NICOLE CEPEDA • THE STUDENT LIFE

U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón discusses the importance of grief ZOE DORADO “I really do think that poetry can be an opportunity to grieve and an opportunity to resurrect parts of ourselves,” Ada Limón said to an audience of 500 at the Scripps College’s Garrison Theater, many of whom traveled across Los Angeles County to see her. “That’s what I’m hoping to do on this very special day.” On Nov. 2, Ada Limón, the 24th United States Poet Laureate, 2023 MacArthur Fellowship Genius grant awardee and the author of six poetry books, joined the Scripps Presents in Conversation lineup — a series inviting storytellers, artists, policymakers and musicians to share their contributions to leadership and critical thought on important current issues. Limón read nine of her poems embodying her curiosity about the world and our interconnectedness with it, and followed up with a conversation with Lynne Thompson, the 20212022 LA Poet Laureate and 20182022 chair of Scripps’ Board of Trustees. Limón opened her talk by describing how her ofrenda – an altar honoring her ancestors for Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) – was backstage in the green room, her loved ones resurrected through photos she brought from home. From her first piece “Relentless” to her last piece “The End of Poetry,” audience members leaned in, taken by her precise language and vulnerability. Even in between poems, Limón knew how to hold space for both grief and joy, for moments of laughter

COURTESY: ANYA LORENZO Scripps Presents invited United States Poet Laureate Ada Limón to speak on Nov. 2.

even after a heavy poem. Limón elicited her idea of joy through humor. She joked that poets will literally write about anything while introducing her poem “Dead Stars,” which she wrote about the sound of rolling trash bins. “Leave it to poets to make

a poem about anything,” Limón said. “That’s what keeps us single.” Much of Limón’s writing touches upon the constant alternation of emotions between moments of joy to times of grief. This came across while she read her

poem, “After the Fire.” “Funny thing about grief, its hold is so bright and determined like a flame, like something almost worth living for,” Limón read. In her conversation with Thompson, Limón described how because there is so much hurt and violence in the world, individuals cannot heal or move towards action if they don’t take the time to grieve. For her, poetry can be a space to process that grief. “I think that even with every horrible thing that is happening right now, I do really believe in poetry,” Limón said. “I believe in its power to allow us to absorb things, to process things, to not go for the easy answer, to know that even though we seek clarity, mystery is usually what we find.” River Rafferty SC ’25, an audience member and admirer of Limón’s work, agreed with this sentiment. “Especially in a time of political turmoil and tragedy, I think it’s really important to turn to art and communication and poetry in order to get through that,” Rafferty said. In fact, many people have turned to Limón’s work as inspiration for their own art. John Waldman, a fifth and sixth-grade teacher at Pluralistic School One in Santa Monica, gave each of his students one of Limón’s poems on the first day of school. “We had a lively discussion,” Waldman told Limón during the Q&A portion of the event. “After our conversation about your poems, each of the students wrote a poem inspired by you, and I’d like to give them to you tonight.” As Waldman walked up to the stage, presenting Limón with his

students’ poems, the room felt a palpable sense of warmth. Still, attendees like Hannah Price PZ ’25 wondered if Limón, an inspiration to many, ever struggled as a writer. “Do you ever feel impostor syndrome, even as a poet laureate?” Price asked. Limón, in response, described how she tries not to give imposter syndrome any credence. “I think [imposter syndrome] was sort of invented by a white man,” Limón said. “If I do feel that, I think, ‘Yeah, I’m nobody, and that’s so great.’” She pointed out how she would much rather be sitting with the audience than up on the stage, “like we’re all together in this community.” In fact, Limón wants to get away from the idea that she has wisdom, but instead as someone “who can encourage many people … to trust themselves in their own curiosity.” “That’s what I really try to focus on … put[ting] us all in the mess together,” Limón said. “Because then we’re all in it together. Then we’re not alone in those feelings.” As the U.S. Poet Laureate, Ada Limón is working on multiple projects. Her initiative, “You Are Here” will create poetry art installations across seven national parks as well as an anthology of 50 original poems from contemporary poets responding to the natural world. Additionally, Limón wrote an original poem commissioned by NASA as part of their “Message in a Bottle” campaign. Her poem will be flown on the Europa Clipper mission Oct. 2024.

Arts & Culture

November 10, 2023

PAGE 5

FILM FILES

‘The Bear’ season two finds more room on the menu HANNAH ELIOT

FX’s hit series “The Bear ” shocked and impressed audiences when it was first released in 2022. Set in the fictional Chicago sandwich shop “The Original Beef of Chicagoland,” the show follows Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), an elite chef who returns to run his family’s restaurant after the sudden death of his brother. Season one of “The Bear” was filled with chaos, screaming, clanging metal and gunshots — if you’re Richie, Carmy’s cousin, trying to scare a throng of cosplayers into order. Season two doesn’t stray too far from this formula. There are the same kitchen sounds — “Yes, chef,” “Behind,” “Corner” — and lots of dad rock. While season one had a single star, Carmy, the second season dedicated multiple episodes to explore other characters, adding depth to fan favorites like Marcus (Lionel Boyce) or more underrated characters like Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). The show’s first season was claustrophobic. Things felt like they could boil over at any second. Certain episodes of season two certainly keep up that high pressure, particularly “Fishes,” a flashback set in a Berzatto family celebration of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian American Christmastime tradition. Insults are hurled; so are forks. A plate is smashed. Finally, Carmy’s mother, Donna (Jamie Lee Curtis), drunk and feeling unacknowledged for her work on the elaborate dinner, curses out her family and drives her car through the wall of the house. While the editing in the show’s kitchen scenes perfectly embodies the mayhem each chef is feeling, its full impact would be lost without the chaotic style of dialogue

overlaying it. The hard cuts and tight camera angles feel like they’re jumping over each other because the dialogue is, as each chef — even if they’re not involved in the main conversation — is talking, taking orders or joking around with their coworkers in real-time. This layered dialogue is overwhelming for the audience and, when paired with the show’s editing and framing, collides to produce the lifelike chaos “The Bear” has become known for.

Growing up at Thai Cafe There are certain restaurants that I vividly associate with my childhood, and one of them is the humble Thai Cafe in Orange County. This restaurant was my first exposure to Thai food, and as a young girl I quickly fell in love with their fragrant rainbow of curries — red, yellow, green, panang and massaman too — and their spicy papaya salad and tangy tom yum soup. My dad would scoop some pad krapow gai — spicy chicken with basil — onto my plate and show me which chilis to mix in to make each bite extra spicy. As a Korean, kimchi played a major role in helping me build up my spice tolerance, but I have to give much credit to certain Thai dishes, too. I frequented Thai Cafe with my parents on leisurely Saturdays filled with art projects, watching Disney Channel and playing with friends. As I waited for my tom yum to cool down, I would ramble about the latest monkey bars trick that a friend taught me. I would sprinkle chilis atop my chicken and talk about just how much I hated improper fractions. On some Sundays, we would even order takeout from Thai Cafe and host gatherings with people from our church. My friends and I would fill our plates to the brim with curry and noodles and rush off to my room to record ridiculous lip-syncing videos while the adults had their own deep conversations. These are just some of the memories of Thai Cafe that came rushing back to me when I had dinner there with my father and grandmother a couple weeks ago. I hadn’t been back to this restaurant in ages, and as soon as we sat down, I felt a wave of nostalgia come over me. The cool, yellow interior looked the same after all these years. Our food order also did not change — sure enough, we got the tom yum, pad krapow gai and a green curry to share. At the sight of these dishes, I felt like a child again. My heart leaped with excitement and my taste buds tingled.

the show features the occasional moment of calm to allow the audience and the characters a break from the chaos of the restaurant. However, in true “The Bear” fashion, these moments of stillness are rarely positive celebrations. Instead, they often showcase Carmy poorly processing his grief, either in a quiet room or through the occasional dream sequence. I n s e a s o n t wo , e p i s o d e s “Honeydew” and “Forks” offer more quiet moments, allowing

LUCIA MARQUEZ-UPPMAN • THE STUDENT LIFE

MOMENTS TO SAVOR

EMILY KIM

What’s more impressive is that, in spite of the layered dialogue used to overload our senses, there are no empty lines. Each line of dialogue is carefully crafted to push the plot forward, stage a new conflict or progress a character ’s internal growth. Even the most insignificant lines, like Carmy giving preparatory orders to the rest of his staff before his meltdown in the one-take episode in the first season, serve the narrative. While they are less common,

However, this time as I ate, I found myself no longer talking about fractions and recess and “Wizards of Waverly Place.” Instead, I was getting advice from my father and grandmother on whether or not to double major. I was sharing about my tentative post-grad plans in speech pathology and showing them photos from a friend’s bridal shower that I had attended that morning. The food at Thai Cafe had not changed — the tom yum was still sizzling and the curry was as aromatic as ever — but the conversations surely had. They were reflective of how I was growing up. After dinner, I felt an odd combination of bittersweetness, pride and gratitude. It was bittersweet that I no longer recounted my days with the tricks I learned on the playground and what late 2000s sitcom was on TV. At the same time, I was proud of how far little me had come and how I even had the language to articulate why certain subjects interested me and why I was considering a particular career path. I was also grateful for the ways in which a restaurant could be an unexpectedly steady presence in my life, holding space for and comforting me with its nostalgic flavors as I moved through various milestones. Thai Cafe took on a new meaning for me that day — it became an extra special place. So now I pose this question to you all: What is your Thai Cafe? Or, if not a physical place, what is a dish that can encourage and remind you that you are growing up? You may not have an answer right away and that’s okay. The answer may come unexpectedly, but I’m confident that once you step inside, smell the aroma or take that first bite, you will know. Emily Kim PO ’25 is from Irvine, California. Her current hyperfixation song is “Bad Idea” from “Waitress” and she is still carrying around her Jellycat purse everywhere.

SASHA MATTHEWS • THE STUDENT LIFE

for some of the most significant developments of characters and themes in “The Bear ” so far. “Honeydew,” directed by Emmy-winning actor and writer Ramy Youssef, takes pastry chef Marcus to Copenhagen to apprentice under a pastry chef (Will Poulter) at a Noma-like restaurant. In the constant chaos of the kitchen, Marcus’ kindness and patience mean that he’s often the show’s only source of calm. “Honeydew” takes a closer look at the thoughtful interiority that comes with that outsider status. “Forks” follows likable screwup Richie through a weeklong boot camp, polishing forks and working the dining room at a Michelin-star Chicago restaurant. Similar to the structure of “Honeydew,” the episode contains training-style montages, most of which feature Richie washing silverware and learning the basics of fine dining. But after only a week of working at the restaurant, Richie is totally transformed. He cares about organizing pens and polishing silverware. He wears suits. He has learned to channel his pettiness and intensity into solving problems and satisfying his guests. On his last day, Richie has a moment with the head chef as she peels enough mushrooms to feed all of Chicago during the kitchen’s off-hours. This isn’t her first restaurant, Chef Terry (Olivia Colman) tells him. The last one was a massive failure. But, she says, “It’s never too late to start over.” Likewise, “The Bear ” season two isn’t afraid to break new ground and allow its audience a little more room to breathe, at least until the next meal. Hannah Eliot SC ’24 is from San Francisco, California. She likes to surf and is always looking for more films to watch.

‘Lines’ exhibition at Sprague Gallery blends imagination and intricate linework

SOPHIE MCCLAIN • THE STUDENT LIFE A new exhibit at Harvey Mudd’s Sprague Gallery titled “Lines” displays the work of artist Jonathan Jackson.

SOPHIE MCCLAIN As sunlight floods the room, spilling through the floorto-ceiling windows, the eye is immediately drawn to vibrant shades of blue and green jumping off the artwork hung on sterile white walls. Spotlighted against the otherwise minimalist Sprague Gallery, Jonathan Jackson’s vibrant abstract works perform a beautiful contrast, displaying his intricate linework, imagination and color. On Oct. 18, the Sprague Gallery at Harvey Mudd College opened “Lines,” the first solo exhibition of Jackson’s work. Julia Hong, arts director of the Department of Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts at HMC, curated the exhibition, which features 10 pieces of Jackson’s work created between 2017 and 2023. “Lines” is the tenth solo exhibition Hong has curated for the Sprague Gallery, with the previous nine featuring art created by students and faculty across the Claremont Colleges. When Hong discovered Tierra Sol Studios, part of the nonprofit Tierra Sol Foundation, it piqued her interest for a new exhibition. The Tierra Sol Foundation works to provide individuals with disabilities creative paths to employment, education and the arts. Hong had two specific criteria for her curation process: The exhibition should showcase an artist who has “a very particular visual language of their own” and an artist who

has not yet had the opportunity to have a solo exhibition. When scanning through Tierra de Sol’s database of artists, Hong stumbled upon Jackson’s art. “I was immediately drawn to his confident line work,” Hong told TSL over email. “There was this sense of the artist’s belief in his lines, and this belief was not a spontaneous thing that happened in just one or two works.” Lines are a primary element in much of Jackson’s works showcased in the exhibition. In “Mother Nature’s Enchantment” (2018), vibrant blue lines create a tree that stands in sharp contrast to the bright orange background. In “Teapot” (2017), lines constitute the detail of the forms depicted, giving the teapots depth and complexity. As Hong writes in the exhibition press release, lines not only physically create many of the important aspects in Jackson’s work but also directly follow “the hand of the artist, his senses, memory and movement … thinking about the lines becomes thinking about the artist.” “Lines are important in my work for creating forms,” Jackson said.“I use my imagination and draw what I like.” Jackson shared that he pairs lines and shapes with colors that he enjoys. In discussing his use of colors, Jackson pointed to “Water Pipes” (2019), a sprawling abstraction of real objects where energetic lines and bright colors intersect with one another, creating new forms. Jackson and Hong agreed that the pieces in the exhibition

depicting flowers are their favorites. Jackson expressed that the flower pieces stand out because of how happy he was when he made them. For Jackson, emotion and imagination are not mere inconsequential whims; rather, they often guide the conceptualization and actualization of his work. Hong explained she installed “Flowers” (2023) and “Rose” (2023) next to each other due to the peculiar relationship between the two pieces. The works are visually similar, with deep blue backgrounds which make the white flower pictured stand out. The crucial difference between the two, however, is that “Flowers” (2023) is the only piece from the exhibition without a single line. The blue background of “Rose” (2023) is filled with muted, horizontally stacked black lines, creating a sense of disquiet that mirrors the conflicting symbolism of roses, a flower of both love and pain. According to Hong, since the lines are often directly connected to the spirit of Jackson, the viewer must discover the artist’s subjectivity within this lineless work. “A solo exhibition in itself [is] a statement for the importance it gives to individual subjectivity and to seeing a world attentively,” Hong said. “Lines” will run until Dec. 10 at Mudd’s Sprague Gallery in the Shanahan Center. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The gallery is open to the public and the Claremont Colleges community. A closing reception will be held on Dec. 5 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit arts.hmc.edu.

Arts & Culture

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November 10, 2023

BIPOC artists sell and showcase their art at Pomona’s Benton Museum PETER DIEN On Saturday, Nov. 4, more than 20 5C BIPOC student artists and vendors gathered at Pomona College’s Benton Museum of Art to sell and showcase their art. As lively dance music and laughter filled the air, vendors represented themselves and the organizations they came with. Hosted by the Asian American Sponsor Program (AASP) in collaboration with several 5C affinity groups, the event aimed to promote BIPOC student artists while cultivating a shared space for the BIPOC community. The event, which garnered more than a hundred student attendees, aimed to counteract the minoritization of BIPOC individuals in the art world. According to a 2019 study cited by the journal Nature, minority racial and ethnic groups make up 39 percent of the United States population yet are deeply underrepresented in a myriad of creative industries. Their study of 2,229 contemporary artists found that BIPOC groups encompass around 19-22 percent of the contemporary art, fashion and film industries, while white men are overrepresented in all four of those areas. Sydney Nemetz SC ’25, a member of AASP and organizer of the event, described the need for 5C BIPOC artist representation while asserting the importance of the Benton as a venue. “The Benton is wonderful for hosting events as they provide a lot of support through their interns and are also an established art space that can reach beyond just the 5C community,” Nemetz said. Vendors sold stickers, photographs, prints of digital art, crocheted animals and fiber works. Upon entering the Benton, attendees joined the festivities from the northern side. Vendors were lined up in a U-shaped format that looped inside and outside of the museum. DJ Daniel Velazquez

ANDREW YUAN • THE STUDENT LIFE Over 100 students attended an event at the Benson aimed to support BIPOC student artists and vendors.

PO ’25 played remixes of popular songs, creating a lively atmosphere for students to enjoy vendors’ original creations. While the art market provided a space for BIPOC student artists to receive compensation for their work, many vendors allocated their funds towards a wide range of causes, from mutual aid at the Claremont Colleges to humanitarian aid in the Global South. Quyen Ballagh PO ’24 was a vendor with Frid-Aid on the Quad, a 5C organization that hosts distribution events on Pomona’s Marston Quad every Friday. “Folks are welcome to take anything they want without

payment with the slogan ‘take what you want, pay what you can,’” said Ballagh. “For this art market, we paired up with the Encampment Support Network to distribute all collective funds to Palestinian relief efforts in an attempt to provide solidarity monetarily.” The event also illuminated the diversity of the vendors, both in art styles and monetary intentions of each artist — some hoped to pursue art as a career, some used it as a form of passion and expression and some purely sold their art as an expression of political and social justice. “The way I engage with art

is through a mutual aid collective … [these] spaces are lovely and hopefully help us to look towards queer, BIPOC [and] decolonized futures … in my opinion, art and creativity is inherently connected to our collective liberation,” Ballagh said. A t t e n d e e s s u c h a s Pa i g e Hazen SC ’26 expressed their admiration for the showcase, commending the Benton for its organization and lively atmosphere. “So much of the artwork was incredible and everyone was so talented,” Hazen said. “Some highlights were definitely the crochet artists — I loved the leg warmers and cat terrarium. The

weaving art by a Pitzer student was also highly memorable.” Although this is not a recurring event, it was inspired by the 5C Latinx Art Market and Showcase, Nemetz said. AASP hopes to provide spaces for BIPOC artists to congregate, sell their art and support the issues that they care deeply about. “At a PWI like the 5Cs, it is not often that [BIPOC artists’] voices or work are specifically spotlighted and supported, especially monetarily,” Nemetz said. “This event can foster community by providing a space for people to interact and the opportunity to support members of their community.”

Aaron Sorkin tells all: Writing, managing criticism and why he loves what he does MAYA ZHAN TANIA AZHANG & BEN LAUREN “It was one of those Friday nights in a big city … First time in my life I wrote, and it was fun and I liked it,” Emmy-winning writer-director-producer Aaron Sorkin proclaimed to a starstruck audience. “I stayed up all night. I feel like that night hasn’t ended.” On Nov. 7 at Scripps College’s Garrison Theater, Sorkin spoke with Claremont High School theater educator Krista Carson Elhai as part of the ongoing speaker series “Scripps Presents.” Sorkin shared wisdom and his struggles during his ascent in the entertainment industry. Sorkin’s dynamic writing style translated into his candid tone; he seemed as if he were talking to an intimate group of friends. Elhai began the conversation focusing on Sorkin’s love for theater. Sorkin discussed how his love for performance art began at an early age. “I was lucky,” Sorkin said. “I grew up first in and then near New York City, and my parents took me to see plays starting from a very young age. And for some reason, oftentimes they took me to see plays that I was too young to understand [like] ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.’ And so, lots of times I wouldn’t understand what’s happening up there, but I love the sound of dialogue. It sounded like music to me, and I want[ed] to imitate that.” Later, Sorkin discussed how his writing process differs between the stage and the screen, recounting his struggles adapting his play “A Few Good Men” into a film. Speaking further on original works versus adaptations, much of the conversation was spent on his theatrical version of “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

Sorkin wrestled with the character dynamics of the original source material, ultimately making Atticus the protagonist in his play rather than Scout. “At some point, you have to fall out of love with source material and you have to make it your own,” Sorkin said. Adapting “To Kill a Mockingbird” was an incredibly daunting task for Sorkin; he was unsure of how he could add anything substantial to the revered source material. “It’s like getting into a contest with Tom Brady where points are awarded based on passing efficiency and handsomeness,” he told the ensorcelled audience. Sorkin spoke of his endless overlapping projects with verve, seeming to thrive on his extreme workload. “I actually sold two shows at the same time … ‘The West Wing’ and ‘Sports Night.’ I actually can’t remember how I got into that. But I couldn’t believe that this was really happening, that both of these shows have gone on the air,” he said. “And so for the second season [of] ‘Sports Night,’ I was writing both shows. At the same time I would write ‘The West Wing’ Monday through Friday... I [would] start ‘Sports Night’ [Friday] night through Sunday night.” Sorkin was disarmingly candid, recounting his struggles in the writing industry. With self-effacing whimsy, he reflected on lessons he learned from career controversies. After critics claimed he projected his own socio-political agenda onto his characters in the TV show “The Newsroom,” he claimed that he never put out a good episode of the show because he was writing to please the critics. Attendee Clarisa Wolff Urzua

PZ ’25 expressed her surprise at Sorkin’s submission to critics. “I was just so shocked because I think I admire him so much as a screenwriter,” Wolff Urzua said. “I was just so shocked to see that he felt something so simple and also stupid as writing to conform to what critics wanted to see. [It] made so much sense because honestly, the show did get a lot worse after that initial season.” Another attendee, Ruthie Zolla PZ ’25, expressed her admiration

Legendary writer and director Aaron Sorkin was interviewed by educator Krista Carson Elhai at Garrison Theater on Nov. 7 as part of the Scripps Presents speaker series.

Senior Staff MADELEINE SHIMKUS, Sports Designer AARON MATSUOKA, Copy Chief ANNALISE CHANG, Copy Chief EMMA JENSEN, Photo Editor

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“I think that we as young people need to keep watching movies and TV in order to [be] active members of this society,” Zolla said. “I think that movies and TV are some of the most important forms of socio-political discourse that we as Americans have today.” Wolff Urzua expressed her fascination with Sorkin’s indelible legacy in the entertainment industry. “[He created] words that people are going to remember for the rest of their lives and to live on forever.”

SARAH ZIFF • THE STUDENT LIFE

THE STUDENT LIFE EMMA CONSTABLE, Production Editor JAKE CHANG, News Designer ISHA RAHEJA, A&C Designer AIDAN MA, Opinions Designer

for Sorkin’s legend and how it felt to see him in person. “I was fascinated because I know him as this kind of bulldog when it comes to television and movies, but I’ve never encountered him in the first place,” Zolla said. “And then hearing him talk on stage I found him really personable, genuinely funny.” Zolla was particularly inspired by Sorkin’s focus on politics in his work, and the kind of impact it makes on audiences.

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Opinions

November 10, 2023

For the love of God, can we please stop moralizing food? ANANYA VINAY CW: Mentions of eating disorders Last week, TSL published an opinion piece entitled “5C administration and student leaders should cut back on the sweets.” In addition to harmful, moralizing rhetoric, this article includes misleading claims about sugar as an addictive substance. I want to debunk the claim that sugar is addictive and break down the ways in which moralizing food can lead to restriction and disordered eating. The study most commonly used as evidence by people wishing to posit sugar as an addictive substance, which was published in 2005, was conducted on rats, not humans. A 2016 meta-analysis entitled “Sugar addiction: the state of the science” found “little evidence to support sugar addiction in humans.” I get it, we all want to write an article that people will read, and sometimes that means adding some dramatic flair. But hacking down a nuanced scientific study to its most outrageous possible claim is simply bad journalism. In addition, when taking it into your hands to endorse a restrictive diet, it’s especially important to really do your research, not just find a scary-sounding phrase and call it a day. However, more than being wrong, this article is actually harmful. By comparing sugar to hard drugs, the author ethicizes inherently innocuous food and the people who consume it. This moralization of foods is dangerous because eating disorders start with a narrative and oftentimes that narrative labels certain foods or ingredients as harmful and to be avoided. Therefore, articles like these, among other factors, serve to contribute to eating disorders in our community. The author posits his con-

cern for sugar as a concern for public health at large. The so-called “doom and gloom” section of his article contains 1980s-American-political-ad levels of fear-mongering. By cherry-picking the most alarming statistics, Gray leads his reader to fear sugar, providing a nice slippery slope for you to slide down, from eating a free doughnut to dying of heart disease. The author of the original piece misattributes binge eating to “sugar addiction.” The source for this claim is a web page with no listed author, that cites absolutely zero scientific studies and also lists “love addiction” and “relationship addiction” as possible addictions a person can have on other pages on the website. Perhaps — and I’m going out on a limb here — this website may not be the most reliable source of factual information. As someone who has actually experienced Binge Eating Disorder, I know that avoiding a food and labeling it as ‘bad’ will likely lead only to wanting that food more and binging on it when it becomes available. This view is shared by the vast majority of nutritionists and supported by the 2019 review in the Journal of Eating Disorders, which found that dieting and restrictive eating have been, among other factors, repeatedly shown to contribute to binge eating. I don’t see any benefit to attempting to preach to students the need to “cut back on the sweets” like some kind of judgemental grandmother. Perhaps clubs and organizations should include sugar-free options in their spreads in order to help increase accessibility to students with diabetes and other dietary restrictions. However, that doesn’t mean we need to moralize sugar and avoid it like the plague. We’ve all been influenced by

the culture in which we’ve been raised and for many of us, that means being surrounded by a lot of rhetoric that assigns moral values to certain foods (how many times have you seen a product labeled “guilt-free” because it was sugar-free or low-fat?). The good news is that we can challenge these influences. We can recognize rhetoric in our minds (and in our student newspapers) that tells us certain foods are dangerous or to be avoided. Similarly, we can interrupt the spread of this rhetoric in our community. If a friend says “I’ve been so bad, I’ve had three brownies today,” you can say, “There’s nothing wrong with eating brownies!” Food is just food, and when it comes to what you eat, you should listen to your body’s unique wants and needs and let others do the same. In a school filled with high-achieving people in an area of the world where beauty is at a premium, we are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders. In order to tackle this public health issue, we must be willing to engage in dialogue and challenge harmful rhetoric and misinformation where it emerges. We must support ourselves and one another, rather than policing each other’s food intake. I’ll leave you with this: There is nothing wrong with eating sugar and you are not morally superior because you ate an apple instead of a cupcake. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, Project Heal (www. theprojectheal.org) can help you find and afford professional treatment. Cecelia Blum SC ’24 is an English major from Denver. She likes platform shoes and arguing.

SASHA MATTHEWS • THE STUDENT LIFE

PAGE 7

Halloween deserves more

BELLA PETTENGILL • THE STUDENT LIFE

ANJALI SUVA I’ll admit it; when I first entered Pomona College, I was already excited to celebrate Halloween at the 5Cs. Growing up, I adored the sense of community one of my favorite holidays brought to my usually solitary neighborhood, the feeling of outdoing last year’s costume and the numerous horror movie screenings. Unfortunately, this Oct. 31, I realized that my aspirations would not be realized. I spent all of Halloween evening completing assignments due the next day and studying for an upcoming test. I’m here to make the case for Halloween and argue that professors should make it easier for students to celebrate the holiday. Halloween’s biggest merit lies in its community building, which transcends cultural background. My immigrant family and I enjoy the distinct feeling of ‘Americanness’ that comes with participating in the holiday and how it unites us with others in our neighborhood who may or may not share our distinct identity. Halloween remains an accessible holiday for many, bringing together people of different ethnicities, religions and backgrounds in my neighborhood and across the nation. Halloween provides the psychological advantage of building a collective consciousness, a set of shared beliefs, ideas and customs that allow individuals to feel solidarity with each other. This solidarity is the basis of functional societies and allows us to feel connected. Halloween reaffirms this collective consciousness, as I witnessed with my feelings of ‘Americanness’ during the holiday. There is value in feeling a connection to others, as students feel more supported by their community and they experience a sense of belonging at the schools. Much of this collective consciousness is due to the evolution of modern Halloween, which began with Irish and Scottish immigrants bringing Samhain — a Celt-

ic pagan festival honoring the harvest and beginning of the winter — to the United States. As more people began celebrating the holiday, it became more community-centric, incorporating costume contests, parades, music, food, dancing and sweet treats into its celebration. The festival also became more secular over time, ingraining itself into American culture. I’ve heard other students make the argument that because Halloween does not have the same religious significance as other holidays, students who celebrate it should not get the same leeway — such as extensions on assignments, adjusted deadlines, etc. — as with other holidays. But I disagree. The merits of celebrating holidays should not be limited to keeping religious beliefs and traditions alive. The community-building benefits of Halloween justify its celebration. Not providing students with the ability to celebrate Halloween is a wasted opportunity for the colleges. Halloween is one of the few major holidays that we get to celebrate together on campus, and the 5Cs should encourage full participation so student bonds are strengthened. This should mean giving students an extra day or two to submit assignments and avoiding scheduling tests around Halloween or Halloweekend. For students themselves, I’d like to encourage them to embrace Halloween fully. Even though traditions such as Dorm Trick-or-Treating may seem childish at first, some students, myself included, have expressed their desire to participate. Dorm RAs and campus representatives should encourage these traditions on Halloween evening, and students should take full advantage of these opportunities. With so many avenues to celebrate the spooky season, the 5Cs deserve a Halloween that truly embodies the spirit of the holiday — creative, community-oriented and, most importantly, a time to let loose. Anjali Suva PO ’27 is from Orange County, California. She loves watching horror films, reading fantasy books and just about anything that allows her to avoid touching grass.

A case against ‘overcoming’: Shifting mental illness rhetoric toward recovery and care SARA CAWLEY I do not remember a life without Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). My first memory, at four years old, is of having an intrusive thought and feeling my heart pound and stomach drop. It was the first time of thousands that I would try to silence and smother those thoughts, the overwhelming sensation of the world being far too big and small at the same time, suffocating me with both uncertainty and not enough possibility. We have a habit of sharing stories of difficulty and struggle after we’ve overcome the problem, and then telling them with a curated and positive lens. This is silencing and isolating for those of us who live with mental illness and deal with symptoms daily. I understand why most people don’t share their experiences with mental illness. I often find language a frustrating medium to convey the nuances, ups-and-downs and truth of a struggle that exists only internally. It’s difficult to articulate and is often met with confusion. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is someone living in my psyche alongside me. They talk to me, flash jarring images and ask me to perform compulsions that hurt me. I don’t remember what life was like before them, and until I began treatment, I didn’t realize we were two different people. There were periods of my teenage years when my health completely deteriorated, scaring my loved ones and leaving my parents feeling helpless. At my lowest points with OCD, recovery seemed like an ideal I would never realize for myself. No matter what my therapists or parents said, I couldn’t let them go. They told me my support system didn’t understand, and I believed them. They told me only they could

protect me, and I believed them. I didn’t know how to live without them, and they convinced me I would never learn how to. They don’t care about my health, well-being or survival. They care that I keep talking to them, and until very recently I did. Our identities were intertwined. I was not vulnerable, intimate or honest with people. They told me I was fundamentally different from other people, that I didn’t deserve fulfillment or relationships like they did, and I listened. In some moments, when they told me I was worthless and wrong, that I wasn’t strong enough for or deserving of life, I believed them. I used to resent them with every fiber of my being for what they took from me. A normal, peaceful childhood, the presence to be in the moment and the ability to relate to my peers and their feelings. Through hundreds of hours of treatment, the financial support of my parents and a lot of grief, I am learning to live with mental illness in a society that seems unable to understand it. Every day, I learn more about boundaries, limits and practices of care. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is not something I will ever overcome, and it’s not helpful to hear that rhetoric echoed by social media, in academia and even mental health providers. Recovery from destructive, life-threatening compulsions and behaviors is a daily practice for many of us. It is ongoing, evolving and requires constant self check-ins and professional support. Recovery is a day-by-day, hour-by-hour, even minute-by-minute practice for many of us. For me, it means choosing sustainable coping mechanisms and vulnerability. Some days those choices are easy, and some days they are exhausting. I know the experience of com-

plete darkness very well. Feeling like a complete stranger to myself, consistently scaring and disappointing my loved ones, lying and not knowing if I deserved health or life. But I do. We all do. No matter how unrecognizable I felt to myself, it was just a feeling, and it did pass. It always does. There is no version of me that exists without mental illness. My experience has vacillated between severe illness, moderate symptoms and recovery. No level of recovery or health will change that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder will always

be part of my life, and that doesn’t mean I don’t live a wonderful life, it just means that my disease will always be with me. I want to make a case for celebrating care, recovery and maintenance, not conquering. A case for prioritizing accessible care and actively changing the stigmatizing environments we all participate in. My experience with mental illness is one of privilege. Access to care to sustain practices of recovery requires financial resources, transportation and access to technology. It requires the flexibility to take time

away from obligations and the cultural and social support to prioritize treating mental health disorders. At this moment in time, when miseducation, stigma and inaccessibility dominate mental health discourse, I encourage you to prioritize empathy over your desire to “fix” the people you care about. Every stage of learning to cope with things we did not choose is worth recognizing. Sara Cawley SC ’26 is from Chicago, IL and a News Editor at TSL. She loves looking at dogs, talking about dogs and hugging dogs.

MAX RANNEY • THE STUDENT LIFE

Opinions

PAGE 8

Don’t sacrifice our community for the sake of campus advocacy IZZY SABATINO As the ‘Claremont Bubble’ has been shaken to its core by events of indescribable violence and devastation across Israel and Palestine, students have entered an unprecedented time of conflict within our community. A difficult debate suddenly faces outsiders to these affected groups over our right to publicly advocate for the causes we care deeply about, versus the responsibility to protect the sanctity of the campus environment for all. Many students have become involved because we are the sort of people who chose to divert our time and attention to these global events, regardless of how they directly affect our own lives. Others care greatly because people they are close to have asked for support and we want to meet such requests with the appropriate levels of knowledge and respect. For these reasons among others, students who had no previous association with the regions or cultures involved in the conflict are suddenly embroiled in a war halfway across the world and its associated conflicts here on campus. I refer to these students — myself included — without prior ties to what is happening in Israel and Palestine as “outsiders.” Throughout this piece, I seek solely to address this outsider population and their role specifically in the on-campus environment. I implore students to implement a way of conducting ourselves while we continue to navigate the intensely charged atmosphere that is interacting with these global political events within our community. The first and primary thing I encourage is that no one shuts themselves off from everything that is currently happening across these countries. Many people around us, whether or not they have chosen to publicize it, are struggling deeply with the reverberations of such events. While some of us may have the privilege of closing ourselves off emotionally, we must resist this urge. Our abilities to form and hold committed personal beliefs on these matters are of great importance, both at present and as we progress past our education into the greater global community. For the people suffering, both in countries we’ve never been to and at the desks next to us, paying attention to their ordeal while caring enough to understand their perspectives and form our own is the least every single student here can do. However, while we continue to research and mold our positions on these conflicts, I urge us as outsiders to make sure our perspectives always come second to the good of our community. On campus, I cannot condone advocacy at the expense of empathy and I implore others to work against this instinct as well. Those of us on the outside have the privilege of developing our opinions in a relative emotional vacuum, but many others do not. Opinions catalyzed by deep personal and emotional connections

to events, which we as outsiders inherently lack, should not be treated as targets for students’ armchair political takes. Prioritizing empathy by supporting our insider peers through and despite ideological differences must be our current aim. In our campus community, outsiders have a different role to play right now. We should view this role as equally important to the betterment of the world around us and simultaneously more appropriate to our lived experiences. At present, it unfortunately remains impossible in many spaces to fight publicly for aspects of our beliefs without deeply hurting some involved group. While loud political displays on campus will be seen as allyship to some, such actions will inevitably be interpreted as hurtful opposition by others. As outsiders, we must accept a responsibility to refrain from advocating in the ways we know can cause this harm. We all want to feel as if we individually have the power and self-determination to be truly helpful to those affected. However, it is crucial that our attempts to do so avoid spreading more harm and pain throughout campus, however unintentional it may be. While solidarity and focused activism are crucial on a global scale as we strive to enact positive change, we also must recognize that there are appropriate times, places and ways to go about this. The campus community is its own ecosystem, and that carries a different set of considerations. As outsiders, we all must carefully examine the actual impact of our involvement in the public and often provocative displays we observe around campus. We must consider that there are other ways we can advocate for our personal positions and show solidarity with those impacted that don’t actively harm students on the other sides of issues. Focusing on quieter forms of support, such as donating, personal boycotts or calling representatives, can mitigate the negative effects of advocacy. Actions such as these should be the focus, while others must be avoided, as we work to advocate for our informed positions specifically within this environment. A better balance must be struck between outsiders advocating for their beliefs, while also retaining the safe and supportive atmosphere we should all feel on campus, especially those who are most actively suffering and grieving. It’s clear that right now we have failed in the second part of this balance. We must work to rectify this in the future for the sake of our entire community. Izzy Sabatino PO ’26 is a philosophy major from Baltimore, MD. She does most of her writing in her head while on a bike.

SASHA MATTHEWS • THE STUDENT LIFE

November 10, 2023

In the face of a genocide, Palestine deserves more from Pomona College

ANNABELE INK • THE STUDENT LIFE 5C students protested for divestmnet from the Israeli government on Nov. 9.

SARAH BURCH Everyone who graduates from Pomona College walks past a quotation etched in the stone gates on Sixth Street: “They only are loyal to this college who, departing, bear their added riches in trust for mankind.” Even as a cynical nineteen-year-old, exhausted and walking back home from the library, I was moved by these words. But I also wondered what, exactly, the college meant by serving humanity. In our classrooms, the Pomona education was as advertised: It taught us how to think rigorously, how to recognize patterns and connections, and how to investigate. It taught us about history, the long shadow of colonialism, politics and philosophy, violence and injustice. And it gave us the gift of clarity. It taught us how to consider the evidence — and how to come to a conclusion. So when I saw hundreds of students calling on Pitzer College to suspend a study abroad program to Haifa that Palestinians were definitionally excluded from, I couldn’t just look away. I couldn’t embrace Pomona’s diversity while regarding my conversations with Palestinian students skeptically, doubting their stories of discrimination and exile. After spending over a year researching my senior thesis in international relations, I couldn’t pretend that my historical sources showed anything other than Israel committing apartheid and ethnic cleansing. What was I supposed to get out of this education? Were we not, as Pomona students, supposed to be critical thinkers, seeking justice in an imperfect world? When it became clear that the College refused to divest from weapons of war, from the Israeli occupation of Palestine and from world-destroying fossil fuels, were we not supposed to see in our beloved institution the same legacies of colonialism and imperialism that we had been discussing in our morning seminar? For years, student activists posed these questions to the College, wondering, for instance, how it could defend investments

in companies that violate international law. And for years, Pomona failed to respond to these appeals with anything but dismissal and stonewalling. We can all agree, of course, that a university should always be a place of refuge, of academic freedom, of all kinds of diversity. But we cannot, must not, cynically deploy these values to prevent us from ever having to reach a conclusion or take a position at all. There is the sanctity of all life, and the unacceptability of all racism and discrimination — and there is a genocide, carried out by Israel against Palestinians, right now. In writing this piece, I struggled with whether I should restate, once again, the rest of the facts. That the state of Israel was founded by violently displacing over 750,000 Palestinians, that it has maintained an illegal military occupation of Palestine for decades, that it has cut Gaza off from the rest of the world for more than 16 years, that the UN declared Gaza uninhabitable in 2020, that the Israeli military and parastate settlers regularly kill Palestinians with impunity. The list goes on. But at this point, I’m not sure who is left to be convinced. Every day, there is overwhelming evidence that Israel is bombing Palestinians indiscriminately, murdering astronomical numbers of children. It is doing this with U.S. money, U.S. weapons, and with the consent of the U.S. government. It is not an overstatement to say that this genocide is directly enabled by the failure of our institutions to take a clear stance against Israel’s oppression of Palestinians. Many members of the Claremont community recognize this complicity and are raising their voices. Four recent statements from Pitzer, Pomona and Scripps College alumni and Pomona faculty call for an immediate ceasefire, and for an end to the Claremont Colleges’ complicity in Israeli genocide, apartheid and occupation through the divestment of our endowment, in line with the global Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement. Beyond the chorus of statements, bold student activism against Israel’s genocide of Palestinians is only growing in power

and stamina. In response, the Pomona administration is doing the same thing that it’s done for years in response to student calls for divestment: nothing but uphold the status quo. A statement released by President Starr on Wednesday makes this particularly clear. Referring to the murder of over 10,000 Palestinians as “the ongoing conflict,” her statement sidesteps the central issue of Israel’s relentless decimation of Palestine. It contains no mention of Gaza, instead gesturing obliquely to “the war zone.” Rather than call for a ceasefire, it “reiterates” that there are “varying perspectives” at play. Pomona’s continued attempts to disguise its inaction with endless equivocation and appeals to vague liberal values are disappointing enough. But the school also chose to follow its calls for tolerance by informing protesting students that they may be asked to remove their masks so that the school can successfully identify them. In its declaration of intent to surveil its students opposing a genocide, Pomona echoes police forces surveilling protestors across the country. As a Pomona alumna, I’m particularly disturbed. I know, from students before me, that Pomona also attempted to do nothing in the face of student pressure to divest from apartheid South Africa. And because those students were resolute, and would not be dissuaded or coerced out of what they knew was right, Pomona eventually divested from that apartheid regime. I know, from my time on campus, that the Pitzer administration could not ignore the overwhelming student support for the Suspend Haifa campaign. And I know that if Pomona continues to refuse to call for a ceasefire, if it continues to fail to divest from Israeli apartheid, this will stand as an indelible stain on the history of the school. This is a decisive moment. The stakes have never been higher, and the moral bankruptcy of the Israeli government has never been clearer. I can only hope that we all find in ourselves just an ounce of the courage and clarity that Palestinians have demonstrated for so many years. Sarah Burch PO ’22 was an international relations major and co-chair of Claremont Students for Justice in Palestine during her time at Pomona.

JJ’s Crossword: 5C time to register for classes! ACROSS 3. Did you get this from your adviser yet? 5. 8:15, 10:00 or 4:30, for example

DOWN 1. You might have multiple of these when planning your next semester courses 2. Abbr. for graduation requirements in addition to major requirements 4. Abbr. for a request to add a class

JJ HOFFMAN • THE STUDENT LIFE

Sports

November 10, 2023

PAGE 9

Athenas cross country ‘packs-up’ the season with 13th straight SCIAC title, advances to NCAA Regional Championships KAYLEE STIGAR It’s safe to say that the Athenas’ winning appetite RUNs strong, and they filled up their plates last weekend. Devouring their opponents, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) women’s cross country wrapped up their SCIAC season with a feast. With six runners in the top ten finishers, the Athenas earned their thirteenth consecutive SCIAC title on Saturday, Oct. 28. Despite being satiated for now, the Athenas are not quite satisfied and are eagerly anticipating dessert. Since 2019, the cross-country SCIAC finals have been held in Claremont at the Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) Strehle Track. This year, however, the race was moved to a new and unfamiliar location, with all nine teams competing at the Riverside City Course. However, the new terrain did not prevent the Athenas from successfully maintaining their long-held title of conference champions, a feat achieved through the use of pack-running – a pivotal ingredient in the recipe that cooks up CMS’ ongoing success. All top three finishers were Athenas, with two-time All-American Natalie Bitetti CM ’24 leading the group. Following her first-place finish, teammates Elle Marsyla HM ’26 and Riley Capuano CM ’26 weren’t too far behind, taking the second and third-place individual titles of the race. After the first wave of CMS runners claimed the podium, Occidental and Chapman runners took the fourth and fifth place slots respectively. However, CMS was swiftly on their

trail, and a second wave of crimson and gold crossed the finish line to secure their first-place overall finish. Helping the Athenas earn the lowest combined score, Laura Zimmer CM ’24, Angie Gushue CM ’25 and Sara Wexler HM ’26 ended the race in sixth, seventh and eighth place respectively. Wexler said that the groups that finished together had been running together consistently, and their ‘pack’ was able to execute what they had been working on during the race. “We have had a really solid

second pack where the four of us run together, stay together and we focus on passing people as a group,” Wexler said. “I think that keeps us really strong.” Zimmer also attributed the team’s consistent success during their races to their ability to ‘pack up.’ She said it is a valuable tactic for maintaining pace together and holding each teammate accountable, adding that it helps scoring opportunities when racers on the same team cross the finish line only a few seconds apart.

“It helps you mentally during a race, and when you’re passing other people together, it’s great,” Zimmer said. Gushue, who ran in the same pack as Zimmer, echoed her teammate. She said that pack running is motivating because they feed off each other’s competitive energy. “It kind of feels like, when I’m with my teammates, it’s us against everyone else,” Gushue said. “And we just push off each other’s energy. You’re pushing the pace with your teammates; it’s an accountability

COURTESY: CHRISTIAN CAMPBELL The Athenas won their 13th consecutive SCIAC championship on Oct. 28.

thing.” While only the top seven runners, plus one alternate, that place in the SCIAC championship can compete in the regional and national races, the Athenas have traditions that keep everyone on the team feeling like one ‘pack’ as they progress into their final push of the season. “We had one of our team traditions this past Friday, which is a team prom and a fancy dinner,” Wexler said. “We take pictures at Pomona [College] and go to the Village to come together one more time.” Despite wrapping up the season in the SCIACs, the Athenas are looking to the future. The Division III regional and national races are their last two opportunities to showcase their abilities as a top-ranked cross-country program. Currently ranked first in the West region going into this weekend, CMS will return to the Riverside City Course this Saturday, Nov. 11 at 9 a.m. for the NCAA regional championships. The DIII NCAA Cross Country Nationals will be held in Newville, Pennsylvania, the week following the regionals. Despite the high stakes of their upcoming meet, Zimmer is confident in the Athenas’ ability to perform well at both events. “Leading up to it, it’s really about locking in and realizing that these two meets coming up matter,” Zimmer said. “We could do something really crazy at Nationals and gaining the confidence and the mentality that we can compete with all these East Coast teams will help us reach that.”

CMS water polo triumphs Student athletic trainers get a over Panthers, one step taste of pre-health, experience away from perfect season athletics from a different lens MAGDALENA PAPA Cats can’t swim… but apparently Stags can. The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) men’s water polo team continued their winning season with a dominant win over the Chapman Panthers on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The victory brought their overall record to 206, maintaining their perfect record within the SCIAC conference. The game started off intense when Chapman scored a goal within the first 30 seconds of play. CMS soon bounced back with a point of their own from Luke Weigle CM ’25. A tiki-taka play to Weigle extended the Stags’ lead to 2-1, but a quick pass to the middle and an even quicker release from Chapman evened the score. The Panthers’ goalie blocked two shots in a row to keep the score even, but as a dogged effort from the Stags offense persisted, William Thomas CM ’24 eventually broke through, putting CMS up 3-2. According to Thomas, the Stags have been focusing on putting pressure on their opponent from the first whistle and maintaining that offensive aggression for all four quarters. “We have to put in effort from time zero,” Thomas said. “We need to work on the start of the game and make sure we are playing the same in the fourth quarter as we played in the first.” The Panthers were not going to let the Stags win without a catfight. The second quarter began with a bardown goal from Chapman, evening the score. A save from Aiden Nettekoven HM ’24 kept things knotted at three points each, but when the Panthers scored another goal on their next possession, they pushed them past the Stags 4-3. However, Kyle Ballack CM ’24 quickly evened the score, and Nick Kennedy CM ’27 capitalized on a kick-out resulting from a Chapman foul. The Stags quickly built off this momentum, scoring three times in a row to make it 8-4 going into the half. Len Korol CM ’25 said CMS felt the Panthers’ respond to their pressure in the first half. “I think sometimes in the first half we felt adversity, which was kind of scary,” Korol said. “We were prevented from reaching our

full potential because we were concerned with the score and not playing as well as we wanted to.” At the start of the third quarter, Chapman scored first yet again. However, just like before, Kennedy responded quickly and extended the Stags’ lead to 9-5. Two strong blocks from Chapman’s goalie helped force a turnover, but the Panthers couldn’t execute, hitting the post on their next attack. Neither team managed to put the ball in the back of the net and the score remained 9-5 as the third quarter came to a close. Despite a low-scoring third quarter, Koral said the Stags entered the final period proud of their play and how hard they fought. “I’m proud of our cohesion and grit,” Koral said. “[Even though] we really had a tough time in the third quarter, it was somewhat of a battle … we stayed in the game and came ready to play.” The lethargic stalemate in the third period carried into the fourth, which began with a scoreless stretch. However, Jeffery Koretz CM ’27 broke the lull and extended CMS’ lead to 10-5. Immediately following Koretz’s goal, Korol tacked on another. Perking up, the Stags continued their scoring streak with a throwin from Auggie Aliago CM ’24 and a commanding score from Eli Schwarz HM ’24. The Panthers were unable to recover from the onslaught of CMS goals, and the match ended 16-5. Nettekoven said this victory and the season overall are extra special to him as a senior. “This is my last season and I’m excited that it’s one to go out with a bang on,” Nettekoven said. “At this point in time, we have put in so much effort and we’ve been trying so hard. The potential for our season to go undefeated is damn near close.” The Stags will attempt to finish their season with a perfect SCIAC record when they hit the road to face Redlands this Saturday at 11 a.m in their final regular season game of the season.

COURTESY: THOMAS WALKER Nick Kennedy CM ’27 eyes a shot during a confident Chapman sweep.

COURTESY: REID COHEN Becky Roark and Reid Cohen PZ ’24 ride the athletic training cart on the P-P soccer field.

AMEYA TELI The job of a student athletic trainer is the perfect balance of work and play, giving students the chance to stay involved in sports from a new perspective. Located in the Center for Athletics, Recreation, and Wellness (CARW), the Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) athletic trainer’s office offers a unique paid opportunity for students to get involved in the athletic scene on campus through the lens of sports medicine. A normal day for a student athletic trainer entails a twohour shift directed by P-P’s professional training staff. They perform general maintenance tasks, such as filling up water coolers for games or folding towels. Student trainer Camille Huxol PO ’26 added that if time permits, the professional trainers, including Becky Roark or Kylie Reid, will often hold teaching sessions for the student staff. “If it’s a pretty light day… they’ll ask, ‘Do you want to learn how to wrap an ankle?’ or something, and then I get to practice, which is fun,” Huxol said. These lessons often involve learning how to treat and prevent injuries through taping ankles and wrists and even ultrasounding injured athletes. For current athletes,

especially those who have been injured before, becoming a student athletic trainer creates new attitudes towards sports, as varsity lacrosse player Reid Cohen PZ ’24 noticed. “It’s kind of a new perspective on injuries,” Cohen said. “Being someone who is injured, I have just learned more about the body.” Kit Bennett PZ ’25, an athlete on the P-P women’s water polo team, noticed that for athletes who are less familiar with injuries from ground impact, it gives them brand-new perspectives on injuries in sports. “It’s [water polo] not as high impact as on the ground, even though it is a very physical sport,” Bennett said. “It’s nice to see how other sports can go to the trainer ’s to utilize preventative measures.” Trainers are also able to attend and work athletic games. This allows them to support the varsity teams as fans as well. “It’s really nice because you get to be paid while going to the games,” Huxol said. “[You] get to be on the side of the field in the actual action.” Besides more involvement in athletics, involvement in the athletic trainer ’s office gives opportunities to those interested in pursuing the pre-health pathway. “The thing that makes this job different from others on campus is that it is more related

to the health field, and so it helps me develop skills that I can use in the future,” Ahnwyn Bowden PZ ’24 said. “And then it also boosts my resume.” Since none of the 5Cs offer a sports medicine or physical training (PT) major, the trainer ’s office creates sports science opportunities for pre-health students, allowing them to practice hands-on skills and discover if they are interested in pursuing a career. “A lot of students who are pre-PT or pre-med are able to get hours not only shadowing the athletic trainers, but also getting hands-on experience,” Bennett said. For those who are not as interested in pursuing a pre-health p a t h wa y, t h e y n o t i c e d o t h e r reasons and benefits from being a student athletic trainer. Huxol noted that it adds some variety to life in contrast with her normal academic interests. “It hasn’t overlapped with my major,” Huxol said. “But I feel like that’s why I like it so much. it’s kind of fun, light-hearted things that are actually useful in my life to some extent.” For Cohen, a great perk of the job is the relationships it allows student trainers to make across the world of athletics on campus. “ I ’ ve h o n e s t l y m a d e a l o t of friends there,” Cohen said. “Now I have a few more friends on other sports teams, which is fun.”

Sports

PAGE 10

November 10, 2023

Bruins beware: Claremont Chasing the triumphs and Foxes defeat UCLA defeats, the epic highs and in rugby showdown

lows of fantasy sports

HAROLD FUSON

SARAH ZIFF • THE STUDENT LIFE Hannah Maycock CM ’26 races past UCLA defenders in their match on Saturday, Nov. 4.

ADAM AKINS The Claremont Foxes B-side rugby team weren’t ‘skulking’ around when they crushed the UCLA Bruins 29-5 at Parents Field on Nov. 4. Mostly composed of rookies and new recruits, the Foxes’ second team, named the B-side, challenged the Bruins confidently, bringing intensity and endurance into the first half. Early in the first half, Lindsey Manugian PZ ’27 led an aggressive drive, weaving through the front half effortlessly and blowing past the Bruins’ backs to land an early try. “I didn’t go in expecting or even having a goal to make a try but it was really, really exciting,” Manugian said. “Getting to hear the team cheer and knowing that I get to be a part of our traditions — just really exciting.” After Manugian’s try, the Foxes didn’t lay off, preventing UCLA from gaining momentum by keeping the ball in play, consistently winning scrums, making tackles and winning in the air on line-outs. Ariel Dene SC ’27 played strong defense on line-outs and rucks. Putting out consistent and strong tackles against the UCLA side, Dene helped the Foxes stay in possession in and out of mauls –– rugby’s parallel to downs in American football –– earning her the inaugural player of the game award, according to the Foxes Instagram. Ainsley Murphy SC ’26 was also a standout rookie, doing damage in the scrum, putting out tackles and landing a try.. Caroline Bullock CM ’24, who worked as a referee and player-coach for this match, highlighted Murphy’s standout performance. “Ainsley just had some astronomical runs and some big hits that were really impressive,” Bullock said. “They’re only going to get better so I can’t wait.” Rookie fly-half Hobie Wolff PZ ’27 also guided defensive movements and coordinated plays well in the first half, preventing any meaningful attempts at tries from the Bruin side and facilitating fast breaks into the Bruins’ half. This earned her the title of defensive player of the match. “She [Hobie] is calling plays, leading the backs, always yelling,” Manugian said. “It’s great to have

that energy around.” The game closed with two tries from team captain Hannah Maycock CM ’26 and Ashlee Viveros University of La Verne ’27, marking a double-digit wipe of the UCLA side and forecasting a great future for the Foxes. Bullock expressed admiration for the B-side’s quick success despite their relative inexperience. “I cannot be more proud of these ladies,” Bullock said. “Four weeks ago most of them had never touched a rugby ball, and now to come out and win and compete for a [full] 80 minutes, each girl out on the pitch today got astronomically better, made mistakes and learned from them.” This was also the inaugural home game of the Foxes’ season, and, for many on the field, their first time playing in a competitive match of union rugby. Last weekend saw the Foxes A-side take home gold at the Pacific Desert Rugby Sevens championships, an extended victory lap for the reigning Division II national champions, but they also fielded a B-side team to give rookies a taste of play. On top of adjusting to rugby as a sport in general, many of the rookie Foxes also had to learn this less familiar and more structured style of play, resulting in some changes and learning experiences for players learning where they fit in on the pitch. “We have only been practicing fifteens for a week, so we sort of just jumped in,” Wolff said. “So it’s really interesting to see where players will move. We tried to go in with no expectations and now we get to set high expectations.” This won’t be the last time Claremont students will hear about the B-side, who will be representing the Foxes in DII intercollegiate rugby for the rest of the year after the A-side made the jump to DI following back-to-back national title victories. Both teams will be getting in on more rugby action at the Scrum by the Sea, a tournament hosted by UCSD on Nov. 19 and 20.

The Claremont Foxes B-side rugby team weren’t ‘skulking’ around when the y c rus he d the UC LA Bruins 29-5 at Parents Field on Nov. 4. Mostly composed of rookies and new recruits, the Foxes’ second team, named the B-side, chal lenged the Bruins confidently, bringing intensity and endurance into the first half. Early in the first half, Lindsey Manugian PZ ’27 led an aggressive drive, weaving through the front half effortlessly and blowing past the Bruins’ backs to land an early try. “I didn’t go in expecting or even having a goal to make a try but it was really, really exciting,” Manugian said. “Getting to hear the team cheer and knowing that I get to be a part of our traditions — just really exciting.” After Manugian’s try, the Foxes didn’t lay off, preventing UCLA from gaining momentum by keeping the ball in play, consistently winning scrums, making tackles and winning in the air on line-outs. Ariel Dene SC ’27 played strong defense on line-outs and rucks. Putting out consistent and strong tackles against the UCLA side, Dene helped the Foxes stay in possession in and out of mauls –– rugby’s parallel to downs in American football –– earning her the inaugural player of the game award, according to the Foxes Instagram. Ainsley Murphy SC ’26 was also a standout rookie, doing damage in the scrum, putting out tackles and landing a try.. Caroline Bullock CM ’24, who worked as a referee and player-coach for this match, highlighted Murphy’s standout performance. “Ainsley just had some astronomical runs and some big hits that were really impressive,” Bullock said. “They’re only going to get better so I can’t wait.” Rookie fly-half Hobie Wolff PZ ’27 also guided defensive movements and coordinated plays well in the first half, preventing any meaningful attempts at tries from the Bruin side and facilitating fast breaks into the Bruins’ half. This earned her the title of defensive player of the match. “She [Hobie] is calling

plays, leading the backs, always yelling,” Manugian said. “It’s great to have that energy around.” The game closed with two tries from team captain Hannah Maycock CM ’26 and Ashlee Viveros University of La Verne ’27, marking a double-digit wipe of the UCLA side and forecasting a great future for the Foxes. Bullock expressed admiration for the B-side’s quick success despite their relative inexperience. “I cannot be more proud of these ladies,” Bullock said. “Four weeks ago most of them had never touched a rugby ball, and now to come out and win and compete for a [full] 80 minutes, each girl out on the pitch today got astronomically better, made mistakes and learned from them.” This was also the inaugural home game of the Foxes’ season, and, for many on the field, their first time playing in a competitive match of union rugby. Last weekend saw the Foxes A-side take home gold at the Pacific Desert Rugby Sevens championships, an extended victory lap for the

reigning Division II national champions, but they also fielded a B-side team to give rookies a taste of play. On top of adjusting to rugby as a sport in general, many of the rookie Foxes also had to learn this less familiar and more structured style of play, resulting in some changes and learning experiences for players learning where they fit in on the pitch. “We have only been practicing fifteens for a week, so we sort of just jumped in,” Wolff said. “So it’s really interesting to see where players will move. We tried to go in with no expectations and now we get to set high expectations.” This won’t be the last time Claremont students will hear about the B-side, who will be representing the Foxes in DII intercollegiate rugby for the rest of the year after the A-side made the jump to DI following backto-back national title victories. Both teams will be getting in on more rugby action at the Scrum by the Sea, a tournament hosted by UCSD on Nov. 19 and 20.

HAROLD FUSON • THE STUDENT LIFE Harold Fuson teaches you the money ball way through the wonderful world of fantasy.

All about the ‘henergy’: A young P-P women’s basketball team enters opening weekend AMEYA TELI Freshly hatched, the spring chickens of Pomona-Pitzer (PP) are preparing to spread their wings. After suffering the loss of a strong cast of graduates, including former SCIAC player of the year Madison Quan CG ’23, P-P women’s basketball is entering a rebuilding period quite unusual for Division III sports. The Sagehens enter this season with essentially a fully new team. The team is composed of mainly underclassmen with five freshmen, six sophomores and only one upperclassman, a super senior. This year, they will focus on learning and forming a cohesive game while embracing their strengths. Last year, the team was composed mainly of first-years — now sophomores — and seniors, creating a large gap in experience for the team. One of these sophomores, Katie Drais PO ’26, spoke on quickly having to take on a leadership role. “I was just soaking up everything I could,” Drais said. “I didn’t realize how much [the seniors] taught me and how much they did for the team until this year when a lot of them were gone.” Kellie Au PO ’26 noted, however, that the social aspect of the team of last year was a bit of a struggle. “Last season was tough,” Au stated. “There was a big gap between all of us. It was definitely a big learning moment.” With the loss of all but one upperclassman, head coach Alaina Woo explained the team’s composition will be very different this season.

“We have five new first years who I’m really excited about. It feels like a brand new team,” Woo said. Au noted that the closeness in age between teammates has created a uniquely positive team culture. “It’s definitely really chill. It’s a very fun and lively team,” Au said. “It’s a fun vibe since we’re all kind of the same age.” Woo discussed how she be-

lieves expectations of team success will affect the Sagehens. “It’s just exciting,” Woo said. “There’s no expectations for a young team except to work hard and get better every day.” The team also employs a mindset of being present in every moment. Woo believes this to be vital for the success of the team, asking them to focus on one game at a time. “I think my primary goal for

this year is to encourage them to stay present and encourage them to win each moment and give themselves the chance and the opportunity to have every moment feel new,” Woo said. This advice from the coaching staff is especially important for a younger team. According to Au, in the absence of a strong upperclassmen presence, the team relies on other sources of leadership.

COURTESY: POMONA-PITZER ATHLETICS Emily Lee PZ ’26 dribbles past Chapman defender during a game last season in the Voelkel Gymnasium.

“We ask a lot of questions,” Au said. “The coaches know we’re young so they’re more of that leadership answering our questions.” With the youth on their side, they have to focus on learning in practice. At the beginning of the season, a change in NCAA rules gifted the team eight extra practices, giving them more time to start the learning process for freshmen and improve cohesion. “It allowed us to do a lot more teaching than we are typically able to do because there’s more time for the team to digest the information,” Woo said. “We teach offense, defense and everything in between.” The energy of the team — or ‘henergy,’ as the team refers to it — is something that Drais pointed out as one of their strengths as a team. Drais noted the team is able to learn and adapt to new situations because of this energy. “Sometimes if we do a drill in practice it will be [a player’s] first time ever doing it, learning quickly and bouncing back if we get down,” Drais said. “We call it ‘henergy.’” Drais believes the team will rely on their trust in one another to overcome the lack of experience. “We might not be the best team in terms of game experience,” Drais said. “We do know that we can really count on each other and I think there’s a lot of trust this year in one another.” P-P women’s basketball will open their season in Chicago as part of the Midway Classic tournament, where they’ll play the hosts, the University of Chicago, on Nov. 11, and the University of Wisconsin-Superior on Nov. 12.