Vol. CXXXI, No. 4

THE STUDENT

LIFE

The Student Newspaper of the Claremont Colleges Since 1889 CLAREMONT, CA

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2018

VOL. CXXXI NO. 4

5C students protest confirmation of Justice Kavanaugh, march through campuses HANK SNOWDON & OLIVIA TRUESDALE

Ofo hits the brakes: Bike-share company pulls out of Claremont SAMUEL BRESLOW

CW: sexual assault “Who will vote? We will vote!”

Chants like this erupted from a group of around 100 Claremont Colleges students Tuesday afternoon, as they marched over 1.2 miles across the 5Cs, protesting the confirmation of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh Oct. 6.

The protest lasted for 30 minutes, as the group of mostly female students marched from Malott Commons at Scripps College, through Claremont McKenna College and Pomona College before returning back to the Bowling Green at Scripps. Upon returning to Malott, the protesters were applauded by those eating lunch nearby. There was no visible opposition to the protest.

Madeline McCluskey SC ’21 and Gabby Jacoby SC ’21 had organized the protest via a public Facebook event. They both emphasized the importance of outlining an inclusive, peaceful protest for people of all races, backgrounds, and gender identities.

“I thought this event was

TALIA BERNSTEIN • THE STUDENT LIFE

5C students protest the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court in a march through the campuses Oct. 9.

somewhere where people who were upset could deal with that emotion and feel empowered to do something.” McCluskey said.

“It is a time where we feel like our voices were stripped and no matter what we do, it doesn’t

feel like enough. You can always do more, and your voice always matters, even if sometimes it feels like it doesn’t.”

The protest carried a clear call to action for students at the 5Cs: vote in the upcoming midterm

elections.

“We were watching the senators voting in Kavanaugh, we were paying attention, and we will be the ones to vote them

See PROTEST page 2

CMS Football defeats Cal Lutheran, off to undefeated start in the SCIAC PRISCILLA JIN

TIMOTHY LIU • THE STUDENT LIFE

Garrett Cheadle HM ’20 looks to cut upfield against Cal Lutheran Oct. 6.

The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps football team (3-2, 2-0 SCIAC) took on the Cal Lutheran Kingsmen (2-3, 1-1 SCIAC) at home Oct. 6, and took a 17-10 victory in a defensive battle.

Both teams entered the game 1-0 in the SCIAC, and were both looking to emerge from the contest with an undefeated conference record intact.

The Stags got off to a hot start, and took advantage of a fumble on the opening kickoff to take possession deep in Cal Lu territory. Minutes later, Garrett Cheadle HM ’20 rushed for 12 yards

Pomona play explores drug use, relationships, recovery BREELYN MANGOLD CW: mentions of drug addiction This article contains mild spoilers.

Relationships, family, frailties, and addiction. The Pomona College production “Water by the Spoonful” bares it all when handling trauma, recovery, and family ties. The story of four recovering addicts unravels both in the real world as well as in an online chat room.

“This role is so intense. This is an intense character,” Alex Collado PO ’20 said when asked about playing the role of Elliot Ortiz.

“He goes through a lot throughout the show and the audience goes on the journey with him.”

Ortiz is a central character, burdened by the searing memory of his recent tour in Iraq as a marine.

Viewers should not expect a humorous take on real world issues, but rather a raw and emotional exhibit of each character’s

See FOOTBALL page 8

Students with allergies, dietary restrictions encounter dangers across 5C dining halls JULIA FRANKEL

personal development. Through the cast’s investment in their roles and the poignant plot, the audience will be carried through a passionate account of the trials that face the Ortiz family and the community forged within the online chat room.

“Students are definitely going to get something out of the show,” Collado said.“Everyone can connect to the emotions and journeys the characters are experiencing.”

Though not everyone has experienced the topics handled in “Water by the Spoonful,” the themes of family, community, and inner demons may resonate with all viewers.

Originally written by Quiara Alegría Hudes, this adaptation of “Water by the Spoonful” by Pomona College Theatre and Dance is directed by Los Angeles based director, Diana Wyenn.

Wyenn was recruited to direct

When Serena Faruquee PZ ’19 wants to eat lunch, instead of texting her friends to invite them to eat with her, she opens her group chat with Pitzer College’s three dining hall managers and asks them to prepare her usual meal of grilled chicken breast and white rice.

Thirty minutes after she sends this text, she’ll be able to sit down at McConnell Dining Hall and eat lunch.

While food labels at 5C dining halls only indicate the presence of the top eight allergens — milk, eggs, fish, tree nuts, peanuts, shellfish, wheat, and soybeans — Faruquee has been on several restricted diets during her time at the 5Cs due to medical conditions.

Those diets have included gluten-free, dairy-free, low histamine, and low FODMAP, a restriction on four groups of fermentable

See WATER page 4

See LABELS page 2

LIFE AND STYLE

SAMUEL BRESLOW • THE STUDENT LIFE

Beef sauerbraten-German pot roast was mislabeled as “vegetarian” (highlighed above) at Collins Dining Hall Sept. 10.

OPINIONS

In her debut column, anonymous columnist “Addison” gives readers advice on long distance relationships, homesickness, loud neighbors, and more! Read more on page 5.

Follow TSL on the web.

to the Cal Lutheran end zone for the game’s first touchdown.

The CMS defense held that lead for the rest of the opening quarter, yet minutes into the second, the Kingsmen answered. Running back Jabar Byrd slipped through the CMS defensive line and ran down the sideline 57 yards to even the score at seven.

CMS remained composed, and midway through the second, quarterback Jake Norville CM ’21 connected with Theo Chamberlain CM ’21 for a 17yard touchdown pass. While the

Bike-share company ofo has decided to leave the Claremont Colleges, ending a popular but sometimes controversial program that offered a convenient transportation option for students.

The departure was announced in an email to Pomona College students Thursday afternoon

by Bob Robinson, Assistant Vice President of Facilities and Campus Services. He wrote that it would become effective next week.

Pitzer College, which also partnered with ofo, has not yet made any announcement about the end of the program to students. Warren Biggins, Pitzer’s Sustainability Manager, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Robinson said Pomona would look to replace ofo with another bike-share company “as soon as possible.”

“This model complements Pomona sustainable transportation goals and supports the highly successful — but at capacity — Green Bikes lending program,” he wrote.

One possible replacement for dockless bikes is dockless electric scooters, which have recently popped up in many cities throughout the United States. For now, the city of Claremont has banned electric sharing services while it studies their effects and works out potential regulations, but it may welcome them in the future.

Alexis Reyes, Pomona’s director of sustainability, wrote in an email to TSL that ofo “showed a need for short-term and one-way bikeshare program.”

Beijing-based ofo is one of the world’s largest bikeshare companies, but it dramatically scaled back its U.S. operations in July. At the time, a message on the app assured 5C users that it was “here to stay” in Claremont, but it appears that promise has now expired.

Ofo’s partnership with Pomo-

na was initially met with criticism from Green Bikes, a student-run free bike rental shop.

Green Bikes member Remy Rossi PO ’19 told TSL before the pilot launched that he feared it would corporatize Pomona’s bike culture “and take away a lot of what we think is really, really good about biking here.”

After the program launched in February with a free pilot, there were scattered complaints that the bikes were blocking paths, but it was well-received by many students. Between March and July, 3,516 riders took 47,140 rides totaling 23,485 miles, according to Reyes.

“Before ofo, it would take me minimum 10 minutes to get [to classes on other campuses] on foot, but now it’s super quick,” Thomas Dickstein PO ’20 told TSL in March. “[Ofo] has totally changed how I schedule my life.”

Ofo began charging students for rides this semester. The quoted rate was 50 cents per ride for rides under an hour, but some students reported being charged $1 per ride, and others reported being able to ride for free.

Andrew Nguy PO ’19 said he stopped using ofo after the free trial ended.

“If they were free and they were pulling out, then I would care a lot more,” Nguy said.

The Pomona Student Union held a discussion about the relationship between Green Bikes and ofo at Frank Dining Hall Wednesday.

Olivia Whitener PO ’19, an ofo student representative who attended, said students praised Green Bikes’ more community-based practices but also ofo’s greater convenience. They discussed how to make Green Bikes more convenient through infrastructure changes like additional bike racks and bike lanes, and additional measures to prevent bike theft, she said.

Reyes wrote that her office “will continue partnering with Green Bikes, providing $5 U-lock checkouts, and advocating for well-positioned and well-designed campus bike racks.”

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SPORTS

With the Trump administration’s recent report concluding fuel efficiency standards won’t make a difference in tackling climate change, the worst thing we can do is be apathetic, according to opinions columnist Ben Riecher PO ‘22. Read more on page 7.

thestudentlife

@TSLnews

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER.

The P-P and CMS men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational Saturday, Oct. 6. While many of each team’s top runners were resting for this weekend’s Pre-Nationals meet in Wisconsin, the Sagehens emerged victorious on both the men’s and women’s sides. Read more on page 8.

@TSLnews

NEWS................................1 LIFE & STYLE.....................4 OPINIONS........................6 SPORTS.............................8

NEWS PAGE 2

OCTOBER 12, 2018

THE STUDENT LIFE

PROTEST: Protesters encourage 5C students to vote in midterms

TALIA BERNSTEIN • THE STUDENT LIFE

5C students protest the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court in a march through the campuses Oct. 9.

Continued from Page 1 out of office,” Jacoby said to the crowd at the conclusion of the march.

Kavanaugh was confirmed by the Senate with a 50-48 vote Saturday. The vote followed a month of contentious confirmation proceedings, centered on allegations of sexual violence by the Supreme Court Justice.

Kavanaugh has been publicly accused of sexual assault or misconduct by three different

women: Christine Blasey Ford, Deborah Ramirez, and Julie Swetnick.

“As a woman, it’s a complete atrocity that someone that was accused by multiple women of sexual assault would serve on the highest court of our country, ” said Eliana Kaplan PO ’19, who participated in the protest.

Another student expressed similar sentiments.

“I’m done with sexual predators being in power, and I think it’s time to change the narra-

tive,” protester Lily Lucas SC ’22 added.

McCluskey and Jacoby stressed that the protest served as a community gesture to support those affected by Kavanaugh’s nomination, as well as survivors of sexual assault.

“We needed to have a moment of solidarity on campus to raise the morale of people and let them know that there are people that they can lean on here, and that they are not alone,” Jacoby said.

Chants from the protesters

included, “We believe Dr. Ford,” “End rape culture!,” and “Our body, our choice!”

Tova Levine SC ’21, another protester, said the march demonstrates a moment of solidarity for those troubled by recent events. “[The protest is a] great way for people to feel like they are not alone,” Levine said.

The protest began and ended at Scripps, and was organized

by Scripps students. The college expressed its support of peaceful protest on campus.

“Scripps College encourages students to engage in dialogue about current political, economic, and social events that affect their lives and the future of society,” Scripps spokesperson Carolyn Robles wrote in an email to TSL. “The College recognizes that peaceful protests are one example of such civic engagement, and we support students’ right to visibly and vocally express their values and beliefs.”

A group of 5C faculty and administrators also gathered to

watch the protest and followed the march to look out for students’ safety.

“I and all other staff, with [Campus Safety] and others across the consortium, are here to support students,” said Christopher Waugh, Pomona associate dean of students and dean of campus life. “Generally these student protests are peaceful, students get their voices heard, and it’s effective demonstration.”

Haidee Clauer contributed reporting.

LABELS: Dining halls take steps to prevent cross-contamination Continued from Page 1

Pomona moves nightly snack to earlier time Pomona College’s nightly snack, held Sunday through Wednesday at Frary Dining Hall, has been moved half an hour earlier, according to flyers posted in Frary Oct 8. It now starts at 10 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. Previously, Pomona snack was held from 10:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Senior Associate Dean of Campus Life Frank Bedoya also sent out a school-wide email about the change Oct. 9. He noted that the change was made “to accommodate staff schedules.”

Dining Services General Manager Jose Martinez wrote in an email to TSL that he advocated for the change because he had been receiving “complain[ts] from staff members that the snack [work] shift [was] the least desirable since they don’t leave [until] after midnight.”

He added that, since the change, his staff has been receiving positive feedback from students.

— Samuel Breslow

Corrections In the article about Scripps College eliminating its Writing 50 requirement, it was incorrectly stated that curricular changes at Scripps happen through the Faculty Executive Committee and several meetings were held to discuss the measure. The article has been updated to state that the entire faculty decides on curricular changes and the topic was discussed at several meetings.

But no meetings were held specifically to talk about the measure.

In an article about Scripps College’s housing situation, it was incorrectly stated that Priya Kareti SC ’21 lived at the Claremont Graduate University apartments last school year.

TSL regrets these errors.

carbohydrates. This makes eating anything outside of chicken and rice without alerting the dining hall managers extremely risky.

Over her four years at the 5Cs, Faruquee has dealt with cross contamination at Malott Dining Hall’s “Simple Servings” stations, has observed dishes being switched without corresponding label changes, and has been misinformed by cooks regarding ingredients in dishes. She has been unable to use Pitzer’s communal kitchens to cook for herself because the kitchens lack communal cooking supplies.

“I either have to play it safe and eat the same thing every day or be super risky and eat on another campus,” Faruquee said. “There are systems in place to accommodate dietary restrictions, but they’re very inaccessible and inconvenient. It’s not the fault of the dining staff as much as it is institutional disorganization.”

While Faruquee has been able to avoid having an allergic reaction at a 5C dining hall, Molly Yeselson, who is currently on an extended leave of absence from Scripps College, has not been as lucky. Yeselson had an allergic reaction at Malott in fall 2017 after eating a cookie with a corresponding label that did not include nuts as an ingredient.

After finding Student Health Services closed during lunchtime, Yeselson was driven to urgent care, where she was administered an Epipen because she was having trouble breathing.

“They just neglected to label the cookie without thinking of the potential consequences,” Yeselson

said. “It would be really helpful if people on campus were aware that this is a life or death situation for some people.”

Responding to persistent allergy issues and student complaints, dining halls across the 5Cs have taken steps over the past academic year to minimize allergen and cross-contamination related incidents.

“All food labeling is really a best faith effort,” said Liz Ryan, Pomona College’s nutritionist.

In July, Pomona Dining services mandated that all line cooks and dining hall managers receive AllerTrain cross contamination training.

“For a lot of staff, [the training] was a wake up call because they didn’t realize that just one allergen particle can get students very sick or cause allergic reactions,” said Jose Martinez, Pomona Dining Services General Manager.

In the last year, Hoch-Shanahan Dining Hall updated its “Simple Servings” lines, enlisting dining staff to serve students allergy-free options on plates free from contamination. Collins Dining Hall has begun providing plain white rice at every meal, and Pitzer dining staff have made themselves more accessible to students in regard to special meal requests.

But Ryan, Pomona’s nutritionist, stated that she was unsure if the 5Cs have data-compiling and reporting processes to track allergen related incidents over the course of academic years.

“We don’t have exact data on how many students have had allergic reactions,” Ryan said. “To my knowledge, in the past couple years, there have been two cases.”

After TSL’s interview with Pomo-

na’s dining staff, Frary Dining Hall posted a catch-all allergen disclaimer at the registers informing diners that dining staff “can offer no guarantees and accept no liability” regarding food-labeling related mishaps.

The risks associated with mislabeling and cross-contamination prompted Millie Hillman SC ’21 to leave her meal plan altogether. Hillman is allergic to wheat, peanuts, sesame, soy, walnuts, and almonds, and also has irritable bowel syndrome. After realizing during her first semester that food from Malott frequently made her feel sick, Hillman decided to start cooking her own food.

“

This is a life or death situation for some people.

- Molly Yeselson

”

But getting off the meal plan took an entire spring semester for Hillman, during which she cooked all her own meals but was still charged for her unused meal plan. In the end, she was reimbursed $1,500 — just half the cost of the semester’s meal plan.

“Having a streamlined process making it easier for students who have allergies to get off the meal plan is so important,” Hillman said.

“Obviously, students wanting to get off the meal plan should have to meet with dining staff beforehand, but it shouldn’t be as hellish a process as it was for me.”

NEWS OCTOBER 12, 2018

PAGE 3

THE STUDENT LIFE

Pomona College Information Technology Services addresses wireless network issues SIENA SWIFT The Pomona College Information Technology Services Department is taking action to resolve wireless network instability issues by replacing the entire campus Wi-Fi network, Computer Resources Manager Steven Hurtado wrote in an email to Pomona students, faculty, and staff.

“ITS is physically replacing every single wireless access point around campus with new hardware, providing better, more reliable coverage,” Hurtado wrote in an email to TSL. ITS is doing walkthroughs of all academic and administrative buildings to identify current access points and evaluate if additional access points need to be added, according to Hurtado. ITS has also partnered with outside vendors to help get the replacements done more quickly.

The ITS Department recommends students use either “Pomona” or “eduroam” as their Wi-Fi network. Hurtado wrote that “Pomona” allows for direct access to Pomona network resources — printers, file services — whereas “eduroam” is designed to work at any of the colleges in the consortium, as well as numerous academic institutions around the country. Students on “eduroam” can access Pomonaspecific resources by setting up a Pomona virtual private network connection.

There is a document on Pomona’s website called “Upgrade Plan,” which is supposed to keep the community updated while the replacements take place. All the residence halls are listed as “Completed.” However, students have voiced concerns regarding wireless instability in the upgraded buildings and all over campus.

“My parents live very far away, and it’s very hard to place calls to them because I don’t have signal in the Harwood basement,” said Sara Acevedo PO ’21, a transfer student from Puerto Rico. “[I] have to rely on Wi-Fi to make these calls.”

Many students have tried all the Wi-Fi network options to find what works best for them.

Emily Lunger PO ’21 said the “eduroam” network “works like a gem.”

However, not all students have been able to successfully connect to “eduroam.” Abdullah Shahid PO ’19 has had trouble connecting to all of the Wi-Fi networks.

“I’ve been here for four years, and [the Wi-Fi] has been horrible all four years,” Shahid said. “Why do I pay so much for so little?”

Hurtado explained that the network name does not affect the connectivity of the Wi-Fi because the hardware is causing the issues. “[T]he experience in nonupgraded buildings may be poor regardless of which network you use,” Hurtado wrote. He recommends using “Pomona” and “eduroam,” even in locations that have not been upgraded yet.

To connect to “Pomona,” students may need to register their device at registration.pomona. edu. For “eduroam,” students can connect using username@ mymail.pomona.edu and their password; staff and faculty can connect using username@pomona.edu and their password.

If students are still experiencing spotty Wi-Fi in their dorm rooms or other locations, Hurtado encourages them to contact ITS directly.

“Let us know which building and room number they experience the trouble, if the coverage is fine in other locations (particularly residence halls) and what device(s) they are using,” Hurtado wrote. “That information will help us to investigate why the Wi-Fi is operating poorly.”

The Wi-Fi might be spotty in dorms because the outdoor hardware hasn’t been updated yet, Hurtado wrote.

“The outdoor hardware that is on the old system may be partially contributing to continued spotty coverage in the residence halls, if a device is connecting to one of the wireless access points for outdoor coverage instead of the new hardware within the residence halls,” Hurtado wrote.

Pomona only manages the “Pomona” Wi-Fi network. Other networks commonly used by students, including “Claremont,” “Claremont-ETC,” “ClaremontWPA,” and “eduroam,” are controlled by The Claremont Colleges Services.

In the email to students and faculty, Hurtado wrote that they are transitioning to Cisco hardware because their current wireless hardware vendor has been unable to resolve wireless instability issues.

“The original system was theoretically capable of meeting even our current needs at the time of its investment several years ago, but vendor support certainly became a contributing factor to us deciding to move forward with this project as issues continued with no resolution,” Hurtado wrote.

The ITS Department plans to finish all the upgrades by Thanksgiving, according to Hurtado.

CHRIS NARDI • THE STUDENT LIFE

(Top) Jose Huerta-Gutierrez PO ’20 works on a laptop outside of the Smith Campus Center, where Wi-Fi upgrades are currently in progress.

(Bottom) Despite the completion of Wi-Fi upgrades in all Pomona residence halls, students still report poor reception in Harwood Court’s basement.

Top political consultants predict Democratic takeover in the House in November JENSEN STEADY Robert Shrum, a political science professor at the University of Southern California, and Mike Murphy, both highly regarded political consultants to the Democratic and Republican parties respectively, are no strangers to the tactics used by politicians today.

Both discussed their predictions for the upcoming midterm election at the fourth annual

Dreier Roundtable luncheon held at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum at Claremont McKenna College Oct. 4. CMC professor of government Zachary Courser moderated the roundtable.

Historically, the party controlling the executive branch has lost seats in the midterm election. This election will be no different, according to Shrum and Murphy.

“There is a lot of water com-

ing [the Republicans] way,” Murphy said. The consensus between the two was that Democrats will most likely secure the House of Representatives and may have a slim possibility of securing the Senate as well. Shrum estimated about a 25-30 percent chance of the Democrats taking over the Senate.

The two most important fact or s re g ardin g e le ct i on out come, Shrum said, are suburban women moving away from the

AMY BEST • THE STUDENT LIFE

Democrat Robert Shrum (left) and Republican Mike Murphy (right) discuss the November election during the Midterm “Madness Athenaeum” talk at Claremont McKenna College Oct. 4.

Republican party and President Donald Trump’s policies, disposition, and character.

“The driving decisive force of this election will be women,” he said, adding that this may be the “second year of the woman.”

Murphy mentioned the economy and the popularity of the president as the most important factors influencing the midterm elections. “[Trump’s] always playing Republican primary politics,” Murphy said.

B o t h p re d i c t e d i n c re a s e d Democratic voter turnout because of the current president.

“He fills up all the space; he takes up all the oxygen,” Shrum said.

Important Senate seats were also a major topic of discussion.

Texas, Nevada, Tennessee, Arizona, and Florida were noted as crucial swing states.

The Texas Senate race in particular was discussed. A victory for Rep. Beto O’Rourke in his Senate race against Republican incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) would signal an extremely high probability of a blue majority in other districts and states, agreed Shrum and Murphy.

Murphy predicted that Democrats will perform well in Texas if Latino voters vote.

“That could be enough for Beto [to win],” he said. However, both Shrum and Murphy noted that Democrats have generally done a bad job of turning out in midterms in the past.

Both also praised O’Rourke’s use of social media.

“He’s turned retail politics into media politics,” Shrum said. In traditional retail politics, candidates attends local events and focuses on reaching as many individual voters as possible.

AMY BEST • THE STUDENT LIFE

Politician David Dreier CM ’75 gives his insight into the November election during the “Midterm Madness” Athenaeum talk at Claremont McKenna College Oct. 4.

Though this year is predicted to be successful for the Democratic party, both noted that the real challenge for the Democrats will come in 2020.

“There will be a large fight in the Democratic Party,” Shrum said.

Murphy said that Democrats are “ready to erupt” and added that social media will especially supplement this explosion.

In reference to the long-term plan for both parties, Murphy predicted they will be engaged in long internal civil wars between the more moderate and extreme sides of their respective bases. 2018 will provide a preview, but 2020 will be the true battle, the consultants concluded.

Memo Santos CM ’22, who has a background in intern work

with the O’Rourke campaign, thought the talk was insightful and provided a good variety of viewpoints.

“Coming from Texas, it is very interesting to see different perspectives on [the midterm elections],” he said.

Santos felt strongly about the race that is happening in his home state.

“I just think that if this message gets across in a state like Texas where it hasn’t been seriously contested by any Democratic party in over three decades, that one single member can do this with a successful grassroots campaign … I think it’s an example that other states can follow,” Santos said.

The 2018 general election is Nov. 6. Voter registration is open in California until Oct. 22.

LIFE & STYLE PAGE 4

OCTOBER 12, 2018

THE STUDENT LIFE

WATER: Pomona College’s ‘Water by the Spoonful’ tackles relationships, drug addiction, and recovery Continue from Page 1 CW: mentions of drug addiction This article contains mild spoilers. the diverse and eager all-student cast. The cast is comprised of students of all grades from Pomona and Scripps College, with a crew from all five Claremont Colleges.

“You have professional designers from Los Angeles,” said Michele Miner, the production

manager for the department of theatre and dance at Pomona.

“Diana herself is a professional director from Los Angeles and New York.”

Miner and the production staff incorporated multimedia to bring the online world to the stage. The use of various onstage screens and projections helps to engage the audience in the connectivity and intimacy of the support group chat room.

“The designer creates the

actual product, but we bought all of the screens,” Miner said.

“We invested in the multimedia thinking it would be a good idea in the future, as this seems to be the way things are going.”

Multimedia has been used by the theatre company in the past, though this is the first time the crew has all their own equipment here at Pomona. Thanks to this production, the department of theatre and dance now has the screens and projectors on hand

to elevate the audience’s experience and interaction with the performance.

“Water by the Spoonful” has been brought to life by a dedicated student cast and crew, alongside committed stagehands and a vivacious director.

“Come see the show,” Collado said. “Even if you have no experience with drug addiction. Every single person in this show is fighting for their lives. At the end of the day, I

know all of us will make you feel something.”

The cast moves the audience with their bone-chilling depiction of the inner workings of the battle of addiction. Actor Zed Hopkins PO ’20 thrills the audience with his spirited and powerful role as Fountainhead, an entrepreneurial family man struggling with addiction.

The desire of the cast is that each audience member walks in and experiences the story with

them, and walks out a living vision of the emotion. “Our goal for this show is to create change within each viewer,” Collado said. “We believe this story is powerful and deserves to be told.”

You can come experience each character ’s journey at any of the five showings starting Oct. 11 through Oct. 14. Tickets and showtimes can be found online or via their Facebook event, “Water by the Spoonful.”

CHLOE ORTIZ • THE STUDENT LIFE

CHLOE ORTIZ • THE STUDENT LIFE

(Left) Kieth Ferguson PO ’20 plays an IRS help desk representative in “Water by the Spoonful” Oct. 10. (Right) Alex Collado PO ’20 and Sara Acevedo PO ’21 act out a scene in “Water by the Spoonful” Oct. 10.

SCIENCE COLUMN

Preparing for the next great California earthquake D’MAIA CURRY It’s not a question of “if,” but “when.”

Southern California is overdue for a large earthquake. Scientists have determined that the likelihood of a magnitude 7.5 or greater earthquake, occurring in the next 30 years, is 46 percent.

The chance of a 6.7 magnitude or higher earthquake is over 99 percent.

It is imperative we plan now for the inevitable.

Each year, citizens across the state of California participate in the Great California Shakeout, an earthquake drill initiated as a result of “The Shakeout Scenario,” a study published in 2008.

Dr. Linda Reinen, a structural geologist and Pomona College geology professor, gives an annual lecture on the shakeout scenario and earthquake pre-

paredness.

Southern California lies on a transform plate boundary, where two tectonic plates, the Pacific plate to the west and the North American plate to the east, slide past each other, Reinen outlined.

A number of faults in the region accommodate this movement.

Reinen explained that the primary fault in Southern California is the San Andreas Fault.

As the plates move past each other, friction creates resistance to the movement, resulting in a build-up of stress.

Eventually, “the stresses get so high, the frictional resistance is overcome; the plates slide past one another, and we get an earthquake,” Reinen said.

The three most recent major earthquakes on the San Andreas include a rupture on the northern section of the fault in 1906 (the earthquake and subsequent

fire that destroyed San Francisco), an 1857 earthquake on a section that runs just behind Claremont, and a 1680 rupture on the southern section of the fault.

“You can dig back [deep in] time and look at disturbed layers and find out when these faults have ruptured before,” Reinen said. “It turns out that each one of these sections, roughly, has a large earthquake every 100 to 150 years.”

She added that it has been more than 300 years since a large earthquake has occurred on the Southern section, meaning a large earthquake is overdue.

Since the southern section and the section of the fault closest to Claremont are primed and ready for movement, Reinen said that it’s widely believed to be the location of the next major earthquake, and when it does,

it will affect all of Southern California.

The Shakeout Scenario was conducted by a team of over 200 organizations and researchers, who sought out to understand the “physical, social and economic consequences of a major earthquake in [S]outhern California.”

The study modeled the probable scenario of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the southernmost 300 kilometers of the San Andreas Fault.

It was not the biggest possible earthquake, or the worst one. It was just a reasonable earthquake based on “where previous earthquakes have happened, how much slip was accommodated (how much stress was relieved), and the type of materials situated along the fault,” Reinen said.

The study was an interdisciplinary endeavor. Information

on earthquake behavior was passed from geoscientists to engineers, who analyzed what type of buildings could withstand the estimated shaking. That data was then given to social scientists who determined the social response to the potential infrastructure damage.

All of this information was t h e n g i ve n t o p o l i c y m a k e r s “who can affect change now before the earthquake happens [in order] to minimize effects,” Reinen said.

“The shakeout drills are done as a way for us, the community, to test communications, to test evacuations, and to test the preparedness of emergency responders across the region,” Reinen added. She explained that some of the first findings that came out of the study were that communications ended at political boundaries.

JORDAN WONG • THE STUDENT LIFE

“For example, San Bernardino County might have empty hospitals and Los Angeles County might have overflowing hospitals, and that kind of [cross] communication was not happening,” Reinen said.

What should students do to prepare for an earthquake?

Reinen advises every student to have a go-bag that contains food, water, medical supplies, etc. If you wear contacts, make sure to have an extra pair of glasses on hand.

“After the Northridge earthquake, two of the most common requests … were for glasses and tennis shoes,” Reinen said.

Also, make sure you keep a pair of shoes by your bed. The earthquake may break windows and it’s advisable to wear shoes when walking through the broken glass.

During the earthquake, “drop, cover, and hold on. Stay under for probably a minute or more after the shaking stops … to make sure that there is not another earthquake coming right after,” Reinen said. Running out of the building is ill-advised, as the shaking can throw people to the ground, making them more susceptible to injury.

Then, in the aftermath, plan to assist the community, she advised.

“One of the things that came out of the study was that people should be planning to be rescuers and not necessarily count on emergency responder services because if this disaster is like previous disasters that have happened in the past, about 95 percent of the rescues are from fellow victims as opposed to emergency personnel,” Reinen said.

Reinen also suggested identifying a person outside the region who would be able to contact all your friends and family for you.

“If this is like other earthquakes that have happened, phone calls don’t get out because the systems are overloaded,” Reinen said. “But, text messages are usually able to.”

Whether it occurs tomorrow, or 60 years from now, the “Big One” is inevitable. Planning, preparation, and practice are imperative.

If you have any other questions or just want to learn more about the shakeout scenario, California’s tectonic landscape, or earthquake preparedness, Reinen will be giving her annual talk Oct. 17 at Rose Hills Theater at Pomona.

D’Maia Curry is a geology major at Pomona College. She loves dancing, reading, and looking at really cool rocks.

LIFE & STYLE OCTOBER 12, 2018

PAGE 5

THE STUDENT LIFE

ADVICE COLUMN

Ask Addison: On long distance relationships, homesickness, and more Q: “Dear Addison, I like this guy, and I want to know more about him and spend more time with him, but he goes to a different college in the 5Cs. I’m kinda awkward and am not the best texter. What are some good conversation starters?”

A: Hey there! First, don’t overthink conversation. Do you overthink conversation with your friends? I realized long ago that guys are simple, and us ladies simply give them too much credit. A simple “Hey, how’s your day?” works wonders. He’ll most likely say, “It’s good,” and ask about yours. Before you know it, those questions can lead to conversations about school breaks, travel, and interests.

Since he’s at a different college, you can say you’re thinking about your schedule for next semester and wanting to find out what classes he’d suggest. On a weekend night, you can ask about what’s going on around the campuses and soon enough, I’m sure he’ll ask to hang out.

Act on your feelings, diva. You’re a star and frankly, you can’t miss what you’ve never had, so go after what you want and let the chips fall where they may. *** Q: “My boyfriend and I are in a long distance relationship. It’s hard to stay up-to-date with each other’s lives, and sometimes I feel like it isn’t worth it. Do you have any advice for dealing with long distance relationships? When’s it OK to break it off?”

A: Hi, I feel your pain. Long distance relationships are tough, and that’s just that. College is a time of massive growth, intellectually and emotionally. This is great, but many times, people don’t grow in the same way or at the same rate.

That’s no one’s fault. I was in a similar situation last year, and my boyfriend

and I simply outgrew each other, although the time we spent together was enriching and magical.

To successfully be in a long distance relationship, it takes equal commitment from both people. You both have to make time to communicate with each other on most days and see one another when you can. If you feel like it isn’t worth it, then it’s OK to break it off when you feel that you’re ready to move on and do you.

Don’t ever stay in something that you aren’t 100 percent committed to, that’s a disservice to you and your boyfriend. Maybe the two of you can connect in the future, but for now if you’re ready to break it off, be honest with him, keep your friendship alive, and smile at the good times you’ve shared together. *** Q: “I’m a first-year, and I’ve been feeling really homesick/haven’t really made a lot of friends yet.

Do you have any advice for what I should do?”

A: First of all, welcome to the 5Cs! Feeling homesick is normal. After all, you’ve been in your home for 18 years. Don’t worry and definitely don’t think about it so much. Instead, invest some time into thinking about yourself.

In the process of doing so, you’ll begin pursuing your interests, hobbies, and passions. This can be through clubs, classes, the gym or anything else you enjoy. Can you guess what that leads to? People!

What do people lead to? Friendships!

It’s awesome to find like-minded peers that you can have a good time with in college. As soon as you focus on pursuing you, the friendships and fun will grow! Can’t wait to see you shine, sunshine. *** Q: “I have a really bad professor this semester, and I’ve had to teach most of the material to myself. What

MEGHAN JOYCE • THE STUDENT LIFE

can I do in this situation? Also, how can I prevent it from happening in the future?”

A: Quite frankly, you can’t guarantee that this won’t happen again.

Ratemyprofessor.com is a website I like to consult prior to making my class selections. Most of the time, I find the professor I’m looking for and am able to read reviews from prior students. Think of it as the Yelp of professors. Sometimes, though, I find nothing and just have to take a chance!

Through bad professors we not only learn new study skills, but we also improve our discipline,

BOOK COLUMN

It is the mere possibility of alien existence that enables us to walk into the tight-knit, exclusive hangout down the hall, feeling a little less awkward and flushed than the time before. Let me explain.

When I think of the quintessential alien of the science fiction genre, I immediately see an eerie, disproportionate head, void of any nuanced, idiosyncratic features.

This leaves only their bug-like, beady eyes, and a hostile smirk narrowly marking their moon-silver skin to construct something that bears a slight resemblance to a face.

In that very sentence, I have differentiated aliens, the “other” from “us.” Their physicality is warped in order to create a distinct barrier between the in-group (a group of people with a shared identity) and the out-group (those excluded from the in-group).

Why, as humans, are we so intrigued by this idea of the “other”?

When aliens first made their mark in science fiction, they sought permanent refuge in our minds because they were a novel concept.

However, it is not merely the alien’s depiction as humanity’s “shiny new toy” that lures us into their being, but also that aliens help us to escape from our world.

Moreover, aliens are often attributed with a level of superiority, due to the supernatural powers

***

Q: My neighbor sings a lot.

He’s quite good at it but it’s constant. He sings late into the night, even when he knows I’m trying to sleep. I don’t want to anger him but I’d like some peace and quiet, especially when I’m trying to snooze. How do I gently and politely inform him that his singing is just a little too much?

A: Since your neighbor sings constantly, and according to you, he’s good at it, he must love to sing!

Sometimes when we love something, we want to be immersed in it.

He’s probably completely unaware that he’s as loud as he is. While he

should be cognizant of the time, some people lack common sense.

For those types, I always take the approach of respectfully articulating my position.

Just like he deserves to sing, you deserve to sleep. As neighbors, you need to work together to find a compromise that works for the both of you. You can’t expect things to change without speaking to him, so the next time his tunes are bouncing off of your walls, go knock on his door. Open up with some flattery about his singing, explain the way you feel politely, and ask what compromise the two of you can come to. Here’s to a restful night of sleep!

MUSIC COLUMN

Becoming the in-group: how aliens have become reflections of ourselves TARINI SIPAHIMALANI

resilience, and even grow up a bit. Through good professors, our newfound skills make their classes a breeze. In your situation, I would make an effort to visit your professor’s office hours so you can ask questions and show your interest in the course.

Hopefully, your professor will be receptive and provide the support you need. If not, you’ll make it on your own. Study hard, create study groups with students from your class, and make lemonade out of the lemons this class is handing you!

they seem to always be armed with.

After assimilating into the other world, our return to reality arms us, too, with a newfound sense of power, making our daily struggles ever-so-slightly easier.

We relate to these undermined creatures, who are misunderstood simply because we don’t know much about them. Witnessing an eventual acceptance of aliens in some stories gives us hope for the amalgamation of out-group with in-group.

Notions of in-group and outgroup aren’t resolute, though.

They require context. We have a biological mechanism that works consistently inside of us, fostering trust, closeness, and empathy, but only toward those we consider part of our in-group.

For those deemed an out-group member, this very same mechanism encourages hostility, violence, and aggressive discrimination. It amplifies our in-group preference.

Science fiction stories about galactic wars between humans and aliens that threaten our only habitable planet stem from this behavior.

Fortunately, our concepts of ingroup and out-group can be easily manipulated. Put on a football jersey of a team someone else is loyal to, and you’ll find yourself in their in-group. Even categories work; how many times have you felt bonded to a stranger who was simply walking their dog, hence sug-

gesting a shared love for dogs?

The reason one of my middle school friends and I bonded was thanks to our then-obsession with The Vampire Diaries.

This manipulability has been useful to the sci-fi genre as the role of aliens have evolved. Now, the alien no longer occupies a warped figure, but rather is physically illustrated as one with us, humans.

In order to bring the alien closer to our in-group, science fiction authors often have aliens reflect our physical, political, and societal states –- they are embodiments of humanity, just displaced into another planet or galaxy. The alien is essentially in our in-group, and through their reflective characterizations, our connections to these supernatural creatures grow stronger.

Portraying the alien as reflections of ourselves while still marking their distance from us with the label of “alien,” allows us to relate to them in ways that validate our inner pariah’s feelings, and sometimes even ignites a strength in us to walk into that exclusive hangout down the hall with a newfound sense of confidence and power.

‘Girl, why you gotta do so many drugs?’: drug culture in music and on campus

Tarini Sipahimalani PO ‘20 is an English major. She enjoys drawing, singing a cappella, and tennis, but mostly for social purposes.

NINA POTISCHMAN • THE STUDENT LIFE

ANNA KOPPELMAN

DIAMOND PHAM • THE STUDENT LIFE

Jimothy Lacoste is a rising indie rapper out of North London — but, of course, he represents much more than that.

He, like all of us, is built of contradictions; he’s a rap artist, but his music could also fall into the category of grime. You can never pinpoint whether or not his lyrics are deeply serious, or entirely satirical.

He almost reminds me of a sloppily written YA romance heartthrob, whose vision of love isn’t a picnic with strawberries and champagne, or a long hug after a hard night, but rather “shopping at Waitrose every single day.”

However, what’s most out of character from the rest of Jimothy’s persona is this: He is vehemently anti-drugs.

“Drugs,” one of his first singles released, opens with an almost stripped down disco. It sounds like what I’d imagine the pounding in your head sounds like the day after you drank too much — like day-old glitter eyeliner. And then, with his thick North London accent, Jimothy

enters the song, asking the question the rest of his lyrics go on to explore: “Girl, why you gotta do so many drugs?”

Over my first few weeks at Pitzer College, I’ve found myself wondering the same — albeit somewhat judgemental — question. Maybe it’s coming to California, maybe it’s attending Pitzer, but it felt like everyone I spoke to had found that weed was the cure for all of life’s problems. I began to think: If getting high could cure my social anxiety, take away the pain of a stubbed toe, and make eating — an activity I already love — more fun, then I had to try it.

So last weekend, I rejected the life advice I had been given by my square parents, I threw away the musical wisdom of Jimothy’s drugs, and I decided to give into the image I thought might finally make me feel like I fit in: I decided to become a stoner.

My friends told me that if I smoked indica, it wouldn’t make me paranoid because it was more of a “body high,” which didn’t really mean anything to me. I had never gotten high, so my conception of body high was simply my muscles feeling incredibly relaxed.

Instead, I spent two hours feeling the happiest I have in my life. I texted every group chat I had ever been in something extremely sentimental (examples: “We are really the energy America needs,” “The luv you 2 have for each other is what I aspire to every day”). And somehow, I ended up hysterically crying at 4 a.m., because I felt as though my innocence had been lost.

This is also when I decided to call my dad and tell him that a) my childhood was over, and b) I was high. One could describe that moment as a personal low, or they could say that it allowed me to understand both Jimothy and his music better.

As I found myself all alone, crying for absolutely no reason while wandering through the freshman dorms, I couldn’t help but hear Jimothy singing in my ear: “Why you gotta do so many drugs, many drugs?”

Anna Koppelman is a first-year at Pitzer. You can either find her reading poetry, hanging out with friends, or ranting about how long it’s taken for Vampire Weekend to release a new album.

OPINIONS THE STUDENT LIFE ARIEL SO Editor-in-Chief MEGHAN BOBROWSKY Managing Editor HANK SNOWDON Managing Editor

OCTOBER 12, 2018

THE STUDENT LIFE

JAIMIE DING, News Editor OLIVIA TRUESDALE, News Editor SAMUEL BRESLOW, Senior News Adviser BECKY HOVING, News Associate NATALIE GOULD, Life & Style Editor MAYA KLEIMAN, Life & Style Editor MABEL LUI, Life & Style Associate DONNIE DENOME, Opinions Editor ANIKKA VILLEGAS, Opinions Editor KELLAN GRANT, Sports Editor NOAH SHAPIRO, Sports Editor BERGEN CARLOSS, Video Editor EMILY PUGH, Podcast Editor SAFIA HASSAN, Business Manager ANGELA TRAN, Business Manager OWEN WANG, Business Associate UDDHAV GUPTA, Business Associate MAYA ZHOU, Communications Director WHITNEY WACHTEL, Web Developer

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Snake found in Dorsey Hall Taylor Swift visits campus!

Banksy destroys his art Shredding elitism

It bites Spooky szn started too soon

The poor buyer There goes $1.4 million

Mudd will build a new CS building Maybe I can major in CS at Mudd?

1 degree C higher At least it took 11,000 years

Mo buildings, mo problems And a new place to cry

Bye Bye, Broadway Another half degree warmer until NYC will be underwater

For a more just justice system, start with reinstating the vote CHRISTOPHER MURDY Though the Constitution originally allowed states to determine who had the right to vote, there have been important moments in our history that have led the United States to standardize certain requirements. We now find ourselves confronting yet another of these issues requiring a constitutional amendment: felon disenfranchisement.

The method used for all 27 constitutional amendments calls for two-thirds of the House of Representatives and Senate to introduce an amendment that then threefourths of state legislatures affirm.

The destruction of bipartisanship and the demonization of opposing parties in U.S. politics over the past couple of decades have led some to question whether there will ever be another constitutional amendment. Still, that should be no excuse not to advocate for the bipartisanship such an amendment would require.

If anything, college-aged students set a precedent in 1971 by successfully advocating for the 26th Amendment. As part of the larger Vietnam War protests, it brought the age requirement for voting down from 21 to 18 years old.

A person convicted of a felony crime in Maine has a vastly different experience than a person convicted of that same crime in Iowa.

The Iowan will have to complete an arduous process through the governor’s office in order to see a ballot again, while the Mainer won’t have their voting rights impeded even when serving out their sentence.

In between these two extremes, some states restore voting rights upon release, after parole, or after probation.

While some make the argument that prisoners violated a social contract and shouldn’t elect leaders for a society to which they have shown a disregard, the practice undermines the very purpose of having a fair criminal justice system.

Our system claims it aims to rehabilitate those incarcerated and not exact retribution upon them.

There exists a number of fundamental flaws in the present day that call into question the validity of that claim, most notably mass incarceration, racial disparities, and overzealous prosecutors, but felon disenfranchisement carries its own detriments.

Another argument claims that

It’s time to stop paying attention to Kanye West EAMON MORRIS Kanye West has officially renounced his status as a musical artist in favor of being a provocateur. His descent into public conservatism, while gradual, has been nothing if not a complete reversal of the more liberal views he espoused in his earlier songs, media appearances, and political commentaries.

In 2005, West said, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” In 2013, West rapped about social injustice in a song called “New Slaves.”

And in 2015, West donated $2,700 to Hillary Clinton’s campaign.

But within the past year, Kanye has devolved as an artist and an activist for social change. Gone are his lyrics condemning police brutality and in its place are the scattered ramblings of a man desperate for attention and praise from one of the most powerful people in the world.

Attention-seeking behavior isn’t new for West. It’s been a part of his brand for years.

In 2009, Kanye quite literally took the national stage when he interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech at the MTV awards to praise Beyoncé.

In October 2013, West proposed to Kim Kardashian with an elaborate display that involved renting a stadium and hiring an orchestra.

And in 2015, Kanye made a splash at the MTV awards again when he announced a bid to run for president in 2020.

As extravagant and bizarre as West’s behavior has been in the past, it hasn’t been problematic until recently.

The beginning of West’s descent into unapologetic conservatism came shortly after his abrupt return to Twitter this past April when he tweeted, “You don’t have to agree with trump but the mob can’t make me not love him. We are both dragon energy. He is my brother. I love everyone. I don’t agree with everything anyone does. That’s what makes us individuals. And we have the right to independent thought.”

On the surface, this tweet is fine.

Everyone, including international rap icons, is entitled to their own opinion. West even put in the effort to disclose that he doesn’t agree with everything Trump does.

The problem isn’t with West’s opinion, the problem is with what he doesn’t say — how he fails to back up his ideas with hard evidence while simultaneously disseminating them to a large population (28 million followers at the time of his tweet).

Additionally, West’s status as a black man makes his support of Trump even more significant and damaging. It gives Trump an influential supporter of color to point to when he’s labeled as racist.

West’s status as a wealthy black man supporting Trump and the Republican party is also illogical.

Conservatism’s platform (apart from lower taxes) has no obvious alignment with West’s goals or background.

It’s likely that West’s support of Trump is more personal than political — that he sees his personality as kindred to that of Trump. This is supported by West’s belief that he and Trump are both “dragon energy.” This, however, should not be the sole requisite for a desirable commander in chief.

The combination of West’s musical popularity (he’s the sixth most streamed artist on Spotify) and his consistent presence in the news cycle make his controversial statements all too present in the minds of those listening to his albums.

West’s tweets and public statements continued to go downhill after his initial tweet praising the president. On May 1, West lectured the TMZ newsroom on his belief that slavery was a choice due to its 400year duration, a length of time West evidently views as an unrealistically long period of time to be oppressed.

Most recently, West both praised the president on Saturday Night Live and tweeted about abolishing the 13th Amendment within 24 hours. The comments caused a social media uproar and demonstrated both West’s lack of knowledge of American history and his lack of concern for low-income people of color.

It’s important to note that West recently deleted his Twitter and Instagram. On the surface, it appears as if West has become aware of his social media incompetency and has taken a hiatus because of that.

I doubt that’s the case. Even with

EMMA LI • THE STUDENT LIFE

former felons would simply vote for candidates who, if elected, would loosen laws pertaining to the crime they committed. This argument falls apart when one considers that no candidate could hope to be successful advocating for a platform encouraging criminal behavior.

As students preparing to contribute to American society, we have an obligation to call into question a system that allows the United States to have the highest incarceration rate in the world, at 716 per 100,000 people.

High recidivism rates contribute considerably to keeping this rate high since over three out of every four inmates find themselves re-arrested within five years of release.

While many factors certainly contribute to this phenomenon, preventing nearly 5.4 million Americans from voting in 2012 “reinforc[es] the individual’s perception that they are, and will continue to be, a criminal,” according to a University of California, Berkeley study.

In fact, this same study finds that when people convicted of felony crimes do not face permanent disenfranchisement, their chance of being arrested again decreases by almost 10 percent.

Whether it be part of a larger, much-needed criminal justice reform in the United States or part of its own

no social media platforms available to spew his ideas, West has a significant musical following and a consistent flow of publicity.

Furthermore, his departure from social media was widely reported on sites like USA Today, TMZ, and The Huffington Post. This gave West additional eyes and ears to preach to and shine a brighter spotlight on his relationship with the president.

Kanye West wants attention. He wants as many eyes as possible to be on him because it means more streams, more views, more publicity, and more money.

When we give Kanye West a platform to espouse political nonsense and when we react to that nonsense, we divert our attention from actual conservative political threats and from the words of well-informed activists.

It’s unlikely that liberals will stop listening to West because of his beliefs. The possibility that conservatives will look him up because

of his connection to the president, though, is very high.

On the macro level, a largescale ignorance of West is impossible. He has far too many avid followers and listeners that have already reconciled West’s views with a love for his shock-valuebased brand. Real change begins on the micro and local level. Ignore West’s biweekly rant.

Instead, focus on positively changing the communities around you. Instead of re-tweeting or replying to his tweets, register to vote. Instead of obsessing over his latest pair of overpriced shoes, contact your senators and representatives.

Instead of giving Kanye West your attention, give the community your action.

Eamon Morris PZ ’22 is from Orange, CA. To avoid passing out at 4 p.m., he has taken to drinking five cups of coffee a day.

Christopher Murdy PO ’22 is an intended international relations major from Lido Beach, NY. He has yet to be convinced West Coast beaches are better.

Hyper-partisanship will get us nowhere ELENA NEFF

JULIA READ • THE STUDENT LIFE

effort, the importance of reforming felon disenfranchisement laws in the United States cannot be overstated.

Mobilizing people to support this effort certainly has its difficulties, as it’s often hard for people to advocate for the rights of marginalized communities that they don’t often encounter.

Since felony convictions have as much, if not more, to do with economical and ethnic background than the actual crime committed, there exists an especially strong danger in allowing formerly incarcerated people to be further marginalized.

Some might be surprised to learn that even inside the “Claremont bubble,” there exists opportunities to engage with these communities and begin advocating for change. From 5C classes partially taught in local prisons to independent volunteer work, the opportunities are there, but it is up to us to involve ourselves.

As students committed to being engaged members of society, we have an obligation to recognize the areas where our country fails its citizens, and felon disenfranchisement is chief among them.

After last week’s FBI investigation, Sen. Susan Collins showed us the flagrant partisanship within our country. Collins demanded an investigation of Brett Kavanaugh after hearing Christine Ford’s sexual assault testimony.

But, she did not call for an investigation of former Sen. Al Franken or presume his innocence when sexual misconduct allegations arose. Instead, she ordered him to resign from office effective immediately.

This problem of partisanship did not start with one party. They are all responsible for keeping the current status quo.

Few people are willing to challenge this culture within politics and when they do, it receives immense quantities of attention. Our nation’s reliance on this portion of politicians is quite concerning.

John McCain followed his duties as a senator and “maverick.”

The Republicans would have never welcomed John McCain into the party if they knew he was willing to oppose his own party for the sake of the Affordable Care Act, campaign finance reform, etc.

Senators are elected by their constituents, not their parties.

Therefore, their main duty is to represent their constituents, not solely the views of their party.

Across the Claremont Colleges, each campus often has its own political flavor decided by its history, faculty, and traditions. Therefore, each institution nurtures its students in an environment with views that are commonly held.

Thus, partisanship at the colleges is different from the behavior of the U.S. Senate because it is not nearly as equally polarized.

While it’s good to feel the support of a community that shares the same views as oneself, it becomes difficult to learn about opposing views in great depth and understand why someone might support those ideologies.

This understanding of other

political views cannot happen by attending events with politicians, pundits, or academics who share the same views as oneself. It occurs when individuals interact with those who they wouldn’t normally align themselves with.

This thought can be scary.

I was apprehensive to take courses and attend talks with conservative professors and speakers because I was afraid that addressing the polar opposite of my views might cause me to question or even doubt them.

“

I was apprehensive to take courses and attend talks with conservative professors and speakers because I was afraid addressing the polar opposite of my views might cause me to question or even doubt them.

“

PAGE 6

However, as a Democrat and a government major from an incredibly liberal town, I vowed to take my first government courses with some of Claremont McKenna College’s notable conservative professors. I took them, knowing that I would not agree with some or most of their views but with a desire to understand why I didn’t agree with them.

Elena Neff CM ’21 is studying government and international relations, and from Palo Alto, CA. She enjoys listening to Sufjan Stevens and drinking pamplemousse La Croix.

OPINIONS OCTOBER 12, 2018

PAGE 7

THE STUDENT LIFE

Trump’s corporate tax cuts and trade policies are counterproductive

NATALIE BAUER • THE STUDENT LIFE

CHRIS SALAZAR President Donald Trump’s trade war with China and his Republicanled tax plan are the results of historical amnesia and poor education.

In the top 50 most well-educated counties with a population of at least 50,000 people, Hillary Clinton won the hearts of voters in 48 counties. Her margin of victory in 2016 improved on Barack Obama’s 2012 performance in these same 48 counties, averaging a gain of nearly nine percentage points.

Comparatively, Trump only managed to beat Clinton in two of the 50 most well-educated counties.

But, the telling statistic concerns the 50 least well-educated counties in the United States with populations of at least 50,000 people. Here, the narrative speaks to the allure of Trump’s rogue “anti-establishment” status.

In these counties, some of which are in swing states like Ohio and North Carolina, Trump bested Clinton in 47 of the 50 relevant polities.

The defeat was decisive, as Trump averaged an improvement of 30 points over Mitt Romney’s performance in these same districts. In this case, the writing on the wall was clear.

The less well-educated a voter was, the more likely that voter was to favor Trump. Ironically, it’s precisely these voters who are going to suffer the most from the Republican-led tax plan and the trade war.

This isn’t surprising. Trump ran his platform on a supposedly populist ideology.

Much of his campaign rhetoric

was aimed to appeal to the bluecollar worker by bemoaning corporations offshoring jobs, attacking tax-evading executives (amusingly enough), and the disintegration of the American dream at the behest of neoliberal technocrats fashioning poorly negotiated trade agreements.

Despite his ill-defined policy statements, he resonated with a base that perhaps, through no fault of their own, lacked the education to properly assess his promises.

Mostly rural voters, in this case, were beguiled not by his charming demeanor but rather by his willingness to skirt the status quo.

Yet, nearly two years into his presidency, Trump has no significant forward-looking legislative accomplishments to his name. His behavior, nonetheless, grows more embarrassing.

Perhaps the only entities growing faster than his disturbing conduct are the corporate tax breaks available to the wealthiest citizens.

The tax plan, enacted by the Republican party, permanently slashed the corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent. Yet, the $1.5 trillion cut disproportionately aids the affluent.

A report conducted by the UrbanBrookings Tax Policy Center finds that a quarter of the tax benefits will flow to the top one percent, while 66 percent will circulate to another 20 percent of high-income earners by 2025.

This is not the result Trump’s base hoped for. Still, it gets worse.

“We must not let our country, companies and workers be taken advantage of any longer,” Trump tweeted in March. “We want free, fair and SMART TRADE!” The White House’s rationalization for the market tit-for-tat with China has been with the Asian country’s spurious trade practices concerning steel. However, the move to use tariffs as a buttress against China is foolish because most of our steel imports come from our strongest allies.

Brazil, Mexico, Canada, Germany, and South Korea export more steel to the United States. than China.

The economic posture, aimed at punishing China for overproducing the commodity and the stagnation of the American steel industry, is wrongheaded. The web of commerce societies share results in poorly distributed payback.

Of course, there are legitimate reasons to use tariffs. But, the SmootHawley Tariff Act serves as a cautionary example. The act was preceded by the Fordney McCumber Act of 1922, which raised import taxes to nearly 40 percent.

But, the goal of the Smoot-Hawley act was to protect American farmers.

After recovering from World War I, European farmers were outcompeting their American counterparts.

Initially, the bill was foiled in 1929 by moderate Senate Republicans.

But protectionist and isolationist policies gained favor after the market crash of 1929. So, President Hoover approved the Smoot-Hawley bill despite a petition, signed by more than 1,000 economists, to veto the bill.

The move aggravated already waning economies in foreign countries and prompted retaliatory tariffs.

Between 1924 and 1934, global trade declined by 66 percent as a result.

To remedy the situation, President Roosevelt passed the Reciprocal Trade Act in 1934.

Eventually, the United States regained the trust of foreign markets by supporting international trade and promoting the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade Act in 1948, The North American Free Trade Agreement in 1994, and the World Trade Organization in 1995.

Though the United States has worked to revitalize the system, the point remains clear: Tariffs are dodgy. The damage accrued easily bruises both economies and market faith. Here, Trump is encroaching on dangerous territory.

In a globalized economy, the cur-

Crossword: Gonna Fly Now

JASPER DAVIDOFF • THE STUDENT LIFE

ACROSS 1. MLS team that plays at Audi Field 8. 3D? 11. Supply with munitions 12. Connoisseur 14. 2016 Olympics host 15. Type of story intended to draw tears 16. Diluted espresso 18. Wild sort of party 20. Puff piece?

21. Inventor of an eponymous P.B. snack 23. Econ. framework 24. Texter’s “my word!”

25. “Me too!”

28. Jacob’s brother, biblically 32. Actress Kunis 34. WiFi or Ethernet, often 35. Out of the game (abbr.)

36. Periods of history 37. Austin arts festival 39. Oxford or Cambridge, according to their students 40. Texter’s “I think” 42. Elude 44. French adj. for french toast

47. Quite so angry 49. From Egypt, it drains into the Mediterranean 51. Scent of suspicion 54. What happens after 8-across 55. _____ Lama 56. Black-and-orange SCIAC member 57. Driver’s turnaround maneuver, informally 58. What you’ll find in 1, 16, 37, and 49-across DOWN 1. Marx’s ___ Kapital 2. Early human ___-magnon 3. Hit from Rihanna.... anna, anna 4. Instagram medium 5. Domesticate 6. Till the cows come home 7. German newspaper ___ Spiegel 8. RuPaul’s variety of race 9. Powell under consideration to be US UN ambassador 10. Magical gateway in “Exit West” 13. Spongebob Squarepants channel, for short 17. Quoted

19. Element 33 21. It wasn’t built in a day 22. Arabic ruler 23. Department that might carry Ralph Lauren 26. “By the way,” 27. Most possible 29. Air Force group 30. One side of the alphabet 31. What happens when U lose in Fortnite 33. Stage whisper 38. More inclusive web message medium?

41. CGU chairman who helped plan a science and engineering college 43. Agency Dr. Ronny Jackson was nom’d to lead 44. Original Michelin product 45. First four syllables after “and on that farm he had a pig” 46. U. Grant opponent 47. “____ want for Christmas....”

48. Big name 50. NASA engineer’s degree 52. Teen boy’s characteristic scent 53. Texter’s gratitudes

rencies of trade are trust and cooperation. Still, the United States is being uncooperative.

As a result, our allies may return the favor by imposing their own tariffs or altogether freezing U.S. exports on commodities from unrelated sectors of the economy. So, clearly, it pays to heed the lessons of history.

In light of this discussion, it’s important to note the positive correlation between education and income.

Because if the strongest predictor for whether someone voted for Clinton or Trump is education, it’s reasonable to assume that Trump supporters earn less on average.

So, ironically, the group most responsible for Trump’s ascendancy is also likely to feel the greatest impact of Trump’s trade war. The 10 percent tariff on $200 billion of Chinese imports imposed by the president are ultimately taxes paid by American

businesses and consumers.

It’s simple economics. By raising taxes on input materials, the increased operational costs American businesses face reduces their profit margins. The collateral damage is sluggish wage and employment growth, which hinders retail sales and economic growth.

Plainly, it’s axiomatic that the least well-educated or the least well-off will struggle the most to absorb the increased cost of living.

There’s always winners and losers. American banks, workers, and consumers, however, fall into the latter category. It’s a matter of timing.

Wages have already failed to keep pace with rising interests rates. If U.S. GDP were to slow down while unemployment rose in light of the new tariffs, it would be difficult for banks to balance their books.

It’s unclear how long the trade

war will last. Regardless, Trump believes his posture will end well by changing the rules of the game. But if Washington, D.C. and Beijing fail to reach an agreement, the import tax will jump from 10 percent to 25 percent in 2019.

Trump’s next move, if Beijing decides to reciprocate the gesture, is to impose tariffs on an additional $267 billion of Chinese goods.

It’s an expensive gamble.

The smart bet, however, was less costly. And that alternative evaporated two years ago. Clearly, it pays to fact-check authorities, especially when they’re of the rogue “anti-establishment” variety.

Christopher Salazar PZ ’20 is a double major in philosophy and classics with a minor in science, technology and society. He once laughed so hard half a french fry came out his nose.

We should have climate action, not just caution BEN REICHER The year was 1983, and renowned climatologist William Nierenberg was about to present “Changing Climate,” the findings of a National Academy of Sciences commission assembled by former President Jimmy Carter.

Little did he know that his optimistic advice to the climate action community, entirely counterintuitive to the dire warnings presented in the report, would change the global warming discourse forever.

Now in 2018, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration report presents another conclusion on climate change that seems completely counterintuitive to its own data. However, while Nierenberg offered empty promises, Trump isn’t even offering that.

Fool us once, shame on you.

Fool us twice, shame on us.

The NHTSA report was an environmental impact statement of the Environmental Protection Agency decision to revoke Obamaera fuel efficiency requirements for vehicles, a priority for Trump and ex-EPA head Scott Pruitt. Trump’s NHTSA made the shocking statement that current anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions will cause global temperature to rise seven degrees Fahrenheit (about 4.5 degrees Celsius) above preindustrial levels.

This is so striking because it’s not followed by the clarification that they were describing a Chinese hoax. Someone in Trump’s administration actually got climate science right. Seven degrees Fahrenheit is about the same as Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates in a “business as usual” scenario, where emissions rise through the 21st century.

This grim statistic was included not to promote climate action, but to dissuade it: The NHTSA’s conclusion is that the climate will change catastrophically no matter what, so revoking fuel efficiency standards won’t make a difference.

Decades earlier, Nierenberg’s report confirmed previous findings, including that the climate would warm around three degrees Fahrenheit if atmospheric carbon dioxide doubled, which the commission predicted would occur by 2065. The report’s data, to quote Nathaniel Rich’s “Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change,” suggested “that action had to be taken immediately, before all the details could be known with certainty, or else it would be too late.”

And yet, when Nierenberg presented “Changing Climate,” he urged “caution, not panic.” Page 61 of the report claimed, counter to its own research, “[T]he problems that may be associated with [climate change] are of quite uncertain magnitude, and both climate change

KATIE ERICKSON • THE STUDENT LIFE

and increased carbon dioxide may also bring benefits.”

Predictably, it was “caution, not panic” that everyone remembered.

“Haste on Global Warming Trend is Opposed,” wrote a headline in The New York Times; “You Can Cope,” crowed The Wall Street Journal.

Fossil fuel companies like Exxon, who had supported the report’s release, stopped bothering to pay lip-service to climate action. Since then, Exxon documents have shown that the company’s own cutting-edge research produced clear evidence of anthropogenic climate change as early as 1977, and Exxon leadership discussed the need to obfuscate public debate to protect their profits.

Nierenberg’s reckless optimism, clinging to postwar American exceptionalism, inadvertently opened a dangerous vein in public discussion on climate change: the belief that the world could leave emissions unchecked and somehow build up enough infrastructure to prevent disaster.

Overconfidence had deluded Nierenberg that human ingenuity will always figure out how to utilize the planet’s resources to “adapt” to its environment, even when those resources are no longer there.

Unlike Nierenberg, NHTSA is deliberately trying to prevent climate action in an incredibly cynical way.

This wouldn’t be the first time the Trump administration tried to convince the public that social problems are unsolvable (urban centers are “no-go zone” crime hotbeds, immigrants are an unstoppable horde of parasites and rapists), but his fearmongering wasn’t an end in itself.

Trump’s MO is to make people afraid, but even more importantly, to make them doubt their own

power as citizens, so that they will cling to a strong leader who offers miraculously bold answers. Yet now, the Trump administration, or at least NHTSA, may have realized that these too-good-to-be-true solutions are just that.

So, NHTSA seems to have taken a new course: There’s nothing you can do, so you can panic — but you definitely shouldn’t act. Because if you did act, you might not look the other way as we line the pockets of our oil industry donors.

NHTSA’s data for warming under unchecked emissions is correct, but they don’t have to go unchecked.

If all current Paris Agreement pledges were met, the Earth would warm 2.7-3 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. This certainly isn’t a reason to celebrate, but it’s also not an excuse to lose hope, as Trump wants.

The NHTSA report makes every possible climate action even more urgent. This includes fuel efficiency requirements, whose revocation will add a not insignificant 2.2 billion metric tons of emissions by 2040.

The greatest irony of climate change is that, in 1983, when everything seemed possible, the greatest danger was overconfidence. And now, when all looks hopeless, the greatest danger is apathy. Apathy may appear appropriate, as overconfidence perhaps seemed appropriate then.

But this makes knowing the mistakes of the past even more important, because history teaches us to look beyond the surface. Perhaps then, we would notice Trump’s corrupt destruction of the planet.

Ben Reicher PO ’22 is a contributing writer from Agoura Hills, CA. He is also a member of Sierra Club.

WEEKLY COMIC: Saimin v. Simon JORDAN WONG • THE STUDENT LIFE

SPORTS PAGE 8

OCTOBER 12, 2018

THE STUDENT LIFE CMS FOOTBALL

P-P & CMS CROSS COUNTRY

Sagehens dominate at Pomona-Pitzer FOOTBALL: Stags earn win with Cross Country Invitational strong running game and defense GABRIELLE HERZIG The Pomona-Pitzer men’s and women’s cross-country teams swept the field at the P-P Invitational at Strehle track this weekend. Both teams secured first place overall, while the ClaremontMudd-Scripps men’s and women’s teams both placed fourth in the event.

The P-P men’s win was especially impressive, considering the fact that several of the team’s top runners were resting for the PreNationals meet, and did not participate this weekend. The Sagehen runners who did compete all had solid performances, with five runners placing in the top-15.

Danny Rosen PO ’20 led the P-P

squad with a fifth-place individual finish. He broke his personal record by eight seconds, clocking in at 26:03.0 on the eight-kilometer course.

“As a team, this meet, we showed off our depth, as we ran well against SCIAC opponents without our top 13 runners racing,” Rosen said.

The Sagehen women’s crosscountry also took first place in the invitational, finishing the meet with three top-10 finishes. Helen Guo PO ’20 had an outstanding meet, placing first overall individually with a time of 21:46.1 on the six-kilometer course.

“This meet was great because I had the opportunity to work on kicking at the end of a race,” Guo

COURTESY OF CMS ATHLETICS

CHLOE ORTIZ • THE STUDENT LIFE

(Top) Runners from the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men’s cross country team lead the pack at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational Oct 6.

(Bottom) The Pomona-Pitzer women’s cross country team poses after winning the meet.

said. “I think this will be a great skill for me to develop more this season and in my future years on P-P.” Head coach Kirk Reynolds praised his team’s performance at the invite, which followed a strenuous meet at Stanford the weekend prior.

“The top seven were taking the first two miles of the race very easy, but they started racing at the two-mile mark and really impressed me with the way they moved up through traffic,” Reynolds said.

In addition to their win, the P-P women’s team was overjoyed to see the return of two athletes, Lauren Hamilton PO ’20 and Maddie Bennet PZ ’19, who had both suffered long-standing injuries.

While they did not place as high as the Sagehens, the CMS men’s and women’s teams also had success in this weekend’s meet, despite also resting many of their top runners. Six of their athletes broke their all-time personal records.

On the women’s side, Emily Clarke SC ’22 and Jackie McVay SC ’21 placed in the top-20. As for the men, Evan Hassman HM ’21 took 15th place individually, clocking in at 26:40.5.

John Goldhammer, the CMS men’s and women’s head coach, was happy with his team’s performance in the event. He noted that he is looking forward to the SCIAC championships.

“The CMS team has continually produced strong results when it counts at the end of each year,” Goldhammer said. “That will continue this year, and we’ll be ready when it counts.”

Next, CMS will be competing in the CSU San Marcos Cougar Challenge Oct. 13.

As for the Sagehens, several members of both the men’s and women’s teams will compete in Pre-Nationals next weekend, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

TIMOTHY LIU • THE STUDENT LIFE

Cade Moffatt CM ’21 pushes Urael Blackshear out of bounds in the Stags’ 17-10 win over Cal Lutheran Oct. 6.

Continued from Page 1 Kingsmen tacked on a field goal before the end of the half, CMS led at halftime 14-10.

Both defenses continued to excel in the third, and CMS was only able to score off an Alessandro Maiuolo HM ’22 field goal to go back up a touchdown.

After making a defensive stop early in the fourth, the Stags then retook possession with 9:29 remaining in the game. Not attempting a pass for the rest of the contest, CMS ran the time all the way off the clock with a 15-play drive to secure the victory.

“The offense was able to string together a long drive on the ground which allowed us to control the ball and run out the clock when we needed it most,” Cheadle said.

Assistant Coach and Defensive Coordinator Mark Odin recognized that the Stags’ win was well earned.

“Our success started with

preparation from the beginning of the week and how focused the guys were — everything from meetings to practice predicted the outcome of our win on Saturday.”

The Stags capitalized on the weaknesses of the opposing team to earn the win, which included the fumble on the opening kickoff and 83 yards of penalties. Odin was particularly impressed with the defensive line, especially because Cal Lutheran had given the team problems offensively in the past.

Although the win was a team effort, certain players stepped up to secure success for the Stags.

“So many people have to do so many things on any given play that lead to the success of the team, but if there were a player who particularly stood out, it would be Garrett Cheadle, our running back,” Odin said. “The past couple weeks he’s been carrying the team on his back with how hard he’s been working and fast he’s been running.”

Cheadle finished the game with 138 yards and a touchdown on 30

carries. He has rushed for over 100 yards in four of the Stags’ five games.

The running back, when asked about his performance, instead emphasized the collective team effort that led the Stags to victory.

“Our defense really stepped up, stopping Cal Lutheran on both fourth-down attempts and putting a stop to their run game,” Cheadle said.

As the season advances, the team has set goals to help them succeed in the conference.

“One [goal] is to do our best on the next play, and that’s it. We want to focus and give our full attention on what we’re working on, and not worry about the next one. We’re taking it one play at a time,” Odin said.

The team’s “next play” will come at Redlands (4-1, 2-0 SCIAC) this Saturday, Oct. 13, who is, according to Odin, arguably the Stags’ toughest competition in the SCIAC.

COMMENTARY

As the NBA season tips off, Lebron James and the new-look Lakers hope to join the league’s elite NOAH SHAPIRO

“LeBron James, four-time NBA MVP, three-time NBA finals MVP, fourteen-time NBA All Star, and two time Olympic gold medalist has agreed to a four year, $154 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.”

Klutch Sports Group, James’ agency, sent out that simple press release via Twitter July 1, and it turned the NBA upside down.

The first two times James switched teams through free agency, his decision altered the landscape of the league and resulted in four consecutive trips to the finals for both the Miami Heat and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The NBA season starts Tuesday, Oct. 16, and as James appears in purple and gold for the first time, one thing is clear: Los Angeles is the center of the basketball world once again.

The last few years have been the worst in the franchise’s storied history. Since Laker legend Kobe Bryant’s devastating achilles injury in 2013, and retirement three years later, the team has fallen upon hard times. Nothing spells defeat for the Lakers like six straight seasons of losing records against their Staples Center rival, the once perennially inferior Clippers.

However, iconic teams located in big markets don’t stay down for long. LA had struck out in free agency the past few years, but locking down the self-ordained ‘Chosen One’ for the next four years is a huge victory for team executives Jeanie Buss and Magic Johnson.

In a town where there’s always another show in town, fans won’t stick around watching a losing team for long. Yet, the Lakers leveraged their location in the nation’s entertainment capital to lure James, and are now poised to enter the league’s upper echelon of teams once again.

However, the situation James is walking into in LA is vastly different from those in Miami and Cleveland, where he immediately made it to the Finals. James is joining a young Lakers team that finished 35-47 last year, good for 11th place in the hyper-competitive Western Conference.

The Lakers have a strong young core of Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma,

and Brandon Ingram. Ball is entering his sophomore season as a passing savant, who hopefully learned how to shoot over the offseason. Kuzma is looking to build on a stellar rookie season and possibly learn to play center in small ball lineups designed by head coach Luke Walton.

Brandon Ingram, entering his third season, is a player the team hopes will make the jump and fill the role of secondary scorer behind James. The lanky wing — 6’9 with an impossible 7’3 wingspan — shows enormous potential and could greatly benefit from playing alongside the greatest positiondefying player of all time.

If the best player on Earth surrounded by a promising young trio wasn’t exciting enough, the Lakers also brought on a cast of big-personality veterans — Lance Stephenson, Javale McGee, and Rajon Rondo — to give the team more leaders with playoff experience.

While the trio of signings puzzled the NBA world, the veterans are certainly still capable — Rondo and McGee particularly proved their worth in last year’s playoffs — and could thrive with more playing time than they’ve seem in recent years, assuming their bodies hold up.

The bottom line is, there’s a lot to be excited about for LA basketball fans. However, it won’t be an easy walk to the playoffs, as the league is filled with strong teams optimistic about the upcoming season.

The Western Conference is still ruled by the Warriors, who are bringing back essentially the same team that has won three of the last four NBA titles. The only major move they made since last June’s sweep of the Cavs was to add Demarcus Cousins, a low-cost gamble that one of the best offensive big men in the league can overcome last year’s achilles tear.

The Rockets are nipping at the Warriors heels, and if they avoid missing 27 consecutive threepointers as they did last season in game seven of the Western Conference Finals, they could break the Warriors streak of four straight conference championships.

Beyond that, the West is full of promising teams like the Pelicans, Blazers, and Jazz who are hoping

P-P Athlete of the Week Men’s Soccer Eamon Stein PO ‘21 Seattle, Washington Stein had a huge week for the Sagehens, notching four goals in only two games. The midfielder scored twice in a 7-0 blowout against Caltech Saturday. Stein provided two more crucial goals Wednesday in a 3-2 win over La Verne. Despite only starting eight of the team’s 14 games, Stein is currently tied for the most goals on the team with six, and will look to add to his total as the Sagehens take on CMS Oct. 13.

CMS Athlete of the Week COURTESY OF ERIK DROST

After years of competing against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, LeBron James decided to head to Los Angeles this summer. James will look to fill Bryant’s shoes as the newest superstar to lead the Lakers to a championship.

to make the leap into the conference elite.

The Eastern Conference is as wide open as it’s been this decade, now that James’ eight-year reign of terror is over. The Celtics are the favorites to win the conference, with an athletic lineup ideally suited for today’s game of threepointers and defensive switches.

The Raptors will hope to last longer in the playoffs than previous years now that they have added a talented, albeit disgruntled, Kawhi Leonard. The Sixers also will likely be in contention, led

by Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, who both already look like dark horse MVP candidates despite being only 22 and 24, respectively.

Aside from the championship chase, this will likely be the final season for NBA legends Dwayne Wade and Dirk Nowitzki. Wade will play his final year in Miami, where he won three championships, while Nowitzki will have

the chance to pass Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan to become the fourth leading scorer in league history by the time his 21st season with the Dallas Mavericks comes to a close.

A deep NBA draft last June also provided the league with many exciting rookies to watch, including the Suns’ superhuman big man Deandre Ayton, the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic, who has already dominated in Europe, and the Hawks’ Trae Young, who looked like Steph Curry at times last year at Oklahoma.

As another season of NBA basketball tips off Tuesday, the Lakers will be one of many teams hoping their offseason moves can turn into success on the court. With LeBron James on the roster, they will likely jump past many teams in the rebuilding process and compete deep into the playoffs.

Football Garrett Cheadle HM ‘20 Portland, Oregon Cheadle carried the ball a season-high 30 times for 138 yards and one touchdown in the Stags’ 17-10 victory over Cal Lutheran Saturday. Cheadle has rushed for 100 yards in four of the team’s five games, and has scored all five of their rushing touchdowns.

His 129.6 yards per game puts him at 15th in the nation for Division III, while his total of 648 yards is 13th. The junior has already surpassed his yardage totals from each of his first two seasons, and will look to add to his total when the Stags visit Redlands Oct. 13.