Vol. CXXX, No. 10

THE STUDENT LIFE FRIDAY, DecembeR 6, 2019 | CLAREMONT, CA | VOL. CXXX NO. 10

P-P men’s cross country wins first national title Hens stun loaded DIII field for historic NCAA victory

COURTESY OF KIRK REYNOLDS

The Pomona-Pitzer men’s cross-country team poses with its trophies atop the podium after winning its first national championship in Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 23.

ADITYA bHALLA Just 800 meters from the finish line of the NCAA Division III Cross Country national championship race, Ethan Widlansky PO ’22 heard a voice yelling from the side of the muddy course. “We’re in it to win!” bellowed Sagehens head coach Jordan Carpenter, in between refreshing the live updates of the race on his phone. Minutes later, Widlansky, along with six other Sagehens, did just that, securing a historic national title by edging out perennial powerhouse North Central 164-182 on Nov. 23 in Louisville, Kentucky. It was the first NCAA championship for any men’s sport in

Pomona-Pitzer history and just the second for the entire athletic department. “‘Surreal’ is the word I fell back on after it all played out, after I couldn’t quite synthesize what happened,” Widlansky said, who finished seventh in the nation individually and earned All-American honors. “Our assistant coach came up to us and was speechless. He was like, ‘We won!’... and it kind of cascaded from there.” After the results were posted on a large screen at the finish line, the team began their celebration, jumping around and dousing Carpenter in Powerade in the middle of an interview. Even for Carpenter, the win

was somewhat of a shock. Earlier in the season, the Sagehens had a goal of earning a trophy at the national meet — by making it on the podium as a top-four finisher — but winning the title outright surpassed their wildest expectations. “We had never won a trophy in program history, so really [a podium finish] was the goal even going into the day before the national meet,” Carpenter said. “We went out and executed our race plan, and that put us in first place, so it’s a little bit of [a] surprise.” Dante Paszkeicz PO ’22, Daniel Rosen PO ’20, Ethan Ashby PO ’21, Owen Keiser PZ ’22, Hugo Ward PO ’21 and Joe Hesse-Withbroe PO ’22 rounded out the top seven

The five scoring Sagehens, from left: Ethan Widlansky PO ’22, Dante Paszkeicz PO ’22, Daniel Rosen PO ’20, Ethan Ashby PO ’21 and Owen Keiser PZ ’22. Not pictured are P-P’s sixth and seventh runners, Hugo Ward PO ’21 and Joe Hesse-Withbroe PO ’22. (Photos by TSL photographers Justin Sleppy and Talia Bernstein, and courtesy of Kirk Reynolds.)

More 5Cs shift to online room draw systems JASPeR DAVIDOFF Pomona College and Pitzer College will shift to an online room draw system next semester, officials said, while Claremont McKenna College introduced an online system for its mid-year room draw this week. Pomona Dean of Students Avis Hinkson announced the school’s change in a livestreamed Q&A with parents Nov. 7, citing the stress and complications of going through the housing lottery process in person. “We’ve moved from it being extremely stressful about walking into a room and going through a set of postcards to see what’s available, to trying to take that online,” she said. Hinkson did not respond to further requests for comment. Pitzer’s residence life office told students in an email after room draw last spring that they were in the process of transitioning to an online room selection portal. Scripps College already uses an online system — Residence, a portal offered by the technology company Symplicity — according to its residential life website. CMC students returning to campus in the spring drew rooms Tuesday using Residence, according to a Nov. 20 email from the residential life office. CMC Dean of Students Dianna

Graves CM ’98 said via email that she anticipates the rest of the student body will draw online next semester, pending feedback from those who drew this week. Pitzer students already have access to their new Residence portal, while Hinkson said in the Q&A that Pomona’s will be in place by the spring. In-person draw processes, in which students queue by class year in a randomly assigned order to secure rooms from whichever are left, are often viewed as a source of chaos and frustration. In previous years at Pomona, students could find themselves waiting for hours past their expected draw times. “It’s just a disaster,” Jay Rodolitz PO ’21 said. “By the time the rising seniors are finished drawing their rooms, you’re an hour behind schedule.” Sage McBee PZ ’22 said he found Pitzer’s in-person draw hectic despite his early registration spot last semester. “It was pretty dang crowded. I mean, as many people as could fit in there,” he said. “An online system sounds better because it’ll be much easier.” Despite avoiding the tumult

See ROOm on page 3

for P-P, which moved up gradually throughout the 8,000-meter race. The Hen harriers took the lead for good at the 6.4-kilometer mark but led Sixth Street rival Claremont-Mudd-Scripps by just 11 points. The two Claremont teams had the chance to stun the nation by finishing 1-2, which would have been an unprecedented accomplishment for West Coast cross-country programs. But although Thomas D’Anieri CM ’20 impressed with a third-place individual finish, the Stags faded to sixth. P-P’s victory, though unexpected in the moment, was the culmination of a decade-long process of building the program from a sporadic national meet qualifier to the most successful team in the country. Tony Boston, who now serves as Pomona College’s associate dean of the college and coached the team from 2008 to 2016, said he worked to mold the program into a consistent performer, peaking with a sixth-place finish at the NCAA meet in 2015 — the highest until this year’s win. “I think a part of it was a culture shift, moving more away from the individual … to seeing, more holistically, how can we develop as a team,” Boston said. “We actually set a goal to qualify for nationals as a team, not just once, but seeing [if we] can do this for consecutive years.”

Prior to Boston, the Sagehens had made the national championship meet just eight times in program history, including a 10th place finish in 1979. But they failed to qualify many other years, with gaps between 1982 and 1993, and again between 1993 and 2004.

‘Surreal’ is the word I fell back on after it all played out. ethan Widlansky PO ’22

“Many of those appearances, in my view, were episodic — relying on the talents of a small cohort to get the team across the finishing line,” Boston said. “However, once that cohort graduated … the program declined.” Under Boston’s guidance, the team emphasized depth and made five consecutive national meets, paving the way for Carpenter to take over in the fall of 2017. “I am convinced that the system in place now — team culture, recruiting, vision, high standards, accountability, training methodology — allows for sustained excellence,” Boston added. “Coach Carpenter has been masterful in expanding upon and advancing this work.”

See cHAmPS on page 10

5C trustees gave over $7 million to political causes since 2015 JASPeR DAVIDOFF, JAImIe DING, JULIA FRANKeL & SIeNA SWIFT Editor’s note: All data used by TSL was obtained from the Federal Election Commission database of individual contributions. Data unable to be verified with state, full names, zip code and/or employer were not included, so some donation totals may be lower than actual donations. TSL divided donations into three categories: Republican, Democrat and third-party candidates/unaffiliated PACs.

dates, while only 8 percent went to Democratic PACs and candidates. “The GOP tilt of the CMC contributions is consistent with the college’s image, even though today’s students are heavily Democratic,” CMC government professor John Pitney said in an email to TSL. CMC’s trustees were also the most likely to make donations — nearly three in four trustees did so. Pitzer College’s trustees were also active, with about two of every three donating. Boards of trustees across the 5Cs range from 31 to 43 trustees, who are granted extensive over-

sight of the colleges’ programming and administration. They appoint and supervise the president, review the budget, define the college’s mission and approve academic programs, according to spokespeople from the colleges. As 5C students pressure administrations to enact reforms in line with a changing political climate — including fossil fuel divestment, aggressive emissions reductions, increased protections for immigrant students and broad shifts in budget priorities — trustees’ political leanings may offer insight into how

See mONeY on page 3

Members of the 5Cs’ boards of trustees have donated more than $7.3 million to political candidates and committees since 2015, a TSL analysis of Federal Election Commission data found. TSL analyzed political donations from the trustees of each of the 5Cs since January 2015 and found that Claremont McKenna College’s trustees far surpassed those of the other 5Cs in total amount donated, and comprised the highest percentage of donations to Republican political action committees (PACs) and candidates. Of all the money donated by CMC trustees, 85 percent — about $4.6 million — went to Republican PACs and candi-

LIFE & STYLE “Red Velvet,” a play based on Ira Aldridge, the first African American actor to play the role of William Shakespeare’s Othello, was perfomed at Pomona College on Nov 21-24. Read more on page 4.

The student newspaper of the Claremont Colleges since 1889

JAIMIE DING • THE STUDENT LIFE

OPINIONS

SPORTS

“My grandparents’ house in Vietnam — our family home for many generations — became victim to gentrification a few years ago. Here’s their story.” — Nam Do PO ‘23. Read more on page 8.

Both 5C athletic departments are looking to better compensate and value their assistant coaches, many of whom work multiple jobs to make ends meet. Read more 11.

INDEX: News 1 | Life & Style 4 | Opinions 6 | Sports 9

News

PAGE 2

DECEMBER 6, 2019

Scripps pilots meal student emergency Medical swipe donation program services program to start in spring for students in need ANUSHe eNGINeeR Over fall break, Scripps College pioneered a meal swipe donation program to address food insecurity at its campus and in the broader Claremont community. The Office of Student Engagement (OSE) at Scripps partnered with the student group Scripps Food Recovery Network and Scripps Dining Services to collect meal swipes from students who wouldn’t be using them over fall break and distribute them to students in need of more swipes. More than 250 meal swipes were donated and converted to physical meal vouchers available for distribution by Scripps primary contact deans, according to an email sent to Scripps students by OSE. Some of the meal swipes were also converted into 150 bagged lunches and distributed to a local pantry, House of Ruth, the email said. For the rest of the semester, students in need of a voucher can meet with their PCDs to discuss voucher requests. PCDs can offer “temporary relief” to students while also “discussing ways to manage their concerns long term,” Director of Campus Life Brenda Ice said via email. Ice said she could not provide the number of students who have used the vouchers thus far since “we are still in the midst of the program.” “The plan was to make this a pilot program, evaluating the program at the end of the semester and determine if it’s viable for future semesters,” she said. OSE has received numerous inquiries about meal swipe donations in the past, according to Ice. “At the start of this academic year, I approached the Scripps Food

Recovery Network about some exciting programs that addressed food insecurity nationally and at Scripps,” she said. “In consult[ation] with Dining Services, OSE, along with the Food Recovery Network were able to support a meal swipe donation event in mid-October.” More than 30 percent of college students are food insecure, meaning they have “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, or the ability to acquire such foods in a socially acceptable manner,” according to the Pittsburgh Business Times. Scripps does not keep statistics about food insecurity among its students, according to Ice. The college became an official chapter of the nationwide Food Recovery Network, a nonprofit that redistributes food from college dining halls to those in need during the spring 2017 semester, according to Alexi Butts SC ’20, president of Scripps FRN. Each of the 5Cs has a chapter, Butts said. Scripps FRN currently donates to local charities twice a week. “Looking forward, we’re thinking about partnering with Pitzer and their FRN and maybe creating a system where we can pull from both volunteer bases where they deliver Monday/ Wednesday. That way it could be 4 days a week,” Butts said. So far Scripps FRN has been met with support, according to Butts. “I feel like there’s expanding support around food and food awareness and trying to partner [with local charities],” Butts said.

ANNA HORNE • THE STUDENT LIFE

For fall break, the Office of Student Engagement partnered with the Scripps Food Recovery Network and Scripps Dining Services to distribute unused meal swipes to students in need of more.

ZOE COWAN • THE STUDENT LIFE

Starting next semester, EMT-certified students will be able to work with Campus Safety to provide medical care during emergencies on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

STeFFI LARSON Students are leaping into action to help peers in need next semester, with the launch of a student-staffed Emergency Medical Service, according to student organizers. Emergency Medical Technician-certified students will work alongside Campus Safety to provide immediate medical care in medical emergencies until paramedics or other first responders arrive, according to Campus Safety director Stan Skipworth. The student EMS service — which will debut early in the spring 2020 semester — will provide first aid and medical care on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, Skipworth said. “The purpose of the program is to provide an additional resource for initial first aid during key time frames when special events and other activities are frequently scheduled,” he said. Student EMTs will be assigned shifts, work with a partner and be supervised by a Campus Safety Officer and Campus Safety Supervisor, according to Skipworth. EMTs will work for Campus Safety and be paid, Skipworth said. “The Campus Safety Officer will respond with the Student EMT team to a medical aid call and together assess, triage and care for the student as well as coordinate additional medical [aid] such as paramedics or ambulance services,” he said in an email. Skipworth said this program will improve the way Campus Safety responds to medical calls. “The opportunity to provide more timely patient aid while

maximizing skill sets (student EMTs focus on the patient care while the Campus Safety Officer can investigate the circumstances of the injury or illness) is in the best interest of our students,” he said via email. Ryan Ferdowsian PZ ’20 and Emma Finn CM ’21, certified EMTs who proposed the program, said the service can act as a bridge between students, Campus Safety and third-party EMS services. “As students who are health professionals,” Ferdowsian said, “we can advise students … and give our input to third party EMS and express the patient’s concerns in a professional way.” Finn emphasized that student EMTs can have more personal connections with the peers they’ll be helping. “While third party ambulances are amazing, they don’t know the students on a personal level like we would,” she said. One of the most important goals for the service is rapid response, according to Ferdowsian. Like Campus Safety, they plan to station EMTs at major events, go on patrol with officers and be available for dispatch. Ferdowsian and Finn said the program will likely be especially helpful with alcohol- and drug-related emergencies. Skipworth said 74 percent of students were transported to a hospital so far this school year after an alcohol- or drug-related medical aid call to Campus Safety — up from 68 percent last year. Ferdowsian said the student EMS service may be able to make sure that the student’s condition doesn’t worsen if they refuse to go to a hospital.

“As EMTs, we can look at vital signs and we can look at breathing, respiration and heart rate to look for deteriorations,” he said. “And then, if needed, we can provide immediate intervention and call dispatch to call 911.” Finn and Ferdowsian started planning the student EMS service last school year and received approval for the program from the Student Deans Council in mid-November, they said. When Finn transferred to CMC last year, she was surprised the 5Cs didn’t already have a student EMS service, as many other colleges do. Finn and Ferdowsian talked to other colleges with EMS services while planning the program, including UCLA, Colorado College and Loyola Marymount University. The two students said they will launch applications for students soon and hope to have the service running by the first weekend of the spring semester. The student EMS service will be separate from the EMT Certification Club, which helps students study for their EMT exams and get certified as EMTs. Susie Fang, the pre-health professions adviser and faculty adviser of the EMT Certification Club, said the student EMS service will provide an opportunity for EMT-certified students to gain experience with medical emergencies while helping fellow students. “There’s a lot of pre-health students; I think it would be a great opportunity for them to give back to their college communities,” she said. “They know the culture, so they know what goes on and to be that first response, at least until the medical professionals came, would be a great opportunity for them.”

Pitzer student senate calls for McConnell to stop serving beef mUSA TAHIR If Pitzer Student Senate gets its way, students hoping to chow down on a burger, steak or other beef products won’t be able to sate their appetite at Pitzer College’s McConnell Dining Hall anymore. Pitzer Senate passed a resolution 11-1 last month calling for McConnell to eliminate all beef offerings due to the growing climate crisis associated with greenhouse gas emissions, of which beef production plays a part. According to Elijah Falk PZ ’20 and Samuel Sjoberg PZ ’20, two Pitzer College students invested in environmental advocacy, eliminating beef from McConnell will help Pitzer reduce its carbon footprint. “We started this initiative because of the severity and intensity of the increasing climate catastrophe,” Falk and Sjoberg said in a joint statement to TSL. “Climate change is not an issue to be dealt with in the future, it is happening as we speak and its effects are already catastrophic.” Between 14.5 and 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions originate from livestock, according to The New York Times. In fact, the meat and dairy industry outpaces the world’s top oil companies — the primary focus of many campaigns aiming to reduce carbon emissions — in greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations. “Beef is responsible for 41 percent

of emissions within the sector of livestock,” Falk and Sjoberg said. “The elimination of beef at Pitzer is an impactful mitigation strategy for a relatively small sacrifice.” A recent study found that replacing beef with chicken can cut a person’s dietary carbon footprint in half, according to National Geographic. Earlier in the semester, Falk and Sjoberg approached Caroline Joseph PZ ’20, a member of the Pitzer Senate who’s also passionate about the climate crisis. They said she proposed the resolution in support of eliminating beef in McConnell, which Senate passed Nov. 10. However, the decision will ultimately be made by Pitzer’s treasurer’s office, according to Falk and Sjoberg. Complete elimination of beef would be a powerful declaration from Pitzer that puts it at the forefront in the national push for environmental sustainability practices, the two said. While Laura Troendle, vice president of administration, finance and treasurer, said she’s supportive of Falk and Sjoberg’s “vision,” she has concerns about the ban. “I also need to consider the dietary needs and desires of the entire Pitzer community,” she said. “The resolution was approved with only 11 votes which may not indicate strong support from the student community.”

STELLA FAVARO • THE STUDENT LIFE

Pitzer Student Senate voted in support of eliminating beef at McConnell Dining Hall.

According to Senate meeting notes, Joseph rejected a suggestion from another senator that Senate should poll the student body on the topic, noting that such a poll is not common practice on Senate. Troendle added that Pitzer dining has consistently supported environmental sustainability initiatives. “Bon Appetit, our food service vendor, is committed to sustainable practices such as local sourcing and organic,” she said. “For more than a decade, Pitzer has had a compost program for food waste. The college

was one of the first in the country to implement trayless dining and recyclable to-go boxes.” Falk and Sjoberg commended Pitzer’s previous efforts but said they’re not enough. “We need to be doing more,” they said. “The goal cannot be to look good in comparison to others, but to genuinely commit to all mitigation efforts in hopes of slowing climate change.” Troendle also disagreed with the students’ assessment that the ban would significantly affect sustain-

ability practices at McConnell. “Beef currently constitutes less than five percent of food spending, and less than two percent in volume at the McConnell dining hall,” she added. Falk and Sjoberg said some in the Pitzer community have told them they’re concerned about the ban’s impact on cultural dishes comprised of beef. “We believe that the wide array of alternative protein sources will provide sufficient options to alleviate those concerns,” they said.

THE STUDENT LIFE Corrections An article about Hong Kong protests in issue 9 misattributed a quotation regarding Chinese University of Hong Kong administrators losing control of campus to Josh Rodriguez CM ’21. The quote belonged to Katherine Adelman CM ’21. Ethan Widlansky PO ’22 was also misidentified as PO ’20 in issue 9’s athletes of the week.

TSL regrets these errors.

Editorial Board

Senior Staff

meGHAN bObROWSKY, Editor-in-Chief mAbeL LUI, Managing Editor mARc ROD, Managing Editor

JAmeS KARSTeN, Production Editor HeLeNA ONG, Senior Design Editor SAm bOVARD, News Designer GRAce SAUeRS, Life & Style Designer mARGOT mAFRA SPeNceR, Opinions Designer cAmeRON TIPTON, Sports Designer TALIA beRNSTeIN, Photo Editor JUSTIN SLePPY, Photo Editor ANAGA SRINIVAS, Graphics Editor

KeLLeN bROWNING, Editor-at-Large JAImIe DING, News Editor JULIA FRANKeL, News Editor JASPeR DAVIDOFF, News Associate AmbeR cHONG, Life & Style Editor YASmIN eLQUTAmI, Life & Style Editor DONNIe DeNOme, Opinions Editor eAmON mORRIS, Opinions Editor LANeY POPe, Sports Editor mADY cOLANTeS, Copy Chief

TSL’s Editorial Board consists of the editor-in-chief and two managing editors. Aside from the editorial, the views expressed in the opinions section do not necessarily reflect the views of The Student Life. Singles copies of TSL are free and may be obtained at news stands around campus. Multiple copies may be purchased for $0.47 per copy with prior approval by contacting editor@tsl.news. Newspaper theft is a crime; perpetrators may be subject to disciplinary action as well as civil and/or criminal prosecution.

News

DECEMBER 6, 2019

PAGE 3

MONEY: CMC, Pitzer most likely to donate across the aisle Continued from page 1 they approach decisions on their respective boards. At each school, at least twothirds of trustees who donated made contributions to Democratic candidates and causes. And Scripps College’s trustees donated exclusively to Democrats and unaffiliated PACs. Pitzer ’s trustees, like CMC’s, were friendly to both parties. Almost half of Pitzer trustees who donated made contributions to Republicans, and two-thirds contributed to Democrats. Those schools’ trustees were most likely to cross the aisle: 36 percent who donated from CMC and 19 percent donating from Pitzer gave to members and PACs of both parties. CMC trustees have donated a total of nearly $5.5 million since 2015, TSL found. The school’s donations were dominated by billionaires Robert Day CM ’65, chairman and president of the W. M. Keck Foundation and the namesake of CMC’s Robert Day School of Economics and Finance, and Henry Kravis CM ’67, namesake of the Kravis Center. Nearly half of CMC trustees’ donations came solely from Day, who gave more than $2.6 million. His largest single donation was $1 million to Right to Rise, a Republican PAC affiliated with 2016 presidential candidate and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush. Others also gave massive amounts of money: 75 percent of

CMC donations came from just six trustees. Kravis and Roberts, as well as Kenneth Valach CM ’82 — another CMC trustee who mainly donated to Republicans — also donated to Joe Crowley, a former high-ranking Democratic member of Congress from New York who lost to progressive underdog Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in 2018. Eight of CMC’s trustees donated to the 2020 Democratic presidential campaign of Montana Gov. Steve Bullock CM ’88, which ended Monday. Aside from his candidate and PAC donations, Kravis gave $1 million to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee, according to Forbes. Trump considered nominating Kravis as his Treasury secretary, according to The New York Post. Inauguration donations are not included in the FEC database. CMC spokesperson Gilien Silsby declined to comment on behalf of CMC’s trustees. Pitzer College’s trustees donated the second-highest amount — a total of at least $588,387 since 2015. Pitzer trustee Michael Weinholtz, co-founder of CHG Healthcare Services and Democratic candidate for governor of Utah in 2016, donated the most of any Pitzer trustee — more than $380,000 to Democratic PACs and candidates since 2015. Craig Ponzio, an art collector and philanthropist, donated the most of the Pitzer trustees to Re-

publican PACs and candidates, more than $45,000 in total. Weinholtz and Ponzio did not respond to requests for comment. Pitney said he was surprised that such a “large share” — 20 percent — of the Pitzer trustees’ donations went to Republican candidates and PACs. “On the Pitzer campus, Republicans are rarer than snowstorms in Phoenix,” he said. Pitzer trustee Robert Fairbairn recently came under fire from students for his involvement with an investment management company owning stock in a private detention facility operator. Fairbairn is the vice chairman of the company, BlackRock, and donated a total of $10,000 to two PACs with which it’s associated. Fairbairn did not respond to a request for comment. Harvey Mudd College trustees donated the least — about $504,500 total — and about 35 percent of trustees donated, the smallest share of any school’s board. Only one of the 15 Mudd donors gave to a Republican candidate. Nearly 90 percent of donations from Mudd trustees came solely from Ed Zimmerman, a lawyer who represents technology startups, who has given $441,498 to Democrats since 2015. Zimmerman did not respond to a request for comment. Pomona College trustees have donated more than $315,200 since 2015, and about 44 percent of them have donated. The vast majority of

money — about 90 percent — has gone to Democratic candidates and PACs. For Pomona, Peter Sasaki PO ’91, co-founder of a financial consulting firm, donated the most of any trustee: $135,000 to Democratic PACs and candidates. Sasaki said he’s a registered Independent and primarily supports candidates he knows personally, who have bipartisan records and prioritize education and environmental protection. “At this moment in time, those candidates happen to be Democrats,” he said via email. Sasaki said his political contributions do not impact his role as a trustee and that he’s honored to serve Pomona. “When possible, I think it is important to make political contributions and I think it is equally

important to volunteer time,” he said. “Recently, I have become involved with non-partisan groups that register voters, those that fight voter suppression policies and those that call out politicians who make inaccurate statements.” Scripps trustee Gale Picker made up about 63 percent of Scripps’ $409,901 total trustee donations since 2015. Picker ’s $257,312 in donations included contributions to federal and congressional Democratic party PACs in 35 states. Picker did not respond to a request for comment. School administrations do not monitor their trustees’ donations, according to spokespeople from each of the schools. Maria Heeter, Liam Chalk, Allison Fitz and Haidee Clauer contributed reporting.

JAIMIE DING • THE STUDENT LIFE

ROOM: software still encountering issues Pomona, CMC add new admissions checks for athletes after scandal mARc ROD

MADDIE RUBIN-CHARLESWORTH • THE STUDENT LIFE

Pomona College and Pitzer College are planning on transitioning to an online room draw system next semester.

Continued from page 1 of a crowded in-person draw though, Scripps’ online process doesn’t spare students the stress of watching their preferred rooms disappear before their registration window. “By the end of senior day, it was clear most of us [juniors] wouldn’t get [singles or suites] because there were very few left,” Rose Gelfand SC ’21 said via message, of last semester ’s process. “Everyone panicked trying to figure out roommates [and] groups.” Some students worried the intricacies of room draw wouldn’t necessarily translate well to an

CMC alum Steve Bullock drops out of presidential race mARc ROD Montana Governor Steve Bullock CM ’88 has dropped out of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, he announced Monday. Bullock, who joined the race in May — much later than most of his competitors — struggled to reach more than one percent in polls, according to CNBC. He raised $2.3 million in the third quarter of 2019, less than many of his competitors. “While there were many obstacles we could not have anticipated when entering this race, it has become clear that in this moment, I won’t be able to break through to the top tier of this still-crowded field of candidates,” Bullock said. Bullock is currently serving his second term as governor. President Donald Trump won the state by about 20 percent in 2016, according to The New York Times. Bullock campaigned on his ability to attract conservative voters. Bullock won’t run for Senate in 2020, despite calls from some inside the Democratic Party, spokesperson Galia Slayen told the NYT. He’s ineligible for a third term as governor. “While he plans to work hard to elect Democrats in the state and across the country in 2020, it will be in his capacity as a governor and a senior voice in the Democratic Party — not as a candidate for U.S. Senate,” Slayen said.

online format. “Does the back button work? That’s my first question,” Rodolitz said, referencing issues with Pomona’s course registration portal. “I’m tentatively excited. I’m just concerned that any error won’t get recognized immediately because there’s not gonna be a … physical record.” Hinkson said the new system is still undergoing fixes. “[Other 5Cs] ran into some concerning issues with it over the summer,” she said. “The company that we’re working with is working to make sure that all the kinks are worked out before we implement it.”

Harvey Mudd College employed a preliminary digital draw last spring “to give students a sense of how their plans may work out in practice,” before the real draw took place in person, according to the 2019 ASHMC room draw regulations. “We currently use housing software for roster and key management,” Mudd spokesperson Judy Augsburger said via email. “Once we are more familiar with the software’s capabilities, we hope to look at how it might be incorporated into our room draw process. Any move to go digital would be made in collaboration with students.”

In the wake of last spring’s college admissions scandal, in which wealthy parents allegedly paid to have their children admitted to schools using fraudulent athletic credentials and arranged to help them cheat on standardized tests, Pomona College and Claremont McKenna College have added new checks in their admissions processes for athletes, officials said. Pomona’s admissions office is requiring coaches to provide URLs verifying prospective students’ athletic skills from an outside source such as the student’s high school, Seth Allen, dean of admissions and financial aid, said in an email to TSL. “The [college admissions] scandal spotlighted the issue of relying solely on an athletic coach’s assessment and this change will aid in protecting the integrity of the admissions process,” Allen said. He added that Pomona will continue its previous practice of doing additional research on applicants’ extracurriculars when the admissions committee has “questions about activities.” CMC will also be seeking additional verification for athletic recruits. “Last spring, we reviewed our practices, confirmed their integrity and re-committed to carefully validating applicant credentials,” associate vice president for admission and financial aid Jennifer

Sandoval-Dancs said in a statement to TSL. “We have added additional checks for specific circumstances, such as asking high school counselors to confirm athletic participation for recruits.” The Key, a college preparatory consulting firm, allegedly facilitated the fraudulent activities in the socalled ‘Varsity Blues’ scandal. Both CMC and Harvey Mudd College were featured on The Key’s website as “success stories” for The Key clients in 2009, and a testimonial from a current CMC parent praising the company appeared on the site. CMC said a review initiated last spring after the testimonial was discovered found no students had presented “false admissions credentials or inappropriate actions by private counselors,” according to Sandoval-Dancs. HMC has not made any formal changes to its application procedures in response to the scandal, but the school is “working more closely with the [Claremont-Mudd-Scripps] coaches to verify students’ participation in sports and may also consider doing spot checks on other activities that are reported as part of a student’s application,” Director of Admission Peter Osgood said in an email to TSL. Pitzer College reviews its admissions processes annually, spokesperson Anna Chang said in an email to TSL, but did not specify whether the college had made any changes this year in light of the scandal. Scripps College did not change its admissions process this year, Vice President for Enrollment Victoria Romero said in a statement to TSL.

CMC introduces suicide prevention training for some student leaders AALIA THOmAS CW: suicide, student death As part of ongoing efforts to address mental health issues on its campus, Claremont McKenna College’s Dean of Students Office has begun training students in suicide prevention, administrators said. The training is designed by the QPR Institute, according to Jessica Neilson, assistant dean of student health, wellness and case management. The organization’s “gatekeeper course” helps participants identify the warning signs of suicide and get help, according to QPR’s website. “In looking at various gatekeeper trainings, we opted for QPR because it covers important and relevant information in an efficient way,” Neilson said in an email to TSL. Other trainings are “either virtual and not as personalized, or they require such a large amount of time that we anticipated difficulty reaching as many folks on campus as we would like,” she added. In addition to three trained staff members in the Dean of Students Office, CMC’s residential assistants, first-year guides, ASCMC’s executive board and

CMC’s Psych Club have undergone training, according to Neilson. This totals about 10 percent of CMC’s student body. “Our plan is to roll this out to the larger CMC community (open trainings for students, staff, faculty to attend) in the spring,” Neilson said. Following two deaths which occurred within a week on its campus last February, CMC has made changes to the way it approaches mental health. In addition to increased resources from the Dean of Students Office, ASCMC also sends out a weekly Mental Health Monday email to students, Lisa Hao CM ’20, ASCMC’s presidential adviser on mental health, said in an email to TSL. “It seems difficult to know what the school’s role and responsibilities are versus each individual student’s role and responsibilities,” Hao said. “But ultimately, we all want our students to be healthy, resilient, empowered and mentally well.” Simran Arora CM ’21, president of the Psych Club, agreed that campus culture surrounding mental health is improving. “Obviously, as a campus, all of us have a lot of work to do together, but I think the administration is taking steps in the right direction,” Arora said. She took part in QPR training and said “it started a conversation

that did not exist [before].” For instance, the course addressed language that stigmatizes suicide. “We always say someone committed suicide, [like] they commit crimes … someone lost their life to suicide,” Arora said. “And this was one of the smallest parts of the training, but just that change in how we’re addressing it is something important. I learned a lot that day.” Neilson said CMC administrators are using feedback from students as well as academic data, campus climate surveys, data from the National College Health Assessment surveys and Alcohol.edu results to better understand how to support students’ health and wellness.

“We know that we have continued work ahead in supporting students from a broad range of diverse backgrounds and to develop more upstream efforts to reinforce a campus ethos of well-being and arm students with skills to intervene when they or someone they know is suffering,” she said. “QPR training is one of those resulting interventions.” Hao said she wants to see these new conversations keep happening. “More than anything, I hope that we continue discussing these different issues so people understand how mental health isn’t a ‘problem that a select group of people deal with’ but an important aspect of everyone’s lives,” she said. Maria Heeter contributed reporting.

CHRIS NARDI • THE STUDENT LIFE

Claremont McKenna College introduced suicide prevention training for some student leaders, and will open it up to others next semester.

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From the Navy to North Korea to CMC, professor Mike Izbicki discusses his path to pacifism KEATON SCHILLER Growing up, Claremont McKenna College computer science professor Mike Izbicki always knew he wanted to be in the military. “When I was a [high school] sophomore, Sept. 11 happened, creating an immediate feeling [that I needed] to serve my country at that time,” Izbicki said. “And then, as a senior in high school, we invaded Iraq, again creating that feeling like I needed to serve.” Little did he know he would go on to drastically change his views on the subject, earn a doctorate, teach computer science in North Korea and ultimately land a professorship at CMC, where in addition to data mining and machine learning, he seeks to innovate the ways we both conflict and connect with others. Throughout his time in the Navy, Izbicki slowly started to question the ethics behind his participation, specifically in relation to his Protestant religious beliefs. He reread sections of the Bible — verses like “Love your enemies” and “If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also” — and compared them to what he was doing professionally. “[Military work] is the opposite of loving my enemies. It’s launching missiles at them,” he said, expressing regret for the violence he took place in. After coming to the conclusion that he could no longer fight, Izbicki began the application process to become a conscientious objector. “My commanding officer advised me to not talk to anybody else about my conscientious objection,” he said, noting how the process is a fairly solitary one. According to Izbicki, of the small minority that apply to leave the army, the majority are denied.

Izbicki discussed how the Navy’s process of becoming a conscientious objector made him reevaluate his religion. “The process made me document my religiousness in an awkward way, like counting the number of minutes that I pray everyday [to verify my faith],” he said. “Going through exercises like that sort of make you resentful of things like prayer.” Izbicki’s application was denied three times before he went to federal court to state his case.

[Military work] is the opposite of loving my enemies. It’s launching missiles at them. Mike Izbicki

In 2011, Izbicki’s conscientious objection was finally approved, and his life took a sharp turn. After leaving the Navy, Izbicki enrolled at UC Riverside to earn his doctorate in computer science. During his time there, Izbicki decided to teach in North Korea at the Pyongyang University of Science and Technology for two semesters. “When I left the Navy, I knew I wanted to continue doing hard things that were going to make the world a better place ... In the Navy, the only option for doing so was killing people who were my enemies,” Izbicki said, further emphasizing his desire to develop genuine relationships rather than fight. While in the Navy, Izbicki was taught that the primary way to

THE bASSLINE

The evolution of secret codes embedded in vinyls

create change in the world was through fighting. After his discharge, Izbicki pondered alternate ways for him to continue his passion for social change, particularly among the people who’ve been designated as “enemies” of the U.S. “If you take away [war], what’s left is befriending them and making them not your enemies anymore,” he said. Through his lunches with staff members and meetings with students, Izbicki believed that the program he participated in successfully connected “ordinary North Korean and American citizens together to talk about ordinary things.” Without the “baggage of politics,” Izbicki believes he was able to build relationships with many of the North Korean people he met. Nonetheless, there were still some experiences that felt jarring due to Izbicki’s time in the Navy, specifically, his subway commute. According to Izbicki, North Korea’s subway system is the deepest in the world. Over 100 meters underground and a five-minute ride down, its bottom isn’t visible from the top. “You’re on this escalator for four or five minutes, and you know that it’s taking so long in order to protect you from nuclear weapons,” he said, explaining how North Korea’s subway system is so deep because it doubles as a bomb shelter. “This is North Koreans’ daily commute,” Izbicki said. “They’re reminded at least twice on their way to work and on their way back that Americans have been targeting them for decades, whereas there’s no similar reminder in the

KYLA WALKER Digital music has been revolutionary in its powers of streaming and accessibility, but it’s eliminated the possibility of an old rock ‘n’ roll tradition. Artists in the ’60s and ’70s, such as Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Queen, expressed secret subliminal messages through their music in a process known as backmasking. Coded messages were hidden in the layered lyrics of tracks, only apparent once the record is spun backwards. Often these messages were interpreted as occult symbols with dark imagery and demonic phrases. Many of the songs became censored in several countries and from public radio stations due to religious outcry. However, backmasking provided another channel for rock ‘n’ roll to represent its true form of rebellion. Backmasking was used by The Beatles for the first time on the single “Rain” from 1966. John Lennon discussed discovering it in an interview with Rolling Stone Magazine. “On the end of ‘Rain’ you hear me singing it backwards … So I got home about five in the morning, stoned out of me head,” Lennon said. “I staggered up to me tape recorder … and I was in a trance … what is it — what is it? … It just came out backwards, it just blew me mind.” In “Rain,” the backmasked message is deliberate, repeating the first line of the song, “If the rain comes,” with slightly different wording: “When the rain comes.” But often, artists have accidentally encrypted secret messages in their lyrics. A theory was proposed in 1987 by David John Oates claiming that the effect is due to the process of reverse speech. This theory suggests that backwards messages could reveal the truth or the innermost thoughts of the speaker, too often not apparent in forward speech. “Language is bi level — forwards as well as backwards,” according to Back Masking. “[I]t is a natural function of the human brain ... The unintentional backmasked messages in music were the first signs to be discovered of this far greater phenomenon.” This theory isn’t completely verified to be scientifically accurate and has largely been called a pseudo-scientific hypothesis for backmasking. Nevertheless, the coded messages

have penetrated into American culture and fueled urban legends across college campuses throughout the later 20th century. According to Curiosity, another theory states that there’s nothing actually recorded in reverse audio and it’s only our brain’s intense attachment to language that creates words out of random sounds. The brain then uses “top-down” processing to utilize context clues that help decipher a message. Backmasking affords musicians the ability to provide social commentary or address difficult issues. Electric Light Orchestra received a lot of backlash from Christian groups for their album “Eldorado,” accusing it of containing Satanic verses in the reverse. They responded to the controversy by recording “Fire on High” with the intentional backmasked message: “The music is reversible but time is not. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back. Turn back.” ELO subsequently produced an entire album with reverse vocals called “Secret Messages” to revolt against their conservative critics. Today it’s much more rare for modern artists to include cryptography in their music due to the decline of vinyls, but a few have succeeded in translating hidden lyrics to attentive fans. Franz Ferdinand included this sardonic line meant for the band’s homesick bassist in the song “Michael”: “She’s worried about you, call your mother.” They Might Be Giants also joined the tradition with their song “Which Describes How You’re Feeling (Demo).” It includes a backmasked message that ironically, yet succinctly illustrates the freedom that backmasking gives artists during a time of censorship and lyrical scrutiny. The band sings of themselves in third person: “They Might Be Giants wanted to include a verse about the suffering people of the world, but we couldn’t figure out where to put it into the song.” Kyla Walker PO ’22 is one of TSL’s music columnists. She loves playing guitar, reading any and all fiction and probably belongs in the 1960s.

cOUrTESY OF cmc

Previously a naval officer and computer science teacher in North Korea, professor mike Izbicki now focuses on data mining and machine learning at claremont mcKenna college.

how applying machine learning and computer science in a way that’s going to help reconcile people around the world who have conflicts,” Izbicki said. He’s also developing machine learning algorithms in languages besides English. Listing languages like Spanish, Tagalog and many African tribal languages, Izbicki noted that “there are millions of people who speak all these languages, and currently, they’re not only underserved but completely not served by existing machine learning tools.” Here at the Claremont Colleges, Izbicki is looking forward to working with students interested in topics “at the intersection of data science, machine learning, computer science and how it actually impacts the real world and makes the world a better place.’’ To read more about Izbicki, visit his website at https://izbicki.me/.

Pomona production of ‘Red Velvet’ shares African American actor ira Aldridge’s story SIMRAN SACHDEVA

ELAINE YANG • THE STUDENT LIFE

U.S. of a threat against us.” Even more appalling to Izbicki was that these bomb shelters were the exact ones that he was taught to destroy. While he was in the Navy, George W. Bush was president and started a nuclear weapons development program called the nuclear bunker-buster, according to The Guardian. “The idea was to develop nuclear bombs specifically designed to destroy [nuclear-protected infrastructures like] the subway system,” he said. “So it was really weird being in a bomb shelter that I had studied how to destroy.” In fall 2017, President Donald Trump issued a decree that American passports were no longer valid for travel in North Korea, the Associated Press reported. Despite purchasing plane tickets and getting his visa approved, Izbicki could no longer return to North Korea. Luckily, Izbicki’s journey brought him elsewhere — to the computer science program at CMC. After receiving his doctorate, Izbicki came for the well-rounded liberal arts focus that it offers students. “Whether they’re [international relations] students who want to apply machine learning tools to what they’re working on or computer science students [who are] really into the technical details, I love helping [students to] make sure that the things that they’re working on are going to advance society in the ways that we want,” Izbicki said. In the long term, he hopes to use his machine learning and computer science skills to help reconcile major world conflicts, like the one between the U.S. and North Korea. “I see my career vision as some-

“Red Velvet,” a play based on African American historical figure Ira Aldridge, hit the stage in November at Pomona College’s Allen Theatre, an in-the-round black box stage, allowing the audience to see the stage from all angles and be inches away from the actors. Directed by Kenshaka Ali, the play, which ran from Nov. 21 to Nov. 24, tells the historic story of Aldridge, the first African American actor to be offered the role of William Shakespeare’s Othello in 1833. Filled with stage combat, dance and a mix of warm and cool toned lighting, the 5C adaptation of “Red Velvet” featured a unique spin on Aldridge’s story, which follows his acting career after the British Parliament abolished slavery in the U.K. Cast member Emma Paulini PO ’21, who played Ira Aldridge’s wife Margaret, expressed how valuable it was for her to engage in conversations with the cast about how to put on an authentic and meaningful performance. “It was just a really powerful story to be part of,” she said. “We had a lot of great discussions as a cast with the director, delving deep into overarching themes, but then also finding the nuances within our characters and like humanizing them and bringing them off the page.” The play was part of the senior project of Kyle Lee PO ’20, who took on the role of Aldridge. He said he was drawn to the character because of Al-

dridge’s phenomenal story. “I think what really appealed to me about ‘Red Velvet’ was [how] it’s sort of the world’s biggest underdog story,” Lee said. “It’s a story that is not well known, [but] it should be really well known … The story of Ira Aldridge’s life is this fantastic tale of triumph.” Lee had both the responsibility — and the pressure — of playing such a complex and influential figure. “I’ve had other roles, and I think each role requires its own research, its own amount of work that you have to put behind it,” he said. “But this is the first time I played someone who really existed.” He elaborated on how the process of embodying Alridge’s confident spirit and command of emotion was daunting for him as an actor. “It was scary for me because the more I researched him, the more I realized how big a person he was,” Lee said. “I was reading articles about how his acting is phenomenal and boisterous and alive, so I have to not only act as a person, but when I’m acting as him acting, I have to be this [person who is] really alive and passionate and exciting.” Lee worked closely with Ali to reimagine Aldridge’s arduous life story of an actor downtrodden from incessant discrimination and put a different perspective on the character than is usually told, painting the actor as someone who was ultimately successful at his craft. “[Aldridge] is supposed to go insane at the end, and it’s supposed to be this tragedy,” Lee

explained. “[Ali] and I talked a lot about it, and this [plot point] is where I do feel … he really wanted to see where I was at in terms of how I was going to portray [Aldridge], because we felt like [the traditional storyline] was doing [Aldridge] and people of color a disservice.” Lee also discussed how Aldridge eventually became a successful actor, which past renditions of “Red Velvet” may not have thought to mention. “He died at the top [of his career],” Lee said. “He died with a family, and he had people who loved him. So I was very happy with the way the play [ended].” The cast, with such a heavy topic to portray, was a tight-knit group. For Emily Cummings PO ’23, “Red Velvet” was her first show at the 5Cs. She discussed how the cast’s close community contributed to the show’s success. “Our director [had us] … do all these bonding exercises,” she said. “You need a lot of things to bond over [given] the seriousness of the play. We had our love of theater [and] our dedication to it.” Lee expressed hope that this production of “Red Velvet” can repaint Aldridge’s theatrical legacy with care and show the ways in which Aldridge has impacted black theater history and theater students as a whole. “You know, we see his legacy in [modern actors like] Paul Robeson — really, in all black actors to this day. So, I think this was a labor of love as much as it was about teaching you about someone,” Lee said. “I was so grateful for this experience.”

DOmENIcO OTTOLIA • THE STUDENT LIFE

Emily cummings PO ’23 performs in a Pomona college production of “red Velvet” on Nov. 21.

DEcEmbEr 6, 2019

Life & StyLe

POPPED UP

PAGE 5 rEGULArLY ScHEDULED PrOGrAmmING

How influencers are stealing ‘High School Musical’ spinoff power from fashion magazines is ‘Glee’ meets ‘The Office’ HANNAH AVALOS

As I reach into my closet for an outfit, I think about what inspired me to buy each piece. I choose a green button-up corduroy dress, which reminds me of the 1970s. I follow vintage fashion lovers on sites like Pinterest and have slowly implemented garments that matched those aesthetics. But Pinterest isn’t all that motivates my wardrobe — I have numerous points of inspiration that have influenced my clothing, many of which I’ve discovered on both Instagram and Facebook. These include the uber-online Everlane, Los Angeles Apparel and ThredUp. Social media’s influence on fashion is something I noticed when I learned more about the history of fashion and its industry. Last summer, I interned at a museum’s department of photographs, where I spent hours sifting through archives of iconic fashion magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. As I scanned early 2000s issues, I noticed how many of the garments worn by models were also worn by featured celebrities, and that much of these same types of outfits and silhouettes appeared on-screen on famous shows and movies like “Sex and the City” and “Clueless.” Back then, fashion magazines still had a firm hold on “what to wear” (or not), and much of what both celebrities and everyday people wore pointed back to the mainstream established by fashion magazines. Pre-social media fashion was widely influenced by magazine’s fashion editors who projected upcoming fashion trends based on what they saw on the runway. This meant that major fashion publications had a large say in what was going to be in style for an upcoming season. Now, print magazines have less reach. The age of Instagram, Twit-

ter and YouTube has loosened this defining grip once held by the fashion magazine industry over the mainstream and ushered in a greater prominence of many different avenues for personal style. Now, users can present their own selves and define their own style — they can make themselves into a new form of celebrity or fashion influencer on their own terms. This new form of celebrity has a different relationship with fashion. Rather than dressing in line with what a fashion magazine defines as good style, like earlier film and television celebrities (recall the iconic-but-homogenous 1990s fashion of Jennifer Aniston and Courteney Cox in “Friends”), individual style is used to garner unique attention and build a character and persona. Influencers are rewarded for individualism — the more non-mainstream and individual style, the more of a place you have as an influencer or social media celebrity. For example, Barbie Ferreira, a model and body-positivity advocate, posts eccentric size-inclusive looks — nothing that likely would have graced the cover of a 90s Vogue — to an Instagram audience of 1.6 million. Billie Eilish’s bold and baggy style propelled her to the status of a style icon — an Instagram post of her neon green hair and stacks of chain necklaces has more than 10 million likes. But what does all this mean for the stylistic choices of non-influencers? It means that, increasingly, the everyday person now has more to choose from in terms of the trends they themselves want to follow. Turning to my high schoolaged sister, this phenomenon became very apparent to me. After introducing me to countless fashion influencers like best-

dressed and showing me what a VSCO girl is (which I am still not entirely sure I understand), I can see that there’s a lot of inspiration that people can relay into their own personal style choices. Social media users now have the autonomy to flood their feed with any given style they choose, whether that be something like VSCO, softboy or a minimalistic or monochromatic style. Without a dominant instruction on what is “good fashion,” there’s a greater chance that more diverse bodies and voices are celebrated both online and in fashion. Namely, I think of something that’s specifically lost, perhaps for a good reason: the “Who Wore it Better” section, where images of celebrity women are put up against one another and rated on who looked “better” in a given silhouette or garment. This sort of comparison not only undermines the notion that beauty is subjective, but also enforces a norm where it’s okay to numerically rate someone’s appearance — which implies that there are certain physical qualities that lead to someone earning a “higher score,” or being intrinsically “better.” A decline in the influence of fashion magazines has prompted an increase in choice when it comes to personal style, which in turn has fostered increased diverse discourse on beauty. This new shift away from one clearly defined fashion mainstream gives people a greater degree to define and explore themselves through what they wear. Hannah Avalos PO ’21 is one of TSL’s pop culture columnists. She’s an English major and recent transfer student who loves creative writing, picking out which earrings to wear and finishing the books she starts reading.

ANNIE WU • THE STUDENT LIFE

CLAIRE DUMONT Imagine this: It’s 2006. You’ve just come home from school and you turn on Disney Channel. “High School Musical” is on. Life is good. For those chasing that feeling, Disney’s new streaming service, Disney+, offers the perfect answer with “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.” The show takes place at East High, where “High School Musical” was filmed and is framed around the arrival of a new drama teacher directing a musical production of “High School Musical.” In a somewhat meta plot, students at the actual “High School Musical” filming location work through their own drama to the tune of original songs. Students at East High sign up to audition for roles in the musical, creating a wide variety of plot points and dramatic moments as the show unfolds. Characters have interviews where they talk directly to the camera, in a mockumentary style made famous by “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.” Although the show is fictional, this faux-reality show style makes the characters seem authentic and interesting. I’m sure I speak for many college-aged people when I say that watching Disney Channel and “High School Musical” was the pinnacle of my childhood. Even though I have more lines from “Lemonade Mouth” memorized, I can appreciate that “High School Musical” is a true classic. This is what makes the show so perfect — it blends an entertaining teen show with all of the memories of childhood. “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” also thrives in its ability to find the balance between making fun of high schoolers and taking itself seriously. While this may seem obvious, it’s not the case for many other shows of the same nature, namely “Glee” and “Rise.” “Glee” ran from 2009 to 2015 and stood out as a kind of cultural phenomenon during its airtime. It had a cult following of fans but also its fair share of critics. Ten years after “Glee” premiered, fans (such as myself) are looking back on the show and where it went wrong. Two former “Glee” stars, Kevin McHale and Jenna Ushkowitz, even have a podcast where they dish about the show. There are many things to choose from when trying to figure out why “Glee” wasn’t the best show: the impromptu singing and dancing turned some people off, Mr. Schuester was kind of creepy, the plots didn’t really make sense and some of the characters were insufferable. But I actually believe the show was criticized because it was produced to generate discussion and make fun of itself. For most of “Glee”’s run, the running theme was poking fun at the idea that high school students can sing and dance their way through their problems. If “Glee” didn’t take itself serious-

ELOISE mAGONcELLI • THE STUDENT LIFE

ly, how could anyone else? On the opposite end, the shortlived NBC show “Rise” had a completely different problem — it took itself too seriously. “Rise” follows a similar plot to “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” with a new drama teacher shaking things up at a high school. I had high hopes for “Rise” but was ultimately disappointed and stopped watching after a few episodes. In a great contrast to “Glee,” “Rise”’s main problem was that it was supposed to be uber-serious and meaningful. It ended up being cringeworthy — it became hard to sit through its fake deep monologues and song sequences. “Glee” made me think that the high schoolers should be taken seriously, while “Rise” made me think they shouldn’t. “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” though, presents the perfect balance: high schoolers being treated not too seriously or in a way that makes fun of them. Like “Glee” and “Rise,” the series features high school students with typical high school drama — a love triangle and divorcing parents, among others — taking part in musical theater with original songs strung throughout the episodes. The difference is that the show doesn’t make itself the subject of a joke. At its heart, it’s just an entertaining good time with the right amount of throwback thrown in. Unlike “Glee,” the authenticity of “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” stems from the extremely talented cast of actual teenagers playing teenagers, instead of adults in their 20s and 30s. Olivia Rodrigo, for example, is 16 years old and plays Nini Salazar-Roberts. Not only do these characters mirror the characters from the original “High School Musical,” they’re also relatable. If a show’s message is that teenagers should be taken seriously, the characters should actually be teenagers. “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” offers an authentic high school comedy-drama with a musical theater influence. Imagine this: It’s 2019. You turn on Disney+. “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” is on. Life is good. Claire DuMont SC ’23 is one of TSL’s TV columnists and is from Manhattan Beach, California. She loves her dogs, cats and talking about TV (obviously); she is currently getting excited for awards season.

HMC pranks Caltech with announcement of ‘Harvey Mudd Pasadena Campus’ LAUREN WEST At 4 p.m. on Nov. 15, the first of many Harvey Mudd College pranksters left Claremont en route to Pasadena with one goal in mind: pranking the California Institute of Technology — again. It had been seven months since the HMC Prank Club pranked Caltech’s famous cannon last April by constructing a concrete monument adjacent to the cannon with a plaque that read: “Fleming Cannon, On Extended Loan From Harvey Mudd College, Dedicated in Honor of the 11 Mudders Who Bravely Relocated this Cannon in 1986.” This time, the Mudders were on a mission to broadcast the opening of the “Harvey Mudd Pasadena Campus,” overtaking the Seeley W. Mudd Laboratory of the Geological Sciences building at Caltech with Mudd-themed balloons, posters and banners, all announcing a faux new HMC campus. The prank had been in the works since the summer when Prank Club presidents Aely Aronoff HM ’21 and Howard Deshong HM ’21 scoped out the location. They got the idea after a friend suggested pranking Pomona College’s own Mudd building. Instead, they took it a step further, remembering that there’s also a Mudd Laboratory at Caltech. “We found Mudd labs, and we just thought we had to do it here,” Aronoff said. The prank was highly organized with special task forces to ensure the success of the prank. The teams

included full-day stay, south wall, west wall, balloons, indoor postering, lookouts, big seal and drivers. Each team had a leader, and each leader was responsible for their team’s task being completed and relaying their progress to Aronoff, the prank leader. Leaders were also responsible for ensuring no Mudder was left behind. The full-day stay crew was the first to arrive on scene at 5 p.m. Waiting casually outside the lab for students to leave, Mudders were able to enter unnoticed. Fullday stay students hunkered down and laid in wait to let in the morning pranksters, who arrived at approximately 3:15 a.m. the next day. The balloons and indoor postering teams were able to successfully decorate the lab, complete with celebratory black and gold decor on the walls, hallways, staircases and rooms. The west and south wall groups hung up 6-foot tall HMC promotional posters that said messages like “Harvey Mudd is Happier than You,” accompanied by a picture of several people smiling and giving thumbs ups. The next task force placed a big seal on the exterior of the lab. It read: “Harvey Mudd College Pasadena Campus,” and is where the pranksters took their final triumphant photos before heading back to campus. A significant amount of work went into the prank, including a practice session beforehand to prepare the crew for a task Aronoff described as “not for the faint of heart.”

With the help of HMC’s engineering department, Katie Johnson HM ’23 and Jonathan Lo HM ’23 were able to print the posters. Lo organized volunteers and transportation logistics. But despite its elaborate planning, the prank had its moments of peril — “literal blood, sweat and tears at points,” said Aronoff, who jokingly lamented the splinter he sustained during the prank’s execution. Anshul Kamath HM ’23 improvised to save the prank from getting taken down when Caltech students (Techers) saw the posters soon after they had been put up and pretended to be a Techer himself. “Ten Techers … were walking past, and we couldn’t do anything,” Aronoff said. “[Kamath] went up to them and got them to leave. And not just that, but convinced them not to take down the prank, because they were about to.” The group was suspicious of Kamath, but he wore Caltech gear and told the Techers he lived in the nearby Page House. He persuaded them that taking the posters down would be too time-consuming and that “pranking them back” would be a better alternative, according to Aronoff. The date Nov. 15 was also carefully selected. Rumors had been swirling that MIT was planning to prank Caltech on Nov. 22, according to the Caltech Confessions Facebook page. “We had to do it first,” Deshong

cOUrTESY OF Hmc PrANK cLUb

members of the Harvey mudd college Prank club pose in front of their ‘Harvey mudd Pasadena campus’ sign at the california Institute of Technology on the weekend of Nov. 15.

said. “If we did it at the same time, the MIT prank might overshadow ours, and if we did it after, it might look like we’re try-hards, just trying to copy MIT.” Prank participant Mavis Stone HM ’23 was proud of her participation in the momentous prank and said it helped her feel more connected to Mudd’s culture. “I was definitely looking for a prank culture, because I am a trickster myself,” she said. “As a [first-year], I would definitely say that this has improved my impression of Mudd. It has made me all the more excited and proud to be a Mudder.” Aronoff spoke to the impor-

tance of high quality pranks as a form of self-care and creative expression as well as their ability to bring the Harvey Mudd community together. “We talk a lot about work-life balance and what we do to make our time at Mudd meaningful, healthy, de-stressing,” Aronoff said. “I think that pranking — particularly good … legal pranking [that follows the Honor Code] — is a really healthy outlet and a really good way to build community.” Prank Club is gearing up to take more action, but they’re reluctant to give any hints as to what their next hit will be. Aronoff did have one message, though: “No institution is safe.”

OpiniOns

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DEcEmbEr 6, 2019

You shouldn’t be able to buy your way into illegal drinking MEGAN CHOURREAU-LYON Recently, some friends of mine at Pitzer College went on a trip to San Francisco. On the last night of their trip, they decided to try to get a drink in town. They managed to get into a very high-end bar and order two bottles of champagne for a total of $200, without ever being asked for identification. Two of the four of them were underage. This event brings to light some uncomfortable truths about the service industry. How many bottles you will be able to pay for tends to be more important than how many years away you are from being 21. The fact that underage students can purchase alcohol in an expensive place of service while never being asked for identification sends out the general message that one can buy their way out of being a law-abiding citizen. A few disclaimers first. Obviously, I’m aware that alcohol limitations get broken all the time. Drinking with your parents during a family dinner (Thanksgiving was just last week), getting alcohol from your older friend or sibling, using a fake ID…. Underage alcohol use is clearly widespread, occurs in various socio-economic contexts and becomes especially common once students get to college. According to The Washington Post and its reporting on the National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted in 2014, more than half of American 20-year-olds have tried alcohol at some point in their lives. Secondly, it would be hypocritical of me to get all riled up against

the ways in which money breaks the hold of the law on an individual, without stating the fact that I’m personally against the legal drinking age being set at 21 years old. Coming from Europe and having been able to compare the drinking culture in many countries on the other side of the pond before coming to the U.S., I don’t think setting the drinking age higher than 18 achieves any sensible results, and in my opinion does more to infantilize and incentivize reckless behavior than prevent it. However, the issue at hand isn’t what age should be determined by the law as being past alcohol limitations. It’s that all people are held accountable to said law in public places of service, regardless of the financial power and privilege of the clientele in question. As mundane as underage drinking may seem, ultimately it’s an illegal offense. Places of service that allow people to break the law because of the money they can spend sends the message to everyone that some people have the ability to ensure that rules don’t apply to them. Rules are the fabric of society — we decide on agendas and policies which are voted into laws and organize our conduct as citizens of the same country. When we allow some people to avoid submitting themselves to the full legal ramifications of their actions, it teaches all of us that the law is not in fact a non-debatable state-wide framework to our behaviors, but that it actually has varying pools of application and reach. This two-tier society is obvious-

In favor of being more than just okay

ly on full display in Los Angeles, where many of the trendiest places in town do not refuse to serve underage celebrities from the show business industry. In October of this year, Insider reported that minors are regularly allowed to drink at The H.Wood Group’s venues. Apparently, “their clubs, restaurants and bars have attracted a particular set of young Hollywood types looking for a place to drink underage.” And when these celebrity minors come looking, they are welcomed in with open arms. Most of these venues don’t ID their clients who ask for a drink, and even for those that do, such as the Peppermint Club, one former bartender said that groups could often get around showing their ID to the bouncer if they came in with a promoter. The link between how big your purse is and whether you’ll be ushered through the door that keeps everybody else out is an obvious one. During an interview with CBS News for a 2007 article on underage celebrities in LA clubs, Harvey Levin, managing editor of the celebrity website TMZ.com, commented that “young, hot stars and starlets attract big crowds and big crowds mean big money for these clubs.” An endless appetite for high-paying customers, added to the pressure of remaining the hottest place in town, incentivizes

EAMON MORRIS When it’s been a long time since I’ve been very anxious, I forget the worst part about being anxious. It isn’t the queasiness, the fast heart rate or the weakness in my arms and legs — it’s the waiting. It’s the act of sitting on my bed for five hours, binging “Chernobyl” and trying not to move. It’s the act of swallowing a Xanax in the dining hall and waiting for it to kick in. My most recent bout of anxiety started without fanfare. I got the stomach flu. I lost somewhere between three to seven pounds in two days. And then, inexplicably, the rapid heartbeat and nausea caused by the bug refused to leave. I’ve been in such a good place for so long that it took me a while to even consider the idea that those sensations were being caused by anxiety. This is a long buildup to a simple point — that while I was pacing my room and scrunching my body into a Cheerio on my bed and dealing with so, so, so much waiting, I started to get a little pissed off. My whole life — every twist and turn of the mental health roller coaster that has been the past 19 years — I’ve been told a simple message: It’s okay not to be okay. This is, without a doubt, one of the most damaging messages that people who live or struggle with mental illness are told. Let me explain. I’m not saying that it’s “weird” or abnormal to be anxious or depressed. They’re common states for people in the U.S. A whopping 16 million adults are affected by depression every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But the normative status of depression and anxiety doesn’t, in any way, say that it’s “okay” to be depressed. This is for good reason. When I’m anxious and the only movement I make every hour is to click “next episode” on my screen, I’m not okay. I feel like I’ve been hit with a truck full of serotonin thieves. When depressed or anxious people are told it’s okay for them to feel the way they do, they’re being told that their depression and anxiety aren’t a big deal. They’re being told that it’s okay to have to wait under their covers and stare at the wall and hope that the bad feelings end soon. Of course, when people say this, they aren’t ill-intentioned. Perhaps they mean to say that it will get better, or that they’ll be there for the

person while they’re anxious or depressed. They could intend to express that the person isn’t alone and isn’t at fault. But to express these things, one needs to clearly say them. Every single additional second added onto a depressive or anxious episode is awful. Last year, I wrote about how you shouldn’t judge people for medicating for mental illness. I stand by that, but I want to add on to it. Along with death and taxes, it’s a constant in life that the psychological services of the Claremont Colleges are terrible. Wait times for counseling at Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services are now at four weeks. The staff, even with all positions filled, is evidently underfunded and, still, understaffed. This obviously isn’t okay. When friends, family, acquaintances and mental health professionals say the oft-repeated “it’s okay not to be okay,” they’re essentially advocating the waiting that I’ve grown so friendly with. They’re condoning surrender to month-long wait times by pushing the idea that the acceptance and commonality of mental illnesses are equal to comfort and functionality whilst in their throes. While watching “Chernobyl,” I learned several valuable lessons. I learned that the control rods of nuclear reactors should never be tipped in graphite. But I also learned that I’m not very patient with my feelings. This isn’t a bad thing — sitting and waiting under the assumption that eventually everything will be okay again is the easiest way that I can set myself up again for more sitting and waiting. Getting out of bed, going to class, going to the dining hall — doing any of these things is difficult when one is anxious. But they’re even harder when people tell you that it’s okay to feel anxious. Of course it’s normal for people to struggle with their mental health. But perpetuating the idea that it’s okay for people to struggle with their mental health prevents action and disallows progress towards true okayness. Eamon Morris PZ ’22 is from Orange, California. He’s really enjoying his HBO subscription.

tive. People won’t submit you to the rules if you have the benefits of power and wealth to assist you. When we walk into a bar, we should be certain that we’re being refused service because of our age and not because we don’t seem rich or important enough to break the law for. Megan Chourreau-Lyon is a Franco-British Pitzer College exchange student who’s really looking forward to being able to drink cheap legal alcohol again when she gets back to Europe.

DONNIE DENOmE • THE STUDENT LIFE

it’s okay to have complex relationships with problematic media DONNIE TC DENOME

ELAINE YANG • THE STUDENT LIFE

managers to break the law. On the bartenders’ end, this also sends the message to them that they have to commit the crime of serving alcohol to minors and risk receiving a considerable fine and/ or jail time (which in California can be up to $1,00 and/or 24 hours of community service) for the convenience of someone influential and financially powerful to whom they cannot say no. Former workers of The H.Wood Group told Insider that when they took their concerns about serving underage clients to management, they were told to break the law anyway. According to one former worker of the restaurant Delilah, “You’re not allowed to ask questions. If they’re in there, you have to serve them.” Through these happenings, underage clients who have the financial capacity of footing those bills (and the crowds who undoubtedly watch them through social media) receive the message that the focus of the law is subjec-

A fair number of autistic people absolutely hate the movie “Rain Man.” It’s easy to see why: Even giving it the benefit of being released in 1988, it still promotes significant and harmful stereotypes of autistic adults as a monolithic group of overgrown children unable to function except for one or two savant-level skills, who need to be consigned to institutions for the good of everyone. This singular portrayal, clearly, is untrue and the film has many scenes that make me want to scream. But I still can’t bring myself to hate “Rain Man” in the way I sometimes should. It’s a good film, from a technical standpoint, with an amazing soundtrack. I also think the film’s pro-institutionalization message, while definitely present, is overblown in some discussions. (The main character, Raymond, moves back to an institution at the end of the film, and this choice is portrayed as complex and potentially coerced by a doctor.) I also repeat one of Raymond’s many verbal stims — short, repeated, calming phrases — to reassure myself when I drive: “I’m an excellent driver. I’m an excellent driver. I’m an excellent driver.” On the one hand, I can’t stand the false, dangerous beliefs about autistic adults that “Rain Man” helped perpetuate. On the other hand, I can’t deny I’ve gained something from it. Media doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Fictional media, especially, exists within the boundaries of the societies that create it and interact with it. It’s irresponsible to excuse harmful or offensive parts of creative works because those works are enjoyable. Yet I also find it demeaning to claim that one’s enjoyment of a work is inherently less valid or always causes active harm be-

cause that work (or its creator) has harmful aspects or history. People are capable of considered evaluation of and rational thought about the media we interact with. For me, “Rain Man” is a layer cake of complexities. Even decades after its release, it perpetuates outdated, painful ideas about autism and autistic adults. Yet it also explored autism — and had an autistic adult as a main character — at a time when the diagnosis was less well-known. “Rain Man” starred a non-autistic actor playing an autistic character. Yet Dustin Hoffman’s portrayal of Raymond Babbitt is honestly one of the more realistic fictional semi-verbal autistic characters I’ve seen. “Rain Man” does not wholly condemn institutions — modern-day mental asylums with nicer paint jobs — as an option for disabled people. Yet by the end of the film, it’s clear that Raymond could live with his brother, integrated into the community, and his “choice” not to is coerced by a doctor. “Rain Man” is not an easy movie for me to watch, but I keep coming back to it because it makes me feel less alone. Or consider a conversation I had a couple weeks ago with an old friend. She messaged me with some lyrics from a band we both love, essentially asking “Is it just me or are these lyrics way more misogynistic than I remember?” Yes. The lyrics were terribly misogynistic, portraying women as needing to stay with men they no longer love to receive proper guidance. Those particular lyrics aren’t the only misogynistic lines that band has ever performed, and misogyny isn’t the only bigotry they’ve ever perpetrated. But my friend and I decided that we couldn’t give up on a band that had been part of our lives for years. Maybe that makes us bad people. I can’t say. I don’t think liking a piece of media that perpetuates stereo-

types or bigotry makes one guilty of perpetuating those stereotypes or bigotries, so long as one recognizes and acknowledges the failures of a work. Humans are not perfect, our media is not perfect and we should not crucify each other for failing to have flawless moral standards. Obviously, there are some works that are so founded in the hate, degradation and violation of certain groups that interacting with them is suspect, if not potentially illegal. But for the vast majority of media, the world is too many shades of gray to draw a clear line between black and white, good and bad. The intricacies of media ethics and enjoyment make my head spin, especially as someone who both consumes and creates media. I worry that my poetry — which is often fictional but based on my real experiences — perpetuates oversimplifications about disabled people, or queer people or any other group I belong to. I worry that my interacting with certain “problematic” media, without vehemently disavowing it, signals that it’s okay to enjoy stories built on stereotypes. In the end, I can’t draw lines. I can’t say definitively what’s right and what’s wrong, because nobody can. One should be critical in consuming media and seek out perspectives that conflict with one’s own. We, as a society, should hold harmful works and the falsehoods they portray to account. We should also let each other — and ourselves — enjoy what we enjoy, recognizing that media is not perfect. Criticize, yes, but don’t cast off a work wholly simply because it’s not flawless. After all, every one of us has a Raymond Babbitt-character we relate to, even if the work that character comes from is painful to experience. Donnie TC Denome PZ ’20, CG ’21 is a 4+1 BA/MPH public health major from Sunnyvale, California. They’re an excellent driver by virtue of being too scared to drive in virtually all circumstances.

GrETA LONG • THE STUDENT LIFE

OpiniOns

DEcEmbEr 6, 2019

There’s power in shutting the hell up

PAGE 7

Jasper’s Crossword: Despite the definitions

ANAGA SrINIVAS • THE STUDENT LIFE

CAMERON TIPTON

Frary Potter All our childhood dreams come to life

Stop changing the story We all know Dumbledore isn’t gay...

little else than “I really just do not have anything important to say, and will therefore utilize erudite vernacular irrespective of necessity.” Opinion is the lowest form of knowledge. Most opinions, I’d say, we take for granted. My favorite color is lavender, I prefer cats to dogs and I have a borderline kinky obsession with artichokes. And yet, you won’t find me writing an article about any of these things (well, maybe about the artichokes). The point is, most opinions are mundane and in no way deserving of disclosure. When we over-share our opinions, we begin to be perceived in certain (usually negative) ways. If you exhaust your audience with nine tepid takes before dazzling them with a truly hot take, the impact will be lessened, and by that point your audience may not care at all. Sometimes it would benefit us to stand back, to remain reticent until we have something of value to contribute. And until we reach that point, I see no harm in staying silent. But, hey, that’s just my opinion. Cameron Tipton PO ’20 is a fierce bitch. They like their tea like they like their takes: dark, steamy and generally too hot for everyone else to handle.

Yule Ball is tonight Ho Ho Hoax

Casemas canceled Party in Honnold mudd Library instead :/

JASPEr DAVIDOFF • THE STUDENT LIFE

ACROSS 1. Prof before assoc. 5. One of the three bears 9. “____” (response to “Do you want some?” 13. Former Scientologist Remini 14. Read quickly 15. Mathematician behind e 17. Removing definition from? * 19. Doing experiments 20. Modify 21. Taking food away from? * 23. [Boring] 25. Fortune telling cards 26. Stopped following? * 30. Candidate whose supporters have “High Hopes” 31. It’s 78% nitrogen 32. Tusked animals 34. Former shortstop Jeter 37. Killjoy, formally 39. Archie Bunker’s wife 41. South Asian garment 42. Actor Burton 44. Feature of Times New Roman or Garamond 46. Sardine container 47. “____ beseech your majesty” (from King Lear) 49. Retracting one’s ballot? * 51. Passed, as time 54. Hawai’i state bird 55. Taking As away from? * 57. Pop and lock 61. Message with a subject 62. Put the crops back? * 64. _____ plume 65. Upscale NYC neighborhood 66. Sch. in Annapolis 67. Face of contempt 68. ____ many levels 69. Easy sandwiches

DOWN 1. Actor Alan 2. Appear 3. “Me too!” 4. “Inside ______” (show with Shaq) 5. Alternative to AOL 6. LSD users 7. Lion’s locks 8. Teen feeling 9. Like burgundy or maroon 10. Wins over, as an option 11. The anti-knowledge masses 12. Stands for 16. Iconic SCOTUS member 18. Make up on the spot 22. Source of benefits at work (abbr.) 24. Natural salve 26. Pipeline protested by the ND Sioux 27. Dublin’s land 28. E.g. Jeopardy 29. Like raisins 33. Best feature 35. Journalist Burnett 36. Victim of check 38. Rainbow symbolism 40. Where buzz comes from 43. One offering used goods 45. Actress arrested at climate protests 48. Danson of The Good Place 50. Tiny kind of pig 51. Idyllic places 52. _____ drop 53. Playground retort 56. Noble sign material 58. Accident-investigating org. 59. For, and, or nor (abbr.) 60. Periods of note 63. Kanga’s kid

Answers to the crossword in last week’s issue and this issue are online at tsl.news.

Anais Rivero PZ ’22 is a second generation Cuban from Miami, Florida. She’s interested in politics and Latin American studies. She hopes her grandmother’s beloved telenovelas will someday feature people who actually look like her.

Too much of my life has been spent waiting in line for the women’s bathroom. All women, I’m sure, are infuriatingly familiar with this experience. Lines regularly snake past sinks, around corners, out the bathroom door and down the corridor. Once, I waited in a line that left the building altogether and began in the parking lot. Lines for the ladies might be more bearable if it wasn’t for the sight of male friends and/ or relatives striding straight into the gents’ room next door. Not to mention the inevitable realization, when they come out again, that you’ve moved exactly two inches. In a typical busy bathroom, women have to wait up to 34 times longer than men, according to Insider. This is partly because the average woman takes 50 percent longer to use the toilet than the average man, according to The Conversation, a not-for-profit media outlet that publishes stories by researchers and academics. Women are slower for a myriad of reasons. Biologically, women have to spend time dealing with their periods and are more likely to have bladder problems. Opening stall doors, undressing and sitting down (or, more accurately, when it comes to public bathrooms, squatting) is a logistically longer business than urinals. Anyone who’s ever worn a jumpsuit knows that women’s fashion also has an impact. Socially, it’s usually mothers who take small children to the toilet with them. It’s also seen as more acceptable (or at least accepted) for men to pee outdoors, meaning they can skip the porta-potty line at a festival or outdoor concert. The design of public bathrooms compounds the longer time that women have to spend in line for the toilet. Often, according to Science Daily, space is divided equally between female and male bathrooms. Since stalls take up more space than urinals, the average men’s bathroom ends

up with 20 to 30 percent more places to go to the toilet than the women’s. As a society, we decide who gets to access bathrooms, how easily and at what cost. Toilet lines may sound like a trivial issue, but they’re a symptom of a system that mindlessly prioritizes men. The simple division of square footage — half for men’s toilets and half for women’s — is not true equality. Public spaces, including toilets, have been designed with little regard to women’s experiences. If the first architects designing public bathrooms

ment. In 1987, the Restroom Equity Act came into place in California, where every restroom in large new public projects in the state must provide more female facilities, according to the LA Times. Still, this act clearly does not go far enough. It was signed into law more than two decades before I was born, and potty parity has certainly not been achieved. The act only covers new builds, and the vast majority of public bathrooms are not new. For more substantial change, legislation needs to force equality in already existing bathrooms. An alternative solution is to simply make all public bathrooms gender neutral. As of 2017, all single-occupancy public bathrooms in California are required by law to be gender neutral, according to Time. These bathrooms are primarily discussed as a way to make bathrooms available and accessible for transgender and non-binary people. But they also have another advantage — they reduce the disparity in wait times. It’s not just a question of equality; it’s also one of efficiency. A study by Ghent E University in Belgium found that TH a gender-neutral layout consisting E• Om N of two stalls for every urinal reduces E D E I DONN the overall waiting time by 63 perhad been w o m e n , cent: The average men’s waiting time I don’t think it’s a push to assume might increase, but the average perthat wait times would be more son’s will decrease by more than half. equal. Often, at a concert or music festiToilets, for all their mundanity, val or sports event, male friends will are inherently political. Perhaps roll their eyes when I say I’m going the most high-profile dispute over to the toilet. “But it will take so long,” bathrooms in recent years has been they say, looking despairingly at the the important fight by transgender meandering women’s line before activists to access gender-neutral quickly nipping into the gents’. bathrooms. The 5Cs have already made sigPublic bathrooms have recent- nificant progress on this issue. Other ly become a focal point for many organizations with responsibility for other issues. This year, New York public bathrooms need to catch up. made it a legal requirement to inIn the meantime, to all the men clude baby changing tables avail- out there — don’t complain about able to both women and men for all women having bladders. Complain new public bathrooms, according about the system that forces them to CNN. In Scotland, the govern- to wait in interminable lines before ment now provides free sanitary they can relieve themselves. products in all schools, colleges, universities, libraries and leisure Ellie Woodward-Webster is a Pitzer centers, according to the BBC. College exchange student and English I was delighted to find out, major from the U.K. She lives up to Britwhen researching for this article, ish stereotypes by drinking lots of tea, that there’s already a movement complaining about the weather and fulpushing for equality in toilet wait ly supporting waiting in lines (but only times — the potty parity move- when it’s fair!). IFE

ELLIE WOODWARD-WEBSTER

TL

In October, popular Latina actress Gina Rodriguez filmed herself getting her hair and makeup done while singing along to a Fugees song and she posted the video on her Instagram story. In the video, Rodriguez clearly says the n-word and promptly giggles right after as if it’s all a joke. Given Rodriguez’s continuous erasure of Afro-Latinx people and anti-black rhetoric, this shouldn’t be surprising. However, Rodriguez stars on one of the most popular Latinx-led shows: “Jane the Virgin.” Therefore, she’s setting an example for millions. Rodriguez has been outspoken about the need for more Latinx diversity in media, but she rarely advocates for representation of Afro-Latinx people or praises Afro-Latinx actors like Lupita Nyong’o, who recently starred in “Us” and “Black Panther.” In Rodriguez’s mind, like in many, the concept of “Latinidad” (the identification with various Latin American attributes) is one focused on white or mestizo (mixed) Latinx people at the expense of black and indigenous people. She cannot fathom an expression of Latinx culture that’s not tied to the white or mestizo Latinx experience. Latinidad is rooted in exclusivity and the glorification of cisgender, straight and mestizo men and women; these are the models for Latinidad. Although Latinidad is positioned as an all-inclusive cultural identity, whiteness is at its center. You cannot have an identity that claims to unite millions of people under one term and identity yet fails to recognize persecution and discrimination of black and indigenous people. Not only is Latinidad complicit in maintaining the privilege white and mestizo Latinxs have over black and indigenous people, but it erases and flattens other identities in favor of a monolithic singular one. Latinidad originates from colonization, from the enslavement and degradation of black and indigenous people in the colonial caste system. Advancements and civil rights in this system were determined based on racial appearance. Black people were at the bottom of the system, with indigenous people slightly above them and white Spaniards at the top of the racial hierarchy. The Latinidad we see today is shaped by this system; it’s defined by the dominion of white Spanish culture over black and indigenous

ones. The forced mixture of these cultures should not be praised but recognized for the violence it is. It’s resulted in the destruction and erosion of various African and indigenous cultures — this is nothing to be celebrated. It’s quite ironic that African and indigenous cultures have made tremendous contributions to what’s considered to be Latinx culture yet they aren’t centered in Latinidad; our culture constantly encourages the attainment of whiteness. The concept of “adelantando la raza” (advancing the race) is based on upholding whiteness as superior, better and purer. If Latinidad is meant for all, why the degradation of black and brown skin? Our telenovelas are filled with light-skinned faces, while black and indigenous people are relegated to subservient roles or not represented at all. There are so many Latinx people who are ashamed to identify as black or indigenous. They would rather say they’re mestizo or mixed in order to fit into a narrow and racist definition of Latinidad. As Alán Pelaez Lopez, an Afro-Indigenous writer, said, “Latinidad is a calculated weapon to the logic of white supremacy. White Latinxs have made sure that they control the narrative of ‘latinidad’ to ensure that nonwhite Latinxs remain in positions of subjugation as to not interrupt the ongoing structures of settler-colonialism in the Americas and the Caribbean. If you believe in ‘latinidad’ as unifying, what is your destination?” The structure of Latinidad needs to be dismantled, and if it’s rebuilt, it needs to be led by black and indigenous Latinx people. As Latinx people, we must acknowledge the prevalent racism and exclusion of Afro-Latinx and indigenous people within our culture. I benefit from the structure of Latinidad. I and other mestizos, and white Latinx people, need to act in solidarity to dismantle the structure of Latinidad.

EN

ANAIS RIVERO

We shouldn’t have to wait for potty parity

UD

The problem with Latinidad

ST

OFF THE RECORD

At this juncture in my TSL career, I’ve reached an impasse. It feels as though I’ve already written (or been heavily discouraged from writing) my hottest takes. And yet, as an opinions staff writer, I’m expected to contribute a new article every week, even when the metaphorical well has run dry. My “hot take” of the week is simply this: Sometimes, there is absolutely power in shutting the hell up. Expecting a writer, particularly one whose ideas are generated internally (i.e., opinions writers or columnists), to produce work at such a frequent basis, even in the absence of inspiration, perpetuates a capitalist regime that the Claremont Colleges ostensibly oppose. Another brick in the wall, another cog in the machine … another blueprint in the “opinions-filed” channel on Slack. Productivity over creativity. Despite the expectation that staff writers contribute new pieces weekly, I’ll admit that in the past I have shirked that responsibility, in the name of authorial integrity and not resorting to what I call “tepid takes.” Examples include “racism is bad,” “our institutions don’t support POC/FLI students,” “Jeff Epstein didn’t kill himself” and similar takes we already agree with. For all my readers with taste,

let me put this into more concrete terms: Lana Del Rey took two years to make her most recent album, “Norman Fucking Rockwell!” While fans were no doubt anxious in the interim (myself included), the end result was nothing short of magnificent. Now compare that to her fourth album, “Honeymoon,” one she only took a year to complete. While fans no doubt received immediate gratification, the album was objectively not as good as those that came before it and those that followed, each of which took around two years to make. The fact that I have now resorted to writing an opinions article about why people should not be expected to produce opinions articles on demand is a testament to this principle. (Or maybe it’s meta. I’m just an English minor, I couldn’t tell you.) As an extension of this, I feel that it often shows, in either the quality of the language or the overall tone, whether or not somebody is passionate about something they’ve written, whether or not they feel it is truly a reflection of their beliefs. Think back to the last class you took requiring weekly Sakai posts. Inevitably, you came upon a few that were almost incomprehensible, so grandiloquent and convoluted that their true meaning was

OpiniOns

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DEcEmbEr 6, 2019

Remember to blame HMC needs more confidential the companies! student resources for sexual assault MARGOT ROSENBLATT I feel a surge of anger every time I walk past an Urban Outfitters. I can deal with Hobby Lobby, Chick-fil-A and Amazon because they don’t really try to hide. Those companies are loud about their political views. But Urban Outfitters claims to be hip and with the kids. They sell to woke, liberal college students. What many college students don’t know, however, is how Urban Outfitters is using those students’ money against them — their CEO has donated to anti-gay politicians and the company itself has sold clothes and accessories with anti-transgender jokes and slogans like “Eat Less” on them. But Claremont student activists, and activists in general, should be careful when taking on problematic companies that they’re not falling into a classic, company-made trap: blaming the consumers who buy the companies’ products instead of blaming the company itself. Activists cannot afford to lose sight of their goal, which should be to change the business practices of these companies, not to change the consumption habits of consumers. The latter type of advocacy is precisely what those companies want you, the strong activist, to push, because it does not result in regulation of the companies. Back in 1953, Vermont passed a bill banning single-use plastic bottles in an effort to curb littering, according to The Atlantic. A few months later, the packaging companies teamed up with companies who could also lose money in an anti-littering push from activists, like Coca Cola, Philip Morris and Anheuser-Busch, and formed an organization they called Keep America Beautiful — ironic, I know. The implicit mission of KAB was to find a way to fight the socalled “litter crisis” in a way that would not hold those companies accountable, and instead place the blame on individual responsibility. More than 40 years later, KAB’s campaign can be seen as the “harbinger of today’s brand activism,” according to GreenBiz. Even credible environmental organizations like the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society joined in, acting as advisers to KAB, according to NPR. The organization started by coining the term “litter bug.” However, most famously, KAB produced an iconic ad in the 1970s featuring a supposed Native American man (the actor was Italian-Sicilian) wearing buckskin and long braids in natural places covered in litter, blatantly using the “noble savage” narrative. The most horrible thing is that KAB’s campaign worked. As early as the late 1950s, statehouses nationwide were passing anti-litter ordinances — without placing a single restriction on the packaging companies, according to Mother Jones. In the 1970s, the National Center for Resource Recovery (founded by KAB) lobbied state and national legislators to favor recycling as the primary way to address the rising tide of garbage over “reducing” or “reusing.” If I’m walking down the street today and someone throws a plas-

tic bottle, for example, onto the sidewalk, I would have no reservations about telling the “litter bug” to pick up the bottle or picking it up myself. While that person should not have littered, my first response would be “The person who threw this bottle on the ground is evil,” not “Why does this plastic bottle exist? The company that produced this is evil.” I’m not sure I would ever even arrive at that question. That’s the work of KAB. That’s powerful. So is the fact that the average consumer focuses on recycling their waste instead of even considering how much waste these companies are creating. Consumerism lives on, unchanged. This isn’t just true of environmentalism. This same principle can be applied to all kinds of issues, such as clothing featuring offensive slogans or designs. While someone wearing an offensive shirt should absolutely be blamed for their part in upholding an oppressive social system, we must remember to blame the company for making the product in the first place. Personally, I would rather my activism stop the company from making the product than convince everyone to stop wearing the product. I would rather focus on taking down the wolf than teaching all the sheep self-defense. Another issue with blaming unethical consumers for the actions of unethical companies is that not everyone can afford to be a perfect shopper. One person might not be able to afford to boycott Gap, for example, even though Gap has been known to employ egregious child labor practices. Don’t shame that shopper, shame Gap. Some believe it’s the job of the consumers to keep companies in check because “companies will be companies” — in other words, trust the invisible hand. I am unconvinced. I believe companies should be held to the same ethical standards as consumers. Of course, movements in the past have succeeded by putting pressure on consumers, effectively shaming them, in order to change offending companies. This practice works — it’s absolutely necessary, and it must be continued. Just remember that changing consumption habits is only step one in the process — you’re not actually done when the people change. You’re only done when the company changes. The danger is in losing sight of this goal and stopping halfway through, tricking yourself and others into thinking you’ve succeeded. So I implore you, the ethical, activist consumer — don’t forget your endgame. Margot Rosenblatt SC ’23 is from Manhattan, New York. She’s a Claremont McKenna College econ bro with the heart of a Scrippsie. She would like to thank her dad and his love of NPR podcasts for this take.

MICHELLE LUM Harvey Mudd College has consistently adjusted its policy to comply with ever-changing Title IX regulations but still needs more confidential student resources for those making Title IX complaints. On Nov. 22, HMC’s assistant vice president for student affairs and interim Title IX coordinator Leslie Hughes emailed all HMC students, staff and faculty about updates to HMC’s Sexual Misconduct and Complaint Resolution Policy made to ensure that the policy conforms to California law. “I’m a part of a Title IX working group of all the Title IX coordinators in the consortium. One of the things we talk about is evolving case law,” Hughes said. “HMC started to realize that there were a lot of different regulations and changes that were coming in, so we needed to change what our hearing process looked like … to make sure that we’re in compliance with what the courts are deciding.” The revised policy will have an interim designation until it’s reviewed by the HMC Board of Trustees in January 2020. The Title IX Office will also continue to keep up to date with developing regulations from the U.S. Department of Education and revise its policy in accordance to any future changes. Many of the updates to the Sexual Misconduct and Complaint Resolution Policy were necessary due to changes in laws related to Title IX, or were just simply clarifying. For instance, the policy now allows for cross-examination, which is required by court decisions. According to Hughes, this takes the form of a hybrid model in which a hearing officer allows both parties to submit questions. The officer then determines if the questions are appropriate and asks the parties the questions so the parties are not directly examining each other. Additionally, the language of “Early Resolution” was changed to “Informal Resolution” to better reflect the processes for complaint resolution. “Historically, what we’ve tried to do as an institution with our Title IX policies has been to really try to support survivors — for example, amending formal hearing processes so that students don’t need to be in the same room together. There’s no cross examination,” Hughes said. “Basically, the guidance in the court decisions are not allowing us to do that anymore. So, we’ve tried to create … a hybrid model.” Besides updating its policy, HMC has also improved the way in which it approaches sexual harassment and assault complaints through a Title IX team, developed in spring 2019, that includes three deputy Title IX coordinators, according to Hughes. The addition of this team is reflected in the new interim Sexual Misconduct and Complaint Resolution Policy. However, HMC still lacks a sufficient amount of confidential

DONNIE DENOmE • THE STUDENT LIFE

resources for students who wish to talk to someone about their experiences with sexual harassment, sexual assault or other related issues. Hughes’ email stated: “All HMC faculty members, staff members, administrators, proctors, mentors and some temporary student leaders are obligated to report any disclosures related to the Harvey Mudd College community that involve allegations of sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, intimate partner violence and stalking.” This means no one holding a position listed above is a confidential resource for students who may wish to discuss issues like sexual harassment or sexual assault without incidents being reported. Confidential 5C resources include Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services, the EmPOWER Center, the McAlister Center Office of the Chaplains and Student Health Services. But the only HMC-specific confidential resources who are also students are the Harvey Mudd Advocates for Survivors of Sexual Assault (HMC Advocates), which is made up of only three HMC students. Mentors — HMC sophomores through seniors who provide guidance and advice to fellow students — are legally obligated to disclose information about sexual assault, dating violence, stalking or sexual harassment because they’re considered responsible employees of the college. So, though there are some 5C confidential resources, there are very few confidential resources on the HMC campus and, moreover, close to no HMC-specific resources who’re also HMC students. Not to mention, Monsour has been struggling with month-long wait times, which is much too long to wait for someone who’s experienced sexual violence and is in need of a confidential resource. HMC has done a good job adapting to the numerous ongoing changes with Title IX regulations but needs more confidential

student resources so that students may feel more comfortable discussing Title IX-related issues like sexual harassment or sexual assault. It’s important for students who need to tell someone about something that’s happened to them to have the necessary resources, especially someone with whom they’re comfortable. It’s likely a student would be more comfortable discussing such issues with another student, instead of an unfamiliar adult. As HMC continues to adapt its Title IX policy to new regulations, it can also look elsewhere to better support its students. For instance, vice president for student affairs and Dean of Students Anna Gonzalez points to consent education as something the team is trying to work on. “What we’re hoping for, now that we’ve been able to make some changes to this interim policy, is that we can continue to focus on consent education and putting our efforts into what consent means for our students,” Gonzalez said. Similarly, HMC can also improve on providing more confidential resources for Title IX complaints. Though HMC has made significant progress in navigating Title IX legalese, it can do even better. To ensure students’ needs are being met, HMC must have more confidential student resources for Title IX-related issues. And like HMC, the other 5Cs, which also really only have their own Advocates groups as confidential student resources, can also benefit from increasing the number of on-campus confidential student resources. For victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault and dating violence, the accessibility of and comfort with resources for support is of great importance. A lack of confidential student resources further exacerbates already difficult situations. Michelle Lum HM ’23 is from San Jose, California. As one of the HMC Class of 2023 Presidents, she deeply cares about the HMC community and hopes the college will provide students with the resources they need.

Gentrification hurts the most for those least able to fight it NAM DO Gentrification hurts. It displaces people and dismantles the rich cultural and historical fabric that holds communities together. And it’s not just an American problem; it impacts marginalized groups of people in neighborhoods all around the world. My grandparents’ house in Vietnam — our family home for many generations — became victim to gentrification a few years ago. Here’s their story. In 2014, my grandparents received a letter from the Urban Planning Committee of the city of Hai Phong about a plan to build an industrial park in the area surrounding their neighborhood. In embellished and flowery language, the letter exalted the new construction project as potentially transformative for the city. At the bottom, in bold red letters, it said that my grandparents had three months to vacate the premises. That was the moment that their world, and ours, turned upside down.

My grandparents’ house was nestled in a little alleyway, tucked away from the bustling Hai Phong cityscape. The neighborhood surrounding it formed an intricate network of dilapidated houses and buildings that had been there for generations. Their house was no different. The house had been subsidized by the state to my great-grandfather when he earned professorship at Hai Phong University. Albeit small and run-down, it was a great source of pride for him, and it had become our family home as it was passed down to my grandparents.

The neighborhood was storied and deeply interconnected. Everyone knew each other, and treated one another as if they were close family members. Whenever I went to my grandparents’ house, I would have to make the rounds through the neighborhood to say hello to everyone. Every time I walked around the neighborhood, I would feel a sense of overwhelming love and warmth. These people had gone through the darkest times together, whether it was building bomb shelters together during wartime, secretly sharing food stamps with one another when rations were

DONNIE DENOmE • THE STUDENT LIFE

low or even helping deliver each other’s babies. They had established bonds of friendship and a sense of community culture that was unshakable. To the government, however, all of this was entirely dispensable. As Hai Phong became industrialized, the area that the neighborhood was in became an eyesore to the uniform urban planning. Needless to say, when they came up with a plan to build an industrial park, the neighborhood would be the first to go. My grandparents tried to protest. They could not afford to lose either the neighborhood or the house. They had watched their children grow up there and had become lifelong friends with their neighbors. In the attic of the house, my grandparents created a memory room where they held onto past family memorabilia — all of my great-grandfather’s war medals, black-and-white pictures of their marriage, toys that my mom used to play with. My grandmother spent many years growing as many plants and flowers as she could on the tiny rooftop garden that they shared with their neighbors. However, their protest was futile. As the construction project began, each household in the neighborhood was meagerly compensated and forced to relocate. On the day my grandparents were evicted, our whole family was there. My grandfather was the

first to shed a tear, even though we had never seen him cry before. We wept for the neighborhood, for future uncertainties and for the house that had been integral to our collective livelihoods. After living with my parents and I for a while, my grandparents found a small apartment close to our house. The apartment is too small for a memory room, but my grandmother still manages to grow her flowers and plants on the balcony. They still haven’t been able to bring themselves to go back to Hai Phong, even to visit. Five years later, it still saddens my grandfather to tell us a story of anything that took place in the old house. Their old neighborhood friends are now scattered all over; many still haven’t been able to settle down. Real estate skyrocketed in Hai Phong due to industrialization, so it was almost impossible for people to find a new place to live with the compensation sum they received. Some “lucky” families were not in the path of construction, but later had to relocate because of the toxic fumes from the factories. This story did not have a happy ending, but stories about gentrification often don’t. The fight against gentrification is a battle for the preservation of family pedigree, culture and history in the most vulnerable but storied communities — not just in the U.S., but all over the world. Nam Do PO ’23 is a prospective double major in music and history. He loves his family more than anything.

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December 6, 2019

PAGe 9

P-P basketball clinches last-second win over Stags, signaling start of more battles for SCIAC supremacy

HUXLeYANN HUeFNer • THe STUDeNT LIFe

JUSTIN SLePPY • THe STUDeNT LIFe

Left: micah elan PZ ‘20 drives toward the basket during the cmS vs. P-P men’s basketball game Nov. 4. right: Gloria bates cm ‘20 rises to take a shot. cmS beat Nebraska Wesleyan 104-70 Nov. 29.

MATTHEW KIM With 24 seconds left and the score tied at 48, the Pomona-Pitzer men’s basketball team knew it had to go to the hot hand: Micah Elan PZ ’20. Elan patiently ran down the clock from behind the three-point line, ensuring Claremont-Mudd-Scripps would have scant time to counter. With just eight seconds left in regulation, he decided it was go time, making a quick burst with Brian Kenyon CM ’23 pressuring him high. After recovering the ball from a slightly fumbled crossover, Elan crossed it back over to his left and pulled up for a straightaway three, hitting what was only the fourth triple of the night for the Sagehens and giving them a dramatic 51-48 win over the Stags. If the game was any indication of how the rest of the season will pan out, fans can expect another fierce battle between P-P and CMS for the SCIAC title. The Hens and Stags will next face off Feb. 5 at Roberts Pavilion.

Sagehen men post multiple blowout wins, ready to duplicate last season’s success Riding its momentum from last year, the P-P men’s basketball team is looking to repeat as conference champions and top last year’s second-round NCAA tournament exit. After dropping their first two games to Westmont and Biola in two tightly contested matchups, the Sagehens (4-2, 1-0 SCIAC) went on a tear, bulldozing Cal Miramar, Pacific and Lewis and Clark by margins of 38, 22 and 20, respectively. Elan has led the charge for the Hens, dropping 33 points against Lewis and Clark, 23 against Cal Miramar and 26 in the season opener at Westmont. He also posted a near triple-double in a 117-95 win over Pacific, ending with 16 points, nine boards and nine assists. Center Alex Preston PO ’21 has also impressed thus far. He’s averaging 18.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game on 52.4 percent from the

field. Against Pacific, he posted a whopping 42 points — setting a new single-game points record for P-P — and 13 rebounds. The Hens have also enjoyed important contributions from new team members. Brendan Mora PO ’23 put up 16 points and 16 rebounds against Pacific in only 21 minutes of play and 10 points and eight boards against Cal Miramar. Johnny King PO ’23 recorded 10 points, four rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 13 minutes against Cal Miramar. Part of P-P’s early success can be attributed to graduating just two seniors, including standout guard Daniel Rosenbaum PO ’19, who won SCIAC Player of the Year last season. However, losing a player of Rosenbaum’s caliber mandates adjustments. “We have a lot of guys returning, but I think that we’re getting through a process of adjusting to a new way of playing different players,” Adam Rees PO ’20 said. “Last year, we came into the season with the same players, and it was a really easy transition. With losing a couple of good seniors in Danny and Corbin [Koch PO ’19], it’s kind of tough to adapt from that.” If the Sagehens, who were voted to win the SCIAC in a preseason poll, can maintain their current level of offensive production — they’re averaging 85.7 points per game — then their chances of repeating as SCIAC champions look bright. “We are calm under pressure,” Rees said. We have a lot of experience on the team, and I think that really helps us. Skill-wise, we’re a very good shooting team.” The P-P men will next take on Bethesda University on Saturday at 7 p.m.

After losing its season opener to Whitworth 93-83, the Stags took down George Fox 80-72, Lewis and Clark 82-49 and Pacific 114-92. Against Pacific, Maxwell Kirsch CM ’20 and Jeremy Horn CM ’20 posted career-highs of 20 and 24 points, respectively. Horn also shot a near-perfect 11-for-12 from the field. Scoring has been the least of the Stags’ problems so far, as they’re averaging 81.4 points per game on 49.1 percent from the field. Veteran guard Miles President HM ’20 noted that scoring at a consistent pace was a problem for the team last year. “To avoid scoring droughts, we’re making sure we set hard screens to get each other open and trying to knock down open shots,” President said. He’s been crucial to the team’s offense. The senior guard is averaging 15.2 points per game on 51.9 percent shooting, including a 24-point performance against George Fox. With an almost equal number of upperclassmen and underclassmen, CMS has a good combination of experience and youth, which could bode well for the future. “The team is really close, and everyone is all-in on filling whatever role is needed for us to be at our best,” President said. With conference play coming up, the Stags will lean on their defensive intensity and veteran leadership. “Our greatest strength is probably our defense,” President said. “We take pride in making it very difficult for the opponent to score. We try to avoid giving up open threes or layups, forcing the other team into taking contested twos.” The Stags will next face UC Santa Cruz on Friday at 7 p.m.

Stags poised to return to SCIAC title contention

P-P women’s basketball looks to top last year’s historic season

Opening the season with multiple decisive wins, the CMS men’s basketball team (3-2, 0-1 SCIAC) looks ready to clash with P-P for the SCIAC title once again.

Fresh off last year’s history-making season, including the program’s first SCIAC tournament championship and its first NCAA

appearance, the P-P women’s basketball team (2-4, 0-0 SCIAC) is hungry for more. However, with only two juniors, no seniors and a new head coach, the young Sagehens have struggled early on, losing three of their first six games by double digits. “We are still learning to control the game and exploit our opponents’ weaknesses,” guard Renae Tamura PO ’21 said. “We want to be able to identify how the team can best score on offense and get stops on defense. These are things that we have not had a lot of experience with so far this season since we are only a few games in, but we are continuously working towards improving them in practice and games.” The squad was voted to finish second in the SCIAC behind CMS in a recent preseason poll. Last year, the Hens were also seeded second after regular season play, but upset the Athenas in the conference final. With conference play approaching in the coming weeks, the Hens will rely on their offensive firepower and perimeter shooting. The team scored 92 points in a recent victory against Nebraska Wesleyan, including four players with double-digit scoring performances. Last season, the team averaged 72.1 points per game. “With even more shooters this season, our team is looking forward to getting them their shots in rhythm and gaining energy from them hitting,” Tamura said. However, players also noted that they must improve on other areas of the floor if they want to achieve their goals: defending their SCIAC title and making it far in the NCAA tournament. “The biggest thing that we are looking to improve from last year is our defense and rebounding,” Tamura said. “We aim to become a very defensive-focused team that is also really good at scoring.” P-P will open up SCIAC play Saturday at 2 p.m. at Occidental.

Athenas motivated by last year’s SCIAC tournament loss, show signs of dominance in preseason After having their NCAA tournament aspirations thwarted by their Sixth Street rivals in a 60-57 loss in the championship game of the SCIAC tournament last season, the CMS women’s basketball team is looking for revenge. The Athenas (5-0, 0-0 SCIAC) have started off the season hot, winning each of their first five games, including 19-point victories over Westmont and Willamette, an impressive 10-point win over Emory and a 104-70 thrashing of Nebraska Wesleyan. Against Nebraska Wesleyan, Lindsey Cleary CM ’20 recorded 23 points, 11 rebounds and two steals on an efficient 10 for 16 from the field. Kate Parrish CM ’21 put up a monstrous statline of 27 points, 22 rebounds (14 offensive), one steal and four blocks while shooting 7-for-10 from the field and a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line. “Each game is a test of our ability to piece together four quarters where we can get stops on [defense], be aggressive and have high energy,” forward Cleary said. “Our focus on these ties into our larger goal of winning SCIACs and pushing forward into the NCAA tournament.” The Athenas came in first in a recent SCIAC preseason poll and currently sit at No. 25 nationally. The team’s dominance thus far may serve as an indicator for things to come. Having lost only three seniors to graduation, the Athenas boast an experienced and deep roster featuring eight upperclassmen and 13 returners. “Our greatest strength is definitely our depth and talent. Everyone on the team ... can bring the same amount of aggressiveness, scoring abilities and energy into the game,” Cleary said. “That makes us a tough team to play.” The Athenas will next take on Hendrix on Friday at 3 p.m. in St. Louis and will play their first SCIAC game at P-P on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

Hen women’s soccer continues historic season with Final Four showing ERIKA SCHWERDFEGER It’s been a whirlwind season for the Sagehen women’s soccer squad, whose near-perfect regular season record and slew of individual personal bests have catapulted them to new heights — into the Final Four of the NCAA Division III National Championship. The No. 8 Hens (20-1-2, 12-1 SCIAC) are currently in Greensboro, North Carolina, where they face off Friday against No. 2 William Smith, joining No. 1 Messiah and Carnegie Mellon in the Final Four. The P-P women’s soccer team’s season was a comeback story three years in the making, especially for the seniors who made it to the NCAA tournament their freshman year, but were eliminated one step shy of the Final Four. “It’s a huge accomplishment, something that this group did — our seniors did — as freshmen. We’ve been fighting hard for the last couple years to get ourselves back in that position,” head coach Jen Scanlon said, turning to address some members of her team during an NCAA second-round postgame interview. “Now we’re back here again because you never wavered from that commitment, you never gave up even when luck didn’t quite go our way a couple of those years.” In addition to their stellar record, the Sagehens had numerous individual accolades this season, including 21 goals by midfielder Bria VarnBuhler PO ’20, breaking the P-P program record and putting her in a tie for third among all Division III players. Another standout this season,

cOUrTeSY OF P-P ATHLeTIcS

The P-P women’s soccer team celebrates after their match against WashU. The women’s team advanced to the NCAA Division III National Semifinal Nov. 24.

goalkeeper Isa Berardo PZ ’20, was among the nation’s top three in both the goals-against average and save percentage categories. VarnBuhler was also the SCIAC women’s soccer Athlete of the Year, while Berardo earned First Team All-SCIAC. “One of the things I said to the group the night before the [second-round] game was that we have an opportunity tonight to learn how good we are,” Scanlon said. “We learned that we can go out and win a game, you know, in a place that’s not in our comfort zone.” Despite the skill and successes of star players, the Sagehens have

had to fight to make it into the Final Four, winning two of their three tournament games by a single goal. In their quarterfinal game against WashU, the team settled a 0-0 tie in penalty kicks — with Berardo making the save to secure the Hens’ ticket to the Final Four. In the third round, Anna Ponzio PZ ’22 scored the golden goal against the University of Chicago in overtime, securing the 1-0 victory that led the team to the Elite Eight. With their 1-0 win over Wartburg in the second round, the Hens continued their shutout streak and put their lockdown de-

fense and goaltending on display once again. “We played with so much composure and so much heart, and so even though they were pushing hard ... we were able to put our foot through the ball, clear it when we needed to, we were able to play smart out of the back when we had to,” Berardo said. “I think we played some really smart soccer.” Although the final scores of their tournament games have been close, the Sagehens have showed impressive grit in goal, boasting 20 shutouts in 23 games. All season, the Hens have only conceded five goals and haven’t given up a single goal in the 10 games leading up to

Friday’s contest. Today’s Final Four face-off will be the first meeting between P-P and William Smith. Both bring stellar defenses, the nation’s second-ranked (P-P) and third-ranked (William Smith) as measured by goals allowed and goals against average. If the Sagehens come away with a win, they’ll compete against the winner of the other semifinal, Messiah or Carnegie Mellon, for the 2019 NCAA championship title Saturday. If they pull this final feat off, it would be Pomona-Pitzer’s second national championship of the fall season, on the heels of the men’s cross-country team’s title just two weeks prior.

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PAGe 10

December 6, 2019

Athletes of the Week CHAMPS: Hens enjoy unlikely win Pomona-Pitzer Alex preston po ’21 Darien, CT Men’s Basketball

One week ago, Preston set a Pomona-Pitzer (4-2, 1-0 SCIAC) team record for points in a single game with 42 against Pacific University. Pacific shot out with an early lead, but it was Preston who closed the gap with a dunk at 35-34 to stake the Sagehens’ first lead of the half. P-P also faced off against Lewis & Clark, a 92-72 win to which Preston contributed eight rebounds and 20 points, the second-most of the night. In their latest game, a Sixth Street rivalry match hosted at home, Preston had the third-most points of the game, with 8 to add to the Hens’ 51-48 win over CMS.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Maezelle Millan CM ’21 Fontana, CA Women’s Basketball Athena basketball (5-0, 0-0 SCIAC) is off to a strong start with a five-game win streak, in part thanks to the versatility of players like Millan. The junior guard is known not only for her strong defense and lightning-quick steals, but also how she manages to contribute offensively. In CMS’ Nov. 29 game against Nebraska Wesleyan, in which the Athenas scored a school record of 104, Millan had seven points, and against Gustavus Adolphus, Millan tied for the lead scorer with nine points, also leading in steals with four. This week, Millan was named SCIAC’s Defensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row.

cOUrTeSY OF KIrK reYNOLDS

ethan Widlansky PO ‘22 (214) races alongside a group of runners during the NcAA Division III cross-country men’s Championship. The men’s P-P cross-country team won its first national title Nov. 23.

continued from page 1 As recently as 2015, Carpenter was a senior in college at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, and competed against P-P runners at the national cross-country meet. Just four years later, at the age of 26, he has been named the 2019 National Coach of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. “It doesn’t matter what you ran in high school as far as times and performances,” Carpenter said of the mentality he brings to the P-P program. “When you come here, every single guy on our team has the belief that they’re going to get better and that they’re going to be able to compete on the national stage.” As the lone senior on the top-seven squad that raced in Louisville, Rosen has seen the program evolve over his four years. “[Coach Boston] showed us that we can win and that we can make it to the national stage … and then Coach Carpenter built on the program that Coach Bos-

ton built to bring us a national title,” he said. While the Sagehens understand the lengthy process it took to reach this point, they also recognize that the national title raises expectations for upcoming seasons. “Coming back next year, there’s going to be a little bit of pressure to do as well as we did this year … but I think that can be a good motivating factor for a lot of people,” Keiser said. “There’s going to be a lot of people working hard to try to contribute, too.” Paszkeicz, who placed 16th individually and earned All-American status, believes competing for a national title should become the norm for the program. “The last few years, we’ve been right on the brink of being a podium-contending team, and I think we fell short actually the past couple years,” Paszkeicz said. “I don’t think this necessarily is a huge jump from where we’ve been to win a national title. … Going forward I think we’re going to maintain a lot of the same goals of being a podium-contending team.” Widlansky, who won the West

Regional meet the week before the NCAA championship, quickly emerged as the Sagehens’ top runner this season. He credited his teammates for helping him and the program reach such heights this season. “In workouts, you’re not trying to beat teammates; you’re working with them,” Widlansky said. “It’s a really good environment … I think we just got a lot closer. In the race, you’re not just thinking about your own performance, but you’re [thinking], ‘I’m doing this for my teammates, my friends.’” While national title expectations will weigh heavily on the shoulders of future Sagehens, right now the team is simply enjoying being a part of Pomona’s first national title in any sport since the 1991-92 women’s tennis team. The Hens met with Pomona President G. Gabrielle Starr to be congratulated Monday and was also introduced at halftime during the P-P vs. CMS men’s basketball game Wednesday. “It still really hasn’t set in,” Carpenter said, “just because not only did we surprise ourselves, we surprised a lot of the country.”

CMS water polo falls in SCIAC championship, but heads to inaugural national tournament thanks to semifinal win over P-P

HUXLeYANN HUeFNer • THe STUDeNT LIFe

The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men’s water polo team celebrate their victory against Pomona-Pitzer after their tense SCIAC semifinal match Nov. 22.

ALLIE GOULD The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men’s water polo team came from behind to defeat Pomona-Pitzer 12-11 in a high-stakes Sixth Street rivalry game Nov. 22, giving the Stags both a shot at the SCIAC title and an automatic bid in the inaugural USA Water Polo Division III National Championship. “I honestly think it was one of the crazier games I’ve been a part of,” said Ethan Lewis CM ’20, who had four goals in the victory that ended P-P’s season. CMS (17-11, 11-3 SCIAC) fell to No. 1 seed Whittier 13-12 in Sunday’s SCIAC tournament final, but still has the opportunity for a possible rematch. SCIAC teams agreed earlier this year to forgo a potential NCAA postseason appearance — where DIII schools tend to be clobbered by DI programs in the combined-division tournament — and instead will send CMS and Whittier to compete with Johns Hopkins and MIT. The inaugural four-team tournament will take place at Whittier on December 7 and 8, with CMS

facing Johns Hopkins in the first round. On Friday, though, hopes of competing in either of those games looked bleak, as the Sagehens (21-11, 11-3 SCIAC) came out firing and went up 7-2 in what Lewis called “just a really unfortunate quarter” for the Stags. “I personally thought that everything that could’ve went wrong, went wrong for us,” he said. The Hens maintained control of the game and their five point lead in the second quarter, and led 9-4 at halftime. “They had us in the first half, I’m not gonna lie,” Sam Harrison CM ’22 quipped. Halftime, however, was a turning point for the Stags and marked a dramatic shift in how the rest of the game would go. The team’s halftime talk was along the lines of “‘wake up, let’s get going and do what we know how to do and change how we’re playing. Put more energy into it,’” Harrison said. “It really just put our minds right.” Starting with a goal from Will

Clark CM ’22 with two minutes to go in the third period, CMS went on a 5-0 run to tie the game at 9-9. From there, the battle intensified and five goals were scored in the final four minutes of the match. CMS looked like an entirely different team in the pool in the second half. “Definitely the third, fourth quarter I felt the energy resurgence and excitement,” Lewis said. “I think the fourth quarter was for sure that final momentum shift that everything was really going our way.” In the middle of the fourth quarter, the Stags began to realize that not only had they dug their way out of a five-point hole, they had a legitimate shot of winning the game and upsetting the reigning SCIAC champions. “That was an ‘oh shit, we can do this’ moment,” Harrison said. “It just pumped everyone up that much more and we really went all out.” Lewis’ game-winning goal, assisted by Clark, came with only 37 seconds left and allowed CMS to avoid overtime play — in which they had fallen victim to

P-P in eight periods during the rivals’ last matchup Nov. 13. “We brushed it off,” Harrison said. “We took it with a grain of salt — that last overtime loss — and it gave us more drive and energy to train really hard the week in between.” P-P was the higher ranked team going into the game and had won the last three SCIAC titles, but collapsed against the Stags on Friday. “To be up so much … and end up losing in a fashion like that is obviously really difficult,” Dylan Elliott PO ’21 said. “I think the hardest thing was ... none of us were prepared for that to be our last game.” The Sagehens were feeling confident going into the semifinal, and there was a sense among the team that this match “was going to be our fourth-to-last game, and that we were going to make it all the way to the national championship game,” Elliott added. Despite the heartbreak, the team plans to turn the loss into more competitive fire for next year’s season. “The most important thing

is to remember what happened on Friday, to remember the goals we had this season [and] that we weren’t quite able to achieve them,” Elliott said. “If we use those as motivation going forward and the guys step up in the way that I know we can, I think the sky’s the limit for this team.” For the Stags, the historic rivalry made the win even sweeter. “Beating [P-P] meant the most for sure,” Lewis said. “The last three years have been pretty tough with them but ... finally finishing that last leg of beating Pomona-Pitzer and getting over that hump that you just couldn’t quite do the last few years is just a great feeling.” Friday’s win shows that CMS has “a really great chance at competing and I would say winning [the tournament],” he added. Lewis credits the success of this year’s team to a change in culture, where everyone is buying in. “I think the work ethic and the chemistry has been there,” Lewis said. “Everyone’s just really ready to win and I think that wasn’t necessarily the same attitude we had the last few years.”

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Assistant coaching is a ‘labor of love,’ but some struggle to make ends meet HUGO WARD, LANEY POPE & KELLEN BROWNING For Chris Hynes, an assistant coach for the Pomona-Pitzer volleyball team, the workday doesn’t end when the Sagehens leave the court. “Chris watches countless hours of our opponents and draws out charts for every hitter and their tendencies in each rotation. He even watches whole games of other teams in our conference playing each other,” volleyball captain Vicky-Marie Addo-Ashong PO ’20 said. Assistant coaches “just really care, and it’s so evident in the amount of work they put in for us,” she said. But despite his key role in the team’s success, Hynes — like many other assistant coaches in the P-P and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps athletic programs — has to work other jobs to supplement his income. “We are compensated at the county-mandated minimum wage, and that is a difficult way to meet your standard of living,” Hynes said. According to coaches and administrators, both 5C athletic departments are looking at ways to better compensate and value their assistant coaches, who often love their jobs but say their time and effort, especially outside normal practice hours, sometimes goes unnoticed. “I think that we bring a value that is probably underrecognized at this school,” Hynes said. P-P assistant coach Kyle Flores logs 15 to 20 hours a week during cross country and track seasons — meaning that for the other six months of the year, he has to find other ways to make money. Coaching doesn’t provide “enough hours to sustain an average lifestyle and to pay the bills that I owe in Southern California, [so] I work other jobs on campus,” he said, including being a monitor at the Rains Center, a ball-runner at soccer games and a scoreboard operator at sporting events. It’s “stressful knowing I have to sign up for these events in order to make ends meet,” Flores said, adding that he’s lucky if he’s able to work 40 hours a week between coaching duties and other on-campus jobs. But even so, he’s on campus “from 6:30 a.m. till 9:30 p.m. on a given day with all of the jobs that I sign up for.” Compensation has improved over time, data show A TSL analysis of nationwide athletic department data published by the U.S. Department of Education found that on average, the P-P and CMS athletic departments compensate their assistant coaches more than most other schools in the conference, but less than some of the other top Division III athletic programs across the country. In the 2017-18 school year — the most recent year for which data is available — CMS men’s team assistant coaches made $12,011, and P-P men’s team assistant coaches averaged $10,224. CMS women’s teams’ assistant coaches averaged $7,509 in the same year and their P-P counterparts averaged $8,126 that year. These salary discrepancies for men’s and women’s teams were common across the schools analyzed by TSL. Men’s teams’ assistant coaches at some other schools with premier DIII sports teams, like the University of Chicago, Middlebury College and Johns Hopkins University, make closer to $20,000 per year, while women’s team assistants at such schools often crack $15,000, based on 2017-18 data. For comparison, the head coaches of CMS men’s teams averaged $40,392 in 2017, and wom-

en’s teams’ head coaches made $45,730 on average (though that included salaries for two separate softball coaches), according to Department of Education data. At P-P, men’s teams’ head coaches made $47,113 and women’s teams’ head coaches averaged $40,591. CMS Athletic Director Erica Perkins Jasper stressed that looking at averages doesn’t tell the full story, though, as assistant coaches work a wide range of hours and have a variety of responsibilities. Some might be teachers or have other full-time jobs, helping out at practice for just a few hours a week, she said, while others could work up to 40 hours a week during the season as they pursue a future head coaching gig. “Most assistants get into it for the love of the game, and with a long-term goal of maybe becoming a head coach,” Jasper said. “You can work really hard, and when you start out you’re probably not making a ton of money, but long-term, you can make a living wage, whether it’s as a head coach or as an athletic director.” And although an assistant coaching job that pays minimum wage might not generate enough money on its own to make a living — especially in a high cost-of-living area like Los Angeles — the field has made huge strides in recent years, Jasper said.

Most assistants get into it for the love of the game, and with a long-term goal of maybe becoming a head coach. Erica Perkins Jasper cmS Athletic Director

Decades ago, she said, it would have been inconceivable to have a full-time job in collegiate athletics. When Jasper landed her first head coaching job in 2002 at Georgia Southern, she said she made just $10,000 in her first year, then $25,000 the following year. “A lot of people view college coaching as a career, whereas probably 20, 30 years ago, it truly was a labor of love,” she said. “Even if you were a head coach, you might also have a second job.” Indeed, salaries have increased over time, according to the Department of Education data. In 2002-03, the first year on record, P-P men’s team assistant coaches made an average of $4,590. Women’s teams’ assistants at that time earned just $1,873. At CMS, assistants on men’s teams made $4,883, and those on women’s teams averaged $1,710 in 2002-03. Still, Jasper — who worked her share of “side hustles” when she was a new coach, teaching tennis lessons and helping at summer camps — said increasing coaches’ pay has been “something on my mind from the day I started.” It all comes down to budgeting, she said. In the meantime, she said the department is working to ensure assistant coaches receive mentorship opportunities and feel valued for the integral roles they

cHrIS NArDI • THe STUDeNT LIFe

Left: Pomona-Pitzer men’s tennis assistant coach and interim head coach eric barnard teaches private lessons to supplement his income. Right: Pomona-Pitzer cross-country and track & field assistant coach Kyle Flores works other jobs on campus to earn income for six months of the year.

play on their teams. “My head coach was a huge mentor for me, and my assistant coach who was a little bit younger and a former great player was kind of an unbelievable go-between between the head coach and the student athletes,” Jasper said. How could donors, admin prioritize coaches? Before Megumi Abe became an assistant coach for the CMS track and cross-country teams, she worked in management consulting at Bain & Company. Abe started coaching two years ago because she wanted to look into whether working in higher education and with young people would be the right career path for her. She said she enjoys her job, but the difference in salary from her white-collar job has been shocking. “What does that really say about the priorities of society?” Abe said. “I do think it’s an industry-wide issue, that the people who develop and mentor our young people are valued as lowskilled labor.” Abe thinks alumni may be motivated to make splashy donations to big-ticket items like infrastructure projects, but wonders whether increased awareness of the difficulties coaches face could change where their money is going. “It’s really easy to build Roberts Pavilion at a very high cost and those are the kinds of things that attract new stories and new students and alumni dollars and fundraising and giving and that’s just the financial realities of being a university,” she said. “Sometimes, it makes me feel super hopeless that that could ever change. … The only way things like that will ever change I think is if people vote with their feet. Right now, it figures into no one’s college decisions whether or not faculty and staff at those universities are treated well or not.” Abe, a Caltech graduate, said her alma mater was able to secure a grant from the NCAA to fund an assistant coaching position — something that other SCIAC schools could also make use of. The NCAA’s Coaching Enhancement Grant funds twoyear, full-time assistant coaching positions. Ten DIII schools currently benefit from it. “Through that external mon-

ey [Caltech was] able to make that person’s life a little more sustainable,” Abe said. “So I know that such efforts are underway, but that’s not always the norm.” She said the CMS athletic department generally tries to be supportive and administrators help coaches find ways to make money during the off-season, like helping out at other sports games. CMS head swim and dive coach Charlie Griffiths, once an assistant coach himself at Denison University, also appreciated the role that assistant coaches play in sports. “Everyone on our coaching staff has a valuable role to play with our team,” Griffiths said in an email to TSL. “Multiple workouts are often taking place at once, requiring a coach to focus on one group at a time. Our coaching staff includes swimming assistants and a diving coach and it is also important to note CMS’ strength and conditioning staff and athletic trainers, who keep us fit and healthy.”

I love it here in Claremont, but being an assistant coach can never really be a long-term career choice. Kyle Flores Assistant P-P XcTF coach

Head coaches want more money for assistants Across Sixth Street, P-P administrators and head coaches say they’re also searching for ways to increase assistant coaches’ compensation. “Sagehen assistant coaches are essential to every program’s success and key contributors to providing a great experience for our student-athletes,” interim Athletic Director Jennifer Scanlon said in an email to TSL. “We are always looking at ways to improve our department and want to provide the best possible experience for our student-athletes. As part of that,

we are currently working on gathering benchmarking information for assistant coach positions at peer institutions.” A group of head coaches convened in the Rains Center on Thursday to discuss how they could help improve the lives of the assistant coaches who work for them, according to Valerie Townsend, P-P’s head volleyball coach. Topics included increased compensation and a better workplace environment that would incentivize assistant coaches to stick around, she said. “It’s still a work in progress, but all the head coaches realize the value of our assistant coaches and we want to do whatever we can to show our support of that and try and move forward in helping our assistants with their position here and being able to help our programs,” she said. Eric Barnard, an assistant coach serving as the interim P-P men’s tennis coach this year, said he’s also heard of a growing movement to pay assistants more. “The consensus is that for Pomona-Pitzer to be held to this elite status, you probably have to match some other schools where there are some more benefits for assistants,” Barnard said. “So it is really nice to be part of this community — the head coaches and interim athletic director are really behind the assistants.” As Barnard pursues his dual passions of tennis and acting, he said he’s had to teach private tennis lessons on the side to supplement his income. But he said he feels lucky because many of his actor friends earn money waiting tables or working other odd jobs, and “it’s just not fulfilling to them.” Despite the long hours, Barnard said he “doesn’t ever feel like he is wasting his time” on campus. And he said he doesn’t feel financial stress from his current situation. “Tennis is a great way to pay the bills,” he said. Flores, the P-P assistant cross-country coach, hopes to one day become a head coach for a Division II or III program, so he’s willing to endure the low pay for now. “I love it here in Claremont, but being an assistant coach can never really be a long-term career choice,” he said. Meghan Bobrowsky contributed reporting.

mArc rOD • THe STUDeNT LIFe

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December 6, 2019 TA’S TImeOUT

Why some nations are better at soccer than others DANNY TA It’s been over a year since the last FIFA Men’s World Cup tournament, which means teams are preparing to qualify for 2022. Despite this preparation, the same group of teams tends to win the tournament. Since the first World Cup in 1930, there have been 21 FIFA World Cup tournaments, nine of which have been won by a South American nation and 12 of which have been won by a European nation. Soccer skill generally doesn’t correlate with countries’ size, even though larger countries have a larger pool of potential footballers to choose from. The world’s five most populous nations are China, India, the U.S., Indonesia and Pakistan, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Of these, only the U.S. has consistently qualified for the final tournament, but even they missed the tournament in 2018 and aren’t realistic challengers when they qualify. Their only real tournament showing — apart from the first ever World Cup tournament — was in 2002, when the U.S. was eliminated in the quarterfinals. Of the other four nations, only China has appeared at the World Cup, also in the 2002 tournament, but lost all their group stage matches and scored zero goals. While soccer has a following in these countries, various factors including prioritization of other sports, lack of accessibility and weak youth development programs have prevented them from success at the international level. Additionally, soccer isn’t as accessible in the U.S. as it is in other countries. To get the best chance of making it professionally, families must be willing to pay big dollars for their kids to play club soccer. These programs can be prohibitively expensive for many people and can block promising players from pursuing their passion at a professional level. In women’s soccer, the narrative changes completely. American women have been dominant in soccer, winning half the tournaments that have taken place. Women’s soccer is ahead of men’s soccer in America, and according to NBC News, it has a lot to do with Title IX — the law that

prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs. “Soccer isn’t terribly expensive, so as schools and sports programs transitioned over the years to comply with Title IX, soccer was an easy sport to let girls in on,” Karen Blumenthal told NBC News. But a large population doesn’t hurt when it comes to success in soccer. The sixth most populated country — Brazil — has won the most FIFA World Cups. Soccer’s a way of life for Brazilian people, and as a result, it’s become highly accessible for youth. Players start pickup games on makeshift fields where the biggest Brazilian names got their starts, according to Business Insider. Since the game’s prioritized in Brazil, the next Pelé is more likely to be found among the population. As a result, kids all over the country compete to earn a chance to play for the national team. This competition, coupled with the winning spirit left behind by Brazilian legends, is the perfect source of motivation for young footballers to grow into future stars. To contrast, Iceland has a population of only 360,000, but managed to qualify for the 2016 European Championships. The team went as far as the quarterfinals and made it to the World Cup two years later in 2018. Iceland men’s national team’s coach Heimir Hallgrímsson said it’s easy to implement changes around a small country, according to Sports Illustrated. And while Iceland doesn’t have a large pool of players to choose from, the talented footballers they do have have been playing together since they were young. Iceland highlights that small nations do have the potential to succeed in international football with a proper system to develop young athletes. There’s no reason why the U.S. can’t follow the footsteps of Iceland, especially with its greater resources and larger talent pool. The U.S. needs to look beyond its inaccessible academies to find the hidden superstars who are sacrificing their love of the game because they can’t afford them. Danny Ta PO ’22 is a math major from Ontario, California.

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