VOL. CXXXIII NO. 0
FRIDAY, September 3, 2021
CLAREMONT, CA
ANNA CHOI • THE STUDENT LIFE
Welcome back. Let’s CMC preps for new science building take care of each other This semester, community comes first
EDITORIAL BOARD Maybe you’re still getting used to life in a residence hall. Maybe you’re returning to campus for the second or third time. Maybe you never left the city of trees and PhDs — but no matter what the last year and a half brought, TSL is thrilled to welcome you to this semester at the Claremont Colleges. One thing unites us: After two semesters of false starts and a mountain of preparation, we all know exactly how special it is to be here. There’s nothing quite like hammocking on the Mounds, relaxing in Seal Court, visiting the koi at Galileo or watching the sun rise over Marston Quad and set on the Kravis roof. And although the changing nature of the COVID-19 pandemic means this semester won’t exactly look like the ones in recent memory, it’s also one that we’re not likely to forget anytime soon. From long-awaited reunions of friends and peers to firsttime meetings of classmates that have only ever seen each other in boxes on a screen, there’s so much to get out of our time together. So in light of the unique circumstances in which we find ourselves, we have a couple of thoughts about how we can all get the most out of the coming weeks and months. First and foremost, it’s become exceedingly clear that time at the 7Cs
is precious. There’s no place like this in the world — no exact match for the hub of energy, curiosity, determination and creativity that you’ll find just stepping out for lunch or walking through an academic building. If there’s a professor you’ve been meaning to meet, a club you’ve heard so much about or a once-ina-lifetime trip to the mountains, the beach or some other part of gorgeous Southern California, there’s no time like the present. Sometimes the best decisions you’ll make in college come from heading to a meeting on a whim or choosing to keep a conversation going instead of hurrying on to the next thing. Savor each moment and take advantage of whatever you can. That brings us to a fact we’re all too familiar with: Our time here is fragile. mRNA vaccines and wavering case counts aside, the indisputable lesson of the last 18 months is that COVID-19 will be here to stay for the foreseeable future. We each need to do our part to keep ourselves safe where we are because the alternative is all but unthinkable. The colleges have given us a head start, with changes like outdoor classroom space, standardized testing schedules and hand sanitizer within a stone’s throw of every building you could think of. But to
TALIA BERNSTEIN • THE STUDENT LIFE
Facilities and spaces around the 5Cs are reopening with restrictions to limit the spread of COVID-19 on campus.
be frank, administrative decisions can’t protect us — we have to be responsible for our own safety and, by extension, that of those around us. Community health includes all of us, whether we like it or not. The virus doesn’t automatically turn off in dining halls or dorm rooms late at night, and that means your ability to make good decisions shouldn’t either. The prevalence of asymptomatic cases means the potential to unwittingly get infected or infect others is always there. It may not feel like the virus is in the room with you, but it’s certainly in Claremont, and just one case can lead to dozens more. Obviously, none of us are locking ourselves in our rooms. But a few smart decisions can go a long way. When in doubt, throwing on a mask can make a world of difference (and yes, it only works if you keep it over your nose and mouth). Heading outdoors for a hangout greatly improves the air filtration around you. And although it’s exciting to be able to attend parties again, consider that very close interactions with dozens of strangers may not be the most ideal way to spend your weekend evenings for at least a little while. Finally: let’s be patient with ourselves and each other. We’ve all had to learn and relearn how to operate, both in our own contained spaces and then, gradually, how to live and work again with other people. There’s no reason that we should all have been able to jump back into daily life with the same energy as before the quarantines — and that’s completely okay. Mistakes and misunderstandings will happen. Forgetting and fumbling names, especially behind a face covering, is inevitable. And constantly juggling coursework, obligations, social life and sleep is challenging enough when it doesn’t also require thinking twice every time you enter another room. Taking time for self-care is a necessity, as is resetting the
See WELCOME on page 2
NEWS COVID cases in LA County are sliding, and the 5Cs’ testing systems are beginning to pick up the first positive results of the semester. Read more on page 2.
The student newspaper of the Claremont Colleges since 1889
COURTESY: CITY OF CLAREMONT
Claremont McKenna College’s master plan is changing to accomodate a new science center and relocated athletic complex.
JASPER DAVIDOFF Claremont McKenna College is planning significant changes to its campus in coming years, including the construction of a new integrated sciences center, even as the school’s controversial withdrawal from the W.M. Keck Science Department remains up in the air. In late July, CMC officials presented the Claremont Architecture Commission with a proposal to revise the college’s 2012 master plan in order to shuffle around new academic, administrative, student and athletic facilities. The commission approved the adjustments. The new 135,000 square foot, four-story science building will be constructed on the site of CMC’s current baseball field on the corner of Claremont Boulevard and Ninth Street. “The new center is contemplated to include teaching and research labs, classrooms, an innovation center, and a range of other multipurpose uses,” paperwork filed by the college said. CMC originally announced the creation of its own science department in fall 2018, along with its intention to leave Keck, which it jointly administers along with Scripps College and Pitzer College. But three years later, the college still hasn’t officially declared its intent to leave. The process was pushed back due
OPINIONS Pomona College claims to emphasize education in its disciplinary process, the Editorial Board writes. But recent events suggest differently. Read more on page 3.
to fundraising constraints in April 2019. Last month, CMC announced a founding chair for its new department: Ran Libeskind-Hadas, who was previously professor of computer science at Harvey Mudd College. Now, Vice President and General Counsel Matthew Bibbens CM ’92 said, the independent department continues to grow even as CMC’s commitment to Keck evolves. “It is not yet fully clear whether or not CMC will, if you will, formally withdraw from Keck, or there might be some other partnership remaining there. I don’t want to give the impression that those final decisions have been made,” Bibbens told the commission. “But we have decided that, as a minimum, we will have a complementary department of integrated sciences that has a particular computational focus at CMC.” CMC President Hiram Chodosh drew a contrast between the college’s teaching capabilities through Keck — which is currently expanding into a new building — and opportunities in a new facility. “Our current program at Keck Science has been burdened by a lack of space, and that lack of space has prevented us from hiring the tenured, tenure-track faculty that we needed and we’ve had to rely on a great number of visitors and adjuncts,” he said. “So in a way, we’re not increasing the overall number of faculty but rather replacing the current faculty we have,
See SCIENCE on page 2 SPORTS Returning to the field after more than a year, the CMS and P-P football teams are energized for this Saturday’s Sixth Street Rivalry opener. Read more on page 4.
INDEX: News 1 | Opinions 3 | Sports 4