THE STUDENT LIFE FRIDAY, FebRuARY 7, 2019 | CLAREMONT, CA | VOL. CXXX NO. 11
Pitzer finds $200K College unearths previously unaccounted-for funds MARIA HeeTeR Pitzer College uncovered approximately $200,000 of previously unaccounted-for funds last April, which, unbeknownst to current administrators and students, had accumulated for over a decade, Dean of Campus Life Dan Hirsch announced at a Pitzer Student Senate meeting Jan. 26. The money had been accumulating for the past â15 or 16 years,â according to Hirsch, and the account was unknown to all current administrators at Pitzer. Administrators plan to put the money toward a variety of projects aimed at enhancing the student experience on campus, including both facilities improvements and new programs, among other initiatives, according to Hirsch. Once the account was identified, treasurer Laura Troendle, Vice President for Student Affairs Mike Segawa and Hirsch determined that the money, now called âthe student activities fund strategic reserve account,â would go back to the students, Hirsch said. âItâs an awesome problem to have, right? How often do you find $200,000? Not often or ever,â Hirsch said. But itâs unclear how the money escaped detection in the first place. âFrankly, weâre trying to figure that out too,â Hirsch said. Beginning â15 or 16 years ago,â the student senate operating budget was calculated by multiplying the student activities fee by 1,000, the approximate enrollment of the college at the time, according to Hirsch. When enrollment exceeded 1,000, the student activities fees charged to the excess students accumulated in a separate account instead of going to the student senate operating budget, according to Hirsch.
See CASH on page 2
HUXLEYANN HUEFNER ⢠THE STUDENT LIFE
Four sculptures by Carol Bove sit outside of Collins Dining Hall at CMC.
CMC sculptures inspire praise, memes, confusion ANuSHe eNGINeeR Contrary to campus rumors and speculation, the new structures visible on Claremont McKenna Collegeâs campus arenât bike racks or scrap material â theyâre works of art. The sculptures, which were installed outside Collins Dining Hall the week of Jan. 13, are the works of Brooklyn-based artist Carol Bove, according to a CMC press release. The art was officially unveiled Jan. 30 when protective fencing was removed from the area. âFour Loopsâ and âThe Enigma of Pleasureâ were created especially for CMC in 2019, while âCretaceousâ and âLingamâ were created in 2014 and 2015, respectively. According to the release, the latter two pieces have previously been on display in New York as well as Leeds, England. All four pieces were made using a combination of natural and synthetic materials, includ-
ing scrap metal, ancient petrified wood and stainless steel pipes. âFour Loops,â in particular, was bent into shape by several tons of hydraulic pressure and polished to give a âmirror-reflective surface,â the release said. Christopher Walker CM â69, a CMC trustee and chair of the schoolâs public art committee, funded the four new sculptures on CMCâs campus, the release said. He has previously donated and loaned several other pieces to CMC. âThere will be thousands of students who will see them. They will not be tucked away in someoneâs yard,â Walker said in a later press release. The artwork almost immediately lit up social media, where several students posted memes poking fun at the art. In a video posted to a 5C meme group, âMeme Queens of the 5cs,â Ava Sealander SC â22 sings âMama,â to the tune of âBohemian Rhapsody.â They pan over âFour Loopsâ and sing âoo-oo-oo-ooh,â
cracking a joke about the sculptureâs shape. âThe loop sculpture is by far my favorite because itâs calming, but fun to look at, especially compared to the others in the area if Iâm being honest. I think itâs pretty iconic,â Sealander said via message. Past the jokes, ASCMC President Dina Rosin CM â20 praised the new sculptures. âI applaud CMCâs expansion of public art on campus, and as we continue to grow our commitment to the arts, I hope to see more opportunities for students to study and create art,â Rosin said via email. Other students, however, were slightly skeptical. âI donât even know what it symbolizes,â said Kenza Fernandez SC â22, an art major at Scripps College, talking about âFour Loops.â Fernandez suggested that a plaque with more information about the artist be put up. âMaybe if we know who the artist is we can Google them and
see other pieces that the artist has done or see what the piece symbolizes at least,â she said. Nicholas Mendez CM â21 was ambivalent about the sculptures. âI hated it when the fences were up at the beginning of the semester, but now that theyâre gone I like it OK,â he said. âItâs actually starting to grow on me.â CMC has added six outdoor sculptures and an indoor mural to its public art collection over the past five years, according to the CMC website. âFrom the mountain to the sea,â a mural that sits in the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, was acquired by a group of trustees on the CMC Public Art Committee in 2015, according to the CMC websiteâs page on public art. âMeet in the Middle,â a sculpture of benches and streetlights located outside Roberts Pavilion, was installed in 2016 by late artist Chris Burden PO â69, according to the same CMC public art page.
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âDrop Sodexoâ reaches crescendo as Students grill Hub on dining provider seeks new contract meal replacement change Scripps students, workers split over decision MARIA HeeTeR & eRIKA SCHWeRDFeGeR Student activists turned out Tuesday to protest a presentation by Sodexo, Scripps Collegeâs controversial
food service provider, which is hoping to renew its contract with the school. A group of Malott Dining Commons staffers, including some longtime employees, also showed up to defend the company.
ANNA CHOI ⢠THE STUDENT LIFE
Students walk out of Balch Auditorium after silently protesting a presentation by dining services provider Sodexo on future plans Feb. 4.
Approximately 50 protestors, who wore âDROP SODEXOâ signs, several uniformed dining hall staff and other students filled Balch Auditorium during Sodexoâs presentation to the college community. The student-organized Drop Sodexo campaign has advocated for Scripps to end its contract with the company for several years because the company operates private prisons in Europe and Australia, has been accused of mistreating workers and has been accused of providing substandard food, among other reasons, according to the Drop Sodexo website. Sodexo has provided food services for the college since 2000, according to Vice President for Business Affairs Dean Calvo. The collegeâs current contract ends in June, according to an email sent by Calvo to Scripps students in December.
See SODeXO on page 3
LIFE & STYLE
College and university a cappella teams across Southern California flocked to Claremont to participate in the 2020 ICCA West Quarterfinal. Read more on page 5.
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eRIKA SCHWeRDFeGeR
Last week, Claremont McKenna Collegeâs Hub Grill left students feeling burned after it restricted, then restored, its meal replacement policy. Several students were caught off guard when they returned from winter break to find CMCâs popular dining spot, which serves packaged and freshly-prepared food items for lunch and dinner, was no longer accepting meal replacement as a form of payment for all items. Students at Scripps College, Harvey Mudd College and CMC can use a meal swipe as payment for an array of hot and cold food items Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, according to CMCâs website. But the Hub limited the range of items that qualified for meal replacement to an array of grab-and-go items and one âspecial of the dayâ â meals that varied from avocado toast to grilled cheese and bisque soup. âMany students were frustrated by the change, as CMC
OPINIONS
students enjoy taking advantage of the flexibility and convenience of meal replacement, and most students seem to rely on the wide array of hot food options,â ASCMC President Dina Rosin CM â20 said via email. For many with evening classes, athletic events and late working hours, the meal replacement option is a staple which provides hot meals after dining halls close. âFor me and also my teammates, it would have been a real detriment, because a lot of the time we did have late practices, so the cafeterias would close and coming to the Hub was all we had,â soccer player William Birchard CM â21 said. âSo to have that taken away would be really unfortunate.â The change in policy prompted an indignant response from students, many of whom voiced their concerns to CMC Dean of Students Dianna Graves. According to Graves, Bon AppĂŠtit, which operates the Hub and Collins Dining Hall, did not consult the Dean of Students office before making the change, compounding confusion. In response, Graves said the
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Pro-gun activists who use slogans like âthe Second protects our Firstâ forget that the Second Amendment wasnât written with individuals in mind, claims Ben Reicher PO â22. Read more on page 7.
Matthew Kim PO â23 reflects on his strongest memories as a Lakers fan and describes the impact Kobe Bryant had on him. Read more on page 9.
INDEX: News 1 | Life & Style 4 | Opinions 6 | Sports 8