Vol. CXXXIV No. 13

Pomona Events Committee brings SNL newbie Marcello Hernandez to Big Bridges

KIRAN RAJAGOPAL

Marcello Hernandez picks

Brian out of the crowd. “What’s your favorite song at parties?”

Brian yells from the audience. Hernandez pauses for a splitsecond and smiles — he knows this joke will kill. “You know what that question really means?

WHAT’S WRONG WITH ‘MR. BRIGHTSIDE?’”

The sly quip causes raucous laughter among the 2,000 5C students in attendance.

Brian doesn’t really exist. When Ben Cerbin PO ’26 shouted out his name, Hernandez misheard. The minutiae are hardly of concern when both parties work so well together to get a laugh. That simple interaction summarized the night perfectly. Marcello Hernandez gave the crowd what they wanted to hear. He fed off the energy in Big Bridges Auditorium, synthesizing laughs into uproar.

On Feb. 10, Pomona College Events Committee hosted “College Comedy Night” featuring Marcello Hernandez. Hernandez has recently joined the cast of Saturday Night Live (SNL) for its 48th season. Prior to joining SNL, he handed out fliers for the show outside of 30 Rock while pursuing comedy. At 25, the stand-up comic has already positioned himself to be a leading figure in comedy for years to come. The first news of the event spread after the ASPC sent out an email on Jan. 26. Pomona students

were given early access and free tickets, after which the rest of the 5C community was given the opportunity to purchase seats.

Fliers were stapled to buildings, and Instagram stories were shared and reposted. The hype was real.

Doors opened at 7 p.m. and the show began a few minutes past 8. Hernandez’s omnipotent voice greeted the buzzing crowd and introduced Ali Kolbert, one of two opening acts, to the stage.

Kolbert is a stand-up comic and podcaster based in New York City.

Kolbert immediately set the tone of the night, shooting off a lighthearted barrage of insults against liberal arts colleges, men and bottoms. Her deadpan delivery along with her provocative set about being a lesbian and modern dating established the mood for the night. The crowd was a tad quiet but would erupt during especially clever or referential jokes.

Kolbert then introduced Lili Michelle, the second opening act. The Iranian-Canadian comedian narrated a satirical account of her upbringing, incest and 9/11. Michelle’s personal stories and warm stage presence provided a much-needed interregnum between Kolbert and Hernandez’s jumpier comedic personas.

Marcello Hernandez sauntered on stage to roaring applause. The 5-foot-8-inch

Miami kid could fit right into the 5C community. At only 25, Hernandez graduated from John Carole University in Cleveland — a city he proceeded to make fun of — just four years ago.

Hernandez incorporated slang and internet jargon into his stand-up, engaging with a younger crowd in a way older comics would struggle to. In one of his bits, he explained how at 11, he understood technology better than both of his parents, declaring himself “the leader of his house.”

Hernandez’s comedy was very accent-heavy. It’s no wonder he was cast on SNL, where he is required to undertake multiple celebrity impressions per episode. Oftentimes, he would slip into his Cuban and Dominican parents’ accents when telling a joke.

Hernandez also incorporated acting into his stand-up. Rather than telling a story, he inhabited the characters he was speaking about, often opting to use a pose or facial expression as the punchline rather than the words themselves. “White peoples’s worst fear is to be awkward,” Hernandez explained in one of his standout bits. He expanded that simple absurd proclamation into stories about airline pilots, party music and hotel plumbing. He skillfully observed the cultural differences in the communities that he grew up around. Hernandez’s set lasted

Claremont students organize with local tenants for permanent eviction protections

around 45 minutes, after which he thanked the crowd, took a selfie and dipped behind the curtain.

The crowd flooded outside Big Bridges to Marston Quad. Reenactments, praise and criticism could be heard as people headed out for the night.

“It was fun to find something relatable in each of the sets because the comedians incorporated their own experience into the performance,” Kayla Park PO ’26 said. “The energy was so dynamic between the audience and the performer.”

COuRTeSY: INCLuSIVe CLAReMONT

Members of Inclusive Claremont attended the Feb. 8 listening session to show support for stronger tenant protection ordinances.

On Wednesday, Feb. 8, over 20 members of the 5C student group Inclusive Claremont joined Claremont Tenants United to advocate for stronger renter protections at the first of two listening sessions held by the City.

Tenants of Monarch Terrace apartments pushed for the city of Claremont to organize these listening sessions to hear from the community regarding future tenant protection ordinances. Last year, Revere Investments bought the Monarch Terrace apartments.

The company used a loophole in California housing law that allows landlords to evict tenants in order

to renovate a unit and then raise rents, known as a “renoviction.” Revere Investments then told tenants they had just 60 days to move out, according to a Claremont Courier article.

After months of organizing by Monarch Terrace residents to prevent the evictions, the Claremont City Council passed a temporary eviction moratorium on “no fault” evictions last October.

However, the moratorium is set to expire on June 30. According to the Co-founder of Claremont Tenants United (CTU) and a Monarch Terrace tenant of 20 years, Lydia Hernandez,CTU is pushing the City Council to adopt more permanent renter protection ordinances.

“My point is to let the city know we have to do more to protect tenants,” Hernandez said.

The listening sessions were held in-person Feb. 8 and via Zoom Feb.15.

“City staff planned these two listening sessions as a way to gather feedback from landlords and tenants about what they’d like to see represented in future tenant protection ordinances,” Katie Wand, Claremont’s Assistant City Manager, told TSL via email.

In preparation for the listening sessions, CTU and Inclusive Claremont organized canvass-

On Tuesday, Feb. 14, the Claremont International Relations Society hosted an event titled “Hot Topic: Turkey-Syria Earthquake & Relief Efforts” led by Heather Fergusson, a professor of History at Claremont McKenna College.

This event was inspired by two emails from Claremont McKenna College Dean of Students Diana Graves that provided students with resources to support the growing humanitarian crisis in Syria and Turkey. The first email included a link to the Claremont Colleges Turkish Student Association GoFundMe page, while the second email provided a list of five additional relief organizations.

Fergusson felt that along with the email, the community needed to have an event to highlight the

importance of navigating tragic global events with care and compassion.

“The 5Cs includes many faculty and students who have lost family, relatives, loved ones, friends, students and colleagues,” she said. “If we seek to actively engage as global citizens at CMC, we must begin by recognizing that global events have direct and immediate consequences for our ‘local’ SoCal community as well.”

Fergusson discussed the disaster in her history classes as well as with her students in the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies humanities lab on Race and Islam. In both discussions, she explained the importance of regional knowledge to clarify the political and historical barriers rescue teams faced in bringing relief aid to those most in need.

In her Hot Topic presentation, Fer-

Goddess of military victory?

More like goddesses of softball victories. Athenas softball started their 2023 season off with a bang last Saturday, defeating the Westcliff Warriors in a double header season opener to remember.

SAJAH ALI

REIA LI, NHI NGUYEN & SAMSON ZHANG

beLLA PeTTeNGILL • THe STuDeNT LIFe

beLLA PeTTeNGILL • THe STuDeNT LIFe

103 years of voter advocacy: League of Women Voters Club open to 5Cs

JUNE HSU

Pomona College now has a chapter working with the League of Women Voters (LWV), a nonpartisan grassroots organization focused on advocacy and voting rights. The chapter will be led by Amanda Hollis-Brusky, politics chair at Pomona College and vice president of the LWV of Mt. Baldy Area, and politics major Celia Parry PO ’23.

The National Woman Suffrage Association founded the LWV in 1920. The League led initiatives for the ratification of the 19th amendment and provided voter education for 20 million women navigating the process for the first time.

The LWV now has over 750 active leagues across the United States, including the local Mt. Baldy Area league. Originally the “Pomona Valley League of Women Voters,” the Mt. Baldy league was founded in 1938 and later became the “League of Women Voters of Mt. Baldy Area” in 2017. The league now looks to the future, hoping to expand its mission and influence to a younger generation.

“We’ve been thinking about diversity and inclusion within our Mount Baldy chapter,” Hol

lis-Brusky said. “We’re thinking about not only diversity in terms of racial, ethnic, geographic, but also age.”

With only a few voter education and advocacy-focused clubs at the Claremont Colleges, all 5C students now have the chance to work alongside the LWV of Mt. Baldy Area.

“We would be working with local community leaders to do education advocacy, probably working on social media and podcast-related projects for the league [and] connecting with high schools in the area and also doing research to identify future issues and areas for advocacy,”

Parry said.

After the 19th amendment was ratified, the LWV continued to advocate for women’s education and rights, including campaigning for the creation of the United Nations, creating the LWV Education Fund and passing multiple voting acts such as the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.

The LWV of Mt. Baldy Area recently announced its 2023 presentations: Civics Education, Water Infrastructure and Conservation, Juvenile Justice and Housing and Homeless -

ness. The LWV’s action consists of “writing letters to media or legislators, holding press conferences, speaking at hearings and public meetings, adding our voice to a ballot measure campaign or sending action alerts to our members,” according to the LWV of Mt. Baldy Area website.

“The league is one of these organizations that is very interested in advocacy … that is based on education and research. I think the league is unique in that they won’t take action on a position unless they’ve studied it,” Hollis-Brusky said. “The positions that the league has, they’re not static.”

Due to the LWV’s non-partisan foundation, it does not endorse any political candidates or political parties; however, it advocates for many issues and prompts conversations surrounding political issues. As a politics major at Pomona, Parry saw it as an opportunity to explore her interests outside the classroom.

“I’m in classes where you talk about and learn about all these normative claims about democracy,” Parry said. “It’s an opportunity to go beyond that and do real work on the ground.”

Students will be immersed in the league’s mission and have opportunities such as engaging with local government, digitizing chapter archives and participating in advocacy projects.

“There are a lot of opportunities for not just politics majors

but anyone who’s interested in kind of civic life, civic engagement [and] what it means to be a community,” Hollis-Brusky said. “Anyone who joins now gets in on the ground floor and gets the opportunity to shape the culture and shape that organization.”

Kelly McCreary announced as Scripps commencement speaker for the class of 2023

Actress and voting rights advocate Kelly McCreary will speak at the Scripps College commencement ceremony on May 13, according to President Suzanne Keen’s email to Scripps students on Thursday, Feb. 9. McCreary is best known for her role as Dr. Maggie Pierce on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.” She appeared on other popular television shows such as “Scandal” and “White Collar,” and performed on Broadway in 2008. She is also a prominent voting rights advocate and has dedicated herself to organizations like Get Out The Vote and When We All Vote, Michelle Obama’s campaign to increase voter registration and participation. In 2015, she joined the civil rights legal organization Equal Justice Society’s Board of Directors.

Senior class co-presidents

Ishi Gupta SC ’23 and Elaine Yang SC ’23 selected McCreary from a list of candidates put together by the senior class and a committee that Gupta

RELIEF: In the wake of the quake

Continued from page 1

gusson emphasized this importance of recognizing the already existing historical, territorial, political, social and economic tensions in the affected regions of Southwest Turkey and Northwest Syria.

Fergusson warned that people should not default to the term “natural disaster” when speakin g about the issue, because the term makes the severity of the aftermath seem unpreventable.

“The 12 years of civil war in Syria, the ethnic, linguistic and cultural diversity of the population in southern Turkey and the long-running cross-border tensions exacerbated by the civil war and the massive displacement of people from Syria to Turkey…as a result, [those factors] shaped the shift from ‘hazard’ to catastrophic ‘disaster’ in the seconds, minutes, days and weeks after the earthquakes and the now over one thousand aftershocks,” Fergussen said.

Nisha Singh CM ’23, a member of the Claremont International Relations Society and Diversity and Inclusion Chair of ASCMC, invited Fergusson to lead this week’s Hot Topic event. Hot Topics are a series of political discourse events sponsored by CMC’s Keck Center for International and Strategic studies.

Singh shared that she wanted to help facilitate this event to spread more news about the severity of the earthquake and highlight the most effective ways to send aid.

“People want to help. They feel bad, but there’s some due diligence that you have to do when helping with this issue,” Singh said. “How is this aid going to get there? What organization am I supporting? What do they stand for and are they reliable?”

Singh implored students to recognize the political elements of the

earthquake aftermath, including looking at the intersectionality of groups that are already marginalized in the area, such as the Kurdish community in Turkey.

“It’s not just a humanitarian issue, nothing is just apolitical, there’s always dimensions to things that need to be understood further,” she said. “I don’t think people will seek it unless, you know, you kind of bring it to the forefront”.

Fergusson acknowledged the trauma that many students with connections to the area may be experiencing. She explained the framing of the presentation required tact and sensitivity.

“I was admittedly very nervous about hosting an event like this as the tragedy and trauma of the earthquakes are still unfolding around us,” she said. “I sought to emphasize how ‘collective’ knowledge is part of ‘ethically’ engaging in an event that impacts communities in Turkey and Syria with histories of cross-border conflict.”

Melanie Kallah CM ’25 said that as a research assistant working with Fergusson in her Race and Islam lab, she understood the urgency of having a discussion and education at the 5Cs about this crisis. She attended Fergusson’s event to continue spreading awareness about this disastrous earthquake.

“The event was important to not only educate those who came on the ramifications of the earthquake and the existing socio-cultural and political conditions,” Kallah said. “But also to bring humanity back to disasters such as these and remind people that the trauma they produce doesn’t end once our awareness of the disaster ends.”

and Yang assembled to assist in the selection process. The pair began their selection process by conducting a poll within the senior class.

“We had an event in Seal Court where we had people write on a board the types of people they would want to see and the traits they wanted to see in their speaker,” Yang said.

After hearing back from a few candidates, McCreary’s name rose to the top of the list. Many students believe that may have been in part because of a student’s personal relationship with the actress.

“Part of our polling process was asking people if they had a connection,” said Gupta. “We had a connection to Kelly, and we looked into her, and we saw that it aligned with what students wanted as well and then we were able to get her.”

McCreary graduated from Barnard College, another historically women’s college, which she has in common with Scripps students.

“That was something that I think also helped a lot with the

process because when writing the letter we really want to focus on ‘oh, we’re also a historically women’s college,’” Yang said. “Her message and her goals aligned really well with the students of Scripps.”

Gupta and Yang felt that McCreary values spoke well to Scripps’ curriculum. At Scripps, every student takes three core classes centered around a theme during the first three semesters.

“Our Core I theme was ‘truth,’ and [McCreary] really aligned with the values and things that we learned in Core,” Yang said to TSL via email. “She is someone who practices her truth every day and amplifies the voices of people who might be too afraid to do so.”

Jaela Alvarez SC ’23 also felt optimistic about McCreary’s contribution to the commencement.

“I knew who she was, obviously, because I am a really big ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ fan, so I was pretty hyped,” Alvarez said. “I think it’s really nice that we have a Black woman [as] a speaker. That’s great representation. I think it would be an important point for her to address.”

T e NANTs: Canvassing and policy education

Continued from page 1

ing of Claremont apartment complexes to urge tenants to attend and voice their support for stronger renter protections.

Inclusive Claremont hosted a “Tenants Rights 101” event at the Hive on Feb. 2 to educate students about renter protection policy at city and state levels and to recruit them to help with canvassing.

Over 40 students and other community members attended the event, which included presentations by Hernandez, student organizer Gwen Tucker SC ’25, Pitzer cook and Claremont Tenants United co-founder José Ochoa and Pasadena Tenants Union organizer Ryan Bell.

The weekend after the training, 20 students helped knock on over 500 doors to spread the word about the listening sessions and hear tenants’ concerns, according to Tucker.

According to Tucker, the idea for canvassing originated after realizing that Claremont wouldn’t be sending out flyers to tenants about the listening sessions.

Claremont conducted outreach for the sessions by sending out postcards last October regarding future tenant protections and publishing an article in a weekly News Update that residents can subscribe to, Wand told TSL via email.

However, despite this outreach, “only one of the people that we had a conversation with over the whole weekend had even known that this was happening,” Tucker said.

At both listening sessions, Wand explained that future ordinances could potentially make it more difficult for landlords to evict tenants with the stated intention of remodeling a unit.

Long-term renter Dr. Mike Boos, who has lived in Claremont over 30 years, has experienced several no-fault evictions.

“I just want people to understand the kind of stress that that puts on a renter, when you have a limited amount of time to move,” Boos said. “I came very close to not being able to secure a place to live.”

Ordinances could also create a rental assistance program or lower the amount that rent is allowed to increase every year, which is currently 10 percent in California. Ann Cotter, who has lived in Claremont for three years, urged the City Council to lower

the cap on rent increases.

“My landlord, after my first year at my latest place, raised my rent … the full 10 percent,” Cotter said. “If he does that every year, I wouldn’t be able to live here.”

But Max Sherman of Apartment Association of Greater Los Angeles, which represents landlords and housing providers, said that rent control does not necessarily lead to more affordable housing.

“The problem with rent control is that it addresses a problem rooted in regulation with more regulation,” Sherman said, before urging the city to help builders increase Claremont’s supply of affordable housing at the first listening session.

After receiving public feedback, the ordinances will be presented to the City Council in April, Wand told TSL via email.

The League of Women Voters (LWV) has fought for women’s rights

FIONA HERBOLD

5C students stand with faculty and community members most affected by Claremont’s rising rent and housing crisis.

COuRTeSY: eLIeT WILLIAMSON-DIAZ

LuCIA MARQueZ-uPPMAN • THe STuDeNT LIFe

CMC social life committee dissolves

SARA CAWLEY

On Feb. 12, ASCMC President Josh Nagra sent an email to the CMC student body announcing the dissolution of the Committee to Consider the Resolution on the Protection of CMC Social Life. This action came in the wake of an ASCMC Senate meeting on Feb. 6 to discuss a resolution proposed by Austin Anderson CM ’24 de-

manding that the school remove “arbitrary” and “unreasonable” restrictions on social life. The committee was formed by students supportive of Anderson’s goals to revamp party culture at CMC. However, many students opposed to the resolution felt that the committee would perpetuate a racist and exclusionary party culture at CMC. Prior to the

committee’s dissolution, Camille Forte CM ’23 advocated for more diverse voices to be represented in the conversation of future social life on campus. “Their claim that [the] Senate is inclusive and representative of the whole school is something that I disagree with,” Forte said. “It was quite obvious that the buy-in that this type of resolution elicited was from students that were majority

white, majority student athletes.”

But students like Agosto Aliaga CM ’24 reject the interpretation of the resolution that incentivized alienating certain students.

“They’re [those against resolution] arguing that we want to return to the fraternizing culture of the school,” Aliaga said. “But I think most of what the committee’s arguments on why they want to regress to the old culture is not

for that aspect of it. They just want more frequent parties and larger parties.”

At this time, no members of the committee have made statements as to why it was dissolved, as they are waiting to discuss with administration early next week.

This story is currently developing and will be updated with new information shortly.

Campus Safety moves to new headquarters

LUCIA STEIN

On Jan. 31, The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS) announced that Campus Safety has settled into its new home in the Administration Campus Center (ACC), via its official Instagram page. No longer located across from Honnold Mudd Library’s south entrance, the move brought the department to the southeast corner of Pomona College at 101 South Mills Ave.

“Campus Safety is fully opera -

tional at ACC and will continue to protect the persons and property of students, faculty, staff, and visitors of The Claremont Colleges community,” Laura Muna-Landa, Assistant Vice President of Communications for TCCS, said to TSL via email.

“Campus Safety will continue to have a constant and regular presence across the campus community with its patrols and presence 24/7.”

Though farther from the center of all five colleges, Mu -

na-Landa said the new office space presents benefits in functionality.

“The new Campus Safety office was designed with enhanced features for ease of access and improved services to the campus community,” she said. “The facility has a 24-hour customer service window, a robust dispatch center, enhanced radio communication technology, and is fully accessible.”

TCCS invited students to a Feb. 13 open house for the new

facility through its Instagram account. Multiple posts advertised food free of cost, raffles with prizes and tours of the facility, with a shuttle ferrying students from the department’s former home to the new location every half hour.

Pomona College has bought the Pendleton Business Building, Muna-Landa said, which formerly housed the department.

“The Campus Safety department welcomes its move

into updated facilities that will enhance future operations and customer service to those visiting the facility,” she said.

Muna-Landa encouraged community members with any questions about the change in location or safety services as a whole to contact the 24-hour dispatch line for Campus Safety at 909-607-7233 or send an email to dispatch@claremont.edu.for Campus Safety at 909-607-7233 or send an email to dispatch@ claremont.edu.

founded by four CMC students; it was actually founded by four CGU

misspelled and had the wrong

COuRTeSY: CRAIG STANFILL VIA WIKIMeDIA COMMONS

The Committee to Consider the Resolution on the Protection of CMC Social Life dissolved on Feb.

with little explanation to s tudents who were hopeful for change to CMC party culture.

Rihanna’s surprise pregnancy announcement and ‘Less is more’ Super Bowl halftime show

ABBIE BOBECK

A hypnotizing close-up shot of Rihanna’s “Kubrick stare” established her long-awaited return to the stage. In her first live performance in six years, Rihanna started her Super Bowl halftime performance off with a bold choice: “Bitch Better Have My Money.” But in an even bolder decision, as the camera panned out, Rihanna held her stare and affectionately rubbed her stomach. Although Rihanna didn’t choose to feature any special guests during the 13-minute spectacle, she did bring along a new musical guest: her second baby with singer A$AP Rocky.

Then, Rihanna let her hips do all the talking; as the music faded into another hit, “Where Have You Been,” she danced in unison with her 80-person dance ensemble while maintaining a mesmerizing stare with the camera. Rihanna’s fierceness surely never faded from start to finish.

At the start of the show, we got the opportunity to hear Rihanna’s voice and she has never sounded better. It seems as if time off with her new family has made her voice even smoother — if that’s possible. Rihanna displayed incredible control of her vocal range throughout her entire medley of chart-topping hits.

In a change from previous halftimes, Rihanna decided to put together a highlight of 12 songs rather than featuring longer performances of a smaller number of choices. With 32 top billboard top-10 and 14 No.1 hits, it’s not shocking that Rihanna chose this route. She also sampled snippets of other hits like “S&M” and “Kiss it Better,” which — to Rihanna fans — seemed like a taunt. With her performances of “Where Have You Been” and “Diamonds,” her rich tone reached higher notes with ease, while her famous lower range was also showcased throughout “Rude Boy” and “Work.”

After a captivating rendition of “Pour it Up,” where we witnessed Rihanna throw it back and really get into the choreography with her dancers, the setlist took a slight turn for the worse. The music paused and suddenly the beat to “All of the Lights” started. My heart nearly stopped. No matter how much you might love the song, there was no logical reason to include it in the setlist: “All of the Lights” is one of disgraced singer Kanye West’s hits that featured Rihanna. The song featured Rihanna’s vocals for the hook, and she was added as a featured artist for the single’s drop; however, she is

not even credited on the album version of the song. The fact that Rihanna publicly said she

otherwise exciting and positive performance. Choosing to continue the association

song straight up distracting from Rihanna herself, but she also had plenty of other songs

Villaintines Day Queer Cabaret subverts the musical narrative

JO KEYSER

Valentine’s Day is often associated with sappy Hallmark cards, but this year Spotlight MT — the 5C student-run musical theater club — took a different approach with a subversive “Villaintines Day Queer Cabaret” at Dom’s Lounge on Feb. 10 and 11. The event began with fruity mocktails. Then, in 13 acts, a cast of 16 performers re-conceived some famously nefarious roles from Disney films and Broadway musicals through a queer prism.

Students portrayed characters ranging from Sharpay, the conniving popular girl of Disney’s “High School Musical,” to Javert, an officer of the law forever in pursuit of Jean Valjean in Broadway’s “Les Misérables.” With minimal set and tech requirements, the hour-long production relied on quick costume changes to differentiate numbers, with attire ranging from lab coats and business ties to pink and red accessories in keeping with the show’s heart-shaped theme.

This extravaganza was the brainchild of Ash Ahrenhoerster PO ’25 and Amelia Lewis SC ’25, who came up with the concept last semester.

“I think it was the villain idea that came first,” Lewis said. “And then I was like wait, what if it was gay?”

Explaining the connection, Ahrenhoerster said, “There’s a long history of villains being queer-coded that has historical roots in 1930s film production codes, specifically the Hays Code.”

The Hays code was a set of voluntary industry standards that lasted until the 1960s and forbade sexually explicit language, situations or violence in Hollywood movies.

“It had very strict rules about what was not allowed to be shown in film and had to do a lot with perversions, which just meant homosexuality and non-typical gender presentation,” Ahrenhoerster said. “It’s a very recognizable pattern in the media, and we wanted to be able to reclaim

that and make it something that is a celebration rather than hateful.”

Lewis and Ahrenhoerster worked to create a cabaret that would champion underdog characters, putting them at the heart of the “Villaintine Day Queer Cabaret” emotional narrative. In the cabaret’s version of “Beauty and the Beast,” the happily-everafter occurs not for the ingénue but for Gaston, Belle’s relentless pursuer, and his devoted henchman LeFou. In the lyrics of the rousing number “Gaston,” they find evidence of a mutual same-sex lust, with sly references to sexual orientation.

As Gaston gripes about his faltering romance with Belle, LeFou serenades him with a list of his many manly and attractive qualities: “No one’s neck as incredibly thick as Gaston” or “you can ask any Tom, Dick or Stanley, and they’ll tell you whose team they prefer to be on.” Through clever staging, Ahrenhoerster and Lewis highlighted the romantic tension between the pair, at one point having LeFou blushingly squeeze Gaston’s bicep.

Embracing underrepresented narratives is what drew students to participate in the production. “I’ve always had an obsession with the villain story,” said

COurTESy: ASH AHrENHOErSTEr

Alexandria Nyx, PZ ’26 who appeared as Anna from “Frozen” and in a number from “Chicago.”

“You know we always hear about our heroes, but telling a story from the perspective of a villain isn’t something that’s done often and isn’t always done well.”

Addie Rogers SC ’24, who performed as Sharpay, loved the show’s concept.

“I always hated the good characters because they’re boring, and I feel like that kind of goes along with being queer too. I feel like it’s an added level of interesting on a person when they’re queer,” Rogers said. Ahrenhoerster and Lewis are

both on the board of Spotlight MT, along with Aviva Miller SC ‘24, Spotlight’s artistic director, who described “Villaintines Day Queer Cabaret” as fulfilling one of the organization’s purposes.

“Spotlight is really interested in breaking down barriers and unfair norms present in musical theater,” Miller said. “We thought it would be a really cool way for people to just feel free to be who they want to be on stage.”

At the first performance, the show appeared to resonate with audience members. Brenda Aguilar PZ ’26 said that before attending the show, the concept of combining queer and villain stories was confusing to her. “At first I was like villain? What do you mean? But I also think it was, in a sense, empowering. It was hard core, a little risqué, a little sexy,” Aguilar said.

For Hannah Chimpampwe PZ ‘26, the most fun number was Sharpay’s “Bop to the Top.”

“It really brought out a sense of nostalgia for me, and I really love how they coordinated a lot of the little details like the blonde and brunette, the pink,” Chimpampwe said.

For those in “Villaintines Day Queer Cabaret,” being on stage was only one aspect of the show’s appeal. Just as important was getting to be part of an affirming community of actors, directors and techies.

“It’s just been a really cool way to connect with this queer group of people who like doing musical theater,” Rogers said. “It was definitely a very comfortable and safe rehearsal space always, and I think that the directors did a really good job building that comfortability.”

Spotlight MT’s next production will be “Spring Awakening” from March 2326 in the Seaver Theatre Large Studio. Students interested in getting involved in Spotlight can contact spotlightmt47@ gmail.com.

Renowned Kiwi choreographer Parris Goebel dreamed up Rihanna’s effortlessly cool

Performers re-conceived some famously nefarious roles from Disney films and Broadway musicals through a queer prism.

bELLA PETTENGILL • THE STuDENT LIfE

Billie Eilish –– a goth icon?!

Not quite. The goth community used to rule the world of alternative fashion in the 1990s but has now rapidly disappeared from the mainstream. With it went the world’s understanding of the goth subculture. Being goth does not mean just dressing up in dark clothing, listening to alternative rock music or wearing black lipstick. Being goth means supporting and following the goth ideology, taking inspiration from and resonating with gothic rock and of course, looking the part! If you’re hoping to explore the goth within you that has always wanted to burst out into the world, then you have come to the right place.

First, let’s talk about some misunderstandings and stereotypes of the goth community. Goths are not evil, scary or malicious. Goth culture is all about embracing individuals who have been outcasted from society for being who they

MOMENTS TO SAVOr

How to Dress: Goth

are. Gothic fashion is romantic, it is inclusive, it is queer and most importantly, it is non-judgmental. I started exploring the goth subculture during quarantine in 2020. Growing up in a conservative boarding school in England –– where my uniform consisted of a tweed blazer and a floor length woolen skirt –– meant that I had no space for self expression through fashion. Quarantine allowed me to experiment with my look, but when I returned to school, I was judged and bullied for my style. Nonetheless, I continued with my journey of self-exploration and kept challenging the rigid rules of my institution.

Looking back on my high school years, I am incredibly proud of myself for never conforming to what everyone wanted me to be and I am beyond grateful for finding a more accepting and artistic community of individuals at the Claremont Colleges that encourages me to keep pushing the boundaries of fashion everyday.

A common misconception of gothic fashion is that you have to wear all black all the time in order to achieve a gothic look. Gothic fashion, however, often incorporates colors such as white and red –– whether through the outfit, shoes, accessories or makeup. You can start with a simple maxi dress and layer it with a turtleneck. Go for interesting fabrics in solid colors, like pleather, velvet, faux fur, latex, PVC, satin or lace. This simple base will allow you to place more of an emphasis on your accessories and makeup which will bring everything together.

Corsets, ripped tights, gloves, chokers, garters, harness belts, piercings, veils and tiaras –– the sky’s the limit when it comes to accessories! Even starting out with a few basic pieces such as silver, statement cross earrings, lace gloves, fishnet tights and a studded choker will put you at a perfect starting point to build your outfit.

Next, bring out the stompers!

The higher the platform, the better. Although I wouldn’t recommend wearing platform boots when you have ten minutes between a class at Pomona College and a class at Scripps College — trust me, I’m speaking from experience — you can always switch them out for a more comfortable pair of platform lace eyelet boots.

As for the makeup, you can go simple or totally out there. For an everyday look, grab your trusty black eyeliner and go for a light, smudged liner around the eye. You can also use a black liquid eyeliner as lipstick if you are just starting out with your goth makeup collection. For an extravagant look, use black eyeshadow as contour, glue down those brows and draw on a pair of thin, straight ones and go wild on the eyes!

Again, you do not need to dye your hair black to dress goth nor does length or cut matter. If you have longer than shoulder length

hair, go for sleek, straightened hair that frames around your face — bangs are also a bonus! If your hair is shorter, try out hair rollers for a vintage curl look or backcomb your roots for extra volume. If you’re feeling bold and adventurous, a mohawk is definitely the way to go. Goth culture and fashion will always hold a special place in my heart because it is so far removed from the mainstream fashion sphere. When I dress up in my gothic outfits, I feel strangers not being able to take their eyes off of me –– and I love it! You might be worried about all the attention and, unfortunately, the inescapable judgment of some closed-minded people. But I have found that everytime I tap into my goth persona, I am approached by strangers who appreciate what I’m doing too.

There will always be people that judge, no matter what you’re wearing, so why not put on a show and outrage them even more while you’re at it?

Connection through quesadillas

So far this semester, I’m pleased to say that I’ve developed better habits. I’m sleeping more (up until the fall, my body would wake itself up at 6:30 a.m. no matter when I went to bed — now I sleep at least until 7), taking intentional time to do something relaxing during the week (which for me means playing piano or guitar) and eating regularly. I’m proud of myself for achieving better balance, both physically and emotionally, but I’m especially proud of the last habit. My friends are surely proud, too.

Last semester, I was pretty diligent about eating regularly on the weekdays, but for some reason that diligence would fly out of the window on the weekends. I coordinate the music for a club called First Love that meets on Saturday

evenings, so around dinnertime, I would be busy making lyric sheets, transporting musical instruments and rehearsing with the rest of the team. Many times, I would just forgo eating.

There was one Saturday when my friend Bet-sua came early to help set up for the night. She entered the room as my team and I were rehearsing, and, knowing that I had spent a decent amount of time beforehand preparing for our club gathering, she asked if I had eaten.

I shook my head, smiling sheepishly as my fingers waltzed across the keyboard, transitioning into our next song. Out of the corners of my eyes I could see my friends looking at me in disbelief, and Bet-sua made a beeline for the door again. “I’m getting you food,” I re -

ELLA LEHAVI • THE STuDENT LIfE member her saying, and before I could protest, she was gone.

Ten minutes later or so, Bet-sua returned with a whole carton full of food from Collins Dining Hall. I was laughing, but I was also very grateful. “Bet-sua, thank you!” I said, chuckling. “I’ll eat after we’re done rehearsing. I pro-”

Before I could say any more, she lovingly shoved a quesadilla in my mouth.

It was such a comical experience — being fed a quesadilla by a friend while simultaneously playing the keyboard -– and not missing a beat. As the music rose in intensity, so did Bet-sua and my laughter — or rather, my silent laughter because laughing and chewing do not go well together. By the time the song was over,

the quesadilla was almost gone. Thanks to Bet-sua, I had unexpectedly eaten dinner.

I’ve eaten dinner every Saturday since the start of spring semester; I think that bad habit is gone for good. I still share this humorous story, though, because it reminds me how lucky I am to have friends who will take care of me — and even feed me — when my hands are full, literally and figuratively. The quesadilla in that moment was a palpable reminder that this habit of mine needed to change and that I had friends who would keep me accountable if I sat back and did nothing, clacking away on the keyboard instead. It revealed to me just how much my friends cared about me and my eating schedule. And it was plain funny, sparking a humorous point

of connection in my friendship with Bet-sua. College is busy, that’s for sure, but the beautiful thing is that we are constantly surrounded by people — our own Bet-sua’s — to keep us accountable and make sure we are taking care of ourselves, emotionally and physically. So as the semester continues on, I encourage you to reflect on habits you’ve developed that maybe you need to change. If you aren’t willing to change them yourself, don’t fear — I’m sure your friends will shove a quesadilla in your mouth when they need to.

EMILY KIM

LISA GORELIK

Emily Kim PO ’25 is from Irvine, California. She has a newfound love of Frary waffles and currently has the Book of Mormon soundtrack on repeat.

Club Soda offers social community free of alcohol

Some people spend their Saturday nights drinking at parties, but on Saturday nights at Club Soda, 5C students engage in a different kind of fun, whether it be snacking on food, making crafts or playing video games.

Club Soda, a social space that was created at the beginning of the school year, hosts social nights every Saturday from 9:00 p.m. to midnight in the Heggblade Annex at Claremont McKenna College. The club is meant to provide students who choose not to drink alcohol with a way to socialize and meet people without participating in typical party culture.

Club Soda founder Maddy McCue CM ’23 came up with the idea for Club Soda after they felt alienated by how prevalent drinking is at CMC.

“Throughout my time at CMC, I was feeling kind of frustrated with party culture because I felt like it was very centered around alcohol and wasn’t very inclusive to people who don’t like to drink,” McCue said. “So I would always find myself on a Friday or Saturday night hanging out [alone] in my room.”

McCue wanted to meet and socialize with other people who didn’t like partying on Saturday nights, so they worked with the Dean of Students Office to create a space designed to do just that.

“Every time I would talk to people, they would say, ‘Oh, there’s a bunch of people here who aren’t really into partying,’ and I would say, ‘Well, how do I meet them?’” McCue said.

Similarly, Desiree Galamgam

CM ’26 started going to Club Soda social nights because she didn’t like how alcohol-centric CMC’s social scene is.

“I was really happy to find that Club Soda was a place where you can have fun, and alcohol wasn’t very synonymous with socializing,” Galamgam said. “I think it’s important for any campus to emphasize that you can party and feel safe, but also you don’t have to push the drinking agenda.”

Galamgam has met some of her close friends at the club and has become closer with people she already knew, including Stephanie Hernandez CM ’26. While Hernandez was drawn to the club because of their desire to have fun in a substance-free space, they also appreciate the club’s variety of activities.

“I know that we sometimes play a Nintendo Switch and watch Netflix, or we just chill and crochet,” Hernandez said. “You can do arts and crafts there — it’s amazing.”

Hernandez’s personal favorite Club Soda event was a crochet night that they led with Galamgam, where the duo taught their friends how to crochet.

“I like seeing how people actually took up crochet after that night,” Hernandez said. “One of our close friends, she’s making a shirt now… and we just taught her at Club Soda, so that’s pretty cool.”

Galamgam loves Club Soda for a variety of reasons — the activities and the people being at the top of that list. However, she also appreciates how inclusive the space is, which

t he Motley ‘Jopening’ features all things denim

allows her to feel comfortable.

“It’s genuinely a safe space for anybody,” Galamgam said. “It can be people that do drink but just choose not to and anyone of any race, gender, sexuality, etc., can just come in and just have a good time, especially on a Saturday night, [and] escape from the pressure of typical parties,” Galamgam said.

McCue sees the club as a success so far, with 20 to 30 people attending on average every Saturday night, although they weren’t always sure that it would be.

“I was worried at first because CMC is known as a party school for a reason and that tends to be the view that people have, that everybody comes here because they like to party, so I was worried that there weren’t going to be enough people who were really interested in hanging out and doing something else,” McCue said.

In the future, McCue hopes that more people, especially from the other four undergraduate Claremont Colleges, will learn about the club and check it out. For now, though, they are just glad that they have received such a positive response.

“It’s been really well received,” McCue said. “I’ve heard feedback from people saying, ‘I’m so glad a space like this exists.’ I’m really happy with how it’s been so far. I just want others to know that it’s a space for them as well, and everybody’s always welcome.”

JADA SHAVERS

Jeans, denim jackets and everything washed-out blue filled Scripps College’s Seal Court last week with the highly anticipated opening of the Motley Coffeehouse — the Jopening. With live music by the student band Tea Room and vendors set up around Seal Court, students across the 5Cs wandered into the Motley on Jan. 10 for their first Motley drink of the spring semester.

“This year has been a lot about opening the Motley and getting it back on its feet after COVID,” one of the Motley managers, Nayla Dyal SC ’25 said.

It’s hard to imagine Scripps without its beloved coffeehouse, so after the first post-pandemic opening in September, many flooded to Seal Court excited for its return. This opening, although with a smaller turnout than in the fall, still brought many into the Motley, including Diana Reiss SC ’25.

“[The Motley] is a place full of joy, fun and community,” Reiss said, “and I think that the opening night is all of that in one.”

With booths around Seal Court receiving all of the money they make directly, the Motley continued to establish their community values.

This is not the first time the Motley has provided spaces for student artists. Last semester, students had the chance to display and sell their products inside the café. Having all of the vendors present on the opening night was a way of welcoming back them and enthusiastic buyers to the coffeehouse.

Dyal added that “everyone is contributing so much; it’s this really big collective team effort.”

Those attending contributed to the theme of the night with their denim attire. The theme, although extremely fun for those attending, also reflects the student-centered experience that the Motley consistently prioritizes.

According to Dyal, the Motley managers wanted to pick an

accessible theme with “something anybody can wear,” and above all, “just fun.”

Paired with fun jean-themed drinks such as Iced Boots with the Fur, Joffee, Daisy Duke and many more, denim was fully embraced by everyone attending. Despite the energy of the night, less people attended this opening than last semester’s.

“We had a smaller turnout,” Dyal said, “but I think that’s a good thing because it helps the baristas and managers have a better time so they aren’t stressed [and] rushing to get everyone’s drinks.”

Last semester’s opening had a line all the way to Vita Nova, with many anticipating the chance to go inside the Met Gala themed coffeehouse. With lavish dresses and celebrity cutouts, the event emitted a buzz everyone was excited for.

This semester’s opening had a very different feel as many wandered in and out throughout the night, enjoying the live music, dancing and exploring the booths.

Reiss explained that “people already know [the Motley] as a community institution… so it’s more of a return.”

Despite the differences, each opening had fun events to offer.

“I liked this one better, [there were] way more booths [and]more fun. They always do a good job,” Isabella Cabsi PO ’23 said.

The Motley is a staple for anyone on the 5C campuses. As a space for people to gather, the first month without Motley drinks and the cozy work environment aggravated anyone who tried to open the locked doors.

Frances Stokes SC ’23 said that “people come in [to the Motley], hangout, drink coffee, do work inside or outside and it’s just a good vibe.”

The days following the opening have led to a very packed yet familiar Motley that many love and missed. The opening was an all-out denim hit that allowed for anyone to wander in and enjoy a fun stop during their Friday night festivities.

Reiss emphasized that “the Motley is the heart of Scripps and not only is it a part of Scripps, but it brings everyone from the 5Cs together.”

t he 5C Yoga Collective fosters a community of consciousness, balance and shared movement

JULIA SKAGGS

Looking for an escape from the day-to-day slog of classes, Nathan Verba CM ’25 decided to become a student instructor with the 5C Yoga Collective.

“It’s important to take a moment to breathe, focus on ourselves, and prioritize our mental health — which is not an easy thing, especially in college,” he said.

Colin Scanlon CM ’25 is a frequent attendee of Verba’s class and calls it “one of the most important parts of [his] week.” It is a resource for Scanlon to tap into mental clarity and conscious awareness through breathwork, meditation, and stretching.

“Yoga is a constant reminder to be aware of my placement in the world around me,” Scanlon said.

The 5C Yoga Collective is a community of free and accessible student-led yoga practices at the 5Cs. Through this club, the instructors teach informal and recreational college classes.

“One teacher may hold a class at Robert’s Pavilion, while another will host a flow at the Pomona Farm or the Pitzer Mounds,” Julia Abate SC ’24, the president of and a student instructor for the 5C Yoga Collective, said. The details of these classes are communicated through a weekly schedule on their Instagram, @5cyogacollective.

“Through the Instagram, members can tap into whatever kind of resources they feel like they might need that week,” Abate said.

Lillian Cowie SC ’26, a student instructor with the 5C Yoga Collective, sees a notable benefit to student-led yoga at the 5Cs.

“There is a kind of excitement when a student is teaching,” Cowie said.

Moreover, Cowie points out that a feeling of relatability and normalization emerges in a student yoga community.

“I’m a student and I practice mindfulness; it’s not this far out thing that’s weird or taboo,” Cowie said.

Another prominent feature of the 5C Yoga Collective is community building. Notably, the collective holds community events to foster a welcoming environment.

In October, Cowie hosted an event at the Motley called “Yoga and Matcha Morning at the Motley.” Abate mentions that this event functions as a way to expand the community, as it brings together those who may have never tried yoga before with those who have more experience.

“It’s an opportunity to build these bridges through a shared relaxation experience,” Abate said.

Moving forward, the 5C Yoga Collective plans to continue broadening its community. Namely, they hope to hold a day of a variety of yoga classes with all of the instructors and maintain a regular schedule of diverse classes.

Moreover, the 5C Yoga Collective would like to collaborate with more clubs and organizations.

“There are so many hardworking students at the 5Cs pouring themselves into activist work and art projects,” says Abate.

“It would be amazing to build more bridges through a shared relaxation experience.”

A core component of the 5C Yoga Collective’s mission is accessibility.

“We want to create a space where students can feel connected to themselves,” Cowie said. “Yoga doesn’t look a certain way, it doesn’t feel a certain way. It’s whatever it means to each individual.”

For Cowie, inclusivity is at the

heart of teaching yoga. She always makes her class open to all levels. Moreover, she offers modifications to foster a comfortable environment for participants. She is also intentional about using inclusive and trauma-centered language during her practice. Finally, the instructors at the 5C

Yoga Collective are interested in breaking the stereotypes of who can do yoga.

“Yoga is still on the fringes a little bit. It’s more common to lift weights as a method of exercise, especially for men,” says Verba. “Yoga is all about mobility, fluidity and intentional movement.”

“Everybody’s body is a yoga body,” says Cowie. “Yoga means connection, like mind, body and soul connection … It’s a dedicated time to slow down and connect.” More information about the 5C Yoga Collective can be found through their Instagram: @5cyogacollective.

EMMA NEWMAN

WENDy ZHANG • THE STuDENT LIfE

Students across the 5Cs wandered into the Motley on Jan. 10 for their first Motley drink of the spring semester.

CHASE WADE • THE STuDENT LIfE

COurTESy: LILLIAN COWIE

Maddy McCue CM ’23 came up with the idea for Club Soda after they felt alienated by how prevalent drinking is at CMC.

The 5C Yoga Collective is a community of free and accessible student-led yoga practices at the 5Cs.

Stop homogenizing the Asian American experience

Today, I am coming to you from our predominantly white institution — and I’m exhausted. I’m tired of this country silencing, violating and isolating our community. I grieve for my sisters whose lives were taken away by racialized, gendered violence. I grieve and I want it to stop.

I am an Asian American. Specifically, a queer Asian-American woman.

Representations of AsianAmerican individuals, particularly women, have always been subject to contention within and outside the community. From “Crazy Rich Asians” to “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” we have witnessed the rise of Asian-American representation in Hollywood. International artists, such as BTS, dominate the music industry, garnering the attention of non-Asian listeners.

I come to you today with this question: Is this representation enough? I don’t think so.

You may look at me and assume you know my ethnicity. My reflection can attest to that. But deep within me, I am a tale across oceans. Displaced. I yearn to belong in places that do not seem to want me. Prominent, yet unseen.

I have seen it all: from the femme-fatale dragon lady to the white lotus blossom woman signifying purity to the sex worker who appeases the military man.

As I sat in my first Asian American Studies class at Scripps College and read Celine Shimizu’s “Hypersexuality of Race,” I became fascinated by sexual representations of Asian-American femme-identifying individuals. Shimizu, a film scholar and a professor, complicated my understanding of my own sexuality and consumption of pleasure in

the media.

But it doesn’t pertain to just sex films. When I watched “Raya the Last Dragon,” I first thought, “Cool, we have a Southeast Asian character who looks like me.” Then, I backtracked.

Why the hell did they decide to homogenize and combine all of the Southeast Asian countries?

As a Southeast Asian, I cannot claim that my experiences are the same as every APIDA (Asian, Pacific Islander, and Desi American) individual. I use the term “APIDA” because Desi-identifying individuals have felt excluded in the AAPI movement.

“Desi,” meaning “of the homeland,” typically represents groups of Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin, while the term “AAPI,” stands for Asian American and Pacific Islander. APPI originated from a politicized identity during the 1960s. It was meant to unite and organize around the hate crimes experienced by the community.

To understand the complexity of being Asian American, I believe we must explore what it means to feel connected to the terms “AAPI” or “APIDA.” But I still struggle with the notion of a perfect representation. There is no one-size-fitsall APIDA representation — nor will there ever be a perfect one.

This is something non-APIDA identifying individuals need to understand in order to stop homogenizing us.

Yes, current APIDA representation should be applauded, but we must push the boundaries and continue to explore other aspects of the identity. For instance, while I enjoy and relate to intergenerational narratives about the immigrant experience — especially mother and daughter relationships — I believe other identities need to be highlighted, too.

The dismantling of the model minority myth and harmful images should be tackled in a manner that understands the hybridity of Asian Americans.

It should include queer, feminist, wellness and abolitionist imagery. We also need to strive for representations that feature APIDA actors as the main character.

I want to see it all: coming-ofage, romance, action, sci-fi and even the most mundane. Representation as a whole remains subjective, but it has the power to influence the ways in which we see ourselves internally and externally.

We all grew up in the generation of blonde Barbies and Disney princesses who didn’t look like us. I painfully yearned to fit into Western beauty standards — white, pale and light-eyed (and growing up in the Philippines, it didn’t help that they favored lighter skinned actresses, either). I need representation that makes me feel beautiful and empowered — liberated, even. Representation that allows for a multifaceted array of experiences; one that does not essentialize a one-size-fits-all experience; one that shatters Eurocentric and heteronormative formations.

I write this, too, in light of anti-Asian hate crimes and tragedies within my community. Hate incidents and cultural representation are not unrelated concepts: APIDA cultural productions are a means of intervention as it relates to the subject formation of how society views us and how we view ourselves. It’s time to write our own narratives — our lives are not disposable and do not have value only when we strive for whiteness. We are more than the model minority myth. We will not be silenced or hidden.

Zeean Firmeza PO ’26 is from Miami, Florida. She enjoys playing video games and going on adventures and is also a boba connoisseur.

The fight against misinformation is the path of least resistance

On Aug. 9, 2022, former Vice President William Ruto was declared the winner of Kenya’s presidential election by The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC); the loser, Raila Odinga, quickly made the claim that the election was “rigged.” Despite the fact that Odinga has failed to prove his claims in the highest court, his followers continue to propagate baseless claims of election rigging.

Does any of this sound familiar?

It should. The story of Kenya’s 2022 election is eerily similar to the 2020 U.S. election – which led to the Jan. 6 insurrection at our capital, endangering thousands. Misinformation today is more dangerous than it’s ever been, but the battle against misinformation isn’t a hopeless one. The power is in your hands — so, use it.

Granted, there are some factors over which we, as the general public, have no control. Recent political science research blames three factors for the sharp uptick in misinformation: ingrouping, rhetoric of political leaders and increased social media prevalence.

Ingrouping — the belief that one’s social identity is related to their superiority, is a result of increasing polarization. If information threatens one’s core values and protection of their identity, individuals are likely to subconsciously resist it, rather than learn from it.

Journalists and academics take advantage of this in how they

frame the information they present.

A 2013 study found that when you reframe climate change to be about “purity,” it appeals to conservative ideology, “largely eliminate[s] the difference between liberals’ and conservatives’ environmental attitudes.” Reframing certainly applies to other issues, such as vaccines.

What’s more, this identity protection tendency is only exacerbated when political leaders like former President Trump and Vice President Odinga sow distrust in elections before and after they happen. President Trump made over 400 false claims undermining the integrity of the election in three weeks after his loss, alone.

Finally, the big bad: commonly used social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram target the quick processing system in your brain, making them incredibly effective at ingraining misinformation, without incentivizing users to think critically to debunk baseless claims. Researchers found a sizable disconnect between what people believe and what they share on social media — 59 percent of Twitter news items in 2016 were shared without ever being opened.

But all hope is not lost. The most dangerous perpetrator of misinformation is social media – and it just so happens to be the one over which you have the most leverage. The bottom line: while academics, politicians and journalists can make positive change, you have more

power than you think.

OK – so, where do you come in?

When using social media, I want to challenge you to do a few things. The first is that before you share something online, slow down, read the article and ask yourself, “does this seem true?”

Second, I want you to be an active — not passive — social media reader. When you come across something, and you ar-

en’t sure if it’s true, comment “What is your source?” or “Is there evidence of this?” This strategy appeals to core, universal truth criteria.

It’s also crucial that when speaking to someone who believes misinformation, you don’t attack them or their ingroup. Rather, try to reframe issues and appeal to common, shared values.

Misinformation is a dangerous battle, but it’s not a hope -

less one; if we let journalists and academics do their jobs and devote our energy wholly and completely to social media, we can defeat it.

On your end, the work is minimal and non-confrontational –the outcome, however, is tremendous.

Luke Williams PO ’23 is a Politics major. He researches misinformation at the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public.

SaSHa MaTTHeWS • THe STuDeNT LIFe

LUKE WILLIAMS

ZEEAN FIRMEZA

SaSHa MaTTHeWS • THe STuDeNT LIFe

a COMIC by eDITOr-aT-LarGe JaSPer DaVIDOFF

aCaDeMIa NuTS: A COMIC BY ELLA LEHAVI

Jasper and JJ’s Crossword:

Pen pals

bath

65. Default video game character position

66. Donkeys

67. Ramadan-ending fest

68. He comes to town once a year

DOWN

1. COVID-promoted practice

2. Brazilian greeting

3. Truck brand with an animal logo

4. Surrealist painter of “The Farm”

5. Kind of dunk or poetry

6. Egyptian capital

7. Multimedia artist Yoko

8. Accepted but not accepting, say

9. Long-winded tirade

10. Toothbrush brand whose abbreviated letter apparently stands for “brush”

11. Recuperated after a sickness

12. Noted gymnast Ohashi

13. Discipline that includes phil. and public pol.

18. Long bursts in Morse code

22. Chalky or milky

23. Pontiac muscle car

24. It might follow north, south, east or west 25. Finds a quicker way to do the job 27. Like grass on the other side, proverbially 28. Kind of color-changing light 30. Pirate’s treasure 31. Ornamental kind of tree

The 5Cs need to teach emotional intelligence

ROWAN GRAY

Break out your tissues, diaries and $15 guided meditation apps — it’s time to talk about emotional intelligence. What is it? Why do you care? And why don’t we have it here?

Emotional intelligence has consistently been proven to be the single, best predictor of leadership ability and team success . The 5Cs bill themselves as places where leaders come to learn these foundational tools. It’s time to teach them.

The term “emotional intelligence” was coined in the ’90s in an obscure psychology journal and popularized by Dan Goleman’s book “Emotional Intelligence.” Simply put, it refers to our ability to understand and control our emotions. For a long time we thought those were unchanging aspects of our personality, but in the last 30 years research has come out showing that we can train it just like any other skill. But emotional intelligence is not just like any other skill. It’s a key predictor of professional success, and dramatically more relevant to how we live our lives.

38. Process with a judge and jury

39. Paramore’s genre

40. Code for a website, perhaps (with elements hidden in ‘perhaps’)

41. Page in a website menu

44. It promotes hubris

45. Singer Smith

47. Collides with head-on

48. Nonsense word

50. Kamala-stanning community

51. Got just ahead of

55. Dust the ___ (add cheese to pasta)

56. Valley with vineyards

57. Obamacare, for short

59. It’s here in France

60. “White Noise” author

DeLillo

61. NYC’s winter setting

62. Org. concerned with substances

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

O FF T H E R ECORD IN OUT

Liquorland

campus security

Twin XLs

Outies

Arnold Palmers

Really small hats

Ice Spice

Sentient AI in the Scott A. McGregor Computer Science Center

CMC Social Life Committee

Campus Security

The Mayflower Compact Innies

Wii Sports Resort

Praxis

The Supreme Court

lip plumper

This research has spilled over into the public consciousness— consider how much more mental health is discussed as compared to just ten years ago, let alone pre-pandemic. Mental health and emotional intelligence go hand-in-hand.

Yet, those lifestyle changes aren’t reflected in the classes available to 5C students. A quick survey of the available courses within the student portal reveals a glaringly obvious lack of emphasis on emotional intelligence.

Only two academic courses at the 5Cs even contain ‘emotion’ anywhere in its title: a sociology course called Sociology of Emotions at Pomona College, and a class I’ll get to later. Some physical education courses like mindfulness and yoga offer limited exploration of emotional intelligence, but they’re completely optional and not taken by most students. Even those that are interested may be blocked behind additional charges that complicate access to those courses for low-income students.

In 2019, the Claremont McKenna College administration released the “Campaign for CMC: Responsible Leadership,” stressing the school’s role in creating the “leaders

of tomorrow.” The initiative has raised nearly one billion dollars and has received contributions from over 11,000 individuals.

Despite all that money, the course list still doesn’t offer substantial education on emotional intelligence — the skill that has been demonstrated to be the most strongly correlated with leadership success.

Even beyond leadership and teamwork, emotional intelligence is one of the most cross-functional abilities to train. It has been found to be a great predictor of future happiness. This makes a lot of sense — having good emotional intelligence has been shown to improve people’s ability to make good friends and have stable social networks. Commonly taught techniques in emotional intelligence circles like mindfulness practices have been shown to rewire the brain and improve decision-making ability, reduce chronic stress and improve brain health.

The lack of emotional intelligence courses is a clear area of improvement for the 5Cs. New emotional intelligence courses don’t need to be revolutionary — a course I took last semester at Scripps titled “Mindfulness and Emotional Intelligence for Leaders” provides a good starting point for other colleges with its data-centric approach to Emotional Intelligence and Mindfulness.

Emotional intelligence classes need to be widely available, trusted and encouraged. Instead of the current, more reactive approach to mental health, where the 5Cs provide counseling and therapy, we should establish proactive measures to support students’ mental health and encourage learning about emotional intelligence.

This demand is neither abstract nor unimportant — a recent analysis from the Mayo Clinic found that 44 percent of college students suffer from symptoms of depression and anxiety. Even more unnerving, 75 percent of those students are reluctant to seek help; a reflection of our persisting cultural ignorance of mental health and emotional intelligence.

In no other context, do the 5Cs leave such fundamental concepts unquestioned, left to be decided by social influences. We must develop and explore our own emotional intelligence as critically as we explore everything else if we are to use it to help the world.

Rowan Gray CM ’26 is from Sharon, Massachusetts. He wants you to know that all Oxford commas in this piece were violently deleted by his copy editors.

JaSPer DaVIDOFF & JJ HOFFMaN

No boots, no skis, no problem: 5C Ski and Snowboard Club creates access at altitude

Promoting an environment of positivity and inclusivity, members of the 5C Ski organization, which includes both the team and the club, are working to break down stereotypes to make this winter sport accessible for everyone.

Growing up skiing, Kirill Myagkov PO ’23 said he was excited to attend a college close to the mountains. Coming into his first year, he sought to find a community of skiers among fellow students but was surprised when he found that the 5Cs lacked a formal team.

“When I came to campus, [skiing] was something that was lacking in my life. My [first] year there was kind of a club that existed, but it was really just a Facebook group … they didn’t have any real institutional resources,” Myagkov said.

Lacking resources and the community he desired, Myagkov said he sought to provide for others the community centered around skiing that he had wanted. Myagkov took over leadership of the club as a first-year and eventually went on to create the current 5C Ski and Snowboard Club.

“At the end of my [first] year I took over as president of the existing organization, but really just founded a completely separate organization … the real emphasis and mission being: let’s create an accessible organization on campus that is going to be able to facilitate memorable experiences — whether or not it be for folks who are interested in recreating or folks who are interested in competing,” Myagkov said.

Since its founding, the organization has amassed over 700 students on its email list. The organization has also evolved to include both the club and a ski team, with opportunities for members to get involved in either or both.

The club hosts two “Beginner Days” in the Big Bear Mountain Resort during the Spring semester where first-time skiers get the opportunity to take introductory ski lessons with instructors at no additional cost. The Club

also hosts a trip to Mammoth Mountain during reading days, the week before finals during the fall semester. Current Ski and Snowboard Club and ski team member Carolina Auerbach CM ’26 spoke of the distinction between the club and the team, emphasizing that while people of all skill levels are welcome to join both, the team is a structured entity that entails more involvement and commitment.

“Ski Club is now separate from ski team,” Auerbach said. “Ski Club is more communal and it’s more for everyone. Ski Club is in charge of doing reading days and beginner days. Ski team is a smaller branch and we’re all registered in the league and that is more intensive with twice-aweek training and races most weekends at the first half of the second semester.”

While the organization now has two parts, as a whole it is still centered around its original goal of inclusivity and accessibility for all. Acknowledging that not everyone has the means or resources to be able to participate in these expensive winter sports, Myagkov and the executive board created an accessibility program to provide members with gear and equipment ranging from skis, poles, boots, winter jackets, winter pants, helmets and more that can all be rented free of charge.

“If you want to experience the mountains and winter sports, always reach out to us and that’s with respect to the team or the club. We want to be able to facilitate these experiences for anyone and everyone who is really passionate about sharing these experiences with us,” Myagkov said.

Auerbach spoke on the culture of the organization, emphasizing that its original mission of fostering community and creating opportunity is very much alive today.

“I love that there’s a lot of inclusivity for different athletes, different levels and different experiences,” Auerbach said.

“The stereotype of skiing being a predominantly white sport and it being expensive is very much so true, but I think that we have an incredible executive board and staff … there’s a lot being done to really get everyone up on the mountain. You get people from tons of different backgrounds and we have people from all over the world.”

Summer Ellis CM ’24 said she has had a similar experience. As a new member, joining in the 2022 to 2023 season, she said she found a new community within

the ski team.

“Everyone who’s raced before really welcomes people who have never raced and really wants to give you pointers and help you get better,” Ellis said. “We are also just able to have fun and get up to the mountains on a Friday. We do homework together, we ski together, we eat together and I’ve been able to meet so many new people across the 5Cs … it gives you a great opportunity to meet new people.”

With an emphasis on making the sport accessible for all, Ellis said the organization is hoping to further build its team and encourages anyone who is interested in winter sports, regardless of skill level, to join.

“There’s definitely a range of skill levels that compete,” Ellis said. “You can really take it as seriously or relaxed as possible and just have fun with it.”

Athenas softball slay Warriors 6-5 in season opener

After a heartbreaking loss in the final game of the 2022 season left the Athenas just inches from a playoff berth, Claremont-MuddScripps (CMS) softball is coming into 2023 on a mission. Ranked No. 4 in the SCIAC’s preseason poll because of improvements to pitching and hitting and their extensive catalog of dugout chants, the Athenas are swinging for a conference title and beyond.

CMS started 2023 with a bang Saturday, commanding Westcliff 6-5 in the second game of their season-opening doubleheader sweep of the Warriors at Athena Field.

The first game saw CMS take the win 3-1 due in large part to the pitching of Heather Shipley CM ’23, who secured the victory holding the Westcliff offense to just one run in a 7-inning complete game performance.

Game two began in similar fashion, with starter Jade Johnson CM ’24 opening her season with a rapid one-two-three inning.

The Athenas looked to follow this wave of momentum into the bottom of the first with runners on the corners and Rachel Sapirstein CM ’26 coming to bat. Despite the dugout providing cheers of “See that girl, watch that scene, Rachel

Sapirstein” to the tune of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen,” she went down swinging on a pitch high and inside to end the first.

The second inning featured little offense on both sides.

Johnson continued her dominance into the third, putting away Westcliff with relative ease.

The Athenas’ bats caught fire in the bottom of the third. Backed against the wall with two outs and a runner on second, Madison Gonzalez HM ’25 muscled an inside pitch into center field to open up the scoring and take the 1-0 lead.

“My mindset usually is just to find something within my zone and drive it to the outfield; that’s my job,” Gonzalez said. “I was a little bit late on that one but it worked.”

Westcliff soon learned that Gonzalez’s bloop was just the tremors for an oncoming faultline earthquake as Sapirstein returned to the plate, crushing a ball to the right-center gap and hustling to third for the Athenas’ first triple of the year.

CMS struggled mightily with their hitting last season, finishing second-to-last in the conference in overall slugging percentage. As a first-year, Sapirstein said she wants to bring new energy

to the team.

“As a [first-year], I’m just excited to get out there and play,” Sapirstein said. “I think we have a really good [first-year] class this year so I’m excited to see what we can do this year.”

Even with the triple giving CMS a 2-0 lead, the Warriors refused to yield. Quickly allowing two solid base hits, Johnson found herself in a jam with two on and none out.

Unfazed, Johnson proceeded to sit down the next two batters with ease; however, after running the count full with two outs, Johnson was cornered into a difficult decision.

“I like to throw a lot of drop curves and my other pitches weren’t working so I decided to go to my safety pitch,” Johnson said.

Her choice paid off – the batter could only muster a weak pop up easily hauled in by first baseman Abby Thompson CM ’25.

Momentum swung to the Athenas in the bottom of the fourth. After a perfectly executed squeeze play by Emma Suh CM ’25 and a single from Thompson combined to bring home two, Gonzalez returned to bat, keyed into Westcliff’s pitching strategy. “I focused on getting off of the

plate a little more so that I had more room to not jam myself and then I was expecting that [pitch] inside and I drove it down the 5-6 hole,” said Gonzalez.

With Gonzalez’s RBI single and Sapirstein looming, Westcliff was frightened into a pitching change. The Athenas’ third baseman paid it no mind as her grounder, which was scored an error, brought home yet another run, closing out a four-spot inning for CMS.

With a commanding 6-0 lead heading into the top of the fifth, Johnson’s day was over. Alongside Shipley’s performance in game one, inklings of an elite pitching staff appear to be brewing in the Athenas’ rotation. Head coach Gina Oaks Garcia put the SCIAC on notice for CMS’s projected pitching this season.

“I’m excited [for] our depth in the pitching circle. We have seven really legit pitchers that can come in any time… they can all pick each other up and take it to a lot of teams,” Oaks Garcia said.

Perhaps taking the score for granted, the Athenas allowed Westcliff back into the game with some careless fielding. Defense was a source of pride during an overall difficult

COurTeSy: CMS aTHLeTICS

season for CMS last year, but Oaks Garcia said the team will nip the issue in the bud.

“Defense wins ball games so we’ll continue to grind it out this week,” said Oaks Garcia. “I’m not worried about the defense.”

Regardless, Westcliff took advantage, mounting a comeback that included doubles off of both the left and right field fences, making the score 6-5 in the top of the seventh. Nevertheless, with two outs on the board, Alexis Gero CM ’23 shut down hopes of a series split, forcing a flyout to right and earning her first save of 2023.

Off to a 2-0 start, the Athenas’ season appears promising. Sapirstein noted her aspirations for her first year on the squad.

She plans on “getting to know [her] teammates more, compet[ing] every single day and get[ting] better.”

Meanwhile, as the team begins eyeing conference play, Gonzalez has her sights set on one goal.

“I’m looking forward to winning the SCIAC,” Gonzalez said.

CMS will return to Athena Field to host San Diego Christian in the first game of a doubleheader today at 11:00 a.m. They will start conference play on March 24 against Cal Lutheran.

AUDREY SAWYER

after a competition, the 5C Ski team poses for a photo at a local mountain.

COurTeSy: CarOLINa auerbaCH

BEN LAUREN

Maren Summers CM ’23 crushes a pitch in a game against redlands during the 2022 season.

Athenas display ‘Big Team Energy’ in dominant win over Panthers

What they don’t have in numbers, Athenas basketball make up for in their new motto: “Big Team Energy.”

The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) women’s basketball team gave a dominant display of “BTE” on Wednesday night’s win over Chapman, defeating the Panthers 75-60 in their last home game of the regular season.

Ava Grey CM ’25, a guard for the Athenas, explained just how that “BTE” came into effect during Wednesday’s game.

“Although we don’t have all the numbers, [it’s fine] as long as the energy and the effort is of a team with a lot more girls,” Grey said. “That showed tonight: we only had seven [players] and that’s rough, but we ran [the Panthers] out.”

Ariana Dalia CG ’23, who led the team in points on Wednesday with 17, explained that the team’s especially sparse roster due to injuries hasn’t affected the energy they’ve brought on the court.

“It’s just that time of the season right now,” Dalia said. “There are little injuries here and there. Hopefully we’ll have everyone returning soon, but while they’re out, everyone knows we have to step it up and fill their shoes.”

The seven available players more than made up for the four that were missing, keeping their foot on the gas and taking charge from the moment the first whistle blew. Dalia and Katie Resendiz CM ’26 led the effort in the first quarter, with Dalia running fastbreaks and Resendiz hitting some key three-pointers.

“[Resendiz] did a really good job of coming off the bench [tonight],”

Dalia said. “She was fresh legs for us, she hit some really tough shots and had some really good passes.”

The Athenas finished the first quarter with a five-point lead over the Panthers, 21-16. Things heated up in the second quarter, with Chapman coming within one point of the Athenas and both teams getting physical, fighting hard for every ball. The Athenas outworked the Panthers, however, battling for and winning nearly every rebound, something Grey says Head Coach Chanel Murchison is always emphasizing.

“[She] is always adamant about our effort and energy, through the little things,” Grey said. “[We had] that pep talk of ‘don’t let any other team outwork you, especially on your home floor.’”

The Athenas re-established control with strong offensive efforts from Grey, Dalia and Jacey Carter CM ’23, taking a 38-31 lead into halftime.

At the start of the third quarter, the Athenas struggled to find the net. As a result, Chapman brought the score within four at 44-40, forcing a CMS timeout.

The Athenas flipped the script out of the break, going on a 6-0 run and making Chapman call for time.

The Panthers’ strategizing was to no avail, however, as the Athenas scored eight more points thanks to a series of impressive assists and three-pointers from Carter, whose individual performance in the last few minutes of the quarter hyped up her sideline.

“I was face-guarded [in the] the first half, and for me, my game is shooting threes,” Carter said. “So I was really happy to finally be open

Maezelle Millan CM ’21 dribbles up court in the athenas’

and hit my shots … I think it really hyped the team up, and it was on a stretch when we were getting some good looks in backdoors.”

Grey agreed that Carter’s efforts came at the right time for the team’s momentum.

“Heading into this game she’s shooting at 45 percent, which is insane from threes,” Grey said. “So even if she wasn’t getting those looks in the first half, her spacing out and doing the little things really opened it up for us … and she hit them at the right

Jake Lialios PO ’20 and Banana Ball are reinventing America’s Pastime

HAROLD FUSON

Jake Lialios PO ’20 recently signed with the Savannah Party Animals, a professional baseball team based in Savannah, GA gearing up for a nation-wide tour this summer. Lialios sat down with TSL to discuss his recent signing and the ways Pomona College and the Pomona-Pitzer baseball team led to this opportunity.

This conversation has been lightly condensed and edited for clarity.

TSL: Could you explain what the Savannah Bananas and the Savannah Party Animals are?

Jake Lialios: The Bananas originally started as a collegiate summer team, but over the past couple years they started experimenting as a professional team. Now it’s just the pro team full time … The Bananas are how it started, but to keep everything cohesive, they’ve made a second team so that the two can build up a rivalry but also have the structure to field a game, and that’s where they came up with the Party Animals, which is like the Harlem Globetrotters and the Generals.

TSL: In an interview, the Bananas’ founder Jesse Cole said, “we’re not in the baseball business; we’re in the entertainment business.” How has it been adjusting to the new rules of “Banana Ball,” and what is it like playing baseball with this new focus of putting the fans first?

JL: At the end of the day, I think all athletics are entertainment … [The Bananas] have done a really good job of keeping the big picture focus in mind and getting everyone to buy in based on that and putting together a really good product with it. And with that comes the rules that you were mentioning, which are geared towards … keeping the fans as engaged as possible.

TSL: You graduated from Pomona in 2020, and your senior season was unfortunately cut short by the pandemic. What was the process like of getting your name out there and being recruited by the Bananas after a shortened college career?

JL: I was a catcher all the way through college. [After my senior year], the plan before COVID-19 interfered with [my senior season] was to play for a professional team in Sweden … To get more utility out of [American players], [European teams] will allow them to play as two-way players, where they’ll play their position but they also might pitch sometimes. I wasn’t a pitcher … but I was like “I’ll mess around and maybe try to pitch a little bit and see what I can do with that” … then I got the news that the season in Sweden wasn’t gonna happen, suddenly my career was really over.

But I still wanted to find some way [to play baseball], and I did fortunately know of an independent team that was local to my hometown in Tuscon, Arizona … I tried out as a twoway, ended up pitching better,

and played there … I played in another independent pro league in Oregon. I was Relief Pitcher of the Year in that league in 2022 … I knew some guys who had played for the [Bananas] in the past, so that encouraged me to apply for an invitation to a tryout … I guess I had a pretty good tryout and ended up making the team.

TSL: With a slew of former Division I athletes and some former MLB players such as Jonny Gomes spending time on the team, coming from a Division III background, what kind of jump was it like to start playing at this level?

JL: There’s a ton of talent. A lot of guys that were drafted, a couple of first round draft picks on the team even … It made me realize it’s not as drastic of a difference in talent … as you’d think … you’d be surprised how many good DIII players can fit in well with pretty good DI players when it comes to baseball … At the end of the day, I just try to think that we’re all here for the same reason.

TSL: The Bananas’ slogan is “We make baseball fun.” What tools and lessons are you taking from your time with the Sagehens to achieve this goal with the Party Animals?

JL: The interest in playing for this team was inspired by just seeing what they were doing and feeling like I connected and I identified with that pretty well. I think a lot of that does have to do with my experience at PomonaPitzer because we had a really

good culture and a really great group of guys that took baseball really seriously, … [but] we had a really good balance of having a lot of fun while we did it.

TSL: What advice do you have for current members of the P-P baseball team, as well as P-P athletes in general looking to play at the next level?

JL: The advice I would have for them in general is just to really enjoy their time. People will put a lot of pressure on themselves to be successful, whether it’s sports or anything, but especially something like college athletics, whether you’re playing at the next level or not, it’s gonna end at some point. It’s the most fun they’re ever gonna have, and I just hope they can keep some perspective on the opportunity to have fun playing the game they love.

TSL: Dancing is a huge part of what makes the Bananas and the Party Animals who they are. What is your go-to dance move this season, and what have you been doing to improve your dance skills?

JL: Sometimes you’re just born with it, man. I can move if I have to. Shoutout to John Pennington. I took Beginning Modern Dance at Pomona and I loved it … it’s a super fun cooperative experience that I really took to. It gives you a lot of good energy … you just gotta feel the music and I naturally use a lot of hips. I think that’s what the people want to see.

71-66 win over

time.” The third quarter finished with a 19-point lead (60-41) for CMS.

The Athenas kept their composure in a high-scoring fourth quarter, sustaining a consistent attack with individual efforts from Mary Markaryan CM ’24, claiming victory 75-60. Reflecting on their goals for the rest of the season, the players said they have their eyes on the SCIAC tournament title, but that they’re taking it one game at a time. Carter is confident that this

in the

win will set the tone for the team to finish the season strong.

“We’re just one step closer to our goals,” she said. “We really executed well tonight and it was just about us and making sure that we’re locked in to how we play so we can prepare for [the last two] games.”

The Athenas went on to defeat Occidental 66-55 Saturday. Currently sitting as the second seed in the conference, they will travel to Redlands to take on the Bulldogs to finish off their regular season on Feb. 15 at 7:00 p.m.

Athletes of the Week

Pomona-Pitzer

Brendan Mora PO ’24

Palo Alto, CA

Men’s Basketball

Brendan Mora PO ’24 earned the SCIAC Athlete of the Week title on Monday, Feb. 13th. Mora was awarded this honor after helping Pomona-Pitzer stay at the top of the conference with two wins the previous week. These victories marked the Sagehens 15th win in their last 16 games. Mora has played an essential role for his team, averaging 22.5 points per game and shooting an efficient 55 percent from the floor and 82 percent from the free-throw line. However, not only is he a vital shooter, Mora also averaged 5.5 assists per game, helping his teammates help themselves. The Sagehens remain at the top of the SCIAC rankings, with rival CMS just beneath them. The Sagehens next battle will be against Cal Lutheran at home this Saturday at 7:00pm.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

Izzy Doud CMC ’25

Bellevue, WA

Women’s Dive

Izzy Doud CMC ’25 helped lead the Athenas to a 3-meter podium sweep on Thursday on the first day of the SCIAC championships. Doud finished first place, with teammates Emma Ng Pack CMC ’24 and Makenna Parkinson HM ’23 trailing just behind to take the silver and bronze. Their impressive performance earned Claremont-Mudd-Scripps the maximum 53 points for this first event of the championship. Winning gold is old news for Doud who in her first year at CMS earned honorable mention All-America honors, qualified for nationals, and earned All-SCIAC honors for her performance in the three-meter last season However, these Athenas were not alone in their success. CMS also took first place in the 800yard relay, barely beating rival Pomona-Pitzer with a time of 7:29.28 to the Sagehens 7:29.40. The Swim and Dive SCIAC championships for both the men and women’s team will continue through this Saturday.

Whittier

SCIaC women’s basketball semifinal game Feb. 27 2021.

COurTeSy: CMS aTHLeTICS

COurTeSy: JaKe LIaLIOS

Jake Lialios PO ‘20 is starting his first season pitching for the Savannah Party animals as they embark on a national tour.