Vol. CXXXIV No. 15

Pitzer, Scripps BSUs challenge lack of Black History Month initiatives, demand increased institutional support

MAXINE DAVEY & SARA CAWLEY

As Black History Month came to a close this February, the Black Student Unions of Pitzer College and Scripps College called out their administrations for a lack of support for Black students on Tuesday, Feb. 28 and Wednesday, Feb. 29, respectively.

Pitzer’s Black Student Union (BSU) released a sevenpage document on Tuesday denouncing the school’s “lack of initiative to establish Pitzer as a safe and inclusive space for Black Students.”

The statement lists a series of changes that are “necessary and essential” to ensure an environment where Black students can thrive and requests a response from Interim President Jill Klein by March 7.

The document states that “the demands made by Black Pitzer students during the Civil Rights movement have still not been met by the administration,” and that the BSU feels “abandoned, blatantly ignored, disrespected, and discriminated against on campus.”

Finding the modern in Chekhov’s ‘Three Sisters’ at Seaver

JO KEYSER

“Boring,” “tedious” and “dated” are all adjectives that 5C students in “Three Sisters” have heard classmates apply to Anton Chekhov’s

work. Zalia Maya SC ’24, who plays Olga, the eldest of the three sisters, initially had this reaction herself to the Russian play.

The document lists four demands, which include improved Black History Month engagement and recognition, rectified funding issues, increased retention rate of Black students and concern for the well-being of Black students.

The first section titled “Improved Black History Month Engagement & Recognition,” calls for “programming geared towards the advancement of Black students every Black History Month starting February 2024. This would require Pitzer

administration to provide events for Black students, staff and faculty such as career workshops geared toward Black students and community engagement events at local businesses and schools.

The second demand, “Rectified Funding Issues,” requests the allocation of at least $8,000 annually for the Pitzer BSU retreat, “so that Black students do not have to face feelings of insecurity and unease that come with requesting funding on an annual basis.”

The section also emphasizes

that, in order for Black students to feel supported on campus, it is crucial for the Pitzer BSU to host and receive funding for Black student affinity events.

Anjuli Turner PZ ’25 recalled last semester’s frustrations over the Students of Color Alliance (SoCA) lounge, when 5C affinity groups mobilized students to protest Pomona College’s plans to accommodate affinity groups in the Clark V basement by building a wall through the lounge. To her, this demonstrated a lack of priority

Ukrainian students organize vigil honoring Ukraine’s ‘strength and ingenuity’

HANNAH FRASURE

On Friday, Feb. 24, students organized a 5C-wide vigil at Claremont McKenna College’s Bauer Center to commemorate the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The vigil was followed by an indoor Q&A session at Scripps College’s Motley Coffeehouse about the actions the 5C community can take to help Ukrainians. Marina Shishkina SC ’25 was one of three Ukrainian students

who gave speeches to the 30 attendees. “It has been a year of pain, sorrow, faith and unity,” Shishkina said. Organizer Ivan Dudiak HM ’26 had personal connections to the Ukrainian war. Dudiak was abroad when Russia invaded. His mother’s escape from Kherson, Ukraine in March 2022 took 19 hours due to Russian checkpoints, which Dudiak’s mother relayed to him via phone.

“My mom, I think she’s a hero,”

Survey results highlight support for new CMC Racial-Ethnic GE

A Racial and Ethnic Studies General Education (GE) requirement at Claremont McKenna College may progress after the results of a campus-wide survey. The survey’s results, released on Feb. 21 at CMC’s Athenaeum, indicated that a majority of students, staff and faculty are in favor of expanding the school’s curriculum.

CMC’s 2022 Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium (HEDS) Diversity and Equity Campus Climate Survey gathered responses from 53 percent of CMC students, faculty and staff from February and March of 2022.

Respondents were asked for their opinion on the following statement: “ The CMC General Education Curriculum could be Improved with Deeper Study of Historically Marginalized Racial and/or Ethnic Identities.”

70 percent of CMC students

agreed or strongly agreed, while only 12 percent were opposed. 52 percent and 54 percent of faculty and staff either agreed or strongly agreed, respectively.

“What we’re seeing is support across all three segments [students, faculty and staff] of campus, which is remarkable,” CMC associate professor of history Daniel Livesay said.

Livesay and CMC professor of religious studies Gaston Espinosa, who began work on the GE proposal in 2020, requested that the GE question be added, they said in an interview with TSL. The Board approved and altered the wording of the question to be more generic.

The GE proposal initially received CMC faculty approval by a majority vote in April 2022. After, the faculty-approved proposal is typically sent for voting to the Board of the Trustees, but in an unprecedented action, CMC President Hiram Chodosh sent it back to faculty with proposed edits.

The Board then received the proposal in September and

unanimously agreed to return the proposal, stating that it was “not sufficiently strong or well-tailored to fulfill [the college’s] mission” and recommended broadening the curriculum of the GE.

Espinosa said that the board’s recommendations diluted the original GE proposal, making it “almost meaningless in respect to racial and ethnic identity.” Espinosa also highlighted the abnormality of the Board rejecting a faculty curriculum proposal. Faculty governance allows for CMC staff to lead academic decisions because of their expertise in the curriculum, according to Espinosa and Livesay.

Livesay and Espinosa are hopeful that the Board might reconsider their original proposal in light of the data collected in the HEDS survey.

Livesay pointed to two additional questions that strongly support the addition of a Racial-Ethnic GE.

When asked how often they had been discriminated against

See SURVEY on page 2

ARTS & CULTURE

Elizabeth Banks’ newest film about a rampaging bear high on cocaine, “”Cocaine Bear,”” provides a gory, gruesome, glorious glimpse into female rage in a suprising package. Read more on page 4.

OPINIONS

When theoretical physicist Steven Koonin spoke at CMC last week, Rowan Gray CM ‘26 and Gabriel Konar-Steenberg PO ‘23 weren’t impressed — they were appalled. Read more on page 7.

SPORTS

Unfortunately for the Stags, the second time was not the charm. Swarmed by the Sagehens, who pecked away at their defense, the CMS men’s basketball team fell to their sixth street rivals in the last game of the regular season. Read more on page 9.

JAKE CHANG & FIONA HERBOLD

Mount Baldy gleams bright white above the claremont colleges.

cOURTESY: hANNAh FRASURE 5c Ukrainian students held a vigil last Friday on the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Tech nonprofit founder Michael Ellison to deliver 2023 Harvey Mudd commencement address

On May 14, tech startup founder and social justice advocate Michael Ellison will speak at Harvey Mudd College’s 65th annual commencement ceremony.

Senior class president Katie Wu HM ’23 said that the commencement speaker selection process started with nominations from the graduating class. Wu worked with Anna Ding HM ’23 and President Maria Klawe to create a shortlist. Seniors voted on their preferences, and based on their responses, Klawe reached out to potential speakers that aligned with those preferences.

Wu said that Ellison was chosen “for his impressive background and contributions to tech, education and social change.”

He is widely recognized for his role as CEO and co-founder of CodePath, a nonprofit organization devoted to preparing college students for successful careers in tech and creating “the most diverse generation of engineers, CTOs, and founders.”

According to Ellison, education for computer science and other tech fields is not nearly as accessible as it should be, stating that many underrepresented minorities drop out of computer science as a major or career path. Ellison himself grew up in a low-income household, where he had limited access to computer science classes and resources. CodePath seeks to address this problem by supporting underrepresented college students as they navigate the world of tech, connecting them to internships, courses and

other forms of career preparation.

“We believe the best way to grow the number of underrepresented minorities in tech is to make sure they persist in college CS programs through graduation,” Ellison states on the organization’s website. “This belief is producing exceptional results.”

Since its inception in 2017, CodePath says they’ve helped nearly 20,000 students in their tech journeys. 64 percent of these students have identified as low-income or underrepresented minorities.

Ellison’s involvement in CodePath is a large part of the reason why he was selected as this year’s commencement speaker.

“[Ellison’s] organization’s mission and work align with Harvey Mudd’s own diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives over the past

SURVEY: Support for RaceEthnic GE

continued from page 1

15-plus years, particularly our goal to increase the diversity of our student body, faculty, staff and trustees,” said Timothy Hussey, chief communications officer at Harvey Mudd. Aside from his influential role at CodePath, Ellison also served as a founding member of tech startup ClassicMetric and nonprofit organization Women Who Code.

Wu feels that Ellison’s commitment to forging change in the tech industry will resonate with students.

“I believe that Ellison’s personal story and passion for increasing diversity in tech will encourage us to reflect on the experiences that we’ve had during college and experiences that we will have after graduation,” Wu said.

or harassed because of their racial/ethnic identity, 26 percent of students and 24 percent of staff said often or very often. When asked about their satisfaction with the “effectiveness of diversity and equity programming and events,” only 51 percent of students felt satisfied. The results of the survey became available over the summer, but were not released to the public right away. Livesay

and Espinosa think that the Board may have received the information in December. Had the Board seen this data and factored it into their decision, Livesay and Espinosa believe that they might have reached a different decision.

“The students have made it very clear what they want,” Espinosa said. “This issue is not going to go away, no matter how much they want it to.”

Claremont McKenna College administration declined to comment.

UKRAINE: Recognizing the anniversary of Russia’s invasion

continued from page 1

Dudiak said. “In a pretty average-sized car, she managed to drive 11 people out of the city.”

Another organizer, Oleksandr Horban CM ’24, was also away from home and learned of his family’s traumatic experience.

“[My dad] said ‘If we ever meet again,’ and that was something I never expected to hear,” Horban said. “The Russian troops were positioned maybe around 20 minutes away from our house [in Kyiv] … you never know what’s going to happen to you. If Russian troops are in your city, you can be killed, raped [and] tortured just for being Ukrainian.”

Toward the end of the vigil, the organizers directed the audience to sing Ukraine’s national anthem and a popular Ukrainian folk song to express solidarity with Ukrainian victims.

Afterward, Alina Saratova HM ’23 and Alexej Latimer PO ’24 joined the students to discuss more steps they believe the 5C administrations and student body could take, some of which were specific to Russian students.

“There are entire portions of the country that have been, in some cases, physically, socially and culturally decimated,” Latimer said, referring to Russia’s 2014 invasion of the Crimean Peninsula, where his family lives.

He advised people not to believe any rhetoric that deems Russia’s invasion a “positive effort” or “effort of unification” — a stance, he believes, that reflects Russian neo-imperialism. Many dissenters in Russia fear persecution—over 15,000 protesters have been arrested since Feb. 24, 2022, but some students commented that Russian dissenters do not face the same

Housing concerns resurface amidst annual flood of Oldenborg applications

On Feb. 13, applications for housing at Pomona College’s Oldenborg Language Halls opened for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors. However, many students report applying to Oldenborg out of necessity rather than for its language offerings because it is one of the few residence halls at Pomona that offers single rooms and air conditioning.

Paul Cahill, director of Oldenborg, and Tamara Olivos, assistant director of Oldenborg, affirmed in an email to TSL that Oldenborg directors look for students who have interest in one of the languages offered and in the culture of the hall in order to create a sense of community.

“We consider this to be a key part of students becoming active participants in the Oldenborg community,” they said via email.

Anisa Ketlekha PO ’26 pointed out, however, that because Oldenborg has nicer facilities than other sophomore dorms, students apply for reasons other than language.

“If other dorms are better, and have AC and nice rooms, people wouldn’t [stress as much to get into Oldenborg] by faking that they want to study a language,” Ketlekah said. “Especially the people who are applying to multiple language halls, they might not put as much effort into applying to one single language hall, compared to me who is [putting] all my effort into applying

only for [the] Japanese [hall].”

Max Feng PO ’26 explained that he wants to apply to Oldenborg to secure his chances to live in a residence hall with good facilities.

“If I don’t apply for Oldenborg, then I might not know where I’m gonna live [next academic year],” Feng said.

Oldenborg’s selection process has two steps. The first step involves deciding which students would be assigned room draw numbers based on their applications, and the second step uses a random process to generate room draw numbers. According to Cahill and Olivos, the random process is used to mitigate any unfairness that could occur by individually ranking students.”

Currently, Pomona reserves a section of Oldenborg’s rooms for quarantined students. Cahill and Olivos confirmed that Oldenborg will continue to serve as a quarantine space in the 2023-2024 academic year.

However, Ketlekha expressed that due to Oldenborg’s popularity among students, those quarantine rooms should be for residence instead.

“[Since quarantine] is temporary … those rooms can [instead house] people [who want to live in Oldenborg] for the whole year, [especially when] Oldenborg rooms are nice,” Ketlekha said.

consequences in the United States.

“How many people from Russia are right here in this room right now? Not a single one,” Horban said. “If they don’t support their president, they’re safe enough to express their political opinions here. It’s not Putin’s war in Ukraine, it’s Russia’s war in Ukraine.”

Hilary Appel, a CMC government professor with an expertise in Russian politics, further clarified the potential repercussions Russian citizens can face for speaking out against the war, including facing lengthy prison sentences for their dissent.

“Russians abroad can express dissent as long as they are not returning home. The big fear is personal arrest inside of Russia,” she said to TSL via email.

Shishkina wished Russian students privately opposed to the war would do what Ukrainian

students publicly do. She referred to an art stand that she and several other Ukrainian students ran on Feb. 26 at the Claremont Farmers & Artisans Market. They gave out art to fundraise for generators at Ukrainian hospitals, as they did at the Q&A session.

“Fundraising, speaking out about it, creating conferences, engagement fairs [and] garage sales like the farmer’s market,” she said about event ideas that Russian students could host to support Ukrainian students.

Ukrainian students at the Q&A encouraged attendees to donate what they can to their fundraiser and to follow the news. Ukrainian students suggested the Kyiv Independent and Kyiv Post as credible news for English-speaking students to use to learn about updates on the war.

During the vigil, many of the

organizers wanted to emphasize the importance of language used to describe the Russian invasion. Shishkina intentionally used the word “genocide” to describe Russia’s invasion. Latimer felt the term “war” did not adequately capture the global economic implications of the conflict for Ukraine.

“There are so many factors within this war that lead towards actual international catastrophe,” Latimer said. “[Ukraine’s] resources … are just burning away … The word ‘war’ kind of swallows so many details.”

For the student organizers, they hope attendees can take away that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is most clearly one about sovereignty and autonomy.

“Remember that Russia is not doing this because they want the best for Ukrainians … they want to eradicate a lot of cultural components,” Saratova said.

JUNE HSU

Justin Brooks, director and co-founder of the California Innocence Project (CIP), spoke at the Claremont McKenna College Athenaeum on Tuesday, Feb. 28. He presented his new book “You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You’re Innocent” and its focus on the causes of wrongful convictions.

The CIP is a branch of the larger Innocence Project, a nonprofit organization founded in 1992 that provides pro-bono legal services to exonerate individuals maintaining innocence. Innocence Project is also a subgroup of the global Innocence Network, which consists of 71 organizations around the world.

In his presentation, Brooks discussed the chapters of his book, which outline the various reasons a person may be wrongfully convicted ranging from Chapter 1, “You Hired the Wrong Lawyer (Pleas with No Bargain)” to Chapter 10, “You Are Poor and/or a Person of Color.” He accompanied the discussions of each chapter with past cases in which now-exonerated clients were wrongfully convicted.

“I think it’s human nature to not believe in wrongful convictions,” Brooks said. “Because then you have to believe that one day you might be wrongfully convicted.”

Brooks explained that he founded the CIP after reading about the case of Marilyn Mulero, a woman sentenced to death row on a plea bargain. Mulero maintained her innocence and Brooks recruited his law students at California Western School of Law to help him work on her case.

“I said, ‘Who wants to help me out?’ and four brave souls raised their hands,” Brooks said. “That night they came over to my house, we sat down at the kitchen table and started going through the police reports and started putting the case together. That night, for me, the Innocence Project was born.”

The CIP’s clients have collectively spent more than 570 years wrongfully incarcerated, according to the California Innocence Project’s website. Along with providing pro-bono legal work, the CIP also works on law reform, having successfully passed multiple bills to prevent wrongful convictions in the future.

Despite the complicated legal work that the CIP does, Brooks offers his professional knowledge and experience to the public through his book. He aims to explain the issues surrounding wrongful convictions in an accessible way. “I tried to write this book in a way that anybody could

read it and understand this stuff,” Brooks said. “Not make it overly legalistic, not make it overly scientific.”

Students like Olivia Carusi CM ’24 affirmed that the clarity of the book is helpful to readers looking to become more involved in the criminal justice system.

“I think it’s so easy for even people who consider themselves to be well-versed in some legal terms or state policies [to] get easily intimidated by police officers and interrogation techniques,” Carusi said. “It is important to just say these things in simple terms so that other people can understand them and also understand what’s wrong with the system.”

Carusi added that she was deeply impressed by Brooks’ work at the CIP, and was optimistic about the potential the institution has to challenge preconceived ideas about incarceration and criminal justice.

“Seeing something like the Innocence Project that works within the system to also help change the system, or at least introduce more justice into a faulty system, is really inspiring,” she said.

‘Anyone can be wrongfully convicted’: Founder of California Innocence Project speaks at the Ath

NHI NGUYEN

WENDY ZhANG • ThE STUDENT LIFE

Justin Brooks spoke to c laremont students and faculty about his work at the c alifornia Innocence Project.

‘Healthy Relationships’ workshop series begins at Pitzer

LUCIA STEIN

The Pitzer College Title IX Office held the first of a threepart educational workshop series teaching students how to develop interpersonal skills on Feb. 22, 2023. The first session focused on maintaining healthy relationships on campus and supporting those navigating challenging relationships. Tiombe Wallace SC ’95, who identifies as a Black intersectional feminist therapist, led the initial workshop. The series will continue with “Restoration and Healing in Friendships and Community” on March 30 and concludes with “Intimacy After Trauma” on April 13. Darcy Edmundson PZ ’23, who serves as the Title IX student assistant and a Pitzer Peer Advocate worked to develop the workshops with the Title IX office and Wallace.

“We were looking to have an event that could really establish Title IX’s presence at Pitzer,” Edmunson said.

Alyssa-Rae McGinn is Pitzer’s interim Title IX Coordinator with a career devoted to providing education on relationships, including some of the Pitzer Advocates’ training. She said the staff at the Title IX office saw Wallace as a natural choice to lead the workshops. Wallace and the Title IX office worked closely to build a workshop series that felt relevant to the entire 5C community.

“[Wallace] is a brilliant expert in this area [of community and healthy relationships], and we are

so grateful for her work with us to develop this series,” McGinn said via email.

Wallace agreed that in developing the workshops, she found perspectives from 5C students and the student-led Pitzer Advocates were most helpful in determining the needs on campus.

“We knew that we wanted to cover a range of topics that went beyond intimate or romantic relationships, because I feel like that’s kind of what you think about when you think about relationships generally,” Edmundson said. “So covering friendships or community was a big one that we really wanted to hone in on.”

Wallace felt that the topics covered were important for everyone to learn about and consider, not just college students.

“We all can use assistance and reminders, or … places to discuss ... how do we build in both self-care and community care, and destigmatize building relationships where we can care for ourselves and each other?’”

Wallace said.

McGinn recommended the two upcoming workshops to students from all 7Cs.

“We hope that these workshops will provide a space for sharing, processing difficult emotions, self-growth and healing,” McGinn said. “We are also hoping that students will gain greater comfort with these topics and use these workshops as a springboard to continue thinking deeply about them.”

Wallace hopes that the work

sNOw: Community reacts

For the first time in over 50 years, the Claremont Colleges witnessed weather phenomena highly unusual in the city of trees and PhDs: snow falling on campus.

On Wednesday, March 1, around 1 p.m., a cold afternoon drew congregations of eager students when large flakes of snow started falling on campus. Members of the community rushed out of dining halls, residence dorms and academic buildings to experience the sudden snowfall.

Although 2023 is the first year since 1972 where Claremont has experienced a documented snowfall, the March 1 snowfall was the second time in less than a week that students enjoyed minutes of flurries at the 5Cs.

Around 10:30 a.m. last Saturday, Feb. 25, following days of stormy weather, snow began falling from the sky. Videos of snowflakes circled around social media, showing snow falling on Pomona College’s coop fountain, outside Harvey Mudd College dormitories and on Scripps College lawns.

On both occasions, the temperature in southern Claremont was warm enough that the flakes melted soon after they reached the ground, but that didn’t stop some students from making snowballs out of the accumulated graupel or catching the flakes with their hands.

For some students, like Celine Aoki SC ’26, Saturday was the first time they ever saw snow. Aoki, who has lived in Southern California her whole life, said she was eating brunch at Mallott when she saw other students rush outside the dining hall. She quickly walked out and showed her parents, who were on Facetime.

“It felt like a very surreal moment,” Aoki said. “It made me feel like I was super young again, experiencing things for the first time. I don’t get a lot of those opportunities anymore now that I’m growing up.”

Although uncommon in Claremont, local media anticipated that snow might fall in the town after Southern California received its first blizzard warning since 1989. The blizzard, which is the second the National Weather Service has on record for the area, has brought heavy rains across Southern California and large amounts of snow to mountains — such as Mount Baldy — since Friday.

In 1938, Claremont saw a similar pattern of storms and snow, Pomona environmental analysis profes -

sor Char Miller said. The deep snowpack in the mountains was melted by rain, and the storm runoff resulted in a massive flood which tore through Claremont and structures at Scripps and Pomona, the only two colleges that existed at the time.

To prevent future floods, the San Antonio Dam was built in 1956. According to the City of Claremont’s Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, the dam and flood channels have minimized the damage flooding incidents could bring to the area, although there’s still a low risk of dam inundation.

“I don’t see [a flood] necessarily happening, but the pattern is pretty close,” Miller said, adding that if this were to happen, more buildings in the area would mitigate the damage of a strong flood.

Heavy rains such as these used to be normal in the area but had ceased for over a decade because of California’s ongoing drought, Miller said. He added that this year’s weather is an exception to the dryness of the region, not the new norm.

“We assume drought is temporary and that wet is normal. The reverse is true. California is in a state of drought, not a state in drought,” Miller said. “As joyous as those flakes were and the rain that came as well, they don’t do a lot for the larger water deficit … we need four years of this normal rain pattern to even get back to something we might consider to be normal. And that’s probably unlikely.”

In the coming years, Miller said the region will continue to experience a weather pattern described as whiplash weather, where forecasts toggle between extremes.

“We have these very hot summers [with] wildfires and then shortly thereafter, there might be a devastating thunderstorm that produces floods in the very areas that burned,” Miller said. “So we’re looking at more of what we would imagine to be more unstable climate that flips back and forth radically.”

Still, Miller said he was upset he missed Saturday’s snow, as he was in Los Angeles with family at the time.

“It’s kind of magical when it falls in a place with palm trees,” he said. “And, you know, it’s one sort of treasure, even though it seems so bizarre.”

Corrections

In Issue 13, a news article on Pitzer worker’s unionization efforts, it stated that some workers had been fired by Pitzer, directly. They were not fired by Pitzer. They were fired by BAMCO. In the same article, Natasha Wong PZ ’22 was mis-paraphrased. The Editorial Board addressed these errors more elaborately in our Opinions section. In Issue 14, a special projects article on the dissolution of the BSC misattributed Kit Morgan PO ’75’s graduation year. In a news article on the CMC committe, Josh Nagra CM ’23 did not have his graduation year listed. In a sports article, Dominiqic Williams was misspelled as Dominic Williams. TSL regrets the error.

she and McGinn have been doing to center compassion in the Title IX Office continues.

“Often it can feel like it’s such a logistical office with this really important protocol-related and procedure-related role,” she said. “But it’s also really important to have compassion and communi-

ty trust.” Last year, Pitzer students openly criticized the Pitzer Title IX office and called for personnel overhaul, eventually prompting several staffing and policy changes for the office. Although the office changes were prior to her arrival as a student, Edmundson

explained that the Title IX Office should have been leading with compassion from the beginning.

“Hopefully the new ethos of Title IX moving forward is compassion, care, community,” Edmundson said. “And that’s really, I think, what the workshop is trying to build.”

BSU: Black students demand accountability

continued from page 1

from 5C administrations on providing adequate safe spaces.

“When you share a space with people that look like you, and go through similar experiences like you, it makes the campus feel like home,” Turner said.

The third demand, “Increased Retention of Rate of Black Students,” calls out the institution for its low retention of Black students, citing the “lack of academic support, career development and personal/emotional support” on campus as a main cause.

This section also calls on Pitzer to aggressively recruit students by “going into more predominantly Black areas with full transparency of the opportunities Pitzer College can provide them with.”

The final section, “Concern for the Well-Being of Black Students,” demands “adequate representation, through staff members and mental health professionals, as well as access to resources that are catered to Black students on campus.” The

document also cites the fact that as of 2023, Pitzer employs only 11 Black faculty and staff members of their 344 employees.

For Turner, increased retention rates and concern for Black well-being “go hand-inhand.”

“If you want to increase retention rate, you have to create an inclusive environment for those particular students,” she said.

Turner also said the 5Cs shine a “bright light” on campus diversity, but the consortium is still failing to create this fully inclusive environment. “I think that is really necessary if you’re going to boast about [having] a diverse campus,” she said.

The day after Pitzer’s BSU published their statement, Scripps’ BSU, Watu Weusi, shared their disappointment with Scripps administration for their “lack of acknowledgement” of Black History Month via Instagram.

The post noted that Scripps held no institutional events in honor of Black History month outside of “a mere mention of BHM in a campuswide newsletter” and one film screening from Scripps Communities of Resources and

Empowerment (SCORE).

Watu Weusi also called out Scripps for “inhibit[ing] outreach and membership capabilities” by not providing them with any contact information for incoming and current Black students.

“Through anecdotal experiences and institutionallybacked data, Scripps College has fallen short in meeting the needs of Black students,” Watu Weusi said in their post. The Pitzer BSU’s formal demands come less than three years after students released a September 2020 address titled, “How Pitzer can support the success of their Black students.”

In the 2020 address, students referenced the 5C BSU demands of the administration in the ’60s. “52 years and yet our list of requests read almost identical to theirs,” the statement read. “This point further shows that the colleges have failed their students with lack of sustainable policies in regard to admission and recruitment.”

In 2023, the members of the BSU still feel ignored and neglected.

“Three years later the safety and wellness of Black students continue to go unacknowledged,” Pitzer BSU’s 2023 statement read.

MARIANA DURAN

How “Cocaine Bear” disembowels our consumption of female rage

This article contains spoilers for the film “Cocaine Bear.”

In Elizabeth Banks’ new, gloriously violent and bat-shit crazy gem “Cocaine Bear,” the plot is simple: a black bear accidentally swallows several pounds of cocaine.

Chaos ensues.

The result is a surprisingly funny explosion of characters chasing, hunting and running for their lives from Cocaine Bear before the ending lands: in the final scenes, the black bear is revealed as a mama bear protecting her cubs.

For a moment, Cocaine Bear is humanized as more than an apex predator on a coke high; we feel a gut-punch through the farce and fleetingly pity this creature that humans ultimately brutalized. Cocaine Bear not only becomes a mother; she becomes human.

The film is a triumph for director Elizabeth Banks, who has struggled to find her feminist-comedy footing since the “Pitch Perfect” franchise fizzled out. After trudging through box-office bomb “Charlie’s Angels,” which I found delightful, she now emerges confidently with a movie that embraces what it is and nothing more.

“Cocaine Bear” is a romp. Yet underneath the limb-ripping camp, “Cocaine Bear” is also a statement about spectatorship and our entitlement to it: Cocaine Bear didn’t choose to be an international media sensation or the antagonist of a man vs. nature storyline in the frenzied world where “Cocaine Bear” is set. She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and yet here she is: the star of the movie

and the star of the world she lives in, when ultimately, she just wants to protect her cubs.

Strangely enough, the black bear has become canonized in feminist media as a symbol of this sort of exploitation: Aubrey Plaza’s 2020 lesser-known quarantine black comedy “Black Bear” packs the same punch. A dazzling, mysterious upstate-cabin-inthe-woods psychological thriller about the emotionally abusive turbulence of show business, “Black Bear” asks how far is too far into that perfect shot. In “Black Bear,” the audience is implicated: we must reconcile with our own consumption of female pain as Plaza, an actress, plays an actress in a movie inside a movie.

“Black Bear” unfolds in two parts: The first posits Plaza as a breezy, mysterious actress and director visiting a couple in their cabin in the woods to shoot her movie, and she ultimately becomes an agent in their relationship’s exaggerated, theatricalized demise. The whole premise feels a little scripted, the writing too stiff, and we wonder if this just isn’t a great movie. Yet here comes part two: This time, the roles have been changed, and the husband is now the director, Plaza is the wife and a bright-eyed Sarah Gadon is the other woman, the fresh-faced ingénue. We realize that this is the behind-the-scenes of part one, a movie inside a movie.

Plaza slowly unravels into an animalistic train wreck as her husband pushes her to the brink to perform; she chugs hard liquor, rolls around and sings on the floor and refuses to wear clothes. In the final scene, she calmly embraces

the black bear that has been lurking in the woods. Here, the black bear becomes a comforting symbol of liberation: Plaza physically turns away from her cheating husband and the chaotic, drug-fueled movie set lurching around her to embrace this black bear.

Like the freedom in the “Black Bear” breakdown, there’s liberation in Cocaine Bear’s rampage, but it’s undercut by the tragedy that pushed her to this point. Cocaine Bear hunts, slaughters and disembowels, but not because she’s inherently violent; instead, she’s simply a mama bear who has ingested massive amounts of cocaine. How much can we celebrate a woman’s “Yellow Wallpaper” moment when we watched every step of her getting pushed to the brink? Ultimately, both “Cocaine Bear” and “Black Bear” tell stories rooted in truth: there’s a reason for women “going crazy.” And we can’t celebrate this liberation without reconciling with the man-made imprisonment that pushed them there. Bear stories allow us an outlet for female, animalistic rage. And since “Cocaine Bear” is a funny movie, and Plaza successfully manages to translate her sardonic wit into the horror drama, we can and should embrace the fun. But we need to remember the tragedy that landed us here.

Eliza Powers PO ’25 is from New Orleans, Louisiana. She loves Gracie Abrams, “The Bachelor” and matching pajama sets.

Pomona Orchestra facilitates community through artistic expression

JULIA SKAGGS

Beneath the rain clouds on Friday, Feb. 24 and Sunday, Feb. 26, members of the 5C community gathered to watch the Pomona College Orchestra (PCO) Concert program at Bridges Hall of Music.

The orchestra took the audience on a journey through Nicolai’s “Overture The Merry Wives of Windsor,” Mozart’s “Flute Concerto No. 2 in D major” and “Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70.”

Eric Lindholm is a professor and conductor of music and orchestra at Pomona College and the organizer of the program.

“It’s my responsibility to select the music that we’ll work on and to devise the rehearsal schedule,” Lindholm said.

Lindholm’s construction of the set list for this concert takes inspiration from the roots of traditional orchestra classics. For instance, the orchestra had not played Dvořák for over a decade.

“As one of the big names, it was good to get back to him,” Lindhold said. “The program was unusual for us in that the repertoire was all mainstream.”

For PCO member Ainhoa Bezerra-Gastesi PO ’25, her favorite piece to play from this program is Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7.

“It incorporates many different motifs and mixes of slow and fast sections, which makes it very enjoyable to play,” Bezerra-Gastesi said.

Lindholm takes feedback from members of the orchestra to curate the music list. This semester, the orchestra students chose to switch things up.

“In the past few concerts of the PCO, we played a lot of contemporary and modern pieces and we requested to have some more Romantic and Classical [era] pieces this semester,” Bezerra-Gastesi said.

The PCO rehearses twice a week and holds two programs each semester. In terms of planning for this particular event, the PCO opened up the orchestra to musicians outside of the 5C student body to create a full ensemble.

The PCO has a long-standing tradition as a pivotal creative outlet for students, faculty and staff of the community. Lindholm perceives this program as a community-building activity.

“It’s amazing that early humans, who were plenty busy, made time to craft and play sophisticated musical instruments as a way of bonding and expressing themselves artistically,” Lindholm said.

To Lindholm, this lore extends to today’s conception and meaning of music at the 5Cs, saying it fosters a sense of community through a shared

The

cOUrTESY:

musical experience.

“The students in our orchestra have worked hard to be able to share this part of themselves with our audiences, and the experience of performing is much more meaningful when someone else is listening,” Lindholm said.

For attendee Amara Mir PO ’25, the program fosters a sense of musical respite through community building.

“It’s a time for me to cheer on my friends and see their practice come to fruition,” Mir said. “The concert brings people from different backgrounds together to immerse in music.”

According to Bezerra-Gastesi, orchestra means building community through a passion for music.

“I love playing the violin and sharing the music we make with both the 5C community and the larger Claremont community,” Bezerra-Gastesi said.

In general, the PCO strives to pursue diversification strategies within music. Namely, the Orchestra typically plays music by a composer from an under-represented or marginalized group.

“Our program last October featured five composers of Latin American heritage,” Lindholm said.

The PCO looks forward to collaborating with the Pomona College Choir later this semester in joint concerts on April 14 and 16. Due to the pandemic, the two musical groups could only use a limited number of members in the concert.

“This is the first time in four years that both ensembles will be together at full strength,” Lindholm said.

The program will consist of two mainstream composers, Haydn and Brahms, and two lesser-known composers, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel and Florence Price. Price is the first Black composer to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra. The PCO plans to continue this narrative to cultivate an inclusive community in the future.

A waffle-y honest moment

EMILY KIM

The other day, I made myself a waffle at Frary Dining Hall. I plopped a dollop of Greek yogurt in the center and then scooped up a handful of blueberries, noting that while some stuck to the yogurt, others cascaded down the sides and gracefully landed inside the rectangular waffle pockets. I continued adding to my breakfast creation, gathering plump raspberries and honeydew cubes and scattering some granola on top. Once I was satisfied, I carefully brought it to a table.

Sitting down, I remember feeling overwhelmed. On top of all the midterm papers I had to write and presentations I had to prepare for, I simply had a lot on my mind. I remember staring mindlessly at my breakfast and then realizing that the loaded waffle in front of me mirrored what I imagined my mind to look like at that moment.

Quite frankly, the waffle was messy. Sure, some blueberries were perfectly nestled in the crevices, but honeydew cubes knocked others off of the waffle completely, granola scattered unevenly over the plate, some yogurt that had somehow migrated outward to the waffle’s edges, with a couple lone raspberries on the verge of tipping over.

Usually, I am a skilled compartmentalizer: I can manage my academic stress, club-related busyness and personal ups and downs quite well without letting one bleed into another. If I had to depict my typical mind as a waffle, it would be one where the blueberries sit neatly in the crevices, where the granola is scattered uniformly throughout and no yogurt drips down the sides.

But on this day, I could not help

but feel my personal worries seep into my academic and extracurricular-related stress, just like the yogurt inching to the sides and enveloping all the fruit in its way. Before these worries became any more overwhelming, like the honeydew chunks that ruthlessly knocked the blueberries off the waffle, a friend unexpectedly came up to me.

“How are you doing?” they asked. For them, it was a simple inquiry. For me, it was the checkin — the invitation for honesty — that I needed most at that moment.

I shared with my friend all that was on my mind and I was so grateful to them for listening.

When I left Frary that morning, I felt mentally lighter, my brain no longer trying to section off every thought and ultimately failing to do so.

Throughout the day, I spent a good amount of time reflecting. That morning, my friend reminded me that I don’t always need to compartmentalize my feelings so well and that letting my emotions spill over does not mean that I’ve lost control. In fact, they emphasized, recognizing these emotions and allowing them to come to the surface may actually be healthier in the long run, allowing me to have greater mental stability down the road.

Thinking back to this day, I’m thankful for my friend’s wise words. I’m also particularly struck at how something as silly as a Frary waffle can lead me to reflect on myself and confront the jumbled thoughts in my mind, as messy and out of control as they may seem. I’ve recognized that even when you can’t or don’t want to put into words how you feel, what’s on your plate — the visuals,

the textures, the aromas — can give you the gentle nudge you need to do so. I know that if I had not made a waffle that day, this TSL piece would have probably been about something entirely different, and I would have continued compartmentalizing my every feeling, putting on a façade that every neatly-packaged aspect of my life was splendid. I love how food can be a quiet

impetus for reflection, which then your friends can further encourage and deepen through a simple “how are you doing?” With this in mind, I hope that, even in this busy midterms season, you have a chance to grab a meal and sit with all the thoughts running through your mind. It’s okay if they spill over each other; it’s okay if they’re messy -— no, acknowledging them does not mean you are

losing control. Moreover, as you sit with these thoughts, perhaps take a look at your plate, too. Just as your food may nourish your body, it may inspire some nourishing reflection for your mind, too.

Emily Kim PO ’25 is from Irvine, CA. She is currently taking a break from coffee and is seeking caffeinated alternatives to get her through her three hour late-afternoon seminar classes.

ELIZA POWERS

hANNAh cArIS

cOUrTESY: mAX rANNEY

orchestra took the audience on a journey through Nicolai’s “Overture The merry Wives of Windsor,” mozart’s “Flute concerto No. 2 in D major” and “Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7 in D minor, Op. 70.”

mOmENT TO SAVOr

The cathartic art of visual albums

ABBIE BOBECK

Great music often acts as a lifeline between artists and their listeners. Artists can understand and convey the most complex emotions through lyricism and instrumentation. Many songwriters go the extra mile with their work by adding visuals to contextualize the vivid lyricism and storytelling. I believe this is an essential component to a great body of work.

On Valentine’s Day, country singer Kelsea Ballerini surprise dropped her EP “Rolling Up The Welcome Mat,” a body of work detailing her emotions throughout the process of her recent divorce from singer Morgan Evans. Ballerini’s EP is raw, unfiltered and painful. Along with her EP, she put out a short film with the same name that provides the story’s imagery of marriage and divorce.

The 20-minute film, split into chapters for each song on the EP, includes impactful visuals that give viewers a glimpse into the experiences and feelings Ballerini aims to portray in her body of work. This EP seems to have been a cathartic experience for Ballerini, who has opened up to her fans through this short film

and accompanying EP more than she has before. The vulnerability of the film, with scenes of breaking plates and playing guitar in a packed-up closet, enables a direct line of connection between Ballerini and her audience.

Ballerini’s short film is just another example of how visual albums are able to bring light to the vulnerability of an artist’s lyrical storytelling. This element of albums makes the underlying story of an album or body of work more impactful for fans. One of the first examples of the transformative quality of a visual album for me was Beyonce’s “Lemonade.”

A 65-minute journey through Beyonce’s emotional turmoil with her husband Jay-Z, as well as larger themes of Black unity and family, melds into a visual and musical masterpiece.

Beyonce’s film is split into eleven different chapters which reflect the ever-changing emotions of the story, such as “Anger” and “Emptiness.” “Lemonade,” the film, encapsulates themes and stories that expand beyond Beyonce’s personal life and experiences. The film features clips from the 1991 drama “Daughters of the Dust”

which details the experiences of American slavery, tying in themes of the Black experience. Beyonce explores this pain in full force through her music and imagery. Overall, the film tackles the Black female experience and how women stick together through pain and betrayal.

The explosiveness of “Lemonade” as a body of work is profound, and the stunning cinematography, costuming and clear emotion send it over the top. “Lemonade” can touch people’s hearts and make them stop and listen in a way not many other albums can; the experience of watching the film is genuinely epiphanous.

Providing a clear visual storytelling device alongside a piece of music seems to be a freeing outlet for many musicians — a way to present the story they want to share with audiences in a way that’s authentic to their vision. These visual works, whether short films or straight-up movie-length spectacles, go beyond the scope of a standard music video.

Unlike a music video, visual albums are not restricted to bringing only one or two songs to life. Visual albums have the power to

create a whole artistic universe for an album, for fans to see into the deeper meaning and heart of a body of music. The attention to detail and profound storytelling these films present to audiences break down the barrier between the songwriter and their audience, creating a sense of empathy that is more difficult to come by through music alone.

An example of great lyrical and visual storytelling connecting with its audience is Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well: The Short Film.” The nearly 15-minute film starring Dylan O’Brien and Sadie Sink chronicles the storyline of Taylor’s 10-minute-long ballad of truly agonizing heartbreak. Swift, as director, interspersed scenes of the film with small sequences of musicless dialogue between the lovers adding a clear portrayal of the emotional breaking points in the song’s story. O’Brien and Sink expertly portray the torment of the relationship as it begins to crumble into pieces, with scenes of Sink sobbing into her pillow and blowing out candles alone on her birthday.

The pure emotional reach of the short film and the level of vulnera-

bility it allows for is what makes it so approachable to fans. It’s something real and unfiltered, and it shares the heart of Swift’s songwriting in a way that resonates with audiences. This is surely one part of Swift’s decision to make her newest album “Midnights” a visual album with visual stories for each song on the record, something she knows her fans can connect with.

The added component of visual storytelling and providing imagery behind excellent songwriting only elevates the experience of a great album. Artists with the ability to create stories so captivating they transcend a single media form are truly special and rare. Just as a great song tempts you to relisten hundreds of times until the lyrics are engraved in your mind, a great visual album will consume your mind and may even provide clarity to a lyric or even make you question the song’s story altogether. The power that great music and film can create when fused in the form of a visual album is pure and remarkable magic.

Abbie Bobeck SC ’26 is from Washington D.C. and enjoys creating playlists, laying in bed and listening to the rain hit her window.

CH e KHOV:

‘Its characters and their problems are eternal’

continued from page 1

“I came into this process really dubious, thinking that Chekhov would be stuck up,” she said. “But I’ve found that it’s a modern story.”

The 5C production of “Three Sisters,” which opened at Pomona College’s Seaver Theatre on Thursday, demonstrates why Chekhov has continued to captivate audiences for more than a century.

“The play is still relevant because its characters and their problems are eternal,” said Larissa Rudova, the Yale B. and Lucille D. Griffith professor of modern languages at Pomona. “They are bluntly sincere and draw us in with their humanity, their confusion, their mistakes and their desire for joy.”

“Three Sisters,” the third of four productions in “Inevitable Evolutions,” Pomona’s theater department season, delivers a powerful portrait of growing up.

Directed by Talya Klein, a visiting assistant professor of theater at Pomona, the play is set in 1850s Russia and follows the story of the Prozorov sisters, who feel trapped in the backwards countryside and

long to return to Moscow, Russia’s cultural center.

Conjuring both past and present, the movable two-story set, designed by guest artist Sarah Krainin, combines the spare architecture of a modern home with antiquated furnishings: an oriental rug, a piano and an oil painting on an easel. Marooned in this timeless domestic space, the Prozorov family members squabble, flirt, betray and love each other and the occasional alluring visitor. Throughout the show, the sisters imagine different futures to little avail, unable to escape their dwindling finances and dreams.

Arden DeForest PO ’25 plays the soldier Rodé in the play.

“Chekhov is like a little kid listening to an adult party,” DeForest said.

Klein knew that the text alone would not provide actors all the answers they needed, as Chekhov reveals bits and pieces of the plot but not the whole story. She spent ten full rehearsals — a third of the entire process — around a table, having the actors analyze the script to understand the motivations of each charac-

ter before moving onto staging. When the actors got on their feet, the play took only four days to block, as the movement came more naturally.

“It’s exciting material to work on with acting students in particular because not everything that happens is on the page, and you’re really trying to figure out relationships and subtext,” Klein said.

These unspoken moments are underscored during set changes when scenes of an engagement, a wedding or pregnancy unfold simultaneously to convey jumps in time. When the Prozorovs have to forfeit their house, the entire family takes apart the set piece by piece, rolling up the carpet and taking down pictures, leaving an almost empty stage.

“Just watching the transitions, I would literally tear up,” Jazz Zhu PO ’24, the assistant director, said.

Audience members agreed.

“Something that stuck out to me was how fast the scenes changed … I loved when the swing came in and the background switched from dark pink and green to just a bright yellow

brick wall in the back,” Rhea Braganza PO ’26 said.

Despite the dated language and frustratingly static plot, the actors in “Three Sisters” bring contemporary vitality to their roles, drawing on their own quirks and experiences to charm the audience. Emily Cummings PO ’23, whose performance of Masha was part of her theater department senior thesis, is especially strong in this complex role.

The performances arise out of the deep connection many of the actors felt to their characters.

“I have a little sister,” Maya said. “In so many ways, Olga is so me because she lives her whole life for her siblings and for her family.”

Seb Barnhill PZ ’25 saw his character, Andrei Prozorov, as suffering from gifted kid syndrome, an all too familiar experience.

“You get too much praise. And everyone says you’re gonna go on to do great things, and then you just keep on slowing down,” he said. Such youthful resonances were behind Klein’s choice of

material.

“This particular Chekhov play is so perfect for college students because it’s about growing up. It’s about first, big disappointments that happen in your life, and then how you pivot basically,” she said. “I feel like if anyone has access to that material, it’s college students and these particular college students who have lived through a global pandemic and who have had college experiences that weren’t what they expected.”

What is the answer to the challenge of growing up?

“More life,” Klein wrote in the director’s note. “Maybe not what we imagined, but something new, unexpected and potentially beyond anything we could have dreamed for ourselves.”

Performances of the “Three Sisters” by Anton Chekhov (translation by Sarah Ruhl) continue at the Seaver Theatre Friday, March 3 at 8 p.m., Saturday March 4 at 2 p.m. (with an ASL interpreter), Saturday, March 4 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 5 at 2 p.m.

“Three Sisters (Ruhl)” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.

Bring out your bell bottoms, roller skates and all of your brightest prints because the ’70s are back in full swing!

To be transparent, I am only just beginning my journey into ’70s fashion. I would always see my high school friends wearing vintage dresses and jackets, and when I inquired about the pieces’ origins, the answer would almost always be: “It was my mum’s!” or “It’s my dad’s jacket from high school.” I would grow envious. My parents and grandparents grew up in Soviet Kazakhstan, so whenever I tried to ask them about the fashion of the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, they could never provide Western examples of vintage fashion because it simply never reached them behind the Iron Curtain. Back in Soviet Russia, even selling jeans could put you in prison.

But as soon as the Union fell apart and the post-Soviet states were finally able to import merchandise from the West in the ’90s, the clothing of the ’70s and ’80s lost its value. Everyone, including my family, wanted to dress more modern, more Western, and so even the

So You Want to Dress: ’70s

few vintage pieces that they had were given or thrown away.

Everytime that I flick through my family’s photo albums, I always notice my grandad’s vintage looking sweaters or my mum’s extravagant house dresses and I wish that they would’ve kept those pieces for me to inherit and wear with pride. Even when I compliment these garments, my family doesn’t seem to understand or even believe me; to them, those photos recall the social stagnation and the isolation of their country from the rest of the world. And now that they have the ability to assimilate into modern Western culture, they don’t see the value in their former fashion.

If, unlike me, you are lucky enough to be able to wear authentic pieces of ’70s fashion that your parents or grandparents had once loved — do it! Wearing your family members’ clothes will not only spice up your outfit rotation, but it will also help bridge the generational gap in your family.

I am sure that there is nothing more that your grandmother would love than you asking her about how she did her hair and

makeup when she was growing up, or what the story is behind that one dress that she is wearing in that one photo in your family’s album. This curiosity would allow clothing to enjoy a second life; moreover, think how your grandmother would feel, seeing you get so excited by what she may have thought of as rags and watching you transform her beloved pieces into your own. And through seeing you in them, maybe she will remember how much joy that dress brought her when she was younger.

So let’s start constructing a ’70s outfit that your grandmother would be proud of!

The ’70s were one of the first fashion movements where women were finally able to experiment with more masculine silhouettes, moving away from the stereotypical ’50s dresses. Many ’70s clothing items were more gender neutral, from highwaisted, bell bottom pinstripe suits to suede embellished vests to bright-patterned silk blouses. For my next ’70s outfit, I envision a brown and orange pinstripe suit, paired with a silky orange blouse and a statement belt.

What is a better way to complete your look than a wide, silk headband that matches the print and color scheme of your outfit?

Or a skinny silk scarf tied around your neck? Or a white leather belt: It is the statement piece in a ’70s outfit. And of course, don’t forget those oversized, square sunglasses for sunny SoCal days.

Now, let’s talk footwear. You can never go wrong with a pair of knee-high white boots. Whether you’re styling them with a dress, a skirt or trousers, they will always add the perfect ’70s touch to any outfit. If you’re looking for something more comfortable with a lower platform, throw on your trusty pair of cowboy boots!

Or, if you’re skilled enough to roller skate, bring them out! Not only are they a quintessential ’70s item, but when you zoom past all of the pedestrians on their way to class, you will definitely be the topic of their conversation.

When it comes to makeup, let’s leave the baby blue eyeshadow in the past… instead, go for a bright cut crease paired with the longest false lashes you can possibly find. The ’70s didn’t exactly have the most revolutionary makeup

looks, so just rocking that bare faced glow is perfect for honoring this era.

The ’70s had some of the best hairstyles by far. The mullet swept everyone away and I am ecstatic that it is coming back with a modern twist. If you are blessed with natural curls, you’ve already got the base down, but if you’re unlucky like me, my best hair product investment has been heated hair rollers –– they’re a quick, fun and easy way to give your hair the perfect ’70s volume and bounce. When it comes to hair, go big or go home!

It goes without saying that the beneficial aspect of vintage clothing is sustainability. Not only can you make a day out of hitting up the Goodwill donation bins with your friends, but you are simultaneously reducing the popularization of fast fashion by investing in pre-loved pieces.

So get yourself to the thrift and dress for a day of roller skating down the pier before showing off your best boogie at every party.

Elizaveta (Lisa) Gorelik CM ‘25 is from Moscow, Russia. She likes painting by numbers, going on Starbucks runs and doing spa days.

‘The world is a narrative’: Allison Adelle Hedge Coke brings poetry reading back to the 5C’s

JADA SHAVERS

Standing behind the podium in Pitzer College’s Broad Performance Center, Allison Adelle Hedge Coke read an excerpt from her newest book “Look at this Blue.” As she shared from a collection of poems describing her experiences in California, her soft, deep and crisp voice took the audience on an intimate journey of suffering, reflection, realization and the fights endured for loved ones.

Presented by Brent Armendinger, a professor of creative writing at Pitzer, Hedge Coke was introduced with a land acknowledgement and praise for the outstanding work she has accomplished.

Hedge Coke is a labor and environmental poet who currently teaches at UC Riverside and is the author and editor of 18 books. Sharing “Look at this Blue,” a recent National Book Award Finalist, Coke immersed students into her literary world.

“I’m really happy I came; this was so beautiful and needed,” Elena Fields PZ ’25, an audience member of the event, said. “Hearing a lot of speakers on campus, and the really incredible people that have dedicated their life to art and activism, is so grounding and needed.”

This literary series reading was also the first in-person reading since the pandemic, which shows the ways in which poetry reading on campus was lacking. Not only did it provide students a chance to reset during the week, but it also gave them a chance to look into a possible career field.

“Since we are in college, we are students [and] we are grappling with what we are going to do in

the future and these events are good opportunities for people to explore new interests,” Carty Willett PZ ’23, another attendee, said.

Willett attended this event for one of his classes, as a chance to explore poetry writing.

“I thought it was interesting,”

Willet said. “I was a little lost as to what was being talked about, to be honest with you, but the way she presented her writing really changed it versus reading it myself.”

Spoken poetry is meant to provide listeners with a new guided understanding of a poem, and

getting the opportunity to hear it from the author allows these intentions to be clearly presented. Hedge Cook explained after her reading that writing “Look at this Blue” felt like an unfolding of her life and what she needed to say.

Beginning her writing career as a child, Hedge Coke explained with a smile that her sister taught her how to write. Through a small band with her sister, she began to develop a poetic style as she wrote the songs for them to perform. It was a way for them to communicate without their parents hearing, and this combination of

music and writing sparked the poetic flame inside.

She explained that her role as a poet is to be a gatherer and aid others in a way of thinking and feeling. By intentionally making an offering with her writing, Hedge Coke uses the traumatic and difficult parts of her past to relate with those around her.

Continuing to answer questions from the audience, she gave students the chance to explore poetry and writing. Audience members asked her for inspiration and skills when writing about challenging life stories.

The conversational flow between author and audience allowed those attending to develop an even deeper understanding of her literary choices. Anyone can buy a poetry book and come up with their own interpretations, but hearing from Hedge Coke created a new connection with the literary piece.

Ruthie Zolla PZ ’25 is an avid lover of poetry who enjoyed the intimacy of hearing Hedge Coke’s poetry read live.

“Any chance I get to go hear [poetry] be read or hear people share their writing, I jump at [it] because I think it is a soul-cleansing moment for me and a form of peace,” Zolla said.

Zolla described the active role she has on and off campus with writing, as she is a part of the book club at Pitzer and comes from a family that appreciates the writing that women are able to accomplish.

“I really try to take advantage of the opportunities being at an institution can give us in terms of hearing people speak their truth,” Zolla said.

Hedge Coke gave the audience a chance to hear her truth as well as provide advice about what it takes to share one’s own writing. By following one’s intuition and being present, Hedge Coke advises that a writer will discover what they have to offer.

Insisting that a writer must give themselves permission to explore the challenging situations they come from, she explained that each person’s form of writing will be revealed. Urging them to write their books and share their voice, Hedge Cake sparked creative potential within the audience.

“The world is a narrative,” Hedge Coke said.

LISA GORELIK

cASSIDY JONES • ThE

Allison Adelle hedge coke is a labor and environmental poet who currently teaches at Uc riverside and is the author and editor of 18 books.

EmmA JENSEN • ThE STUDENT LIFE

Letter

to the editors: Letter from the editors:

The following letter was sent via email to TSL editors on Feb. 22. A similar email was sent to the Pitzer College community on March 1.

To the Editor,

On behalf of the Pizer College Administration and Trustees, I would like to correct recent comments regarding the College and its employees that were recently published in TSL in a news article and an opinion piece.

Comments in TSL allege that the College has taken actions “in an attempt to discourage support for the newly-formed union.” This is not true. The facts are that the College has expressly agreed in writing to remain neutral. In August 2022 we voluntarily recognized the union. Since then, we have been engaged in good faith negotiations, not in any way to discourage support, but to reach a mutually agreeable collective bargaining agreement.

Other comments allege that Pitzer fired two employees at Bon Appétit for their support of the union. This is not true. The facts are that the workers referenced were not employees of the College, and Pitzer could not have fired them. The article also reports that “Pitzer began subcontracting workers through [Bon Appétit] after Pitzer staff went public with their union campaign last spring as an attempt to exclude new workers from the union.” This is not correct. Pitzer has had the same contractual relationship (and related employment practices) with Bon Appétit for years.

The College has been portrayed as uncaring of employees. In fact, Pitzer College cares greatly about the welfare of every one of our employees. To cite one recent and very important case in point, during the COVID-19 shutdown, unlike many colleges and universities across the country, Pitzer did not lay off any employees, despite the fact that many were no longer able to perform their duties due to the campus closure. Instead, Pitzer reduced the wages of our highest-paid workers, such as College administrators, and increased wages for our lowest-paid workers to help them get through the pandemic. This action cost the College millions of dollars at a time of great financial uncertainty, but we did it out of concern for the welfare of our most vulnerable employees—an action entirely consistent with our shared core values.

Pitzer College will continue to do right by its employees.

Jill A. Klein Interim President

In response to Jill Klein

On Feb. 10, TSL published a news article on the three Unfair Labor Practice charges filed by UNITE HERE! Local 11 against Pitzer College and Bon Appétit Management Company (BAMCO). Twelve days later, Pitzer’s Interim President Jill Klein responded with a letter to the editor that critiqued comments included in the article.

We would like to thank President Klein for pointing out two factual errors in the article. Firstly, the dining hall workers that were fired were employed by BAMCO, not Pitzer directly.

Secondly, we want to correct a quote from Natasha Wong PZ ’22 that we misparaphrased. The statement included in the article previously read: “According to UNITE HERE! Local 11 representative Natasha Wong PZ ’22, Pitzer began subcontracting workers through BAMCO after Pitzer staff went public with their union campaign last spring as an attempt to exclude new workers from the union.”

Pitzer has maintained a subcontracting relationship with BAMCO to manage their dining hall staff, since before unionization efforts began, according to both Klein and Wong have told TSL. However, we’d like to clarify that Wong alleged that BAMCO’s scope of responsibility has widened after Pitzer’s Union campaign. Prior to the campaign, Pitzer hired the dining staff and contracted BAMCO to manage the dining staff. However, after the campaign, Pitzer allegedly tasked BAMCO with hiring and managing dining staff. On behalf of UNITE HERE! Local 11, Wong and the ULPs allege that adding on hiring to BAMCO’s responsibilities was an attempt to disqualify workers hired under BAMCO from joining the Pitzer Union.

Whether or not Pitzer and BAMCO changed hiring practices following the start of the union campaign remains in dispute and TSL was not provided with documentation to prove either side.

TSL regrets these errors and the article has since been updated with correct information. We hold ourselves to the highest possible journalistic standard. In that aim, we strive to diligently fact check every story we publish to the best of our ability. We are grateful for this opportunity President Klein has given to correct our mistakes and hold ourselves accountable.

At the same time, we would be remiss to not acknowledge the ambiguity and limited information available to students and our journalists to find the truth about Pitzer’s hiring practices. Prior to publishing the article, TSL reached out to both Pitzer and BAMCO’s Department of Communications for clarification on Pitzer’s hiring practices and offered a chance to preemptively correct any misinformation.

Our writers were met with very little transparency from both administrations, with no mention of the corrections that were presented in President Klein’s letter. We want to exercise good faith and acknowledge that it’s plausible these concerns were brought to our attention as soon as they happened, but we can speak for our entire staff when we say that we hope for a more transparent relationship with all 5C administrations to avoid any misinformation in the future.

We want to reaffirm our commitment to TSL’s ethics statement: “We aim to seek truth and report it, minimize harm, act independently and be accountable and transparent.” As such, the student journalists of TSL will continue to prioritize truth above all else.

Sincerely, Hannah Weaver, Editor-in-Chief, Averi Sullivan, Managing Editor, Gerrit Punt, Managing Editor

Professor Koonin’s climate talk was misleading nonsense — here’s why

Let us set the scene for you real quick. Stanford’s Hoover Institution fellow and NYU Professor Steven Koonin was the guest speaker at Claremont McKenna College’s beloved Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum (the Ath). The room was packed with our peers, all busy chatting about their LinkedIn profiles, comparing Deloitte-branded merch and complaining about 50-degree weather. We expected nothing less.

But for those of you who aren’t familiar with Professor Koonin’s work or his talk at the Ath, we’ll fill you in. Koonin is a theoretical physicist with quite the résumé — he taught theoretical physics at Caltech for 30 years, then joined BP as their chief scientist. He would go on to serve under both Obama and Trump and for numerous federal advisory boards.

In 2021, he published “Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It Matters,” the book that was the subject of his talk at the Ath.

But despite the density of his work, Koonin’s talk can be boiled down to two simple parts. The majority of it consisted of statements along the lines of “it’s not as bad as we think it is” or “we’re doing better than we were 100 years ago even with climate change.”

Koonin even said — verbatim — “Climate alarm robs youth of their optimism.” He accompanied these statements with various factoids from recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports and plenty of graphs from other sources. The second part of the talk was him showing a set of predictions and broad positions he defends — with actual statements like “cancel the climate crisis.” His solution? We should develop more nuclear and renewable power and we shouldn’t prevent low income countries from industrializing.

So, what did people in the room think of the talk? From the 15 or so people we heard from, the review was surprisingly positive. While

there were some critical comments, many of the questions that were asked of him were prefaced with some statement to the effect of “thank you so much for your talk, it really opened my eyes.”

Now would be a good time to give a little more context on Prof. Koonin. Remember his book?

Yeah, so he got a ton of criticism for that book from the broader scientific community. For starters, he isn’t a climate scientist — he’s a theoretical physicist. His education in climate science was something he got at BP — that’s British Petroleum. The book has been summarized by dozens of actual climate scientists and science historians, led by science misinformation expert Naomi Oreskes, as a “scientifically empty” document that “cherry-picks and misrepresents outdated material to downplay the seriousness of the climate crisis.”

Having this context beforehand, we saw that Koonin’s flaws were on full display during his presentation.

For instance, he claimed that “[a]nybody that tells you that renewables will be cheap is just not paying attention to the data,” while showing a slide only of current renewable prices, ignoring that solar prices are going down exponentially. When asked about IPCC projections of sea level rise, he vaguely objected without citing any conflicting projections, merely asserting that the IPCC’s numbers didn’t make sense in light of historical data.

But we’re not just here to dunk on a misinformed talk or to judge students for believing his schtick. There’s something much more interesting — and insidious — going on here.

For the first 40 minutes of his talk, Koonin adopted the aesthetic and discourse style of a good-faith academic, displaying graphs upon graphs and flaunting his impressive credentials to give the impression that he’s some supergenius who just disproved all of modern climate science. Koonin portrays

When theoretical physicist Steven Koonin spoke at cMc last week, rowan Gray cM ‘26 and Gabriel Konar-Steenberg PO ‘23 weren’t impressed — they were appalled.

himself as the enlightened, objective scientist rescuing his audience from the other guys’ politicized rhetoric, then uses this persona to sell dangerous policies of climate inaction.

And we wouldn’t blame people for falling for it — we’re taught, for mostly good reasons, to trust people with big résumés, fancy figures and long words. We’re sure we would have been pretty swayed if we hadn’t already known the context.

And that’s exactly what is so dangerous and irresponsible about Koonin’s brand of climate denialism.

The kind of discourse he engages in is toxic. He made ill-defined claims with cherry-picked data, planted seeds of unjustified doubt in a room full of change-makers and then weaseled out of having to answer for it. This betrays the scientific ideals Koonin claims to champion. Koonin’s abuse of the scientific ethos and baseless attacks on actual science makes room for others to claim that there is legitimate disagreement among scientists and for the media to portray the issue as having two equally

valid sides. The ultimate impact is powerful — trust in scientists, journalists and other institutions is quickly declining. What else are we supposed to do?

For starters, c’mon CMC. We know you can do better when picking speakers. This isn’t about stifling legitimate disagreement — this is about bad-faith presentations that seek to mislead.

But what about us? We can start by learning more. STEM isn’t only useful for high-paying jobs — it’s an integral part of the liberal arts, crucial for understanding the modern world, no matter one’s place in it. There are courses that tackle these exact issues head-on, such as the recent offering “Climate Science and Human Behavior,” jointly taught by a Pomona College psychology professor and a Harvey Mudd College chemist. And there are plenty of free online resources for those who are not able to take advantage of dedicated college coursework.

It’s also crucial that we work on our understanding of public discourse. TSL itself is not immune from the impulse to accidentally amplify misinformation. The initial

news article on Koonin’s visit echoes a bizarre claim about graphite being “fancy” and expensive — it’s not more than a few dollars per pound — and, more importantly, fails to mention the overwhelming scientific consensus against Koonin’s claims. It is an unfortunate reality of our world that we are constantly bombarded by misleading content, and it’s absolutely critical that we notice toxic discourse when it shows up.

The climate crisis may inspire a sense of hopelessness. Indeed, this is one of Koonin’s arguments against talking about it too much (though we’d argue that his response to a student who asked about the mass extinction humans are causing — that we should keep going because we must value human lives over the environment — isn’t cheering anyone up either). But not all is lost.

The sooner we as a society wholeheartedly dedicate ourselves to the climate transition, the more harm we can avoid. Even individual action makes a difference — multiple studies show that taking steps in your own life to be more sustainable helps us all see the situation as the emergency it really is, rather than absolving more powerful actors of their responsibility.

People who were told that 30 percent of Americans had recently changed their habits to eat less meat were twice as likely to order a meatless lunch, and the odds of someone installing solar panels on their house goes up with every other person in their neighborhood who does so. At the very least, there’s another talk you can go to. Remember Naomi Oreskes? She’s coming to Harvey Mudd on April 17. We hope to see you there.

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.

Gabriel Konar-Steenberg PO ’23 is a computer science major from Minneapolis, Minnesota planning to enter the renewable energy field. He firmly believes that the center block should never be taken in a game of Jenga.

Jasper & JJ’s Crossword: Give it a rest

instructions

23. Stars in bright states 24. Response to “t’es bien?”

25. She sings “Hello” and “Oh My God”

29. Like two, four and six 30. D.C. area known for dignitaries 32. With 46-down, Iowan capital 33. “Dagnabbit!”

34. Had as crudités

35. Attribute in a Chicago nickname 36. ‘The windows to the soul’

37. Hawaiian hellos 40. Apollo who sings “Evergreen”

41. Poet Scott-Heron

44. It makes a project feel complete

46. Pfizer vaccine’s tech.

47. “___ Frutti” (Little Richard song)

48. State highway (abbr.)

49. Castle defenses

50. Kindergarten teacher’s reminder, perhaps — or elements of 20, 30 and 44-across

53. Gambles

Aptly-named “Ratatouille”

59. Successful outcome

60. Feeling relaxed

61. “You’ll regret it”

62. Oakland-to-Berkeley dir.

63. Repeated lack of 59-across

Down.

1. Like Ophelia, in Act IV

2. Scold

3. Medications’ ingredients

4. “You got our support!”

5. Fixes up an essay

6. Philosopher Descartes

7. “Absolutely”

8. Gaynor who sings “I Will

Survive”

9. Spot (someone)

10. They change your locks?

11. Like the median U.S. senator

12. Nice words

13. Hermana de la padre

21. Digital ___ (remote worker)

22. Egg-themed holiday

26. “To ___ is human”

27. Mauna ___

28. “Gross!”

30. Accounting firm founder

31. Dentist’s instruction

33. Join a conference call

35. “Why are you upset?”

36. Host of an in-person show

37. Toward the stern

38. Lucy in “Chicago” and “Kill

Bill”

39. LAX alternative

40. Surpassed

41. Thanks for a paleta

42. Extreme

43. Pulls in a steer

45. Kind of story for Superman

46. See 32-across

49. “___ bene!” (Very good!)

51. Stitched (together)

52. Meat from a calf

53. Like “Frozen II,” especially compared to “Frozen”

54. ___-friendly (like LED lights)

55. The “T” in SOHCAHTOA

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

GABRIEL KONAR-STEENBERG & ROWAN GRAY

TaLIa BErNSTEIN • ThE STUDENT LIFE

Pitzer supports employees, including their right to organize

Netflix is desensitizing you to murder

If you’re on Netflix, then you’ve probably already binged the newest season of the psychological thriller “You” that follows Joe Goldberg, an obsessive stalker and serial killer played by Penn Badgley; if you’re on Twitter, then you might also be aware that in a recent interview, Badgley called out Netflix for glorifying serial killers.

The internet is divided. Some say that Badgley’s opinion is hypocritical because he personally benefits from playing the role of a white male serial killer. Others are refreshed by Badgley’s judgment and appreciate that he is displaying his role as part of a story rather than something for people to fawn over.

My takeaway? Yes, this statement feels half-hearted coming from Badgley, but the opinion is valid; although their motives are unclear, Netflix is actively replicating the stories of heinous murders. The repercussions are serious. Whether depicting fictional stories like “You” or dramaticized portrayals of real-life killers, Netflix effectively gives murderers and those who aspire to be like their fictional counterparts exactly what they want: media attention. What’s more? Netflix’s monetization of these traumatic events desensitizes their brutality — and that’s a dangerous combination.

The plethora of shows centered around serial killers is endless on Netflix, especially those based on real-life events; people cannot get enough of the brains inside the handsome heads of cold killers such as Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer. Bundy was played by Zac Efron in “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile,” and Evan Peters played the role of Dahmer in the series “Dahmer.” Both have conventionally attractive male leads whose charming looks inspire sympathy in their audience.

Beyond looks, what dramaticized real-life killer series and fictional killer series have in common

is that they both center the murderer and their journey. Many of them go into depth about the childhood, family and upbringing of the killers, which inappropriately humanizes them. The killer is also depicted in ordinary contexts, such as a flashback of the killer in school or as a partner in a romantic relationship, which makes them come across as relatable individuals.

But why is audience sympathy a bad thing? Isn’t connection between viewers and characters the sign of well-made television and carefully-crafted character arcs? Maybe. But in the case of “You” and related programs, making killers relatable means inadvertently shifting the focus away from their monstrous actions. Serial killers should not be commemorated in any way — and that is exactly what Netflix

Netflix is actively replicating the stories of heinous murders. The repercussions are serious.

Tess McHugh

is doing.

Many believe that the creation of media about real serial killers is justified because allowing people a glimpse into the mind of a killer raises awareness of the danger they pose to society. But how important is it for a viewer to actually contemplate these things? The task of comprehending the way killers think does not fall on regular people — that should be reserved for psychologists and detectives.

Watching a show like “Dahmer” or “Extremely Wicked” does effectively raise awareness for serial killer victims, but it does so in the wrong way. The protagonists of these shows are the killers; as such, the victims are portrayed through the per-

My identity is not lost in translation at Oldenborg

spective of the killer. After watching “Dahmer,” only 2 percent of viewers actually researched his victims, proving that audiences barely learn anything about who the victims are outside of the context of their murderer. Instead, serial killer shows create unethical and unhealthy fandoms for violent criminals that completely disregard any respect for the victims or their families and communities.

Netflix is giving serial killers exactly what they kill for: legacy. But perhaps, there is a way to highlight people who’ve committed heinous crimes without handing over too much power. Media outlets tasked with covering mass real-life atrocities have managed to confront a similar conundrum. Following recent revelatory studies, anchors on news outlets have made an effort to not state the names of mass shooters to avoid giving in to their desire of bringing fame to their name. In addition, these efforts are aiming at combating the possibility of media attention inspiring others to commit similar violent acts.

This doesn’t mean documentaries and shows about serial killers should be banned. Rather, it means we’re letting Joe Goldberg control the narrative — and it’s time to take it back. Netflix and other producing entities need to ensure that they are devoting equal screen time to the stories of the communities that were preyed on. Netflix needs to portray serial killers in a sensitive way that prioritizes the victims over the killer. Until then, victims will continue to serve as props to another handsome, relatable killer’s heroic biopic.

Tess McHugh PO ’25 is from Denver, Colorado. She loves the fall season, painting her nails blue and playing lacrosse.

Some feelings cannot be put into words.

A ticket from Terminal 2, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal in Mumbai to LAX. A 26 hour journey. Four oceans sitting between. Before boarding the flight to LA, my dadi (grandma) always put a teeka on my forehead.

This red dot symbolized that no matter where I was, she would protect and guide me. Worried what strangers would think, I would wash it off the moment I entered the airport. This is the way I can explain how I used to feel in the United States — scared that no one would understand my traditions. Two years later, I grew afraid that I was losing pieces of my Indian identity. That’s when I found my home in Claremont — the Spanish Hall in Oldenborg.

Living in Oldenborg, the Center for Modern Languages and International Relations at Pomona College, was a transformative experience. As an international student, I arrived on campus with mixed feelings of excitement and apprehension about the journey ahead. From the moment I walked into Oldenborg, I knew I had found a community that would help me feel connected and supported. Oldenborg is more than just a physical space for me; it is a cultural oasis in which I can express myself and find acceptance. The rich diversity and inclusivity of the community is a kaleidoscope of colors and languages that resonated within me. It was as if the walls themselves could speak, telling the stories of the people who called it home.

My mother-tongue is Hindi but I live in a Spanish hall. That’s the beauty of language. It doesn’t matter if it’s Hindi or Spanish — it’s about celebrating a way of knowing and communicating. It’s about not being lost in translation. It’s about being found in a shared commonality.

and congeniality, where differences are appreciated and similarities are celebrated. Calidez y congenialidad. The community is alive with energy and creativity, as students share their art, music and languages. Where no one feels that their words are lost in translation, but rather, we are heard. One night, sitting on the sofas of the Spanish lounge, I heard someone play the violin. It brought upon feelings of nostalgia as I thought of my grandfather’s collection of musicians playing the sitar. The melodic notes of the instrument transported me to another world, and I closed my eyes, feeling every vibration within me. Another evening, we gathered to watch short films from Spanish-speaking countries. The films were in Spanish, but the language was not the focus — it was the fact that many individuals came together to feel a sense of community. Comunidad. The images on the screen told a universal story of love, loss, and redemption that resonated with everyone in the room. We celebrated our shared shreds of humanity. Living in Oldenborg was not just about celebrating our differences, but also finding commonalities. I will always cherish the shared meals in a foreign language, recipes and stories, discovering that despite our diverse backgrounds, we all had similar hopes, dreams, and fears. Our conversations were like a tapestry of words, weaving together a beautiful, complex and ever-evolving picture of our global community.

Oldenborg provided me with opportunities to learn about other cultures, expand my horizons, and build meaningful relationships with people from all over the world. Perhaps most importantly, it helped me feel a sense of belonging and support during a time of great change and transition in my life.

Where else can one foster a culture to unite people across borders and create a sense of belonging and connection that transcends language and geography?

VIDUSShI hINGaD

It’s about juxtaposing curiosity and comfort, to learn a language and unlearn formality. Living in Oldenborg has made me realize one can find spaces of warmth

Vidusshi Hingad PO ’25 is passionate about writing, psychology, and public speaking. When she is not at classes or at work, she is probably psychoanalyzing characters from crime shows or reading articles on education strategies.

VIDUSSHI HINGAD

cOUrTESY: VIDUSShI hINGaD

TESS MCHUGH

MaNhOLE SaNDWIch: A COMIC BY SASHA MATTHEWS

acaDEMIa NUTS: A COMIC BY ELLA LEHAVI

afraid of losing pieces of her Indian identity in college, Vidusshi hingad PO ’25 sought comfort in an unlikely place – Pomona’s Langauge halls at Oldenborg.

cOUrTESY:

Q&A: Masters athlete Linda Cohn on her world recordbreaking performance at P-P All-Comers track and field meet

with just a thought that I wanted to do something for the Senior Olympics. I had no idea where this was going to go, and it’s been really really fun.

TSL: Can you talk about your career path outside of track and field?

LC: I was a dental hygienist for 40 years. I would talk to my patients and they were always like, “what are you doing?” and I was always doing some random, weird athletic kind of thing. When my dentist [I worked for] retired, I decided to become a fitness trainer at the age of almost 60.

TSL: Was your start in track and field at 50 your first introduction to athletics?

LC: When I was married, my husband and I did co-ed softball and bowling, the girly things. I qualified for “American Gladiators.” I was 40 at the time and I hadn’t been training but thought I could do it. I wasn’t afraid of doing random athletic things. I had a friend who ended up doing bike-riding and we wound up doing these long bike rides, but javelin was really the thing I was meant to do.

I have so many medals, it’s kind of ridiculous, but it’s fun.

TSL: What’s next for you? What is your next big goal or aspiration?

LC: When I was getting close to breaking a world record, somebody asked me, “what are you going to do if you break the world record?” It really stopped me and I thought, “oh” because I tend to be goal-oriented. But you know what? Now I know I just want to keep making it higher, because even though I was able to beat the existing record, I want to throw farther. I am taking training much more seriously this year for the first time in a very long time. I’m actually lifting weights and really working, because even though I am older, fortunately, I don’t feel weaker.

Actually, since I started so late, I still think I can get my best throw ever. I think it’s somewhere out there. I am realistic enough to know that I’m not going to break any records in shot put, but for some reason, javelin is mine! I even used ‘javelinda’ as a password for a while, it’s just so much a part of me.

TSL: Any last words of wisdom for our readers?

AMALIA KOCH

At the Pomona-Pitzer AllComers track and field meet on Feb. 18, Masters athlete Linda Cohn broke the world record in the women’s javelin for her age group, 70-74. She spoke on her dominant performance, later introduction to athletics and advice for staying active and having fun.

This conversation has been lightly condensed and edited for clarity.

TSL: Can you talk about your background in track and field and how you got started in javelin?

Linda Cohn: I started throwing the javelin at the age of 50 to compete in the Senior Olympics. I had never done it before — it just wasn’t something women did. When I was younger, softball was the most organized thing that women did. I kind of randomly chose throwing the javelin. I just wanted to participate and then I wanted to win. I literally started at the age of 50 and then I was able to break an American record and I did that in every age group that I was in from when I started. The only way I was able to do that was because when I first started wanting to do it, I was able to find a college student to train me.

They have running clubs and all kinds of things like that but no specific javelin-throwing coaches that I could find. I found a young man who loved the javelin and he trained me the way he’d been trained, so I was learning like an 18-year-old boy, but I didn’t say uncle and I learned.

I’m not the biggest person and I’m not the most flexible person, but technique is a big factor and I learned thanks to him. And then I was able to break an age group world record at the age of 60 and then I did it again at age 65. It’s been quite the ride. I have met the most amazing people in track and field and honestly it started

TSL: I read that you enjoy competing in random track and field events for fun. Can you talk about that and the importance of finding joy in athletics?

LC: When I was first training to throw the javelin, Peter, the student that was teaching me, had me running, jumping and doing all these random things because the thought was that rather than put all my eggs in one basket at a track meet, I would try other events. I think the most events I’ve ever done at a track meet in one day was 10. I typically do six. I don’t train for the other events, but I like to do them like recess.

LC: If there’s one thing I want to do, it’s to let people know that there are these opportunities out there, that it’s really fun and that there are great people doing it. What’s interesting is as you get older, you can age and you can have your aches and pains, and don’t kid yourself, Masters track and field athletes have aches and pains, but they push past it, and they’re having so much more fun than people who just don’t try these things.

I am not someone who seeks publicity. I do shy away from it, but it’s an important message, and the more people who know about this and learn about this and then will come and break my record, ok. Let them know! It’s really, really fun.

From Teal Dot to Title IX, CMS athletes are getting educated on sexual safety

Their colors may be cardinal and gold, but the Stags and Athenas are working hard to get a teal colored stamp of approval.

Over the last few weeks, several of the Claremont-MuddScripps (CMS) sports teams have been partaking in various sexual assault training sessions. From sessions hosted by the Title IX office at Claremont McKenna College to Teal Dot Bystander Engagement training, the teams have been learning about both prevention tactics and about institutional support available for survivors at the Claremont Colleges.

Zachariah Schlichting CM ’24 of the football team suggested that because student athletes make up a large part of the student body and many partake in social activities on campus, it is important for them to be educated.

“[Student athletes can be] pretty involved in social activities on campus — whether that be parties on a Saturday night or a campus-club situation. If [we] are aware of how to handle situations that may escalate, it makes it

so that there’s more [people] prepared to take action,” Schlichting said.

Of the CMS teams who have attended these training sessions, many of them are men’s teams.

Donovan Davidson CM ’26 of the men’s water polo team said he thinks that it is especially important for male student athletes to be educated in bystander engagement training.

“Our team did the training because we all felt that it is very important for us as males on campus to know what to do when situations could go wrong,” Davidson said. “We know we can have an impact in helping people who are [dealing with experiences] like sexual assault and that we can help prevent those situations from happening.”

Ian Freer CM ’24 of the men’s tennis team thinks that not only do student athletes have the responsibility of representing themselves, their team and their school well, but they also have to hold their friends and teammates accountable.

“Especially with an important topic like sexual safety, we need to be on the same page about

what the right course of action is,” Freer said. “I think the biggest thing we can do is to hold ourselves and our teammates accountable for doing what we learned at the session. We spend so much time with our teammates and our peers, so we definitely are in the position to do so.”

The Teal Dot training sessions, hosted by the EmPOWER Center at the 7Cs, aim to educate students on “how to identify high risk situations and to intervene in a safe way to prevent sexual assault, dating/ domestic violence and stalking.”

Schlichting said he thought that the session was informative and thinks that they will help boost people’s confidence to be able to intervene when needed.

“We learned how to spot the cues to a potentially problematic situation and how to respond to them,” Schlichting said. “[Specifically], we talked about the different strategies, like delegating the situation to someone else and asking for support, and how at times we might need to address it directly.”

Freer and the rest of the men’s

tennis team attended a special Valentine’s Day session hosted by the Title IX office at CMC. Their session consisted of an interactive Jeopardy game that tested them on their knowledge of Title IX as a whole. Freer said the most meaningful thing that he learned was how the Title IX office acts as another avenue of support for survivors and students in general on campus.

“I think as an athlete, when you hear Title IX, you automatically think of equal representation in sports,” Freer said. “I didn’t realize how involved Title IX is in topics like sexual safety and responding to sexual assault. I thought that was informative and good to know.”

Davidson said he thinks his Teal Dot session gave him a new perspective on the importance of being an active bystander.

“If you prevent someone from hooking up with another person, it’s not going to change the course of history,” Davidson said. “But if you fully prevent someone from being assaulted, then you can change someone’s life forever. It’s definitely worth saying or asking something,

even if you’re unsure of what’s going on, because that will have a much bigger impact than doing nothing.”

Schlichting said he thinks that the reason people might be hesitant to intervene in potentially alarming situations is because they are unsure about what steps are best to take. He said he endorses not just student athletes, but all students to make an effort to learn about bystander engagement and how to prevent sexual assault. By attending these training sessions, he said he believes students can play an active role in fostering a safer and more inclusive environment on campus.

“Bringing preventing sexual assault to the forefront of people’s minds and making people cognizant and aware of the situations where it can happen is definitely needed,” Schlichting said. “I think having all students go through these training sessions is a great place to start, but I also think that it doesn’t stop there. These crash courses are good for teaching us how to handle those types of situations, but we have to work to remind ourselves of what we learned at these sessions every time we go out.”

Masters athlete Linda cohn broke a world record in javelin at the Pomona-Pitzer All-Comers track and field meet on Feb. 18.

COURTESY: SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA STRIDERS TRACK AND FIELD

SENA SELBY

Teal Dot training sessions at the EmPOWER Center aim to teach proper bystander engagement to members of the 7Cs.

COURTESY: REYNALDO CULLANAY

Clash at CARW: Top seeds P-P and CMS battle it out in Sixth Street shootout for SCIAC regular season title

The Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) men’s basketball regular seasons came to a close Tuesday, Feb. 21, with the Sagehens overcoming the Stags in a Sixth Street rivalry showdown that crowned P-P regular season SCIAC champions.

P-P and CMS came into this season with high expectations after two successful campaigns last year. CMS finished their 2021-22 season 17-8 overall and 10-6 in conference play, falling to Chapman in the SCIAC tournament semifinals. Meanwhile, P-P continued their stretch of conference dominance, winning their third straight SCIAC regular season and tournament titles.

The Sagehens stumbled out of the gate in November, losing four of their first six games, but quickly righted the ship and refocused their energy heading into December 2022.

According to Jack Paradis PZ ’26, this shift in energy was key to their success after their rocky start.

“We had a lot of energy coming into games, which I think we kinda lacked in the first half of the season,” Paradis said.

Following a 79-77 loss to Puget Sound in the David Wells Classic in November 2022, the Hens went on to win all but one of their remaining regular season games, taking a 19-6 overall and 14-1 SCIAC record into their final matchup against CMS.

The Stags, however, started their season hot and refused to look back. A sweep of the David Wells Classic set the tone for the remainder of the year. Entering the season finale, CMS stood at an impressive 13-2 conference record and 21-5 overall, just a game shy of P-P.

Kiran Kruse CM ’23, the Stags’ second-leading scorer, explained the team’s shared mentality was key to their consistent performance.

“I attribute the kind of sustained success that we had this year to the

Athletes of the Week

individual and collective mental toughness that the guys on the team have,” Kruse said. The mental fortitude to get through … the long road trips … Those days aren’t always easy.”

With the SCIAC regular season title on the line, Claremont men’s basketball converged in a Sixth Street shootout on Feb. 21. With the Hens looking for a season sweep after beating the Stags 8076 in the teams matchup earlier this season, P-P and CMS duked it out one last time ahead of the postseason. Both teams came out of the blocks slowly, with neither team finding the net in the first two minutes of play. The Sagehens and Stags traded baskets throughout the first half, with CMS taking a slim 20-19 lead ten minutes into the game. This narrow margin was not to last though as P-P managed to turn the tide, leading 38-32 at halftime.

P-P came out of the break firing from long range. On the back of 3-pointers from Ty Bergman PO ’25, Joe Cookson PO ’25 and Pete Boyle PZ ’25, the Hens opened the half on a 14-3 run, giving them a commanding 52-35 point lead, their largest of the night.

However, the Stags still had fight left in them, chipping away at the Sagehens’ lead with consistent baskets from Kruse, Rhett Carter CM ’23 and Matt Merideth CM ’25. Kruse elaborated on how CMS got themselves back into the game.

“Especially in the second half of the season … we got very comfortable playing from behind, and we kind of made a habit of making these comebacks,” Kruse said. “Nobody panics, and I think that’s a tribute to some of the experience and senior leadership that we have on a team.”

The trio combined for 18 of the team’s 28 points in a stretch that culminated with Kruse knocking down a 3-pointer to bring the

Stags within two points with 4:15 remaining. After hitting the shot, Kruse exploded with emotion.

“I certainly got a little excited [and] yelled at the crowd a little bit, but I think that emotion has been something that has always been a little bit of a part of how I play,” Kruse said. “I think it can really help a team get up and keep the energy high, especially during the run in a game like that.”

Both matchups between the Hens and the Stags have come down to the wire this year, and according to Cookson, who dropped a team-high 21 points, it’s games like these that drive P-P to be the best competitors they can be. “[The Sixth Street Rivalry] helps us grow a lot … We love to play in these games … We all

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

rise to the occasion … We love those close games. We love the rivalry. And you know, it’s always great coming out on top as well,” Cookson said.

On Saturday, the Sagehens fell victim to a barrage of 3-pointers from Cal Lutheran, yielding to the fourth seed 79-73 in the SCIAC tournament semifinals. After going down 53-34 at halftime, P-P managed to cut the seemingly insurmountable lead to just one in the final minute and a half of the game but could not complete the comeback, bringing their tournament to a close.

The Stags followed suit just minutes later, suffering a narrow 78-75 defeat versus Redlands, knocking them out of the playoffs. In a game that came down to

Vikram Chatterjee

CM ’23

Irvine, CA

Men’s Golf

Vikram Chatterjee CM ’23 earned the SCIAC Athlete of the week title for the second time in a row on Feb. 27. Chatterjee helped the Stags finish second place at the Las Vegas Shootout last weekend. He shot in the red for all three rounds and ended at -5, finishing with a tie for sixth place out of 87 total golfers. Chatterjee was on a last weekend spree, with three eagles and 12 birdies throughout the tournament. However, Vegas was not his one-hit wonder. Chatterjee earned individual medalist honors at SCIAC No. 1 on Feb. 13. Throughout his time as a Stag Chatterjee has been very successful, finishing in third place overall at the CalLu Kingsmen Invitational and tying for 32nd at +13 as CMS earned third-place tie at the NCAA Division III Championships during his junior season. CMS will be back in action next month for the Jekyll Island Invitational in Georgia, from March 17-19.

@ Azusa Pacific

Saturday, March. 4 Men and Women’s Track and Field SCIAC Multi-Dual #1

Women’s Tennis @ ITa National Indoors

Men’s Tennis Pacific Coast Doubles Tournament

Baseball @ Pomona-Pitzer

Friday, March. 3

Men’s Tennis Pacific Coast Doubles Tournament

Women’s Tennis @ ITa National Indoors

Softball Vs. Hope Int’l

Women’s Water Polo Vs. UCSB (convergence tournament)

Men’s Basketball Vs. Williams Baseball @ cMS

Saturday, March. 4

Men and Women’s Track and Field SCIAC Multi-Dual #1

Men’s Tennis Pacific Coast Doubles Tournament

the wire, it was Redlands’ ability to knock down free throws in the games’ final minutes that pushed them past a talented CMS team.

On Monday, Feb. 27, P-P received a bid for the D-III NCAA tournament. The Hens will face Williams College in the round of 64. However, despite an impressive season, the Stags season came to a close after their loss to Redlands. Nevertheless, reflecting on his collegiate career coming to a close, Kruse looked to the future of CMS.

“I truly can’t put into words how much I appreciate everything that [my teammates and] the coaches have done for me over my time here,” Kruse said. “I’m excited to see what this team can do next year and in the years [to come] … I think it’s a really bright future.”

Pomona-Pitzer

Fiona Lewis PO ’25

Riverside, CT Lacrosse

Women’s Water Polo Vs. Pacific & USC

Women’s Lacrosse Vs. Occidental

Men’s Tennis @ Point Loma

Sunday, March. 5

Women’s Tennis @ ITa National Indoors Softball Vs. Buena Vista

Baseball Vs. CMS

Women’s Water Polo Vs. USC & IONA (convergence tournament)

Sunday, March. 5

Men’s Tennis Pacific Coast Doubles Tournament

Baseball Vs. Whitman

Fiona Lewis PO ’25 scored a careerhigh seven goals against Chapman in Pomona-Pitzer’s (P-P) 21-6 domination of the Panthers on Feb. 28. Netting a hat-trick before Chapman could even get one on the board, Lewis took over the game immediately. Keeping the pressure on throughout the game, the Sagehens continued to rain down on the Panthers, with Lewis outscoring the entire Chapman offense single-handedly. Lewis shot incredibly efficiently, putting all of her attempts on goal, and scoring on 77.8 percent of them. With a team-leading 18 goals this year so far, including 3 on Feb. 25, Lewis has played a crucial role in the Sagehens’ 4-0 start to the season. Lewis and P-P will look to keep their streak alive as they host Haverford College at 7 p.m. on March 7.

BEN LAUREN & HAROLD FUSON

Owen Avdalovic PZ ‘21 defends James Frye CM ‘26 in the second Sixth Street Rivalry game of the 2022-2023 season

cOUrTESY: SaGEhEN aThLETIcS