Vol. CXXX No. 16

FRIDAY, MARch 13, 2020 | CLAREMONT, CA | VOL. CXXX NO. 16

5Cs SAY ‘GO HOME’ Colleges move classes online as coronavirus pandemic looms JASPER DAVIDOFF, MARIA hEETER & KELLEN BROWNING

AMY BEST • THE STUDENT LIFE

HANK SNOWDON • THE STUDENT LIFE

AMY BEST • THE STUDENT LIFE

Top: Cade Novara PO ’23 and Johan Dellgren PO ’23 embrace in Frary after news breaks that the 5Cs are moving classes online for the rest of the semester.

Bottom-left: Elisa Membreno PO ’23 hugs her friend as students rush the Coop Store to spend their Flex dollars after learning that they will have to leave.

Bottom-right: Students relax in the fountains outside the Hub at CMC after hearing spring break is extended an extra week.

Scripps

Pomona

• Classes return online March 30 • Scripps has not yet announced if financial aid packages will change • Motley, Tiernan Fieldhouse, Williams Gallery, Denison Library closing • Petitions to stay on campus close at 11:59 PM Friday

• Classes “pilot” return March 23, full return March 30 • Financial aid packages may change; student workers will continue to be paid • All internal and public events canceled for the semester; Frary open for 5C students through March 22

As students are sent away, some grapple with where to go

Pitzer

harvey Mudd

• Classes return online March 30

• Classes return online March 30

• Classes return online March 30

• Financial aid packages will not change

• Students who leave campus for overnight trips during spring break cannot return

• Financial aid packages will not change • Collins closing Saturday, reopening March 23 • Petitions to stay on campus close Saturday at 5:00 p.m.

The 5Cs’ recent directive to students to leave campus has caused particular consternation for international students who face increasing travel restrictions globally, as well as low-income students and others who may not be able to return home or face various obstacles continuing courses at home.

To account for this, Pomona College, Pitzer College, Scripps College and Claremont McKenna College are allowing students to petition to stay on campus if they cannot travel home. All Harvey Mudd College students will be allowed to stay, but once they leave, they will be unable to return to Claremont.

Mudd is strongly encouraging students to leave, however. Vice President for Student Affairs Anna Gonzalez sent an email to parents Thursday saying that all students who can go home should.

The school’s move-out deadlines are also different — Pomona, Scripps and Pitzer students have until March 18 to leave campus.

CMC students have until March 23 to move out.

Scripps and Pitzer’s petitions will be open through Friday, Pomona’s closed Thursday and CMC’s will be open through Saturday.

See hOUSING on page 3

• Kohoutek, Rockabilly canceled, Pit-Stop Cafe closing • Petitions to stay on campus close Friday noon

• Students not mandated to leave campus, but strongly encouraged

FAST FAcTS

How will 5Cs address aid?

Colleges draft policies to meet students’ financial concerns as COVID-19 spreads I n t h e wa k e o f t h e a n nouncement that the 5Cs are sending students home and moving classes online due to the threat of the novel coronavirus, many students have been lef t wonder i ng about housing and financial issues.

Pomona College, Claremont

Two Pomona students struggle to handle moving boxes in the rain March 12.

MARc ROD

See chAOS on page 2

claremont McKenna

hANK SNOWDON

AMY BEST • THE STUDENT LIFE

Life at the Claremont Colleges was upended Wednesday afternoon.

Seniors sobbed in dining halls, revelers splashed through fountains, harried students packed up boxes and spent their Flex dollars as fast as they could — the once-unimaginable became a stark reality as 5C students rushed to depart campus, with the global coronavirus pandemic making its presence felt at universities across the nation.

In a series of emails to their student bodies, the colleges announced midday Wednesday that all classes will be taught online after spring break, joining more than 100 other colleges across the nation.

While there have not yet been any positive tests in Claremont, administrators told all students who can leave campus to do so, with scant expectation of returning this school year.

The announcement — a sudden coda to seniors’ lives on campus and an abrupt disruption to students’ friendships, extracurricular pursuits and campus engagements — elicited deeply emotional reactions, from anger to surprise to sadness.

Some students were dumbstruck after hearing the news.

“I feel like I have whiplash,” Rachel Howard PO ’22 said an hour after the announcement. “Everything has changed so quickly in a short amount of days.”

McKenna College, Scripps College and Pitzer College all plan to reimburse their students for a portion of their housing and mea l pla n pay ments for t he spring if they leave campus.

Harvey Mudd College, which is recommending but not req u i r i ng t h at st ude nt s leave campus, will refund students for their meal plans.

Mudd did not respond to questions about housing reimbursements, financial aid or student workers before press time.

At CMC, financial aid packages will not change for students now t hat t hey will be

learning remotely, spokesperson Gilien Silsby said via email. She added that “CMC is committed to fulfilling our students workstudy awards on an individual basis.”

Information is forthcoming about whether Scripps students’ financial aid packages will be affected after the move to online classes, according to an online FAQ page.

The college will pay students with federal work-study allotments their expected wage for the remainder of the semester, based on their average earnings in the

See MONEY on page 3

March Sadness

P-P, CMS scrap remainder of spring, winter seasons KELLEN BROWNING & ERIKA SchWERDFEGER As 5C students pack their belongings and bid tearful goodbyes to their friends in response to the novel coronavirus, athletes on campus are saying an additional farewell to their seasons — and for seniors, their careers.

Following the undergraduate Claremont Colleges’ decision Wednesday to eliminate

LIFE & STYLE

Jaimie Ding SC ‘21 documents the bores and pleasantries of her self-imposed quarantine at home in Vancouver, Washington. Read more on page 6.

The student newspaper of the Claremont Colleges since 1889

in-person classes after spring break due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps athletic departments suspended the remainder of the spring sports season, starting Sunday.

The decision echoes cancellation announcements by the SCIAC, NCAA and professional sports leagues, all aiming to limit the spread of the virus by nixing events and large gatherings.

OPINIONS

“Please know that we understand how difficult this news is, especially for our spring sport athletes,” interim P-P Athletic Director Jen Scanlon said in an email to Sagehen athletes. “We care a great deal about each and every one of our Sagehen student-athletes.

Your excellence in the classroom, in the competitive arena and on our college campuses makes us proud.”

CMS athletes received a similar

See cOVID on page 9 SPORTS

“There’s still a lot of value in outdoor trips as a way for strangers to get to know each other in a short amount of time,” says Michelle Lum HM ‘23. Read more on page 8.

Sagehen men’s basketball took down No. 12 nationally ranked Emory thanks to a miracle game-winning buzzer-beater. The team will not be able to play in the Sweet 16 due to coronavirus concerns. Read more on page 10.

INDEX: News 1 | Life & Style 5 | Opinions 7 | Sports 9

NewS

PAGE 2

MARCH 13, 2020

CHAOS: 5Cers face last days on campus Continued from page 1 For others, the surreal situation led to a mixture of disbelief and exhilaration.

Julia Thomason SC ’22 joined a group of students in Scripps College’s Dorsey Hall courtyard giving each other haircuts.

“We were in the Motley [Tuesday] and everyone was talking about coronavirus. I thought I would shave my head if school got canceled the next day,” Thomason said Wednesday evening. “So then school got canceled today and I shaved my head.”

In the hours following the announcement, the news brought students together in gathering places across campuses. Crowds assembled in spaces like Pomona College’s Marston Quad, Harvey Mudd College’s North Dorm and Claremont McKenna College’s Flamson Plaza, blasting music and splashing through fountains.

Pitzer College students, meanwhile, grew increasingly frustrated and anxious as they heard only silence from their administration.

Pitzer’s email did not come through until two and a half hours after Scripps’ announcement, the first of the five. The delay was due to an error with Pitzer’s listserv system, spokesperson Anna Chang said.

Administrators fought to curtail the clamor breaking out across the campuses, largely to no avail.

Students brought speakers to CMC’s Green Beach for a sponta-

neous party — until Vice President of Student Affairs Sharon Basso grabbed the microphone and told them to disperse.

In an email to students immediately after, CMC Dean of Students Dianna Graves explained why the school shut down the party.

“I know that you are desperate to be with your friends, as it is an uncertain time; however, we cannot and will not allow any social events this week that are antithetical to the social distancing practices we are demanding on campus to stop the spread of the disease,” she said.

Harvey Mudd President Maria Klawe walked from dorm to dorm Wednesday, breaking up groups of greater than eight students.

Some played drinking games with Corona beers and blasted the song “Should I Stay or Should I Go” on a loop.

“This is not the time for parties or a celebration of ‘no more classes,’ or ‘the end of the world,’” Harvey Mudd Vice President for Student Affairs Anna Gonzalez said in an email to students.

At Pomona’s senior dinner Wednesday night, President G. Gabrielle Starr likewise scolded students for planning parties.

In the evening, students gathered to scream out their frustrations. Over 100 students at Pitzer assembled Wednesday night for a group scream outside of Benson Auditorium.

“This has been a catastrophical-

ly hard day for all of us, and we need a space to just let the feelings out, however they manifest,” event organizer Elyse Endlich PZ ’22 wrote in the event page.

Realizing that Flex dollars for the semester were about to be useless, students also stormed student eateries Wednesday, purchasing food by the boxful and leaving shelves empty.

“The second the email came out, people started flooding in,” said Abby Smith PO ’23, a Coop Store employee. “[They] were like, ‘all right, screw it,’ and bought everything.”

Seniors, sports teams and clubs scrambled to assemble last-minute ceremonies and endof-year activities.

Juniors on the CMS women’s lacrosse team, suddenly faced with their last home game of the year, created an impromptu “senior night” for the team’s seniors before their game Wednesday against Cal Lutheran — designing posters, decorating the locker room and making speeches about the seniors.

“It was really thoughtful and cute,” goalkeeper Sara Reid CM ’20. “I’m glad they did it because it was literally our last game ever.”

The Claremont Colleges Ballroom Dance Company also organized an impromptu early concert and end-of-semester celebration Thursday.

At the Pomona senior dinner,

shell-shocked seniors grappled with the reality that they might be seeing some of their classmates for the last time. Some jumped onstage at Frary Dining Hall and grabbed the microphone to pour out their feelings.

One student voiced his concerns about losing access to therapy, medication and other support systems off campus, and said he was unsure if he could go home at all.

Another made an impassioned speech calling for the school to cancel seniors’ theses.

David Song PO ’20, an international relations major, told TSL that the pressure to finish the rough draft of his thesis by Friday — the IR deadline — was weighing heavily as friends were beginning to depart.

“It’s easy to tell yourself that for the next 48 hours or so, you’re going to do whatever you can to get out as much of this rough draft as possible,” Song said. “However, at the end of the day, we’re people.

I’ve spent four years here. I’ve made some incredible relationships with people who I want to be close to for life. Now, on a whim, I have to say goodbye to these people.

And I don’t know when’s the next day for us to reunite.”

Some sophomores, mindful of schools’ requirements to declare a major before the end of their second years, rushed to registrars to hastily file their forms, even as registrars announced Thursday afternoon

that declarations could be made electronically.

Staff at the Pomona registrar’s office dutifully cleaned the large golden bell students ring after declaring with sanitary wipes each time someone filed.

“I knew that I had to do it before the end of the year,” said Sean Jackson PO ’22, who declared his physics major Thursday. “I’m not usually great with figuring stuff out online, so I just figured I’d do it before I leave.”

Seniors also mourned the potential loss of their commencement ceremonies, although the colleges have yet to make final decisions about the events.

Pomona senior class president Khadijah Thibodeaux PO ’20 said at a forum Thursday evening that seniors across the 5Cs found the idea of a virtual graduation “very disheartening.”

“Even if we were not able to be able to walk across the stage in May, we’d prefer walking across the stage in August or December,” she said.

In mid-April, Starr said, the school will re-evaluate its ability to hold commencement. The other schools also left the option open of bringing seniors back to campus for a ceremony.

“None of us want ... the credits on this semester to roll right now,” she said. “I’m hoping that there’ll be one of those Marvel scenes in the middle of the credits that says the movie isn’t quite over.”

hUXLEYANN hUEFNER • ThE STUDENT LIFE

hUXLEYANN hUEFNER • ThE STUDENT LIFE

cOURTESY: SOPhIE NAVRATIL

AMY BEST • ThE STUDENT LIFE

Top: Students embrace following the announcement on March 11 which said that students will being leaving campus indefinitely.

Center-left: Yesy Bustos cleans Clark Hall at Scripps College. Cleaning staff have taken extra precautions to make sure the residence halls are sanitary since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the U.S. Center-right: Emma Crownover SC ‘22 shaves the head of Julia Thomason SC ‘22 after learning that students were asked to leave campus.

Bottom: Hordes of students rush the Coop Store to spend their Flex dollars after learning that they would have to leave campus within the week.

NewS

MARCH 13, 2020

Students and faculty brace for transition to online classes JASPER DAVIDOFF & MARIA hEETER For students watching the 5Cs wind down campus life in response to the coronavirus pandemic, it’s been easy to feel as if all aspects of attending school are done for the semester.

Classes, though, will continue — albeit not in person. Instead, they will take place through the video conferencing platform Zoom, as well as the consortium’s existing portal Sakai.

The disruption to normal academic routines prompted administrators and faculty to allow greater flexibility in assignments, grading, schedules and class participation.

As classes met in person for the final time Wednesday and Thursday, professors commiserated with their students and braced for what’s likely to be a rocky transition online.

“The faculty are hurting for you,” Pomona Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert Gaines said at a forum Thursday evening.

“This is a tough time for you all, and a lot of them are taking that very closely.”

Gary Gilbert, an associate professor of religious studies at Claremont McKenna College, told TSL that Zoom will “deliver the kind of instruction that needs to be delivered, but not in the most ideal conditions.”

“We want to be able to see one another and to interact with one another, not just visually, but in a physical presence,” Gilbert said.

“We want to have that kind of very personal interaction. Zoom doesn’t provide that.”

Classes will continue on Zoom at their previously established times, administrators said at online information sessions Thursday.

“I think it’s far more troubling for students than it is for faculty,” Gilbert added. “The disruption in the life of students is immense.”

Questions continued to fly Thursday about how to continue some classes, such as science labs, performance and art classes and physical education courses. De-

partments have yet to communicate the procedures for many of these issues.

In addition, scheduling inconsistencies across the consortium have introduced confusion for students who are enrolled in classes at multiple colleges.

Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College and Harvey Mudd College said that spring break would be extended to two weeks — in part to allow time for faculty to adjust their plans — and that classes online would begin March 30.

But Pomona College said that classes would resume March 23, with that week serving as a way for faculty to experiment with their new platform. Some professors told students they expected them to participate in classes during the second week of break. Administrators acknowledged the first efforts would be rough.

The colleges also announced changes to academic policies for the remainder of the semester.

Faculty may now assign pass/no credit grades in courses usually required to be letter-graded, administrators said in emails Thursday. The option to receive this type of grading will be negotiated individually between students and faculty members.

The colleges have also extended the deadline to drop courses without record from March 12 to March 30. Afterward, students can withdraw until May 6 with no effect on their GPAs, but a notation on their transcripts.

“We hope that this extension of the drop deadline will ease some of the concerns students have about completing coursework this semester, and offer time and space to make important decisions in what is a confusing and stressful set of circumstances,” the Pitzer registrar’s office said via email Thursday.

PAGE 3

MONEY: PO adjusting aid Continued from page 1 February pay periods. Students with non-work study on-campus jobs will not be paid for the rest of the semester.

Un like t he rest of t he 5Cs, Pomona College will be adjusting their students’ financial aid packages based on the move to online classes, according to their FAQ site.

“Students who live away from the college, in apartments or with their parents, have lower costs for housing and food,” the site says.

“The college is evaluating an appropriate cost of attendance that accounts for a semester that includes a mix of on- and off-campus housing and food expenses. Once finalized, your financial aid will be adjusted and you will receive notification from the office of financial aid.”

Pomona also said st udent workers who can complete their work remotely will continue to be paid. They will be given projected earnings for the final nine weeks of the semester in

three installments, based on their average earnings from January 21 through March 13.

Pitzer financial aid packages w i l l not c ha nge a f ter the move to online classes, spokesperson An na Cha ng told TSL via email.

In a later email, Deanna Caballero, Pitzer assistant vice president of human resources and payroll services, told students that those working in federal work-study positions would cont i nue to be paid their work-study wages.

AMY BEST • THE STUDENT LIFE

Tanah Bua PO ‘23 serves breakfast burritos with a smile during her shift at the Coop Fountain Feb. 19.

HOUSING: 5Cs won’t be ‘environment of gatherings’ Continued from page 1 So far 150 CMC students have already submitted petitions to remain, according to CMC Dean of Students Dianna Graves. CMC has also partnered with a travel agency that will cover the cost of travel for high-need students who qualify.

Scripps International Community mentor Airi Sugihara SC ’22, who is from Japan, which is under a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Level 2 threat level, is petitioning to stay on campus because she could face travel restrictions upon returning.

“I’m feeling a little bit lost because of this whole coronavirus thing,” she said, “and I’m confused because I don’t know when this whole pandemic will end.”

“My parents want me to stay because they don’t want me to not be [allowed to return] next semester,” Sugihara added.

Selena Lopez PO ’22, a first-generation, low-income student, said she’s “very fortunate” that she has a home to return to.

“But the sense of eviction for other people is a lot more serious,” Lopez said. “I just hope that Pomona can definitely offer support to those students.”

Some students have also offered in Facebook groups to open their homes to students who are not able to return home.

For some international students, traveling home means moving back to far different time zones.

At Scripps, all students were instructed to participate in online courses at their scheduled times, regardless of their home time zone.

The policy is the same at Pomona, but classes will also be recorded for those who cannot participate, administrators told resident advisors Wednesday night. CMC will also record its classes, spokesperson Gilien Silsby told TSL via email.

Harvey Mudd and Pitzer have not yet clarified to TSL how they will address the time change.

“Some people will have classes at two or three in the morning, which will be tough,” Gunn Phikrohkit PZ ’22, president of Pitzer International Students Association, said via message. “I personally feel that professors and students will have to work together to figure out a time that works for everyone.”

Normally, international students in the U.S. could lose their visa status if they took online classes, but the Department of Home-

land Security announced Monday that it would make an exception given the coronavirus situation.

Students remaining on campus will be consolidated into a smaller number of residence halls optimized for social distancing and containing the spread of the virus, according to administrators and FAQs. At a forum Thursday night, Pomona Dean of Students Avis Hinkson warned that the campus climate would shift significantly after March 18.

“Buildings will be locked, many offices will be functioning remotely,” Hinkson said.

She added that students’ swipe access to residence halls other than their own, as well as shared consortium resources, would begin to be curtailed Friday.

“It will not be an environment of gatherings,” she said.

Graves echoed the extent to which students remaining on campus will see dramatic changes.

“It’s going to be a very limited experience. There aren’t going to be registered events … It’s going to feel very, very different.”

For meals, Frary Dining Hall will be open through March 22, and Collins Dining Hall will close

Pomona has hired professional moving companies to help students leave campus before March 18.

March 14 and reopen March 23, according to CMC President Hiram Chodosh.

Hoch-Shanahan Dining Commons will be open through at least March 18, according to Pitzer College President Melvin Oliver.

McConnell Dining Hall will be closed after dinner on March 13, according to Oliver.

Beyond that, though, the schools have yet to announce their dining plans for students remaining on campus.

Phikrohkit, who is from Thailand, said he would have preferred to stay on campus, but is concerned about the dining situation, among other issues, and is therefore staying with a host family in Portland, Oregon instead.

“To me, staying at school would be the most ideal because that means we are close to our international student adviser and if anything happens we can at least seek support from the college faster,” he said.

He’s also concerned he might not be able to stay for the summer, if necessary.

For students remaining on campus, Student Health Services, Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services and EmPOWER

will remain open, but will be closed to any students not authorized to remain, according to Pomona’s coronavirus FAQ. Campus Safety will also continue to function.

Honnold Mudd Library will stay open for students remaining on campus, Chodosh said in an information session Thursday, with limited access granted to the public.

But Pomona President G. Gabrielle Starr warned against students gathering to study in the library “for infection control reasons,” in an information session Thursday.

Students on the Student Health Insurance Plan will continue to be able to use their insurance at Aetna providers around the country, and after-hours phone counseling through Monsour will also remain available.

Phikrohkit said many international students have had to make hard choices about whether to remain in the U.S. or go home to their families.

He said they’ve been left asking themselves: “Should we just go home and face this with the people we love the most even if that means we are risking our chance of coming back to the U.S., the continuation of our education and everything else that we have here?”

AMY BEST • THE STUDENT LIFE

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MARCH 13, 2020

Montana Gov. Steve A world without textbooks?

Library lunchtime series shows how Open Bullock CM ’88 Educational Resources could make it possible launches Senate run AARON GONZALEZ

MARc ROD Montana Gov. Steve Bullock CM ’88 announced Monday that he is running for Senate, reversing an earlier decision not to run.

“I’ve always fought for the people of Montana. Together, we expanded health care, protected public lands, banned dark money in politics & more,” Bullock said in a tweet announcing his run.

“Now I’m taking that fight to the US Senate. Let’s make Washington work more like Montana.”

Democrats have seen Bullock, a centrist Democrat, as a strong candidate to try to flip a Senate seat in the generally heavily-Republican state. President Donald Trump won the state by about 20 percentage points in 2016, according to The New York Times.

“How I live and how I govern in a state like this is that I actually end up traveling all across the state. … I don’t just go talk to Democrats, but will talk to … people all across the spectrum,” Bullock told TSL in April 2019, about his bipartisan appeal. “I think that really what we need to be focusing on — this is even beyond Democrats, but — how do we start bridging some of the

divides that we’re starting to have in this country so that this 240-plus year experiment of representative democracy still works?”

Bullock will be facing off against incumbent Republican Sen. Steve Daines, who first won the seat in 2014.

Bullock’s announcement comes at the last minute — the filing deadline in the race was Monday, according to the Associated Press.

He reportedly met with former President Barack Obama and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer last month to discuss entering the race. Bullock is not the only Democratic candidate, but will likely easily win the Democratic nomination, according to Politico.

Bullock, who is currently serving his second term as governor, is ineligible to run for a third term. He previously launched a short-lived presidential run, entering the race late in May 2019 and dropping out in December amid low poll numbers and fundraising.

Bullock graduated from CMC with a degree in politics, philosophy and economics.

COURTESY: STEVE BULLOCK

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock CM ‘88 is running for U.S. Senate.

How can students get their textbooks without breaking the bank or breaking the law?

From March 2 to March 6, librarians at the Claremont Colleges Library celebrated Open Education Week in order to promote one way to avoid resorting to expensive textbooks or internet piracy: Open Educational Resources.

OERs, ranging from full courses to textbooks and other teaching materials, exist in the public domain under a Creative Commons or similar license. They can be downloaded, shared, adapted and personalized by anyone with internet access.

They’re also adaptive, meaning faculty can change them to fit their needs.

“Let’s say your students are studying at the Botanical Gardens,” Jennifer Beamer, the library’s scholarly communication librarian, said via email. “[The professor] can adapt the textbook, or even have students adapt the textbook, to suit the situation. It’s really inclusive.”

Megan Donnelly, the library’s teaching and outreach librarian, said the intent of the week was to bring a conversation happening in some spaces into the mainstream.

“It seems like librarians are definitely talking about [OERs] a lot,” Donnelly said. “Faculty are talking about it. Some administrators are talking about it, but students are missing from the conversation a lot. So we’re just trying to raise awareness by having these programs each day.”

Each day of the week, librarians visited 5C dining halls to raise students’ awareness of OERs and how they can advocate for the inclusion of open resources in their classes.

As students walked by, the librarians would ask them how

Sitting down with Minxin Pei, CMC’s resident China expert ANUShE ENGINEER & ELISA MEMBRENO As the Chinese government comes under intense scrutiny over its handling of the spread of COVID-19, national news outlets have turned to Claremont McKenna College professor of government Minxin Pei for insight into the government’s inner workings.

Pei appeared on NPR’s All Things Considered last month to share his analysis on the situation in China, and is a frequent commentator on NPR programs, as well as in BBC News. He’s also been quoted and published opinions articles in other outlets, including The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Pei is an expert on Chinese governance, U.S.-China relations, the Chinese Communist Party and comparative politics. His interest in the politics and governance of China stems from his upbringing there.

“My childhood coincided with a cultural revolution which was politically very tumultuous, so that formative experience made me very interested in politics,” Pei said.

Pei, a native of China, initially studied creative writing when he first arrived in the U.S., but later switched to politics when he realized his true interest lay there.

“If you want to be in academia, it’s much better to study something that’s changing, because there’s always something that’s new for you to study,” Pei said.

He earned both his master ’s degree and PhD in political science from Harvard University after completing his undergraduate degree in Shanghai.

Pei’s commentary has also appeared in newspapers such as the Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek International and International Herald Tribune, according to the CMC website, and he has written extensively about the Chinese government and politics within the United States.

Pei has been in the media spotlight for over 30 years since arriving in the U.S. in 1984. NPR first approached him in the late 1980s as a graduate student to talk about the Tiananmen Square Massacre in Beijing.

“What happens in the media is that if you’re quoted or you appear on one show, then everyone wants to get you,” Pei said.

In 2008, Pei was named one of the top 100 public intellectuals by Prospect Magazine. The list also included Samantha Power, author Salman Rushdie and CNN’s top political analyst Fareed Zakaria.

Prior to teaching at CMC, Pei worked at Princeton University

for six years. He also completed an eight-month residency as the Library of Congress Chair in U.S.-China Relations in 2019.

Pei has been a non-resident senior fellow with the German Marshall Fund of the United States for their Asia program since 2012. He was formerly an adjunct senior associate of the Asia program with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Pei has been critical of the Chinese Communist Party, China’s singular ruling authority.

In an opinion piece he wrote for The Japan Times, Pei condemned the CCP’s delayed response to coronavirus, likening it to the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic.

According to him, the CCP deliberately withheld crucial information from the public regarding SARS, which only worsened the crisis and, unfortunately for them, their reputation.

China’s response to coronavirus has not been much different than its response to the 2002-2003 epidemic, albeit slightly more transparent than before.

“All you need to do is change ‘SARS’ into ‘coronavirus’ and it’s like the same thing,” Pei told TSL. The Chinese government’s restriction of social media during early stages of the coronavirus outbreak prevented the possibility of a timely and effective response from the Chinese public

and global health authorities, according to Pei. “When there’s no press freedom, a contagious disease at the initial crucial stage does not get enough attention, and then it gets out of control,” he said.

Although he believes the coronavirus outbreak is now under control within China, it has come at the expense of an enormous amount of resources and a nationwide shutdown.

“All you need to do is to make people stay home; they don’t go outside, the virus dies.

If they get sick, [the authorities] take them away and put them in isolation. And that’s how viruses get contained. It’s not really rocket science. It’s very medieval,” Pei said.

He also acknowledged that he’s more free to criticize the Chinese government while living in the U.S. than he would be if he lived in China.

“In China, your voice has a huge price tag,” Pei said. “You could end up in jail.”

In another opinion piece for Project Syndicate written in Jan. 2020, he noted that the CCP’s authority depends on suppressing its mistakes, and warned that China, therefore, cannot be expected to handle similar crises in different, more proactive manners going forward.

“Dictatorships lie all the time,” Pei told TSL.

COURTESY: WIKIMEDIA USER ZANHE

Claremont McKenna College Professor Minxin Pei speaks on the sources and implications of China’s kleptocracy Nov. 21, 2014.

CHRIS NARDI • THE STUDENT LIFE

Kimberly Jackson, STEM librarian at the Honnold Mudd Library, asks a student about textbook costs outside of the McConnell Center March 3. Librarians are advocating for professors to use Open Educational Resources to decrease textbook costs.

much they had spent on textbooks for the spring semester, marking their response on a whiteboard graph. Then they would briefly explain OERs and how they can reduce the costs of course materials while improving education access.

The goal, Donnelly explained, was to inspire students to tell their professors about OERs and to let them know that they can ask librarians to help them find online resources in their field of study.

In the future, the librarians hope to compile data on the amount students spend on textbooks and how they address the costs of course materials while also working alongside students interested in advocating for OERs. “As librarians we can help faculty identify and adopt materials that they can bring into the classroom, and help students advocate with faculty to find alternatives to the high cost of textbooks,” Beamer said.

But OERs face some limitations that prevent them from fulfilling specific educational needs. While they cover a majority of introductory subjects, from chemistry to literary analysis, they lack higher level course subjects and materials because professors must release

the information and lesson materials to the public.

“For some of the junior [and] senior courses, there’s not a lot of material,” Beamer said.

Without the necessary materials online, professors turn to textbooks for their specific subject, which remain under copyright laws and students must buy.

As librarians talked with students, they learned that many had developed or found various ways of circumventing the high costs of textbooks and other course materials.

Some students, like Andie Sheridan PO ’21, mentioned that they get their materials through their professors that post readings on Sakai or check out or download the materials from the library.

Other students buy textbooks they need for their classes.

“I spend maybe $400 a year for three textbooks,” said Chris Ferrarin HM ’20. “I only buy ones I think I’ll need to use later.”

Yet, Ferrarin considers himself a rare case for buying his textbooks in comparison to the general student body.

“I think most people pirate most textbooks, like they will try to find electronic copies. Those are more convenient and obviously cheaper,” Ferrarin said.

U.S. Bike Route 66 will likely pedal through Pomona

JEREMY SNYDER • THE STUDENT LIFE

Pomona College will likely soon be part of the U.S. Bicycle Route 66, which will create a continuous path for cyclists between Chicago and Santa Monica.

JASPER DAVIDOFF For more than 90 years, legions of motorists have been able to “get their kicks on Route 66,” the U.S. highway that winds its way from California to Illinois.

Now, cyclists from around the world will be able to get their kickstands on a similar route, one that will likely go through Pomona College.

The U.S. Bicycle Route 66, a project led by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the Adventure Cycling Association, aims to pay tribute to the original Route 66 by creating a continuous path for cyclists between Chicago and Santa Monica.

According to current plans, Pomona will likely make up a small part of that path.

From San Bernardino County’s Pacific Electric Trail, the route enters Claremont on First Street, adjacent to The Claremont Colleges Services and Pomona’s southern border, according to the Adventure Cycling Association’s map. It curves onto College Avenue, passing the softball field, Wig Hall, and the new Benton Museum of Art before heading into the Claremont Village on Bonita Avenue.

The Claremont Traffic and Transportation Commission voted unanimously Feb. 27 to recommend that the city council send a letter of support for the proposed route to the California Department of Transportation.

“I’m excited that this will happen, hopefully,” commissioner Justine Garcia said before the vote. “ ... It’s a cool opportunity for people in the city who may not go on very long bike rides to ride down our Citrus

Bikeway and feel like they’re able to participate on at least a small portion of this really grand network that this will become a part of.”

Claremont is also home to part of the actual U.S. Route 66, which runs on Foothill Boulevard north of Pitzer College and Harvey Mudd College.

City staff originally wanted to put the new route on Foothill, which was recently redone with protected bike lanes. But city engineer Maria Tipping said connections to neighboring roads aren’t ideal for cyclists.

“The local advocates and touring groups figured the Citrus Bikeway is a much more low-stress type of route, and also provides an opportunity for these cyclists from all over the world and from other parts of the country to get to know the downtown areas,” Tipping said.

According to the Association, the U.S. Bicycle Route System, including the proposed Bicycle Route 66, currently spans more than 14,000 miles in 27 states and Washington, D.C. Laura Crawford, the system’s coordinator, said AASHTO is responsible for approving the route’s official designation.

“California will likely be the third state to designate their section of the route,” Crawford said in an email. “We envision it will take another few years to fully designate the entire route.”

Bicycle Route 66 will be 2,499 miles from end to end, the Association says.

Many riders, using Adventure Cycling’s map, have completed the entire trip, Crawford said. The Association hopes the official designation will attract even more.

If any 5Cers decide to join the club, though, they could take a break at Frank brunch along the way.

March 13, 2020

Life & StyLe

PaGE 5

Claremont Colleges get colorful during Holi celebration KIRA MATTHEWS The Claremont Colleges Hindu Society hosted the festival of colors, Holi, at Pomona College’s Walker Beach March 8. Bollywood music blared through the speakers as festival-goers ate samosas, had waterfights and covered each other in colors made with cornstarch.

Holi is an Indian festival that marks the arrival of spring, representing the triumph of good over evil. Sneha Shrotri PO ’22, president of the society, explained how Holi is a religious and cultural festival that allows people to gather in celebration.

“It’s a day where there’s a lot of fun and positive energy, and we just share that through throwing colors on each other,” she said. “To me, Holi is a day of sun and freedom, and it represents a sort of beauty in the mess that is all of the colors combined onto you.”

Shrotri said many festival-goers were students from South Asia, while some were from the U.S. Holi originated on the Indian subcontinent and has spread to different parts of Asia and the Western world.

“I [was] really hoping that a lot of the first-years would come from across the 5Cs because Holi is one of those festivals that I, personally at least, really miss away from home on campus,” Shrotri said. “It’s just a day for all of us to get together and celebrate the culture that we share, respecting all religions or any other affiliation that we have.”

Shrotri said celebrating Holi at the 5Cs felt like being back home again, and was a great way to reconnect with her culture while attending school in the U.S. “For most of the year, you try

hUXLEYaNN hUEFNEr • ThE STUDENT LIFE

The festival of colors, hosted by the claremont colleges hindu Society at Walker Beach March 8, has students from all colleges engaging in waterfights and throwing colorful cornstarch at one another.

your best to fit into academic ... environments, and when [you are] so far away from home, you kind of lose touch with the numerous festivals that go on back home, and you lose yourself in the rigor of college,” she said. “Especially considering current events [that could be suppressing culture], I think it’s a very important time to acknowledge that we are celebrating who we are and our culture and acknowledging our backgrounds.”

Preet Khowaja PO ’20 also felt a personal connection to the event.

Khowaja is from Pakistan, identifies as Muslim, but was brought up in a Hindu and Muslim family.

“The event is important to me because it’s a celebration of the Hindu parts of my upbringing,” she said via message. She also ex-

pressed the importance of South Asian students on campus having spaces to celebrate their identity.

“It’s a space where I get to spend time with people from my community. [The event is one of] the culture-specific cherished memories I’ll have from college,” Khowaja said.

Ananya Sen PO ’22 also attended the event, because she grew up celebrating it and wanted a space to perform tradition alongside other Desi (Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi) students.

Sen said she typically has loved water balloon fights during Holi, but to conserve water and reduce plastic use, the organizers of the 5C Holi event decided against having water balloons.

“Instead, they had … water

guns and small buckets of water … [which was] something that I expected would have taken away from the experience,” she said.

“Yet, I really didn’t feel like I was missing out. Everyone’s energy and excitement more than made up for it.”

Ananya Saluja PO ’22 also expressed the joy of being able to celebrate Holi while in the U.S. “In today’s world, with … political condition[s] as divided as [they are] in the subcontinent, to be here at Claremont and celebrate Holi with my friends, who hail from different countries, religions and backgrounds than me … we can come together in harmony regardless of our differences and prove that love finds a way,” she said via message.

There was also some political conversation surrounding Holi.

A few days before the festival on March 5, students gathered outside of Frary Dining Hall to participate in the protest A Holi Against Hindutva, which is part of a national campaign led by the student coalition Students Against Hindutva.

The coalition originated at Yale University in December in response to two actions taken by the Indian government — the passing of the Citizen Amendment Bill and the creation of the National Register of Citizens.

“Both of [the acts] were deeply problematic ... and … Islamophobic ... render[ing] many [Indian] communities stateless,” Sahana Mehta SC ’20, an Asian American Resource Center intern and event organizer, said. “We decided to take part in this action … in solidarity with protesters on the front line,” Mehta said.

According to Mehta, a number of South Asian American students, Asian Pacific Islander students, students of color and a few other students attended the protest.

“We decided to have [the protest] during Holi because we wanted to use the mobilizing power [of the celebration] to bring attention to this deeply political and humanitarian issue,” Mehta said.

She expressed the importance for the U.S. to be applying pressure and showing solidarity with the Muslim Indian citizens affected by the new policies.

“That’s been our goal primarily,” she said. “We are also trying to recognize that Hindu fascism is sustained in large part by the diaspora and by conservative forces in the diaspora, so we’ve also been trying to directly challenge those.”

5C Night Market event brings Dancing and donating the night best of Asian cuisine to Claremont away at 5C Dance Marathon’s

Party With A Purpose

RUBY WANG

aNNa hOrNE • ThE STUDENT LIFE

Top: Students eat from a wide variety of food stalls at the 5c Night Market March 7 at Pomona college’s Edmunds Ballroom. Bottom: Students ate and mingled at tables set up at the 5c Night Market.

NISHA SINGH The smell of soy sauce and the vibrant beats of Bollywood music lingered outside the doors of Pomona College’s Edmunds Ballroom, where the first 5C Night Market event was held this past Saturday. Students from across the 5Cs formed a line that roped around the Smith Campus Center, eager to get a taste from the wide variety of food stalls featured at the event.

Night markets are a popular form of nightlife in Taiwan, where people can gather for a midnight snack or buy clothes from local vendors. Ashley Cheng PO ’22, an event coordinator for the Taiwanese American Student Association, explained how inspiration for the event came from what TASA members typically missed most about Taiwan.

“Personally, being Taiwanese American is a big part of my identity, and I remember running around the night markets in Taiwan as a kid, surrounded by all the delicious things I could think of,” Cheng said. “Whenever the [TASA] board members and I talk about missing Taiwan, one of the first things that comes up is the night markets.”

Cheng further recounted how others who were not familiar with night markets were intrigued by the idea, motivating TASA to recreate the night market experience for the 5C community at large.

“Friends who haven’t had the chance to visit [Taiwan] always talk about how the concept of a night market sounds like a dream and is something they’d like to try,” she said.

TASA coordinated with eight different student organizations

across the 5Cs to create a bustling event, full of favorite foods and entertainment. Participating groups included the Chinese Student Association, Cantonese Club, Vietnamese Student Association, South Asian Student Association, Korean Student Association and more.

Upon entrance, students were given reusable plates and silverware. Stalls featuring food, drinks and DIY activities lined the walls, and tables for students to sit and enjoy their meals with friends were placed in the middle of the ballroom.

Students were exposed to a wide variety of cultural delicacies, from Taiwanese braised pork to Hong Kong egg waffles to Chinese dumplings. Lines formed at almost every stall, as attendees eagerly awaited a taste of culture from their fellow students.

Every student affinity organization represented at the Night Market shared a similar goal to the TASA organizers — they wanted to present a little piece of their own culture.

The South Asian Student Association served mango lassi, gol gappas (crunchy shells filled with chickpea and potato) and bhel puri (a puffed rice and vegetable snack).

“All of this is famous street food in South Asia, so we figured what better than gol gappas and bhel puri [to serve at the market],” SASA member Ananya Sen PO ’22 said at the event. “It has been really fun but surprisingly hectic. We are running out of food faster than we expected to.”

According to TASA, approximately 400 students attended

the event, a number that even organizers did not anticipate.

Not all stalls served typical food at the Night Market, though. Calvin Ng PO ’22, a member of the Food Science Club, spoke about the unique activity the club brought to the event.

“We are doing molecular gastronomy spherification. We mix sodium alginate into a calcium lactate bar and it forms a film around the liquid, so you can bite into it and it pops,” Ng explained.

Attendees got the opportunity to choose an alginate from a variety of colors, including red, blue, green and orange.

They collected the alginate into a syringe, and released the mixture into a bowl of calcium lactate, creating colorful, edible spheres.

A particular favorite of the hundreds of students that participated were TASA’s scallion pancakes. A group of students from Pomona kept sending a friend back in line every now and then to grab more of the salty snack to share with their table.

Tramy Nguyen PO ’22, president of the 5C club Tea Circle, was also involved in the event and spoke about what she hoped attendees would get out of the market.

“I hope that students who come just embrace curiosity, try everything there, talk to the people there — not only those who they come with, but also people running the stalls,” she said. “And maybe look into why these different foods are important and what they mean to people individually.”

You don’t have to be good at dancing to participate in a dance marathon. In fact, you don’t even have to dance — you just have to care.

5C Dance Marathon’s first annual event, called Party With A Purpose, was a grand, eclectic affair held March 6 that featured dancing, dunk tanks, ball pits and even a red carpet.

The event was organized by a group of 5C students who raised funds and awareness for the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, primarily through peer-to-peer fundraising and small-scale fundraisers such as bake sales, according to Kate Aris PO ’22, external director of 5C Dance Marathon.

The marathon, Aris said, was a celebration of all the funds raised throughout the year, as well as a fundraising event in and of itself.

“What we want is to let everyone understand why they are there,” executive director of 5C Dance Marathon Lucie Kapner CM ’22 said. “It is not just a party, it is a program for the kids. We are trying to raise awareness for those kids to make sure their stories are shown.”

Kapner revealed her inspiration for getting involved in this organization.

“I was actually born two months and 17 days early,” she said. “I spent the first six months in my life in a local children’s hospital in Boston. When I was a little child, Boston Children’s Hospital saved my life. If I hadn’t been treated there, I probably wouldn’t be alive today.”

Kapner, who has volunteered at local hospitals and local Dance Marathon events at her high school, jumped at the opportunity to do similar work in Claremont.

“Last year, when I heard that people were trying to start Dance Marathon in Claremont, I knew that was the cause I wanted to get involved in,” she said.

Elizabeth Howell-Egan SC ’22, internal director of 5C Dance Marathon, said she wanted to encourage philanthropy in Claremont, a desire which motivated 5C Dance Marathon’s inception.

“Last year, myself along with a few other students … thought [the 5Cs] would be an awesome place

to start a philanthropic movement,” she said. “This is the best way to see concrete evidence of giving back and provide opportunities for people who want to make a difference.”

Two “miracle kids” who were treated at CHLA were invited to join the event. Kylie and Avalon got to walk the event’s red carpet, participate in the festivities and share their personal stories about how CHLA benefited them.

Kylie, a sophomore at Glendora High School, continues to work with CHLA and fundraise at events similar to the Dance Marathon.

“When I was five, I was diagnosed with juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma [a benign brain tumor located in the cerebellum] which needed a craniotomy of the posterior fossa [to be removed],” she said.

Kylie is now completely tumor-free and has been a junior ambassador for CHLA for the past eight years. At the event, she volunteered as a DJ and donated all her proceeds back to the hospital.

Aris said her favorite part of the event was listening to the miracle kids share their stories, expressing fulfillment at having facilitated the connection between them and 5C students.

“It’s not easy to stand in front of college students and detail one of the most challenging aspects of one’s life,” Aris said. “We honor the bravery of our miracle children and families. This part of the night reminds the miracle kids they are not alone. They have a support system in local college kids.”

Hannah Juang SC ’20 said the Dance Marathon exposed her to the valuable work CHLA is doing and how it inspired her to come and support the event.

“The day before the event, [organizers of the event] told me a little about their vision and what the proceeds would go to,” she said. “It was really cool how these hospitals don’t turn down any kid based on their financial or citizenship status.”

At the end of the event, 5C Dance Marathon revealed how much they had raised throughout the year: $13,758, all of which will support CHLA. “$13,758 is really incredible for us,” Howell-Egan said. “Most programs in the first year raised $5,000 to $7,000, and we raised double that.

That is really cool for us to see that we can actually make an impact.”

hUXLEYaNN hUEFNEr • ThE STUDENT LIFE

Students buy raffle tickets to win homemade cake and drinks from the Motley coffeehouse at Party with a Purpose March 13 at McKenna auditorium.

Life & StyLe

PaGE 6 ThE BaSSLINE

chEW ON ThIS

A Swift transition from ‘Red’ to blue: Taylor Swift’s political fight

3 easy tips to up your college cooking game STEPHANIE DU Staying at the 5Cs? Tired of dining hall food and sack lunches? Cooking with limited resources may seem difficult, but it can be a rewarding process. Regardless of your skill level, here are three tips to make cooking from your dorm simple and fun.

chLOE FrELINGhUYSEN • ThE STUDENT LIFE

KYLA WALKER Taylor Swift needs no introduction. Whether your mind associates her with the girl next door in “You Belong with Me,” the raging rival of Kanye West or the 10-time Grammy winner trailblazing the way for pop music, she is beyond any doubt a cultural icon that has made a name for herself across genres and decades.

In her records, she is outspoken and vulnerable on one of the most private aspects of life — her romantic history — but has consistently neglected to speak out about her political beliefs, until recently.

On her latest album “Lover” and recent Netflix documentary “Miss Americana,” she allows fans to access her political stances and leftwinged opinions at last.

As a notorious politically-private celebrity, what instigated Swift to suddenly make her beliefs public? Is her art now tainted with propaganda that will subconsciously influence the minds of her younger demographic?

In the past, Swift has famously encoded a thread of memories and palpable emotion in her lyrics, which oftentimes resemble a puzzle with innocent clues about her romantic history for fans to solve. But in her latest album “Lover,” many listeners picked up on a theme of the color blue — dropped into her songs, hair color and album designs — in sharp contrast to her fourth album “Red,” which was released in 2012.

Along with her blue-dyed hair tips on the album cover, Swift drops the word “blue” on six of the songs on “Lover.” She references the color in peculiar senses and meanings with lyrics such as: “The shape of your body / It’s blue” (“Cruel Summer”), “I blew things out of proportion, now you’re blue” (“Afterglow”) and “My heart’s been borrowed and yours has been blue” (“Lover”).

Maybe it’s just a simple word to rhyme with, but her other albums have never been so parallel in the use of this specific color. Her 2017 album “Reputation” was black and white, and revolved around the idea of newspapers, Page Six gossip columns and headlines highlighting her victim role in the media.

“Reputation” also never touched upon activist subjects, and kept anything outside her social bubble concealed. The album effectively hid the real-world issues plaguing the U.S. government and neglected

March 13, 2020

to speak upon the age of anxiety at the time.

“Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince,” the seventh track of the “Lover” album, explicitly reveals her political stance for the first time, endorsing the Democratic party and fueling the blue wave. She sings, “We’re so sad, we paint the town blue / Voted most likely to run away with you.”

Swift later commented on the lyrics of the song in an interview with Rolling Stone: “I wanted to take the idea of politics and pick a metaphorical place for that to exist … I was thinking about a traditional American high school, where there’s all these kinds of social events that could make someone feel completely alienated.”

The apolitical star received backlash for not speaking out during the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections. Many speculate that she most likely stayed quiet in order to avoid alienating any fans, but Swift herself shared that she wanted to gain more maturity and education for herself in the world of politics.

“I don’t talk about politics because it might influence other people,” Swift told Time in 2012.

“And I don’t think that I know enough yet in life to be telling people who to vote for.”

This was around the same time she was making the switch from country to pop, from a genre with a mostly conservative demographic to liberal. In 2018, she announced her endorsement for Tennessee Democrats Phil Bredesen for Senate and Jim Cooper for the House of Representatives, going even further to criticize a Republican opponent’s voting records.

It is unclear whether Taylor Swift’s new album and documentary vindicate her of her past silence. But from country to pop, from Nashville to New York, from heartbroken to heartbreaker, Taylor Swift has reigned as queen of the modern music industry. With the 2020 elections crawling closer each day, the real question is: Will she turn both her audiences from “Red” to Blue?

Tip 1: Upgrade your meals Instant ramen, mac and cheese and microwave meals are considered college student staples, and I’m exactly the type of person who hoards Nongshim ramen and Annie’s mac and cheese in my room. But as much as I love a steaming bowl of soupy ramen or macaroni, it gets boring if you make it the same way every time. So spice up your meals with these tasty tips!

An easy and nutritious way to level up a pack of ramen is to simply add vegetables. Greens like spinach, bok choy and arugula add in a nice freshness.

Stores like Target, Trader Joe’s and Vons also sell frozen vegetables such as carrots and peas.

Simply cook or heat them up with your meal — you’ll appreciate the difference.

My personal favorite upgrade is adding bok choy, mushrooms and an egg to ramen noodles. If the ramen broth is spicy, I sometimes splash in a little full-fat coconut milk to imitate a laksa (a type of curry noodle soup) taste.

If you’re feeling fancy, buy some bacon crumbles and mix it into your mac and cheese, which will add a nice, salty crunch. If you’re feeling daring, go and collect some spices at Hoch-Shanahan Dining Commons’ spice bar before it closes and create some spicy concoc-

tions. Bon appétit!

Tip 2: Find your inspiration This tip comes from Kimia Mahdavi SC ’21, who cooks for herself in her off-campus housing. To quote Chef Gusteau from Pixar’s “Ratatouille,” she believes that anyone can cook. “It just takes practice, patience and believing in yourself,” she said.

Mahdavi finds her inspiration for meals through apps like Pinterest and Instagram. Currently, she has over 100 recipes saved. She recommends starting off simple, but also encourages others to not be afraid to try new things.

“There are so many wonderful recipes that take a few easy steps and require about five ingredients,” she said.

Like any skill, it takes time and practice to improve your cooking. If something doesn’t work on your first try, that’s normal.

Just look at Chef Linguini from “Ratatouille.” I’m not suggesting that you befriend a rat, but you improve by learning from your mistakes. For example, the first time I made risotto, it was undercooked and bland. But after practice, I figured out the perfect ratio with my ingredients.

Mahdavi remembers the first time she made one of her current go-to meals, a creamy vegan pasta.

“I will never forget, it took me half an hour just for the sauce,” she said. Now? The recipe takes her five minutes.

Tip 3: Get creative with meal prep Meal prep is a great method to plan and prepare meals ahead of time. This can seem daunting at first glance, but it can actually be quite simple if you have a plan. One key tip: If you’re looking to meal prep, it’s best to have

Kyla Walker PO ’22 is TSL’s music columnist. She loves playing guitar, reading any and all fiction and probably belongs in the 1960s.

some tupperware (or your greenbox) handy.

My biggest suggestion is to cut up everything beforehand. This may seem time-consuming, but it saves so much time later. You can also make this process more fun by bopping to your favorite tunes as you prep everything — Lizzo, Queen and Frank Sinatra make up my soundtrack of choice as I cook up a storm.

While I was abroad in London, I mainly made egg scrambles, stirfry, curries and pasta. The vegetables I found that went well with everything were bell peppers, onion, spinach and mushrooms.

I would also chop up vegetables differently. For example, I would do a mixture of julienne, dices and diagonal cuts. Having different textures keeps your meal interesting. It also affects flavor because your vegetables will have varying surface areas — some vegetables get a nice char while others remain juicy.

If you’re the type of person that gets sick of eating the same thing every week, fear not. There are so many ways to alter a meal. For example, you can add some tomato paste and sugar to your stir-fry, which will provide a new sweet and sour taste.

“Cooking for myself allows me to indulge in all the food that I love to eat, while making sure I am treating my body with the respect it deserves,” Mahdavi said.

While there’s nothing wrong with staying simple, cooking for yourself is also an opportunity to be daring and innovative with your ingredients. So go out there and explore — just try not to burn down the kitchen.

Stephanie Du SC ’21 is TSL’s science and food columnist. She is a biology major and aspires to work in healthcare. Her hobbies include cooking, traveling and eating all kinds of foods.

YaSMIN ELQUTaMI • ThE STUDENT LIFE

The quarantine chronicles: My 11 days of self-isolation JAIMIE DING Upon my return to Vancouver, Washington from Seoul, South Korea after my study abroad program was canceled last month, my family insisted on quarantining me in the house by myself for two weeks while they moved out. Here’s a dayby-day account of what happened during my self-quarantine.

Day 1: March 1 Having the house to myself is great. I’m still recovering from jetlag so I slept most of the day away.

Knowing that I hate touching raw meat, my mom cooked some ribs for me in advance and left them in the fridge. Thanks, mom!

My dad dropped off some broccoli and bok choy at the front door.

My mom called me that night and asked me to not go into the office in case she needed to come back and grab something. Because, obviously, if I were to walk inside, I would contaminate everything …

Day 2: March 2 I’m still spending most of the day in bed, but watching Netflix instead.

I also purchased some Korean textbooks before I left Korea, so I consoled myself by studying Korean for a few hours. After that, I started to crave Korean food, so I tried to make kimchi jeon (pancakes). It went rather poorly. I blame my not non-stick

pan for betraying me.

Also, I lost my SIM card in Korea, so no one’s been able to reach me by phone.

Day 3: March 3 I decide that if I can’t do anything for two weeks, I might as well get in shape. I went to the park for some fresh air and ran for the first time in months. To my surprise, I easily hit 4.5 miles but started getting hungry and decided to head home for dinner.

I had totally forgotten about this, but my dad installed a camera in front of our front door so he could see who is coming in and out of the house. When I got home, he asked me where I went. Note to future self: If I need to escape, must go through the garage.

Day 4: March 4 MY WHOLE BODY HURTS. I am so terribly out of shape that the sudden 4.5-mile run really killed me. Running was a horrible idea.

I spent most of the day horizontal again.

Day 5: March 5 I have absolutely no recollection of what I did this day. I searched my camera roll and text messages for clues, and it seems like all I did was watch skincare videos on YouTube and save coronavirus memes from Twitter.

Day 6: March 6 My entire body is craving boba.

Out of desperation, I ordered boba and some spicy wontons on UberEats from Taste of Asia & Tea. The boba was surprisingly decent.

I also convinced myself to run again! But it’s raining outside today, so I only spent 40 minutes on the treadmill. Honestly? Good enough.

I realize that without any responsibilities or human beings to interact with, I no longer have to abide by societal norms of when to eat or when to sleep! This means I can stay up all night to FaceTime a friend in London.

Day 7: March 7 I ended up sleeping until noon.

While calling my mom in the morning, I overheard my dad and little sister talking about trying out a new restaurant that just opened.

“Wait, what?? Food? Are you guys getting food? What food?

Wait, I want food! Bring me fooooood!” I yell into the phone.

Turns out, it was a new ramen place.

Dad called from Costco and asked if I needed anything. I contemplated asking for a box of those massive Costco croissants but settled for Spindrift sparkling water instead. I tweet about it and Spindrift likes my tweet. :’) My dad dropped off my garlic

Jaimie Ding Sc ’21 self-quarantined at home in Vancouver, Washington upon her return from Seoul, South Korea.

tonkotsu ramen and Spindrift in the house and quickly retreated back into the garage when I approached. The garlic tonkotsu was mediocre. I left a 3-star review on Yelp.

Day 8: March 8 I finished the book “Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning” by Cathy Park Hong, which I started two days ago. If you want to read something that leaves you a bit hurt and confused, and makes your brain churn for several days, I highly recommend it. It’s nice to have time to actually read something voluntarily.

I tried my hand at making kimchi jjigae (stew), following a random recipe I found online from My Korean Kitchen. It boils so beautifully but alas … it tasted bad.

I practiced piano for the first time in months, since I couldn’t practice in Korea! It was satisfying.

Day 9: March 9 I screamed into the abyss that is my house in the middle of the night. Noise no longer matters as I have not interacted with a human in over a week.

I’ve become so lazy that I’ve resorted to boiling broccoli for dinner and eating it with leftover kimchi jjigae. I also haven’t washed the dishes in a while — I definitely

need to do that first thing tomorrow if I want to cook or eat or do anything, basically, because nothing is clean.

Day 10: March 10 I finally did my laundry for the first time since I’ve come back. I also unpacked (and didn’t do the dishes).

Who needs food when a friend can just drop off boba at your house?

Day 11: March 11 Surprise! I’m heading back to South Korea to complete my semester abroad. Though my study abroad program was canceled, I was able to direct-enroll at Yonsei University in Seoul so I’m going back.

Yes, I know, coronavirus. But I live in Washington state, which is in a truly dire state of emergency trying to handle its own outbreak, so I figured I might as well go back to a country with a functional and efficient coronavirus testing system and responsive government. Shoutout to Neva Barker and Tressi Mehana Turkmany at the Scripps College study abroad office for all their help — they are truly the best.

And to Claremont: I’ll see you in the fall.

Jaimie Ding SC ’21 is a guest writer who is studying abroad in South Korea this semester (as you can probably tell).

She’s completely obsessed with boba and sometimes makes risky life decisions.

cOUrTESY: JaIMIE DING

OpiniOns

March 13, 2020 EDITORIAL BOARD

Coronavirus is here — while deeply unfortunate, we need to act rationally As COVID-19 has begun to spread across the country, and the speculation that we would be sent home from Claremont has become a reality, some things have become very evident.

For one, this sucks.

It’s terrible for those who don’t have a good place to go — whether that’s because travel bans have limited their opportunities to return home, people can’t afford to go home or because the 5Cs have become home.

It’s terrible for all the seniors who could graduate without a commencement. It’s terrible for our classes, many of which are discussion-based and won’t function well online.

It’s terrible for the sports teams that will lose their seasons, for the many seniors who will never play their sports again.

Selfishly, it’s terrible for this newspaper, which will be forced to stop printing until classes resume as normal. Most of our operations will be canceled — with no events or happenings on campus, there’s not much to write about.

However, as bad as this is for everyone involved, coronavirus is here, and it is serious.

James Lawler, director of international programs and innovation at the Global Center for Health Security, recently told public health officials to prepare for “disease burden roughly 10 [times of] severe flu season.” Since October 2019, the CDC estimates between 18,000 and 46,000 people have died from the flu, and between 32 million to 45 million people have contracted the illness.

Multiply those numbers by 10 for coronavirus, and that becomes an incredibly concerning potential reality.

So while it is completely rational to be upset about the realities and effects of the pandemic, we also need to take this threat seriously, and be rational about what we need to do to help.

We need to start practicing social distancing and alter our daily routines — as The Washington Post wrote this week, “The goal isn’t to stop the virus; not anymore. It is to slow it down.”

Every measure we take, as a society and in-

dividually, will help save lives. Maybe not the lives of the many of us who share good health, but the lives of those who don’t — either because of age, pre-existing conditions or socioeconomic disadvantages that can leave people susceptible.

So, please do everything you can to limit your potential exposure to the disease, whether you’re going home or not. Wash your hands, stay inside, avoid big crowds. With enough effort, despite the temporary inconveniences, we can slow this thing down.

For now, it’s all we can do.

TSL’s editorial board is comprised of its editor-in-chief and two managing editors, and does not necessarily represent the views of other TSL staff members.

hUXLEYaNN hUEFNEr • ThE STUDENT LIFE

aMY BEST • ThE STUDENT LIFE

Top: Although there aren’t any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Claremont, everyone is taking precautions against coronavirus.

Bottom: Pomona College has hired professional moving companies to help students leave campus before March 18.

PaGE 7

There is no ‘objective good,’ just paternalism MARGOT ROSENBLATT Global poverty has fallen to a record low. Far fewer people are starving, child labor is experiencing a sharp decline, life expectancy is increasing, child mortality is decreasing — when it comes down to it, the world right now is the best that it has ever been.

It seems like we’re making progress — we’re advancing and improving the world according to our idea of the truth about right and wrong.

However, the idea of a universal truth about what is “good” is incorrect, naive and offensive, because it mistakenly implies that history is moving towards some goal — a goal defined by our current values, which are extremely Western-centric. For our purposes, I’m defining “the West” as Europe and its culture, including that of the U.S. History is often taught like a story. Textbooks tend to create illusions of a beginning, middle and end to a section of the past.

In reality, this is not the case. We see story arcs only because we have superimposed those artificial barriers on our perceptions of the past.

History happens. Many people believe that the Roman Empire moved Europe (and generally the world) a few steps forward, the Dark Ages a step back, and the Renaissance forward again.

“Forward” may exist, but it is constantly subject to change depending on the view of the marcher. Sometimes, depending on where we’re facing, “forward” might be one way. But when we turn, even a fraction of a degree, “forward” becomes an entirely different direction.

In this way, history does not march towards some sort of completion. Human existence is not a game of Chutes and Ladders where you get to the end, no matter the setbacks.

Time is more like a rocket ship drifting through space, going in no particular direction, heading nowhere, serving no purpose.

That rocket ship is heading somewhere only if we imagine it is, and it serves purposes only in our ephemeral minds.

Only human (and some primate) perceptions can discern right and wrong. Without our consciousnesses, there is no conception of good or bad.

Therefore, “good” is what humans in that moment consider to be good — what “works” for us. This is called a pragmat-

ic definition of truth. For example, because the idea that “murder is wrong” works for most everyone, we consider it to be the moral truth.

Because it is entirely dependent on human perceptions of it, the “good” is, and always has been, constantly evolving. Nowadays in the U.S., for example, we think that oppression of any group is bad, at least in theory. We are no more objectively “right” about this than past Americans have been about their “moral duty” to keep certain groups “in their place” because “right” doesn’t exist except in our minds.

Here in the U.S., our current values are extremely Western-centric. For example, the West tends to believe that equality for women is what’s right, but other cultures around the world do not always hold that opinion.

This assumption that we in the West are more “right” than others, and that it is therefore our prerogative to enforce our views on others, is a form of paternalism that echoes Western colonialism.

What we think of as “objective truth” is rooted in the assumption that our current Western-rooted conceptions of good are always and forever right. It also implies that, like Manifest Destiny, Western values will inevitably conquer the world because they are superior.

The idea that anyone knows the “objective truth” is intensely narcissistic, naive and insulting to those who disagree. No one truly knows what’s actually “best” for the world, they only know what they think is best for the world.

This is not to say that no one should try to do what they think is right. Societies are founded on shared values. From where I stand in my society, it seems to me that decreasing poverty and hunger are good things, and people around me tend to agree.

However, I do not pretend that this viewpoint is the one “objective truth.” I just try to help people in the ways I know how — if the people in need have the same objective as me.

Perhaps one day all of humanity will agree on what is right and wrong. That day’s pragmatic truth will not be eternal, but at least everyone will enjoy the rocket ship ride.

Margot Rosenblatt SC ’23 is from New York, New York. Though you wouldn’t know it from this article, she assures you that she’s a very optimistic and upbeat person. She would like to thank the participants in professor Seth Lobis’ seminar “Why Free Speech?” for inspiring her to write this piece.

OFF THE RECORD I’m being kicked out of my dorm, and I just moved in this January.

I have to do my video art class online, and I have no idea how that will work.

Who will feed all of the ants in TSL’s office while we are gone?

Looks like I’ll be living with my parents until August.

TSL is no longer publishing in print.

My favorite social event of the season, Pirate Party, has been canceled.

OpiniOns

PaGE 8

There’s value in outdoor orientation trips that cannot be found elsewhere

March 13, 2020

THE STUDENT LIFE Editorial Board

(Senior) Senior Staff Shoutout ♡

HANK SNOWDON, Editor-in-Chief MABEL LUI, Managing Editor MARC ROD, Managing Editor

Senior Staff JAMES KARSTEN, Production Editor

JASPER DAVIDOFF, News Editor

HELENA ONG, Production Editor

MARIA HEETER, News Editor

SAM BOVARD, News Designer

ERIKA SCHWERDFEGER, News Associate

ANNIKA RAGNARTZ, L&S Designer

AMBER CHONG, Life & Style Editor

GRACE SAUERS, Opinions Designer

YASMIN ELQUTAMI, Life & Style Editor

MARCELLA CANNATTI, Sports Designer

DONNIE DENOME, Opinions Editor

AMY BEST, Photo Editor

EAMON MORRIS, Opinions Editor

HUXLEYANN HUEFNER, Photo Editor

MARISA MESTICHELLA, Sports Editor

ANNIE WU, Graphics Editor

MATTHEW KIM, Sports Associate

KELLEN BROWNING, Editor-at-Large

MADY COLANTES, Copy Chief

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

Elinor Aspegren Kellen Browning Donnie TC Demone Meghan Joyce Jolo Labio Schuyler Mitchell Helena Ong Marc Rod Ariel So Annie Wan Daphne Yang ...and so many others who have worked for TSL before

Jasper’s crossword: pack up playlist DONNIE TC DENOME • THE STUDENT LIFE

MICHELLE LUM This past summer, when I heard that my orientation trip for Harvey Mudd College would be an excursion to the amusement park Knott’s Berry Farm, I was sorely disappointed. I had heard about friends’ experiences with once-in-a-lifetime outdoor orientation trips, and was dismayed that I wouldn’t have one.

In previous years, HMC had given students the opportunity to embark on orientation trips in smaller groups to destinations like Big Bear and downtown Los Angeles. But the class of 2023 wasn’t given that choice — all first-years in my class went to Knott’s.

For the 5Cs, orientation is always an ongoing discussion. Recently, Pomona College decided to shorten its first-year Orientation Adventure trips by one and a half days, and also added options for trips in urban settings so that students who are not as comfortable in the outdoors may feel more at ease. The college also decided to cut all trips more than four hours away, thus eliminating the trip to Yosemite National Park and possibly other destinations like Channel Islands National Park.

Not everyone may be comfortable in the wilderness, so props to Pomona for giving students a variety of settings to choose from for its next orientation. However, there’s still a lot of value in outdoor trips as a way for strangers to get to know each other in a short amount of time.

The summer before my sophomore year of high school, I went backpacking in Yosemite with a group of high schoolers who I only met a few days before we left for the trip. Over the course of nine days in the backcountry, we became fast friends. Trekking through the High Sierra, skipping rocks, counting shooting stars and sleeping under the stars, we developed camaraderie in just a little more than a week.

Something about the outdoors is incredibly conducive to forming strong relationships. As an environment disconnected from the distractions of the outside world, the wilderness can help foster

close, long-lasting friendships.

And it’s not a surprise that a group working together to complete a challenge like a hike can quickly become unified behind a common goal.

Outdoor orientation trips can not only help create lifelong friendships, but they can also lead to important development for students as individuals. Last semester, I took a ropes course class with a few other students at the 5Cs, and during several weekends out on the ropes course, we learned about each other and our stresses, dreams and goals.

As we accomplished tasks that we thought we were incapable of performing, and climbed high in the air despite our fears of heights, we also gained confidence.

Going to an amusement park comes nowhere close to replicating such life-changing experiences.

This is why I think it’s important that the 5Cs offer first-year students the option of taking outdoor orientation trips. All of the 5Cs could benefit by following in Pomona’s footsteps, as well as Claremont McKenna College and Pitzer College’s — the three schools offer students a variety of wilderness and urban trips to choose from, depending on their preferences.

As the 5Cs each decide on what first-year orientation will look like for the incoming class of 2024 and future classes, I encourage all of the colleges to reconsider the value of outdoor orientation trips. They should recognize that outdoor adventures are some of the best ways in which a group of strangers can bond closely and quickly, and also for students to develop as individuals.

Michelle Lum HM ’23 is from San Jose, California. Yosemite is her favorite place in the world, and she cannot wait to go back. She also hopes that future first-years at the 5Cs will be able to create long-lasting friendships through outdoor orientation trips.

JASPER DAVIDOFF • THE STUDENT LIFE

ACROSS 1. Product with Alexa (exa, exa...)

5. Like a stallion or buck 9. Islamic deity 14. One might be cracked open 15. “You ____ liar!”

16. Roy who was removed as Alabama’s Chief Justice 17. “It was an early morning yesterday/I was up before the dawn” * 20. One to respect 21. It might purr or roar 22. Like Arthur’s Buster and Bambi’s Thumper 27. Scripps student govt.

28. Insect in a colony 31. Many a political worker 32. Rainy 34. “All my bags are packed/I’m ready to go” (with 43-across) * 37. Train tracks 40. Fourth of July ritual 41. FedEx item 42. _____ of emergency 43. See 34-across * 46. Snowden’s former org.

47. Musical theatre fans, often 48. Acid 49. Plant milk variety 51. Possible side effect of online classes 54. Microsoft Word virtual assistant of yore 57. Like online classes, compared to normal classes 61. “Loneliness was tough/The toughest role you ever played” *

66. Ancient rabbi 67. One pill, possibly 68. Needle case 69. Like some rocks or tree trunks 70. Driver in film 71. Credit card quantity, sometimes DOWN 1. Knife’s sharp side 2. ____ Math Games 3. Part of a parka 4. Command 5. When commencements might occur 6. Equal 7. ___ Miserables 8. Chow down 9. “When ____ loves a woman...”

10. Extended 11. Some kinds of issues around leaving campus on short notice 12. NBA venue (until recently) 13. “_____ to the crazy ones” 18. It’s measured in cups 19. High ___ (1080p, say) 23. Scourge (of one’s existence) 24. Humongous 25. Wedding words 26. Number of bowling pins 28. Swiss peaks 29. Tidy 30. Director Quentin and his family 32. Saran, e.g.

33. Kind of noble 35. Big tubs 36. Proposition 38. Camera part 39. Vehicle in Calvin and Hobbes 41. Concern for vets 43. Previously 44. Jam container 45. Regard 49. He has a razor 50. San Antonio spot 51. “Until next time!”

52. Have a 71-across 53. Cut the lawn 55. Dining halls’ smaller areas (abbr.)

56. Macbeth, e.g.

58. Initiation 59. Rudely overlook 60. Revise 62. Journalist Tarbell 63. Sign of agreement 64. ONT gatekeepers 65. Skirt’s edge LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

The Democrats’ refusal to support sanders is detrimental ANAIS RIVERO In the matter of a week, the Democratic Party has managed to completely revive Joe Biden’s presidential campaign. Prior to Biden’s victory in South Carolina, the former vice president was struggling to gain the votes and favor of the American people.

Much like the candidate himself, Biden’s campaign was tired, unenthused and unmotivated.

Biden was trying and failing to excite and animate voters about the same policies and attitudes that have failed Americans for decades.

This begs the question: Why has the Democratic Party decided to put the full force of its resources and power behind Biden, instead of the energized and progressive campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.?

For months now, most Democrats have been afraid of Sanders becoming the Democratic nominee. His campaign has been referred to as radical and unattainable; too much too fast in the eyes of many moderate Democrats.

It is evident by recent events in the 2020 election that many members of the Democratic Party are actively trying to obstruct Sanders from winning the Democratic nomination. This is not to say that the election is any way rigged — I am not perpetuating a conspiracy theory. There is no evidence of vote changing or ballot box stuffing, conditions necessary to consider this a rigged election.

However, the Democratic Party is actively creating more support for Biden and, if given the opportu-

nity, would stop Sanders from receiving the nomination. According to a New York Times article, Democratic establishment leaders are willing to risk intraparty damage to stop his nomination at the Democratic National Convention in July.

NYT interviewed 93 superdelegates, for which the majority was opposed to handing the Vermont senator the nomination if he arrived with the most delegates but fell short of the majority of delegates. The delegates outright said or implied that many other delegates felt the same way.

As the race between Biden and Sanders becomes increasingly tight, this situation is more likely than ever. According to NYT, Jay Jacobs, the New York State Democratic Party chairman and a superdelegate, believed that “superdelegates should choose a nominee they believed had the best chance of defeating Mr. Trump if no candidate wins a majority of delegates during the primaries.”

The consensus among most superdelegates is that Sanders would not have the best chance of defeating Mr. Trump, despite the fact that in general election polls Sanders is predicted to beat Trump. Blocking Sanders from a nomination if he gets most of the delegates is a pure attack on the political revolution he is currently leading. The party would be denying the voices of millions of voters — many of whom are young and minorities, the groups who will be most affected by future policies.

Besides a brokered convention, endorsements for Biden from fellow Democrats and former presidential candidates have come flooding in. After Biden’s victory in South Carolina, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., endorsed Biden for president, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg followed suit March 4 and Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., March 8.

Moderate Democrats are pooling their support towards Biden, something the progressives have failed to do as former presidential candidates Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Julián Castro, the former housing and urban development secretary under President Barack Obama, have not yet endorsed Sanders for president.

Biden also has 66 billionaires from Wall Street funding his campaign. Many of these Wall Street people are self-described Democrats, yet they are afraid of Sanders because they see his policies as an attack on their way of life and a threat to their profit.

And they’re not wrong. Sanders has proposed a wealth tax, an increase in the corporate tax rate, the creation of a progressive estate tax on multi-millionaire and billionaire inheritances and breaking up big banks.

His campaign is focused on the liberation of the working class and taking away power from Wall Street and pharmaceutical companies. This would change the way American society and the government function, unlike Biden, who would maintain the

COURTESY: FLICKR USER PHIL ROEDER

Bernie Sanders stands to destroy a bloated political system that works for the privileged and not the people, just as Donald Trump did during his 2016 campaign.

neoliberal status quo of his Democratic predecessors.

That’s why Democrats are afraid. At the core of the Democrats’ fear is not losing to Trump again but a fear of change — change from neoliberalism to a progressive agenda that is anti-capitalist and anti-racist.

This agenda would focus on the collective rather than the individual, and does not want small incremental change which never manifests itself into something concrete.

Sanders is running a people-powered campaign with no donations from corporations,

billionaires or PACs against a party that does not want to nominate him and against an opponent with Wall Street in his pocket. The Democratic Party’s refusal to support him speaks volumes about their weak commitment to the people of this country. If the party wants to claim to be a party that supports equity and liberty, it must, at the very least, stop supporting Biden’s campaign.

Anais Rivero PZ ’22 is a political studies major with a caffeine addiction.

She believes the Joe Biden and Obama memes have damaged American political culture, #NotUncleJoe.

SportS

March 13, 2020

PaGE 9

COVID: Seniors cope with abrupt ending

Left: catherine allen Sc ‘20 follows through on her forehand in the cMS womens tennis team’s 6-1 win over Idaho State Feb. 8, 2019.

Top-right: adam rees PO ‘20 gets dapped up during the Sagehen’s 87-66 win over redlands in the ScIac men’s basketball championships Feb. 29, 2020.

Bottom-right: Shortstop Izzy Deatherage PO ‘20 defends Jessica Fox cM ‘21 in the Sagehen-athena doubleheader april 13, 2019.

continued from page 1 email from Athletic Director Erica Jasper.

“We fully recognize and appreciate the time, energy and passion our scholar-leader-athletes contribute to their teams and respective sports. Nothing, however, is more important than the health and wellness of our student-athletes, our community and our country,” Jasper said. “Our student-athletes have handled this news with grace and perspective. They have demonstrated excellent leadership in this challenging time.”

Though winter season athletes preparing for NCAA competition — CMS and P-P swimmers and divers, as well as the Sagehen men’s basketball team — were originally spared from the suspension, the NCAA itself decided Thursday to cancel its winter and spring championships.

The basketball team’s plane to Chicago was taxiing at Ontario International Airport on Thursday afternoon shortly before takeoff when word of the NCAA tournament’s cancellation reached players. The team notified a flight attendant and was let off the plane before it departed.

“I totally understand the reasoning behind the NCAA’s decision to end all sporting events, but it is still incredibly disappointing,” Adam Rees PO ’20 said via message. “All of this happened in such a blur, but I am still so proud of our team, and I loved my four years playing for the Pomona-Pitzer basketball program.”

The news rocked 5C teams, many of which were just getting into the heart of their spring seasons. Athletes understood the decision to prioritize health and avoid risking spreading the disease, but were still crushed by the announcement.

“It’s just devastating for each and every one of us, especially the seniors,” said Athena water polo player Jessi Beyer SC ’23, whose season ended with a loss at Whittier Wednesday night. “It’s going to make all of us appreciate next season a lot more, definitely … and make us work that much harder.”

CMS softball played its final game last Sunday in Tucson, Arizona, a 3-2 loss to Central College.

“It was really sad,” CMS softball player Jordan Bassett CM ’22 said of the news. “We were in the middle of our season. And I guess the worst part is our seniors don’t get to have their senior night or anything.”

Some teams attempted to quickly throw together impromptu competitions or find other ways to celebrate their senior athletes, who are seeing their collegiate careers abruptly cut short.

The P-P track teams planned a miniature intrasquad meet to give athletes one more chance to race this year, while Sagehen men’s tennis scrambled to find an opponent for a final match.

Tennis player Jonathan Miller PO ’20 said P-P found a willing partner in Bucknell University, and the teams were all set to play Thursday — until the downpour scrapped their plans.

“Certainly an abrupt end, unexpectedly abrupt end,” Miller said of the season’s cancellation.

“Definitely not the way you want to go out.”

Still, Miller reflected fondly on his years of Division III athletics.

“Just being a part of DIII sports and having the unique ability to balance academics with sports, not having one dominate the other, was really nice,” he said.

Athena tennis player Catherine Allen SC ’20, whose bid to

lead her team to a second national championship in three years has come to an untimely end, said there’s a chance all four 5C tennis teams could play a mixed-gender doubles event before everyone departs campus.

“It breaks my heart to realize that the end of my collegiate career was cut so short and unexpectedly, not only because of my passion for tennis, but mostly because I am not ready to say goodbye to my teammates who have become my family,” Allen said via message. “I’m remembering and treasuring every moment I had from my first to my last season.”

The Athenas ended their season in typical fashion, scoring a commanding 9-0 victory over WashU. “In our meeting prior to the match, we told our teammates how much we love them and what would make us happiest would be to lay it all out on the court and compete with full hearts for the last time,” Allen said. “And they did that for us.”

Sagehen softball commemorated the abrupt end with a makeshift end-of-year dinner.

“The softball team is feeling a great sense of loss after having our season essentially taken from us,” shortstop Izzy Deatherage PO ’20 said via message.

“Although the seniors are still trying to process the fact that we’re suddenly and so unexpectedly never going to get to put on a jersey again, or hit a home run, or make a great play, everyone who is a part of our program is feeling a bit empty.”

“We are struggling most with suddenly losing a sport that has been an integral part of our identity for the past 10-15 years,” she added.

aMY BEST • ThE STUDENT LIFE

Athletes of the Week Pomona-Pitzer Lucie Abele PO ’22 Women’s Water Polo Palos Verdes, CA

Abele helped lead the Sagehens to an undefeated 3-0 SCIAC record in this year’s cut-short season. At the Claremont Convergence Tournament last weekend, she chipped in six goals on seven shots in P-P’s 14-4 victory over Penn State Behrend. The day before, she added three goals and two steals en route to the Hens’ 17-2 thrashing of SCIAC opponent Caltech. In the Sixth Street Rivalry game March 4, the sophomore attacker scored the final goal to secure a 6-4 victory over CMS.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps

Sara Reid CM ’20 Women’s Lacrosse Danville, CA

Senior goalie Sara Reid helped the Athenas advance to a 5-1 record in the conference season and finished out her last collegiate game with a bang, helping the team to a 23-0 win against Cal Lu on March 12. During the final match she was a game leader, going the distance in goal to achieve a shutout and making two saves, both of which came in the opening minutes of the second half when the Athenas were playing down one player due to a yellow card. She has been a valuable force for the Athenas throughout her collegiate athletic career, playing 1,209 total minutes.

SportS

PaGE 10

March 13, 2020

Marika Morelan fought anorexia through weightlifting. Now she’s training others

cOUrTESY: cMS aThLETIcS

cOUrTESY: MarIKa MOrELaN

Left: Marika Morelan CM ’20 is a thrower for CMS women’s track and field, and was a part of the team that won its fifth straight SCIAC Championship in 2019. right: In addition to being a DIII athlete, Morelan is a talented handstander and a personal crossFit trainer at the 5cs.

MARISA MESTICHELLA CW: anorexia The weight room is not just a place for sculpting chiseled abs and amped-up biceps — for Marika Morelan CM ’20, weightlifting was instrumental in battling and recovering from anorexia.

Morelan is a thrower for CMS women’s track and field, an avid handstander and a personal CrossFit trainer at the 5Cs. As a gymnast for 14 years, cheerleader for six and competitive runner for two, she was particularly susceptible to eating disorders throughout her youth athletic career.

“I do think that it is very common for teams such as gymnastics, cheerleading, dance, running — those that are part of the athlete triad and are really at risk for eating disorders — to sway the way [athletes] eat,” she said.

Weightlifting can be challenging to pick up, and Morelan was not a fan at the beginning.

“The thing that really got me to be more passionate about it was recovering from anorexia,” she said.

“I think it was really helpful in reframing my mindset from skinny to strong. … Striving to be skinnier will never get you anywhere — there’s no limit to that,” she added. “Weightlifting moti-

vated me to recover. I don’t think I would’ve if I didn’t start lifting weights.”

Outside her personal journey, Morelan has dedicated much of her time helping others succeed in the weight room as well.

“The best part of training with Marika, aside from physical benefits, is how empowered I feel after I leave each session,” said Zoey Ryu CM ’20, a longtime trainee of Morelan’s. “She reminds me each time that I am capable and strong. She has helped me feel comfortable in my own skin and consistently motivates me to stay body positive.”

When she is not in the weight room, Morelan advocates for healthy eating habits, pointing out that body image is “massively a problem” at the 5Cs and that in a warm place like Southern California, there is often pressure to fit the stereotype of the “green beach girl.”

“I see in the dining hall and in the gym a lot of misinformation and unhealthy habits that are perpetuating body images,” she said.

She encourages her peers to remember that “as a general rule, you can eat more than you think you can to look the way you want.”

As CrossFit is Morelan’s main

passion, she balances training for both CrossFit and track and field in her everyday fitness routine.

“In the mornings, I’ll do throwing practices — I do hammer and shot — so some combination of hammer and shot practice, and then we do a lift for track,” she says.

“And then later on in the day, I’ll go and do my CrossFit work.

So I’ll do my ‘metcon,’ which is metabolic conditioning, which is kind of what people think of when they think of CrossFit; it’s a high-pace, intensity, keep moving type of workout,” she added. “And then I’ll do whatever accessory work I didn’t hit in the lift for track.”

Morelan lifts not only for the physical gains, but also for the social aspect and the joy of challenging herself in the weight room.

“Being around my friends who lift at the same time is a way to get closer to my friends in a less anxiety-inducing environment,” she said. “I like the fact that in weightlifting, you can compete with yourself, and you can compete with the weight.

You’re always challenged, and you’re never going to win at it,” Morelan said.

Fiona Gould SC ’22, another of Marika’s trainees, speaks

highly of the way Morelan is able to push her during their sessions.

“Sometimes you need someone there to push you, and Marika is an amazing motivator,” Gould said. “I never knew I could lift so much.”

For Morelan, the mental confidence that weightlifting has created has boosted her self-esteem and made her proud of her body image.

“For so long, I was literally wasting away as a human,” Morelan said. “It’s just a really cool feeling to be strong.”

“We are taught not to take up space, and I think that’s BS,” she added. “We have this fake cage on how big we need to be and I just think that’s so problematic.

If I want my butt to be bigger or my shoulders to be bigger, they’re going to be bigger and I’m not apologizing. You know?

I’m really not.”

Morelan is a firm believer that anyone, not just varsity athletes or bodybuilders, can find their way around the weight room.

That belief, and a high demand for personal lessons, is why she supplies personal training sessions and drop-in classes at Roberts Pavilion.

The weight room is “intimidating, there’s football players in there, people slamming stuff, it’s

scary,” she said. “So [people] were like ‘I don’t want to be an athlete, I don’t want anything special, I just want maybe to like get stronger … and feel comfortable in there.’”

Besides the obvious increased strength, other well-known benefits of weightlifting include improved bone density, better sleep balance, higher metabolism and weight loss maintenance, according to an article on healthy living published by Chris Iliades at Everyday Health and confirmed by doctor and medical reviewer Samuel Mackenzie.

Morelan advised new lifters to “start light. No one is going to judge you for how much weight you are using.”

“Learn the form,” she added.

“Watch a ton of YouTube videos and … practice in your room in the mirror so you feel comfortable going in and being like, ‘Okay, I know what a deadlift is.’”

Morelan said that no one should be intimidated by CrossFit. “There’s always a version that you can do and also, it’s only as hard as you make it,” she said.

“It’s one of the most inclusive sports.”

“I also think the power of an outfit that makes you feel good in the gym is very underrated,” she added. “Get some new leggings, go in there, and squat and feel great.”

Sagehens win in buzzer-beating thriller Last shot of Boyle’s career downs Emory before COVID-19 ends tournament

cOUrTESY: P-P aThLETIcS

Jack Boyle PZ ’20 hit a buzzer-beater to propel the Sagehens to the Ncaa DIII Sweet 16, which was then canceled due to coronavirus concerns.

ADITYA BHALLA Even though the Pomona-Pitzer men’s basketball team had their NCAA run cut short after coronavirus concerns caused the organization to cancel the tournament Thursday, the Sagehens certainly still experienced some March Madness.

With 2.8 seconds left in Saturday’s NCAA Tournament game against the Emory Eagles, things were looking dire for P-P. The Eagles had just hit a layup to go up 70-68, meaning the Sagehens would have had to travel the length of the court and score to tie or win the game.

Head coach Charles Katsiaficas called timeout. He drew up a play to get the ball past half-court so that the team could call another timeout before attempting a game-winning shot. The Sagehens executed.

During the second timeout, Katsiaficas drew up another play, one

that the Hens practiced extensively but had rarely ever used in a real game.

James Kelbert PO ’20 floated the ball to the opposite side of the court, as Jack Boyle PZ ’20 sprinted to the corner off a back-screen and caught it. After pump faking a closing-out defender, Boyle shot the ball as he was falling out of bounds.

The ball sank through the net as the buzzer sounded.

The Sagehens bench erupted, as the team took down the Emory Eagles — ranked No. 12 nationally — on their home court.

Initially, however, some of the players were concerned that Boyle may have stepped out of bounds before taking the shot.

“I was very worried that [Boyle’s] feet were out of bounds. I didn’t think they were, I didn’t see them go out of bounds but I knew that it was very close, and there was a referee right there,” said

Adam Rees PO ’20, who recorded a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double in the victory. “Once I realized that he was actually saying [the basket] was good, then it was just so exciting.”

Boyle, who scored 14 points in the win, said he had a good feeling about the shot, so he took it.

“I caught [the ball], the [defender] flew by me immediately, and then after that I felt like I had a clean look at the basket,” he said.

“I just let it fly, and it felt good, and when it went in, I couldn’t believe it.”

Boyle said he’s heard from people both around the 5Cs and at home, praising him for his game-winning shot.

“I feel like I’ve been walking on clouds,” Boyle said. “Hitting a shot like that, it’s something I think a lot of basketball players at any level dream of.”

The Hens’ star player Micah

Elan PZ ’20, who was recently named SCIAC Player of the Year and broke the P-P career scoring record, added 20 points to lead all scorers in the win, including a number of clutch shots down the stretch.

“Nothing phases us — there’s nothing out there that can make you nervous when you’ve been there so many times before,” Elan said. “We know at the end of the day if … our team can put ourselves in a position to win with the experience that we have, we always feel confident in each other.”

While the Hens won the game in spectacular fashion, many of the players cited how prepared they felt in their ability to execute Katsiaficas’ play.

“Coach has just prepared us for any situation, so when it got to that moment, in the most important part of my career as a basketball player, we were ready for it,” Rees

said.

The game-winner would have sent P-P to the Sweet 16 — where they were set to play Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois — had the tournament not been canceled.

Just yesterday, as the team was on a plane ready to take off for Chicago, they received news of the tournament cancellation.

The plane had already left the gate when the NCAA released the news. The team immediately informed a flight attendant of the situation, who then relayed the information to the pilot, who let the team off the plane.

“I totally understand the reasoning behind the NCAA’s decision to end all sporting events, but it is still incredibly disappointing,” Rees said via message. “All of this happened in such a blur, but I am still so proud of our team, and I loved my four years playing for the Pomona-Pitzer basketball program.”