Vol. CXXXIII No. 3

VOL. CXXXIII NO. 3

FRIDAY, OctObeR 1, 2021

CLAREMONT, CA

‘Art After Hours’ blends sustainability and fashion

Testing? Testing? At Scripps, it’s not always easy to access LUCIA STEIN & KHIMMOY HUDSON

The first in a year-long series with these partners, this collaboration between the Benton and sustainable fashion groups has been in the works for quite some time. Nic k End icot t PZ ’20, a post-baccalaureate associate at the Hive, wanted to meet the “surging demand for fashion

With uncertainty rampant and low proportions of the student body successfully making appointments, the results for Scripps College’s COVID-19 testing program are in — and they’re positive for confusion. Scripps reported 654 tests taken by students last week, out of more than 1,000 full-time undergraduate students — a new high after the 450 student tests it registered the week before. Some who open Scripps’ testing reservation app find no appointments available. Those who do end up getting tested sometimes receive results days later. Altogether, in contrast to the other Claremont Colleges, Scripps’ COVID-19 test policy and protocol appears “ambiguous, and not well communicated,” Maddy Callan SC ’23 said. On Thursday, some students received alarming emails from interim Dean of Students Adriana di Bartolo-Beckman. “I have been informed that you have not been participating in the College’s weekly testing program at the 240 House … This is considered your first warning,” di Bartolo-Beckman wrote. “Continued failure to participate in weekly screening testing will jeopardize

See FASHION on page 5

See TESTING on page 3

JUStIN SLePPY • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

clockwise, from left: Nate Dailey PO ‘23, emily Radner Sc ‘23, clementine, Max buenviaje-boyd PO ‘23, and Graham Hirsch PO ‘24 perform at “Art After Hours.”

INDIA CLAUDY On Thursday, the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College hosted its first 7C-wide “Art After Hours” event of the school year. Part ner i ng w it h a number of student groups, including The Hive, Studio Art @ Pomona, KSPC, EcoReps from Pomona’s Sustainability Office, the Queer Resource Center and PZ Threads, the Benton

aimed to create an evening “all about fashion.” Taking place in the Benton’s courtyard, the event included a range of demos and hands-on fabric arts, such as embroidery, sewing, bleach-dying, patch decorat i ng, beadi ng a nd reconstructing clothing. Multiple student music groups performed throughout the evening, playing original songs while dancing

Outdoor classes SHS under stress, causing experience turbulence student frustration

Students adapt to off campus life AVA FRANCIS-HALL & SAMSON ZHANG As the Claremont Colleges navigate a return to on-campus learning following 18 months online, some students are still learning how to navigate the commute from their off-campus housing accommodations to their classrooms. Due to larger first-year enrollment, students electing to take gap years and the pause on fall study abroad programs, 5C administrations reserved space in apartment complexes around Claremont to cope with overburdened on-campus housing options, making the fall semester markedly different as more than 450 students across the 5Cs are living in off-campus rooms provided by their colleges. TSL sat down with students at each of the 5Cs to learn about off-campus housing situations and which accommodations the campuses are providing.

WALLY BARGERON As the weather cools, students and faculty are settling into this semester’s new outdoor classes. But one environmental factor isn’t going away: a seemingly unending fleet of small planes flying over the 5C campuses. Most of t he a i rc ra f t a re either taking off or landing at Cable Airport, a family-owned, public use airport founded in 1945. Located in Upland, California, its runway ends less than a mile northeast of the 5C campuses. Pitzer College sociolog y professor Erich Steinman, who teaches outdoors, said outdoor classes are beneficial in many ways, including that they are easy to reconfigure. A l s o, “it helps mor e COVID-anxious students feel better,” he said. But interference from planes flying overhead has made out-

Claremont McKenna College At Claremont McKenna College, 92 students are housed this fall in the Alexan Kendry apartments, which are about 1.5 miles from campus in neighboring Montclair, CMC spokesperson Gilien Silsby said via email. According to Marcus Lindsey CM ’23, students were housed in Kendry through CMC’s standard

See HOUSING on page 2

through the space and jamming to well-loved covers. With a solid turnout, each table let students try their hands at a skill. Some students sewed a purple tie-back top, secured rubber bands around a bleached tee and placed fabric into an embroidery hoop. The musicians rounded up participants, too, getting students to dance and sing along.

door classes tricky, especially when students are also muffled by wearing masks. “Plane noise in the morning is a real factor,” Steinman said. “My class starts at 9:35 and we have become aware that between 9:30 and 10:20 there are a lot of planes. We frequently have to pause and wait for a plane to pass. That is not ideal.” The recommended landing a nd takeoff pat ter n of airplanes that use Cable Airport runs close to the 5Cs, although technically not above them. Reg u lat ion s i s sued by t he airport in 2017 prohibit planes from flying directly over the campuses. “I had not thought of making any comment to the Pitzer administration. I didn’t know we had any potential basis for trying to affect the air traffic,” Stei n ma n sa id. “I f we c a n

See PLANES on page 2

cHRIS NARDI • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

the sounds of soaring planes are wreaking havoc on 5c outdoor classrooms.

ABBY PORTER & KUMAIL AHMAD AFSHAR Si nc e st ude nt s h ave r e turned to Claremont, Student Health Services has seen a surge in demand. But as some encounter difficulty in obtaining appointments to use its services, the clinic might be causing more headaches than it cures. Amid a nationwide healthcare staffing shortage, SHS h a s s t r ug g l e d t o k e e p up w it h bot h t he dema nd for COVID-19 related appoi ntments and other routine medical needs. In response, it has been actively hiring new staff while upping its services to handle the colleges’ COVID-19 response. SH S i s op e rat i n g t h r e e test i ng sites i n addit ion to its usual full-time clinic this semester, The Claremont Colleges Services spokesperson Laura Muna-Landa said in an email. It has also hired a contact tracer, testing site clerk, testing site supervisor and COVID-19 services manager in addition to more medical assistants, registered nurses, recept ionists and administrative staff to handle the increased workload it is facing. Mu n a-La nda sa id t h at sa me - day a nd wa l k-i n ap pointments are available for students with health concerns. But if it’s not possible to accommodate a student, they’ll be directed to 7C Health for a telehealth visit.

When Kate Katen SC ’25 not iced a rash spreadi ng u nder her arms, she went to SHS for a walk-in visit. She was told they had no availability to see her for at least two weeks and the worker she talked to gave her the number to set up a telehealth visit. Katen said she was told she could send in pictures of her rash to a doctor and get it examined. “I basically decided that if my only option is to call the doctor, I would rather just call my doctor from home,” she said. Katen said she sent in pictures to her doctor at home, but was advised to get her rash looked at in person. According to Katen, the conversation occurred on a Friday night and, because she could not go back to SHS until it opened on Monday morning, her doctor dec ided to send a prescription for antibiotics to a local pharmacy she could go to over the weekend. “Normally with antibiotics you only take them if you have to,” she said. “But it was to the point where [my doctor] was like ‘you need to take these antibiotics because if you don’t and it’s what we think it could possibly be, it could be really bad and it might not heal.’” Si nce taki ng t he medici ne, Katen said, the rash has begun to heal. “I think my situation was just very lucky because I had a doctor back home who I could talk to,” she said. Sienna Samione SC ’25 went

See HEALTH on page 3

SAMSON ZHANG • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

ARTS & CULTURE

Dorm-ant? No, these uninvited insects are alive and active in your room. To rid these squatters, try the methods these students swear by. Read more on page 5.

The student newspaper of the Claremont Colleges since 1889

OPINIONS

SPORTS

While Harvey Mudd College’s approach of collaboration for school work has its benefits, beware of the often overlooked downsides, argues Serena Mao HM ’25. Read more on page 8.

In addition to being an uprising middle-blocker for PomonaPitzer volleyball, Danika Petit PZ ‘25 has mastered the martial art of American Kenpo in two categories: form and self-defense. Read more on page 9.

INDEX: News 1 | Arts & Culture 4 | Opinions 7 | Sports 9

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OctObeR 1, 2021

PLANES: Airport disavows responsibility for pilots’ paths continued from page 1 affect it that would be great. It would really help.” Some faculty have complained to their administrations or The C la remont Col leges S er v ic es about noise disruption, prompting TCCS to get in contact with Cable Airport representatives. “Several faculty from institutions of The Claremont Colleges have noted that it is challenging to conduct class in an outdoor setting with the noise of the planes flying overhead,” TCCS spokesperson Laura Muna-Landa said in a statement. “At the direction of the Presidents of The Claremont Colleges, The Claremont Colleges Services reached out to Cable Airport … in an effort to remedy the situation. A letter identifying the concern and requesting assistance with this issue was sent to the Cable Airport manager.”

TCCS’ letter also referred to the 2017 prohibition on flying over the Claremont Colleges, followed by “a request to remind pilots of this regulation.” In a response, Cable Airport manager Stephen Dunn reassured the colleges that the airport was taking all “reasonable actions” to reduce noise from the planes flying nearby. “Cable Air port has taken g reat st r ides to i n for m ou r tenants to be good neighbors with the colleges and with the housing that has readily been encroaching on the airport,” Dunn said in the letter. “Cable Airport will continue to do its best to keep its tenants from flying over the colleges.” Dunn also referenced a flyer sent to Cable Airport tenants in April 2021, explaining its depart ure procedures which route planes around the Cla-

remont Colleges and including quarterly reminders “asking our tenants to be aware of where they are flying.” But Dunn said the airport has limited control over planes that fly to or from its runway. “Cable Air port is a n ‘u ncontrolled’ airport, meaning pilots coming and going to/from Cable do not talk with, nor are they controlled by, air traffic control,” he said, adding that “ultimate control of where an aircraft flies is at the discretion of the pilot.” Cable Airport can only effectively communicate with a subset of its clients, the letter added. Many planes flying in and out of the airport aren’t based there. “One of the problems Cable Airport has when we receive noise complaints is the automatic assumption the aircraft

is from here,” Dunn said. “That is not the case … we estimate about 50 percent of our daily traffic is from pilots based elsewhere.” These pilots are typically less likely to adhere to recommended landing and takeoff patterns, according to the letter. In addition, the airport has less authority with those pilots, since it can’t threaten their spot at the airport if they refuse to follow the guidelines. Plus, it’s hard to even discern which planes are flying over campus and which ones are following the correct procedures. Ultimately, “our departure [route] is on ly a recommendation,” the letter said. “[So] the pilot can ignore it without consequence (other than being a jerk).” Annamarie Wire PO ’22 has also dealt with the frustration

of plane noise during outdoors classes. Wire’s Latin class was disturbed by a low-flying helicopter which circled above Pomona multiple times on Monday. According to a post on the City of Claremont’s Instagram account, the increase in helicopter activity this week is due to Southern California Gas Company conducting aerial methane mapping, which can detect leaks and other potential infrastructure issues. The helicopter flies in a lawnmower pattern at around 500 feet between 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the post said. “The noise from the planes and helicopters lately has been so bad that I’ve struggled to hear my classmates and my professors when we’re outdoors,” Wire said. “It’s just another distraction on top of the others that can make outdoor classes challenging.”

HOUSING: 5C students in off-campus apartments grapple with sense of displacement continued from page 1 room draw process. Kendry housing was available to students of all grades, but it ended up housing mostly juniors, as they drew rooms after seniors and on-campus housing was prioritized for freshmen and sophomores who had not lived on campus yet. Rooms in Kendry range from singles to quadruples. Lindsey lives in a two bedroom triple with a bathroom, kitchen and living room. CMC provides a shuttle to and from campus that runs every 15 minutes from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., then every 30 minutes until 1 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday and until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. An additional shuttle to the nearby Target runs on Sundays. “At first it was really awkward getting used to taking the shuttle,” Lindsey said, explaining that they had to adjust to planning on-campus and at-home days. “I’m getting into more of a groove [now] ... it’s getting better.” A handful of friends living on campus helps them stay engaged with the school community. “I wouldn’t say that I feel like I’m missing out on campus life. But I would say that I am lucky,” they said. Pomona College About 100 Pomona College students are housed in Keck Graduate Institute’s Oasis Commons apartment complex for the fall semester, following a tumultuous housing process that left some students unsure of where they would be living for most of the summer. Now a month in, some students are experiencing ongoing difficulties with transportation and engaging with campus life, while others have been able to adjust and enjoy the benefits of off-campus housing. Oasis was “an early part of the plan” for student housing, Dean of Campus Life Josh Eisenberg said in an email. According to Eisenberg, students of all grade levels are housed in Oasis, but the vast majority of them are juniors and seniors, a decision intended to prioritize on-campus housing for first-years and sophomores who have never been on campus before. “As of now we continue to plan to house Oasis students in traditional Pomona residential spaces for the Spring 2022 semester,” Eisenberg said. Some space is expected to become available as second-semester seniors graduate and study abroad programs restart. While some students elected to live in Oasis during room draw, enticed by the quality of rooms and amenities, others ended up there because of late room draw times. And some students did not find out until mid-July that they had been transferred from the on-campus rooms they had drawn. Many students initially had negative reactions to being placed in Oasis. Anna Leven PO ’23 was nervous that Oasis’ distance from campus would make it harder to maintain relationships with other students. “I was kind of annoyed … and also a bit nervous about what that would mean for this semester for me,” she said. Students have also found difficulty scheduling their travel to and from campus. Pomona provides a shut tle between Oasis and campus that runs every 15 minutes until 11 p..m.. on weekdays and 9 p..m.. on weekends. According to Leven, the physical distance changes the community feel she was used to from living on campus previously. “We’re not really part of the campus community anymore … it definitely makes it more difficult when you have to take 20 minutes to go home after a night out,” she said. “It sometimes cuts social in-

eMMA JeNSeN • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

Oasis KGI commons is one off-campus apartment complex housing more than 450 5c students this semester.

teractions that may have gone on for longer or may have developed in a different way.” For Graham Hirsch PO ’24, who took a gap year after the pandemic sent him home, the distance has had the opposite effect. “If anything, it’s forced me to be more part of [the school community], because I have to be on campus until 11 p.m., in someone’s room or practicing music or something and then I walk home. My freshman year, I’d be in my dorm room starting at after dinner,” he said. While Hirsch said he finds the shuttle convenient and doesn’t mind walking when he needs to, he acknowledges that his experience isn’t shared by all students. Until Sept. 10, the shuttle only ran until 10 p.m. on weeknights and 6 p.m. on weekends. Kathy Shepherd PO ’24 also said she felt frustrated with the limited shuttle times, noting safety concerns about walking alone late at night if she misses the last shuttle. “Especially after the mugging that happened two weeks ago, I don’t even feel comfortable walking alone at night anymore,” she said, citing the robbery assault that occurred on Dartmouth Avenue Sept. 4. While the shuttle’s hours were eventually extended, Shepherd said the administration seemed to be “dealing with one fire at a time” when it came to addressing Oasis residents’ concerns. Ben Jones PO ’23 expressed uncertainty that enough rooms will free up for him to return to on-campus housing in the spring. “There’s a snowball’s chance in hell we’ll be moved back to campus in the spring; with COVID, with the general attitudes of people who I know were eager to go study abroad, saying that they will probably be delaying it until after the pandemic is over,” Jones said. The last-minute switch was frustrating, Jones added, especially as an international student. “When this is about where I will be living, in a town where I know no one, in a country that is … not my home and a campus that I have not been engaged with for a year … that’s not something that you can just tell me weeks before I arrive,” he said. “It was a really massive source of anxiety and I think that it’s important that people recognize that that

was a bad thing.” Eisenberg said the administration is taking steps to respond to the various concerns. “We created an Oasis email address and just hired an Oasis Student Liaison who begins next week,” he said. Considering the current pandemic-related circumstances, many students are acknowledging the difficulty that Pomona’s administration faced in making housing arrangements. “I don’t know if I can blame the administration for anything. I don’t think they had any other options,” Leven said. Pitzer College The Claremont Collegiate Apartments are home to 150 Pitzer st udents this semester, Director of Residence Life Kirsten Carrier said in an email. The complex, northeast of the 5Cs across Foothill Boulevard, began its master lease with Pitzer in fall 2019. With a sizable first-year and sophomore class, Pitzer leased 50 additional bed spaces this year at CCA to accommodate increased student housing needs. A majority of CCA student residents are juniors and seniors, with first-years and sophomores prioritized for on-campus housing. But this semester saw a significant increase of sophomores living off campus — 18 percent of sophomores are living at CCA. Although most sophomores had no prior experience living on campus, first-years were given ultimate priority in on-campus housing. Pitzer students living at CCA have found transportation to be a source of concern. Students without cars or other means of transportation have to commit to the mile-long walk to and from campus. Pitzer provides a shuttle that operates on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays between the hours of 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. Nethmin Liyanage PZ ’24 brought up safety concerns with the transportation options, citing instances of catcalling on her walks to class. She said she feels like she must choose between her safety and social life on a daily basis. “I feel like students have to ma ke c hoices t hat t hey shouldn’t have to make given that they were forced into this

housing arrangement by the school,” she said. Ot her st udents expressed frustration at cultivating a social life while living at CCA. Jadon Piha PZ ’24 felt his mental health worsen due to what he described as the disconnected nature of living off campus. He was involuntarily placed at CCA and added that the apartment complex was h is last c hoice during the housing process. A f ter r e q ue st i ng a ro om change, Piha was able to move to Atherton Hall, an on-campus residential hall, during the first week of September. “I was at the point where in a month, if I was gonna be housed there, I was gonna defer for a year,” he said. Carrier said that engagement with student feedback has been key to the decision-making process regarding transportation, which they hope to continue to improve. Pitzer has reached out to the other 5Cs in hopes of formulating “a united approach to shuttle transportation services for our students,” she said, and it’s working to share costs and extend shuttle services using student feedback on existing shuttle operations. Harvey Mudd College Off-campus housing for Harvey Mudd is located in the Arrow Vista complex, east of the College Park Apartments. Mudd spokesperson Judy Augsburger said via email that the suites were a popular option for students, being taken quickly during room draw. First-years and sophomores were prioritized for on-campus housing, with primarily juniors and seniors housed at Arrow Vista. Twenty-one Mudd students live at Arrow Vista, with 10 in personally-arranged off-campus housing. Yuki Wang HM ’22 chose to live in an Arrow Vista apartment rather than an on-campus suite. Wang shares a townhouse-style unit with a friend and a randomly-assigned roommate. The amenities have exceeded her expectations, Wang said. “I wa s ho n e s t ly k i nd of shocked when I moved in on the first day because the kitchen looks super new, even the fridge looks newer than the Mudd suite fridges,” she said. Living off campus has also

meant Wang has to spend more time working on campus rather than in her dorm, but this hasn’t bothered her. “Finding [spaces to work] has not been a problem for me, and I don’t mind voices, so I wouldn’t say it has been a lot of trouble,” she said. In past years, Harvey Mudd’s administration has made it more difficult to access off-campus housing, Madelyn Andersen HM ’22 said. However, with more students on campus following the last two remote semesters, Mudd decided to allow students to make off-campus arrangements of their own, as Andersen has for her senior year. Scripps College Scripps College students were also placed at Claremont Collegiate Apartments this year. With the decision to limit housing to singles and doubles, Scripps faced an increasing need for off-campus housing. The college reserved a building at CCA which can house up to 120 students. Scripps did not respond to multiple requests for the exact number of students placed in off-campus housing. Elsie Dank SC ’23 was concerned by the lack of on-campus housing available for juniors and seniors this fall. Hopeful to secure a suite on campus with six other friends, Dank was disappointed to find all rooms taken when her room draw time came. “I felt really frustrated that as an upperclassman I was getting forced to live off campus...” he said. She noted that building more on-campus housing could address the issue. Scripps is no stranger to housing constraints, having moved students off campus in recent years. “I feel like we’re not getting the same social atmosphere. And I think we all are outsourcing our social dynamics to the campuses. And so we have to go away from home in order to be in a social sphere, which is a little bit disappointing,” said Dank. Scripps provides a shuttle that runs seven days a week. Some st udent s, l i ke Jen na Wu-Cardona SC ’23, appreciate the independent nature of living off campus. “After having taken a year off, I feel like being in such a bubble all the time would be a little bad,” Wu-Cardona said. “But it’s definitely not the same as living on campus.”

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HEALTH: Waits and telehealth options leave patients with mixed experiences continued from page 1 to SHS after developing a persistent cough. Like Katen, she was told she could not make an appointment in person and was directed to 7C Health. During her telehealth visit, which she said lasted two and a half minutes, she was asked for her symptoms and allergies, whether or not she had been tested for COVID-19, and then was immediately prescribed medicine for her cough to pick up at a local pharmacy. “I was surprised by the lack of questioning they did. Because I figured that if this was a real doctor who was going to prescribe the medication that they would want to know a little bit more about my symptoms,” she said. Edward Dong PO ’25 had a more positive experience when SHS and the Pomona College administration helped him quarantine as an international student upon his arrival to campus in August. “I appreciated the efforts that SHS made to make my transition smooth and straightforward,” he said via message. “Although I faced some lack of messaging and confusion regarding the logistics of quarantine, I was able to make it through with relative ease.” But Dong said he believes SHS could do more to better support students. “Commu n icat ion wit h st u-

OLIVIA SHRAGeR • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

SHS is facing high demand for cOVID-19 related appointments and other routine medical needs.

dents could be improved. I feel like they should directly talk to the students rather than relying on the admin,” he said. Pomona Dean of St udents Avis Hinkson said in an email to students Wednesday that the deadline for receiving a mandatory flu shot was extended to Oct. 29 “in ack nowledge-

ment of t he diff ic ult y some students are facing in getting a flu shot,” from the previous Sept. 30 deadli ne. Alt hough SHS gave out more than 3,000 shots during its clinics earlier i n S ept e mb er, acc ord i ng to Muna-La nda, some st udents have since found SHS’ flu shot offerings difficult to access.

“I was trying to get my flu shot on time, so I was intending to go to SHS, but my friends said that they had to wait for over an hour,” Jordan Hoogsteden PO ’23 said. “I ended up needing to find a ride to get my shot off-campus so I wouldn’t miss class.” H i n k s o n adde d t h at t h e

college is working on securing additional flu shot resources and will update students as soon as possible. “If you have an appointment sc heduled wit h SHS for your flu shot, please do not miss that appointment as we don’t want to waste any opportunities to get a flu shot,” she said.

TESTING: Students battle glitches and clarifications

ANNA cHOI • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

testing vials are laid out for students at Student Health Services. Scripps told students thursday that SHS testing won’t count toward their weekly requirement.

continued from page 1 your ability to register for spring semester classes or remain on campus.” Among other clarifications, di Bartolo-Beckman told students that getting tested at Student Health Services — which provides same-day results and allows 5C students to walk in without reservations — “is not a substitute for participation in the College’s screening testing program.” This was news to Gabi Seifert SC ‘23, who has been testing at SHS locations. “I definitely thought my weekly SHS testing counted,” she said. “I thought because it was the Claremont Colleges it would be fine. I was com-

pletely blindsided by this email.” Interim President Amy Marcus-Newhall informed community members on the first day of classes, Aug. 30, that the college would require all students, faculty and staff to be tested at least weekly. A week later, di Bartolo-Beckman added to the announcement.. “ALL vaccinated students, faculty, and staff will be tested once a week beginning this week. Unvaccinated students, faculty, and staff will be tested twice a week,” she wrote in an all-school email Sept. 7. “To comply with this requirement, all students, faculty, and staff must download the Healthfully app.”

While it is possible to schedule visits through the app, Scripps hasn’t addressed a lack of clarity among community members about its use, Caitlyn Ossa SC ’24 said. “I know a lot of people who don’t know how to use Healthfully, students and staff included,” Ossa said. Many Scripps students have opted to test at SHS because, according to Ossa, the Healthfully app doesn’t regularly show all of the testing appointments available. This past week, Ossa was unable to schedule a test through Healthfully as no appointments were shown as available through the app. She walked to the Scripps testing

center to ask for help. “I went in and they tried to figure out a way to just get me scheduled,” Ossa said. “And they said this has happened to a lot of people, in terms of Healthfully not allowing them to schedule appointments even though, and I quote the nurse here, ‘there are appointments available.’” Before Thursday’s email, Scripps hadn’t given details on consequences for failing to comply with the COVID-19 testing policy. The message assigned students specific testing times in Thursday’s email, though some had already scheduled tests for the same day they were assigned, or even before. When asked for comment on Scripps’ testing protocol, Scripps spokesperson Rachael Warecki SC ’08 directed TSL to the Scripps Strong website. The site provides the same information as the Sept. 7 email in addition to information about Healthfully, the app through which students must also provide weekly self-assessments of symptoms. The website says “users will be able to schedule their tests according to their work or class schedule.” But without reminders and scarce clarification, it’s unclear if Scripps students knew that this was expected of them. Callan said that while she does know where to go and when, it’s only because she’s talked to other students with more knowledge and information. “So, even though I now know that weekly testing has started as of this week, I don’t know if other students know that, especially students who are maybe not as well connected,” Callan said. Ossa and Callan said they’ve heard of information being spread on individual Instagram stories and dorm meetings — but without consistent ways to keep all students in the loop. Callan said she’s worried by the current state of testing. She feels that other underclassmen must be confused if she is and that a lower rate of testing may mean there are COVID-19 cases on campus that simply aren’t being detected. “Even if you can get an ap-

pointment at 240, I’ve experienced serious delays getting my results back, sometimes longer than 48 hours. During that time I could go to class, eat in a dining hall, and do all kinds of things that would endanger my community,” Mary Iris Allison SC ’23 said. “According to what I’ve heard, the SHS results that come in that day, which seemed like a great backup for folks that couldn’t make an appointment with Scripps, don’t count for your weekly test requirement.” Thursday’s email rattled students who had already been tested through Scripps, like Allison and Grace Lyde SC ‘23. “I’m being threatened for failings on the part of the institution meant to protect me,” Lyde said in a message. “This is the only place a lot of us have and they’re ignoring that too, telling us our housing is jeopardized as though we’re purposefully disobeying rules that we haven’t been given the means to follow.” Other 5C students gave their colleges’ systems better reviews. Daenerys Pineda CM ’22 said she finds Claremont McKenna College’s protocol straightforward and accessible. CMC has been sending out schoolwide emails reminding students that COVID-19 testing is required, Pineda said, and that not completing tests counts as a conduct violation. “If they are able to assign you a conduct violation, I would assume they have the infrastructure to track you down, but I’m not 100% sure,” Pineda said. Similarly, Pitzer students know what they have to do — “each year has an assigned day,” Shelby Kwawu PZ ’23 said. “[Any time that day] you go down to Student Health Services, you spit in a tube … and then you run back to campus to finish your classes.” If you miss your day, Kwawu said, you just get tested on Friday instead. Like CMC and Pitzer, “Pomona makes it very clear that you are supposed to get tested at least once a week,” said Randy Pierre PO ’25. Harvey Mudd College has also made testing protocols clear and organized for Mudd students, Viviane Solomon HM ’24 said, adding she feels comfortable with her access to testing.

Oldenborg resumes conversation programming in person Corrections

JENNA MCMURTRY The Oldenborg Center for Modern Languages and International Relations’ lunch tables at Pomona College are back in person, but at least for now, sans the lunch. Oldenborg is a residence hall on Pomona’s south campus that houses students in sections according to the language they study. In the past, Oldenborg’s dining hall offered language lunch tables where any 5C students could eat as long as they conversed in one of the 14 languages offered. In a Sept. 27 email to Pomona students, Oldenborg Staff Director Carolina De la Rosa Bustamante announced that the center’s tables, which had been held virtually for the last two semesters and the beginning of September, would resume in person. Due to COVID-19 precautions and a pause on cross-campus dining, Oldenborg is reopening for all 5C language students, as well as any faculty and staff who wish to attend, but with no eating allowed. According to the email, some beverages will be allowed. As a result of the restrictions,

In an article about the 5C student government presidents, Nirali Devgan PO ’22 is incorrectly quoted referring to “viruses” rather than “biases”. The correct quote reads, “A lot of inequities and biases and prejudice have come out.” In an article about Oldenborg reconstruction, Griffin Campion PO ’24 is incorrectly referred to as a resident of the Japanese section. Campion studies Japanese but does not live in Oldenborg.

ANNA cHOI • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

As Pomona college’s Oldenborg center for Modern Languages and International Relations returns to in person programming, language tables won’t be over lunch as they have been in past years.

most of the language tables will not be held at lunchtime this year. To reduce density at the meetings, conversations will take place on a

scattered schedule throughout the day, six days a week, as laid out in the Sakai schedule. As in the past, beginning

speakers in Chinese, Japanese, German, Russian, Spanish and French can also find specific sessions on the schedule.

A photograph about crosscampus dining was taken by Corina Silverstein, not Cecilia Ransburg. Also, a photograph of a ballot box was taken by Ethan Diaz, not Talia Bernstein. TSL regrets these errors.

Arts & Culture

PAGE 4

Scripps student shines a light on young artists with Sunbow zine KATIE HANSON As everything shut down in the spring of 2020, Ella Bailey SC ’25 unleashed her creativity with her close friend Rachel Sontheimer to create Sunbow Zine. By June, Sunbow had a website and Instagram account featuring young artists’ work from all over the world. Different from a magazine, a zine is a small-scale, self-published booklet. Just a few months later, Sunbow released its first print issue containing 62 pages full of original art. The non-profit zine, which Bailey distributed internationally, offered a haven for young artists to have their work promoted and understood. “We hadn’t really seen a publication that was specifically for queer people and women and non-binary people, and all of that,” Bailey said. “Just fostering a space that was specifically for that group of people has been very empowering, I think, for ourselves and for the artists that are featured as well.” Bailey, who has a background in portraiture photography and journalistic writing, started the zine from a desire to lean into her creative side during her gap year. She had been a part of a few literary zines before, but as founder and editor-in-chief of Sunbow she wanted to do something less rigid and more organic. With its boundless structure, covering topics like climate change, mental health and poetry, Sunbow intentionally creates a space dedicated to young women and queer artists looking to express themselves freely. When she searched Instagram for potential contributors, Bailey focused on inclusivity, reaching out to artists and writers internationally. While online, she connected with Katie Remaklus SC ’24. Remaklus had just learned that Scripps would be online and was feeling disappointed. She fell back on painting, a medium that helped her cope throughout the pandemic. When she heard about Sunbow, she thought it was the perfect opportunity to feel connected during a virtual school year and share her “female-focused” art. “I just needed an outlet and something to keep me busy at first,” Remaklus said. “It turned into being a very nice community to always go to. It kept me motivated and kept me inspired to keep doing artwork.” Bailey found that establishing Sunbow created a community outside the walls of quarantine that eventually spanned internationally. Now, Sunbow has a collection of regular contributors internationally – like graphic artist Phoebe Unwin and fashion writer Rana Rastegari, both of whom are from the United Kingdom. Unwin had just entered her first year at Loughborough University in England and was looking for a zine to share her work. Similarly to Remaklus, she found Sunbow on Instagram. After she reached out to Bailey, Unwin became a regular contributor, creating promotional art on Instagram, submitting illustrations and even designing the cover of their second issue. “As much as it was online, it

really felt like a collaborative effort,” Unwin said. “Ella was really kind enough to send me a copy of the issue in the mail. Just holding it in my hand after we had worked on it for a good few months — it was really cool to see.” While an international zine may sound elegant, it was a lot of work behind the scenes. Together, Bailey and her team leafed through hundreds of submissions they received via Instagram and their website. After choosing a select few, they divided them up for content for their Instagram, website and print issue. Next came the editing and layout, a time-consuming process where Bailey collaborated with other team members to design and organize the pages. Finally, after getting copies of the zine printed at a private publisher, the zines arrived at Bailey’s doorstep, where she then mailed each individual copy to subscribers. Teamwork is essential to producing the final product Bailey ships out. Not only does distributing the immense amount of work make the process more efficient, it also includes more perspectives. “It’s just interesting to see all of the different ways that our team members take the messages of Sunbow,” Bailey said. “It’s so cool to work with them to create the final products that are then published.” Sunbow has grown considerably since they printed their first issue. They currently have a small team of around 10 members AND nearly 5,000 followers on their Instagram. Also, a few of their TikToks have gone viral, with one reaching upwards of 245,000 views. Bailey dedicates much of their growth to social media. With a

continuous cycle of new art and content, Bailey, who manages the account, looks to both maintain and expand their base. She wants to attract young artists, and she knows social media is the space to find them. “Rachel and I were like, ‘this is really where we need to focus our efforts,’” Bailey said. “Early on, Rachel and I would spend hours just sitting on Instagram, interacting with accounts, finding artists and then slowly it built up. People have just come together very organically.” While she couldn’t have expected this growth, she said she’s looking forward to seeing where it goes. For Bailey, that process starts at the 5Cs. Currently, she’s working on a webzine that highlights a few submissions Sunbow received over the summer. Differently from previous website posts that were individual pieces of art or poems, this webzine will be in the same layout of a print edition, combining several mediums into one. Bailey also hopes to include more team members and contributors from the 5Cs, possibly eventually planning an event that highlights artists and musicians. In the meantime, Bailey’s focused on letting the zine expand freely in order to mirror the freeform communities it’s dedicated to. “My hope is that it will just continue to grow,” Bailey said. “It’s really been so overwhelming in a positive way to see the reach that it has gained in the past year. It’s just also been really fun to constantly find new ways to transform Sunbow and just let it evolve in ways that are organic.” Sunbow will be meeting at Scripps College starting in early October.

cOUrtESY: cHArLIE SALKEVEr

Ella bailey Sc ‘25 founded Sunbow Zine, an internationally distributed publication of art and literature.

OctObEr 1, 2021

FrONt OF HOUSE

In the digital age, all the world’s a stage

cOUrtESY: WIKIMEDIA cOMMONS

As the term celebrity covers a wider range of people, including those who post content about their daily lives, caelan reeves cM ‘24 warns that this may be a dangerous transformation.

CAELAN REEVES The history of a society’s celebrities is a history of its values, its sense of self. The coyness of golden age Hollywood starlets and the endearing floppy-haired heartthrobs of the ’90s are reference points for views on success and beauty at the time. Now, in the digital age, the idea of celebrity has grown too complicated to narrow down, with the cultural mainstream being replaced with ever-diverging subcultures with separate media streams. Our attitudes toward ideas of popularity and fame are seemingly stratified, but across media watersheds, a unifying trend emerges. People want relatability. In its early stages, this manifested in the chill-girl “I’d rather be eating pizza” attitude projected by celebrities popular in the early 2010s (think Jennifer Lawrence). But even in the context of film stars, a mental barrier exists between the viewer and the object of their reverence. At least to some degree, we know that we do not know these people personally. That boundary is a crucial one. That delineation between those modes of presentation — a public figure speaking in a controlled environment versus a casual comment by someone without a platform — prevents the spread of misinformation and an invasion of the public figure’s privacy. And as celebrity evolves, that boundary is steadily blurring. To chart the evolution of video-sharing platforms is to chart the erasure of that boundary. With the invention of YouTube, sharing content with a large audience became accessible to anyone that could figure out how to work video equipment semi-competently. People became famous overnight entirely by accident in front of cameras they set up in their own homes. Then came Vine, which streamlined the process even further, bringing people even closer to the content creators they watched. The shutdown of Vine and its estranged cousin Musical.ly muddled the trajectory a bit, but from that confusion emerged TikTok, by far the most egregious evolution of this phenomenon. We are no longer interacting with content creators with the buffer

of a camera crew and a public relations team, but instead see moments from people’s lives from their perspective in real time. The boundary created by the pretense of content creation is obliterated entirely. People no longer market a product, but themselves. This shift has yielded confusing new types of celebrity that have little precedent: strange combinations of an artist, a moral arbiter and a best friend. Influencer, model, content creator — we have a lot of different words to describe it, but this new manifestation of celebrity is defined by the market value of someone’s personality or brand. Distilled, the career of an influencer is shaping your identity into something worthy of being an advertisement. Even more worrying is that this model of assigning value is so accessible from such a young age. Within any given high school, there is likely at least a handful of young adults that have managed to gain a decent level of audience online. Content from someone even mildly popular online is easily taken as truth, and the implications of placing that power in the still-forming brains of teenagers are troubling. The speed at which this evolution occurred has created an environment in which we don’t have much context for how to engage with public figures. We don’t even really know what exactly a public figure is. What follower count must someone accrue before we shift our attitudes in how we interact with them? When should they shift their attitudes toward themselves? Do literal children that get famous by accident have a moral obligation to speak out on complex social issues? With influencers like Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae gaining formal representation, and the presence of names like Emma Chamberlain at the Met Gala, it seems that this newer, unrefined image of celebrity is starting to find its place alongside more traditional forms of fame. Conduct for interacting with influencers and public figures is becoming a prominent talking point. The fact remains, though, that an entirely new model of fame is coming into being right before us, and it seems as though we are all just trying to catch up. Caelan Reeves CM ’24 is one of TSL’s pop culture columnists. They are a literature and history double major from Chicago, Illinois, and love everything to do with music, movies and books.

MOMENtS tO SAVOr

Finding respite in your breakfast EMILY KIM It’s been a running joke ever since I came to Pomona — “Emily, you eat the same yogurt bowl every morning,” my friends say. And it’s true. Plain Greek yogurt, delightfully sweetened with a profuse amount of berries and granola, is, in my mind, a perfect meal. It’s a satisfying breakfast packed with protein and fiber: Health-wise, it’s got it all. More importantly, however, this humble yogurt bowl is a poignant reminder for me to rest in the busyness of college life. I’m someone who thrives off of productivity — I tend to try to fill up my entire day. If I’m not in class, I should be doing homework; if I’m not doing homework, I should be studying; if I’m not doing academic work of any kind, I should be involved in some activity. For so long, I’ve viewed each day as a challenge to see just how much I can get done. Going to bed exhausted is a sign of a good day for me. In contrast, if there’s a chunk of time when I’m not actively doing something, that’s a sign of missed potential. This mindset is not healthy, I know. It also probably doesn’t help that I’m a naturally early riser whose internal alarm clock wakes me up around 6 a.m. every day. My productivity-hungry mind sees these early morning hours as an opportunity to get more work done, or, if I already finished everything on my to-do list, to make another one. You’re awake, so why not? I often think to myself. As a result, before starting college, I knew that I would have to be

extra mindful not to succumb to these workaholic tendencies and to intentionally make time to rest. Little did I know that I would find this precious time in the early mornings at Frank and Frary, two of Pomona’s dining halls. On the first day of the semester, having already gotten up bright and early, I decided to get breakfast to kickstart my day. I walked to Frank as soon as it opened and made myself a simple yogurt bowl, methodically layering fruits and granola on top. Moving from station to station was oddly therapeutic: first the

blueberries, then the raspberries, then, to my surprise, they even had pineapple too. Add the granola and then walk away. On second thought, go back and add some more. After carefully crafting the yogurt bowl to my satisfaction, I sat down at an empty table and started eating. With my first class of the day starting at 8:50 a.m., I was in no rush. The dining hall was quiet. The faint rustling of the few other early risers and the whirring of the coffee machines acted as peaceful background noises as I took my time eating slowly, bite by bite.

All possible distractions — mainly, my laptop and cell phone — stayed rightfully hidden away. As a result, breakfast almost felt like a sacred experience: I pressed “pause” on my ever-eager brain and just focused on the food in front of me, honoring this time between my yogurt bowl and myself. Eventually it was time to leave for class, and the rest of my day was as busy as expected. When I came back to my dorm, my brain was brimming with course overviews, important deadlines and information from the first lectures. I could feel the wheels

JADYN LEE • tHE StUDENt LIFE

turning in my mind — organize this, take note of that, make sure to get this done by this day. But in addition to all of the glaring to-dos on my mental checklist, another humbly made its entrance — get another yogurt bowl tomorrow? I did get another yogurt bowl the next day, and now, after a month of school, I’ve gotten a yogurt bowl nearly every day. This simple breakfast has become my way to start my day off right. It is something that I consistently look forward to; something that brings solace and gives me space to breathe before other responsibilities begin to cloud my mind. Sometimes I eat alone and enjoy this time to myself; other times I eat with other early-riser friends and we enjoy the calm of the dining hall together. As an avid checklist user, I’m learning to add rest as another bullet point. I still have work to do to lessen my workaholic-ness (no pun intended), but setting aside intentional time for breakfast is surely a step in the right direction. So if you, too, want to incorporate more rest into your daily routine — although it may seem counterintuitive — try waking up early one morning. Go to breakfast. Make yourself a yogurt bowl (more granola is better than not enough, trust me) and truly take your time to enjoy the whole process of creating and eating. You might surprise yourself; your body will feel nourished and your mind remarkably refreshed. Emily Kim PO ’25 is from Irvine, California. She loves baggy sweaters, YouTube karaoke and banana bread.

ANts & Culture PAGE 5 Ant anxiety? Pomona students share tried-and-true insect combat strategies

OctObEr 1, 2021

KATE JONES Whether one lives in the air-conditioned halls of Mudd-Blaisdell, the twisting maze of Oldenborg or one of the picturesque North Campus Clarks, one factor unites the Pomona student residence hall experience: the looming threat of an ant attack. Ant infestations are notoriously pervasive, and on Pomona’s campus, residence hall ants are practically a listed amenity. While one tiny insect may seem insignificant, the bugs can accumulate quickly, and their size makes them difficult to eliminate. Andres Torres PO ’24 started seeing ants in his suite in a Mudd-Blaisdell Hall tower on day one. “You could see the ants getting into the closet. If you left open your toiletry bag they would probably crawl on top of your stuff,” Torres said. In his suite, the problem progressed to the point where he could even feel them crawling on him as he slept. Across the road at the Oldenborg Center, Alice Qin PO ’24 noticed a trail of ants marching their way into their dorm room around the second week of classes. “It didn’t look like it was more than, say, 50 [ants], but it was still a lot,” Qin said. “Immediately, I was like, ‘OK, I have to find a way to get rid of them.’” Ant infestations seem overwhelming, but they are, in fact, treatable — even by college students with little knowledge of insect extermination. Qin took action right away, taking out the trash and grabbing ant spray from the Oldenborg trash room. “I sprayed them across the trails that they came in from, and then used Lysol wipes to wipe up the area afterwards,” Qin said. Ants communicate and form trails by using chemical signals, and destroying these trails is key to getting rid of the insects altogether. After this, Qin purchased ant traps and placed them around the room to ward off future invaders. “I put one near the door because sometimes other people’s ants crawl across the floor then enter your room … I had to spray around my window, also, to avoid any points of entry,” Qin said. Torres followed a similar meth-

SELENA LOPEZ • tHE StUDENt LIFE

od, placing ant traps purchased from Amazon in the hallway and by the trash. Eventually, he and his suitemates noticed a decrease in the population of their uninvited guests. “I’m definitely not feeling ants crawling on top of me anymore,” Torres said. Willa Frank PO ’25, for her part, swears by Terro liquid ant bait. Aware that ants might be a problem in her room on the first floor of Mudd-Blaisdell, Frank purchased it before moving into campus, setting up the traps as soon as she saw ants on the second day of orientation. Using Terro takes faith, as the traps first use sugar to attract their victims and slowly poison the ants with Borax, allowing them to guide others towards the traps for more complete extermination. At first, Frank said, the effect is a little jarring. “[The ants] were swarming

to the Terro ant bait, which was really horrifying. But I trusted in the process,” Frank said. True to her word, the ants have stopped invading her dorm. Frank’s faith in Terro only increased after she used other methods to attempt to exterminate the ants in her hall’s shower. “I saw [the ants] swarming in the bathroom, and I got Raid-happy and sprayed,” Frank said, referring to the insecticide. “One week later [the ants] were back. So, Raid is toxic; it’s bad for you; it’s bad for the planet; it’s bad for everything … and it doesn’t work.” While Qin, Torres and Frank have all become experts in the nuances of ant traps and bait, Sierra Tai-Brownlee PO ’24 took a completely different route when it came to her room in the Mudd-Blaisdell basement. After seeing the first ants, she sent an email right to the Pomona Office of Housing and Residence Life.

“They emailed back pretty quickly, saying they would send someone over to exterminate the ants … they [came] and spray[ed] my room. After that there haven’t been ants,” Tai-Brownlee said. Now seasoned veterans of ad hoc ant combat, the four students have advice for those in their positions. “Don’t eat food in your room,” Torres said. Tai-Brownlee and Qin agreed. “Keep anything with scent sealed,” Qin said. “So, if you have like an unfinished apple or whatever, be really careful as to either finish it quickly or throw it out. And when you’re throwing it out, don’t throw it in the trash inside your room.” While Frank acknowledged the need for cleanliness, she also urged her peers to be gentle with themselves. “Likely, the source is not you,” Frank said. “I’ve heard

people say, ‘Oh, having ants is a you problem,’ and ‘All you have to do is be clean,’ but I actually completely disagree with that. There were ants in my room when I got here.” Dorm life with the possibility of ant invasion isn’t entirely comfortable, and making sure that the ants don’t return requires vigilance and attention to detail. “It is kind of inconvenient to not be able to eat in your bed,” Qin said. However, living through a pest problem at Pomona means you’re never alone — there is an abundance of advice and support from peers who have struggled with the same thing. And, as Qin suggested, it could always be worse. “When you see ants, just respond quickly,” Qin said. “No need to panic — they’re not cockroaches.” Willa Frank PO ’25 is an opinions writer for TSL.

Pomona first-year draws on psychology in assistant directing fall play DHANI SRINIVASAN Five minutes into meeting Vidusshi Hingad PO ’25, it becomes clear why the first-year was offered an assistant directing role in one of Pomona College’s Department of Theatre productions. Hingad’s experience ranges from a paid job directing children in a production of “The Wizard of Oz” to playing Fantine in “Les Misérables” at the National Center for the Performing Arts, a prestigious cultural institute in India. Back in her hometown, Mumbai, she called her school’s performing arts center a second home. A delayed club rush has contributed to a slow start to the school year for many first-years looking to pursue their passions at the 5Cs. The COVID-19 pandemic has also

left many opportunities in a state of flux — especially in the arts. But this did not stop Hingad from bursting onto the Pomona theater scene by auditioning for a role in “Circle Mirror Transformation” written by Annie Baker. “I was just glad to be back,” Hingad said, reflecting on auditioning after a year and a half away from theater. “I had one thought to myself: ‘I do not care if I get [a] role… I just am glad to be back in this space.’” Alongside productions for which students write and produce their own work — such as Green Room Productions and Spotlight Theatre — faculty from Pomona’s Department of Theatre direct plays each semester. Hingad was primarily drawn to “Circle Mirror Transformation” not because

ANNA cHOI • tHE StUDENt LIFE

Vidusshi Hingad PO ’25 is an assistant director for a Pomona Department of theatre production and is enjoying its welcoming atmosphere.

of the content but because of the professor directing it, Jessie Mills. Hingad had heard of Mills before she even got to Pomona, even writing about the professor in her college application. At New Student Orientation, older students insisted Mills’ class was the one to take. “I honestly did not even know about this play at all; I read it for the first time during the [callback],” Hingad said. “But I knew that Jessie was directing it, and ... she’s taking [a] sabbatical next semester.” When Hingad went to her audition, she never envisioned that she would be offered a position to assistant direct a few days later. But after Hingad’s callback, Mills asked her what her interests were, and Hingad told her of her interest in directing. “I told her I like acting, but I love directing,” Hingad said. “And I never knew it was possible.” After sending her resume to Mills a few days later, Hingad was asked to be one of the assistant directors for “Circle Mirror Transformation.” “I was over the world,” Hingad said. “I was so happy that I called back [to] Mumbai, and I think it was 3 a.m. out there … my parents got out of bed. [They] were scared that I was not fitting in, but the moment they heard, they knew it would give me purpose on campus.” Initially nervous about assistant directing a play of mostly upperclassmen, Hingad said that no one has made her feel inferior. On the first day, she experienced impostor syndrome, which was resolved quickly. “[Theater is] about collaboration and community … and I feel like I thought that it was more in

my head,” Hingad said. “But the moment I walked in this space, I was just valued and just welcomed with open arms.” With Hingad, Mills said she simply checks in on the first-year. She is mainly concerned with ensuring that everyone in the room is being valued and synthesizing their thoughts and ideas. “Year level is helping to carve our experience in any given moment,” Mills said. “For me, it’s so much about ... what you as a human bring … [We carry] so much amazing expertise, experience, gifts, values into this space.” De-centering inexperience — at least in regard to a college theater scene — and centering strengths has helped Hingad focus more on what she can bring to the table as an assistant director. “[Mills] is using our personal strengths as mechanisms to improve the player,” Hingad said. “For example, I’m a psych student as well, and I love characterization ... what I have to look at is character arcs. I have to remind the characters that ‘OK, this is where you are right now. This is your relationship with this person, [and] your emotional standing [is this] at this point in the play.’” Mills looks to Hingad to help clarify how characters are moving through their arc throughout the play. “We have this sort of joy to look to Vidusshi for in terms of having her as a resource and having her as an eye towards something really specific in this world,” Mills said. Hingad has also been involved in other aspects of theater, such as writing and acting. She began drama in elementary school but took a break after a few years, not enjoying it to the extent she later would. In seventh grade, drama

was a compulsory subject and Hingad was drawn back in under the direction of a different teacher and material that was much closer to her heart. “I was getting bullied at that time but then after [I performed], I got a huge, huge, huge applause, and that just made me feel so much better about myself,” Hingad said. Hingad then went on to take drama for her General Certificate of Secondary Education elective exams and completed her IB diploma with it as an upper-level subject. Outside of school, one opportunity led to the next. She performed again at the National Center for Performing Arts as a part of a United Nations-directed program called Climate Change Theatre Action. In the spring of her sophomore year, she went to the Czech Republic to take part in a workshop on how theater can celebrate and capture memories as markers of experiences. “I think I understood my identity … through [theater] — it gave me so much confidence.“ Hingad said. “[Theater] gave me self-belief and self-efficacy that I can do something … if I truly put my head to it. “ Hingad is a model for any student who is scared of putting themselves out there in a new setting or who is feeling lost. She encourages students to live their college experiences with the understanding that one and a half years were taken from their ability to engage in passions old and new. “I am still finding my place every single day,” Hingad said as a reminder to fellow first-years. “At the end of the day, I wanted to find a community where I was accepted.” Curtains open for “Circle Mirror Transformation” at the Allen Theatre on Oct. 7, and the production runs through Oct. 10.

FASHION: 7C art groups come together to create continued from page 1 curriculum at the 5Cs,” he said at the event’s welcome. In an effort to address this shortcoming, he emailed Justine Bae Bias, the Communications and Engagement Manager at the Benton, over the summer as the 7Cs prepared to reopen. He proposed creating a sustainable fashion series in partnership with other campus groups. Upon receiving this email, Bae Bias said she “thought, as we come back to campus and things are just so different because of COVID, let’s come together and see what other partnerships can be produced in this because there are a lot of things going on. Students are going to be

pulled in various directions, so why not have an all-encompassing event that’s interdisciplinary.” The pair worked together to bring in various partners –– first the Sustainability Office, then the QRC, PZ Threads and Studio Arts, which is offering a fabric arts class this semester. “It became this whole ecosystem of fashion [and] sustainability,” Bae Bias said. Working on both sides of the collaboration, Sabina Eastman PZ ’23 serves as the Senior Social Media Director of PZ Threads as well as the “Art After Hours” Intern and the Pitzer College Representative at the Benton. She headed the PZ Threads table throughout the

event, informing attendees about the group and their projects while demonstrating a beading project. “We’ve been planning [the series] since early August, so it’s so exciting to see the student turnout and the excitement about the event,” Eastman said. “Garnering more excitement and attention for this series will be so cool to see.” Despite its grand opening having been put on hold due to COVID-19, the Benton welcomed a sizable crowd. “This [opening] has been delayed, so that makes it so much more appreciated by us,” Bae Bias said. From PZ Threads’ focus on sustainable fashion to rework-

ing old t-shirts to bleach-dying clothes from Pomona College’s Free Room, the interconnection of environmentalism and style featured prominently throughout the evening. “Social justice is integral to identity and gender fluidity,” Bae Bias said. “Environmental analysis and sustainability have so much to do with fashion and materials and production and merchandising. When you look at anything, it doesn’t ever exist in a vacuum. So I think this event and this partnership is the manifestation of that.” Continuing this theme of connection, the series also provided a place for the 7Cs’ many arts

groups to come together and learn from each other. “I think just having this space and being able to connect it with all forms of art and have all these artistic and creative minds come together in this shared space is really important for community building and artistic community building here,” Eastman said. The event certainly built excitement for what this series has in store for the remainder of the school year: workshops, guest speakers and a culminating fashion show in Feb. 2022. Most of all, this Art After Hours event celebrated collaboration, artistic expression and meaningful connection among people and their creations.

PAGE 6

Arts & Culture

OctObEr 1, 2021

‘The greatest act of resistance’: CrossBorder Photography exhibition reframes traditional conceptions

EMMA JENSEN • tHE StUDENt LIFE

Installation view of crossborder Photography: Images of US and Mexico from the Permanent collection at the benton Museum of Art at Pomona college.

DIYA MEHTA When thinking of the U.S.-Mexico border, certain images may come to mind: fences, walls, concrete. The border has become a dividing force, as the space has become increasingly politicised in recent memory, used as political fodder for discourse surrounding immigration, xenophobia and racism.

However, art can breathe new life into the way we think about the border. This revitalization is the aim of the exhibition “CrossBorder Photography: Images of the US and Mexico” from the permanent collection at the Benton Museum of Art, which looks at finding new ways to understand the border’s place in the world around us.

“CrossBorder Photography” is a student-curated exhibition that aims to deconstruct and reformulate our stereotypical conception of the border as a static symbol of division. Instead, the exhibition encourages a more complex understanding of the border, recognizing that it holds the stories, lives and experiences of countless numbers of migrants. The exhibition features the work of artists Gordon C. Abbott, Christina Fernandez, Nathan Lerner, Danny Lyon, Don Normark and Richard Ross. All artists were researched and curated by students Maelvi Nuñez PO ’22, Madeleine Mount-Cors PO ’22 and Grace Sartin PO ’21, under the guidance of Rosalía Romero, an assistant professor of art history at Pomona College. Nuñez, Mount-Cors, Sartin and Romero combed the contents of the Benton in order to find the images for the exhibition and completed intensive research in order to select which artists would be featured. “CrossBorder Photography” was formed out of a border art seminar taught by Romero. The seminar “gave students an indepth study of the various aspects around the border, specifically the history of its formation and the policies that have been enacted to reinforce that territorial and physical barrier,” Romero said. The seminar also examined art’s capacity as a visual medium, which allows it to complicate the fixed conception of the border as a place of militarization and securitization.

“We have to understand the role that art and visual culture play in informing how we relate to the physical space around us,” Romero said. “The way we understand the fact that although there is a physical barrier, and the barrier is constructed using solid materials, like walls, fences, concrete and steel, it’s important to remember that there are people who live at the site and who are based there and who are living their own rich lives.” This is the sentiment that informs the exhibition: a remembrance and celebration of the human stories that are contained within the border. The diversity of artists featured allows the exhibition to encompass multiple facets of the border. “The exhibition ranges from the stale architecture of border institutions, as represented in the photos of Ross, to the deeply personal histories of people and communities in Mexico and in the U.S. in the photos of Lyon,” MountCors said. “CrossBorder Photography” also tracks the historical development of photography over the century and how different photographers captured the same subject, albeit decades apart. This is to complicate the supposed objectivity of the medium, as the exhibition is a testament to the multitude of ways to capture a single entity. “The exhibition is a way to look at the different techniques and styles of photographers over the 19th-20th century, while grounding it not only in the history of policy and militarization at the

border, but also the very personal nature of the border and how it affects people and their families,” Mount-Cors said. The exhibition features pieces like “Eddie, The Mexican Worker From Chihuahua Who Built My House, With Stephanie in Llanito, New Mexico,” taken by Danny Lyon. According to a booklet from the Benton, in the photo, Lyon chooses to honour his decade-long friendship with Eddie, an undocumented Mexican worker who crossed the border multiple times. The photo is an intimate reflection on the stories contained by the border and the many people whose lives have been fundamentally shaped by its presence. The exhibition uses the unique and arresting medium of photography to reframe the complex issue of border politics. “Visual media forces you to reckon with these issues, because it’s right in front of you,” Mount-Coors said. “With other forms of media, you can’t see someone’s story the same way you can if you look at a photograph.” “CrossBorder Photography” aims to deconstruct the sterile way that immigration institutions have characterised the border by reminding us of its enduring humanity. “The stories of people at the border are the greatest act of resistance,” Mount-Cors said. “One of the main objectives of U.S. border policy is to generalize and erase the stories that people carry. So, it’s especially important to uplift the stories of people and migrants at the border, so that they are told and remembered.”

Cathy Park Hong is unapologetically New Mudd makerspace holds realm of possibilities honest at Scripps Presents ELLEN WANG “There’s something very absurd about my previous experiences,” poet and essayist Cathy Park Hong said at a Scripps Presents event on Sept. 23. The “Minor Feelings” author put a magnifying glass to her award-winning book, her writing process, Asian-American women’s identity and future literary work with fellow author Jade Chang. In “Minor Feelings,” Hong explained that it’s not her absurd experiences that are necessarily the problem, but that they are commonplace in Asian immigrant families. “Humor has always been one way to kind of smuggle uncomfortable truths,” she said. “Beauty is another way — certain forms of beauty.” The winner of the 2020 National Book Critics Circle Award graced the Scripps Presents virtual stage a week after gracing the cover of the TIME100 most influential people of 2021 list. The event was held in partnership with Scripps College’s Core program, for which first-year students had recently read “Minor Feelings.” “Cathy Park Hong is a quintessential pick for Scripps Presents!” Scripps Presents Artistic Director Corrina Lesser said via email. “Her work is such a powerful force in our contemporary cultural conversation about race in America.” Published in the spring of 2020, “Minor Feelings” became more urgent after Donald Trump’s election led to an increase in anti-Asian racism, according to Hong. In response, she pivoted from a deep dive into systemic racism toward a more educational and accessible book for a broader audience, though it was still intentionally written for her fellow Asian Americans. She wrote about historical events and perspectives often excluded from the mainstream American narrative and curriculum: Koreatown during the Los Angeles riots, Asian soldiers in the U.S. military during the Vietnam War, Japanese internment, the Korean War and modern anti-Asian racism. Hong takes a deep dive into the lives of people impacted by these events, these untold stories forming a patchwork quilt of people at risk of fading into the past. “My approach to the essays is that I treat it like it’s Frankenstein’s monster, where I use parts of many different bodies of knowledge to make my overall argument, so that’s why I can’t be satisfied with [genre titles like] memoir or critical essay or criticism,” Hong said. Hong wrote deliberately, honestly and angrily, refusing to be boxed in by labels or generalizations. She brings in various media like other books, stand-up routines, poetry collections, essays and interview excerpts, compiling an informal reading list as if to say her book is just a start for these conversations. “She’s so palpably angry throughout the entire book, which sounds like a small thing, but it’s so uncharacteristic of the Asian woman stereotype, and it’s probably the aspect of the book I related to the

most,” Aanji Sin SC ’24 said. “I also thought it was particularly special that she was in conversation with another Asian-American woman writer and that they were able to relate to each other on that same level and could talk about those specific experiences.” Hong chose an essay format rather than poetry so she could extensively describe her thoughts. In her book, she mentions how “show don’t tell” allows the reader to be a voyeur and not recognize their own privilege as intricately related to a character’s suffering. “I think people think automatically there’s a way to write — it comes from a lineage of midcentury American writers,” Hong said. “The CIA actually actively funded the Iowa Writers Workshop [where I did my MFA]. This depoliticized way of writing had very political foundations to it.” Julin Everett, French and Core I professor, moderated the audience questions during the latter half of the event. “It really encouraged me, as a reader, human being [and] researcher, to think about how our texts, how our movies, how all cultural production is really engineered to focus on the feelings of the majority population rather than on marginalized identities,” Everett said. As Hong pointed out in her book, one does not hear about aesthetic movements founded on artist friendships that are not between white men, despite there being plenty. “The literary world was all a bunch of boys’ clubs, who were pioneering these literary movements,” Hong said. “I wanted to write about Asian-American women making art together. ‘An Education’ is not about males, or family. It’s about our intellect. These friendships are what make movements.” “An Education,” the fifth of seven essays in the book, focused on Hong’s time at Oberlin College and her close friendships with

two Asian-American women that launched her artistic courage, confidence and creativity. “What about community? What about your support network?” Hong said. “Up until that point [in the book] I’m writing about Asian-American consciousness under the scrutiny of the white gaze, and the essay is a movement away from that.” This essay is a favorite among her Asian-American women readers — including guest moderator Chang — who felt viscerally seen in a way they thought was not possible before. “Hong and these other Asian-American authors are able to articulate these Asian-American experiences in ways that I haven’t yet been able to for myself,” Sin said. Asian Americans across the nation found inspiration and kinship in her powerful words — threads of consciousness that connect all Asian Americans in spite of the vast range of experiences within. “Listening to Hong’s thoughtful erudition and flatout courage was impressive and enlightening,” said Winston Ou, the Scripps College Elizabeth Hubert Malott Endowed Chair for the Core Curriculum in Interdisciplinary Humanities. “It reinforced my impression of the author as one who is bravely and confidently claiming equal space for herself and others.” Hong chuckled while talking about all the things she could change to update “Minor Feelings” for the current climate. She named exploring the relationships between Black and Asian communities as well as Asian-American women’s sexuality as potential topics for another book. “Let’s continue this conversation in person sometime,” Hong said at the end of the evening.

cOUrtESY: ScrIPPS PrESENtS

“cathy Park Hong spoke about Asian American identity and her writing at Scripps Presents on Sept. 24.

ELLEN WANG Building a robot that can play Connect Four, filming a high-production TikTok, collaboratively studying, spray painting, putting together an airplane and imprinting designs on wood with a laser cutter can all happen within the same 8,500 square feet. The Harvey Mudd College makerspace has what dreams are made of — or at least something to get you pretty close. The new space on the ground floor of Mudd’s McGregor Computer Science Center opened to the 5C community this fall semester. Jeff Groves, professor of literature and director of the makerspace, assists the students in bringing ideas for the new makerspace to fruition and believes the project aligns closely with Mudd’s values. “We have always had a maker culture at Harvey Mudd,” Groves said. “But we never really had a major space that was dedicated to it.” The space is thoughtfully designed for all skill levels and curious students. The south entrance opens to a lounge and collaboration spaces. Deeper into the makerspace are more hands-on workbenches and equipment, like various types of 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines, soldering irons, electronic stations, a spray painting room and a digital production studio. Right across the hallway from the makerspace are the Mudd student shops featuring metal and woodworking machines. “We see the Hive, the Makerspace and the student shops on a continuum of maker spaces,” Groves said. “The Hive specializes in design thinking. It has some light tooling. We’re sort of intermediate in the Makerspace and have different kinds of equipment ... For the more heavy-duty stuff, we have the student shops. Between all of those areas, the process of designing something and bringing it into reality should be a possibility.” Thirty-seven stewards from across the 5C student body run the space and are trying to build a community of makers this year. Stewards will host workshops throughout the term to train students in equipment so they can pass the necessary safety quizzes for free rein of the machinery. Four head stewards worked extensively through the past summer to prepare and create the space for the fall opening and to train other stewards. Head steward Rosy Weber SC ’23 has been utilizing a variety of skills, both technical and organizational, to bring the makerspace to life. “Aside from my personal interest in learning the tools and techniques, I had a lot of interest in getting to play a role in creating a makerspace community — I’m a very relational person,” Weber said. “I loved the idea of getting to play a role in creating a space where people would collaborate and take risks and work together.” Head steward Felix Murphy HM ’24 has been working on assembling an experimental plane

NANAKO NODA • tHE StUDENt LIFE

the HMc makerspace is located in the new McGregor computer Science building.

with Professor of Engineering Design David Harris. He has found the layout of the makerspace and machine shops to be particularly useful. “It’s been really handy to have the machine shops right nearby because we can have students laser cutting and 3D printing in the Makerspace, and then other students in the machine shops using the bandsaw in order to shape and cut metal,” Murphy said. “It’s a really nice and easy workflow between the two. One of the things I’m most excited about the Makerspace is the idea that we have all these long-term projects.” Outside building utility contraptions and technology, the makerspace is also a haven for artistic expression, proving its versatility as a space for creativity and exploration. Steward Carrie Young SC ’22 is considering different ways to utilize the tools available in the makerspace for their senior thesis in art. “Having this space open up is awesome, because it is like a different kind of art,” Young said. “There are just so many different possibilities of the ways that you can do art that isn’t just ceramics, or painting or drawing.” The possibilities are not limited by the existing tools and techniques either. Bringing in new equipment will also be determined by student demand and the changing ecosystem of the space. The space is strongly focused on collaboration and helping each other. “There’s a culture of ‘show up and ask questions and help each other,’” Young said. “If the steward on duty doesn’t know how to train you on the laser cutter, they’ll be able to look at a schedule and be like, ‘oh, the person who’s here tomorrow will know how to do that.’” At the end of the day, the makerspace is an evolving reflection of the students who make it their own. The stewards are dedicated to cultivating an inclusive, welcoming space for anyone to make any use of their tools and work areas. “There’s stuff in there that I never thought I would enjoy, but I’m having a blast,” Murphy said. “Over the summer, I learned how to use the embroidery machines. Wow. I guess I never thought I would be into that, but it’s so much fun. And that just came from just being able to mess around with things in the space. We’re doing our best to make it really accessible to everyone, and we want everyone to be able to come and say hi.”

OctOber 1, 2021

Faith is a choice, not an inheritance SHAY SURESH Religion is a part of identity that parents often imprint onto developing minds. As soon as we’re born, our guardians make a vital decision that we unwittingly must undertake as a characteristic of our existence. Without input, we relinquish a sacred and personal decision to our loved ones. Holidays, family functions and pilgrimages consume crucial space in our memory until what we understand as true is essentially someone else’s truth. Faith is an intimate discovery — but more importantly, it is an individual discovery. As someone who was raised in a Hindu household and respects the faith, I take no issue with religious upbringings. I do, however, see a problem in labeling children at a young age with something they’ve had no choice in embodying. In his Time article on religion, prominent atheist Richard Dawkins makes an excellent distinction between traditions that stem from faith and significant ideological opinions that have agency over your child’s everyday decisions. In accordance with his argument, I see no harm in raising our youth with rich culture and heritage. It’s when authority figures enforce personal opinions onto unsuspecting and impressionable minds that I feel it becomes an issue. Indeed, studies show that a majority of youth look to parents and other family members to tell them what is right and wrong. Finding our beliefs reflected in the lifestyles of our elders isn’t a universal circumstance. It’s true that some find an authentic connection with the faith they grew up in, drawn in by the combination of family creed and individual lived experience. Even though some are tied to their childhood practices, others may feel tied down by the pressure to inherit and embrace an idea that doesn’t parallel their principles. Studies show that we aren’t always on the same page as our parents — adults might assume our

beliefs would line up with theirs, but a good portion of the time, they differ in myriad ways. It is possible that what is familiar to our family and friends can feel foreign to us. We don’t have to espouse a set of beliefs as our own if we lack a sense of adherence to them. A tip to family and friends: Viewing individuality as rebellion is extremely damaging. It invalidates change and implies that diverging from the norm is a misguided notion. I stand by the belief that families should allow their children to breathe air untinged by biased opinions. By giving them room to decide, parents can avoid the risk of their kids feeling resentment at the prospect of having choices taken away from them. Questioning our beliefs inspires introspection, and I’d argue that introspection is an essential stage in putting the pieces of our identity together. Only when we ask ourselves what we believe in can we question the knowledge that we’ve been primed to accept as true. From there, we can endeavor into the identity fitting room. Maybe something about Buddhism speaks to you, or a core belief of Islam rings true in some way. Maybe you’re an agnostic or an atheist. Or maybe you have absolutely no idea what you believe in, which is perfectly alright. Loved ones should remember that faith is a journey they cannot take for someone else. Ultimately, every individual has to experience life by themselves, because no one lives that life for them. This is why it’s imperative that we allow young people to discover their own truths. When we finally learn to accept difference, we encourage tolerance for free will and choice. Shay Suresh CM ’24 is from San Jose, California. She loves literary fiction, folk-rock music and making Pinterest boards.

MArIANA DUrAN • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

OpiniOns PAGe 7 The Sheikh Jarrah protests reveal the ugly truth about social media censorship

ANNA cHOI • tHe StUDeNt LIFe censorship and power politics plague social media movements, argues Sae Furukawa PO ’25

SAE FURUKAWA Social media is often credited as a revolutionary tool that has changed the way people communicate and share their stories. It has advanced countless sociopolitical movements worldwide, including the Arab Spring, Black Lives Matter and the MeToo Movement, many of which are decentralized and rely on individual participation to spread their causes and challenge existing institutions that have fueled oppression and injustice. While social media is often seen as an equalizer that democratizes political engagement, it has also become a platform that actively fuels power politics — where a dominant party uses its influence to silence its weaker counterpart and further advance its power. Through social media censorship, tech giants often manipulate (intentionally or unintentionally) the narratives of events and silence a certain group of people to disrupt their engagement in sociopolitical issues. One recent example entails the digital censorship of Palestinian voices during the Sheikh Jarrah protests starting May 2021. Following Israel’s forceful eviction of Palestinian families in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, Palestinians and supporters began to document various acts of violence committed by Israeli authorities and share their solidarity with Palestinian communities through social media posts. However, many claimed that social media companies heavily censored their posts for allegedly “inciting vio-

lence” or “spreading misinformation.” 7amleh, a Palestinian digital rights non-profit, reported that nearly 500 posts related to Sheikh Jarrah were removed from Instagram and Facebook from May 6 through May 19. For instance, Instagram removed numerous posts related to the killing of a 16-year-old Palestinian Saeed Odeh by Israeli forces; similarly, the same platform temporarily banned the account of Mona al-Kurd, a Palestinian woman whose video capturing her confrontation with an Israeli settler went viral. In many cases, users have reported that their accounts and posts were banned without any explanation, and a lack of transparency surrounding the content handling makes it even harder for them to pinpoint the reason behind such censorship. While algorithms could inadvertently result in censorship, some critics suspect collusion between tech giants and the Israeli government. Facebook has been in close collaboration with Israel over content moderation since 2016, when both parties agreed to work together to tackle “incitement” over social media. Jillian York, a director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an international digital rights group that advocates against government surveillance, told the Washington Post that “what we’re seeing here is existing offline repression and inequality being replicated online,” and that Palestinians “are left out of the policy conversation.” Tech giants operate with a lack of transparency, and it remains ambiguous as to what exactly has contributed to the censorship of pro-Palestinian content — it could be inten-

tional or attributable to the algorithms. Regardless, it seems that social media, despite its reputation as a democratizer of digital content, has also become a catalyst for further reinforcing power dynamics and allowing a dominant party to silence a vulnerable counterpart. Furthermore, this ongoing dispute over the censorship of Palestinian voices also demonstrates that when social media companies are the sole arbiters of which content is “harmful” or “inappropriate,” these companies are effectively granted the authority to shape the thoughts and opinions of the general public through content moderation. One dilemma behind digital censorship, however, is that social media, despite being complicit in the oppression and silencing of minorities, continues to be the only platform for these vulnerable populations to address injustice facing them. Ironically, for example, Palestinian activists continue to rely on social media to share their experiences of being censored. Yet, this is precisely why we must scoop and amplify their stories and voices before they are erased from social media platforms. While one tweet or resharing may not make a substantial difference, claiming that the issue is “too complicated to understand or talk about” equates to siding with the oppressors and enabling the silencing of vulnerable communities. Exercising our free expression is one way to acknowledge silenced individuals and strive for equal footing on digital platforms. Sae Furukawa PO ’25 is from Tokyo, Japan. She loves nonfiction, documentaries and Coppola’s films.

Pausing Spectrum 10K isn’t enough to support the autistic community LUCIÉNNE REYES Aug. 31, 2021 marked the launch of Spectrum 10K, an autism study led by researchers at the University of Cambridge, the Wellcome Sanger Institute and the University of California, Los Angeles. Spectrum 10K aims to learn more about improving support for autistic people by collecting survey responses about their experiences with autism, along with DNA samples from 10,000 autistic individuals and their families. Spectrum 10K also plans to investigate environmental and genetic factors contributing to autism and its comorbid conditions. Numerous autistic neurodiversity advocates responded to the study with intense backlash, expressing ethical concerns about its design. On Sept. 10, leading researcher Simon Baron-Cohen announced that Spectrum 10K would pause recruitment of new participants and refrain from analyzing data already collected. “This will give us time to co-design and conduct a meaningful consultation with autistic people and their families and incorporate suggestions for how to improve Spectrum 10K,” he wrote in the online statement. However, pausing recruitment doesn’t adequately address the concerns of autistic advocates. If the Spectrum 10K researchers want to support neurodiversity like they claim, they should cease the project altogether. Autism research is a contentious topic among autistic self-advocates. Historically, most autism research has focused on finding genetic and other biological causes of autism, often with the goal of reducing its prevalence. Many autistic people oppose this type of research; they value autism as important to their identities and prefer autism acceptance, viewing prevention and “cures” as eugenics. I’d love to learn more about biological factors to further my knowledge of how my autistic brain works, but now is not the

LAUrA JArAMILLO • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

time. The problem is that autism stigma makes genetic research highly exploitable for those who want to eradicate autism. Society must learn to accept autistic people before researchers can conduct genetic studies that are at risk of falling into the wrong hands. Spectrum 10K has expressed opposition to eradicating autism, but collecting DNA has high potential for abuse. Spectrum 10K aims to create an autism DNA database to be shared with external researchers in future studies. While they claim they will share data only with researchers who want to improve the well-being of autistic people, Baron-Cohen has previously said “there’s no way that we can ever say that a future political leader or a scientist won’t use [genetic] research for eugenics.” Spectrum 10K’s genetic focus thus becomes puzzling. Exactly what future studies will investigate using the database is uncertain, so there’s no guarantee that the strictest caution will com-

pletely block database access to people seeking to cure autism. Even if these people never access the database, Spectrum 10K will present its findings in scientific journals and conferences. The results may still inform subsequent cure-oriented research. Spectrum 10K clarified that genetic research will be used to target comorbid conditions like epilepsy and depression, not autism itself. But if the study wants to target comorbid conditions, it should include allistic (non-autistic) people with those conditions. It doesn’t make sense to study autistic people exclusively. Additionally, many autistic people distrust Baron-Cohen and co-leading researcher Daniel Geschwind. Baron-Cohen previously formulated harmful and inaccurate ideas about autism, such as the debunked theory that autistic people lack a theory of mind. Geschwind guided development of the Autism Genetic Resource Exchange, a program under the nonprofit Cure Autism Now, which later merged with

the organization Autism Speaks. “[Autism] involves dysfunction in social cognition, language ― the things that are really part of what makes us human,” he asserted. This suggests autistic people aren’t fully human — an idea with dangerous implications for autistic people, several of whom die by filicide under ableist caregivers each year. Spectrum 10K raises concerns about the lack of autistic involvement in autism research. Autistic people comprise less than half of the members of an advisory panel that reviews the study’s ethics. The specifics of autistic representation in decision-making — such as the number and diversity of autistic people on the study’s steering committee — are otherwise unclear. Allistic researchers may fear that collaborating with autistic individuals as research partners introduces bias. I’d argue that it reduces bias by introducing a wider variety of perspectives. Predominantly allistic leadership can cause one view to

unfairly dominate the research. With autistic viewpoints on the direction of the research, allistic researchers can more easily discover any flawed assumptions they might have about autism that may influence data collection and interpretation. Autistic people can contribute their experiences to creating accessible data collection instruments. This prevents oversights in research design from inadvertently excluding a meaningful chunk of potential participants. Despite pausing active participant recruitment, Spectrum 10K still allows people to register interest in participation. Spectrum 10K must recognize that for the study to improve in accordance with the wishes of numerous autistic self-advocates, the design of the research must be entirely different. According to autistic self-advocate Tanya Adkin, “without the DNA, there is no study,” in its current form. The study as it stands cannot continue. Given the prior harm Baron-Cohen and Geschwind have caused to the autistic community, autistic individuals who are representative of the self-advocate community may be reluctant to partner with the two researchers in a different study. Should another study be initiated, the research team will also have to change. This article is far from an exhaustive list of the issues with Spectrum 10K. For more information, please read, sign and share the Boycott Spectrum 10K statement. To learn about and help the general autistic community, I recommend donating to the Autistic People of Color Fund and browsing the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network and Academic Autism Spectrum Partnership in Research and Education. Luciénne Reyes PZ ’24 is from Los Angeles, California. Her only dorm room decoration is a Live Laugh Love sign that she jokingly painted at a painting event shortly before the beginning of this school year.

OpiniOns

PAGe 8

Financial literacy can’t fix socioeconomic inequality KENNY LE When I was growing up, “rich” functioned as a catch-all term for anyone living in a suburban, upper-middle class home. Thirteen years of public school education equipped me with the skills I needed to succeed at Pitzer College. No extravagant tutors, million-dollar boarding schools or celebrity parents got me into a school where 70 percent of students come from the top 20 percent income bracket. When people argue that financial literacy is the key to erasing socioeconomic inequality, the experiences of the millions of middle- to low-income households in America are inevitably erased. From North Carolina’s state-mandated financial literacy classes to the Trump Administration’s Financial Literacy and Education Commission, mindsets putting the blame for inequality on poor people run rampant in the fabric of American society. Arguments for financial literacy education ignore the fundamental fact that poor people are already financially educated. Too many false assumptions about inequality distracts from the only way America can fix socioeconomic inequality: Give people more money and more opportunities. Socioeconomic inequality cannot be explained through a lens of financial literacy. Doing so ignores fundamental facts about America’s economy that stagnates wealth for the poor while helping the few at the top hold an overwhelming majority of net worth. Similar to the “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” myth, financial literacy advocates propose solutions that can’t fix America’s poor social welfare net, corporate lobbying, eroding unions, low minimum wage, massive student loan debt, unaffordable housing and systemic discrimination. Individuals are overwhelmingly not responsible for their income status. Family wealth and race are the strongest indicators of future financial success, not financial literacy. Studies show that financial education doesn’t improve financial well-being, and it doesn’t change financial behaviors. Financial literacy education only affected 0.1 percent

cLAre MArtIN • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

of people’s financial behaviors in a meta-analysis covering 77 studies. In underprivileged groups — including students, migrants and low-income households — researchers found no longterm financial behavior change. Similar to how college students can’t suddenly author books after taking English classes or run a museum after taking AP U.S. History, financial literacy classes teach theory without realistic application. Even if lower-income households knew the ins and outs of interest rates, the housing market, for example, still would have crashed. An improved understanding of the stock market won’t help poor people who spend 80 percent of their income on necessities like housing and food; when 54 percent of people live paycheck-to-paycheck, a class on savings accounts can’t fix their problems. People’s finances are too volatile for financial literacy classes that assume fixed budgets, easy to understand wages and simple math are the norms in an actually far more unstable American economy. What has been proven to work time and time again, especially in light of measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic, is directly giving people the monetary support they need. The first round of federal stimulus checks worth $1,200 demonstrates this perfectly: The monthly personal savings rate increased by around 20 percentage points after they were signed into law, and benefits from the March 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act raised average wage growth for the bottom 25 percent of workers by more than 20 percentage points. Meanwhile, the March 2021 American Rescue Plan’s expansion and increase of child tax credits is estimated to lift 4.1 million children out of poverty. Outside of pandemic-driven policy, America needs dramatic reforms to reduce socioeconomic inequalities. Until we improve our taxation system, energize our unions, reform our campaign finance system and get rid of the notion that the poor are to blame for their financial situations, inequality will remain a permanent characteristic of America’s economy. Kenny Le PZ ’25 is from Anaheim, California. He’s a stressed first-year hoping to work in public policy.

Jasper’s Crossword: Side effects

JASPer DAVIDOFF • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

ACROSS 1. *Excluded 4. Jelled

7. *Like some lights and pupils 13. Bio material 14. Mess up

OctOber 1, 2021

Politicians shouldn’t be your idols NICHOLAS BLACK If the Cuomosexual jokes turning to calls for resignation have taught us anything, it’s that we need to stop idolizing our leaders. Politicians aren’t elected to gain celebrity status — they’re elected to work for us. Opting to “stan” politicians can make us lose sight of the obligations our leaders hold as public servants, and prevent us from holding them accountable when necessary. A lack of accountability is inevitable when we provide unwavering support to our politicians regardless of what they do, whether or not they fulfill campaign promises or make large errors in judgment. Thus, we must avoid idolizing politicians and recognize the wrongdoings and missteps of those that we support. National political figures have long held high symbolic status in American culture, but with the rise of social media, idolization of politicians has intensified. Many of our political leaders have impassioned bases who can connect online and explore new ways to show their support. The most obvious image of political idolization is former President Donald Trump’s extremely committed base of supporters. While the MAGA hats and bumper stickers have plagued our vision in recent years, the most damning display of unwavering support for Trump came at the insurrection at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Citing baseless claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, fervent supporters of the former president stormed the Capitol building hoping to overturn the election results and prevent President Joe Biden from being installed. These Americans felt so strongly about their favorite political figure that they put themselves and others in harm’s way over a desperate ploy by Trump to delegitimize the election with no evidence. This single event perfectly encapsulates the danger of unquestioningly committing yourself to a politician who should instead be held accountable by their constituents. While the Capitol insurrection provided a very public image of this dynamic for 15. Idyllic place 16. Dua ____ 18. Water closet 19. *Absolutist’s justification 20. Redding on the dock 21. Drum interludes 23. *Atrium-to-aorta chamber 25. *Freedom of expression, e.g. 30. It makes busts, for short 31. Key-switching effect 33. *Take-out box contents 37. Impressionist 38. The B of n.b. 39. Off-Broadway awards 41. The lion’s share 42. “Me too!” 44. *Like some trips or citizenship 45. Telekinetic Dahl character 46. End of a Pitzer email 48. *Neglected 49. *Moral Majority’s position 55. Brainstorm products 56. Workers’ rights agcy. 57. *Like Kevin in Home Alone 62. Canyon edge 63. Hunk 64. Band’s crew member 65. “I’m ___ pickle!” 66. Part of history 67. *Ghosted, in some cases 68. Fish of unagi

cOUrteSY: LOrIe SHAULL VIA WIKIMeDIA cOMMONS Stop idolising politicians and instead hold them accountable, argues Nicholas black PO ’24

conservatives, there is plenty of political idolization occurring among liberals as well. For instance, after New York’s COVID-19 situation improved significantly in the spring of 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo began receiving national attention and an outpouring of support, with celebrities going as far as humorously calling themselves “Cuomosexual.” Cuomo became an idol for many, ultimately contributing to the dismissal of allegations that his administration had underreported COVID-19 deaths and later, that Cuomo himself had sexually harassed numerous women. While Cuomo was eventually forced to resign, his supporters frequently refused to recognize the validity of these allegations, with many responding by pointing the finger at Trump and his numerous sexual assault allegations. Elsewhere in the Democratic base, Biden’s fervent supporters on Twitter have harassed members of the free press. Upon Biden’s nomination of Neera Tanden for a cabinet position and subsequent resurfacing of her mean tweets towards Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, Washington Post reporter Seung Min Kim questioned the senator regarding the tweets. This moment was captured by a colleague, leading supporters of Biden to harass Kim with racist, sexist attacks. The vitriol was so widespread that the Washington Post felt compelled to release a statement in defense of the reporter and her commonplace journalistic tactics. Members of the “Squad,” a left-wing group of members

of Congress, are also frequently idolized by their supporters. Whether it be shown through fancams or t-shirts, a strong attachment is built by many supporters toward these newcomer politicians. Those on the political left may justify their fervent support for members of the Squad by pointing out that they are the best representation of progressive leftism in Congress, and that their support is for their policies and not so much for the individuals themselves. Yet, it’s important to recognize that all politicians are working within a political system that is commonly gridlocked due to a wide array of ideals and corrupted by the influence of the wealthy. This doesn’t mean that we should be more lenient with our leaders, but rather understand that they inevitably have made and will continue to make poor decisions. In those times when our preferred leaders make poor decisions, calling them out and holding them accountable will be much easier if we don’t view them as untouchable idols and feel obligated to immediately come to their defense. When monetary interests and other spheres of influence strive to make our political system work for them, we must always remind ourselves that our leaders are public servants, and being such, we can and must hold them accountable when they fail to uphold the public’s interest.

69. *Entirely

43. Soccer cry 44. Annoy 46. Julia Louis-Dreyfus character 47. Dreary 50. Sinister 51. iPhone software 52. Bony prefix 53. Kenyan president Kenyatta 54. Egyptian president Anwar 55. Carded 57. “Dude!” 58. Stretch of time 59. Sarcastic laughing sound 60. Chemical suffix 61. ___-Malika Henderson

DOWN 1. Dmitry in hockey 2. “Workers of the world, _____” 3. Connect (to something) 4. Photo from the front camera 5. Beethoven’s Third 6. Mess with, online 7. Dishwashing byproducts 8. Low-down discomfort? 9. Shot type, for short 10. ___-Pen 11. ___ Tin Tin 12. One’s fave 17. Halifax time zn. 22. “I’ll do it!” 24. Hwys. 25. Cis-___ 26. Savory taste 27. Car’s power source 28. Find _____ device 29. Type of Dakota 32. Laugh, in Lyon 33. One-time Occidental student 34. Easily bribed 35. Put an ______ (finish off) 36. Epoxy, e.g. 37. 3 39. Uneven? 40. Trustee’s place

Nicholas Black PO ’24 is from Rochester, New York. He will only purchase political merchandise ironically.

LAST WEEK’S ANSWERS

When it comes to academic teamwork, collaborate with caution SERENA MAO “We have a unique culture of collaboration” — said every college ever. Promoting a cooperative academic environment is not just ubiquitous, but also viewed as an unequivocal good. Harvey Mudd College is the epitome of this philosophy: from the way homework is assigned to the Honor Code’s design, it’s obvious that the school strongly encourages students to study together. Yet, although this culture is portrayed as overwhelmingly positive, individuals should embrace it with caution. Among other potential concerns, asymmetrical pacing and pressure to collaborate are two possible side effects of a collaborative student culture — both of which students should keep in the back of their heads as they manage their workloads. Disclaimer: I’m still mostly in support of the culture that HMC promotes. Professors actively encourage students to work together, even making certain problems explicitly collaborative. The Honor Code tells students to indicate who they completed homework with on their submissions, implying that cooperation is the norm. And it works: Mudders can be seen sprawled in suite lounges or

scribbling on Shanahan whiteboards after classes, discussing problem sets and struggling through new concepts with each other. With many of them coming from hyper-competitive high schools, the drastic shift to a mutually supportive environment is clearly beneficial. At face value, all seems well. Yet, even this culture has downsides at its extremes. For example, each student comes to college with different levels of understanding in each subject, but they end up in the same classes with the same work when they arrive. As a result, working together with friends that may be more advanced has an intuitive downside — the asymmetrical pace can cause some in the study group to fall behind. Even if those falling behind still write the correct answer down, they may just end up with a false illusion that they understand the concept. These knowledge gaps don’t show up until students are forced to complete individual work or exams, when they realize that solving a problem from start to finish is far more difficult without outside support. Obviously, collaboration should make the learning process more efficient, not inadvertently undermine it. It’s natural to

want to work with friends, however, inconveniently, those who one gets along with might not be the best people to study with. Instead, students should gauge the relative abilities of their friend groups, intentionally looking for those they can work best with. Or, they should test their knowledge individually after studying with others, ensuring that the material was retained and not just received and written on paper. Knowing oneself academically is integral to

optimizing the learning process — especially when it comes to working together. Regardless of any academic symmetries, sometimes it can be best to work alone. This seems like a trivial decision to make, but when the academic culture is as collaborative as it is at HMC, students almost feel pressure to complete every assignment with the help of others. In other words, just the perceived norm of working together may pressure students to

cOUrteSY: GreG ANDerSON beware of the downsides of a dominant collaboration culture at HMc, argues Serena Mao.

do so, as they don’t want to feel left out or isolated. Of course, this is generally an upside. However, when students’ social batteries run low, when they need some extra time to digest the material on their own, or just want to eliminate distractions, it may be difficult to resist the pressure and FOMO that comes from staying home. As college students, social norms and pressure have non-negligible effects — but students who might need some alone time should recognize that their mental and physical health come above fitting in. Ultimately, the collaborative culture was cultivated to help, not hurt; Students should find the appropriate times to leverage it rather than embracing it unconditionally. Despite its downsides, HMC’s collaborative environment is overall a huge boon for its students. At the same time, it’s important to recognize its shortcomings when studying with more advanced peers or when it just might be better to tackle assignments alone. Ultimately, though it might be standard practice to work together, it by no means should be a law with no exceptions. Serena Mao HM ’25 is from Fremont, California. She’s not sure if she’d get through Mudd without the help of her friends.

SportS

OctOber 1, 2021

A rising talent in P-P volleyball, Danika Petit PZ ’25 is also a karate champion

PAGe 9

Weekly Calendar P-P

CMS

Friday, Oct. 1 Men’s Water Polo vs. Johns Hopkins vs. Santa Clara Gary Troyer Tournament

Friday, Oct. 1 Men’s & Women’s tennis ItA Fall regionals Men’s Water Polo vs. Johns Hopkins vs. Navy Gary Troyer Tournament

Women’s Volleyball vs. Cal Lutheran Saturday, Oct. 2 Men’s & Women’s Golf George Fox Invitational

Volleyball vs. Redlands

Women’s tennis ItA Fall regionals

Saturday, Oct. 2 Men’s & Women’s Xc NcAA Pre-Nationals

Men’s Soccer @ cal Lutheran

6

Men’s & Women’s tennis ItA Fall regionals

Women’s Soccer vs. Cal Tech

Women’s Soccer @ cal tech

Men’s Water Polo vs. Pepperdine

Men’s Water Polo vs. Washington & Jefferson

Women’s Soccer vs. Cal Lutheran Women’s Volleyball @ cal tech

Football vs. Redlands

Men’s Water Polo vs. Wagner

Women’s Volleyball @ Occidental

Football vs. Whittier

Men’s Water Polo vs. Pepperdine

Sunday, Oct. 3 Men’s & Women’s Golf George Fox Invitational

Men’s Soccer vs. Cal Tech

Women’s tennis ItA Fall regionals

Sunday. Oct. 3 Men’s & Women’s tennis ItA Fall regionals

cOUrteSY: DANIKA PetIt

In June, at the Karate World championships in Las Vegas, Danika Petit PZ ‘25 earned a championship in American Kenpo.

JUSTIN GUO When Danika Petit PZ ’25 isn’t hitting and blocking volleyballs, she’s performing hits and blocks of a different variety — the Pomona-Pitzer women’s middle blocker is also a recognized champion in karate. Petit specializes in American Kenpo, a style of karate that emphasizes street self-defense. She said the discipline is “more eclectic” than other forms of martial arts. “I’ve been with my teacher for 11 plus years now, doing [American Kenpo] since I was seven, and it’s been an amazing experience,” she said. Her karate journey started when she watched her younger brother engage in the martial art several years ago. After “just watching from the sidelines,” Petit fell in love with the art and eventually began performing it. “I really enjoyed watching other students do martial arts,” she said. “Then my current teacher at the time came over and just grabbed my shoulders and put me in the line, instructing me to copy everybody else.” Petit also picked up the activity to “gain a basis of self-protection,” coming from a small-town back-

ground in Telluride, Colorado. “Unlike Telluride, I just wanted to be able to defend myself in a larger city or setting,” she said. “But I never knew [American Kenpo] would be developed into more of a lifestyle, like the experience of traveling to championships.” In June, Petit attended the USA World Championships in Las Vegas and won in two divisions: form and self-defense. The former involves executing a routine of moves and techniques, while the latter includes performers acting out a choreographed three minute long fight scene. “I perform the black belt form, which is much more traditional in style compared to lower levels,” Petit said. ”I’d pretty much take 20-25 techniques, and piece it together into a form that works all angles and all directions.” In the self-defense portion, the champion had a unique experience in which her brother performed a scene with her. “My teacher and my brother were both the attackers, and I was the defender in our routine,” Petit said. “We go slow once, and then go fast all in full contact for the judges.”

More than just tournament wins, American Kenpo brought additional benefits to her athletic career. Three summers ago, Petit trained with Shaolin monks at the Shaolin Monastery in China, waking up at five in the morning to train in Qigong, martial arts, and kung fu. “That [experience] changed my perspective on a lot of things, because of the way that they train,” Petit said. “One of the main things I did take away and use day to day is working on being present rather than focusing on the future or past.” These lessons have greatly influenced her mindset when it comes to her maturity. “Martial arts taught me to be super coachable, take instructions from my coaches well, and be able to make changes quickly,” Petit said. “Martial arts is not just about hitting someone; it’s more about the mind aspect of it and being able to have discipline.” American Kenpo has also changed her personality. “It really just comes down to being a nice person,” she said. “Karate teaches you to be there for others and to have a strong spirit.”

THE STUDENT LIFE Editorial Board KAYLA ALCORCHA, Editor-in-Chief JASPER DAVIDOFF, Managing Editor CLAIRE DUMONT, Managing Editor

Senior Staff JAMES KARSTEN, Production Editor SELENA LOPEZ, Production Editor GRACE SAUERS, News Designer VASTI CRUZ, Arts & Culture Designer STELLA CHENG, Opinions Designer CHARIS KIM, Sports Designer ANNA HARTMAN, Copy Chief SIMONE NIKITINA, Copy Chief ANNA CHOI, Photo Editor NANAKO NODA, Photo Editor MARIANA DURAN, Graphics Editor ANURADHA KRISHNAN, News Editor JENNA MCMURTRY, News Editor SIENA SWIFT, News Associate LARKIN BARNARD-BAHN, Arts & Culture Editor MENA BOVA, Arts & Culture Editor HANNAH WEAVER, Arts & Culture Associate AVIKA JINDEL, Opinions Editor BEN REICHER, Opinions Editor ALEX CHUN, Sports Editor 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.

Edwards shines in CMS football’s win against No. 18 Chapman ALEX CHUN Following its 34-10 rout of Lewis & Clark earlier this month, the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps football team controlled the momentum versus Chapman using its running game, comfortably edging out the Panthers 29-21 on Saturday. In just the fourth game of his collegiate career, running back Justin Edwards CM ’25 had a stellar performance behind the solid blocking of the Stags’ offensive line. He tallied one touchdown in each quarter while rushing for 204 yards on 32 carry attempts overall. The Stags also had an impressive showing in their passing game. Quarterback Holden Thomas CG ’21 posted a solid 14 for 20 performance and threw for 164 passing yards, connecting with wide receiver Anderson Cynkar CM ’25 for five receptions totaling 87 yards. In the opening quarter, the Stags paced themselves by nickeling and diming down the field with a combination of passing and running plays focused around Edwards. After Thomas threw a 12-yard completion to Cynkar in a clutch fourth-and-2 situation, Edwards muscled his way into the end zone to complete a long 75 yard, seven-minute drive. After an interception from defensive back Kirby Baynes CM ’25 on the following Chapman offensive possession, the Stags stomped down the field and gained a successful field goal attempt, ending the first quarter up 9-0. The majority of the second period featured a series of threeand-outs from both offenses, kicking punt after punt through nine minutes of play. After the scoring drought, CMS drew up seven consecutive running schemes featur-

MeGHAN JOYce • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps clashes with Redlands in a file photo. CMS running back Justin Edwards CM ‘25 showed impressive ground game on Saturday.

ing Edwards and running back Joshua Martinez HM ’25, capped off with an Edwards touchdown. On the flip side, the Stags continued their defensive coverage against the Panthers for the remainder of the first half, leaving Chapman scoreless at halftime and leading 15-0. The Panthers bounced back strongly to begin the second half

with a 32-yard pass play, storming down the field and into the end zone to cut the CMS lead in half, but the Stags instantly responded with a 55-yard run by Edwards, the largest play of the night. Edwards punched in his third touchdown, extending the lead back to 15. Immediately following this momentum shift, Chap-

man switched quarterbacks and produced another six-point scoring drive to end the third period. The Stags remained composed and maintained their lead through the rest of their match. After a punt from Grant Braught CM ’22 and a quick three-andout from Chapman, CMS had excellent field position on their next offensive drive.

The Stags then proceeded to punch the ball straight into the endzone, featuring a key 24-yard completion by Thomas and the five-yard TD run by Edwards to seal off his standout performance. After winning three of its four games in September, CMS will head into interconference competition starting this weekend against Redlands.

SportS

PAGe 10

OctOber 1, 2021

Last-minute Redlands comeback leaves Sagehen men’s soccer in the dust

NANAKO NODA • tHe StUDeNt LIFe

Left: Jeffrey Tiglon PZ ‘25 dribbles skillfully around opponents. Right: Matthew Carlson PZ ‘23 advances towards the goal.

SEBASTIAN WOOD Five minutes before time, everything was golden. The score was 3-2, the Pomona-Pitzer men’s soccer team finishing on top of a highly watchable contest with Redlands Wednesday afternoon. It hadn’t been easy, and it hadn’t all gone their way, but the Sagehens were coming out ahead. Then a Bulldog free-kick headed home at the back post, tying up the match. Just over a minute later, another Redlands ball found its way into the box. The final score at the whistle: 3-4. For the first 25 minutes, the Sagehens were in control, with a runaway looking possible. Still, after good chances from Kyle Lau PO ’25 and Matthew Carlson PZ ’23,

the game remained scoreless. But it wasn’t P-P who broke the deadlock — Redlands’ first goal made a surprisingly avoidable entrance. After several failed clearances, the ball was allowed to linger in the box for far too long. After one final cross and header, keeper Ethan Bae PO ’25 couldn’t stop it. The Sagehens responded well, continuing to play their game, putting pressure up the field and finding moments to release the wingers. Finally, after a period of rising tension, Jeffrey Tiglon PZ ’25 worked the ball across the box to left winger Alex Bonville PZ ’24. Onlookers could have been forgiven for wanting Bonville just to hit it. But Bonville, a player who has increased in confidence and form every game this

season, was the coolest person on the pitch, calmly placing it past the keeper to ensure P-P didn’t go into halftime losing, with the score tied 1-1. After the break, the Sagehens played even better. Redlands couldn’t keep the ball, and their offense was torn apart by Sagehen movement. Within ten minutes, Kyle Lau PO ’25 ran through on a fluid counterattack, pushed past the defenders and rifled one into the net. 2-1. If you haven’t seen Lau chase down a counterattack, make time. It’s exhilarating. It’s not just his speed, but his determination to beat the defense to the ball that attracts admiration. Barely a minute after his goal, he was sprinting after another long ball, this time sent by Jared Mejia PO ’22, drib-

bling past two players before putting his shot just wide. It turned out the shot was sorely needed, because just minutes later, Redlands scored after another ball was left unchallenged in the P-P box for too long, tying it up once more. Again, the team rallied. Tiglon almost scored a ridiculous overhead kick off a corner, his effort kissing the post. After keeping the ball outside their box for another five or so minutes, the Hens broke in front again. Bonville, once again found on the left of the box, was able to cut in and put it in the back of the net. It was also the second assist of the match for Carlson, the ace in the middle, bringing it to 3-2. But the Bulldogs didn’t let P-P’s momentum slow them down —

in fact, their best period of the game was the last twenty minutes when they were behind. They earned more crosses, more set pieces, more opportunities. Bae was called into action twice in two minutes, to sweep up a through ball and punch a corner kick over the bar. Other than a Carlson free-kick in the 82nd minute, which drew a good save, our chances were dwindling. Still, the Sagehens were ahead. Despite the goals they conceded, it would have been a well-deserved win from the team, who played some excellent soccer at times. It was a good day, until it wasn’t. This was P-P’s second defeat of the season, and first in SCIAC, leaving them at 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the conference. The team next takes on Cal Lutheran at home Saturday morning.

Athletes of the Week Pomona-Pitzer Amanda Khu PO ’25 San Mateo, CA Women’s Soccer With her fingerprints all over P-P women’s soccer ’s recent wins, midfielder and forward Amanda Khu PO ’25 both scored and assisted goals over the past week. Khu assisted a goal against La Verne and found the back of the net twice herself in the 8-0 Sagehen rout against Caltech. Moreover, in a game featuring 26 shot attempts from P-P versus Redlands, Khu generated another assist in the 32nd minute, proving to be the difference maker in a tight 2-1 Sagehen win. With an outstanding record of 7-0-1 and riding the momentum of a three-game win streak, the women will travel to Cal Lutheran for their following match on Saturday.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Melanie Williams CM ’22 Morgan Hill, CA Volleyball Leading CMS volleyball to a 11-game win streak over the month of September, rightside hitter Melanie Williams CM ’22 showed off an impressive three-game stretch last week. In the matches against Whittier, La Verne and Cal Lutheran, Williams produced kills with stellar efficiency, hitting at a .658 clip with 30 kills in 44 attempts. For these performances, she earned her second SCIAC Offensive Player of the Week Award of the season. The Athenas will next face Redlands at Roberts Pavilion tonight.