Vol. CXXXV No. 4

VOL. CXXXV NO. 4

FRIDAY, October 6, 2023

CLAREMONT, CA

Pitzer Student Senate considers allowing non-senator legislation HANNAH GOTHELF This Sunday, Oct. 8, Pitzer College’s Student Senate will face an important vote on Prop 60-A-2, an amendment that would allow non-Senators to co-author legislation in the Senate. If passed, Pitzer’s Student Senate would be the first student government in the Claremont Colleges to allow such involvement from non-senators.

The amendment, which was introduced on Sept. 24, outlines formal types of legislation for proposal, including resolutions and bills, and specifies protocols for a “cooling off” period, which mandates a one week gap between proposing bills and voting on them.

A previous proposition, Prop 60, spurred the creation of 60-A-2. This bill encouraged Pitzer’s student body to engage with the Senate by allowing two to four students to propose ways to use funds from the Senate’s reserve fund. According to Senator Annie Voss PZ ’26, of $128,000 in the fund rolled-over from previous fiscal years, $5,000 is currently available.

While Lue Khoury PZ ’25 stated that Prop 60 was groundbreaking and represented a significant step forward for the college, she also felt that it revealed a larger issue within

the Senate.

“It caught my attention as the first framework allowing students to write legislation,” Khory said. “However, the limitation was that it was the only avenue for such engagement.”

Voss expressed a similar sentiment, noting that the controversy surrounding Prop 60 became a flashpoint for larger conversations about making the Senate more accessible to and representative of various groups on campus.

To address these issues, Pitzer’s Student Senate proposed Prop 60A-1, and when that proposition wasn’t passed, they proposed a revised proposition, Prop 60A-2. Both of these proposed for non-Senators to be credited as authors or sponsors of Senate legislation. By opening up the legislative process to non-senators, the amendments aimed to broaden representation, thereby fostering a more inclusive and equitable system.

“Our Student Senate shouldn’t just be open to everyone at Pitzer; it should actively invite students to team up with their reps and

CMS DOMINATES RIVALRY WEEKEND Football CMS 30-20 P-P Volleyball CMS 3-0 P-P Men’s soccer CMS 2-1 P-P Women’s soccer CMS 0-0 P-P

See SENATE on page 2

SEE PAGES 9-10

SASHA MATTHEWS • THE STUDENT LIFE

Amendment 60-A-2, which seeks to allow non-Senators to co-author legislation within the Pitzer Senate, sparked controversy among students.

5C students showcase summer work at research symposiums EMMY ANDERSON & ELLIE URFRIG Clean energy for families, the evolution of women’s health, the effects of access to television on vaccination rates: these three topics might seem to have little in common, but they share one important feature — they were all the subjects of student summer research highlighted at the 5C symposiums.

This summer, students across the 5Cs received school funding to complete research projects on everything from creative writing to physics to climate science. Students from Scripps College, Pomona College and Harvey Mudd College (HMC) presented the culmination of their research in various symposiums throughout the month of September.

At Scripps, students showcased their research during the school’s weekly tea on Sept. 27.

Zoe Wellick SC ’23 completed her research through Denison Library’s Arthur Vining Davis intern program. She spent the summer studying the history of women’s employment in the textile industry and its health effects.

“I just wanted to take a topic that I was interested in and hadn’t actually learned a lot about and go my own way with it,” Wellick said. As a

EMMY ANDERSON • THE STUDENT LIFE

Students at the 5Cs presented their summer research at various symposiums across the colleges.

creative writing major, she had not previously taken any classes relating to her research, but a full summer of immersion in it allowed her to explore her interests outside of graduation requirements.

Mirabella Miller SC ’24 spoke

highly of her experience doing research, adding that the application process was easy and that the support Scripps gave, mostly in the form of weekly check-ins with her advisor, was just the right blend of helpful and hands-off.

ARTS & CULTURE Read about four Pitzer students who were inspired by their closets of unworn clothes and a shared vision of sustainability to start a club focused on reworking garments called “Future Under Fire.”

The student newspaper of the Claremont Colleges since 1889

Miller received the Esterly Award to support the completion of her summer project: the expansion of a short story into a 30,000 word short novel.

“There is funding for creative projects, which I found really

OPINIONS

helpful as someone who wants to be a practicing writer or artist,” Miller noted.

At Pomona, an online exhibition from Sept. 18 to 20 and an in-person one on Sept. 21 showcased the different topics students explored over the summer.

This year, the Summer Undergraduate Research Program featured 140 students and 80 faculty.

Andy Schuster, grants administrator at Pomona, said the program’s goal was to allow students in every field to work closely with faculty.

“Research in the summer can be more time-intensive, productive and rewarding because students can more easily focus on their research as a ‘full time’ commitment,” Shuster told TSL via email.

HMC’s symposium took place on Sept. 21. 127 students and 44 faculty worked together to complete research in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.

Nilay Pangrekar HM ’24 worked in the RESIST lab over the summer, studying clean ways to heat residential buildings home to more than one family in cold climates. He thoroughly enjoyed the experience, particularly his interactions with his faculty advisor and fellow student researchers.

See SYMPOSIUM on page 3 SPORTS

Guest writer Klara Jacobs PZ ‘24 gives a realistic take on what studying abroad looks like for 5C students on financial aid and calls on Pitzer’s study abroad office for increased accessibility.

The Stags faced off against the Sagehens last weekend in a Sixth Street rivalry contest with major SCIAC championship implications. After jumping out to an early 14-0 lead, the Stags staved off a Hens comeback to secure the victory.

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

News

PAGE 2

October 6, 2023

Support, community, SENATE: Prop 60-A-2 gets mixed advocacy: A look into the reception from IDEAS mentoring program community Continued from page 1 create real change on campus,” Lila Feldmann PZ ’24 et al. stated in Amendment 60-1-A’s draft.

Ultimately, due to concerns within the Senate that this new policy might water down the responsibilities of elected officials, as well as to a failure of meeting attendees to recognize a “cooling-off period” for the legislation, 60-A-1 did not pass.

Then, on Sept. 24, 60-A-2, a revised version of the amendment, was introduced. For reasons similar to those cited in 60-A-1’s failure to pass, Amendment 60-A-2 has been met with mixed reactions from students and senators.

To Voss, the amendment has the potential to foster inclusivity within the Senate.

“Even if the amendment passes and no student ends up co-authoring any legislation, the point is that the option is there,” Voss said. “It sends a message that Senate spaces are not the exclusive domain of a select few but are open to the student body we aim to represent.”

Moreover, she stated that the newly proposed amendment would set a precedent for governance structures at the 5Cs. While some colleges allow student input in legislative processes, full authorship rights for non-senators are relatively rare. Should this amendment pass, it would set Pitzer apart from the rest of the 5Cs. “[Pitzer] wield[s] a substantial budget and influence,” Voss said.

“Our professors and administrators listen to us. We’re already deeply embedded in various campus committees, so it makes sense that we’d be the ones to innovate again. I hope other Student Senates across the country will take a cue from us.”

With both strong supporters and opponents, Senate meetings from Sep. 17 to 24 saw students arguing over these amendments and their implications.

“Frankly, I was taken aback by the intensity,” Khoury said. “Emotions ran high because, let’s face it, it’s hard not to take criticism personally, especially when your ideas are under scrutiny. The challenge is in separating the idea from the person proposing it.”

Despite this challenge, Khoury said students were eventually able to work together and obtain unanimous support for the proposal. Khoury said their collaboration is evident in the long list of authors on the revised amendment.

“It’s a marked improvement from the original draft, which was crafted by only a few individuals,” Khoury said. “Now that we have more time and input, I feel optimistic we’re moving towards a consensus.”

Still, several key issues continue to drive a divide. Accountability remains a significant concern; opposers who declined to speak on the record with TSL argued in Senate meetings that allowing non-senators to be listed as authors could weaken the integrity of elected representation. Quality control is another matter; these opposers questioned how well non-senators understand parliamentary procedure and effective governance.

With this in mind, Voss expressed her desire for more students to engage with the Senate beyond writing legislation. Recently, she received permission to send out weekly Senate bulletins. These emails are designed to keep students abreast of key discussions, approved motions and important takeaways from Senate sessions. The initiative emphasizes the importance of student input, which is actively encouraged and considered vital.

“Our Senate isn’t some ego club; we’re here to represent you,” Voss said. “By following these updates, you can stay informed and make your voice heard. Trust me — once you know what’s happening, you’ll want to get involved.”

As the Pitzer community awaits the final verdict on the debated Amendment 60-A-2, one thing is for sure: It has set the campus abuzz with debate and discussion. If approved, the outcome will be communicated in the weekly Senate update distributed to the Pitzer student body.

SASHA MATTHEWS • THE STUDENT LIFE

ESHA CHAMPSI • THE STUDENT LIFE

Mariana Acevedo PO ‘24 and Verrels Eugeneo PO ‘25, two mentors from the Improving Dreams, Equality, Access, and Success (IDEAS) mentoring program, reflect on how the program has impacted them and their comunity on campus.

NITYA GUPTA Be it through 5K runs, retreats or career advice, undocumented and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) students at the Claremont Colleges come together to build community as part of the Improving Dreams, Equality, Access and Success (IDEAS) mentoring program.

As the mentoring counterpart of the 5C IDEAS club, the program focuses on peer-to-peer mentorship, community building and advocating for support and resources for undocumented and DACA students.

This year, the head mentors for the group are Mariana Acevedo PO ’24, Verrels Eugeneo PO ’25 and Fernando Cano PO ’24.

Modeled after the DREAM Resource Center at UCLA, the IDEAS mentorship program was originally fully student-run.

However, several years ago, it became a part of the Cultural Communities and Mentor Programs (CCMP) at Pomona College, said Acevedo. This means the mentorship program is now subject to the college’s oversight and that mentors can be paid for their work, as they are employed by the school.

Eugeneo has been part of the IDEAS mentoring program since he got to campus. This year, he was inspired to take on the role of head mentor to provide guidance and support to people from backgrounds similar to his own.

“I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to be placed in a position to succeed,” he said in an email to TSL. Echoing Eugeneo, Acevedo said that she enjoys organizing events and creating a space for

undocumented and DACAmented students on campus. This year, the group wants to increase communication with faculty and staff, who can advocate for increased resources and support for the immigrant community, Acevedo said.

“With increased visibility, people will be aware of our existence and anyone identifying as undocumented/DACAmented will know that we are a resource and a possible community for them, whether or not they want to be a mentee or a mentor,” she said.

Another goal of the program is to continue building community and support mentees through personal, professional and academic endeavors, according to Eugeneo.

They plan to do this by holding various events and workshops throughout the semester.

One of their biggest events is the 5K Dream Run, in collaboration with the IDEAS club. The race is held during “Undocuweek” in April, a week full of events for undocumented students. The run is open to all and the funds raised are used to fund scholarships for undocumented students.

The IDEAS mentor program also hosts social events like a roller-skate get-to-know-you mixer and various community building retreats, as well as hosting speakers to talk about career paths and resources for undocumented students.

According to Eugeneo and Acevedo, the biggest challenge the program faces is finding members, due to the sensitivity of the issue.

“Due to privacy reasons, [Pomona College] is not able to tell us who is undocumented/DACAmented and it is hard to know which students we can best support,” Eugeneo said.

This year, however, their membership has greatly surpassed that of previous years. Acevedo attributes this to the success of online advertising and posters they put up throughout the campus.

Another challenge the mentorship program faces is determining how private the group should be, as some members are not comfortable with sharing their status.

“There is a sentiment that we should be completely private and work underground,” Acevedo said. ”We are trying to understand if that sentiment comes from the group itself or if it has been projected onto us.”

Although Acevedo initially took a leadership position because she was one of the only members with work authorization, she said that her role as a leader has allowed her to make connections and hone certain skills like communication, organization and planning.

“Being part of IDEAS has provided me with a great community during my college career,” Acevedo said. “It also has helped me make connections with people who can help me when I am in need of a resource or advice.”

Eugeno said the group has helped him embrace his identity and heritage.

“It has encouraged me to take pride in my cultural background and contribute positively to both my community and society at large,” he said. “Ultimately, it has instilled in me the determination to overcome obstacles and not let my immigration status define my potential.”

This is the second article in a series profiling 5C-wide affinity groups on campus.

Students interested in joining IDEAS mentoring program can reach out to them directly or come to their events.

Ms. Magazine executives discuss feminist movement journalism at the Ath SARA CAWLEY On Tuesday night, 5C community members gathered at Claremont McKenna College’s (CMC) Athenaeum for a panel about the impact of Ms. Magazine, a feminist magazine on gender equity co-founded by Gloria Steinem in 1971, feminist movement journalism and intersectional storytelling.

The panel had three members of Ms. Magazine’s executive and advisory board: Carmen Rios, the consulting digital editor at Ms. Magazine, Linda Perkins, director of Applied Gender Studies at Claremont Graduate University and member of Ms. Magazine’s scholar board, and Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, Executive Director of Strategy and Partnerships at Ms. Magazine.

The Mgrublian Center co-sponsored the event with CMC’s Women and Leadership Alliance.

Wendy Lower, a professor of history and director of the Mgrublian Center at CMC, chose to bring the conversation to campus to promote discourse around the violation of “women’s privacy, freedom and bodily integrity.”

“For me, the event was inspired by an urgent need to return to a form of consciousness raising, similar to the late 1960s feminist approach to sharing stories, learning and unifying,” Lower said in an email to TSL. The event was a stop on the tour for Ms. Magazine’s newest book, “50 Years of Ms.: The Best of the Pathfinding Magazine That Ignited a Revolution.”

All three of the panelists emphasized the pioneering quality of Ms. Magazine as a key component of its impact on feminism over the

ANDREW YUAN • THE STUDENT LIFE

On Tuesday, Claremont McKenna College hosted a panel about feminist magazine Ms. Magazine and its impact on gender equity, feminist movement journalism, and intersectional storytelling.

several decades. Rios highlighted her amazement at the trailblazing quality of the magazine’s earliest pieces, citing that they were published in a time “when abortion [was] illegal and spousal rape [was] not against the law.”

“The reality we have now was literally made possible by these people and their words, their intellectual leadership and their activist leadership, and to just think that without Ms., that void in the conversation, it’s a question how else it would’ve gotten filled,” Rios said.

Perkins said that it was her personal passion for the magazine’s content that has made it such an important part of her life.

“I was in graduate school when it came out,” Perkins said.

“It just really spoke to me, because I was a feminist and here is this magazine that addressed the kind of issues that I was concerned with. I’ve read it ever since.”

Rios said that Ms. Magazine’s formal stance as a feminist publication drew her to her role as a digital editor. She appreciated

that it’s a journalistic enterprise with a “point of view,” not one “attempting to pretend that it doesn’t have a point of view.”

In a similar sentiment, she shared that Ms. Magazine differs from mainstream journalism in that it doesn’t require cooperating with “both sides” of an argument when “only one side is factually accurate, or only one side of the argument respects the dignity and the lives of all people.”

“You don’t have to entertain the notion that there’s a debate about women’s personhood or

the full equality of people of all races and ethnicities, or the full personhood of queer and trans people, when you open its pages,” Rios said.

Attendee Nymisha Desai PZ ’25 agreed with Rios, noting that the panelist didn’t say people shouldn’t have compassion for “both sides.”

“She just meant that in the sense of when it comes to journalism, doing something quote-unquote objectively or telling every side of the story in a nonpartisan way is not necessarily something that should be put on a pedestal,” Desai told TSL. The panelists pointed out that Ms. Magazine’s nonprofit status, meaning they rely on philanthropic funds instead of profits from commercial advertisements, reinforces its practice of “good faith” journalism. Weiss-Wolf contrasted this against leading media outlets that “do not know how to report on the degradation of our democracy.”

“To have feminist journalism, independent journalism, nonprofit journalism correcting the record I think is extremely important, if not essential,” she said.

The session ended with an open mic Q&A, where an audience member asked how male allies can better support the movement for gender equity. In response, Rios pointed out that identifying as a feminist is not enough.

“The problem is often that men are not being quite loud enough about their support for feminism, they’re not showing up,” Rios said.

“Feminism always has to be a verb, it has to be active, feminism is not just a state of mind, it’s about how we live, it’s about what we do, it’s about the actions we take.”

News

October 6, 2023

PAGE 3

Scripps new transfers placed off-campus speak out on ResLife’s lack of transparency COURTNEY CHEN & CRYSTAL WIDADO Since the start of the 2023-2024 academic year, transfer students at Scripps College have reported dissatisfaction with their placement in off-campus housing at the Claremont Collegiate Apartments (CCA).

Expecting to be placed on campus, transfer students found themselves disconnected from the Scripps community without explanation, raising questions about the transparency of the Residence Life (ResLife) office.

Beatrix Karambis SC ’26, who transferred to Scripps this semester from UC Santa Barbara, told TSL that she wanted to live on campus to feel close to her peers after transferring from a large university.

After ResLife told Karambis to join a waitlist for rooms on campus, Karambis said she and her mother were later informed that transfer students were placed in predetermined housing to create instant bonding between those navigating a new environment.

While on the waitlist, Karambis was frustrated to learn that other transfer students had been automatically placed on campus, even though she had been told that this was not possible.

“I knew two transfers who were assigned to a quad, but they only put two people in the quad and it had two rooms and just had a ton of extra space,” Karambis said.

“So I knew a lot of people who had open spaces but ResLife is telling me that they’re full, and it just seemed very unclear.”

Scripps’ ResLife did not respond to TSL’s inquiry on why s o m e t r a n s f e r s we r e p l a c e d off-campus by the time of publication.

For these Scripps transfer students, being off campus has posed many challenges to making new friends and connecting with the Claremont community, in addition to the difficulties inherent to adjusting to a new school.

Saylor Cole SC ’26, a transfer student from The New School in New York City, said that she considered CCA an upgrade and didn’t mind her living situation.

Still, Cole said she faced challenges befriending people outside of her transfer group.

“So, that’s great that I have [transfer friends], but I really don’t

WENDY ZHANG • THE STUDENT LIFE

New transfer students at Scripps expressed frustration with Scripps ResLife after being placed in off-campus housing.

feel like I’ve met almost anybody that’s a [non-transfer] sophomore at Scripps,” Cole said. “I do appreciate having met all the other transfers and then giving us an effort, making an effort to have us meet each other because it’s helped.”

As her living situation at her previous college required daily commutes, Cole said she joined Scripps for a close-knit community. However, living off campus has acted as a barrier during her transition process at Scripps.

“I do think I would have preferred to live on campus and I feel like we have a valid reason to want to live on campus as we’re trying to adjust to the school,” Cole added.

Asha Jain SC ’25, a transfer student from American University in Washington, D.C., also said she was frustrated with the commute necessary while living

at CCA. Carmen Brown, Scripps assistant dean and director of campus life, told TSL via email that CCA is “within walking distance to campus” and Scripps “provide[s] a free shuttle for students.”

H o we ve r, b o t h J a i n a n d Karambis reported feeling unsafe commuting back to their apartments, especially alone.

Jain said that the shuttle is inconsistent and is rarely on time.

“Not only is it isolated, but they also just make it really challenging to live here,” Jain said.

When Jain emailed ResLife over the summer regarding living off-campus, she said she received a description of CCA’s living situation that did not match her experience. Jain said the email from ResLife told her she would have access to an engaged residential community

of college students, daily shuttle service, on-site Residential Coordinator and direct access to botanical gardens.

California Botanical Gardens, which is affiliated with the Claremont Colleges, adjoins CCA to the east. Admission is $6 with a student ID. Maya Weigel-Murphy SC ’25, who transferred from San Francisco State University, is one of the three Scripps transfer students placed on campus.

“I love the campus culture here and I feel definitely way more connected than I think I would if I lived off campus,” Weigel-Murphy added.

Weigel-Murphy, Jain, Cole and Karambis all questioned the decision to put some transfers at CCA and others on campus without clear communication between the students and administration. Jain said she felt

unsupported throughout the process, while Karambis said she was confused by Scripps’ decision.

“I think it’s just really weird to put almost all the transfers off campus. That just seems like a weird choice to me in the first place,” Karambis said. “It seems like a systematic problem.”

Still, the months-long backand-forth between transfers and administrators has started leading to solutions. After her housing request was pending for over two months, Karambis said she was able to move onto campus this past week, which is “a win.”

“I really appreciate it finally working out,” Karambis said. “I’m not trying to just complain for the sake of complaining or anything.”

Cole and Jain, who have also engaged in extensive communication with ResLife, have yet to receive more clarity on their living situations.

SYMPOSIUM: Students collaborate with professors on research projects Continued from page 1 “I see my future in the area of modeling heat transfer and the research very much aligned with that goal,” Pangrekar added in an email to TSL. Katherine Van Heuvelen, R. Michael Shanahan professor of chemistry at HMC and one of the program’s administrators, underscored the value HMC places on summer research.

“Participating in research helps students transition from studying science to being scientists as they investigate cutting-edge questions and create new knowledge in collaboration with their peers and with a faculty mentor,” Van Heuvelen told TSL via email. She added that summer research has been conducted at HMC since the school’s creation and the department is committed to its continuation.

Claremont McKenna College (CMC) summer research projects are currently highlighted on their website, though the school has not yet hosted a symposium of its own. According to the site,

projects from this summer included the nation-state’s effect on personal identity, which familial structures best protect children’s rights and a study of algae to understand the effects of climate change, among others.

At CMC, summer research focuses particularly on cultivating student-faculty relationships: This summer, 14 faculty members worked alongside only 27 students to complete research in both humanities and STEM disciplines.

Professor Adrienne Martin, director of summer research at CMC, spoke highly of the opportunities afforded students by the program.

“The goal of the SRP is to provide students with an opportunity that is rare, at the undergraduate level: to immerse themselves full-time in a research project and a research community,” Martin told TSL via email.

Miller expressed her gratitude for the summer research programs present at the 5Cs. “I would encourage anybody who has a [summer research] project in the back of their heads to just go ahead and apply for it and lean into it,” Miller said.

Corrections In Issue 3, the clues in Dania’s Crossword were cut off, making the puzzle impossible to complete.

TSL regrets the error.

THE STUDENT LIFE Senior Staff EMMA CONSTABLE, Production Editor JAKE CHANG, News Designer ISHA RAHEJA, A&C Designer AIDAN MA, Opinions Designer

MADELEINE SHIMKUS, Sports Designer AARON MATSUOKA, Copy Chief ANNALISE CHANG, Copy Chief EMMA JENSEN, Photo Editor

ANDREW YUAN, Photo Editor SASHA MATTHEWS, Graphics Editor ANNABELLE INK, News Editor SARA CAWLEY, News Editor

REIA LI, News Associate ZOE SOKATCH, News Editoral Assistant TANIA AZHANG, Arts & Culture Editor CARTER SOE, Arts & Culture Editor

Editorial Board MAXINE DAVEY, Editor-in-Chief MARIANA DURAN, Managing Editor BEN LAUREN, Managing Editor MAYA ZHAN, Arts & Culture Associate DANIA ANABTAWI, Opinions Editor KAHANI MALHOTRA, Opinions Editor ANSLEY WASHBURN, Sports Editor

ADAM AKINS, Sports Editor HAROLD FUSON, Sports Editorial Assistant ELENA TOWNSEND-LERDO, Special Projects Editor INDIA CLAUDY, Special Projects Editor

EVANN PENN BROWN, DEI Editor RENEE TIAN, DEI Editor JOHN PAUL FERRANTINO, Public Editor KAI SIVASANKAR, Social Media Manager

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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.

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Arts & Culture

PAGE 4 FILM FILES

October 6, 2023

Five films, five countries Iran, “Taste of Cherry” (1997)

HANNAH ELIOT Last summer, I interned at a film company based in New York that promotes foreign films to American audiences. Over the course of the internship, I watched and researched hundreds of films from around the world, most of which were unknown to me.

It is natural to be intimidated by subtitles, but to limit ourselves to movies in our native language is a mistake. What I have come to value about foreign films is how — whether in the form of an unfamiliar language, setting or culture — they challenge us to sit with and reinvent our own understandings of what film can be and how it can make us feel. In this medium, artistic choices often feel heightened as we must overcome language barriers and identify with cultures that differ greatly from our own.

Here, I’ve compiled a list of five films from five different countries.

Some of the films on this list might be your thing; some of them might not be. But, hopefully, they will click for you as much as they do for me, or at least give you insight into what global cinema can offer.

France, “35 Shots of Rum” (2008) “35 Shots of Rum” is French director Claire Denis’ warmest film, an homage to Yasujiro Ozu’s “Late Spring” (1949). The film unfolds in an apartment building in Paris’s 18th arrondissement, home to widowed father Lionel (Alex Descas) and his university-aged daughter Joséphine (Mati Diop).

Calming, quiet shots linger on the pair, emphasizing the nonverbal intimacy between them. There is also Gabrielle (Nicole Dogué), an ex of Lionel’s who still longs for him, and Noé (Grégoire Colin), a moody bachelor with a crush on Joséphine.

In one of my favorite scenes, the four head out together one night

Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami’s “Taste of Cherry” is visual poetry. This quiet film follows a middle-aged Tehranian man, Mr. Badii (Homayoun Ershadi), who has decided to kill himself, a sin under Islam. Driving around the outskirts of the city, Badii meets with different people, asking them to take on the job of burying him. Kiarostami pairs long tracking shots of a car moving along a dusty road with deep philosophical conversations about existence. You will either find this movie incredibly boring or deeply comforting. For me, it is the latter.

Japan, “Tampopo” (1985)

NORA WU • THE STUDENT LIFE

to attend a concert. Gabrielle’s car breaks down and to get out of the rain, they escape into a Jamaican café. Noé cuts in on a father-daughter dance between Lionel and Joséphine to “Night Shift” by the Commodores. The dynamics of the group shift before their very eyes — and our own. What I love most about this film is how real it feels. There is no climax, but change gradually comes in one way or another as the characters move quietly through their lives.

great performances from its cast of mostly non-professional actors.

Filmed on location in Rio’s poorest neighborhoods, it documents the fictional lives of kids growing up in the favelas, from José “Zé” Pequeno (Douglas Silva), an ambitious drug dealer, to Rocket (Phellipe Haagensen), an amateur photographer whose photos of the drug-related violence in his neighborhood are used by Zé to rise to fame. “City of God” is a technical triumph — breathtaking and brutal.

Brazil, “City of God” (2002)

Taiwan, “Millennium Mambo” (2001)

“City of God,” which might be the most well known film on this list, offers a visceral look at life in the slums of Rio de Janeiro from the 1960s to the 1980s. The film’s approach to representing violence is incredible, packaging its brutality with tight editing and

MOMENTS TO SAVOR

Caffeination meditation EMILY KIM

October is undoubtedly my favorite month of the year. The weather cools down, people trade their T-shirts for cozy, oversized sweaters and pumpkins start popping up in craft stores — for the purposes of carving, decorating and more.

With the arrival of October also comes midterm season. Yet the other day, I was sipping a latte in Frary and going over an anthropology reading when I suddenly smiled.

“It’s midterm season… and still, I’m enjoying myself,” I thought.

As I lifted the steaming mug to my lips, I was reminded of my firstyear self who would guzzle down four shots of espresso before frantically pulling an all-nighter in Lincoln Hall (I actually wrote a TSL piece about this). This midterm season, even though I was a little stressed about the work I had to do, I felt rather peaceful. Importantly, I didn’t feel like I needed an exorbitant amount of caffeine to make it through.

I realized at this moment that my coffee habits had indeed changed since my first year of college. While I still drink coffee (and according to some of my friends, I still drink “a lot”), it is almost always for pleasure rather than the caffeine. As I sat in Frary, rather than focusing on the reading in front of me, I started analyzing my coffee consumption from the beginning of the semester up until now. I soon realized, to my amusement, that I now associate certain drinks with sweet moments that characterize my college experience.

For example, cold brew for me now signals early morning productivity. On most weekday mornings, you can find me at Malott, laptop open, sipping my way through a tall glass of the smooth, rich, amber liquid. As I peruse my to-do list for the day I may feel overwhelmed, but the cold brew helps me focus and start tackling, one at a time, all the things I have yet to get done.

Cappuccinos symbolize friendship. On Tuesday mornings, instead of Malott, I make my way to Café 47 right at 7 a.m. My friend recently started working the morning shift and so I go bright and early to be one of the first faces she sees. A silly routine, indeed (and even for an early-riser like myself, it’s incredibly early), but oh how I look forward to my Tuesday morning cappuccino

made by the one and only Eliana Yi PO ’24.

Lavender lattes from the library coffee shop are motivators when I am in the trenches of essay-writing. After sitting on the third floor cranking out a paper for hours, nothing is better than taking a trip down to the first floor and returning with a floral-forward beverage to wake up my taste buds, tickle my nose and motivate myself to write that concluding paragraph.

And last but not least, Norema Cafe’s cold brew with sea salt cream is a special treat when I trek down to the Claremont Village after a particularly long week. I tiredly step into the cozy space and am immediately greeted by the owner who recognizes me as the “cold brew girl” (I frequented Norema while tour-guiding at Pomona the summer after my freshman year). In mere minutes, I dip my lips in sweet, pillowy cream before washing it down with a refreshing gulp of cold brew. There is truly no better way to begin the weekend.

Throughout various moments of junior year thus far, then, coffee has been a loyal sidekick. It is sweet to see how coffee plays a different role than it did during my freshman year. Rather than just being a vehicle for caffeine, enabling me to study and study and study until I ultimately crash, it has truly been a beverage of pleasure, accompanying me along the steady rhythms of school. Even in more intense moments, I can enjoy myself.

So as we ride the stressful wave of midterm season, I hope that coffee can be more than just study fuel. Visit a friend working at a coffee shop. Stroll down to Norema, tell the owner that the “cold brew girl” sent you and that you are intrigued by this cold foam with sea salt cream. For us coffee lovers, coffee serves a purpose beyond just fuel. Even as we prepare for midterms, I hope we can all discover its delight.

Emily Kim PO ’25 is from Irvine, California. She has recently started listening to the Animal Crossing soundtrack while studying and swears that it enhances her productivity.

Hou Hsiao-hsien’s “Millennium Mambo” is a slow but mesmerizing movie. It also has one of the best uses of electronic music I’ve ever heard. The film does not adhere to a linear timeline. Time is circular and fractured, marking

Hannah Eliot SC ’24 is from San Francisco, California. She likes to surf and is always looking for more films to watch.

FASHION BIBLE

So you want to thrift in Claremont LISA GORELIK

Hey Claremont, want to go thrifting? Did you know that our very own Claremont Village is the perfect vintage clothing destination? Maybe you have never been thrifting, and you’re wondering what the big deal is around shopping vintage. Why can’t we just stick to buying retail?

When you buy vintage, you’re investing in unique pieces that are usually not available for purchase on the retail market. Vintage pieces from the 70s, 80s, 90s and the 2000s are not produced anymore and, in my opinion, the modern remakes almost always miss the mark.

Another important aspect of shopping vintage is sustainability and the reduction of textile waste. By buying secondhand clothing that is already in circulation, you are avoiding investing money in mass-produced fast fashion.

If we as a collective refuse to invest in fast fashion, then we can push back against the giant corporations that produce these garments.

Thrifting is also much more affordable than buying retail, and, if you’re lucky, there’s always a chance that you can find brand new, unworn pieces.

So what is the point of paying double the price for a T-shirt that has been mass-produced when you can buy the same item for a fraction of the original price? A lower price point also allows you to experiment more with your style, as you don’t have to pay a fortune for clothing that may be a little out of your comfort zone. And, if you end up not wearing them, you can always donate them to charity, sell them or return them to the thrift store.

Are you convinced that thrifting is not only going to help you explore your style without breaking the break, but also cut down on the waste and emissions surrounding fast fashion? Then let’s take a look at some of the best local thrift shops in Claremont and find the one that would best suit your fashion needs.

Deelux: 224 N. Yale Ave

MAZZY ROSENAST • THE STUDENT LIFE

the uncertainty of the new millennium for Vicky (Shu Qi), a beautiful club girl who keeps going back to her amateur DJ boyfriend, Hao-Hao (Tuan Chun-hao). In a haze of fluorescent club lights, cigarette smoke and throbbing electronica, she floats through her empty life in the metropolis of Taipei. New York Times critic Elvis Mitchell wrote in his 2003 review that “the insistence of high-throb electronica calls out to Vicky, so that she pounds the thoughts out of her head.” This is not a perfect film — there is no such thing. Qi’s performance as Vicky lacks depth, which sometimes works for her emotionally remote character and sometimes does not. However, what is deeply remarkable about “Millennium Mambo” is how Hou Hsiao-Hsien uses this unlikely muse to explore the hope and malaise of an entire country confronting the new millennium.

“Tampopo” is a “ramen western”

by Japanese director Juzo Itami, in which a pair of truck drivers encounter a roadside restaurant selling ramen noodles. The widowed owner, Tampopo, begs them to help her turn her shop into the perfect ramen restaurant. This story is interspersed with vignettes set around Tokyo.

Itami’s film bends genre, alternating between comedy and romance to show both the innocence and sensuality of food culture. While “Tampopo” is the oldest film on this list, its color grading, cinematography and original screenplay more than stand the test of time.

In the age of digital distribution, American audiences now have unprecedented access to foreign films and television. This presents us with the opportunity to look past the cultural myopia of Hollywood; to foster empathy and reinforce our interconnectedness on a global scale.

Just as Bong Joon-Ho aptly said upon receiving his Golden Globe for “Parasite”: “I think we use just one language — the cinema.”

Deelux caters to a wide range of aesthetics, from true 60s vintage to boho, streetwear and modern pieces from the past five or so years. Personally, I go to Deelux when I am looking for interesting tops and blouses from the 90s and 2000s, and I have thrifted some of my favorite bags and shoes from there, too.

This thrift store has the largest range of items. In addition

MAX RANNEY • THE STUDENT LIFE

to clothing, they carry accessories such as scarves, hats, sunglasses, jewelry and bags, as well as shoes. There is also a section of non-secondhand products on sale such as novelty items, candles, cards and mugs, which serve as great birthday presents for your friends.

Item pricing varies based on brand and condition. This store has a section of designer and brand clothing, shoes, bags and accessories that usually go for $50 plus. Sometimes, these pieces are in perfect condition and are at much lower price than the original, so the investment could be worth it if you are looking for more high-end items. However, most garments and accessories such as pants, shirts, dress, skirts and bags go for anywhere between $10-$40.

Vintage Odyssey: 201 W. Bonita Ave Vintage Odyssey is the best store if you are looking for a Y2K or 90s vibe. This store has an authentic, hand-picked selection of items from those eras that are in great condition.

Vintage Odyssey also carries a small selection of graphic tees, but they have a smaller men’s section than Deelux.

Although this thrift store is the smallest out of the three on this list, they still carry some accessories, jewelry and bags. The highlights of their collection are trousers, coats and a wide range of jewelry. There is also a section of antiques and glassware, as well as some retail products like sunglasses and hair accessories.

My favorite aspect of Vintage Odyssey is their price point. This

store definitely has the lowest prices, with trousers and dresses going for around $20. So, if you’re looking for authentic vintage on a budget, definitely head on over here.

Replay Vintage: 516 W. First St Replay Vintage caters more to the streetwear, Western and biker aesthetics, with apparel usually being from the 90s and earlier.

This store has the widest men’s selection, and the vibe of the store will make you feel like you have been transported to the Wild West.

Here you will find vintage biker jackets, Harley-Davidson shirts, cowboy boots and workwear trousers. There is also an amazing selection of new sunglasses and silver jewelry, as well as belts and hats. If you are looking for a warm jacket for the upcoming winter season, this is the place for you.

This thrift store has the highest price range out of the three, with most items priced above $30. Although their collection is amazing, I have sometimes felt that the prices are a little unjustified. However, there is also a sale section, so with a little bit of digging, you can find something that is a little more affordable.

Why not plan a day out with your friends to grab coffee and indulge in some thrifting in the Village? Support our local, family-owned businesses whilst also upping your fashion game and looking incredible in someone’s grandad’s clothes.

Elizaveta (Lisa) Gorelik CM’25 is from Moscow, Russia. She is a proud owner of a vintage Harley Davidson t-shirt collection.

October 6, 2023 HIDDEN GEMS

Arts & Culture

PAGE 5

In Titaua Peu’s ‘Pina,’ Tahiti isn’t paradise NATALIE ORTIZ

For many, the islands of Polynesia are little more than vacation destinations. Beyond the beaches and sunny weather, however, many of these islands have histories of colonization and exploitation that continue to affect their indigenous populations.

“Pina,” the first novel by Tahitian author Titaua Peu to be translated into English, deals with the darker side of life in Tahiti.

The titular Pina is a nine-year-old girl with an abusive alcoholic father, eight siblings and a mother who hates her for not being born a boy. Despite her youth, she already knows the world is unfair. She recognizes, for example, that her mother favors her sister Rosa, despite her laziness, because she has lighter skin and hair. She also identifies that the Tahiti shown in postcards is not the Tahiti she knows: “sweet sights, visions of a paradise that was only in the brochures that people sometimes tried to sell her …

Pretty pictures that Pina kept in the back of her mind, that more often than not were erased, shoved aside, by other pictures, real ones, pictures she had actually lived.”

Even though the book is named

after her, I would not call Pina the protagonist; in fact, Pina herself does surprisingly little and serves mostly as an observer. Instead, “Pina” is about her family as a whole and is told from several different points of view.

Her family’s relative stability is shattered early on when the father, Auguste, is rendered comatose after a car crash. Pina’s mother uses this as an opportunity to look for love elsewhere, but the reprieve from her reality of domestic violence is only temporary. Auguste wakes up and

is even more violent than before, to the point where he becomes a serial killer — initially targeting local men that pimp out underage Tahitian girls to white tourists, he soon goes after anyone he deems “dirty.”

Auguste comes from a family of indigenous warriors who resisted white colonizers. His experiences of racism are shown through flashbacks: “It was there that Auguste came into the real world. A world that he could tell was unfair, where men, those of his race, of his land, were never to be masters again,

SASHA MATTHEWS • THE STUDENT LIFE

not even of themselves.” His fury against white men consumes him, and he takes it out on his wife and children.

At its best, “Pina” is deeply engrossing. I was never bored, and there were times when I felt the need to tell my friends about it because I thought it was too impressive to keep to myself.

A lot happens, much of it unpleasant. There are murders, terrorist attacks, political demonstrations, numerous sexual assaults and homophobic hate crimes. The narrative jumps between viewpoints, time periods and locations, so I sometimes felt lost.

On one hand, this compelled me to keep turning the pages because I wanted to know where Peu would take the story next. On the other hand, it’s easy to get lost, and some might feel overwhelmed by the sheer darkness of the story.

There are also a lot of characters that are hard to keep to track of.

Chapters about Hannah — Pina’s older sister who lives in France — just confused me since they felt detached from everything else.

However, other characters are excellently fleshed out. I especially

enjoyed reading the sections that humanize Pina’s parents, even as they do terrible things.

Peu’s prose is a delight to read. It pulled me in from the first few pages and crackles with energy throughout.

The language is generally blunt, but there are moments of terrible sadness and beauty, such as this scene where Pina seeks comfort from her mother: “She was looking off in the distance, over the old flame trees, and for the first time, her lips whispered ‘mommy,’ with so much quiet and pain.

She thought hard about the word.

Mommy. It was the prettiest word God had ever made up and that the wind had ever carried.”

As the book goes on, things get more and more intense, culminating in a shocking climax — and a disappointing ending. It seems Peu wanted to end the novel on an uplifting note after all the preceding brutality, but it undoes the emotional impact of what came just before. It feels a little too neat – cheap even.

Despite this criticism, “Pina” is an extraordinary achievement from an important writer who will hopefully be translated more widely in the future. I would not hesitate to call it one of the best books I read in the past year.

‘Still Working 9 to 5’: The progress and future for working women ZOE DORADO & JOANNA LAM On Sept. 28, Claremont Graduate University (CGU) hosted the co-director and co-producer, Gary Lane, and executive producer, Larry Lane, of the 1980 American comedy, “9 to 5,” for a Q&A panel on the film’s inspirations and legacies.

The film centers on three female office workers who are so infuriated with their boss’ sexist behavior that they plot to kill him. Although the movie is a comedy, it raises serious questions about the sexist issues women in the workplace faced back then. Even now, after 40 years, the 2022 documentary “Still Working 9 to 5” continues to illuminate these problems.

The initial idea struck them when they saw the three stars of the original movie, “9 to 5,” — Dolly Parton, Lily Tomlin and Jane Fonda — together at the 2017 Emmys.

“It started all of this sequel talk, so I told [Larry], ‘I think it would be amazing because it’s been a movie, a song, a TV show, musical and now a sequel,’” Gary Lane said. “So, that’s initially what we wanted to make.”

Though the twins initially envisioned their creation as a sequel, they instead pivoted it into a documentary. They highlighted the

involvement of co-director and co-producer Camile Hardman, citing their conversations with female activists who worked to improve the condition of women in the workplace as crucial in shaping the documentary into its current state.

“So, we really wanted to follow the ‘9 to 5’ timeline with the working women’s timeline,” Gary Lane said. “We really wanted to take you guys on the journey and show you all that the issues of 1980 are still being dealt with in 2023.”

Q&A panel guest Zoe Nicholson was one of the female activists interviewed for the documentary. Nicholson is an author, speaker and proponent of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), a proposed amendment that would have prohibited discrimination based on sex. She shared her hope that people will continue pushing for equity.

“I hope you will speak up on behalf of all the women who have come before you and all the women who will come after you because we cannot get complacent in a circumstance where equity does not happen,” Nicholson said.

Despite this sentiment, the film also touches upon how cynicism has emerged among younger women. Attendee Gwen Mascha

CM ’25 described her connection to this theme.

“I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, but I don’t want to even try to uphold a legal system that is so incredibly corrupt and will really never protect me the way that I want it to,” Mascha said.

“I think that we all are trying to figure out a way to create solidarity in a way that’s not reflective of the government or the Constitution.”

Nicholson recognized the cynicism that emerges when national and global power structures don’t follow through. So, she suggests a different approach: go local.

“Start where your feet are, because that’s where you are,” Nicholson said. “I want you to go in a room and [ask]: Is equity in this room? That’s really what we have… That’s who we are – our neighborhoods and our families,” Nicholson said.

Adding to this idea, Scripps philosophy professor Susan Castagnetto pointed out how, once this local analysis is accomplished, it becomes possible to take a larger-scale approach.

“One might need to transform institutions across the country — education, workplace, immigration, the prison system,” she said.

Still, she believes political action becomes incredibly difficult

when cynicism persists among women. Castagnetto explained the ways this creates division amongst feminists, giving power back to dominant structures.

“But who benefits from the creation of the idea that there’s no point in being a feminist… no point in voting or whatever,” Castagnetto said. “Who’s benefiting from that?... The powers that be.”

CGU doctorate student Janice Poss agreed, claiming that disconnection and uncertainty prevent unity. She put forward her theory on how feminist thinkers should approach a world with shifting power dynamics.

“Because there’s a cacophony of voices that never had a chance to speak before, nobody can hear each other,” Poss said. “No longer is the world controlled by white men.

We’ve got to find our place, and we’re not sure [where], so we’re kind of reeling with what the world’s going to look like in 50 years.”

But while progress isn’t linear, Poss asserts that change is inevitable.

“Just when you want to give up, you gotta keep pushing forward,” Poss said. “Once you realize where the root [of the problem] is, then you can start fighting it. We’ve come far, but we have a long way to go.”

SASHA MATTHEWS • THE STUDENT LIFE

Exploring the nexus of oppression: WorldWe Youth 5C unravels the complexities of the sex trade JULIA SKAGGS CW: Discussion of sexual exploitation, violence, trauma “All of these oppressions — racism, sexism, transphobia, classism, colonialism, etc. — intersect to form and sustain the sex trade,” said Dahlia Locke PO ’25, president of WorldWe Youth 5C. WorldWe Youth 5C is the 5C chapter of the broader national anti-sex trafficking and sex trade abolition organization World Without Exploitation. Established last year, the club confronts the realities of the sex trade through education and discussions about the intricacies of the commercial sex industry, particularly in terms of who is involved and why.

Aligned with its core mission, WorldWe Youth 5C hosted their second Sex Trade 101 semi-interactive presentation and conversation on Oct. 3 at the Motley Coffeehouse.

Locke underlined the significance of the venue choice in creating an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for the event.

“The nature of holding an event versus a meeting allowed us to bring more people into the space who haven’t heard a lot about the issue, or are just interested in learning more,” Locke said. “The inviting history of the Motley facilitates a homey environment.”

Attendee Sofia Buntz SC ’25 also felt the setting of the coffeehouse allowed for a productive conversation.

“I felt like the Motley and the presenters helped facilitate a space where people could comfortably engage with the material, which was so important given its extreme gravity and sensitivity,” Buntz said.

World Without Exploitation’s Youth Coalition, which Locke cochairs, carefully crafted the curriculum for this event in collaboration with experts.

First, the presentation delved into a deconstruction of terms involving the sex trade using intentional senti-

WENDY ZHANG • THE STUDENT LIFE

Club leaders of the WorldWe Youth 5C hosted their second Sex Trade 101 semi-interactive presentation and conversation at Motley Coffeehouse on Oct. 3.

ment.

“Using survivor-centered language from the start is integral to setting the tone for the discussion and being inclusive of the majority of survivors’ experiences in the prostitution system,” Locke said.

Attendee Evelyn Lillemoe PZ ’25 was able to deepen her understanding of the lexicon associated with this complex dialogue.

“The discussion left me with a better understanding of the terminology surrounding sex trafficking,” Lillemoe said.

One of the central topics of discussion was disrupting the assumption that “sex work” is empowering.

“We use terms like the sex trade and prostituted people instead of ‘sex work’ and ‘sex workers’ to reflect the majority of experiences in the industry,” Lena Farley PO ’25, the club’s communications coordinator, said.

Locke talked about the importance of expanding the conversation to broader systemic issues rather than individuals.

“It’s really missing the point,”

Locke said. “People make decisions to survive. What’s really important is that we take a look at the broader structural inequalities at play.”

Locke made an intentional and careful point to reinforce that they are not trying to shame anyone involved in the industry.

“We are critiquing a system of exploitation here, not the exploited,” Locke said.

As an example, Farley cited a 2003 study that found 89 percent of individuals in nine countries wanted to escape prostitution, but did not have other options for survival.

Locke and Farley wanted to utilize this event to raise consciousness on the intersecting oppressive systems responsible for constructing and perpetuating sexual exploitation and violence. The presenters elevated a quote from Alisa Bernard, survivor of prostitution and policy expert: “Poverty is the best pimp.”

“By understanding how these oppressions shape the realities of the sex trade, we gain a better understanding of how to dismantle it,” Eloísa Tirres PO ’25, Outreach Coordinator at WorldWe Youth 5C, said.

The presentation then moved towards examining various policy initiatives and their potential myriad of harmful consequences.

Notably, club leaders pointed out flaws in the legalization and full decriminalization of the commercial sex industry.

“Legalization and full decriminalization policies predominantly serve exploiters,” Nayla Dayal SC ’25 said, the Intercollegiate Coordinator of WorldWe Youth 5C. “Within these policies, the sex trade expands as the demand for paid sex skyrockets and more women are coerced into prostitution to fill this heightened demand.”

Leaders shared with the audience the policy model they are advocating for — partial decriminalization, also known as the Equality Model. This model proposes a more nuanced approach.

It would hold sex buyers, brothel owners and pimps accountable, decriminalizing the act of selling sex and offering essential exit and support services to survivors.

“The policy we push for and

the way we educate others is shaped by the voices and lived experience of survivors,” Tirres said.

According to Tirres, the club fosters a more compassionate and informed college community that actively works towards reducing harm and improving the well-being of those affected by the sex trade.

“Our hope is to be an organization rooted in care and empowerment, which are both necessary when tackling something as complex as the sex trade,” Tirres said.

Both Tirres and Locke believe addressing misconceptions concerning the commercial sex trade is of the utmost importance. They said they want to recenter the narrative around the material reality of what prostituted people are experiencing and away from privileged postulations in insulated classrooms.

“In the context of the 5Cs, this issue is commonly perceived as one that revolves around ideas of choice and agency,” said Locke, “this is a privileged perspective to have.”

However, Locke described how privilege affects the information people consume.

“More privilege means a bigger platform,” Locke said. “The vast majority of prostituted people are experiencing incredible marginalization.

It’s doubtful they’ll pop up on your TikTok feed. Don’t let the experiences of a privileged minority speak on behalf of survivors.”

For WorldWe Youth 5C, providing education is crucial to their mission. Nevertheless, Locke explained it is up to students to take the initiative to learn and make positive change.

“After I had spoken with survivors and become more educated on this issue, I became conscious of how many different issues intersect with commercial sexual exploitation,” Locke said. “It’s perceived as niche but it’s really not. It affects all of our lives.”

More information about WorldWe Youth 5C can be found through their Instagram: @WorldWeYouth5C

PAGE 6

Arts & Culture

October 6, 2023

Future Under Fire brings reworked fashion designs and sustainability to the 5Cs MOLLY MURPHEY What do AI artwork, thrifting, Southern California ecology, music production and a family-owned nursery in LA’s Japantown have in common? Each inspired the sustainable design framework that guided four Pitzer College students as they formed their brand. Future Under Fire is a label that represents a clothing brand, extracurricular club, community of creatives and a vision for the future, all at once.

Future Under Fire’s founders, Darrell Opoku PZ ’26, Sam Freeman PZ ’26, Dylan Bradshaw PZ ’26 and Charlie Morris ’26, met in 2022 during their first year at Pitzer.

By the end of the spring semester, they planned to create a club focused on sustainable fashion and reworked garments at the start of this school year.

Last summer, Morris and Opoku produced original garments at a fashion studio in Worcester, Massachusetts, a short distance from their hometown of Boston. Instagram reels filmed at the studio show them screen printing, sketching designs on a tablet and modeling their clothing amid piles of original designs, many of which are available for sale on their website.

“We would be there until 7 a.m. spending all night there unbothered, painting, spraying [and] bouncing ideas off each other,” Morris said.

Freeman frequently commuted from New York City while Bradshaw worked remotely from

Riverside, California. The group collaborated on their vision for Future Under Fire’s fall launch through FaceTime calls, texts and a hefty Google Drive folder.

“We had set a pretty serious deadline of having a first collection and then having the Instagram and the website up and running,” Morris said.

By the start of this school year, they were ready to roll out Future Under Fire’s first collection, which appeared on the group’s website on Aug. 27. The collection features pieces displaying scenes from Pitzer’s campus including shirts with screen prints of the college’s iconic clock tower, as well as other original designs.

“The schools and scenery and environment around them [inspire our designs],” Freeman said. “Some of the prints that you can see in our first collection … are edited pictures of the campus itself.”

Although many of the subjects portrayed in Future Under Fire’s first collection are places, the creators drew their inspiration from a number of sources. Morris highlighted blending fashion with other artistic passions.

“A lot of my specific inspiration comes from my passion for music and music production,” Morris said.

Bradshaw discussed bringing his own identity into his work. “[An] inspiration for me is popular culture, but also from an African-American perspective,”

Bradshaw said. “I have some designs that I’ve been working on where I’m trying to highlight Black creatives.”

The founders of Future Under Fire’s creative projects extend beyond repurposing clothing; they also produce videos on local communities. Last semester, Morris and Bradshaw filmed a documentary on Hashimoto Nursery, a family-owned plant nursery in LA’s Japantown.

“We wanted to highlight these businesses as often they go overlooked or unnoticed,” Bradshaw said. “This ties into Future Under Fire in the sense that we’re trying to continue this theme of sustainability, especially in Southern California.”

The founders are also exploring collaborations with local ecological organizations, including Pitzer College’s Robert Redford Conservancy and Sustainable

Claremont.

Plans for a 5C-wide clothing repurposing workshop are currently in the works. The Future Under Fire founders hope to build community and inspire creativity through their events.

“There will be booths where [participants] can do spray painting and that sort of thing themselves, but we also want to have a good amount of people there to just enjoy themselves and have a good time,” Bradshaw said.

“I feel like everyone has a sort of creative side to them and one goal with Future Under Fire is to bring that … out of even the most unexpected of people,” Bradshaw said.

They plan to release more drops in the future, exploring new materials, garments and techniques.

“For our next drop we’re hoping to get a lot more into women’s

COURTESY: FUTURE UNDER FIRE

Four Pitzer students were inspired by their closets of unworn clothes and a shared vision of sustainability to start Future Under Fire, a club focused on reworking garments.

Williamson exhibit “Gettin’ It Done” weaves Black institutional and personal histories

The Hive’s Tiny Patio Concert gives NPR a run for its money DYLAN ZULUETA & ANANYA VINAY

BECCA CHOE • THE STUDENT LIFE

Art exhibit “Gettin’ It Done” showcases work by Black artists from Scripps’ Samella Lewis Contemporary Art Collection.

BECCA CHOE At the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, art has a sacred space to call home. “Gettin’ It Done,” an art exhibit at Scripps College’s Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, running until Oct. 15, showcases work

by Black artists from Scripps’ Samella Lewis Contemporary Art Collection, along with loaned pieces.

The exhibition serves as a tribute to the memory of Samella Lewis and showcases artists connected to her legacy, including Elizabeth Catlett, Samella Lewis, Betye Saar, Alison Saar, Emma Amos, Letitia Huckaby, LaToya Hobbs and Kenturah Davis.

Lewis was professor emerita of art history at Scripps College from 1969 to 1970 and passed away in May 2022. Lewis was the first Black woman to earn a doctorate in fine art and art history at Ohio State University and the first tenured Black professor at Scripps. She was the first person to assemble a textbook on African American art and the first person to found an African American Art Museum in Los Angeles.

Erin M. Curtis, Gabrielle Jungels-Winkler director of the Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, described the significance behind the exhibit.

“This exhibition not only celebrates her accomplishments, but explores the themes that animated her work, particularly the realities of Black life in the United States during the 20th century,” Curtis said.

According to exhibit curator Margalit Monroe, the Samella Lewis Contemporary Art Collection was founded in 2007 in Lewis’s honor to highlight artists from a number of backgrounds. “[The collection] was founded to acquire and steward primarily works by women, Black artists, contemporary artists, studio art faculty members from the 5Cs, so those are the parameters for acquiring pieces for the collection,” Monroe said.

The different stylistic influences form an exhibit that explores historical issues, personal histories and social justice through mediums such as paint, linocut, quilting and intaglio.

A featured artist of the exhibit, the work done by Catlett is mainly black-and-white (B&W) linocut images tracing relations between the United States and Mexico as geographic neighbors. Amos, on the other hand, experiments with colorful, multimedia painting and textile work to explore the role of art as a tool for activism.

Through layered, quilt-like textile collages of printed photography on fabric, Huckaby explores the history of the Deep South and the connection between enslavement and present-day politics.

Kirk Delman, the gallery’s Collections Manager & Registrar and curator of the exhibit, described his intention in bringing together these artists.

“It was my intention to feature several generations of African American women artists whose voices and advocacy has inspired subsequent generations and celebrated the significance of mentoring future generations of artists,” Delman said.

Mentorship is a thread that connects many of the featured artists throughout the exhibit. Monroe identified various works which explore themes rooted in personal cultural and spiritual identities.

“Elizabeth Catlett had mentored Samella Lewis and similarly, Lewis mentored Alison Saar, who is a Scripps alumna in the arts,” Monroe said.

Betye Saar, another artist in the show, is Alison Saar’s mother and Lewis gave her her first solo show.

Betye Saar’s work in the exhibit is explorative, with layered materials of canvas, paper cutouts and fabric. Her art focuses on African spirituality, diaspora and symbolism.

To Samella Lewis, her mentors and mentees were crucial to her work as an artist, educator and academic. The physical arrangement of the pieces in the exhibit reflects the centrality of intergenerational mentorship. Betye and Alison Saar’s collection of pieces were placed next to each other, reflecting their common themes of African spirituality. Alison Saar grew up with the influences of

clothing and new types of materials and garments, looking beyond just t-shirts, pants [and] hoodies,” Morris said. “Sam and Darrell did a lot with screen printing, and Sam does a lot of sewing work as well. So we’re really trying to get into more patchwork looking at denim working with new types of materials.”

A closet full of unworn clothes was just the beginning for Future Under Fire. With more plans along the way, the brand intends to expand its reach to draw in more creatives around the 5Cs and beyond.

“When I think of Future Under Fire, I think of a collective of individuals with creative minds,” Bradshaw said. “Future Under Fire is more than just a club. It’s more than just an organization. It’s a reflection of the creative minds here at the 5Cs. And we’re trying to spread that outside of Claremont as well.”

spiritualism and sharing ideas of the metaphysical was a crucial part of Batye Saar’s experience of motherhood.

Alison Saar follows a similar thematic exploration to that of her mother through surrealist works. All of her pieces feature women with whited-out eyes and branch-like hair that holds objects of bottles, cotton and pomegranates.

The artists’ personal histories coalesce with broader themes of Black history and African spiritualism.

Lewis’ own work is scattered throughout the exhibit. From B&W linocut to colorful portraits, Lewis’ art focuses on civil rights and Black liberation. A section of the exhibit also features old textbooks she had authored and photos of her throughout her life.

“Obeah Woman,” a color pencil portrait of Lewis’s Aunt Laura, is geometric and colorful, featuring a woman with a shining third eye. It is a display of the Yoruba religion and hoodoo spirituality that shaped Lewis’ upbringing and family life.

The gallery prides itself in being incredibly helpful for guests.

Jan Blair, a staff member at the gallery, spoke on the gallery’s extensive collection and available public resources.

“If someone comes in and they’re more interested in seeing more of what we have, or even something completely different … I can put them in touch with our collections manager,” Blair said. “They can come in with a few people … Kirk will … show you [the collection] firsthand.”

For guests who come to the exhibit, Blair promises a personal welcome.

“What I strive to do is to make everybody who comes in the door feel really welcome,” Blair said. “I get up from my seat. I come around, I greet them. I say, ‘Are you familiar with what we have?’”

Guests can visit the exhibition at 251 E. 11th St, Claremont, CA 91711.

Transformed into a cozy, intimate setting, The Hive became the perfect backdrop for the first ever “Tiny Patio Concert,” a riff on NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concert.”

On Sept. 22, throughout three half-hour sets, audiences enjoyed performances of original songs and covers from student acts B5 Guitar, Aphelion and Tea Rooom.

As students settled into their seats, lounging on arm chairs, bean bags and assorted pillows, the Hive buzzed with chatter in anticipation of the featured student performers. One of the organizers, Olivia Hewitt PZ ’22, described her hopes for the show.

“We wanted to host a night of music that felt approachable, joyful and community-oriented,” Hewitt said. “We strung flowers, eucalyptus and string lights overhead and had a lot of fun transforming a familiar space into a space of wonder, performance and surprise.”

Bryan McNair HM ’24 opened the concert on his acoustic guitar. With many years of musical composition under his belt, McNair decided to play only original songs for the full 30 minutes of his set. One of these songs was written the day before the concert.

“That’s the first performance I ever did all original songs,” McNair said. “I was nervous going into it for that reason, but … a lot of the people I knew were there. I felt supported. So I was like okay, I’m just going to go for this.”

Following a short break, vocal duo Aphelion, composed of Bryce Bailey HM ’25 and Fred Bolarinwa HM ’25, took the stage. Tea Rooom accompanied Bailey’s and Bolarinwa’s live vocals.

Hewitt explained the risk they took with the fusion of Tea Rooom’s mellow instrumentals with Aphelion’s uptempo vocals.

“Someone on our team had the idea to have Aphelion perform accompanied by Tea Rooom’s live instrumental music, to create a jazzy, chill blend of their two styles that would fit the atmosphere we were hoping to create,” Hewitt said. “It was a gamble, because we were trying to combine two pretty distinct styles … But it was such a success.”

When Aphelion finished, Tea Rooom performed their own set.

Jeremy Martin PO ’25, Aden Cicourel PO ’26, Alex Arguelles PZ ’24, Cece Malone PZ ’24, Nico Santamaria PO ’25 and Dylan Yin PO ’23 closed out the night with covers of familiar tunes, including “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. and “Right Side of My Neck” by Faye Webster. Attendee Elsie Okon PO ’26 explained becoming immersed in the performance.

“The song choices were so good; it was stuff that people knew, things you know that you can sing along to, [with] everyone enjoying it,” Okon said.

Okon, a musician herself, found the concert to be a much-needed break from everyday routines.

“I think it was a great time, a great opportunity for people to kind of come and relax,” Okon said.

McNair is a member of the Jam Society at Harvey Mudd College. He appreciates the open-minded and generous spirit of the music community at the 5Cs. “I learned a lot about the different bands when I was working at the Jam Society, and there’s a lot of fun bands that perform at KSPC,” McNair said.

“Everyone in the music scene knows each other … It’s not hard to get involved.”

Bailey started Aphelion as a way to take a break from school and found community in the process.

“I feel like the climate of Harvey Mudd can kind of be tough sometimes,” Bailey said. “So it was just one random day where … we were like, oh yeah, maybe if we just went to the studio and started recording things.”

Bailey appreciated how The Hive acts as a platform for experimentation and collaboration.

“Having resources like The Hive or the Jam Society allows you to collaborate with people from the different schools really easily,” Bailey said.

“There’s a ‘We Emanate Christmas’ album coming up, and stuff like that really wouldn’t be possible anywhere else, just being able to really know the other artists personally and have fun with it.”

The Hive Tiny Patio Concert offered students a place to unwind, support each other and hear the rich variety of talent at the 5Cs. Okon emphasized her admiration for the student performers.

“The musicianship was on another level,” Okon said. “They were performing to such a degree that I felt like, wow, it was a sight to see and there were sounds to hear.”

SARAH ZIFF • THE STUDENT LIFE

Bryan McNair HM ’24 performed at the Hive’s “Tiny Patio Concert,” along with student acts Aphelion and Tea Rooom.

Opinions

October 6, 2023

PAGE 7

No, going barefoot is not praxis ROWAN GRAY Last week, TSL published an article titled “Walk barefoot, live grounded: a connection to nature and self” in which various students argue for the benefits of “barefoot living.” This article is going to argue for the benefits of “shoed living.”

I’m not criticizing these students, but a broader cultural movement we at the Claremont Colleges tend to associate with Pitzer — and sometimes Scripps College — that argues that being barefoot removes you to some extent from the competitive environments we live in and enables you to connect to the earth in a meaningful, meditative

and profound way. These benefits, advocates suggest, provide reasons why everyone should go barefoot all the time.

And there’s definitely a lot of appeal to their intuition. If everyone could become more meditative and connected to the Earth with zero negative side-effects by just taking our shoes off, it would be great. And that doesn’t even mention how much richer we’d be without having to spend money on shoes!

But before I get to criticizing people, let me put a couple caveats in real quick. Firstly, in many cultures going barefoot is, especially during special occasions,

spiritually important. If these practices matter to you, keep on doing them! Secondly, some people go barefoot because of health concerns. That’s also cool. Thirdly, many people, including me, don’t wear shoes inside their homes or dorm rooms. That’s great too — the problem here is mostly about doing it outside (and in public).

One interviewee in the article asks “What makes you feel that being barefoot is unsafe … Where does that idea stem from?” People have been wearing shoes for the last 10,000 years or so, probably with the original purpose of protecting their feet from rough surfaces. In modern times we

have found more specific hygienic reasons to do so. The most important of these is probably protection against Soil-Transmitted Helminths (STHs), a group of parasitic worms that can infect humans by entering our bodies through our feet.

As tempting as a parasitic worm that infects you through your feet sounds, sadly they aren’t quite as good for you (as you might assume). The CDC outlines a whole host (haha) of medical issues an infestation can cause including abdominal pain, diarrhea, blood and protein loss and rectal prolapse.

And this isn’t a small deal or

BELLA PETTENGILL • THE STUDENT LIFE

anything — over a billion (yes, that is a b) people are infected with these parasites around the world. While cases are mostly concentrated in poorer countries, a recent analysis in Current Tropical Medicine Reports indicates that cases in the United States are likely more widespread than presumed, especially in rural areas.

The good news is that just wearing shoes blocks the parasites from entering your feet pretty effectively.

But, according to a 2017 article in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine Hygiene “shoe-wearing is uncommon in many areas where STHs are prevalent, in part because local populations are unaware of the health benefits of wearing shoes.” So are you likely to get STHs walking around the 5Cs? Probably not. You’re more likely to get a fungal infection, which isn’t much fun either. But let’s remember what every single last barefoot activist wants, for everyone to stop wearing shoes … forever.

And this is the much larger problem with the barefoot movement. Simply put, many people live in environments where it just isn’t particularly safe to go without shoes. Many city streets are filled with trash, broken glass, syringes and all sorts of things that you really shouldn’t be stepping on. Going barefoot on the manicured lawns of your $80,000 a year private college is probably safer, but for most people, it’s not going to work like that.

And I haven’t even touched on probably the most significant reason why more people don’t go barefoot — the social stigma. And yeah, I know that’s kind of the point of the movement — to decrease the stigma around going barefoot. But while that stigma still exists, you can’t really expect people who have a job interview tomorrow to just take their shoes off forever and immerse themselves in the natural world.

I think this sort of activism — insert Gwyneth Paltrow here — embodies a fundamental disconnect between our gated college world and the actual experience of how the vast majority of the planet lives. This is particularly tragic when it comes to movements to be more mindful and increase our connection to the planet. These are the sorts of things that Pitzer and to some extent Scripps and Pomona College, like to explore in all sorts of interesting ways.

And if you’re going to do this exploration, barefoot activists, maybe you should do it in a way that’s more grounded.

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

How NOT to interview Atsuko Okatsuka LUCIA MARQUEZ-UPPMAN On Thursday, Sept. 21, I scurried into Garrison Theater and planted my butt on a seat mere minutes before the lights dimmed to see TikTok famous Atsuko Okatsuka’s stand up performance, sponsored by Scripps Presents.

Okatsuko’s material was dynamite, with enough stage presence to fill the theater and accomplish just the type of comedic timing I wheeze at. She joked about tandem bikes, vasectomies and making friends as an adult, and made us very aware of how her audience was full of “weirdos.” The mood was bright as she made silly observations that made me actually guffaw.

After Okatsuko’s bow and (with a quick set change) the Q&A portion of the show began, a Scripps Events interviewer joined her onstage. Their first question? “How has living as an undocumented immigrant affected your life in the United States?”

There was a short pause before the audience bursted into chuckles from the mood whiplash. Okatsuka handled the question well, joking about the abruptly serious change in tone before discussing how she overstayed her visa after her grandmother lied about going to the United States for a “vacation.” She earned a few laughs as she went.

The interviewer took in her answer and followed up with another question: “How has your mother’s mental illness affected your mental health?” I burst into astonished laughter with the rest of the audience as I looked at my friends in utter confusion. Why were these the only questions coming up?

The Q&A left a bad taste in my mouth. Okatsuka was put on the spot with questions that didn’t inquire about who she was or what she’s done but more of what she’d survived. Crafting questions like these can create a narrative about how we value guest speakers at Scripps College: that all they are is a victim of oppression who has overcome immense hardship to be where they are today.

This isn’t to say those narratives aren’t true, but it is reductive and almost disrespectful to frame most of the questions asked of a woman of color around trauma without considering other layers of her identity. Yes, Atsuko Okatsuka is an Asian American woman who has

ESHA CHAMPSI • THE STUDENT LIFE

As part of Scripps Presents, Atsuko Okatsuka performed a stand up routine and answered questions at the Garrison Theater on Sept. 21.

encountered adversity, like her undocumented past and history of mental illness in her family, but she is also a comedian that has been slowly making a name for herself in the industry for the past decade.

She’s gained a TikTok following, has been a guest on multiple podcasts and even created her own, produced a web series, appeared on numerous talk shows and debuted her first stand-up special on HBO last year. Her style of comedy is unique in its childlike, eccentric, but smart and witty interpretation of the world.

This kind of targeted questioning not only creates a stereotypical narrative of Okatsuka’s life, but is also unfair to guests of color and gives them greater responsibility of speaking on topics like racism and immigration. It’s reminiscent of a certain SNL sketch that points out this double standard.

While Okatsuka has spoken about her struggles against white supremacy in her comedy, she doesn’t highlight it as her primary material, but rather as another layer of her multifaceted perspective.

In fact, during her performance at Scripps, she didn’t even mention these struggles.

I doubt most of the audience knew her mother had a history of mental illness until the interviewer brought it up, nor were they privy to Okatsuka’s undocumented status. This isn’t to say we should avoid difficult topics, but we should first consider what a guest wants to speak on. If Scripps Events had hosted another standup comedian like Hasan Minhaj with his performance of “Homecoming King,” inquiries about his feelings on being part of an immigrant family could absolutely be asked, as he addressed them in

the performance itself.

But there are a million and one questions to inquire about Okatsuka’s life, especially in regard to her new performance material — why start with “how has being undocumented affected you?” without even contextualizing how the topic was brought up in her previous work?

One of the better questions asked of Okatsuka during the Q&A was from an audience member, when a student near the front of the auditorium asked what advice she would give a comedian at the start of their career. Okatsuka answered by advising the student to pin down what their thesis as a comedian would be, something that all your jokes derive from. She cited Margaret Cho, another Asian American woman comedian that inspired her, as an influence on her own thesis: “I don’t wanna be

here, but I am.” All of Cho’s jokes and material operate under that thesis, forming a certain style of comedy that makes her stand out.

This thesis idea is what creates every comedian’s distinct style.

Okatsuka’s insight about comedy is something I would’ve loved to hear more of. Formulating questions for a guest that revolve around their work and not just their identity creates more interesting and respectful conversations that can bring up excellent ideas and create better learning opportunities.

Okatsuka deserved a more fulfilling conversation, and so did the Scripps audience.

Lucia Marquez-Uppman SC ’25 is an Environmental Analysis major and Kansas City girl. She is usually found watching video essays, fake-dating her roommate, and frantically riding her bike to class.

Opinions

PAGE 8

October 6, 2023

Studying abroad on financial aid comes with extra baggage KLARA JACOBS Traveling to a new country every weekend, adopting European fashion, the intrigue of a Spanish lover … social media trends and stories from friends paint the perfect picture of a semester abroad. But for students on financial aid, study abroad isn’t always all that it’s cracked up to be.

The opportunity to travel as an undergraduate student has the potential to be completely life-changing. For some, it may be the only opportunity to explore a new country. But if study abroad is truly something that the 5Cs, especially Pitzer College, pride themselves on, it should be made as accessible as possible to all student demographics. As such, Pitzer needs to take actionable steps to expand the accessibility of its abroad programs to its financial aid recipients.

I first started navigating my finances and study abroad options when I was applying for college. As I considered different schools, I had two things on my mind. First, I needed ample financial aid, and second, I wanted to study abroad. The idea of broadening my horizons, becoming a confident traveler and picking up a second language has always been a dream of mine.

I ultimately chose to attend Pitzer due to the financial support they offered. But when I started organizing my semester abroad, I discovered a significant lack of support for financial aid students, which led me to stumble over various hurdles.

After discussing with many of my 5C friends, I learned that I wasn’t alone in my experience. It was challenging to get information regarding our aid’s application to a semester abroad, the timing of aid disbursement and how we were meant to sustain ourselves independently in a foreign country without work-study income. We deserve better than this.

Pitzer has a long history of sending students abroad. With “Intercultural Understanding” as a core value and graduation requirement, and even a few majors requiring a semester abroad, it comes as no surprise that Pitzer boasts partnerships with over 60 exchange programs all over the world. In 2014, Pitzer even joined the Generation Study Abroad commitment to double enrollment in study abroad programs by the year 2020, which was unfortunately halted by the pandemic. But impressive goals aside, how do Pitzer students who receive significant financial aid fit into the statistics?

On its website, Pitzer proudly

NORA WU • THE STUDENT LIFE

states that 50 percent of its students study abroad at least once, and that 48 percent of students who attend Pitzer receive some sort of financial aid. However, what remains unclear is how these two statistics intersect: How many students on financial aid at Pitzer actually manage to study abroad? While Pitzer publishes blog posts featuring the adventures of students traveling all over the world, there is little discussion, online or in-person, of the financial implications and additional costs of living in a new country. This needs to change.

This past summer, as I began preparing to leave for Spain, finances were the first thing on my mind. Even after working full-time throughout the summer, I was unsure if I had enough savings to make it through the semester.

With a hazy understanding of how I would be supported by my financial aid package, I frequently called the financial aid office with questions and often received an ambiguous answer.

About a week before my flight out of LAX, I received my final financial aid package and noticed that it was missing work-study.

After a few more calls, I learned that work-study couldn’t be applied to study abroad, and as such, an additional grant amount was added to my tuition assistance. I could practically see the savings that I had generated over the summer slip-

ping through my hands while away and without an income source.

Rowan Francis-Taylor PZ ’24 told me she was also shocked that there wasn’t more financial support for students abroad, specifically for students who rely on workstudy funding to afford everyday expenses. Work-study, a federal grant that is distributed in exchange for on-campus work, can make up a large portion of a student’s aid package. However, because of labor laws and visa restrictions, work study is not available for many students while abroad. As such, there should be a greater allocation of funds to ensure that students on aid are able to comfortably afford everyday expenses outside of room and board costs.

Through my own experience and that of my peers, I’ve come to understand that the hidden costs of studying abroad are even more challenging for students on financial aid to identify. The first issue is lack of clear information about how aid applies to a semester abroad. Aside from a few sentences describing that you “are eligible to receive aid” while abroad, Pitzer’s financial aid website provides little information as to how aid is applied or tangible next steps to apply it. As such, I had to book flights out of the country while I was waiting to hear back about my finalized financial aid package for the semester, which was nail-bitingly stressful.

MANHOLE SANDWICH: A COMIC BY SASHA MATTHEWS

No cartoon today.

We’re watching a documentary.

Pitzer’s lack of interdepartmental communication also creates frustrating twists and turns that students on aid have to navigate. I was redirected to either the financial aid or study abroad office with all of my questions, with administrators in each office stating that they did not understand how the other office functioned and thus could not be of assistance.

While one could argue that Pitzer’s bureaucratic processes are equally frustrating for all students, those who do not need additional assistance in navigating the study abroad experience are not forced to bounce from office to office in the same time-consuming way. As such, I call on the administration, especially the financial aid and study abroad offices, to implement clear inter-office communication. It can be easy to dismiss this problem as unavoidably bureaucratic, but it places an unjust burden on aid recipients that could be easily resolved with proper administrative scaffolding.

While there is little to no conversation about how financial aid applies to the tangible room and board costs of studying abroad, there is even less dialogue about the invisible costs that students on aid will face when their plane finally touches down. Discovering local cuisine with new friends, additional luggage costs, souvenirs for friends and family and, of course, an occa-

sional trip outside of Seville add up quickly. While thoughtful attention to spending can help to eliminate money stress, one thing that has really stuck out to me is the importance of traveling outside of your primary city while abroad.

Especially while studying in Europe, the access that I have gained to nearby countries and experiences is unmatched. For myself and my friends who are similarly reliant on aid, being based out of Spain while abroad has afforded us the opportunity to access other countries nearby.

With nearly everyone hopping on a plane or train over the weekend to explore nearby places, this opportunity should not be lost to financial aid recipients solely because of their financial circumstances.

While there are study abroad scholarships available, they are hidden deep within the study abroad website and are rarely discussed as a viable option for funding. What’s more, these scholarships focus on particular locations and experiences.

These funds are certainly helpful in theory, but they do little to address the everyday needs of full-time students who rely on income from their aid package to purchase necessities.

Setting aside our collective discomfort about discussing finances could make a huge difference in the experience of aid recipients at Pitzer.

With increased transparency, resources and a communicative team of administrators, the abroad experience could be made much more accessible. I personally have felt so much connection and community care in speaking with students who have faced similar financial challenges in their study abroad experience. But these are conversations that I have had to seek out, and are very seldom.

Don’t take it the wrong way — as I sit typing this up in a cafe in Seville, Spain, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to spend a semester abroad. A little over one month into the fall term, I am already certain that it will have an immense impact on my education. But as I continue to navigate my financial circumstances in a new country, I want to push Pitzer and the 5C community to delve deeper into the often uncomfortable conversations surrounding equity of experience for all students, regardless of socioeconomic background.

Klara Jacobs ’24 is currently studying abroad in Seville, Spain. When she’s not exploring new corners of the world, you can find her adding to her travel blog or browsing Skyscanner.com.

MANHOLE SANDWICH: A COMIC BY SASHA MATTHEWS

Email your drawings to editor@tsl.pomona.edu!

JJ’s Crossword: 5Cs Did You Know?

ACROSS 2. The sixth institution founded at the Claremont Colleges 5. In this group at SC Student Union on Saturday nights, be prepared to play anything from Bananagrams to Clue!

5

DOWN 1. Coffee chain with a location at HM’s “The Cafe” 3. “Let Only The ____ Thoughtful and Reverent Enter Here” 4. Abbreviation for 5C institution that had 48 students when it first opened 6. Popular PO study spot according to recent PO TikTok

JJ HOFFMAN • THE STUDENT LIFE

Sports

October 6, 2023

PAGE 9

CMS football weathers Sagehen storm to secure Sixth Street title BEN LAUREN With rain pouring down on players and fans alike, the Stags fought through the eye of the storm to reclaim the Sixth Street title.

On Sept. 30 at Burns Stadium, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) football stifled a Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) second half comeback to seal an impressive 30-20 victory.

In the final game of the 2022 season, the Sagehens defeated the Stags to earn their first trip to the NCAA Division III playoffs in program history. This season, CMS waited little time to take revenge and bring the trophy back to Roberts Pavilion.

Although P-P received the opening kickoff, the first drive was an undeniable tone-setter for CMS. Putting together a solid drive, the Sagehens marched their way down field, putting immediate pressure on the Stags’ defense. However, CMS defensive back Jacob O’Connell CM ’24 read P-P quarterback Ethan Gretzinger PZ ’24 like a book, intercepting a medium passing attempt and taking it all the way back to the house.

Putting CMS up 7-0, O’Connell’s pick six erupted the Stags faithful and deflated the Sagehens. Still, he gave all the credit to his teammates.

“It’s all about the guys up front who were putting pressure on the quarterback and everyone else was holding up in coverage,” O’Connell said. “I was lucky to be there at the right time, right place.”

Looking to bounce back from the setback, P-P didn’t make it past their first set of downs before throwing another pick six, this time into the hands of Thanio Bright CM ’24, leading to a 14-0 lead just five minutes into the game. CMS head coach Kyle Sweeney described how crucial these two plays were to the Stags’ path to victory.

“For them to come out right off the bat and [score] 14 points before you play an offensive snap is incredible,” Sweeney said. “I think it really settled the nerves on our side and put us on the offensive … from that point forward.”

Just when things looked like they couldn’t get any worse, the bleeding just kept coming for P-P. After another offensive

SARAH ZIFF • THE STUDENT LIFE Sander Wimmer PZ ’24 barrels ahead against the Stags during CMS’s win over the Sagehens on Sept. 30.

drive stalled, the snap sailed high over the punter’s head, forcing him to fall on the ball deep into Sagehens territory.

This led to a CMS field goal, extending their lead to 17-0 with over eight minutes to play in the first quarter.

Still, with so much time left in the game, the Sagehens were unwilling to concede defeat.

After a 34-yard kickoff return seemed to spark life back into the team, Sander Wimmer PZ ’24 shook off a number of CMS defenders on screen pass, dragging the team to a 20-yard gain. Taking another shot to the end-zone, Matthias Olson PO ’26 hauled in a ball over his shoulder, just in front of the left pylon. Then with a quarterback sneak from the one, Gretzinger broke the plane, cutting the lead to 17-7.

This concluded a wild first quarter as the field continued to be showered by erratic storm clouds. The Stags started the second quarter with a

successful field goal, going on to score one more and tacking on another Gretzinger interception before halftime.

As the 5C Dance Company took the muddy field for their halftime performance, both teams headed to the locker room with CMS ahead 23-7.

Right out of the gate in the third quarter, the Stags were given a taste of their own medicine. On just the fourth play of the drive, P-P linebacker Thomas McConnel PO ’25 intercepted a pass by CMS QB Walter Kuhlenkamp CM ’25 on a throw up the middle.

This would mark the start of the Sagehens’ comeback, led significantly by several strong defensive stands and Wimmer’s two-way ability on offense. Rushing from the wildcat formation and bringing in an incredibly difficult catch in the end zone, Wimmer helped P-P bring the CMS lead to just 23-20, tallying 147 yards from scrimmage on the day.

Still, Sweeney was confident his team would find an answer. “[The Sagehens] are definitely unique and they’re very creative,” Sweeney said.

“Obviously, Wimmer made a couple big catches, and those hurt, but we were able to bounce back and have an answer when that happens.”

And bounce back they did. Converting on a series of third downs, the CMS offense entered the red zone where Kulenkamp found receiver Ben Kim CM ’27 in the end zone without a single Sagehen in the area code. Kulenkamp described his mindset making such a crucial play.

“Just make the read,” Kulenkamp said. “We were talking about it all week …

Kim deserved that touchdown so [I’m] glad we could make it happen.”

Putting them up 30-20 with a quarter left, Sweeney revealed the scoring play has long been ingrained in the CMS offense.

“It was actually a day one of camp play,” Sweeney said. “It’s nice when you can do something … that’s part of your foundation and have it work out so successfully in a big moment.”

Nevertheless, there still was time on the clock for the Sagehens, yet this was where the CMS defense really shone.

After forcing a three and out on P-P’s first drive, they would only allow one more completed pass for the rest of the game.

O’Connell spoke on how the Stags managed to shut down the Sagehens’ offense when it counted.

“When we go out there knowing that all 11 guys are gonna do exactly what they’re supposed to do, we can play really fast and have a lot of fun out there,” O’Connell said.

“When we play as a unit we’re unstoppable.”

As tie ran out, the Stags emerged victorious with a final score of 30-20, once again claiming the Sixth Street trophy. Dubbing it an always a meaningful victory, O’Connell shared his immediate reaction to the win.

“It means everything,” O’Connell said. “It’s great to have the trophy back at Claremont where it belongs.”

Sweeney added his thoughts on bringing home the title. “[Seeing the trophy] makes me smile every day when I walk in the building,” Sweeney said.

The defending conference co-champions will have the opportunity to meet again in the SCIAC final if they both win their respective pods (divisions).

According to Sweeney, if they do, the title will once again be up for grabs.

“Gotta defend it if you wanna hold it,” Sweeney said.

The Sagehens, now 1-1 in conference and 2-2 overall, will look to rebound in a crucial game versus Redlands Saturday at 7 p.m., with a loss potentially taking them out of SCIAC championship contention.

Meanwhile, the victory brings the Stags’ record to 2-0 in conference and 4-0 overall, maintaining their lead in the Surf pod. They will face 0-2 Chapman away Saturday at 7 p.m. with an opportunity to put themselves in great position for the rest of the season.

Stags stuff Sagehens men’s soccer in strenuous 2-1 Sixth Street victory ADAM AKINS Driving rain, consistent heckling and a flurry of yellow cards made for a hard fought 2-1 victory for the Claremont-MuddScripps (CMS) men’s soccer team over Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) in their first Sixth Street Rivalry match of the 2023 season.

From the opening whistle, it was clear that the crowd, gathered on the hill and nearly overflowing onto the field at P-P Soccer Field, was in for a show.

The Stags fielded a physically imposing side, showcasing an extremely aggressive style of play that forced P-P into a shell around

their goal for most of the first half. CMS head coach Edward Cartee described how the Stags took advantage of the Sagehens’ defensive scheme.

“We played out of a 4-3-3, and our outside backs pushed into the attack a lot in this game because of the space we were able to create,” Cartee said. “[PP was] very compact in central areas. So they were playing narrow and the space was open for us out wide.”

The Stags used this space expertly, pummeling the P-P left side with diving runs from Shaan Malek CM ’26. Malek was a consistent outlet and

demanded the attention of any P-P defender he was matched against.

“We’re a team that likes to keep possession and most teams that we play turtle in defensively,” Malek said, “I think it really played to our strengths today.”

P-P countered the consistent offensive pressure with a stalwart defense, matching the Stags’ physicality and managing threats, but struggled to transition play out of their own half. Center back Mattin Khoshzaban PO ’24 was a consistent force, sticking hard tackles and sparking the few

ADAM AKINS • THE STUDENT LIFE P-P defender Mattin Khoshzaban PO ‘24 defends against James Gomez CM ’27 and the Stags’ oppressive offense during CMS’s 2-1 win over P-P on Sept. 30.

charges that the Hens were able to lead across the half-field line.

The first half ended with this back and forth amounting to plenty of shots but no finishes.

P-P was outmatched offensively, putting up two shots to CMS’s nine.

Both teams went into halftime looking for a change, seeing how they could respond to each other and create scoring opportunities in the second half. P-P departed from their usual offensive-minded 4-3-3 formation, experimenting with a 3-5-2. This allowed for more defensive play, a necessity for a Sagehen team that is missing multiple key transition players to injury. In the second half, P-P head coach Mike Ditka hoped his team would be able to settle into the new scheme and find their rhythm offensively.

“We’ve changed systems and we just haven’t had a lot of time to go over these details,” Ditka said. “We were able to focus on the defensive side, which was good, but now it’s a question of how we can get to a point where we’re actually transitioning and attacking.”

Ditka also discussed how they looked to counteract any adjustments from the Stags side.

“At halftime we thought that they may go for a little different system, even though it was working for them, because it wasn’t creating anything dangerous,” Ditka said. “Our goal was to release our 2 and 3 [wingbacks that facilitate transition in a 3-5-2 system] and get a little higher.”

The game finally opened up when Adam Leikin PZ ’27 put out a strong tackle on a driving Stags forward. The P-P student section exploded when the referee blew his whistle, sending a chorus of “weight room” chants raining down on the Stags side.

The Stags would take advantage of that set piece to put a beautiful ball into the box. On a back post run, James Gomez CM ’27 found the ball and smashed into the back of

the net. The CMS fan section exploded, as the players rushed to their fans to celebrate. The P-P student section deflated in anguish. After fighting from behind in driving rain and cold wind for the past fifty minutes, spirits were crushed.

Still, forward Aidan MacLennan PO ’27 kept his head up, and before the CMS student section had finished cheering, he weaved through the distracted Stags defense and found a stunning goal to tie the game right back up 1-1.

This spark of action brought the game back to more relentless attacks from the Stags’ offense.

Forwards John Laidlaw CM ’26 and Rafael Otero CM ’25 created consistent threats throughout the game but bore down hard in the last minutes, giving P-P very few opportunities to leave the defensive third. This relentless onslaught eventually tore through P-P’s hard defensive line when service from the Stags’ left side broke through the box and found Otero, leading to the goal that would eventually seal the game.

“John started the game and every time he’s come back in he’s making amazing plays, taking on defenders and making two assists,” Malek said. “Rafael was one of our most consistent players and he also got the winning goal … He controls play week in and week out.”

With ten minutes left on the clock, P-P kept their heads up and led one last dangerous charge into the Stags defensive third.

The field welled with anticipation when P-P sent a shot that floated slightly above the woodwork, and with that, the game came to a close, sealing a 2-1 victory for the Stags.

The loss moves P-P to 1-3-2 in conference and 2-5-3 overall. With a bye next week, Ditka said they plan to use their time perfecting their new system and reviewing film before taking the field again versus La Verne at 7 p.m. on Oct. 7. Meanwhile, CMS now holds a 2-2-1 (4-2-2) record and will travel to challenge Caltech at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 7.

Sports

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October 6, 2023

CMS volleyball sweeps P-P to push their dominant streak to ten years KAYLEE STIGAR On the weekend of Sept. 30, Voelkel Gymnasium was filled to the brim to watch David challenge Goliath. The Claremont-MuddScripps (CMS) volleyball team have dominated the Sixth Street rivalry for as long as most anyone can remember, going undefeated against Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) since 2013 and dominating the SCIAC conference for the past five years.

Still, with the power of home court advantage and a 2-2 record in SCIAC play, the Sagehens maintained hope. Unfortunately for the P-P side, CMS women’s volleyball stood tall and took the Sagehens out in a clean 3-0 sweep.

P-P started off strong, taking a 4-0 lead. Kills from Chloe Gill PO ’25, Paige Mountanos PO ’26 and Charlotte Sekerka PO ’27 set the tone early, hoping to ignite an aggressive start for the Sagehens. But CMS didn’t let them lead for long.

The Athenas cracked down on the Sagehens’ 9-5 lead with exceptional defensive efforts from Dede Carranza CM ’26 and Samantha Riter HM ’27, pushing them to a 16-13 lead. P-P called their first time-out in an attempt to slow down CMS’s momentum, but the Athenas were unphased. With an impressive showing from Jenna

Holmes CM ’24, who had six kills after the time out, the Athenas took the first set 25-17.

CMS continued their dominance in the second set, kicking it off with a 4-1 lead.

However, the Sagehens responded by tying it up at 5-5 with the help of two kills at the net from Chloe Gill PO ’25.

The second set stayed competitive mainly due to errors and rule violations from the CMS side, who committed eleven errors, making up nearly half of the Sagehens’ points. With the possibility of deuce on the horizon, both sides used their timeouts to try to center themselves. P-P had a chance to take a set on CMS for the first time in two Sixth Street matchups, but Jenna Holmes CM ’24 extinguished that hope with a streak of five kills, helping CMS finish with another stellar performance as they won the set 25-23.

The Athenas left no room for hope during the third set, coming out with an early start on the Sagehens 7-1. The set ended 25-10 in favor of CMS, finishing the three set shutout against their crosscampus rivals.

Audrey Sawyer CM ’25 said the energy that came with the rivalry game last Saturday helped ignite

the Athenas’ intensity during the match.

“We were able to feed off the energy of the crowd,” Sawyer said. “And that’s something that our team does really well with. We were able to carry that energy and momentum into our game.”

Brook McKee CM ’26, who had 10 kills against P-P, explained what exactly went right in their formula for victory.

“I think both teams did some really great things,” McKee said.

“What really helped us win that match was our serving was really tough, our defense was really good, and we executed the game plan our coaches gave us really well.”

According to McKee, the team is working on improving their team communication on and off the court.

“We want to build a strong team atmosphere that allows everyone to play at their best, and allows us to hold each other accountable,” McKee said.

Compared to last year’s earlyseason rivalry game, the Sagehens kept the game more competitive by putting up a fight in the first two sets. P-P head coach Valerie Townsend put a positive spin on the loss.

“We use this as a learning tool

EMMA JENSEN • THE STUDENT LIFE Pomona-Pitzer attempts to put out a block against Jenna Holmes CM ‘23.

and work on our weaknesses for future matches,” Townsend said.

“We can’t dwell on this loss; there is so much more season left and we need to take care of business each and every day.”

This won’t be the last time this season that the Athenas will face the Sagehens, with the teams

meeting again on Oct. 21. With the win, CMS is now 5-0 in conference play and 11-3 overall. The team will play in their next game away against fourth-ranked Cal Lutheran on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. For P-P, the loss drops them to 4-2 in conference and 8-9 overall. They will host La Verne on Oct. 7 at 4 p.m.

Pitzer pick-up is a slam dunk for community engagement MAC KELLEY Can pickup basketball bridge the gap between the 5Cs and the Inland Empire community around it? Maybe not, but at the very least students can hoop with the locals and make friends outside the Claremont bubble.

Every week, locals from the community meet at the outdoor basketball court beside McConnell Dining Hall at Pitzer College to get some shots up and compete with students and other people from the surrounding cities including Pomona, Montclair and La Verne.

The weekly event began after recent graduate Ngaya Swai PZ ’23 noticed these locals were regularly coming to the Pitzer courts to play pick-up. Recognizing there weren’t many places at the 5Cs where students and local community members share space, Swai played a role in helping open up their games to students.

Swai said he believes that meeting members of the local community outside of the 5Cs doesn’t always have to be through a community partner or organized in a classroom. Three days a week, it can take the form of balling out with the local hoopers.

“The 5C bubble is more like an iron tank or like Sandy Cheeks’s house,” Swai told TSL. “The only

EMMA JENSEN • THE STUDENT LIFE Pitzer students and local community members from the Inland Empire play pickup outside McConnell throughout the week.

way to connect with the local community is through force …

Basketball has always been a great means of meeting people,” Swai said.

Henry Ollman PZ ’25 is among the students who participate and has been coming to play with local basketball players since he was a freshman. He said he enjoys how consistent the activity is.

“These guys [local residents] are out here most nights,” Ollman said. “I come out here and the groups vary, but there’s always somebody who’s ready to play.”

Pickup typically takes place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. However, according to Josue Valdivia, a local basketball player, there are people playing almost every day on the courts if you come at the right times. He said that people come from all over the greater Claremont area and surrounding cities to come play, adding that many found out about the weekly pickup at other local parks.

“I was playing at Cahuilla Park and I met some guys there and they told me about this

place that happened to be on the campus of college,” Valdivia said. “I ended up wanting to play here instead.”

Valdivia is just one of many of the locals that found the Pitzer court basketball community.

Sammuel “Sammi” Ramierez is another frequent participant who heard about playing at Pitzer at another local park. Ramierez said he has been coming to the 5Cs for over three years, after seeking out higher levels of competition.

“We used to hangout and play ball at Palomares Park and we came here to see where our game was,” Ramierez said. “There used to be [students] coming here who played on the [varsity] team.”

According to both Ramierez and Ollman, the games that are played at the courts are competitive. Ollman said that playing against adults as opposed to college age students raises the level of play.

“There are some [local players] that are actually quite good … since these are adult men, versus 18 to 22 year olds in college, I’d say competition is better on average than I get playing [fellow] students on outdoor courts,” Ollman said.

According to Valdivia, years of competition between local residents and students has

created a tight-knit community between them and even developed some rivalries.

“We had a little kind of friendly rivalry with the locals that come to the courts,” Ollman said. “So it was Pitzer students against locals … that was always fun because they’re the same groups that came out and we had some matchups. It was a nice little community.”

According to Ramirez, their community is looking to expand and is open to anyone. He said he hopes to continue to build and grow this community, going as far as suggesting a partnership between the locals and Pitzer to try to hold a charity event at the court.

“We could have a little tournament that could bring us all together,” Ramirez said. “Have people from different parks come and have a little tournament … do a barbeque with it and have the proceeds from the tournament go to a charity. There are always people in the community that need some money.”

According to Valdivia, the community at the courts is only strengthened by numbers. He said that everyone, students and residents alike, are welcome and encouraged to join.

“Everyone is welcome for sure,” Valdivia said. “We always love it when more people come.”

Flying High: Undefeated Sagehens women’s soccer earns national recognition after historic program start AMEYA TELI Who knew shattering records was in the Sagehens’ bag of tricks? A near-perfect start to their season has written the 2023 Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) women’s soccer team into the history books for the best season start in program history.

This season, the Sagehens have

taken Division III women’s soccer by storm, securing recognition in the national scene. After decisively winning the first five games of their season, a coaches poll ranked the team top nine in the nation on Sept. 19. Within the next week their ranking improved as a result of their next two victories, marking them as the seventh best program

COURTESY: POMONA-PITZER ATHLETICS Isla Burch PZ ’25 embraces Brooke Bailey PO ’27 after Bailey scored her first career goal in match against Redlands on Sept. 27.

in the nation.

The Sagehens continued to dominate, looking to move up in the rankings after winning their ninth game of the season on Sept. 27. However, their most recent tie to the Claremont-MuddScripps (CMS) Athenas on Sept. 30 tarnished their previously perfect season and dropped their ranking to 16th.

Despite this slip in ranking, the early season accomplishments of the Sagehens, who are still undefeated, still marks the best start in history for the program. Apart from the coaches poll, the Sagehens’ success has been nurtured by their commitment to long-term growth and improvement, their dedication to preserving a close-knit team culture and their prioritization of their athlete’s well-being.

Goalkeeper Patricia DePalma PO ’27 said she believes that their high rankings this season have been merited and that seeing their hardwork pay off will help the team continue to strive for excellence throughout the season.

“I think it’s a really welldeserved ranking,” DePalma said.

“I think everyone knows that we earned that spot and it’s motivation to keep working harder and get our rankings higher.”

With this unprecedented recognition for the team, DePalma noted not only the internal pressure, but also how their new position in the limelight will affect other teams’ approach to playing them.

“A lot of teams are coming in and playing aggressively and wanting to beat us, because once you’re ranked pretty high and one of the top teams, a lot of teams want to come in and beat you,” DePalma said.

Spencer Deutz PZ ’25 echoed

DePalma, saying she noticed that teams have been playing more offensively against them but added that she believes the team is ready for the target on their back.

“I think there’s definitely a level of extra hunger to beat us from other teams … but I think we’re ready for that challenge and we’re setting ourselves up really well to meet those harder games head on,” Deutz said.

The Sagehens’ success early in this season goes beyond their undefeated record. One of their nine victories was especially significant. Two years in a row, the Trinity University Tigers have knocked the Sagehens out in the second round and first round of the national tournament, both times in penalty kicks. This preseason, the Sagehens defeated Trinity 2-1 at home.

Hannah Hong PO ’26 said this victory was especially meaningful.

“It felt like we finally got our revenge on them,” Hong said.

According to Hong, this accomplishment further highlights their potential as a national contender. Beyond looking for their fourth consecutive conference championship, Hong said she is excited to continue their successes beyond the SCIAC. “I am excited to put in the work with my teammates and continue our SCIAC champs streak,” Hong said. “We have a very strong group of players this year and I know we have what it takes to carry ourselves far into the NCAA tournament.”

To be able to maintain their success across the rest of the season, the Sagehens are focusing on training and recovery. The team employs regular lifts with recovery days on Sundays to ensure athletes remain injury-free. According to

DePalma, players staying healthy is a priority of P-P women’s soccer to keep the team in the best conditions possible. She said longevity is more important to the team than a hot start.

“The season is a marathon, not a sprint, so it is more about who can last the longest,” DePalma said.

Besides drills and training on the field or in the weight room, the team culture of P-P women’s soccer is essential to their success. The team chose to make this a very important part of their values to garner friendships beyond the game and to enhance their playing on the field.

“We put a big emphasis on team culture,” Deutz said. “That definitely starts with our coaches. That is big with them and that trickles into how we approach building team culture within the group of players as well.”

This familial team culture that separates the P-P women’s soccer from other teams is something DePalma appreciates. She noted how this allows athletes on the team to have a desire to show up for practice every day.

“The genuine camaraderie of this team is definitely special and unlike any other team bond I’ve experienced before,” Hong said.

Due to their strong team culture, Deutz said prioritizing the individuals on the team and emphasizing commitment has come easier for the Sagehens.

“The group we have this year is really special,” Deutz said. “We all have a pretty consistent winning mindset and we’re all super dedicated to playing for each other and so I think those two things definitely put us in a really good starting position.”

The Sagehens hope to restart their victory streak at home on senior day against the University of La Verne on Oct. 7 at 11:30 a.m.