Vol. CXXXV No. 9

VOL. CXXXV NO. 9

FRIDAY, November 17, 2023

7C community members continue to organize, release statements regarding violence in Gaza

CLAREMONT, CA

Challah, chai, cheese, croissants, coffee: The 5 Cs keeping Claremont students afloat ELLIE URFRIG & COURTNEY CHEN Four student-run businesses — Claremont Challah, the Mac Shack, Milk & Honey and The Motley — are creating cuisine and community across the Claremont Colleges. Each with a unique flavor and mission, students are fed and paid by virtue of one another.

Claremont Challah

ANNABELLE INK • THE STUDENT LIFE As tensions continue to rise across the nation, community members at the Claremont Colleges speak out.

ANNABELLE INK Following a protest by hundreds of 7C students urging Pomona College to divest from Israel, students, staff, faculty and administration at the Claremont Colleges have become increasingly vocal about their varying stances on recent events in Gaza, releasing statements, hosting processing spaces and organizing informational panels.

On Wednesday, Nov. 15, Jewish Voice for Peace at the Claremont Colleges (JVP) emailed a letter commenting on the community’s disunion and declaring its condemnation of Israeli apartheid and occupation to Claremont College Presidents Gabrielle Starr, Strom C. Thacker, Amy Marcus-Newhall, Hiram Chodosh, Harriet B. Nembhard, Len Jessup and Sheldon M. Schuster.

The letter was also emailed to the presidents of the student governing bodies at the 7Cs. The letter began with the authors grieving for all lives lost, “[refusing] to make [their] empathy selective,” and noting the ways in which their grief and identities were being used against Palestinians.

“Even as we mourn, our grief and our very identities are being weaponized by Israel and pro-Israel organizations to justify genocide against Palestinians,” the letter reads. “Spurious accusations of

antisemitism and statements made on behalf of Jews as a collective are being used to stifle Palestine solidarity organizing. We understand this violence as being committed in our name, and we refuse to be made complicit.”

The letter then went on to criticize previous statements released by 7C groups that it says conflate Palestinian solidarity with antisemitism. Among the statements referenced were those

by Claremont Hillel and Haverim, organizations which the letter says have claimed to speak on behalf of the Jewish community at the 5Cs. “Let us be clear: we condemn this conflation,” authors of JVP’s letter wrote. “Those who present justice for Palestinians and safety for Jews as opposing issues are misguided at best. At worst, they are engaged in a bad-faith effort to silence activists who support Palestinian freedom and safety.

They do not speak for us.”

Ezra Levinson PZ ’27, the letter ’s primary author, detailed their personal frustrations with organizations they say attempt to speak for Jewish individuals such as themself.

“It’s incredibly frustrating to see this narrative presented that Jewish students are unsafe because of organizing in solidarity with Palestine,” they said in an interview

with TSL. “I organize in solidarity with Palestine, and I do that because I feel it’s right and because I feel a distinct responsibility as a Jew — growing up, I was taught that Judaism is a culture that stands for values of justice and stands with the oppressed.”

According to Levinson, JVP’s letter was meant to emphasize the distinction between Judaism and Zionism and to encourage a safer and more just environment for all students at the 5Cs. “We’re building a Judaism beyond Zionism,” Levinson said of JVP. “We’re envisioning a world where all people live in freedom, justice, equality and dignity… I started drafting this letter with that in mind and with the goal of expressing Judaism as a call for justice rather than a tool to stifle justice.”

The letter ends with a call for the Claremont Colleges to work against all forms of discrimination and encourage political discourse and activism on campus. It also urges readers to understand the division on Palestinian solidarity within the Jewish community.

“And while we emphatically oppose Zionism and condemn Israel’s genocidal violence, we

See STATEMENTS on page 3

Picture this: You’re frantically writing a philosophy essay for the Friday class you routinely regret registering for. You’re on the brink — exhausted, grumpy and fed up with Foucault. The only thing that could keep you going? A warm loaf of chocolate chip cinnamon bread. Luckily, the Claremont Challah Club is here to provide just that (and more)!

Every Thursday at 9:45 p.m. and Friday at 9:15 a.m., this 5C club sells challah at Pomona College’s Smith Campus Center. Although the bread is traditionally Jewish, the club isn’t religiously affiliated, and everyone is encouraged to bake, sell and consume the carbohydrate-y goodness.

When buying a loaf, you’ll likely run into Claire Nalebuff SC ’25. She’s a Claremont Challah baker-turned-boardmember.

“I started by being a vol-

unteer — baking — and I really enjoyed it so I hopped onto the board,” Nalebuff said. “I really enjoy eating the bread and the fact that [the money] goes towards charity. It’s a great way to spend your flex dollars.”

All proceeds generated from Claremont Challah are sent to local food charities at the end of the semester, something that excites many of its regular patrons.

Madison Lewis PO ’24 loves supporting the club and its causes.

“It makes me feel good on a physical level and an emotional level and a moral level!,” Lewis said. “It’s a win, win, win.”

The Mac Shack During their first year on campus, Jasper Summers PZ ’25 and Noah Leopold PZ ’25 bonded over their shared love of cooking and recipe development.

They floated the possibility of opening a coffee shop or taco stand but eventually landed on mac and cheese. They wanted to create a positive social scene on the weekend that didn’t revolve around parties.

If you’re ever experiencing late-night food cravings, be on the lookout for the Mac Shack.

This semester, the Mac Shack returned to 5C students on Nov. 3 — and Nov. 3 only. Harbored within Pitzer College’s Skandera Demonstration Kitchen, they were open from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m.

See 5C CUISINE on page 2

ELLIE URFRIG & WENDY ZHANG • THE STUDENT LIFE From a late-night boba shop to a gooey mac-and-cheese wonderland, these four student-run food services are satisfying 5C students’ cravings.

Crafting change: 5C students host arts & crafts fundraiser for Palestine Children’s Relief Fund ASHLEY PARK Last Friday, students from across the Claremont Colleges came together to buy and sell artwork to raise funds for the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF). The fundraiser, held on Nov. 10 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Pomona College’s Walker Hall, was organized to raise awareness and funds for the ongoing humanitarian crisis facing Palestinian children.

The event was approved by Pomona, but was solely student-organized and run. According to the organizer of the event, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, more than 200 students attended the fundraiser, which raised a total of $4,889.01. In the days since the event, continued donations have raised this figure. The fundraiser is still open.

These contributions were collected through a 5C Student Arts and Crafts Market Fundraiser page on the PCRF website. Students purchasing artwork could scan QR codes displayed at each of the vendors’ booths and then donate to the fundraising page to make a purchase.

The donations go directly to the PCRF, a non-governmental organi-

zation founded in 1991. According to its website, PCRF’s mission is to “provide medical and humanitarian relief to Arab children throughout the Levant, regardless of nationality, politics or religion.”

The website explains that donations toward the organization

benefit both patients and local doctors-in-training.

“Your donation allows PCRF to deliver on its humanitarian mission and send international volunteer medical missions to treat sick and injured patients while training local doctors,” the PCRF donation page

states. In Gaza specifically, the website claims to be using donations to supply basic necessities like food, water and shelter to those in need.

For some 5C artists, selling art to generate funds for PCRF last Friday was a way to show their support for Palestinians and offer aid

PHILY OEY • THE STUDENT LIFE More than 200 students attended an art market last Friday, which raised almost $5,000 for a nonprofit supporting Palestinian children.

ARTS & CULTURE Can we find a child’s joy in our adult lives? Writer Jia Tolentino spoke on this idea with Kevin Dettmar, director of the Humanities studio, at Pomona College’s Rose Hills Theater on Nov. 9 as part of the ongoing Joy Speaker Series.

The student newspaper of the Claremont Colleges since 1889

during the ongoing humanitarian crisis.

Illustrator Dani LaLuzerne PZ ’25 was one of the artists selling their work at the fundraiser.

“I hope that the funds can provide some sort of relief to the pain and the difficulties happening there right now,” LaLuzerne said. “And I also think it’s nice to use art as a way of doing these things, because it’s something that provides a more hopeful way of doing it.”

Some of LaLuzerne’s art included prints of birds from around campus, hand-drawn portraits of attending students and linocut prints of watermelon — which has been adopted as a symbol of Palestinian resistance.

Other artists sold products ranging from handmade earrings and hand-knit hats to a wide variety of prints, zines and posters. One booth offered astrology and tarot readings, while another had gel nail designs available for students to receive a manicure.

Linsey Wong PO ’27 hand-assembled and sold Italian charm bracelets, allowing buyers to personalize the bracelet by choosing each individual

See PCRF on page 2

OPINIONS

SPORTS

Rowan Gray CM ‘26 responds to criticism and defends his claim that event organizers at the 5Cs should stop providing sugary snacks to students.

Sour sixteen: After the strongest season start in the P-P women’s soccer team’s history, P-P pushed past NLU in an intense overtime 1-0 victory to make the top 32 in the NCAA tournament, only to be bested by their local nemesis, the Cal Lu Regals, in a 1-0 heartbreaking defeat.

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

News

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November 17, 2023

5C CUISINE: Student-run spots satiate cravings Continued from page 1 What does the Mac Shack sell? Exclusively mac and cheese.

However, the business offers interesting ways to spice up its signature dish. Madyson Chung-Lee SC ’27 informed TSL about several pleasant surprises brought by the Mac Shack.

“I got the regular mac and cheese with jalapeños and pickled onions, which was absolutely scrumptious,” Chung-Lee said.

“Going into the [Mac Shack], I had no idea what to expect. I thought it was something that took place in the dining hall, but when I got to the demo kitchen, it was bustling with people eating mac and cheese.”

Many students believe that the Mac Shack wields the power to create strong community bonds.

“The Mac Shack experience transcends space and time,” Mary Burgess SC ’27 said. “There is absolutely nothing better than sitting with your friends munching on a glob of Mac in the safe, serene bubble that is the Mac Shack.”

It’s fun for the students… and the macaroni makers, themselves!

“The feeling of bringing satiated smiles to hungry faces is unmatched,” Summers said in an email to TSL. Lizzie Clark SC ’27 said she enjoyed how the Mac Shack was both offered and supported by 5C students.

“The whole experience helped us bond as a group because we

were all in our own little mac and cheese world,” Clark recounted. “One thing that makes this student-run business so special is that it relies on other students and their love for a good meal. Students support students!”

To Amelia Olafsson SC ’27, the simple nature of the Mac Shack serves as a compelling reason for students to visit.

“I like the simple menu,” Olafsson said. “It alleviates much of the burden of choice.

You can’t go wrong with the regular mac and cheese. It reminds me of home in the best way possible.”

The Shack is adored by many.

This leaves us wondering: when will it be back? Oscar Rigo PZ ’25, a Mac Shack sous chef, has the inside scoop.

“Mac-shack is keeping a low profile at the moment,” Rigo said. “We are students too! But I really love how people are so hyped about us and want us back regularly. We are all unfortunately going abroad next semester, so not until our senior year. But who knows, [there’re] four and half weeks left this semester.”

Milk & Honey Student-run boba shop Milk & Honey is located in Pomona’s Smith Campus Center. Each Tuesday and Thursday from 7:00 p.m. to 9:45 p.m., parched peers pack Café 47, where the

student-run business prepares their favorite drinks.

Milk and Honey offers dozens of bobas and teas to sample.

Beyond the boba, however, they play fun music and attract heaps of friendly faces. Tristen Leone PO ’26 expressed her love for the ambiance and beverages.

“I think supporting students who want to make the community more fun and engaging is something that’s really important,” Leone said. “And, I really just love boba! Getting to use my flex on boba is a big win.”

Recent hire Ellie Lian PO ’27 relishes in the fun working environment that she feels Milk & Honey cultivates.

“Making drinks is really fun because it feels like I’m playing real-life Papa’s Pizzeria,” Lian said. “I also really enjoy the people I work with, and all the student customers are very nice and understanding as well.”

The Motley Coffeehouse To the five of you still living under a rock, unaware of the utopic wonderland that is the Motley, this one’s for you. (Yes — these people do exist).

Founded in 1974 as a non-profit business, the Motley has aspired to its mission “to connect the Claremont Colleges with local and global communities by perpetuating sustainable supply chains, to be a socially responsible business that explores diverse feminist critiques and to

NORA WU • THE STUDENT LIFE

foster independent thinking and purposeful change,” according to the Scripps College website.

The Motley works toward its mission by utilizing the space for a variety of programs.

They host different student groups, guest lectures, community movie nights and student band performances throughout the semester, as well as famous opening parties.

The business offers the type of community that Isabella Lindsay SC ’26 was searching for as a first-year. Since starting at the Motley last semester, Lindsay has found the work to be a healthy break from high-pressure environments.

“I like the combination of having responsibility but also

not feeling scared or stressed because it’s run by other students,” Lindsay said. “They’re really understanding and it’s a lot of fun.”

Emmy Anderson SC ’26 emphasized just how versatile and communal the coffee shop is.

“The Motley is the only place on campus where you can attend a poignant, powerful lecture from an internationally-renowned scholar, participate in a sex workshop and get a delicious treat,” Anderson said. “It’s a central part of the Scripps community – and apparently the Pomona community, and the Pitzer community, and the CMC community and the Mudd community, as the utter impossibility of finding a seat at every hour of the day will show you.”

PCRF: Meet Pomona’s 2023 Yidan Experiential Learning Grant Students craft for the Study of Asia recipients change

NITYA GUPTA On Tuesday, Nov. 14, Diana Truong PO ’24 and Griffin Campion PO ’24, the 2023 recipients of the Yidan Experiential Learning Grant for the Study of Asia, presented their summer experiences at a lunch colloquium in the Oldenborg Center.

The grant, sponsored by the Oldenborg Center, offers financial assistance to students at Pomona College who are interested in pursuing experiential learning opportunities such as intensive language study, community engagement and master classes that engage with Asia and Asian cultures. Awards are granted in varying amounts of up to $4,500.

This summer, Truong participated in the Pitzer in Vietnam Summer 2023 Program, a 6-week study-abroad experience focusing on intensive Vietnamese language, culture, history and community immersion.

As a first-generation, low-income student, the Yidan grant offered Truong the financial support she needed to visit Vietnam through Pitzer’s summer program and to connect with her Vietnamese culture.

“I wasn’t raised learning the Vietnamese language because my family wanted me to assimilate in America and avoid the discrimination they experienced — so this was a really important way for me to connect with my heritage as a descendant of the Vietnamese diaspora,” Truong said in an email to TSL. At the talk, Truong spoke about the influence of her family’s displacement from Vietnam on her interest in Vietnamese culture and language.

“The main source of my connection to Vietnamese culture without the language growing up was the cultural traditions of respect for family, emphasis on education, art and food,” Truong said. “My aunties would make big bowls of pho and egg rolls that we’d share. Instead of giving out cupcakes in elementary school, we gave egg rolls. And so, engaging with art and food was a really big source of connection for me growing up as well as being able to learn the history.”

While studying abroad, Truong grappled with her sense of identity as a Vietnamese American. She recalled an instance when she was riding on a boat at the Mê Kông Delta serviced by an elderly Vietnamese woman and questioned how she was benefiting from the woman’s labor.

“I felt really bad, because I should be rooting for her,” Truong said. “What does it mean for my position as someone of the Vietnamese American diaspora to be serviced by an elder and the different types of labor that she has to do — and she makes less than we do in the [United States]?”

But, after completing the program, Truong felt proud to be a Vietnamese American.

“I came to learn that being

Continued from page 1

WENDY ZHANG • THE STUDENT LIFE Diana Truong PO ’24 and Griffin Campion PO ’24 shared their summer experiences studying in Asia in the Oldenborg Center on Tuesday.

separated from your ancestral language is not a failure, but rather a natural consequence of the violence of imperialism and displacement,” she said.

Truong expressed her excitement to continue learning Vietnamese in the spring through the Intermediate Vietnamese language course at Pitzer College with professors Cô Tâm and Anh Công from Huế University. Eventually, she hopes to use her Vietnamese to help non-English-speaking patients as an EMT. “I hope that my Vietnamese language access can be helpful for communities who are going through emergencies,” she said.

Campion, the other grant recipient, studied abroad in Osaka, Japan, to learn Japanese and conduct research for his senior thesis on the role of food in the creation of national identities.

He was inspired to study abroad in Japan, as he was curious about the language after completing an exchange program when he was in high school.

“I got to go visit the school that the Japanese students had come from, and stay with a host family as well,” Campion said at the talk. “But back then, I didn’t speak Japanese — it was all English — and so I felt like there was kind of a missing piece there.”

This inspired him to study Japanese at Pomona for two years, after which he applied for a summer study abroad program in Japan to further his learning. The Yidan grant offered him the financial support he needed to participate in the

program.

In Japan, Campion took intensive language courses, traveled to cities like Kyoto and Hiroshima and immersed himself in Japanese culture. One of the most important things he did was take a language pledge.

“The language pledge was that when we were on the university campus, or in housing, with our Japanese housemates, we agreed to speak Japanese exclusively,” Campion said.

“For the entire first week I was there, I did not speak a word of English. That was a very new experience.”

Another thing Campion learned while studying abroad was how to enjoy being alone.

His first foray into this was when he and a group of other people headed to the biggest shopping street in the world.

When everyone else decided to return home, he chose to stay and continue exploring the area by himself.

“Figuring out how to be happier by myself and doing the things that I wanted to do by myself — that’s never been something that I do a lot,” Campion said. “I have a twin brother, we grew up on each other’s toes 24/7 and so this was pretty new to me, but it felt good.”

The biggest challenge Campion faced was creating a whole new community in Japan. Because of the time difference, it was hard for him to stay in touch with friends and family back home.

“The community of people that I built in the program and in Japan had to be socially sustaining for me for those two

months,” Campion said. “And although that was a huge challenge, it was something that I was really happy that I was able to do, as it made me more confident in my ability to form connections in a community.”

Another challenge Campion faced was accepting that basic tasks were going to be different.

“Part of the culture shock was that everything was hard, all of a sudden,” he said. “The basics of laundry, taking a shower and taking out the trash are so different. I had to learn to grapple with the honeymoon phase of, ‘this is cool and different’ to the kind of more challenging phase of, ‘why does everything have to be different.’”

Campion asserted that participating in the study abroad program would not have been possible without help from the Yidan grant.

“Since Pomona doesn’t have a summer study abroad program, people who want to study abroad during the summer have to figure out the process by themselves, including the funding,” he said. “Because of the financial support of the grant, I was able to make this experience happen and I’m really grateful to have had it and learned so much from it.”

Updated information regarding the grant can be found on the Oldenborg Summer Funded Opportunities website. Students can also follow them on Instagram @ OldenborgCenter to stay up to date on all things happening at Oldenborg.

charm.

“When I assemble them, I can tell a lot about a person just from the charms they choose. It’s amazing to see how different people are, and to see their interests and just who they are as a person,” Wong explained.

Some of the art sold was very topical to the mission of the fundraiser. Julianna Deibel SC ’24 and her friends collaborated to fill their booth with linocut prints they designed. Amongst Deibel’s print designs was a print of the Palestine Sunbird perched on a branch bordered by the Keffiyeh pattern.

“The Palestine Sunbird is the national bird of Palestine and has been used as a symbol for resistance,” Deibel said. “In the past, authorities from the Israeli occupation tried to change its name.”

A particular quote from Palestinian poet Tamim Al-Barghouti inspired Deibel’s own artwork: “‘Whenever you face injustice or roughness, remember to defend yourself by finding beauty … document, prove and defend it because all beauty is resistance,’” she quoted.

The high turnout at the fundraiser was a happy surprise for organizers and artists alike.

“Since I was only organizing this in an individual capacity, I was shocked that the event reached this many people, both in terms of the amount of student vendors and the people who turned out,” the anonymous organizer said. “It would not have been possible without the community coming together.”

To Andrea Robinowitz PZ ’25, who sold handmade earrings at the event, it was inspiring to see students from all of the Claremont Colleges come together and share their unique skills for the same cause.

“It is encouraging to see that there are a lot of students, parents and community members who are energized for and supportive of actions for Palestinian liberation,” she said.

Some students expressed their hope that the support shown towards Palestinians at the fundraiser extends beyond the event.

“It is essential to keep in mind that humanitarian aid toward Palestinians only goes so far,” the anonymous organizer said. “We cannot lose hope. We must resolve ourselves to doing every little thing we can, because those things still make little differences.”

Robinowitz said there are more ways in which students can support Palestinians aside from donating to humanitarian aid.

“Students should get involved in leftist organizing on campus and keep an eye out on social media for actions and opportunities for political education,” Robinowitz said.

“On the websites uspcr.org and jewishvoiceforpeace.org, there are templates and scripts to call and email your representatives and ask for a cease-fire in Gaza.”

News

November 17, 2023

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‘The geneticist’s vanishing Indian’: Kim TallBear speaks on the genetic study of Indigenous peoples FIONA HERBOLD & BEATRIX KARAMBIS On Thursday, Nov. 9, the Pomona College Anthropology Department and the Science, Technology and Society Program hosted Kim TallBear for a lecture titled “The Geneticist’s Vanishing Indian vs.

Indigenous Collective Presence.”

Over 50 people attended TallBear’s talk, which was hosted at Pomona’s Hahn Hall.

TallBear is a professor of Native Studies and the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Peoples, Technoscience and Society at the University of Alberta. She is also the author of four books on DNA testing and race science and a citizen of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe.

TallBear was invited to Pomona

by Assistant Professor of Anthropology Christina Bejarano, who previously assigned one of TallBear’s books — “Native American DNA: Tribal Belonging and the False Promise of Genetic Science” — to her Anthropology of Genetics class.

“I was just hopeful she would come and enrich everyone’s conversation around these issues that are a challenge to understand,” Bejarano told TSL. “It’s just important to get as many perspectives as possible.”

TallBear began her talk by discussing terminology used to talk about native peoples. She noted that different terms carry different significances across the world and that it is always best to use people-specific and nation-specific terms.

“Talking about Indigenous or native peoples terminology is geographically, temporally and politically contextual,” she said.

“When you’re talking about native peoples, there’s always somebody who’s gonna not like the word you use, depending on where they come from and when they come from. You don’t ever get to be lazy.”

TallBear explained that the term Indigenous works best in the Americas and can act as an umbrella term that helps Indigenous peoples organize globally. However, TallBear noted that there is a downside to using this particular term.

“It is enabling increasingly promiscuous definitions. And so you’re now beginning to hear people talk about being Indigenous based on some long ago ancestry

with no connection to a living collective community,” she said.

The central part of her talk focused on the myth of “the Vanishing Indian” that has influenced American thinking.

“The idea that native peoples are destined to vanish is, by now, a more than 200-year-old cherished American myth. We still hear this all the time and still the expectation is that the ‘red race’ was expected to fade away, leaving empty land for inevitable occupation and development by white civilization,” she said.

TallBear then discussed the ways in which this myth has influenced genomic sciences.

“These things permeate our society,” she said. “Because scientists are citizens and members of our society, they’re not exempt from these kinds of widespread insidious ideas in the way that we think about race in this country, and around the world as well.”

TallBear explained that, con-

trary to the Vanishing Indian myth, the number of people defined as Indigenous is actually growing worldwide.

“250 million to 600 million individuals belong to over 4,000 Indigenous groups globally,” she said. “In the United States, we have among the highest birth rates of any ethnic or racially categorized group.”

She then went on to outline the key differences between genomic definitions of Indigeneity versus the Indigenous peoples definitions, noting that the genomic definition focuses on genetic descent from specific populations instead of what she says actually unites present-day Indigenous peoples.

“The Indigenous definition of indigeneity challenges the state, the colonial state and the assimilated state,” she said. “The genomic definition implicitly supports the vision of the settler state … they will talk about that

in a way that is implying stasis, that’s not implying dynamism, growth, continued change and self-governance.”

In her talk, TallBear asserted that, although there are many problems with the way genomic definitions currently operate, Indigenous people must engage with the science.

“We do have to engage with science and technology, but I think we need to do it on our own terms and with our own kind of scientific advisor who understands not only the science and the technology that we’re dealing with, but also understands our political histories, our regulations, our cultures.”

Isabel Held SC ’26 was inspired to attend the talk after talking to a friend who had taken Bejarano’s class.

“It was all new to me, as far as genetics and race,” she said. “I thought it was super interesting.”

Visiting Assistant Professor

of Philosophy Jordan Daniels also attended TallBear’s talk, noting that it was “extremely accessible.”

“I was familiar with some of the issues she spoke on, but I really appreciated learning about specific cases, like the Kennewick Man,” Daniels said. “I find TallBear’s discussion of identity as constituted by relationships and cultural practices rather than genetic markers or willful self-description to be really powerful, especially within the context of Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination.”

TallBear is currently working with a summer internship program training Indigenous scientists to be more critical of the inherited race theories of the past.

“Indigenous movement is about challenging the state, the settler state or the otherwise colonial state,” TallBear said. “We are here.

We want governance over our land, our territories and our populations.

You do not alone get to decide who we are and how we are.”

FIONA HERBOLD • THE STUDENT LIFE University of Alberta professor of Native Studies Kim Tallbear spoke about the difference in how genomic sciences and Indigenous people themselves approach Indigeneity.

STATEMENTS: 7C organizations continue to speak out Continued from page 1 are not writing this letter to ask that you do the same,” the authors wrote.

“At this moment, we simply ask you to understand that the Jewish community is not unified on this issue.”

JVP’s emphasis on the distinction between antisemitism and Palestinian solidarity provides a new perspective on what some community members from other Jewish groups feel has been a rise in antisemitic behavior.

“You can absolutely have solidarity with Palestinians without being antisemitic, and you can organize without being antisemitic,” Haverim, a student group devoted to fostering understanding around Judaism, said in an email to TSL. “But often, these organizations focus more on hatred of Israel and Zionism than on the plight of the Palestinian people.”

To Haverim, rhetoric focusing on the hatred of Israel and Zionism is rooted in antisemitism. They said the intertwining of this rhetoric with some students’ pro-Palestinian activism has contributed to an unsafe environment for some Jewish students on campus.

“A number of Jewish students have left campus since October, with many of them intending to transfer,” Haverim said. “If that’s not evidence that Jews in Claremont do not feel safe, what is?”

Haverim also defended their condemnation of Hamas, stating that in doing so they did not conflate Palestinian solidarity with antisemitism.

“Hamas’ charter is antisemitic and expresses their will to exterminate all Jews,” they said. “Palestinian solidarity should not come over the expense of the right of Jews to self determination — the existence of the State of Israel. These are not either or, one can be both Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestine. It even has a name — supporting the two-state solution.”

With a rise of Islamophobic and antisemitic incidents in other parts of the country, some administra-

tors have expressed concern over potential reverberations on campus. On Monday, Scripps College President Amy Marcus-Newhall released an email to students, faculty and staff expressing concern for antisemitic and Islamophobic behavior in the broader community and its impact on individuals at Scripps.

“The Scripps College we know, love, and continue to build together is not a place for hate, discrimination, or violence, and such behavior will not be tolerated,” she said. “Antisemitic and Islamophobic incidents are on the rise worldwide, and I am deeply concerned for those in the Scripps community who are feeling vulnerable as a result.”

Citing Scripps’ Principles of Community and Principles of Diversity, Marcus-Newhall emphasized the importance of fostering a safe community. She also expressed the college’s commitment to free speech and academic freedom, so long as this speech does not evolve into “behavior that disrupts the ability to live and learn safely on campus.”

Marcus-Newhall ended her email by encouraging people to connect with other community members and to take advantage of the educational and healing-based resources available at the Claremont Colleges.

Just hours after her email was sent to the Scripps community, Pomona College’s Asian American Resource Center, Pitzer College’s Center for Asian Pacific American Students, and the Intercollegiate Department of Asian American Studies at the Claremont Colleges co-hosted a 5C Asian American Solidarity with Palestine Panel at the Motley. Addressing dozens of people, student organizers declared the organization’s solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

“We register Asian American solidarity with Palestinians’ long struggle to end settler colonial occupation, apartheid and genocide

as unconditional,” an organizer told the crowd.

They then defined a series of terms, including “settler colonialism,” “settler migrant” and “apartheid.” One organizer emphasized that, while it is important for students to educate themselves about these definitions and about the history surrounding the ongoing violence in Gaza, having this knowledge is not enough.

“For us to know about settler colonialism and colonization and the history of all of this is not sufficient for us as diasporic settlers of color,” they said. “We cannot excuse ourselves from doing the work of solidarity and decolonization just because we know about it.”

Organizers then spoke on settler colonialism and violence beyond Palestine, seeking to relate current events to Asian and Asian American history, including the 38th parallel that divided the Korean Peninsula in 1945.

“This is about finding meaningful parallels and recognizing that U.S. imperialism and settler colonialism has been a method of violence in both [Palestine and Korea],” an organizer told the crowd.

One organizer pointed out that, while it proved useful at times, relating current events in Palestine to similar examples within Asian and Asian American history should not be necessary to motivate people to take action.

“I want to emphasize that we should not need to be drawing parallels in our historic situations just so that we can be opposed to genocide,” they said. “We should be opposed to genocide period, and then we can also draw on history in order to figure out ways to actively resist it.”

Organizers concluded the panel by encouraging students to speak out on social media, leverage their institutional and leadership positions, contribute to mutual aid, engage in campus activism and call or fax their representatives.

Community members at the 7Cs have been hosting events meant to address the more personal consequences of ongoing violence as well as the historical context. On Nov. 10, the 5C Arab Students Association and Claremont Students for Justice in Palestine hosted a vigil and processing space at Scripps College’s Elm Tree Lawn.

According to one attendee, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, the event offered students a low-pressure environment where they could come together and share how they were feeling.

Students listened to prayers, talked to one another and wrote letters to Palestinians in Gaza. “[The event] was really, in a way, therapeutic,” they said. “It felt like exactly what I needed in that moment, because prior to that … I didn’t really have anybody to discuss things with or process my emotions with.”

They also commented on the student-run nature of the event, saying that, although Pomona’s administration had previously taken the lead in organizing resources and spaces for students to process traumatic things, they were not doing this with SWANA [Southwest Asia and North Africa], Muslim and Palestinian students being affected now.

“I am disappointed in the fact that students who are going through a lot have to simultaneously process their emotions, convince people that Palestinians are deserving of humanity and also organize these events and resources for one another,” they said. “That’s a lot for students, and I think the administration should take more initiative in catering to us.”

In their recent resolution, “A Resolution Acknowledging the current Palestinian Genocide and Ongoing Apartheid in support of the Palestinian People,” the Pitzer College Student Senate echoed this call for increased administrative action at the Claremont Colleges.

Corrections Harold Fuson’s Issue 8 sports column was misprinted. Sorry, Harold.

TSL regrets the error.

On Nov. 5, Student Senate President Sanya Dhama PZ ’24 released an email to Pitzer’s students, faculty and staff members introducing this resolution. Initially introduced on Oct. 8, it condemned the violence in Israel and Palestine and mourned the recent deaths of both Israelis and Palestinians.

“The loss of any and all life is a tragedy,” the resolution says. “We abhor all violence towards civilians on both sides.”

It also called for the acknowledgement of the broader historical context surrounding recent events.

“And whereas, as the Hamas attacks have already been institutionally, and rightfully, condemned we must also condemn the 75 years of apartheid and current genocide towards the people of Palestine,” the resolution reads.

The resolution alluded to a slew of statements released across the 5Cs over the past few weeks, including Pitzer President Strom Thacker’s Oct. 13 statement, which received criticism for denouncing Hamas’ attacks without commenting on what Thacker referred to as the “larger historical conflict.”

“This has been an enormously difficult time, as the world struggles to come to grips with the horrific loss of lives during and since the heinous terrorist acts by Hamas this past week,” Thacker said in his statement.

“Regardless of one’s perspective on the larger historical conflict, the intentional killing of civilians — anytime, anywhere — is abhorrent.

Pitzer’s student senate resolution went on to declare its support for the recent Claremont Consortium Faculty Statement on Gaza and for students’ political organizing on campus. It also condemned “scare tactics,” citing doxxing, hate speech and non-consensual photography and videography as examples. The resolution ended by asking Pitzer’s administration to provide increased support for its Palestinian students, calling for them to “continue finding ways to support Palestinian students and their voices for justice.”

Arts & Culture

PAGE 4

November 17, 2023

KIT’S CONTROLLER CORNER

With great power comes great responsibility: Insomniac’s contribution to the Spider Man universe KIT KUMAR

Spider-Man, the multimedia phenomenon first introduced by Marvel Comics in 1962, stands as a cultural juggernaut with an enduring impact that transcends generations. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, Spider-Man’s narrative prowess lies in its relatability. Main character Peter Parker, a down-on-his-luck teenager, fends off bullies, struggles to make do with his meager circumstances and finds himself grappling with the extraordinary responsibilities of being a superhero, resonating with audiences on a profound level.

Peter Parker is an ordinary person in extraordinary circumstances, meaning that his moral quandaries and insurmountable challenges are often similar to those of the readers, albeit sometimes a bit larger in scale.

Beyond the pages of comic books, Spider-Man has swung into various forms of media, from animated series to blockbuster films, becoming an indelible part of global pop culture.

The timeless mantra, “with great power comes great responsibility,” has woven itself into the fabric of society, inspiring countless individuals and leaving a permanent mark on the cultural landscape. Spider-Man’s enduring appeal lies not only in his superhuman feats but in the humanity of his journey, making him an enduring symbol of courage, resilience and the power of storytelling. Many fantasize about the fantastical powers

of Spider-Man and how it would feel to place themselves in his shoes — and through the medium of video games, this has become possible.

Spider-Man video games have long earned widespread adoration for their unique ability to seamlessly blend gripping storytelling with exhilarating gameplay. These games, often characterized by their open-world design and dynamic web-swinging mechanics, offer players a chance to enter Peter Parker’s iconic spandex suit and experience the thrill of navigating New York’s sprawling cityscape.

Insomniac’s current run with the franchise “Spider-Man” (2018) and its sequels “Spider-Man: Miles Morales” (2020) and “Spider-Man 2” (2023) has found extreme success not just due to the games’ visually stunning graphics or faithful recreation of the comic book universe, but in their immersive narrative arcs that capture the essence of Spider-Man’s character. Players are not merely swinging between skyscrapers but grappling with the personal struggles, moral dilemmas and complex relationships that define the world of Peter Parker and Miles Morales. The games’ attention to detail, engaging combat systems and the freedom to explore the vibrant city contribute to an unparalleled gaming experience that resonates with both avid fans and newcomers alike, cementing Spider-Man’s virtual adventures as a benchmark for excellence in the

7C student organizations host Diwali celebration

MAX RANNEY • THE STUDENT LIFE

realm of superhero gaming.

These games have masterfully struck a delicate balance between faithfulness to the beloved intellectual property and a fresh, novel narrative approach. While staying true to the core elements of Spider-Man’s lore, such as his iconic rogues’ gallery, the bustling city of New York and the fundamental principles of “with great power comes great responsibility,” Insomniac introduces innovative storylines and character developments that breathe new life into the superhero’s universe. By crafting an original narrative that is not bound by the constraints of established comic book story arcs or cinematic adaptations, the games allow for unexpected twists and turns, keeping

Students created Rangoli designs in the Beckett Hall courtyard to celebrate Diwali.

PETER DIEN On Sunday, Nov. 12, members of the 7C community gathered around Beckett Hall at Claremont McKenna College (CMC) to celebrate Diwali.

Organized by the 7C Hindu Society, Asian Pacific American Mentoring (APAM) and Asian Pacific American Student Association (APASA), the celebration welcomed international Indian students, Indian American students and the broader Claremont community.

Diwali, alternatively known as the Deepavali or the Hindu festival of lights, is a holiday celebrated primarily among Indian followers of the Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths. Tracing back more than 2,500 years, the celebration has transcended religion and become a national staple in Indian culture. Today, South Asian people everywhere join to create lanterns, listen to music and celebrate ancient Indian folklore about the triumph of good over evil. “[Diwali] is a festival of lights and comes from the Indian Epic, the Ramayana. It is a day when God is coming back home … so [we] set up a bunch of lanterns and lights to show him the way,” Ishika Keswani PO ’26, a 7C Hindu Society officer said. “Essentially, it is the start of a new year and a new chapter.”

Entering the Beckett Hall courtyard, attendees were welcomed with Indian music and an array of Indian food and drinks such as paneer chicken, garlic naan, samosas and mango lassi. The event’s main activity was Rangoli making, an art form where unique patterns are created with lanterns and powder. Some of the patterns included peacocks, a common motif in the Diwali tradition, flowers and other elaborately crafted designs.

Many attendees of Diwali echoed the significance of the celebration for the Desi community as a whole.

According to attendee Sanah Anand PO ’26, Desi has become a term that 7C students can use to articulate the broader umbrella of their identities.

“The Desi community at the 7Cs is really important to foster to ensure that the South Asian culture is brought together — this can be done in so many ways … we have the Oldenbourg table at Pomona, we have the Marsha dance culture and laughter that brings us together,” Anand said.

For organizations like APAM and APASA that are not exclusively Indian or Desi affinity groups, collaboration in hosting Diwali was paramount in building a space for different Asian-Pacific communities

to celebrate each other’s cultures.

Laura Rich CM ’24, APASA’s events co-chair, emphasized the importance of building a cross-Asian-Pacific community.

“For events such as Diwali, it’s important to bring as many people together as possible,” Rich said. “I’m half Japanese and half white … and I think it is really fun when people try to learn about my culture so I want to learn about other cultures as well.”

Along with welcoming members of the broader Asian-Pacific community, the Diwali celebration fostered community between the Indian American and international Indian students.

Richa Parikh CM ’24, the APASA event co-chair and an Indian American herself, spoke on the crucial function of celebrations like Diwali in building meaningful transnational relationships.

“A lot of my friends are international students from India, so I always pitch the events to them and they always show up to support,” Parikh said.

For international Indian students such as Anand, Diwali helps her stay in touch with her Indian culture while attending a college thousands of miles away from her home of Mumbai, India.

“I have lived in Singapore, Indonesia and Mumbai,” Anand said. “What I’ve noticed throughout all the places I’ve been is that Diwali is the main cultural event that brings everyone together, no matter where [they] are. Having a Diwali celebration at the 7Cs really helps to bring a feeling of family and home between all of us — it really takes care of some of the homesickness.”

After the festivities concluded, students walked to Pitzer to see a performance from Claremont Tamasha, the 5C’s Bollywood Dance Company. Diwali is one part of a larger list of events organized by several Asian-Pacific affinity organizations at the 7Cs. Organizers in these groups hope to continue fostering community and building connections for APIDA identifying students here at the Claremont Colleges.

“At the beginning of the year, APASA hosted a social gathering … for the 5C APIDA orgs to get to know each other,” Rich said.

“We plan to organize a dinner for a lot of APIDA students and next semester we are looking to do events for Lunar New Year and Holi as well.”

Kit Kumar CM ’26 hopes that their parents acknowledge that playing all those video games was actually a worthwhile use of their time.

Filipinx students revive Tagalog language table at Oldenborg BECCA CHOE & ZOE DORADO

PETER DIEN • THE STUDENT LIFE

even the most die-hard Spider-Man enthusiasts on the edge of their seats.

The nuanced portrayal of Peter Parker’s personal life, the introduction of new supporting characters and the exploration of uncharted territories within The Spider-Verse demonstrate Insomniac’s commitment to both honoring the legacy of the character and delivering a gaming experience that feels refreshingly contemporary and unpredictable. Insomniac’s Spider-Man games are faithful adaptations while simultaneously charting a thrilling and uncharted narrative course within the expansive web-slinging world.

Insomniac’s Spider-Man games distinguish themselves from their contemporary superhero counter-

parts through a meticulous dedication to authenticity and a nuanced adaptation of the source material. While many superhero games often rely on established storylines or cinematic universes, the Spider-Man series takes bold creative strides by presenting a narrative that is both reverent to the character’s roots and unafraid to forge new paths. The games capture the essence of Spider-Man through exhilarating gameplay mechanics and high-fidelity graphics. They also craft a narrative that delves into the complexities of Peter Parker’s life, relationships and moral dilemmas. This commitment to character depth and storytelling innovation sets Insomniac’s Spider-Man apart, offering players an experience that feels simultaneously authentic to the comics yet remarkably fresh in its narrative execution. In doing so, Insomniac has set a benchmark for how superhero games can transcend the boundaries of source material adaptation, elevating the genre into a realm of storytelling that resonates both with ardent fans and newcomers alike.

Insomniac, rather than resign themselves to simply adapting the source material, bravely looks at the audience and in the words of Miles Morales from “Across the Spider-Verse” says, “Nah, Imma do my own thing.”

Every Thursday at Oldenborg dining hall, the newly revived Tagalog language table is crowded with 7C students and staff members. Some are native speakers. Some are Pinoys who can understand the gist of the language but cannot participate in their tita’s (auntie’s) chismis (gossip). Most however, are still awkwardly trying to unlearn English vowel sounds as they introduce themselves in Tagalog to the group.

Here, participants flip through Tagalog language packets filled with conversational phrases and slang, Filipino dessert items and plot summaries of popular Philippine teledramas. In a game of Tagalog Pictionary, participants pass a small whiteboard around the table, trying to provide clues in Taglish (Tagalog mixed with English) so others can guess what they drew. Because many are still beginners, the game becomes a visual way to match objects to words — to match a picture of a dog to aso or a flower to bulaklak.

While the current iteration of Oldenborg’s Tagalog table is just a few weeks old, its history goes back over 10 years.

In 2013, Oldenborg began to offer a Tagalog language table after a push by the Filipinx-American Student Association of the Claremont Colleges (Kasama). According to Michael Manalo-Pedro, associate director of the Asian American Resource Center (AARC) and participant of the language table, Kasama began when one could practically count the number of Filipino students at the 5Cs on their two hands.

“The conversation started in 2012 when professor Todd Homna was teaching a Filipinx-based class,” Manalo-Pedro said. “Asian American Studies

Pitzer [College] Professor Homna, had just begun teaching that year when his students recognized the need to create a space for Filipinx students to gather — a club that would eventually form Kasama whose first project was to establish a Tagalog language table.”

The table returned sporadically throughout the years but halted when the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020. However, in October 2023, student organizing supported by Kasama revived the Tagalog language table at Oldenborg and the table has been meeting once a week ever since.

Zeean Firmeza PO ’26 was one of the student leaders active in the revival of the Tagalog language table.

“The language table was already started before, but there was a lack of initiative to follow through with it,” Firmeza said.

“So I had decided I want to do this.”

For Firmeza, the table is not only a space for students to learn and be exposed to Tagalog, but also to provide Filipinx students and staff across the Claremont Colleges a space to connect with one another.

Still, Kasama co-President Analise Pugh PZ ’25, believes the language table is not enough. For her, there is a need “to make a space for people to come together and speak Tagalog, especially because there are no language classes.”

Indeed, not one of the Claremont Colleges, situated in the state of California where the fourth most commonly spoken language is Tagalog, offers a course on Tagalog.

Firmeza, who wrote an op-ed for TSL earlier this semester titled “My language isn’t useless” addressing the lack of Southeast Asian language representation in higher education, called for the 5Cs to help change that.

“For me, the biggest step is to

demand for a Tagalog course to be offered here,” she said.

Firmeza noted how it is not an unrealistic task considering the wealth of the Claremont Colleges and how private schools like Harvard and public schools like UCLA offer Tagalog language classes.

As for the Tagalog language table, Kian Sogutom PZ ’27, a main facilitator at the table, explained the goal is to have the opportunity to meet more frequently.

“We’re hoping to expand it to two days a week,” Sogutom said.

“We’re thinking of introducing Tuesday evenings at Collins or Hoch.”

Although Tagalog is often seen as the official Filipino language, there are over 170 dialects spoken throughout the Philippines. In fact, many students at the Tagalog table came from families who speak Illocano or Cebuano.

“Even if the native language [a student] grew up with wasn’t Tagalog, [but] … another dialect, for me it goes beyond just learning the language,” Theo Siasat CM ’24, the other Kasama co-President, said. “It’s also a really powerful way to build community.”

As many of the table’s participants don’t speak Tagalog fluently, the language table also becomes a space for students and staff members to connect with the local 7C Filipinx community.

For Manalo-Pedro, a child of Filipino immigrants, the language table feels like home.

“Whenever I hear Tagalog, like, I feel like I’m at home, you know?”

Manalo-Pedro said. “I feel like I’m in my household and listening to my parents talk.”

Sogutom, who is also an international student from Cebu, Philippines, agrees and has found that this community has given him something invaluable.

“Whenever I go to the table, I feel represented,” Sogutom said.

“I know that when I see that little flag on the table, it helps me remember and reassures me that I belong here.”

BECCA CHOE • THE STUDENT LIFE Students at the newly reinstated Tagalog language table in Oldenborg Dining Hall.

November 17, 2023

Arts & Culture

PAGE 5

ROM-COM IN REVIEW

Jia Tolentino on navigating The case for joy in Asian joy and transcendence American rom-coms DYLAN ZULUETA “I do think of adult joy as the kind that is hard-won … it’s jagged and it encompasses sorrow.

It’s not a flat happiness … I think joy is something that encompasses its opposite,” writer Jia Tolentino said.

On Nov. 9, the Humanities Studio welcomed Jia Tolentino to Rose Hills Theater at Pomona College for the third installment of the Joy Speaker Series.

Tolentino is a staff writer for the New Yorker and author of the essay collection “Trick Mirror,” a New York Times bestseller. She spoke with Kevin Dettmar, Pomona English professor and the director of the Humanities Studio.

Dettmar opened their conversation discussing the song “Infant Joy” and its counterpart “Infant Sorrow” from poet William Blake in the book “Songs of Innocence and Experience.” Dettmar explained he expected the idea of “adult joy” to follow “infant joy,” but Blake does not believe in the existence of joy beyond childhood at all.

“Most of my questions tonight are really just the same question: What is joy after innocence?”

Dettmar said.

Tolentino said she was intimately familiar with “infant joy.”

As a child, she had pure, ecstatic experiences, such as bike rides in summers with no responsibilities.

“Joy for me was almost reflexive,” Tolentino said. “I would have these spikes towards an extreme joy. I would court it, first through religion … this feeling of transcendence. And then later I found it through drugs, … music and being packed rooms with other people.”

Now, as a mother of a threeyear-old and a three-month-old, she understands joy from a new perspective. ”I had kids and this tendency that I thought was so baked into me changed,” Tolentino said. “I was put on a morphine drip of joy, and it was a simpler joy. It was an infant joy.”

Tolentino believes life comes in seasons. She believes we should accept these shifts in our relationship with joy, rather than chase past iterations of joy that are long

gone. This idea resonated with Emily Applbaum PO ’24.

“I feel kind of emotional, because she spoke to a lot of things that I’ve been thinking about,” Applbaum said. “I’m about to graduate, so I’m just thinking about my life.”

The title of the event, “Jia Tolentino on Joy and Ecstasy,” references the essay “Ecstasy” from her book “Trick Mirror,” which explores her transcendent experiences with religion and psychedelic drugs.

Tolentino spent much of the talk reflecting on her complicated relationship with organized religion and its impact on her life. Although she said she is continuously walking away from organized religion, she didn’t renounce her experiences within it.

“I still subscribe to the idea of kind of supplication and mystery and kind of prostration in various forms,” Tolentino said. “I’m still really grateful for them.”

Kai Carse PO ’24, a longtime fan of Tolentino, expressed admiration for her philosophy.

“The way that she lives her life constantly obsessed with revelation and devotion and ecstasy and these extremes, but also long-term conclusions … I think is really profound,” Carse said.

Elisa Membreno PO ’24 appreciated the sense of openness cultivated in each talk of the Joy speaker series.

“I think the Joy lectures have created spaces for everyone in the room to be in a community with each other in a way I haven’t found in other talks,” Membreno said.

After two hours of discussion about joy in life, the last question of the night centered upon death: how it embodies the unknown and how the awareness of our own mortality makes each moment more meaningful. Tolentino advocated for reaching into the unknown.

“People say, ‘accept Jesus Christ, just in case’ … I found that really offensive,” Tolentino said. “Why not pretend that this is it? This is all you have to do good and be good.

I find that joyful, and I find that freeing.”

F o r To l e n t i n o , t h e u n known –– death and life, joy and sorrow –– are all intertwined. Tolentino, who had recently put down her dog of 12 years, started to tear up as she answered the final question about joy and mortality.

“One of the most beautiful and important human experiences you could ever have is to be with someone you love when they die,” Tolentino said. “And I wouldn’t say there’s joy in that, but there was a beauty to it that’s inaccessible without death … They’re so related that they can’t be separated at all.

They’re the exact same thing.”

COURTESY: EMMA FANG Jia Tolentino in conversation with Kevin Dettmar.

NADIA HSU

In nearly every Asian American rom-com that’s garnered mainstream attention, the primary obstacle to happily ever after seems to revolve around intergenerational conflict.

In Ang Lee’s “The Wedding Banquet” (1993), gay Taiwanese immigrant Wai-Tung marries a Chinese woman to get his parents –– and their traditional family values –– off his back. In “Bend It Like Beckham” (2002), Jess’s strict Indian parents are depicted as the barrier to both her burgeoning soccer career and her romance with her white coach. For “Saving Face” (2004), the romance plot shares equal significance with the relationship between a parent and daughter. While the Chinese American lesbian protagonist, Wil, hides a romantic relationship from her mother, Wil’s pregnant mother attempts to do the same with her parents. In “The Big Sick” (2017), the main obstacle to the central couple is the strife between their Pakistani and white American cultures and parents. Even most of the trouble for the couple in “Crazy Rich Asians” (2018) comes from intergenerational differences and the tension between Asian and Asian American identities.

In all of these rom-coms, the central romance is somehow deviant or disruptive, while the Asian family or culture is postured as initially holding the couple back from their happy ending.

On one hand, I wonder if Asian Americans can’t just have a lighthearted, escapist rom-com where the whimsy of the central romance isn’t foreground to diasporic and intergenerational conflict. Although joy can be found by navigating and working through this conflict, it is not the only narrative that does so.

So much of Asian American media is saturated with diasporic longing: a palpable pining for a place or person far away and a family just trying to understand each other. You would think that rom-coms, an ultimately light and happy genre, would be the perfect place to eschew this heaviness.

After all, in most mainstream (read: white) rom-coms, family is a non-factor.

At the very least, I hope and

LUCIA MARQUEZ-UPPMAN • THE STUDENT LIFE

pray for an Asian American rom-com where the family isn’t placed as an obstacle: where the memory of the past isn’t posited as a hindrance to the future, where the couple can occupy the same space as the family without it being somehow a larger symbol of past vs. future, older generation vs. younger generation, tradition vs. open-mindedness, etc.

At the same time, the intergenerational friction in Asian American rom-coms feels justified and somewhat realistic and relatable. Many of these films handle family drama elegantly and authentically, treating the older generation with empathy and nuance instead of pigeonholing them into flat archetypes of Asian parenthood (I am very hesitant to buy into stories that position Asian and immigrant parents as strict traditionalists that their child rebels against).

It does make sense that Asian American rom-coms would also explore family relationships: Rom-coms are all about two people trying to understand each other, and the immigrant parent-child relationship is a continuous act of trying to understand each other, of negotiating between differences. In this respect, rom-coms are a fitting medium to explore the efforts made between a parent and child to communicate — literally, between languages, but also between what can feel like separate worlds.

I don’t have a definite answer. All I can say right now is that Asian American stories have every right to be as full of joy and levity as they are full of conflict and misunderstanding — and that this doesn’t make them any less Asian American or any less real.

That’s the loveliness of the rom-com: to always prioritize joy, to conspire undeterred towards a happy-ish ending.

Nadia Hsu PO ’27 is from Austin, Texas.

She enjoys ‘Die Hard,’ going two-stepping, and sci fi love stories.

THREAD5 bazaar The found footage phenomenon showcases sustainable fashion in “Creep” HORROR HOUR

CARTER SOE & SOPHIE MCCLAIN

On a typical day at the 5Cs one is almost always bound to run into a student wearing an eye-catching outfit.

From oversized retro t-shirts to vintage camis or mini dresses, many students have something in common when it comes to their fashion: a commitment to shopping sustainably and reusing second-hand clothing.

This past Sunday, the 5C fashion club THREAD5 partnered with Pitzer Campus Life to host the Mounds Bazaar, a cross-campus-wide sale on the Pitzer College Mounds. Students enjoyed free coffee from a coffee cart as they wandered the mounds shopping at different student vendors.

THREAD5 (pronounced “threads”), formerly known as PZ Threads, is a 5C-wide club focused on sustainable fashion. The club has a history of producing fashion magazines and hosting photo shoots across the campuses.

THREAD5 will also be hosting their annual fashion show on Dec. 2, co-President Bella Hottenrott HM ’26 said.

“We have a lot of student designers from all five campuses,” Hottenrott said.

“We provide materials and resources so that they can create things and then they show it off at the fashion show.”

Devon Colee PZ ’25, a student engagement and activities assistant with Pitzer Campus Life, shared her role in helping bring the event together. She explained that she was moved to host this event with THREAD5 because Mounds sales are part of Pitzer tradition.

“When I originally joined campus life, this was kind of one of the things I had in mind,” Colee said. “Something that I’ve always thought of doing so it’s cool to see it actually happen. It’s also so fun to see somebody wear something that used to be yours.”

As Colee points out, Mounds sales are a frequent presence on Pitzer’s campus. Students will advertise their sales on Student Talk, a listserv email that is exclusively for Pitzer students, and then bring their items to the mounds to sell them to other students. The typical Mounds sale involves students selling their own clothing, specifically pieces they no longer want, in an effort to minimize clothing waste.

One of the main themes that THREAD5 wanted to cover throughout this event was the idea of sustainability, aiming to divert students away from fast fashion culture and encourage them to embrace every piece of clothing they own.

“Events like this are important to show people that the stuff in the bottom of your closet or under your bed is still worth something,” Hottenrott HM

ANNA PETERSON

EMMA JENSEN • THE STUDENT LIFE

Students sold clothing, artwork and more on the Pitzer College mounds as part of the THREAD5 Bazaar on Nov. 12.

’26 said.

The THREAD5 bazaar also acted as a platform for students to showcase and sell their own artworks.

Riley Thibodeau PZ ’27 held her own shop where she sold various handcrafted jewelry.

“I have an Etsy shop where I make my own jewelry and I thought that this would be a great opportunity to sell to the community as well,” Thibodeau said.

For attendees such as Amelia Packard PZ ’26, an avid stylist who enjoys putting together fits and testing the waters on different styles, the Bazaar offered a chance to experiment.

“I know some of the people who are involved in putting it together in THREAD5 and I was also on my way back from the library and passed by it, so I decided to go, put some coins in and participate,” Packard said.

With the various vendors and copious amounts of clothes to choose from, Packard settled down on a jersey to expand her wardrobe into a streetwear aesthetic.

“I like to combine vintage pieces, Y2K, streetwear and denim, so I ended up getting a blue jersey because it looked cool and showed a streetwear vibe which I’m trying to get more of — and it’s oversized, which I love,” Packard said.

In addition to the clothes, having a coffee stand there made the Bazaar bigger than just a normal Mounds sale, making everyone who attended feel welcome.

“I love the clothes, but also the coffee was insane and it was free so that was a plus,” Packard said. “I liked how the stand made it a nice addition to the event because people do Mounds sales all the time and I feel like having it there and for it to be free made it an actual event … bringing people together from all around the 5Cs.”

When horror is done “right,” it is art. Horror is experimental, unsettling, seductive, comedic, eye-popping excellence. It is one of those unique genres with no creative limit. Almost anything can unfold in the realm of the scary movie. Yet I sometimes wonder if horror has lost its edge, becoming stale for the sake of wider appeal.

In 2022, I entered my local AMC theater to watch the highly-anticipated “Barbarian” (2017) with “It” star Bill Skarsgård and acclaimed actor Justin Long. Despite an initially impressive premise, the movie fell flat for me with its excessive explanation. It revealed too much too fast and still managed to drag on for an unbearable one hour and 42 minutes. Like “Barbarian,” many modern high-production horror films have begun to prioritize watchability and the viewer’s experience over artistic integrity. In these times of despair, when I fear that horror has hit a wall, I turn to my all-time favorite “Creep” (2014) to provide a glimmer of hope.

The film follows amateur videographer Aaron (Patrick Brice). In response to a Craigslist advertisement, he travels to a secluded town to record the final messages of terminally ill cancer patient Josef (Mark Duplass), addressed to his unborn son. However, as the day continues, Josef’s behavior becomes progressively more bizarre and Aaron begins to question his true intentions.

With a budget of less than $500, “Creep” exceeds expectations with a single camera and a three-person crew. The film’s production costs were especially low because it utilized the ‘found footage phenomenon,’ a horror sub-genre that employs a first-person narrative through video recordings by the characters. In this way, it appears as though the audience has ‘found’ the film and watched it in real time.

While beneficial for the budget, this cinematic technique also contributes to the overall success of the film. Unlike horror from the third-person perspective, movies under the

found-footage sub-genre offer the audience an immersive experience. The viewer is given the unique opportunity to enter the sensory viewpoint of the characters. With every one of Josef’s jumpscares, the audience reacts with Aaron. Consequently, viewers assume an actively engaged role because of their perceived connection to the main character and involvement with the film.

In contrast to the supernatural premises of prior found-footage films like “The Blair Witch Project” (1999) and “Paranormal Activity” (2007), “Creep” situates itself in realism. It’s not overly flashy. It doesn’t use any special effects. Instead, it builds up and capitalizes on these moments of tension between Aaron and Josef. The film forces the audience to soak in the discomfort.

By the story’s conclusion, filmed in a wide shot and set in broad daylight, the continuous tension and unsettling scenes intensify its seemingly ‘less scary’ ending.

Moreover, the film opts to cast relatively lesser known actors.

This approach prevents the audience from fixating on the ‘who’ and instead encourages them to focus on the events of the movie.

Additionally, it enables viewers to better place themselves in the position of Aaron, who takes the role of a somewhat unfamiliar figure within the narrative.

To d a y, t h e t r a d i t i o n o f found-footage films persists with contemporary adaptations like “As Above, So Below” (2014), “Host” (2020) and“Skinamarink” (2022).

Yet the films that garner the most critical acclaim are those that maintain the low-budget status and elements of realism that “Creep” initially employed.

Films like “Unfriended” (2014), with a budget amassing over $1 million, fail to capture the grittiness and real-time scare factor that predecessors of the found-footage genre established. The continuing “Paranormal Activity” franchise, which started with a budget of $15,000 for its first film, ballooned to $10 million for its sixth installment “Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension” (2015). Where the first film drew an 83 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, the franchise has experienced a significant decrease to 15 percent for “The Ghost Dimension.”

Despite efforts to enhance and expand the scope of found footage through high-budget avenues, numerous films have fallen short in this pursuit. Instead, it seems that found footage is best when it relies on the unnerving authenticity that only D-List actors and a subpar camera can provide. To end their run of empty substance horror, the film industry should follow in the footsteps of “Creep” and return to found-footage’s low-budget roots.

NICOLE CEPEDA • THE STUDENT LIFE

PAGE 6

Arts & Culture

November 17, 2023

CLAREMONT CORE

Jay Carlon’s ‘Wake’ is a dance The 5Sandals: piece for collective grief and Birkenstocks at the 5Cs queer post-colonial identity GUS GINGRICH

MOLLEY MURPHEY Dance artist Jay Carlon is a proud Taurus and self-described kawawa-queen, a Tagalog word they translated to pity or compassion. In addition to their zodiac sign and penchant for oversharing, Carlon’s queer and Filipino identity permeates their work as a dance artist and activist.

On Nov. 8, Carlon performed an excerpt from Wake, a “queer post-colonial reimagination of Bisaya [a Philippine ethnolinguistic group] rituals for grieving and healing” at Scripps College’s Richardson Dance Studio.

Carlon grew up wrestling and practicing Filipino folk dance.

They began training in Western dance when they started college at eighteen. Today, they think that everyone is a dancer and view dance as a tool for liberation.

“To paraphrase bell hooks, the revolution will not happen without rest, the revolution will not happen without humor and the revolution will not happen without dance,” Carlon said “I think dance is a great place to find liberation.”

Carlon choreographed “Wake” as an exploration of individual and collective grief for the loss experienced amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-colonial Filipino grieving traditions inspired them to create their own ritual as an alternative to the novena, a nine-day prayer ceremony practiced in the Philippines.

“I was like, ‘I need a ritual,’ but the novena, this Catholic ritual, didn’t feel like it was made for me,” Carlon said. “There were a lot of pre-colonial things from the Philippines that kind of filtered in.”

Carlon is exploring ways to incorporate joyful aspects of their Filipino identity into their dance in what they describe as a “queer liberation dance party.” Through their work, Carlon hopes to challenge expectations that art by queer and BIPOC creators must be about their pain.

One of Carlon’s goals is to stage future performances in spaces designed for queer audiences.

“There are a lot of spaces for queer people to exist, we might call them clubs, and I really thrive in those spaces … ‘Wake’ belongs in a space where queer liberation happens — a club,” Carlon said.

Destiny Rivera-Gomez SC ’24 explained that attending the performance enabled her to tap into a community of dancers of color that is often difficult to access as a student.

“I use a lot of my own identity as a Mexican woman with a mixed bicultural background in my dance and performance aesthetic, themes and topics,” Rivera-Gomez said.

“Seeing elders perform and navigate that space of being a dancer is a way in which I ground myself in a community that exists but might not be accessible or within reach at

EMMA JENSEN • THE STUDENT LIFE Jay Carlon performed an excerpt from their project Wake, a queer postcolonial reimagination of traditional Bisaya rituals.

this moment.”

Suzie Dawn Stitt SC ’24 attended a dance workshop taught

by Carlon at Scripps on Nov. 6 as well as the artist talk. Stitt was inspired by Carlon’s ability to incorporate imagination in their work.

“One thing that [Carlon was] talking about in class is that imagination is real,” Stitt said.

“That the world that we imagined together and that we work and strive for is … actually real and with us.”

While “Wake” is a ritual for collective grief and healing, Carlon was honest about the impact that performing the piece has on their physical and emotional well-being. They emphasized the importance of support systems, such as their group of BIPOC artist friends who help workshop their works in progress.

Carlon’s strategies for selfcare were inspiring to dancers in attendance.

“To know that there’s a way to take care of yourself was really motivating for me,” Rivera-Gomez said. “It is a form of healing myself by seeing others go through that process.”

Kevin Williamson, the chair of Scripps’ dance department, said the department’s collaboration

with Carlon was intended to expose students to Carlon’s “thoughtful and provocative” work. Williamson expressed that many Scripps students have already begun combining interests in other academic fields and passions for social justice with their dance practice.

“Lots of our students create dance works for concerts or for their thesis projects,” Williamson said. “These dance works often highlight questions around identity, community, belonging, access — various themes that they’re studying in their other courses. Interdisciplinarity is inextricably linked to what we do in the department.”

Through their work, Carlon is building a space to explore identity, grieve and experience joy. By exhibiting the process in “Wake,” they invite audience members to share in it.

“The world that we [queer and BIPOC people] live in isn’t made for us,” Carlon said. “We have to reimagine and create the world that we want to live in. Now in my adult life, I’m able to see the structures, see how it didn’t work for me, forgive myself and create a new space.”

When Karl Birkenstock launched the Birkenstock Madrid, the first sandal his company had ever made and drawing from a family lineage of 200 years in cobblery and insole production, I doubt he was thinking of students at a college consortium in the Inland Empire as his top clients.

Yet whenever I walk around the 5Cs, even if it’s just to grab a green box lunch from the dining hall, it’s almost inevitable that a number of people along the way will be wearing a pair of Birkenstocks.

Students at the Claremont Colleges gravitate towards the two most popular models that the company currently offers: the Boston and the Arizona. Rarely dependent on gender identity, race or age, I typically spot two to three pairs of these models in every class I go to.

They’ve been ‘trendy’ for the past few years, especially with the help of the Instagram Explore page and TikTok’s For You page, but here it feels like they’re more of a lifestyle than a trend.

Naturally, I wanted to know the answer to the question that probably crosses most prospective students’ minds when they come here to visit: Why Birkenstocks?

Before getting into the 5C community’s response, I figured I’d take a crack at answering myself, as the proud owner of a pair of Bostons. First and foremost, they’re comfortable. Barefoot or with socks, they’re not only easy to walk in, but also much easier to put on than lace-up sneakers like the Converse Chuck Taylor.

They also go with everything, especially given the mostly warmer climate here in Claremont. They can be dressed up with jeans or down with sweats and shorts, and they look good regardless. Sure, they may restrict the wearer to some level of casualness, but with the collaborations that the brand has done with the likes of Rick Owens, Dior, Jil Sander and Stüssy, those seeking to elevate their look will have no trouble finding a good option.

Another plus is the sheer variety of models and colors. Along with the aforementioned collaborations, Birks come in all different materials, colors and even widths.

So even though basically everyone has a pair, it doesn’t mean they all look the same. There might even

be a little bit of joy in professing to everyone naïve enough to ask that no, unfortunately, these Birkenstocks are not normal Birkenstocks, and you probably won’t be able to find them anywhere and they’re kind of a personal thing to me anyway, so I don’t think I’ll share where I got them.

But enough of what the fashion elitist has to say. To get a better idea of students’ opinions, I decided to ask some of my friends why they prefer to purchase their sandals and clogs from this German footwear producer.

Caroline Hardy PO ’24 enjoys the flexibility of the closed-toe silhouette that can still be slipped on and off. It allows the wearer to put on and take off their shoes comfortably without having to compromise formality.

“The Birkenstock Boston is the ultimate slip-on,” Hardy said.

Jad Gorman CM ’24 appreciates the ease of styling his Bostons.

“The suede allows me to dress [the shoes] up in a way that other footwear doesn’t permit,” Gorman said.

Even newer students don’t take long to adjust to the shoe of choice: Marco Wiharso PO ’27 purchased a pair of Birkenstocks after the first few weeks of the fall semester.

“As an East Coast native, I wanted to take advantage of wearing a sandal without my feet getting cold,” Wiharso said.

So maybe it is as simple as it seems on the surface: On a college campus with limited dorm space and warmer weather, it helps to have comfortable, accessible footwear that won’t stand out too much but can also act as a nice compliment to a variety of outfits. It also doesn’t hurt that there’s a Birkenstock store conveniently located right in the middle of the Claremont Village, which makes the shoes accessible to students on foot (get it?).

Birkenstocks are by far the most widely popular form of footwear at the 5Cs, but that doesn’t mean there’s any shame in following the crowd and buying a pair. Sometimes even the most dedicated fashionistas need to value comfort over presentation once in a while. So for anyone on the fence about buying a pair, find the color, material and style that best compliments your personal style and go for it. They’ve been the preferred footwear option of 5C students for this long for a reason.

Gus Gingrich PO ’24 is from Walnut Creek, California. In his free time, he enjoys stressing over being outbid on Japanese auction websites and mocking up re-designs for his dorm room closet.

LUCIA MARQUEZ-UPPMAN • THE STUDENT LIFE

The Claremont Shades give a sneak peak into SCAMFest

COURTESY: THE CLAREMONT SHADES

expressed acapella’s ability to teach values of teamwork.

“The community you build and acquire in a capella is just insane because you are so tightknit and you have to learn how to trust each other,” Lee said. “As a Mudd student, you don’t really get to see a lot of people on other campuses, so it’s been a really great way for me to branch out.”

Other members described the uniqueness of acapella. The “instruments” you are allowed to use are your body and voice, which according to Adam Long PO ’27 can be difficult, especially in a big group.

“The thing about a cappella is that you are only using your body, you are a group of people and you are making music collectively, with no instruments and no background track, no nothing.” Long said. “I think it’s an opportunity to show how music can be so versatile, and it’s a really cool and unique way to experience music!”

Another member, Aviva Miller SC ’24, said they particularly love the community built in acapella.

“It’s such a bonding experience to be vulnerable in that way.

Being on stage is so vulnerable, we’re going to have like 2,000 people staring at us,” Miller said. “It’s just wild to have that collective experience of vulnerability but that’s kind of why I love performing arts as a community builder!”

Solano PO ’27 said. “We competed in the ICHSA (International Championship of High School A Cappella) and placed all four years. It was really fun and I wanted to continue it here!”

For many members, this will be the first SCAMFest. One first-timer, Ryan Lee HM ’27,

SCAMFest is happening on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. at Big Bridges Auditorium at Pomona College. Make sure to buy your tickets outside any dining hall from Nov. 13 to 17. For more information, visit the Claremont Shades website https://www.theclaremontshades.com/ and their Instagram @theclaremontshades.

ADRIANA MACIEL Ever wonder where the inspiration for “Pitch Perfect” came from? Look no further than Claremont’s very own annual Southern California Acapella Music Festival (SCAMFest).

Unlike “Pitch Perfect,” SCAMFest is not a competition but rather a music festival featuring different genres and styles of acapella. The concert features all acapella groups at the 5Cs as well from schools such as UCLA, UC Davis, USC and more.

Proud hosts the Claremont Shades put SCAMfest together every year. Co-Presidents Jo Keyser PO ’26 and Lucy Kirkpatrick PO ’24 expressed their excitement at seeing everything come together for this weekend and gave a sneak peek on what to expect from the Shades’ performance.

“I think this year we did focus on incorporating at least one kind of pop song that people would really know and kind of get excited for and that’s what we are opening with, which is really exciting that will get the audience hyped up,” Keyser said.

“Then we’re doing a song that maybe less people know but it’s still kind of well known but has very strong energy.”

Each acapella group will have a different type of genre and style when performing. The Claremont Shades have been rehearsing three to four times a week, working on synchronization and choreography.

“We rehearse three times a week, four times a week leading up to SCAMfest,” Keyser said.

“We focus mainly on rehearsals at first and then we kind of go into choreography rehearsals and I think all of the groups at least

in Claremont follow a similar format.”

Members of the Claremont Shades come from all sorts of different music backgrounds.

While some had previous experience in musical theater or choir, others revealed that this is their first time trying out aca-

pella. Despite the wide range of skill and experience, each member loves the welcoming and fun environment they found in the acapella community here at the 5Cs. “I did acappella in high school, all four years,” Claremont Shades member Simón

Opinions

November 17, 2023

PAGE 7

Tired of online multiplayer? Try gaming like it’s 2005 LIAM MARTIN Multiplayer video games have gained popularity in recent years, facilitated by the prevalence of high-spec computers, fast internet and Valve Corporation’s Steam service, which provides easy game rental and installation. But while multiplayer video games are a common way for people to have fun, the current method of booting up a game in your dark room and mumbling into a microphone over the internet isn’t exactly social — at least, not by most conceptions.

Wanting to remedy this myself, I started getting into Local Area Network (LAN) parties.

A LAN is a small network of computers that are physically connected and share data, much like how the series of tubes called the internet attaches networks of computers globally. LAN parties (commonly called LANs) are a local group of people attached to one network playing the same video games.

Why would anyone want to do this instead of simply using the internet? Because it counters the pseudo-social nature of a lot of multiplayer gaming and, frankly, it’s a lot more fun.

After attending and running a variety of LANs around the country, I have found that they generally come in three sizes, one of which I find to be optimal.

A small LAN can be intimate and familiar. My friends and I get together, hook up our computers and connect to a computer with video games and other files on it.

We play, watch shared movies and eat take-out, all while running back and forth to configure computer stuff and fix networking issues.

So while you won’t have trouble socializing with your friends (for obvious reasons), the organizational headache and general setup and upkeep of the event prevents it from being strictly fun. And, if anything

NICOLE CEPEDA • THE STUDENT LIFE

goes down hard, the resources available might not be able to fix it.

For a more sophisticated experience, there’s the second type of LAN: group events. After searching the internet and trolling through forums, I found a local gathering. Upon arrival, I was greeted by several thirty- to forty-something nerds kicking an Xbox 360 and jiggling a video splitter, half-heartedly acknowledging my presence and at the same time asking for a hand. The garage the shindig took place in was covered top to bottom with video game posters and paraphernalia while shelves held addition-

al hardware and tabletop games.

A faded old couch sat in front of a flat-screen TV. The day’s activities included sharing movies and warez on the file server, rotating through an assortment of games, drinking the hosts’ beer and stopping to eat pizza. The games we played were typical for the event, with arena shooters being the most popular among several genres.

The garage was, stereotypically, filled with techno, euro-dance and even some All Your Base and Paul Fetch remixes I hadn’t heard in over a decade. As the night came to a close on a large Halo Free-For-

I didn’t moralize food — and event organizers should cut back on it ROWAN GRAY CW: Mentions of eating disorders Drama alert! A response to a response opinion? Things must be getting spicy.

Last week, TSL published an opinion trashing an article I wrote two weeks ago about sugar at the 5Cs. The response is complicated and interesting, and before reading this article, I recommend you read both it and my original opinion to make sure I’m not misrepresenting anything.

As expected, I have a few problems with the response. Namely, the article severely understates how dangerous a substance sugar is, provides an egregious misreading of my main argument and agrees with my conclusion in its entirety.

About half of the article is devoted to undermining my claims about the danger of sugar — specifically that sugar is an addictive substance. I’ll note before I get into this that even if the author was completely right and sugar wasn’t an addictive substance, that wouldn’t suddenly make its overconsumption not a problem.

Let’s not forget, excessive sugar consumption still significantly increases your risk of developing conditions including, but not limited to, diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver disease, tooth rot, many cancers, gout, kidney disease, cognitive impairments, anxiety issues, depression, dementia, strokes and even Alzheimer’s disease.

None of these problems with sugar are ever contested by the author of the response.

But let’s talk about addiction for a bit — the author cites this 2016 study as evidence that sugar isn’t addictive in humans. It’s their main argument against my claim that sugar is unhealthy. For starters, their study argues that “we did not consider the literature encompassing the [behavioral] and neural effects of sweet or palatable food consumption,” which of course is what we’re really talking about here. We’re not exactly worried about people dry-scooping sugar.

Then, the study goes on to state that “there are many strong arguments for cutting down the consumption of sugar and reformulating food

products accordingly.” Not exactly the sort of evidence that would disprove my article.

I think some of the confusion here lies in the complicated nature of addiction — there are a lot of different definitions and establishing thresholds for this kind of stuff is difficult. But we all know that sugar cravings exist, right? I’ve experienced them before and so has everyone I’ve talked to about sugar. College kids are especially at risk — studies have shown that people experiencing stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness are likely to experience even greater cravings.

There’s also abundant empirical evidence that people experience withdrawal symptoms after quitting sugar, as seen in a 2018 study.

I’ve personally experienced this too, as has nearly everyone else I’ve talked to who tried quitting. I’m not sure if that’s good enough for the author’s metastudy, but from where I’m sitting, that looks like basically everything I mean when I say something is addictive. And if you want more, this 2018 metastudy does a great job giving a more in-depth answer, citing nearly 300 sources in the process.

The second big problem with this article is that the author seems pretty convinced that my goal is to limit every 5C student’s sugar consumption like their ‘judgemental grandmother’ by moralizing the food they eat. This is despite my title explicitly calling out event organizers, not students, and one notable quote about halfway through my article: “The problem isn’t that people eat things they like, it’s that we’ve curated an environment that makes it so difficult to not eat a ton of sugar.” The author is totally right!

It would be bad to judge people for what they eat and shame them for it — that’s why I didn’t do it.

But the reason why I’m writing this response article is because of what the author writes as her solution. Aside from a strong advocacy against moralizing food, the author states that event organizers should “include sugar-free options in their spreads in order to help increase accessibility to students with diabetes

and other dietary restrictions.”

This actually comes really close to my solution — more sugar-free options definitely need to be an important part of making an environment less dominated by sugar.

And this is kind of a big deal — it means the author actually agrees with me that a less sugar-centric environment at the 5Cs would be a good thing.

After I finished reading the response to my initial article, I couldn’t help but ask myself: Why would someone spend so much time, energy and care to try to debunk an article they mostly agree with by completely misrepresenting it?

And I think we all know why this happened on my article about food, and not on my articles about Lil Yachty or the Oxford Comma.

Eating disorders are an unbelievably sensitive topic for people our age — as they should be. The statistics are legitimately horrifying. A post-COVID study found that rates of eating disorders in college-age students are at nearly 52 percent for women and 31 percent for men. Eating disorders are dangerous and I would guess that most of us know someone who has been hospitalized for one. Many of us know people who aren’t with us anymore because of them.

In the face of a threat like this, I can understand why it can be really difficult to have discussions about the dangers of specific foods — especially when someone will jump out at every turn to insinuate that you’re driving people to eating disorders — but that shouldn’t stop us from having those conversations. Sugar is a legitimately dangerous substance, and 5C student leaders and administrators should work to make our campus environment a less sugar-centric place by providing fewer sugary things at their events.

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.

SASHA MATTHEWS • THE STUDENT LIFE

All, I swilled down another energy drink and managed to drive home, exhausted and satiated on video games for at least another few months.

This type of LAN is great overall. Admission is free (but chip in a few bucks for the pizza), everything is set up prior and you’ll definitely find at least one game you haven’t played before. While there are concerns about fitting in with the group and getting stuck outside an obvious clique, it’s important to remember that the people here are huge geeks. That doesn’t mean you have to be one in order to keep conversation — it

just means that there is always at least one person in the room who will reciprocate your interest, no matter how small or tangential. For instance, the old guy sitting next to me and I developed a connection over our shared interest in manga artists. As long as you come ready to talk, play and possibly help, everything should be all good.

The third and final LAN iteration consists of massive events. Earlier this year I attended DreamHack, a large gaming tournament and LAN company that held an event in San Diego. I paid the admission costs and trucked down everything I needed for the 72 hours that it was running, including water, drinks, sandwiches and a blanket. Since this article’s getting on in length, all I have to say is that it was rough.

Really damn rough. Because there are over 200 participants, people seldom interact outside their groups. You barely sleep while mainly running off the free energy drinks, admission and food are not cheap and by the end of the event, you’re delirious and bleary-eyed from staring at a monitor for days on end.

If a small get-together of friends is one extreme, then this is the other.

While it’s intense, I would definitely go again if only for the challenge of staying conscious.

As for which ‘level’ of LAN you should seek out, the second type — group LANs — is the most balanced. The first level might be easier to make yourself comfortable with, and the third substitutes admission costs for socialization, but considering their burdens, the second level is where it’s at for most.

So if you’re ever in the mood for real gaming, find a local LAN gathering — and bring some food, files and friends to make it extra fun.

Liam Martin HM ‘24 is from California and is looking to buy Bawls Guarana in studded bottles at any price. He hasn’t had his fix since Fry’s went bankrupt.

BIPOC upperclassmen, thank you for doing the work you shouldn’t have to

SASHA MATTHEWS • THE STUDENT LIFE

LIZETTE GONZALEZ “If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know what I would do,” one of my friends said this week.

This comment made me take some time to think about my support systems on campus, which have mostly been student-led, not administration-led.

A couple days ago, some friends and I helped another friend of ours with her anthropology project. She took notes as we discussed what being first-generation has felt like in Claremont. I quickly noticed a pattern: each of us mentioned an upperclassman that has taken us under their wings.

Before coming to Pomona College, I was part of Pitzer College’s fly-in diversity program where I met a lot of my close friends, and where I met a handful of upperclassmen that — even though I don’t go to Pitzer — feel like my older siblings.

During Pomona’s admitted students day, I met some students during a workshop that focused on the student of color experience in Claremont. In that workshop, I met people I now consider my friends, even though I’m one of the campus “freshies.”

During the conversation — which became much more than just a discussion for a project — we realized that a big factor is the upperclassmen, who share the same experiences as us, doing the hard work.

They are the ones leading the affinity spaces. The ones being mentors and TAs. The ones who tell us the ins and outs of intentionally hidden resources. It wasn’t the administration making me feel welcomed; it was them.

Before I even committed to Pomona, I felt the instant support and welcome from students who truly did not have to be as nice and supportive as they were.

They didn’t have to follow me back on Instagram and answer my questions through DMs. But they did.

It’s one of the reasons why I decided to come here, and as I’m wrapping up my first semester of college, they remain at the top of my list of why I feel so loved.

However, I feel a disconnect from administration when it comes to supporting first-generation, first-year students of color. Walking into Alexander Hall or sending an email to an administrator feels nerve-wracking.

At times, it feels like an endless cycle of asking questions to administration and being directed to other people.

Or simply, we don’t know who to ask, and although we can actively search for it, it’s often way more difficult than it should be.

It shouldn’t lay on the shoulders of other students to help us do this work.

To be more specific, students of color shouldn’t be responsible for doing the work of making new students of color feel like they belong.

The upperclassmen my friends and I now consider family help us first-years navigate college life, which is something a lot of us are the first ones ever to navigate. We know they do this out of their genuine heart and passion, but it makes me think about how we’re surviving because of each other and with each other, and they deserve that recognition.

Maybe it’s because I’ve only been here a few months, but I have yet to see that recognition.

Whether it’s the ease and comfort of sending a text to an upperclassman about catching a meal, asking them about classes or a simple “hi” as we bump into each other around campus, their kindness speaks volumes to me. I leave with a warm feeling in my chest after every interaction.

Writing this piece serves as an ode to all of you, the upperclassmen who have supported me.

You don’t know how much that wave or “hi” in the hallway means to us. Thank you, truly, for making us feel like we have a community we can count on. Thank you for doing the work that shouldn’t be on your shoulders only. Thank you.

Lizette Gonzalez PO ’27 is a first-year at Pomona. She grew up in Inglewood, CA.

Opinions

PAGE 8

November 17, 2023

Think beyond the (PERM) box: Reconsidering late registration

SASHA MATTHEWS • THE STUDENT LIFE

MICHELLE ZHANG Course registration. These two words can sound like a death knell for many 5C students. It’s a time full of uncomfortable unpredictability and rising frustration. The weeks leading up to registration are full of anticipation: chances are that you’ll see everyone around you ‘Hyperscheduling,’ reading course reviews and browsing RateMyProfessor.

Despite all the time spent planning, there’s a relatively high chance — especially for fellow first-years — that all your meticulous planning might just go out the window on registration day when you sit in front of your computer and watch courses fill up in front of your eyes. However, this is also an opportunity to avoid restricting yourself academically and to reconsider what you want to explore.

As a first-year, this is only my second time going through the

course registration process, but I feel well-equipped with all of the advice I’ve gotten. “PERM as much as possible. Show up to classes. Email professors.” The list of what to do and what not to do goes on and on, adding another element of tension as we count down the days.

Flashback to August: I’d been quite lucky with how my schedule turned out, ultimately getting into all the courses I’d wanted with minimal hassle. As I sat back and reflected on the process, I began to wonder. Maybe course registration wasn’t so bad! Maybe people were just being overdramatic.

This semester, I have a 4:15 p.m. registration time.

All my dreamy, misguided optimism regarding the simplicity of course registration quickly went out the window. As I shared my situation and compared registration times with friends, I became

accustomed to the reactionary grimaces and sympathetic smiles I’d receive. I stared wistfully at the dream schedule I’d planned out in my Notes app and bid it a tentative goodbye.

However, when I finally sat down to browse all of the available courses — not just courses I’d ingrained in my mind as necessary to take for an Economics major, or courses I felt like I had to take because they sounded impressive — I began to realize just how much I’d been limiting myself. I’d already begun to lock myself into the mindset of taking classes for a major that seemed acceptable, or classes that seemed like appropriate building blocks towards a career that’s still largely intangible.

I remember how during Orientation Week, Pomona College’s “more than the major” academic rhetoric was clowned upon by

THE VISUAL ENDOWMENT TRACKER: A COMIC BY QUINN NACHTRIEB

Divestment

students, maybe just because it was over-exhausted in orientation presentations and sessions. However, it’s something that we should keep in mind, especially for firstyears. We should remember that we are at a liberal arts college.

So much of the opportunity here comes from exploring topics we lack experience in, might not be the best at or that are completely unrelated to our majors.

In a roundabout way, having a late course registration time has made me do just this. It’s made me reach far beyond what I’d locked myself into without really considering what I want to do.

Maybe a part of this learned optimism is just delusion or, more specifically, deluding myself into accepting my late registration time, but it’s also helped me embrace a mindset that stretches far beyond this one aspect of college life. In a strange way, the unpre-

dictability and the conscious lack of control bring a necessary yet comforting embrace of the unknown.

For my fellow first-years worried about course registration day, here’s your reminder that you’ll be just fine regardless of what unexpected schedule you might end up with. Things can and likely will change. If you’re undecided on your major and still oscillating between many potential areas of study like me, challenge yourself to look beyond the boundaries you might’ve unintentionally put up.

Who knows? There may be a class you’ve never considered that could introduce a new way of thinking or a new way of understanding yourself.

Go in with an open mind! Just don’t forget to PERM. Michelle Zhang PO ’27 is from the Bay Area. She’s a proud lefty and has a Duolingo streak of six years.

MANHOLE SANDWICH: A COMIC BY SASHA MATTHEWS

Doesn’t anybody care??

Kahani’s Crossword: Be thankful for it.

ACROSS 2.

Expression of fear, part two

3.

First name of British playwright whose murderous play had four showings at Pomona last weekend

5.

Californians’ favorite sweet dish on Halloween (no space!)

8.

What national day is also being celebrated on Nov. 23, and will be particularly loved by math majors?

10. 5Cers suffering through course registration today (no space!)

DOWN

KAHANI MALHOTRA • THE STUDENT LIFE

1.

Way in which CMC’s Athenaeum is celebrating Thanksgiving

4.

Recent festival that dislikes the moon

6.

Region name known to Canadians and Californians

7.

Last name of singer who’s being defrosted

8.

There were more than ten women at the first Thanksgiving in 1621 (True or False)

9.

Expression of fear, part one

Sports

November 17, 2023

PAGE 11

CMS men’s basketball cruises past UC Santa Cruz in preseason opener ANDREW YUAN In making the “swish” from practice to preseason, the Stags did not disappoint.

In their preseason opener this past Saturday, Nov. 11, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps’ (CMS) men’s basketball stomped on the Banana Slugs, squishing them in a dominant 81-44 win at Roberts Pavilion.

The Stags, currently ranked 23rd in the nation, made both an offensive and defensive statement in their game against UC Santa Cruz (UCSC). With a roster full of new additions, the fawns of the team looked to the older, more experienced Stags to lead the charge and set the tone for the game.

One particular veteran, CMS star Josh Angle CG ’24, substantiated his accolades with a standout performance.

Angle, who earned both the NCAA DIII Academic All-American Team Member of the Year and his second-consecutive All-SCIAC first-team selection, led the team with 30 points. However, his influence transcended scoring, providing four assists and six rebounds.

CMS quickly jumped to a 10-0 lead to start the game thanks to consistent and dynamic on and off the ball movement. However, as the first half continued, the pace of the game slowed as CMS was unable to maintain their energy.

Despite lethargic play, contact on several contested shots sent multiple Stags to the stripe, allowing them to catch their breath. Rhett Carter CG ’24 and James Frye CM ’26 both executed, going 4 for 4 and pushing the score to 19-9.

Hoping to reignite the offense with a little over seven minutes left in the half, CMS head coach Ken Scalmarini called a timeout. After the break, Angle led the offensive stampede on a fast break following a defensive steal that he laid up at the other end.

The Stags maintained this momentum, clobbering the Slugs on all fronts.

They attacked the paint and drove into the heart of UCSC’s defense, while also suffocating the Banana Slugs’ offensive with a tight defensive scheme. Their onslaught of layups and midrange shots produced a 13-0 run to finish the half.

Carter and Will King CG ’24 were key contributors to keeping the streak alive,

with a series of offensive rebounds kicked out for successful 3-pointers.

The Stags almost held the opposition to single digits for the first half, but the Slugs snuck in one last bucket to make the score 34-11 heading into halftime. Angle credited the success to the Stags’ high intensity and defense.

“I think in the first half we had really strong energy,” Angle said. “[The team] performed really well on the defensive end which led us to getting some easy baskets on the other end.”

The second half was a story of mini back and forth scoring runs with the Stags defense continuing to shine throughout. Angle continued to attack the paint, drawing contact and energizing the crowd early on after draining a three pointer.

Frye and Max McCalla CM ’24

set the defensive tone early, turning steals into a layup and free throws in the first four minutes of the half.

However, it was Reed Jones CM ’27 who led the team’s second half defensive efforts.

Playing physical and up front defense, Jones made an immediate impact. After coming off the bench with just under seven minutes remaining, he stole the ball, initiating an easy fast-break bucket on the other end.

On the next play, he blocked a three point attempt, sending the ball down court for a three pointer. He then followed that up with another steal, which led to a lay-up for the Stags.

Jones finished the game with five steals and two blocks along with 7 points. He explained that creating turnovers and contested shots was a focus for the team during their

preseason practices.

“Coach Scalmanini emphasizes defense in all of our practices,” Jones said. “We really pride ourselves on making stops on the defensive end.”

UCSC finished the game with 19 turnovers, 14 of which came off of steals by the Stags. Additionally, CMS held the Slugs to a measly 2-21 from deep and 28.6 percent from the field overall. Carter highlighted how the game’s defensive success came from a team effort.

“We had the perfect defensive strategy,” Carter said. “Our guards are amazing. They control where other teams go and that makes it easier for the big men to hedge screens. They get us going and we pick it up from there. I think defensively we were amazing tonight.”

Through a strong defensive show-

ing and a consistent offensive performance, the Stags started the game with the lead and never looked back.

Although the game ended heavily in their favor, Angle said the Stags are still focused on learning from every game and looking toward the future.

“Moving forward I think we need to keep building around today’s performance,” Angle said. “We will go back, look at the film and still recognize there is a lot we can get better at. By no means is this an outcome that we are content or satisfied with. We want to keep getting better throughout the course of the season.”

The Stags are looking to actualize Angle’s sentiment throughout the season and in their next game away against Southwestern Texas as part of the Paul Peak Classic on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 2 p.m.

ANDREW YUAN • THE STUDENT LIFE CMS star Josh Angle CG ’24 dribbles in preparation of an offensive attack in the Stags’ season opener against UC Sant Cruz on Nov. 11.

A tale of two Lutherans: Sagehens women’s soccer topples Lutes, falls to Regals in NCAA Regionals BEN LAUREN Although the Sagehens had the Lutes reading Exodus on Saturday, they found themselves on the cross against the Regals on the Lord’s day.

Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) women’s soccer plucked the Pacific Lutheran (PLU) Lutes straight out of the NCAA Division III tournament on Saturday Nov. 11, taking a 1-0 first-round overtime victory. However, their euphoria would not last long as they bent the knee to the Cal Lutheran Regals in the second round Sunday, losing 0-1.

Eliminated in the first round of the tournament in a heartbreaking penalty shootout the previous year, the Sagehens came into this fall with a chip on their shoulder. Opening the season on a 9-0 tear, P-P reached as high as seventh in the National rankings. Despite three ties to SCIAC opponents, the Sagehens ended their regular season undefeated with a 160-3 record, defeating Cal Lu 1-0 on Nov. 4, eight days before the Regals flipped the narrative.

To redeem themselves from last year’s early exit, the Sagehens would need to take down the 15-5-1 Northwest Conference champions PLU. However, regardless of P-P’s national notoriety, the Lutes were the first on the attack.

Earning a corner just four minutes into the game, the cross deflected high off of a Lute player and was swatted away by Hens keeper, Patricia DePalma PO ’27. DePalma has been a star for P-P this season, conceding the least amount of goals in the SCIAC and leading the conference in games played by goalies.

DePalma displayed an aggressive playstyle Saturday, sprinting out of the box to force a PLU throw-in and subsequently stopping a point blank shot from just in front of the net. A yellow card given to Melanie Ng PO ’25 in the 11th minute set up a great chance for the Lutes just outside the box, but the shot sailed high over the net.

This would be the last shot taken

by PLU for the remainder of the half as P-P took control on offense. Forward Hannah Hong PO ’26 spoke on the adjustments the team made to shift momentum.

“We knew they were going to come in at 3-5-2, which is something we’re not really used to,” Hong said.

“So we definitely put a lot of work into … how we’re going to press their attack. But I think a lot of it came from our switching of the ball.

We try to use both sides of the field really well and tire them out a little bit. I think that really helped us in the

latter half.”

Head coach Jennifer Scanlon echoed Hong’s point, adding how the Sagehens used the Lutes’ strengths against them. “[PLU has a] really dangerous attacking style that we had to sort out how … to defend” Scanlon said.

“Once we saw that we were able to secure the ball, get the rhythm and be able to play to our strengths.”

Following a back and forth swing for over 20 minutes, the Sagehens got their first significant chance when a free kick from midfield landed at the feet of Kelsey Shintaku PZ ’24, who fired a shot that barely missed wide.

With another shot on goal, this time by Isla Burch PZ ’24, saved by the Lutes keeper, P-P kept the pressure on PLU heading into halftime.

Still, the score remained knotted at nil apiece as a chorus of vuvuzelas

cheered on the Hens heading into the half.

From the moment the whistle blew signifying the start of the second half, the Saghens picked up where they left off. Earning their first corner of the match just over a minute in, P-P failed to capitalize as Ng sent a shot high over the net. Just minutes later, Amanda Khu PO ’25 also took a shot from inside the box, but the ball was off target to the left.

This became the story of the next 40 minutes as P-P fired nine shots, with none landing in the back of the net. Five of these shots came from Hong, who is ranked seventh in the conference for overall goals scored this season.

Hong’s best chance came in the 81st minute. Standing right in front of a wide open goal, Hong’s foot flew over the ball, keeping the game scoreless.

After a few more chances for P-P, including a last-minute shot by Hong proved fruitless, the Sagehens and Lutes were headed to overtime.

In the NCAA tournament, teams play two full 10-minute overtime periods. If the game is still tied after the second period, they go to a decisive penalty shootout, which is how the Sagehens fell to Trinity Texas one year earlier.

Determined to not let history repeat itself, P-P went on the attack early in the first overtime period.

Getting good chances on two corners just a couple minutes in, the Sagehens did not let up, keeping possession deep into Lutes territory.

The play came off a throw-in near the corner as a deep cross from Anjali Nuggehalli PO ’26 flew into the box, perfectly placed for Hong.

Catching the PLU defense offguard, Hong saw the opportunity

SARAH ZIFF • THE STUDENT LIFE Ella Endo PO ‘25 protects the ball from a defender in P-P women’s soccer round of 64 triumph over Pacific Lutheran.

for a header, sending the ball soaring right over the keeper’s head and into the goal.

As the Sagehens rushed Hong in jubilation, the 1-0 deficit deflated the Lutes. Without much offense to show throughout the game, the single-score lead looked to be insurmountable.

Hong described her elation at coming through when the team needed it most.

“In the first 90 I had a couple of chances on goal but unfortunately [it] went out or went over the goal, so I was definitely a little frustrated with myself,” Hong said. “During our little break [before overtime] we talked about how our outside wings need to get on the post, get to the goal and be anticipating that goal. So I had that in mind and luckily it went in.”

Scanlon spoke on the team’s struggles with corners throughout the match and commended Hong’s improvisational abilities.

“We [told the team] quality of service and quality of runs have to be on the same page,” Scanlon said.

“Throughout the game, we had good runs but not good service or not good service [but] not good runs. [Hong’s goal] actually wasn’t a perfect sequence, but we just found a way.”

Hong’s goal would prove to be the difference maker. As the clock ran out on the second overtime period, the Sagehens rushed the field victorious, successfully defending their home turf.

The win was especially meaningful as many players described the heartbreak of losing in penalties in the first round just a year ago. Nuggehalli expressed how important this win was for P-P. “It’s awesome that we were able to play at home with all our fans at our field that we know and love,” Nuggehalli said. “I think this just gives us courage that we can beat any team in the country. We’re good enough. We have the heart, we have the skill and I’m really looking forward to doing it again tomorrow.”

Tragically, the Sagehens would only make it one step further than last year, falling just a day later to Cal Lu 0-1 after having toppled them on Nov. 4 to win the conference. Despite outshooting the Regals 16-3 with the Sagehens putting six on goal to Cal Lu’s one, that singular shot was all they needed to sneak into the Sweet 16 and end P-P’s fall 2023 season.

The loss was P-P’s first of the season, closing their 2023 campaign with a record of 16-1-3. As five seniors depart, their young core will look to break out of Regionals and even further beyond in 2024.

Sports

PAGE 12

November 17, 2023

Sagehens men’s basketball takes gladiator mentality into new season MAC KELLEY After getting poached in both the conference and national playoffs last year, the Sagehens are fluffing up their feathers and gearing up to leave the nest in hopes of a season of redemption.

The Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) men’s basketball team was eliminated in the first round of the Division III NCAA tournament last March. This followed a heartbreaking upset loss to Cal Lutheran in the SCIAC playoff semi-finals just a week earlier. This year, after only graduating two seniors, the Sagehens look much the same and are eagerly anticipating an opportunity for revenge. With a fresh mindset and an improved team culture, they are working toward a push for a SCIAC championship and hopefully another shot at Nationals.

According to Joe Cookson PO ’25, a key focus for P-P this winter is to maintain a consistent high level of energy throughout the whole season.

“One of our goals for this year is to come with a certain intensity to every game,” Cookson said. ”[We’re going to try] to not take any games off and treat every opponent like they’re the best team we’re gonna play… [We want to] bring that mentality to every single game, every possession and not get checked out.”

In the spirit of prioritizing mental discipline, the Sagehens are working to ignore external judgments and concentrate internally. Coming into last season, P-P was ranked no. 12 nationally. This year, they are going into the season unranked. However, according to Hayden Moser PO ’24, the team has learned to not be too overconfident. “[Last year] we thought we were really, really good and so we were expecting to win these games,” Moser said. “We’ve learned a lot from last year. We are not ranked right now. I don’t care about being ranked.

I just want to become a better team.”

The Sagehens are working to improve by adopting a new mentality. According to Achilles Daniels-Condon PO ’26, the coaches are looking to amplify the players’ aggressive drive. “[The coaches talk about] a motto of maintaining a competitive edge 100 percent of the time,” Daniels-Condon said. “[Head coach Charles Katsiaficas] was comparing it to being gladiators in a ring and fighting as if it’s life or death. If you’re in that situation, you don’t have time to take your foot off the pedal.”

To Daniels-Condon, keeping their foot on the gas means never

letting up on defense. He explained he hopes part of the team’s competitive warrior mentality will show up on the glass, emphasizing the importance of rebounding to end opposing possessions. “[Rebounding] is one of the things that we’ve been working on a lot,” Daniels-Condon said. “[We’ve been] trying to get stops and the best way to get stops is to rebound.”

However, board work and defensive lockdown are only some areas of tactical focus for the Sagehens this season. According to Moser, the team has placed an emphasis on redefining their

culture, something they struggled with last year.

“I think it wasn’t necessarily basketball that we were lacking last year,” Moser said. “We didn’t always have a lot of team camaraderie … I think we are much better off [now] than we were at the end of last season.”

Pete Boyle PO ’25 said that the team hopes the new mindset and harmony will unlock their full potential and allow them to achieve their goals.

“I came here to win. I want to continue that,” Boyle said. “The mission is halfway there. We’re trying to get better each year.”

COURTESY: POMONA-PITZER ATHLETICS

Joe Cookson PO ‘25 dribbles past opponent during an offensive run in Voelkel Gymnasium during the Sagehens’ victory over East Texist Baptist on Nov. 11.

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps McGovern won the SCIAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honor after the Athenas took home a SCIAC Championship last weekend. The setter tallied 38 assists and seven kills in the championship match. McGovern recorded over 1000 assists this season, becoming only the second player in CMS history to reach this mark. The Athenas will head to MIT to face the Engineers in the regional round of the national tournament.

Athletes of the Week Georgia McGovern

Pomona-Pitzer Cookson led the Sagehens to victory against No. 20 ranked East Texas Baptist in the season opener. The junior guard dropped 27 points against the Tigers, as well as tallying 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Cookson shot 9 of 14 from the field, including one made three to get his 2023-2024 campaign underway. The Hens will be back in action this Saturday at home, taking on the Banana Slugs of UC Santa Cruz.

Joe Cookson

PO ’24 Mercer Island, WA Men’s Basketball

CM ’24 Oxford, England Volleyball

CMS

Friday, November 17

Saturday, November 18

Sunday, November 19

Women’s Basketball @ Trinity (Texas) 4:00 pm

Men’s Cross Country (NCAA Nationals) 8:00 am

Men’s Basketball @ Trinity (Texas) 11:00 am

Men’s Water Polo vs. Chapman 7:00 pm

Women’s Cross Country (NCAA Nationals) 9:00 am Men’s Basketball @ Southwestern (Texas) (Paul Peak Classic) 2:00 pm

Sports Calendar

Women’s Basketball vs. Hardin Simmons (@ Trinity (Texas)) 2:00 pm

P-P

Friday, November 17

Saturday, November 18

Women’s Swim and Dive (La Verne Invite) 9:00 am

Women’s Swim and Dive (La Verne Invite) 9:00 am

Men’s Swim and Dive (La Verne Invite) 9:00 am

Men’s Swim and Dive (La Verne Invite) 9:00 am

Women’s Basketball vs. Concordia University Chicago 7:00 pm

Men’s Cross Country (NCAA Nationals) 8:00 am

Men’s Water Polo @ Redlands 7:00 pm

Women’s Cross Country (NCAA Nationals) 9:00 am

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

Moser echoed this sentiment, highlighting the all-or-nothing mentality of the team. He emphasized the importance of winning the SCIAC conference title and redeeming their loss to Cal Lu. “If we get second [in SCIAC] that’s a failed season regardless of what any individual accomplishes this year,” Moser said.

In their first step toward that title, the Sagehens started their season on a high note with a decisive 75-59 win over the East Texas Baptist Tigers on Nov. 11. They will get back on the court against Stanton university at home at Voelkel Gymnasium on Nov. 16 at 7 p.m.

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

Men’s Basketball vs. UC Santa Cruz 3:00 pm Women’s Basketball vs. UC Santa Cruz 5:00 pm Sunday, November 19 Women’s Swim and Dive (La Verne Invite) 9:00 am Men’s Swim and Dive (La Verne Invite) 9:00 am

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

GERRIT PUNT, Multimedia Editor HANNAH WEAVER, Multimedia Editor PAUL YAN, Business Manager STELLA FANG, Business Manager

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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