A policy update from Dean Marco Valenzuela sent to Harvey Mudd students yesterday announced that Harvey Mudd will be moving into Tier 2 of the college’s three-tier social protocol system. This entails an easing of restrictions on social gatherings put in place to combat COVID-19. Most significantly, the college will now allow social gatherings of up to 20 people, as opposed to 10 people, which was the gathering limit up until today. Private parties with 20-60 people are now a

As apprehension mounted amidst impending Claremont McKenna College (CMC) class presidential elections, aspiring student leaders scrambled to win over their peers. Some candidates promised to “have your back,” while others pledged to direct funds to cafeteria waffle makers. Although ten of the eleven candidates ran on relatively similar campaign platforms, one candidate took an unconventional approach to gain support from his compatriots; he vowed to take a stance against a pr

Earlier today, Claremont McKenna College (CMC) Vice President of Student Affairs Sharon Basso informed the student body “that weekly covid19 surveillance testing is mandatory.” The email also explained that “[f]or those few who failed to get a weekly test – that is a conduct violation. Starting this coming week we will be receiving weekly data reports of any students who have not tested.” Under Claremont McKenna’s student conduct process, a conduct violation constitutes a “mi

Last month, Pomona College, a member of the Claremont Consortium, suspended a transfer student for the fall 2021 semester for failing to comply with COVID-19 regulations by moving into on-campus housing before his appointed date. According to a suspension letter posted by the student on social media, Pomona College wrote that “after a thorough discussion of the circumstances of the incidental and your written statement [the College] found that [the student was] responsible fo

Claremont McKenna’s Dean of Students recently emailed the student body a list of guidelines for the fall 2021 semester. Among the guidelines was a policy mandating masks while indoors and further information about the college’s vaccine requirements. According to the college, the guidelines are subject to change as LA County “releases updated guidance for institutions of higher education—we expect those by early next week.” Based on the current LA County face-covering guidelin

Last week, the Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) passed a resolution divesting from companies operating in Israel as listed by the United Nations. The decision prompted outrage among many prominent Jewish groups and on social media nationwide. A petition circulated by Pomona students that called for Pomona President G. Gabrielle Starr to “condemn this resolution and protect the Jewish student body” received around 500 signatures in five days. The resolution has als

This afternoon, the Vice President of Finance (VPF) of the Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) sent an email to the student body proposing a “non-permanent” transfer of ownership of the Coop Fountain, a popular on-campus restaurant, from ASPC to the College. According to the email, the proposal promises to “more than double student employment and increase the variety of student jobs, end the annual average ~$100,000 loss, and redirect funding back to student programm

In an Instagram post released on Thursday, Claremont Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) announced that Pomona College’s student government, the Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) “unanimously passed a resolution on Thursday, April 22, 2021 divesting all ASPC funds from companies complicit in the occupation of Palestine, and banning future use of funds towards such companies.” The companies from which ASPC will divest are drawn from a list compiled by the United

As a nation, the United States of America was established upon a set of principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence—namely, the equality of human beings and their possession of certain “inalienable rights.” At its founding, these principles were unique to the United States. More than anything else, it was they that separated its government from those of its contemporaries. Far from hindering the United States, ideals like the universal right to life, liberty, an

In an email sent earlier this evening, Claremont McKenna College (CMC) Associate Vice President and Dean of Students Diana Graves informed students that CMC will be providing “limited summer housing at the Alexan Kendry Apartments (about 1.5 miles south of campus) for rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who will be enrolled at CMC in fall 2021 and meet additional criteria.” Students who participate in the housing program will be subject to guidelines “including daily heal

In an email sent to the student body earlier today, Pomona College Dean of Campus Life Josh Eisenberg informed students that the Point System, Pomona’s disciplinary system in which students received a certain number of “points” for committing drug- and alcohol-related infractions, will be replaced “with a conduct process for low-level violations of the Student Code that is educational rather than punitive.” The email explains that the Point System “will be replaced with a con

China is destroying promised liberties in Hong Kong, committing genocide in Xinjiang, and oppressing more people than any other authoritarian regime in the world. Apparently, these horrors do not matter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as Beijing is set to host the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. The IOC has a weak record regarding cracking down on human rights abuses; in 1936, the games were held in Berlin under Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime. Neither the US nor the rest

In an email sent to the student body earlier this evening, Miriam Merill, Chair of Physical Education and Director of Pomona-Pitzer Athletics, announced that Pomona College will be reopening several of its athletic facilities to members of the college community. According to the email, “[m]asks must be worn at all times except for when swimming,” and a “Daily Health Check (proof of completion) must be provided upon arrival to [the] facility.” No indoor facilities, including b

Since achieving statehood in 1850, California has retained its appeal to people across the country. As the most populous U.S. state, California seems, on the surface, like a great place to live, work, and study. With its oceans, mountains, deserts, and forests, it is perhaps one of the most beautiful U.S. states. It’s also extremely wealthy; if it were a country, California would have the fifth-largest economy in the world. It seems that California is the epitome of the Ameri

Today, Claremont McKenna College (CMC) President Hiram Chodosh informed students that he plans to partially reopen recreational facilities on campus this month. Additionally, he announced that CMC faculty and staff will meet coronavirus vaccination eligibility requirements this month. CMC plans for students to return to campus this Fall. As new COVID-19 cases continue to decline in California, the email stated that “[Los Angeles County] officials have signaled that they will

The recent decision to bring students back to the Claremont Colleges for the Fall 2021 semester, pending county approval, gives hope, not just to students and faculty, but to the broader Claremont community. The Claremont Village, Claremont’s main shopping hub, is home to many eateries popular among college students. During my time in Claremont last semester, I frequented Claremont’s go-to food spots and learned why they were student favorites in normal times. With the Clarem

Earlier today, students at Scripps College received an email informing them that President Lara Tiedens will resign next semester to become the Executive Director of Schwarzman Scholars, a Rhodes Scholarship-idnspired graduate fellowship program affiliated with China’s Tsinghua University. The move comes after months of increasing pressure on Tiedens from students, including a call for the firing of Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Charlotte Johnson, and

Earlier this month, Pomona College released its Common Data Set containing admissions data for the Class of 2024. According to the data set, Pomona’s pre-waitlist admissions rate climbed very slightly between the previous admissions cycle and this one, up from 6.95% for the 2018-2019 cycle (Class of 2023) to 7.2% for the 2019-2020 cycle (Class of 2024). More notably, while the number of students who accepted a position on the waitlist decreased from 566 to 505, 150 waitlisted

In an email sent to the student body earlier today, Pomona College President G. Gabrielle Starr informed students that Pomona “is moving forward with plans for a phased reopening in the spring, on the path to a full reopening in the fall. To do so, [Pomona] will need approval from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health,” expected by December. The decision to push forward was made despite student outcry at the heavy restrictions students will face on a reopened cam

Pomona College has entered into a partnership with UNITE HERE Local 11 and the Hospitality Training Academy to provide meals for people in the surrounding area who have been forced to remain at home thanks to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. According to an email sent to the student body earlier today, “Pomona College will be providing meals to over 180 seniors in the areas of Pomona, San Dimas and Chino who have indicated to Los Angeles County that they cannot leave their home