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Pomona Promises to Welcome All Students. Jews Too?
Three years ago, more than a thousand civilians were murdered on October 7th. Two years ago, protesters stormed Pomona’s Carnegie Hall and spraypainted “intifada” across its walls. One year ago, students from the Claremont Colleges disrupted a memorial for the lives lost in the attacks, shouting “Zionists not welcome here.”
Olivia Rosenthal
5 days ago


All Along Walker Wall: Pomona Plays with Your Food
There is a great game at Pomona College. It is not the Sixth St. Rivalry game against CMS, or the now-defunct rivalry game with Occidental College, or even the distant tradition of the Sophomore–Frosh rivalry. Pomona’s Great Game is a seemingly never-ending contest between the College’s various administrative offices. The objective? To make students’ lives harder.
Emilio Bankier
Sep 28


The Entrance Interview: President Dudley on His Washington & Lee Presidency and His Plans for Claremont McKenna
President William C. Dudley is Claremont McKenna College’s sixth president, assuming the position after serving as president of Washington & Lee University for nearly a decade. He was preceded by Hiram Chodosh, who helmed Claremont McKenna for 13 years.


Pomona Dining Chief Abruptly Leaves After Series of Controversies
Pomona College has parted ways with Dining Services General Manager Jose Martinez after a series of controversial decisions and years of staffing woes. A spokesperson for the college confirmed to the Independent that Martinez “is no longer employed by Pomona College.”
Emilio Bankier
Sep 23


FIRE's 2027 Free Speech Rankings: Claremont McKenna Takes Second, Pomona Scrapes in at 226th
The University of Chicago surpassed Claremont McKenna College in the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s 2027 Free Speech Rankings released Wednesday. Claremont McKenna slid to second place after topping the 2026 report, while Pomona ranked 226 out of 261 schools.
Greta Long
Sep 13


“Heartbreaking”: Claremont Students Express Dismay as Peers Celebrate Anniversary of Charlie Kirk Assassination
A year after Charlie Kirk was murdered in front of thousands of onlookers at a debate event at Utah Valley University, the assassination continues to divide the Claremont Colleges. The anniversary of the murder prompted celebrations on campus and online, which drew national attention on X. Students the Independent interviewed expressed concern that the normalization of political violence chilled free expression on campus.
Shiv Parihar
Sep 12


The Exit Interview: President Chodosh on Pre-Professionalism, Free Speech, and Administrative Bloat
Claremont McKenna College's fifth president, Hiram Chodosh. (Photo Credit: Jasper Langley-Hawthorne) President Hiram Chodosh is Claremont McKenna College’s fifth president, assuming the position after serving as Dean of the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law. After thirteen years in the role, President Chodosh will be succeeded by former Washington & Lee president William C. Dudley. President Chodosh’s wife, Priya Junnar, will also depart as Director of the Athe


When Sex-Positivity Stops at Pregnancy
Sex Week reflects the internal contradictions of the Claremont Colleges’ supposed sex-positive culture. Events like these trivialize sex as a consequence-free means for pleasure rather than aiding students who are actually affected by its physical and mental consequences. If student groups want to remain true to their mission of supporting students and survivors, they should make active efforts to care about students at every point on their sexual journey – including pregnanc
Greta Long
Apr 21


Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty Announced as Claremont McKenna Commencement Speakers
Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will deliver the commencement address at Claremont McKenna College’s graduation ceremony on May 16, alongside his wife, Akshata Murty (CMC ‘02). The announcement came in an email from President Hiram Chodosh Thursday morning.
Greta Long
Apr 3


Pomona College to Host California Gubernatorial Debate
Pomona College will host primary candidates for the California governorship in a debate on April 28, College President Gabi Starr announced earlier this month.
Andrew Lu
Mar 31


The Liberal Arts Aren’t Broken, American Colleges Are
The liberal arts in America have moved away from their traditional mission of providing students a space for inquiry while educating them about the intellectual foundations of their civilization.
Shiv Parihar
Mar 25


Harvey Mudd Student Body President-Elect Recalled Following Racism Accusations
A recall campaign against the Harvey Mudd College’s student body President-elect has succeeded, with a simple majority of voters choosing to recall the President-elect and hold new elections. The recall was prompted by controversial remarks the President-elect made over a year ago, with the recall petition itself being filed by her opponent after he lost the election.
Emilio Bankier
Mar 24


Harvey Mudd Student Body President-Elect Faces Recall Over Year-Old Racism Accusations
The newly elected president of Harvey Mudd College’s student government (ASHMC) is facing recall over a comment she made during the Spring 2025 election season. Though the president-elect issued multiple apologies, the incumbent student government leadership has withheld constitutionally required onboarding training and worked with Mudd’s Dean of Students to organize a public March 10 forum where the president-elect and her accusers, including the candidates she defeated, rea


Man Wins First Place in Women’s 100m Dash at Pomona-Pitzer Track Meet
A video showing a man dressed up as a woman to compete in the Women’s 100-Meter Dash at a Pomona-Pitzer track meet went viral on Monday, garnering millions of views across social media platforms. Jonny Curren competed under the name “sara curren” [sic], outpacing 31 female runners to win first place by 0.02 seconds.
Andrew Lu
Mar 10


Artificial Intelligence Will Drown You In Your Dreams
The Pied Piper leads children to their deaths with his beautiful song. (Credit: Carl Offterdinger ) Much ink has been spilled over the so-called “alignment problem” of artificial intelligence. Will it behave as humans want it to behave? Will it provide what humans want it to provide? My critique is not downstream of the alignment problem. I am not qualified to predict whether AI will someday misalign with mankind’s wishes. It is, however, becoming increasingly eviden
Shiv Parihar
Mar 2


Motif: A Humanistic Magazine’s Inhuman Cover
In late November, the Gould Center for Humanistic Studies at Claremont McKenna released their fall semester edition of Motif, a student-run creative arts magazine. The issue included a variety of art mediums, from poetry and creative essays to pencil sketches and nail art. In the editorial board’s introductory letter, they said they were “thrilled to support CMC artists and creatives.”
Greta Long
Feb 20


Pomona and Claremont McKenna Began Unprecedented Lobbying Efforts in 2025
In 2025, Pomona and Claremont McKenna Colleges spent $190,000 and $100,000, respectively, to lobby the federal government. Pomona hired lobbying firm theGROUP DC while CMC hired law firm Holland & Knight. According to OpenSecrets, neither college, since 1998, has recorded lobbying activity until this past year. Harvey Mudd, Scripps, and Pitzer Colleges have yet to record any lobbying activity.
Dhriti Jagadish
Feb 8


Pomona College Officially in “Exclusive Partnership Negotiations” with Claremont Graduate University
Pomona College and Claremont Graduate University announced in parallel statements Thursday afternoon that they have entered exclusive negotiations on a “potential partnership,” described as a parent-subsidiary structure. Sources familiar with the matter told the Independent that the institutions’ respective boards signed only a non-binding letter of intent, meaning negotiations could be broken off at any point.
Emilio Bankier
Dec 21, 2025


Pomona Settles Title VI Antisemitism Complaint, Commits to Significant Changes
Protests held Oct. 7, 2024 at Pomona College. Pomona College resolved a Title VI complaint with the Brandeis Center, Anti-Defamation League and Hillel International on Wednesday, agreeing to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s Working Definition of Antisemitism, appoint a Title VI coordinator, and update speech and demonstration policies, among other provisions. “We are pleased to have resolved these important discussions through a thoughtful and comprehe
Kendall White
Dec 10, 2025


William C. Dudley Selected as Claremont McKenna College’s Sixth President
William C. Dudley announced as Claremont McKenna's sixth president. Photo credit: The Columns . Washington and Lee University President William C. Dudley will succeed Hiram Chodosh as Claremont McKenna College’s sixth president, according to a statement from Board of Trustees Chairman Ken Valach on Thursday afternoon. The announcement comes after six months of deliberation by the Presidential Search Committee – a group of trustees, faculty, alumni, and the sitting ASCMC Presi
Scott Sloop
Dec 4, 2025
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