The Student Life

Diego Rios’ death ruled homicide by LA County Medical Examiner’s Office

February 13, 2026 2:29 am Macy Puckett 0

Diego Rios’ death has been ruled a homicide by the LA County Medical Examiner’s office, according to their report released on Thursday, Feb. 12. The ruling comes months after Rios died in police custody after being stopped by Corporal Benjamin Alba and Joshua Orona on Nov. 28. Since Rios’s death, 5C students have rallied with the Rios family to ask for transparency and the release of missing body camera footage. Diego’s official cause of death was ruled as cardiopulmonary arrest, attributed in the report to the “effects of cocaine and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in the setting of prone physical restraint.” According to the medical report obtained by the Claremont Courier, “[t]he manner of death is homicide due to volitional human involvement regardless of the intent of any individuals’ actions.”

Pomona ASPC and CSWA continue efforts to reinstate dining hall worker Rolando Araiza

February 13, 2026 2:16 am Charlotte Hahm 0

Michelle Bligh poses for photo at her desk and smiles.

Starr and admin reveal Pomona-CGU partnership details in exclusive interview

February 6, 2026 3:34 am Joelle Rudolf 0

One table with chairs in an outdoor area of Frary Dining Hall

Union leader and Frary cook Rolando Araiza terminated; Pomona faces backlash

February 6, 2026 1:23 am Ila Bell 0

CGU announces “AI for Humanity” partnership with tech company, Macnica

February 13, 2026 2:44 am Carys Hardy 0

On Feb. 3, Claremont Graduate University signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to formalize a partnership with Japanese artificial intelligence company Macnica, aiming to expand research about human-centered, ethical approaches to AI while increasing professional opportunities for students.

They aim to develop an AI tool that would use data from class assignments to generate digital badges for students to show to potential employers.

Sanctuary Coffee faces potential closure; owner amplifies mission

February 13, 2026 2:29 am Ava Fleisher 0

Sanctuary Coffee will close its locations in Honnold Mudd Library and on Foothill Boulevard at the end of the semester if they do not raise enough money by April, according to owner and Executive Director Dr. Steve Gerali. Gerali, a clinical counselor, youth minister and former university professor and dean,

KGI PhD student’s startup wins $40,000 Westly Prize for harm-reduction innovation

February 13, 2026 12:43 am Bianca Mirica 0

Farid Manshaii KGI ’28 received the $40,000 Westly Prize for Young California Innovators on Jan. 26 for his health technology startup Recalivape, a harm-reduction system designed to help people quit vaping. The competition for the award, run by the Westly Foundation, receives over 100,000 applicants and grants three unrestricted prizes to early-stage founders building social-impact ventures. Looking ahead, Recalivape plans to launch a clinical study in the coming months as part of Manshaii’s doctoral research. He emphasized that the company’s direction remains unchanged.

Dr. Ken Walden assumes role as interim Athenaeum director

February 13, 2026 12:17 am Reanna Mohler 0

On Jan. 5, Dr. Ken Walden assumed his position as the interim director of the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum at Claremont McKenna College, following the resignation of former director Priya Junnar. Walden has served as a seminary president, dean, associate professor, university chaplain and enrollment executive, which he said prepared him well for his new role. Violet Ramanathan CM ’27, an Athenaeum fellow, said she got a positive impression of Walden when she and other fellows met with him for lunch in early February, and that he would be “well-equipped” to connect with the many different speakers.

MULTIMEDIA: Pomona College Art Department’s Look Without Fear Exhibition

February 17, 2026 9:23 pm Yuhang Xie 0

Pomona College Art Department’s “Look Without Fear” exhibition was on view February 6th, featuring work by 17 artists from the 5Cs that highlight the art of noticing. TSL’s Multimedia team captured behind-the-scenes footage of the exhibition.

MULTIMEDIA: Student musicians fundraise for immigrant rights at Benefit Concert

February 17, 2026 7:42 pm Zoe Chin 0

At 6 p.m. on Feb. 7, 5C musicians took the stage for a benefit concert at Pomona College to raise money for immigrant rights. TSL’s Multimedia team captured the various performances of these 5C musicians.

EU Center: Veronika Eberhart discusses censorship and the role of music in the Red Scare

February 13, 2026 3:28 am Sydney Forsyte 0

This past Wednesday, Feb. 4, Veronika Eberhart gave a talk on behalf of the European Union Center of California. She focused on the works of Hanns Eisler, a German-Austrian composer, and within the context of the political consequences his compositions had during the Red Scare period. By describing the investigation into Eisler’s Marxist compositions, Eberhart highlighted U.S. censorship.

‘Atomic Dragons:’ Pitzer’s new exhibition is a call to action against nuclear testing

February 13, 2026 3:27 am Sylvie Simmons 0

Last Saturday, images of ice cream erupting out of a nuclear mushroom cloud lay scattered across tables in Pitzer College’s Broad Center. Audience members pocketed the postcards — originally a pastel drawing by Slow War Against the Nuclear State (SWANS) member Nancy Buchanan — as they walked through the new

OPINION: Claremont can’t preserve its way out of a housing crisis

February 13, 2026 2:52 am Zara Seldon 0

“A neighborhood’s true ‘character’ is not defined by manicured lawns and single-family houses, but by how its people work together to create an inclusive and livable place for everyone,” writes Zara Seldon PO ‘29. “Expanding housing supply in Claremont is a project that extends beyond the unhoused—setting a city-wide precedent by bolstering projects that provide space for residents from all walks of life could transform Claremont from a high-class community into a place we can all afford.”

OPINION: The 5Cs support abortion but not pregnancy — what about choice?

February 12, 2026 9:31 pm Grace Rutherford 0

“There is no centralized pregnancy resource page outlining Title IX rights, no clear guidance for students who choose to continue a pregnancy.” Grace Rutherford PO ‘28 writes. “Choice requires more than options in name. It requires a generous distribution of resources and support so an individual can make a fully informed choice.”

OPINION: What Minneapolis can teach us about America’s descent into fascism

February 12, 2026 8:50 pm Olivia Brinkman 0

“As students at the 5Cs, we have the privilege of residing in a community that feels physically and emotionally distant from ICE activity, despite deportations taking place as close as Pomona County,” Olivia Brinkman PO ’29 writes. “Scrolling through horrific reels, at a loss for what to do, we think to ourselves: What impact do we really have when our government is crumbling around us? This sense of helplessness is exactly what Trump and other elected officials want you to feel — it allows them to continue to exercise their power to commit crimes without facing the consequences. ”

OPINION: What we can learn from South Korea’s 4B movement

February 12, 2026 8:04 pm Ansley Kang 0

“Astounding rates of gender discrimination in South Korea are one of the biggest drivers of the country’s declining population,” Ansley Kang ’29 writes. “South Korean women, tired of the lagging behind in women’s’ rights, have begun pushing back against this discrimination with the radical 4B movement: bihon (no marriage); bichulsan (no childbirth); biyeonae (no dating); and bisekseu (no sex). ”

Four 5C athletes headline preseason lacrosse All-Americans

February 12, 2026 11:56 pm Zachary LeBlanc 0

Four 5C Lacrosse players were recently named preseason All-Americans. Julia Ryan CM ‘27 of CMC was joined by River Buechner PO ‘26, Shelby Stanton PO ‘26 and Taylor Glanville PZ ‘26 of P-P. The four sat down for interviews to discuss the hard work and winners’’ mindsets that led to this honor.

Rivalry, records and senior send-offs: Pomona-Pitzer invitational sets the stage for SCIAC championships

February 12, 2026 11:18 pm Jack He 0

A bright, sunny morning atop the Haldeman pool deck on Feb. 7 signaled the start to the Pomona-Pitzer Swim Invitational, the second encounter of the season between the Sixth Street rivals Sagehens and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. As the final meet before the SCIAC Championships, the event bubbled with excitement as athletes from

Let’s disc-uss the Braineaters, ultimate frisbee aiming for nationals

February 12, 2026 11:02 pm Jake Creelan 0

In Claremont, few club teams do it like the Braineaters. From an intense spring travel schedule to a camaraderie recognized by every team member, the ultimate frisbee club returns for its 47th year (chirp chirp!) on campus, going back to 1979. Seniors like Johnny Russell CM ’26 help carry the team’s traditions, one of which is assigning nicknames

Where is your Ballon d’Or? Don’t need it

February 12, 2026 10:49 pm Otto Fritton 0

Otto Fritton PZ ’27 likes to look at the “what-if.” Few careers saddened him more than that of Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, a man who influenced an entire generation without ever quite fulfilling his potential. Yet, despite his shortcomings, Fritton wonders if it even matters. Perhaps Neymar shouldn’t be judged on what he didn’t accomplish, but on the generation he inspired.

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