The Student Life

5Cs and student governments invest in U-Pass program amid Metrolink fare hike in prices

October 15, 2026 7:54 pm Sofia Latapie 0

Metrolink, the commuter rail transport system across Southern California, raised fare prices on Oct. 5 for the first time in 13 years. In a press release, Metrolink said that “limited fare increases” are due to rising operational costs, decreased ridership and a lack of federal funding. One-way Metrolink fares rose by up to about 14%, while the weekday SoCal Day Pass rose from $15 to $19 and the weekend and holiday pass rose from $10 to $12. Metrolink maintained its 50% student discount, but students still had to pay more as the underlying fares increased.

Report finds four Claremont Colleges linked to ‘uncivil’ discourse programs with billionaire, anti-activist ties

October 15, 2026 7:49 pm Walter Giesen 0

A September report by higher education research collective UnCivil called out four Claremont Colleges for their ties to civil discourse programs it says embrace anti-activist agendas or are funded by billionaire-led conservative nonprofits: the College Presidents for Civic Preparedness, the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) and BridgeUSA.UnCivil aims to map the donor networks and conceptual origins of the Civil Industrial Complex, or the series of conservative campus initiatives and private- and state-funded “civic thought” centers that claim to support civil discourse and viewpoint diversity.

CSWA calls for paid negotiations and an end to union-busting at rally

October 15, 2026 7:16 pm Charlotte Preuss 0

The Claremont Student Worker Alliance (CSWA) held a rally on Oct. 9 outside of Frary Dining Hall, where around 20 students and faculty members gathered to hear speeches, sing picket chants and paint Walker Wall with messages of support for dining workers at Pomona College.

Pomona launches $530 million Originals campaign, breaks ground on Center for Global Engagement

October 15, 2026 5:54 pm Hiro Rose 0

Last Saturday, Pomona College launched its Originals Campaign, a $530 million effort to expand financial aid for middle-income families, broaden professional opportunities for students and strengthen the college’s alumni network. To kick off the campaign, Pomona President G. Gabrielle Starr and several trustees broke ground on the college’s Center for Global Engagement (CGE), which was followed by a fall-themed festival featuring student performances and community-building efforts.

‘The Antipodes:’ a timeless play for current times

October 15, 2026 6:12 pm Noah Brewster 0

After millennia of storytelling, have we run out of stories to tell? Pomona College Theater Department’s production of “The Antipodes” explores the tension between creative expression and corporate demand, asking what happens when the stories we tell become commodities.

Ravi-lations with Ethan: Embrace the discomfort of being alone

October 15, 2026 6:01 pm Ethan Ravi 0

In his new advice column, Ethan Ravi PO ’29 responds to a question about becoming comfortable with solitude. “Without denying that this is a very real part of the human condition, I want to reframe it: Eventually, the less fulfilling path is to stick with the herd. At some point in your life, you will need to decide who you want to be without others.”

Simone Biles awarded Ellen Browning Scripps Medal in centennial year

October 15, 2026 5:55 pm Corina Yi 0

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles received the Ellen Browning Scripps Medal at Scripps College on Friday, Oct. 9, reflecting on mental health, redefining success and the importance of giving back to her community. The ceremony drew a packed auditorium of students, families and young athletes eager to hear from one of the most decorated gymnasts in history.

Regency Theater opens in Claremont village after Laemmle’s closure

October 15, 2026 5:12 pm Camille Dahlgren 0

After the beloved Laemmle theater closed in 2025, Regency Theatres’ Directors Cut opened in Claremont Village on Oct. 2, bringing a mix of independent films and mainstream releases to the neighborhood. The new theater offers a different take on local moviegoing, but can it attract a broader audience without losing the spirit of its predecessor?

OPINION: The ‘Cornell 7’ exposes that Title IX systems will not protect us — even at the 5Cs

October 15, 2026 9:13 pm Olivia Brinkman Schooler 0

Outlining the policies that govern college responses to misconduct, Brinkman Schooler draws a connection from Cornell University to the 5Cs, including recent 2019 and 2025 allegations of misconduct within the CMS swim and dive team.

OPINION: A presidential hit job: Latinos aren’t scared of you, Trump

October 15, 2026 2:56 pm Elena Gutierrez 0

On October 5, 2026, Donald Trump put a hit on Los Angeles and San Diego. Elena Gutierrez PZ ’27 is a Mexican American who knows exactly what he means. Trump’s statement comes as ICE raids spike in specific Southern California cities, and Gutierrez writes that those trends, backed by his track record of anti-Latino sentiment and policy, are deliberately intentional.

OPINION: I like bad books and you should too

October 15, 2026 3:32 am Calli Taffel 0

Amid a literacy crisis and shockingly low rates of young adults who’ve opened a book in the past year, Calli Taffel PZ ’30 writes that the best way to reverse that trend is to remove the stigma around reading bad books. Whether smutty fantasy or a predictable romcom, Taffel says you can still get the benefits of reading regardless of content.

OPINION: Let’s talk about politics (again)

October 9, 2026 4:23 am Makayla Tracy 0

Makayla Tracy PZ ’30 argues that amid the 5Cs’ culture of deep political engagement, choosing to stay neutral in some political conversations should always be justified. Without the ability to step back from often-heated political discourse, one can fall into the trap of taking a side before having time to form a nuanced thought.

The Art of the Story: Chris Ballard’s path from Claremont to Sports Illustrated

October 15, 2026 12:03 am Jake Creelan 0

The year was 1996. Chris Ballard PO ’95, freshly graduated from Pomona College, had decided on a different path than many of his peers: to write a guidebook on pickup basketball across the country. Flipping through his phone book, he mailed pitch letters to as many agents as he could find, and got only one response.

Sagehens sweep at Pomona-Pitzer cross-country invite

October 14, 2026 11:52 pm Lena Bibbler Parker 0

At the Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) Invite last Friday, Oct. 9, the men’s and women’s cross-country teams both came out victorious for the first time since 2018. Just one weekend after pre-nationals, Sagehen men swept the podium, claiming the top five places with a perfect score, the first in meet history.

Give me a 5, give me a C, Claremont cheerleading springs to life

October 14, 2026 10:12 pm Andrea Centeno 0

At the Claremont Colleges, school spirit is taking a new form. As co-founders Regan Cooper PO ’29 and Adelina Grotenhuis PO ’28 work to establish the 5C cheer team from the ground up, they strive to fill a gap in campus life and athletic events and build a stronger sense of community across the consortium.

‘A Long Talk’ trainings headline new P-P athletic anti-racism reform

October 9, 2026 3:34 am Zachary LeBlanc 1

This fall, Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) athletics implemented new trainings titled “A Long Talk About the Uncomfortable Truth” aimed at cultivating an anti-racist culture and strengthening department-wide community. A Long Talk focuses on the simple formula that “information plus empathy equals action.”