Skip to content

Saturday, December 20, 2025

The Student Life

Claremont Colleges News

Menu

HOME
APPLY
NEWS
ARTS & CULTURE
- ALL A&C
- FEATURES
- COLUMNS
  - FILM
  - TV
  - MUSIC
  - FOOD
  - PETS
  - ART
  - BOOKS
  - HEALTH
  - POP CULTURE
OPINIONS
- ALL OPS
- EDITORIAL BOARDS
SPORTS
- ALL SPORTS
- CLAREMONT-MUDD-SCRIPPS
  - MEN’S SPORTS
    - BASEBALL
    - BASKETBALL
    - CROSS-COUNTRY
    - FOOTBALL
    - GOLF
    - SOCCER
    - SWIM AND DIVE
    - TENNIS
    - TRACK AND FIELD
    - WATER POLO
  - WOMEN’S SPORTS
    - BASKETBALL
    - CROSS-COUNTRY
    - GOLF
    - LACROSSE
    - SOCCER
    - SOFTBALL
    - SWIM AND DIVE
    - TENNIS
    - TRACK AND FIELD
    - VOLLEYBALL
    - WATER POLO
- POMONA-PITZER
  - MEN’S SPORTS
    - BASEBALL
    - BASKETBALL
    - CROSS-COUNTRY
    - FOOTBALL
    - GOLF
    - TRACK AND FIELD
    - SOCCER
    - SWIM AND DIVE
    - TENNIS
    - WATER POLO
  - WOMEN’S SPORTS
    - BASKETBALL
    - CROSS-COUNTRY
    - GOLF
    - LACROSSE
    - SOCCER
    - SOFTBALL
    - SWIM AND DIVE
    - TENNIS
    - TRACK AND FIELD
    - VOLLEYBALL
    - WATER POLO
- CLUB SPORTS
- COMMENTARY
SPECIAL PROJECTS
- MULTIMEDIA
- AFFINITY
DONATE
- SUBSCRIBE
ABOUT
- ABOUT US
- STAFF
- AWARDS
CONTACT US
- TIPS
- SUBMIT
- ADVERTISE

×

Masthead

THE STUDENT LIFE

Claremont, CA
Vol. CXXXVI

Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief
Jada Shavers

Managing Editor (News and Sports)
Charlotte Renner

Managing Editor (Arts & Culture and Opinions)
Adam Akins

Arts and Culture

Editors

Otto Fritton
Claire Welch

Associate

Charlotte Hahm

Copy

Chief

Aaron Matsuoka

Corina Yi

Design

Creative Director
Annabelle Ink

Production Editor
Tahi Wilton Geary

Opinions

Editors
Parker DeVore
Celeste Cariker

Photo

Editors
Andrew Yuan
Celyn Jiayi Ji

Special Projects

Editors
Nadia Hsu

Business

Manager
Audrey Park

News

Editors
Madeleine Farr
Joelle Rudolf

Associate
Patrick McDowell

Sports

Editors
Sebastian Booth
Jun Kwon

Associate
Jack He

Graphics

Editor
Shixiao Yu
Nergis Alboshebah

Social Media

Manager
Yousif Loae Najat

Weekly Newsletter

Email Address:

Leave this field empty if you're human:

TSL's Cartoon Caption Contest

We make a cartoon, you make the caption. Each week we vote and reveal the winner! Stay tuned for next semester's cartoon!

(Shixiao Yu • The Student Life)

1st place: Ah, wait. Power went out again... (Caption by Gabriel Dalton PO ’25)

Join the 5C State of Music:

Enter to win a $20 gift-card giveaway with TSL's 5C “State of Music” — a fun, data-driven look at what students across the Claremont Colleges have been listening to this year. Your responses will help us share the collective soundtrack of the 5Cs. The winner will be selected at random at the end of the semester!

Submit your state of music!

Instagram

Wizards Weekly: Every week cartoonist Sasha Matthews PO ’26 draws a new wizard.

Photo 1: “Wizard of the Diamond Realm,” Sept. 18, 2025.

Photo 2: “Wizard and Apprentice Ponder the Orb,” Oct. 2, 2025.

Photo 3: Wizard Internet These Days,” Oct. 9, 2025.

Photo 4: “My Parents (Both Wizards) Having Sex,” Oct. 23, 2025.

Photo 5: “Candy Summoning Wizards,” Oct. 31, 2025.

Photo 6: “Wizagons,” Nov. 7, 2025.

Photo 7: “Business Casual Wizard,” Nov. 14, 2025.

Photo 8: “Divorce Wizard,” Nov. 21, 2025.

•

Follow

Wizards Weekly: Every week cartoonist Sasha Matthews PO ’26 draws a new wizard. Photo 1: “Wizard of the Diamond Realm,” Sept. 18, 2025. Photo 2: “Wizard and Apprentice Ponder the Orb,” Oct. 2, 2025. Photo 3: Wizard Internet These Days,” Oct. 9, 2025. Photo 4: “My Parents (Both Wizards) Having Sex,” Oct. 23, 2025. Photo 5: “Candy Summoning Wizards,” Oct. 31, 2025. Photo 6: “Wizagons,” Nov. 7, 2025. Photo 7: “Business Casual Wizard,” Nov. 14, 2025. Photo 8: “Divorce Wizard,” Nov. 21, 2025.

3 days ago

View on Instagram |

1/9

At 7 p.m. last Saturday, Nov. 15, the Claremont Shades hosted SCAMFest, the annual collegiate acapella festival at the Claremont Colleges. After months of preparation, the Shades hosted this year’s event to an auditorium full of enthused Claremont students and visitors.

TSL sat down with The Claremont Shades’ President Harold Fuson PZ ’26 to discuss the process of planning such a large, lively event.

“It’s such a special night for so many people,” Fuson said. “To be able to put that event on and be a part of making it as special as it is is super cool and something we take a lot of pride in.”

This year, the event featured a lineup of all eight Claremont acapella groups, with performers travelling from UC Irvine, UCLA and USC.
Claremont’s Groove Nation hip-hop group performed just after the intermission, breaking up the musical acts with dynamic dance numbers that had the audience screaming in support.
—
Words by Claire Welch and Ananya Vinay | Photo by Sarah Ziff
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

•

Follow

At 7 p.m. last Saturday, Nov. 15, the Claremont Shades hosted SCAMFest, the annual collegiate acapella festival at the Claremont Colleges. After months of preparation, the Shades hosted this year’s event to an auditorium full of enthused Claremont students and visitors. TSL sat down with The Claremont Shades’ President Harold Fuson PZ ’26 to discuss the process of planning such a large, lively event. “It’s such a special night for so many people,” Fuson said. “To be able to put that event on and be a part of making it as special as it is is super cool and something we take a lot of pride in.” This year, the event featured a lineup of all eight Claremont acapella groups, with performers travelling from UC Irvine, UCLA and USC. Claremont’s Groove Nation hip-hop group performed just after the intermission, breaking up the musical acts with dynamic dance numbers that had the audience screaming in support. — Words by Claire Welch and Ananya Vinay | Photo by Sarah Ziff Read the full story at the link in our bio.

3 days ago

View on Instagram |

2/9

This fall, the Pomona College Model United Nations team (PCMUN) revamped its annual conference, SageMUN, pivoting from focusing on college students to working with high schoolers. Director General Gabriel Dalton PO ‘26 described the impact this shift had on the conference.

“Because we’re a smaller conference, we’ve kind of positioned ourselves to be a little more beginner-friendly,” Dalton said. “For a lot of kids, it’s actually the very first MUN conference.”

As their conference has pivoted to target younger, less experienced MUNers, veteran PCMUN member Diana Braghis PO ’26 and the leadership team have learned to provide more guidance, aware that most students are going through this process for the first time.

“We kept asking: do you have questions, how can we help you, do you need any explanations?” Braghis said. “We walked them through how to do Model UN.”
—
Words by Bianca Mirica | Photo courtesy of SageMUN
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

•

Follow

This fall, the Pomona College Model United Nations team (PCMUN) revamped its annual conference, SageMUN, pivoting from focusing on college students to working with high schoolers. Director General Gabriel Dalton PO ‘26 described the impact this shift had on the conference. “Because we’re a smaller conference, we’ve kind of positioned ourselves to be a little more beginner-friendly,” Dalton said. “For a lot of kids, it’s actually the very first MUN conference.” As their conference has pivoted to target younger, less experienced MUNers, veteran PCMUN member Diana Braghis PO ’26 and the leadership team have learned to provide more guidance, aware that most students are going through this process for the first time. “We kept asking: do you have questions, how can we help you, do you need any explanations?” Braghis said. “We walked them through how to do Model UN.” — Words by Bianca Mirica | Photo courtesy of SageMUN Read the full story at the link in our bio.

3 days ago

View on Instagram |

3/9

Meiya Rollins PO ’29 reflects on the exhibition, “Complications in Color,” at the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art. Sadness strikes as Rollins admires the work of Rachel Lachowicz, a Californian abstract artist who uses makeup to address femininity, as she reflects back on her art portfolio that followed a similar theme, to a specific art piece as a kid.
—
Words by Meiya Rollins | Graphic by Meiya Rollins
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

•

Follow

Meiya Rollins PO ’29 reflects on the exhibition, “Complications in Color,” at the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art. Sadness strikes as Rollins admires the work of Rachel Lachowicz, a Californian abstract artist who uses makeup to address femininity, as she reflects back on her art portfolio that followed a similar theme, to a specific art piece as a kid. — Words by Meiya Rollins | Graphic by Meiya Rollins Read the full story at the link in our bio.

3 days ago

View on Instagram |

4/9

For columnist Sinan Walji PO ’28, J Dilla’s Donuts became a way of understanding how one melody can hold different histories at the same time. Walji traces his first encounter with the album at fourteen and follows the story of sampling from Dilla’s era to today.
—
Words by Sinan Walji | Graphic by Nergis Alboshebah
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

•

Follow

For columnist Sinan Walji PO ’28, J Dilla’s Donuts became a way of understanding how one melody can hold different histories at the same time. Walji traces his first encounter with the album at fourteen and follows the story of sampling from Dilla’s era to today. — Words by Sinan Walji | Graphic by Nergis Alboshebah Read the full story at the link in our bio.

3 days ago

View on Instagram |

5/9

On Nov. 11, students gathered at the Coop Fountain for Acoustic Open Mic Night, an event co-hosted by 5C Pens & Poetry Club and the Pomona Student Union. Many students took to the stage to showcase their original music and poetry centered around their personal experiences and social issues.

While many students such as Pens & Poetry Vice President Pherell Washington PO ’29 were worried that their works wouldn’t be well received by the audience, they would later feel relieved upon seeing the crowd’s positive reception.

“I was kind of nervous because when you’re reading a poem, especially a poem with so much emotion, everyone may not agree with you,” Washington said. “[The crowd was] very nice. I kept getting people come up to me, like, ‘Hey, your poem was really great.’ And I was just like, ‘You know what? This is why we have this event: to have a space where people can share and open up.’”
—
Words by Joseph Woo Chan and Kira Heller | Photo courtesy of the 5C Pens & Poetry club
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

•

Follow

On Nov. 11, students gathered at the Coop Fountain for Acoustic Open Mic Night, an event co-hosted by 5C Pens & Poetry Club and the Pomona Student Union. Many students took to the stage to showcase their original music and poetry centered around their personal experiences and social issues. While many students such as Pens & Poetry Vice President Pherell Washington PO ’29 were worried that their works wouldn’t be well received by the audience, they would later feel relieved upon seeing the crowd’s positive reception. “I was kind of nervous because when you’re reading a poem, especially a poem with so much emotion, everyone may not agree with you,” Washington said. “[The crowd was] very nice. I kept getting people come up to me, like, ‘Hey, your poem was really great.’ And I was just like, ‘You know what? This is why we have this event: to have a space where people can share and open up.’” — Words by Joseph Woo Chan and Kira Heller | Photo courtesy of the 5C Pens & Poetry club Read the full story at the link in our bio.

3 days ago

View on Instagram |

6/9

Pitzer College’s screening of I Have a Name, Adam Bronfman’s documentary about photographer Jon Linton’s work with unhoused communities, sparked deep reflection during family weekend. Attendees considered not just the power of storytelling, but also who gets to tell those stories and how advocacy lands in a place of privilege.

“At the panel there were two white men,” Miriam Savage, a professor of Psychology and Expressive Therapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies said. “It’s not about racism so much, but about representation, and so we have to be careful about white saviorism. We have to be careful about who we are in the story.”

As students and families filed out of the George C.S. Benson Auditorium, questions lingered about activism, authorship, and the ethical boundaries of using art to galvanize action on inequality.
—
Words by Olive Eng | Photo Courtesy of Pitzer College
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

•

Follow

Pitzer College’s screening of I Have a Name, Adam Bronfman’s documentary about photographer Jon Linton’s work with unhoused communities, sparked deep reflection during family weekend. Attendees considered not just the power of storytelling, but also who gets to tell those stories and how advocacy lands in a place of privilege. “At the panel there were two white men,” Miriam Savage, a professor of Psychology and Expressive Therapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies said. “It’s not about racism so much, but about representation, and so we have to be careful about white saviorism. We have to be careful about who we are in the story.” As students and families filed out of the George C.S. Benson Auditorium, questions lingered about activism, authorship, and the ethical boundaries of using art to galvanize action on inequality. — Words by Olive Eng | Photo Courtesy of Pitzer College Read the full story at the link in our bio.

3 days ago

View on Instagram |

7/9

Moving to the United States for college, Rochelle Lu SC ’28 once believed she carried a “suitcase full of nuance.” In her latest column, she reflects on her political and cultural blind spots, uncovering what happens when perspective meets its limits.

Still, Lu describes ignorance as an opening toward care and listening across identities and borders.

“Being politically and culturally aware is about having the humility to sit in the quiet,” she writes, “and to expand the borders of what you know slowly, thoughtfully.”
—
Words by Rochelle Lu | Graphic by Shixiao Yu
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

•

Follow

Moving to the United States for college, Rochelle Lu SC ’28 once believed she carried a “suitcase full of nuance.” In her latest column, she reflects on her political and cultural blind spots, uncovering what happens when perspective meets its limits. Still, Lu describes ignorance as an opening toward care and listening across identities and borders. “Being politically and culturally aware is about having the humility to sit in the quiet,” she writes, “and to expand the borders of what you know slowly, thoughtfully.” — Words by Rochelle Lu | Graphic by Shixiao Yu Read the full story at the link in our bio.

3 days ago

View on Instagram |

8/9

TSL has recently had serious charges leveled against them. In a scathing letter to the editor, they were called jealous, biased and irrelevant, and on the surface, accusations seemed fair. In TSL’s coverage of the Claremont Independent (CI), critics noted that they appeared to hold a view that the CI’s conservative viewpoints were enabled by outside politics. Journalism is no stranger to ideological coverage, but did TSL go too far?

However, Parker DeVore PZ ‘27 notes that a condemnation of legible institutional perspectives, is only arguable if we understand news to be apolitical. Yet this view is incompatible with the humanity of journalism, and presented by a critic who is helplessly opinionated themselves.

“TSL’s mission is to ‘provide unbiased, factual reporting and a platform for students, faculty and staff to engage in,’” writes DeVore. “However, simultaneously TSL says it ‘serves as a forum for discussion that showcases the wide array of opinions.’ Impartiality and so called straight news is not TSL’s bread and butter, nor is it the CI’s. Instead, both outlets, and news outlets in general seek to emphasize pluralism in their own distinct ways.”
–
Words by Parker DeVore | Graphic by: Nergis Alboshebah
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

•

Follow

TSL has recently had serious charges leveled against them. In a scathing letter to the editor, they were called jealous, biased and irrelevant, and on the surface, accusations seemed fair. In TSL’s coverage of the Claremont Independent (CI), critics noted that they appeared to hold a view that the CI’s conservative viewpoints were enabled by outside politics. Journalism is no stranger to ideological coverage, but did TSL go too far? However, Parker DeVore PZ ‘27 notes that a condemnation of legible institutional perspectives, is only arguable if we understand news to be apolitical. Yet this view is incompatible with the humanity of journalism, and presented by a critic who is helplessly opinionated themselves. “TSL’s mission is to ‘provide unbiased, factual reporting and a platform for students, faculty and staff to engage in,’” writes DeVore. “However, simultaneously TSL says it ‘serves as a forum for discussion that showcases the wide array of opinions.’ Impartiality and so called straight news is not TSL’s bread and butter, nor is it the CI’s. Instead, both outlets, and news outlets in general seek to emphasize pluralism in their own distinct ways.” – Words by Parker DeVore | Graphic by: Nergis Alboshebah Read the full story at the link in our bio.

3 days ago

View on Instagram |

9/9

View on Instagram