Ila Bell, Author at The Student Life

Big Bridges at Pomona College standing tall in the sunlight

By Ila Bell 250 Views 7Cs, court, electrical shop, Embezzlement, employee, Laura Muna-Landa, Lawyer, Steven Anthony Cowles, Stig Lanesskog, TCCS, tccs employee, The Claremont Colleges Services

On Wednesday, April 22, Steven Anthony Cowles, a former employee of The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS), was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison after admitting to embezzling over $1 million from the Claremont Colleges this January.

Over a period of 10 years, Cowles embezzled $1,000,571 through 1,343 unauthorized wire transactions. According to court documents, Cowles used a “P-Card,” an employee purchasing card provided by TCCS intended for buying parts and supplies for the colleges, to conceal the wire fraud. He created fictitious invoices and documents while also linking the P-Card to his personal PayPal account, court documents said.

Tessa Hicks Peterson poses and smiles for the camera during a photo shoot.

News

April 17, 2026 2:35 amApril 17, 2026 3:22 am

Inside-Out program plans restructuring following Norco prison closure

By Macy Puckett and Ila Bell 612 Views California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Rehabilitation Center, cdcr, Claremont McKenna College, CMC, CRC, Crossroads, Derik Smith, Inside Out, InsideOUT Writers, jec, justice education center, kenneth butler, Los Angeles, los angeles area, Male Community Reentry Program, mcrp, napier fellow, norco prison, pathway to BA, Paula Gutierrez, Pitzer College, Starting Over Inc, tessa hicks peterson, The Reintegration Academy, UCLA

Following a year of uncertainty regarding the program’s future, the 5Cs’ Justice Education Center (JEC) appointed a new interim director, Tessa Hicks Peterson, last month. Peterson has since initiated plans to pilot multiple new partnership models next fall for Inside-Out, as the program navigates reconstruction following its partner institution’s, the California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) — also known as Norco prison — closure in the fall.
Inside students currently participating in Pitzer’s Pathway-to-BA program are set to graduate on May 19 after fulfilling the 32-credit course requirement. They will then be relocated to other prisons in California, but they haven’t been told which facilities they’ll be transferred to, according to Peterson.

News

April 3, 2026 2:44 am

CMCMUN wins seventh global championship, credits team culture for success

By Charlotte Hahm and Ila Bell 812 Views Charlotte Hahm, CMCMUN, Ila Bell, Lily Ye, Model United Nations, Samuel Johnson-Saeger, WorldMUN, Zubin Khera

Claremont McKenna College’s Model United Nations (CMCMUN) team is now a seven-time Harvard World Model United Nations (WorldMUN) champion after winning Best Small Group Delegation at this year’s conference in Peru over Spring Break.

WorldMUN, widely considered the “Olympics of collegiate Model UN,” hosts more than 2,000 students from over 110 countries in a different country each year. Last month, student delegates traveled to Lima, Peru, to participate in 15 hours of committee meetings over the five-day conference from Thursday, March 15, to Sunday, March 19.

Seven delegates from the team received awards — four of whom received “Best Delegate” in their respective committees. Samuel Johnson-Saeger CM ’26, one of the trip’s organizers, attributed the team’s continuous success to its unconventional structure as an entirely student-led organization. He said this attracts enthusiastic, qualified and dedicated students.

Front Page News

March 6, 2026 1:55 amMarch 6, 2026 2:58 am

Scripps anticipates housing shortage next spring due to record fall abroad applicants

By Ila Bell and Carys Hardy 1014 Views Carys Hardy, Claremont McKenna College, Eliza Cole, Ila Bell, Josh Scacco, Maia Gutmann, Pomona College, SAGE, Scripps housing, scripps study abroad, Simone Pradha

Scripps College is anticipating housing shortages next year after receiving record numbers of study abroad applications for the fall semester, leaving many Scripps students concerned about spring semester dorm availability.Scripps’ office of Study Abroad and Global Education (SAGE) sent a notice on Feb. 24 to students planning to go abroad in the fall, encouraging them to consider going abroad in the spring due to potential issues.Though SAGE said they will not require students to change semesters, they strongly encourage students to reconsider.

Students stand in protest and hold signs in front of Frary dining hall.

Front Page News

February 27, 2026 1:34 am

5C community continues efforts to reinstate Rolando Araiza after denied grievance

By Ila Bell 774 Views Claremont Student-Worker Alliance, CSWA, Elias Pluecker, Hamilton Velasquez, Ila Bell, Labor union, Pomona College, Rolando Araiza, Sage Santomenna, Workers union

After Pomona College denied a claim for wrongful termination of dining hall worker and union leader Rolando “Rolo” Arazia, around 30 people gathered outside of Pomona College’s Frary Dining Hall on Monday, Feb. 23, to rally for his reinstatement.

Front Page News

February 13, 2026 2:16 amFebruary 17, 2026 7:33 pm

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

By Charlotte Hahm and Ila Bell 779 Views ASPC, Associated Students of Pomona College, Charlotte Hahm, Claremont Student-Worker Alliance, CSWA, Elias Pleucker, Frary Dining Hall, grace zheng, Ila Bell, ireland griffin, Pomona Administration, Pomona College, resolution, Rolando Araiza, Senate, Soren Murphy-Pearson, Sponsor, Workers union

ASPC unanimously voted to pass a CSWA-backed resolution that demands the rehiring of Frary dining hall cook and union leader Rolando Araiza on Thursday. The decision solidifies ASPC’s support in presenting the resolution to the Pomona College administration.
Since Araiza’s termination Jan. 29, CSWA has collaborated with students and dining hall staff to collect over 900 signatures from the 5C community in support of Araiza’s reinstatement.
“The support from the students was really powerful and heartwarming and meant a lot to the workers,” CSWA member and author of the resolution Elias Pleucker PO ’28 said.

Moving forward, ASPC President Grace Zheng PO ’26 said it will be up to the two sponsors, Murphy-Pearson and Vice President of Student Affairs Ireland Griffin PO ’26, to spearhead the next steps in fulfilling the resolution’s demands.

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

Front Page News

February 6, 2026 1:23 amFebruary 6, 2026 10:44 am

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

By Ila Bell 1416 Views CSWA, Elias Pluecker, Frary, Ila Bell, Pomona College, Rolando Araiza, Union, UNITE HERE Local 11

Pomona College is under fire for terminating Frary Dining Hall cook and union leader Rolando Araiza last Thursday after 21 years of employment, months before a new union contract is due in June. Students and workers are campaigning for Arazia to be reinstated under claims that Pomona’s decision was influenced by his involvement with workers unions.

Protesters stand together and raise signs that say justice for diego.

News

February 5, 2026 10:55 pmApril 9, 2026 3:11 am

5C community rallies following death of Diego Rios in police custody

By Ila Bell 766 Views Chloe Gonzalez, City of Claremont, Claremont City Council, claremont city hall, Claremont Police, Diego Rios, Ila Bell, Lisle Coombs, Maggie Zhang, Miriam Akhmetshin, Rally, Victor Rios

5C students and community members gathered in front of Claremont City Hall last Saturday to rally for further investigation into the death of Diego Rios, who died in Claremont police custody last November.
On Jan. 20, the city released audio and footage from when police pulled over 30-year-old Rios, who was experiencing a mental health crisis. The video showed Claremont Police Department Corporal Benjamin Alba tase Rios, leaving him unresponsive.
Rios’ family is now seeking answers from Claremont City Council about a missing two minutes and 25 seconds from the body camera footage and an explanation as to why mental health professionals were not called to the scene.

News

January 8, 2026 8:46 pmJanuary 9, 2026 10:40 am

Former TCCS employee pleads guilty to embezzling over $1 million

By Ila Bell 1853 Views Embezzlement, Steven Anthony Cowles, TCCS, The Claremont Colleges Services

Steven Anthony Cowles, formerly employed by The Claremont Colleges Services, pleaded guilty to embezzlement of over $1 million.

Front Page News

November 13, 2025 10:29 pm

Students campaign for Scripps to provide free menstrual products

By Ila Bell 1041 Views Advocates, Ila Bell, Menstrual products, Nergis Alboshebah, Pads, SAS, Scripps Advocates, Scripps Associated Students, Scripps College, Tampons

Students are campaigning for the Scripps College administration to provide and fund broader access to free menstrual products in bathrooms across campus.