On April 28, eight candidates squared off at Pomona College for the largest California gubernatorial debate yet — a spectacle students likened to a political sitcom. With antics like Chad Bianco accusing his opponents of “lying to these kids,” or Katie Porter hanging her head in mock exhaustion, the debate offered the audience a candid look into the orderly disorder of state politics.
Author: Joelle Rudolf
Motley and Scripps Store close on admitted students day amid staff strike
The Motley Coffeehouse and Scripps Store were closed on April 17, admitted students day, due to student staffing shortages. While the Motley’s barista bar was nonoperational, its lounge area hosted recurring teach-ins that outlined the workers’ demands and recounted the coffeehouse’s political history.
In light of the recent administrative decision to assign a supervisor — Interim Vice President for Student Affairs, Stacey Miller — to oversee each organization, 77.6% of Motley staff and 95% of Scripps Store staff voted to strike today, according to each of the business’s student co-heads.
Students picket and boycott Frary Dining Hall to protest termination of cook Rolando Araiza
Around 30 students picketed the entrances to Pomona College’s Frary dining hall at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 10 — chanting, holding cardboard signs and drumming on buckets. The demonstration, organized by the Claremont Student Workers Alliance (CSWA), encouraged 5C students to boycott the dining hall and advocate for the reinstatement of recently fired cook Rolando “Rolo” Araiza.
Picketers said the boycott directly pressured Pomona to rehire Rolo, asking students to spend meal-plan money at the other colleges. They added that making noise in the picket line drew attention to their cause, something other forms of demonstrations may not accomplish.
“I think you can do a lot of talking, but I think when you really start singing and yelling is when you can really get your message across in different ways,” Una Marie Lake SC ’29 said.
Scripps appoints administrative supervisor to Motley; staff say student-run structure is threatened
The Motley Coffeehouse, a historically student-run cafe and popular event space at Scripps College, will undergo administrative changes beginning summer 2026 — potentially jeopardizing its entirely student-run business model, Motley staff said.
Stacey Miller, The Motley’s current administrative advisor, announced at an all-staff meeting March 8 that she will be taking on new responsibilities as a supervisor to the coffeehouse, alongside the Scripps Store.
Multiple Motley employees said they felt “blindsided” by this change.
ASHMC president-elect accused of racism and transphobia, prompting potential recall
Joshua Tanksley HM ’27 and Morgan Pulling HM ’27 shared a petition with the Associated Students of Harvey Mudd College (ASHMC) advocating for the recall of ASHMC President-elect on the grounds of racism and transphobia on March 5, prompting Tanksley and H to present their perspectives to the Harvey Mudd student body in the Hoch-Shanahan Dining Commons Aviation Room on March 10.
Starr and admin reveal Pomona-CGU partnership details in exclusive interview
Negotiations are underway between Pomona College and Claremont Graduate University (CGU) to pursue a potential partnership. In exclusive interviews with TSL this week, Pomona President Gabrielle Starr and several other college administrators laid out the details.
Fire at Atwood Residence Hall forces students to evacuate
A fire was reported at approximately 7 p.m. tonight in the Atwood Residence Hall of Harvey Mudd College, according to a post from HMC at 8:22 p.m. In an update shared at 9:27 p.m., HMC communicated that the fire has been extinguished, identified the source as an electric skateboard battery and affirmed that all students are uninjured and accounted for.
Pomona announces resolution of OCR complaint, policy changes to come
On Dec. 10, Pomona College President Gabrielle Starr announced a resolution agreement to a Title VI complaint received by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) in April 2024, which alleged that Jewish students were experiencing antisemitism on campus.
OPINION: Don’t fill up your calendar, do nothing instead
Welcome to college, where students often map out their every waking moment on their Google Calendars for the sake of “maximum efficiency.” Have you ever wondered what benefit might come from taking the time to do nothing every once in a while?
CSWA affirms support for Starbucks union strike
On Nov. 13., Starbucks Workers United (SWU) initiated a strike against Starbucks. The Claremont Student Worker Alliance (CSWA) supports this fight and has made recent efforts to pressure Starbucks-affiliated stores on campus to terminate their contracts with the supplier.