Author: Ty Rocker

An illustration of instagram as a schedule II drug bottle.

Opinions

October 8, 2020 8:01 pmOctober 26, 2020 1:22 pm

OPINION: Instagram is a Schedule II drug

By Ty Rocker 3552 Views Addiction, Drugs, Instagram, Schedule II Drugs, Social Media

Ty Rocker PZ ‘23 highlights how our seemingly innocuous use of social media actually resembles drug addiction.

A drawing of a screaming person as they watch the world explode.

Opinions

September 27, 2020 7:45 pm

OPINION: Environmentalism is egotism

By Ty Rocker 4162 Views Climate Change, Climate Crisis, Ecology, Environment, Environmentalism, Global Warming, Nature

Amid the climate crisis, Ty Rocker PZ ’23 argues against an anthropocentric view of Earth, describing how nature might regenerate on its own.

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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)

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On Friday, March 6, 5C students gathered on Walker Beach for the Mutual Aid Bash, where vendors, student organizations and community members came together to raise funds and awareness for local mutual aid efforts. Co-hosted by several 5C groups, the event highlighted the power of collaboration in redirecting campus resources toward community-based organizations.

Students moved between tables offering food, art and resources, engaging with initiatives supporting deportees, legal aid and grassroots organizing across the Inland Empire.

“You think you are in a bubble, suburban fantasy, but in reality, there are ICE kidnappings everywhere,” event co-organizer Zeean Firmeza PO ’26 said. “As affinity groups, we get a lot of funding … How can we ensure students can access and donate money for aid?”

Words by Irikaa Mehrotra | Photo by Maggie Zhang
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

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On Friday, March 6, 5C students gathered on Walker Beach for the Mutual Aid Bash, where vendors, student organizations and community members came together to raise funds and awareness for local mutual aid efforts. Co-hosted by several 5C groups, the event highlighted the power of collaboration in redirecting campus resources toward community-based organizations. Students moved between tables offering food, art and resources, engaging with initiatives supporting deportees, legal aid and grassroots organizing across the Inland Empire. “You think you are in a bubble, suburban fantasy, but in reality, there are ICE kidnappings everywhere,” event co-organizer Zeean Firmeza PO ’26 said. “As affinity groups, we get a lot of funding … How can we ensure students can access and donate money for aid?” Words by Irikaa Mehrotra | Photo by Maggie Zhang Read the full story at the link in our bio.

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From March 5 to 8, the Pomona College Theatre Department brought “Yoga Play” to the Seaver Theatre Complex, where audiences gathered for a sharp, satirical take on wellness culture and corporate ambition. The production followed three executives at athleisure company Jojomon as they navigated a PR crisis while grappling with their own anxieties, identities and ambitions.

Amid fast-paced humor and moments of emotional clarity, the show invited audiences to reflect on authenticity in a world built on performance.

“I think when you’re working on theater with a group of people, it’s really about sacrifice… for this thing you’re creating that’s so sacred and beautiful,” Chris Chow PO ’26 said.

Words by Phoebe Fogel | Photo by Jose Saquic-Castro
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

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From March 5 to 8, the Pomona College Theatre Department brought “Yoga Play” to the Seaver Theatre Complex, where audiences gathered for a sharp, satirical take on wellness culture and corporate ambition. The production followed three executives at athleisure company Jojomon as they navigated a PR crisis while grappling with their own anxieties, identities and ambitions. Amid fast-paced humor and moments of emotional clarity, the show invited audiences to reflect on authenticity in a world built on performance. “I think when you’re working on theater with a group of people, it’s really about sacrifice… for this thing you’re creating that’s so sacred and beautiful,” Chris Chow PO ’26 said. Words by Phoebe Fogel | Photo by Jose Saquic-Castro Read the full story at the link in our bio.

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Pomona College announced last month that California Supreme Court Associate Justice Goodwin Liu, humanitarian Jane Olson and political scientist Daniel Ziblatt PO ’95 will speak at the College’s commencement ceremony on May 17 on Marston Quad.

During the ceremony, the speakers will receive honorary doctorates recognizing their contributions to law, human rights and democratic governance.

“I think the message to the graduating class is pretty simple: if you care about democracy, human rights or political change, you eventually have to decide where you want to plug into that work,” Lexi Duffy PO ’26 said. “Pomona is sending students off with examples of people who actually did.”

Words by Bianca Mirica | Photo courtesy of Pomona College
Read more at the link in our bio.

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Pomona College announced last month that California Supreme Court Associate Justice Goodwin Liu, humanitarian Jane Olson and political scientist Daniel Ziblatt PO ’95 will speak at the College’s commencement ceremony on May 17 on Marston Quad. During the ceremony, the speakers will receive honorary doctorates recognizing their contributions to law, human rights and democratic governance. “I think the message to the graduating class is pretty simple: if you care about democracy, human rights or political change, you eventually have to decide where you want to plug into that work,” Lexi Duffy PO ’26 said. “Pomona is sending students off with examples of people who actually did.” Words by Bianca Mirica | Photo courtesy of Pomona College Read more at the link in our bio.

2 days ago

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3/9

Claremont McKenna College’s Civility, Access, Resource and Expression (CARE) Center celebrated its 10-year anniversary on March 4. Students and faculty spoke to CARE’s impact on campus amid threats to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the Trump administration.

To Vince Greer, CMC assistant vice president for dialogue and diversity, the current political climate makes the CARE center and its mission “more important [now] than ever.”

“There’s just a willingness to retreat and not have those challenging discussions,” he said. “The CARE Center is critical to equip our students, to normalize having these discussions, to practice increased level[s] of understanding and awareness building.”

Words by Reanna Mohler | Photo courtesy of Claremont McKenna College
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

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Claremont McKenna College’s Civility, Access, Resource and Expression (CARE) Center celebrated its 10-year anniversary on March 4. Students and faculty spoke to CARE’s impact on campus amid threats to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives from the Trump administration. To Vince Greer, CMC assistant vice president for dialogue and diversity, the current political climate makes the CARE center and its mission “more important [now] than ever.” “There’s just a willingness to retreat and not have those challenging discussions,” he said. “The CARE Center is critical to equip our students, to normalize having these discussions, to practice increased level[s] of understanding and awareness building.” Words by Reanna Mohler | Photo courtesy of Claremont McKenna College Read the full story at the link in our bio.

3 days ago

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4/9

Arianna Kaplan SC ’27 writes about the mixed legacy of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. She talks about how the podcast promoted the pursuit of female pleasure while also reinforcing certain patriarchal ideas.

“If you’re looking for a fun podcast to get you in the mood or to pick up some sex tips, “Call Her Daddy” is a good bet. But don’t let the opinions of two women who exist in a man-centered vacuum tell you how to make yourself more or less of a feminist,” Arianna writes.

Words by Arianna Kaplan | Visual by Meiya Rollins
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

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Arianna Kaplan SC ’27 writes about the mixed legacy of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast. She talks about how the podcast promoted the pursuit of female pleasure while also reinforcing certain patriarchal ideas. “If you’re looking for a fun podcast to get you in the mood or to pick up some sex tips, “Call Her Daddy” is a good bet. But don’t let the opinions of two women who exist in a man-centered vacuum tell you how to make yourself more or less of a feminist,” Arianna writes. Words by Arianna Kaplan | Visual by Meiya Rollins Read the full story at the link in our bio.

3 days ago

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5/9

Few economics electives are as popular as Economics of Sports at Pomona College. This spring, Professor Marisa Cameron, an avid football fan herself, is teaching two sections of the upper-division elective. From using data analytics to calculate player value to learning the history of free agency, students like Tara Kamshad PO ’28 use sports as an accessible gateway to the world of economics.

“Sometimes, I don’t even realize that we’re talking about really cool economic concepts, because it’s just woven into something as awesome as sports,” Kamshad said.

“Understanding the actual economics behind sports has been a great balance of being fun and everyone being engaged.”
For Cameron, unpredictability is what makes sports an interesting subject of economics. Unlike many other traditional industries where outcomes are fixed, sports rely on uncertainty as a feature of the product itself. The value of sports lies not in just the event itself, but in the tension and possibility that anything could happen.

“At the end of the day, [sports are] a form of entertainment,” Cameron said. “What makes it different is that the outcome is always unknown. You want to go into any game and have no idea who could win. That’s the unique part about most sports. That’s the beauty of competitive balance and what makes the product itself unique.”

Words by Jake Creelan | Graphic by Shixiao Yu
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

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Few economics electives are as popular as Economics of Sports at Pomona College. This spring, Professor Marisa Cameron, an avid football fan herself, is teaching two sections of the upper-division elective. From using data analytics to calculate player value to learning the history of free agency, students like Tara Kamshad PO ’28 use sports as an accessible gateway to the world of economics. “Sometimes, I don’t even realize that we’re talking about really cool economic concepts, because it’s just woven into something as awesome as sports,” Kamshad said. “Understanding the actual economics behind sports has been a great balance of being fun and everyone being engaged.” For Cameron, unpredictability is what makes sports an interesting subject of economics. Unlike many other traditional industries where outcomes are fixed, sports rely on uncertainty as a feature of the product itself. The value of sports lies not in just the event itself, but in the tension and possibility that anything could happen. “At the end of the day, [sports are] a form of entertainment,” Cameron said. “What makes it different is that the outcome is always unknown. You want to go into any game and have no idea who could win. That’s the unique part about most sports. That’s the beauty of competitive balance and what makes the product itself unique.” Words by Jake Creelan | Graphic by Shixiao Yu Read the full story at the link in our bio.

3 days ago

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6/9

Last week, Scripps College celebrated the second annual National Women’s Colleges and Universities Day at its weekly Wednesday tea. In the wake of new Trump-era gender definitions and budget cuts targeting women’s research initiatives, many students and faculty stressed the timely importance of celebrating historically women’s colleges.
Laspa Intern Geeta Karlcut SC ‘26, said it is important to acknowledge the struggles of women and gender-diverse people in education amid these recent changes.

“In this political climate where a lot of things like race and gender are being very politicized, it’s so important to honor and acknowledge all the struggles that women and other gender diverse people have been going through,” Karlcut said. “[We need] to do our best to draw attention to it and highlight and celebrate the people that have made such big impacts in our communities.”

Words and photo by Carys Hardy | Read the full story at the link in our bio.

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Last week, Scripps College celebrated the second annual National Women’s Colleges and Universities Day at its weekly Wednesday tea. In the wake of new Trump-era gender definitions and budget cuts targeting women’s research initiatives, many students and faculty stressed the timely importance of celebrating historically women’s colleges. Laspa Intern Geeta Karlcut SC ‘26, said it is important to acknowledge the struggles of women and gender-diverse people in education amid these recent changes. “In this political climate where a lot of things like race and gender are being very politicized, it’s so important to honor and acknowledge all the struggles that women and other gender diverse people have been going through,” Karlcut said. “[We need] to do our best to draw attention to it and highlight and celebrate the people that have made such big impacts in our communities.” Words and photo by Carys Hardy | Read the full story at the link in our bio.

4 days ago

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7/9

Pomona has a racism problem which is only compounded by inadequate administrative response.

“For a school that has been around for over a century, Pomona’s reactionary protocol to overt racism on campus is laughable. What does accountability mean when the administrative response to racial slurs is simply an invitation for dialogue?” Kaitlyn Ulalisa PO ’27 and Mujeebat Gbolahan PO ‘27 wrote. “Why are Black students responsible for healing themselves of the audacious nature of another’s words?”

Words by: Kaitlyn Ulalisa and Mujeebat Gbolahan | Graphic by: PJ James
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

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Pomona has a racism problem which is only compounded by inadequate administrative response. “For a school that has been around for over a century, Pomona’s reactionary protocol to overt racism on campus is laughable. What does accountability mean when the administrative response to racial slurs is simply an invitation for dialogue?” Kaitlyn Ulalisa PO ’27 and Mujeebat Gbolahan PO ‘27 wrote. “Why are Black students responsible for healing themselves of the audacious nature of another’s words?” Words by: Kaitlyn Ulalisa and Mujeebat Gbolahan | Graphic by: PJ James Read the full story at the link in our bio.

4 days ago

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8/9

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 Tessa Han HM ’27 on the grounds of racism and transphobia on March 5, prompting Tanksley and Han to present their perspectives to the Harvey Mudd student body in the Hoch-Shanahan Dining Commons Aviation Room on March 10.

“Every attempt to apologize was qualified with some excuse. Not once did she convey that she regretted making that statement. Not once did she acknowledge that her statement was racist,” said Tanksley in his petition statement. “She was barely able to call it insensitive, and even that she was reluctant to admit.”

During the speeches, ASHMC sent an email to the Mudd student body, notifying them that they would have until March 17 to vote on whether to recall the election results. If the vote is affirmative, ASHMC will hold new elections.

Words and photo by Joelle Rudolf
Read the full story at the link in our bio.

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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 Tessa Han HM ’27 on the grounds of racism and transphobia on March 5, prompting Tanksley and Han to present their perspectives to the Harvey Mudd student body in the Hoch-Shanahan Dining Commons Aviation Room on March 10. “Every attempt to apologize was qualified with some excuse. Not once did she convey that she regretted making that statement. Not once did she acknowledge that her statement was racist,” said Tanksley in his petition statement. “She was barely able to call it insensitive, and even that she was reluctant to admit.” During the speeches, ASHMC sent an email to the Mudd student body, notifying them that they would have until March 17 to vote on whether to recall the election results. If the vote is affirmative, ASHMC will hold new elections. Words and photo by Joelle Rudolf Read the full story at the link in our bio.

1 week ago

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