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.
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Former TCCS employee sentenced to 13 months for embezzling $1 million from 7Cs
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.
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.
5Cs to switch to 100% renewable electricity
Presidents across the 5Cs announced Friday, April 17 that the colleges will transition to 100% renewable electricity by enrolling in the Clean Power Alliance (CPA), following a yearlong 5C Environmental Justice (5CEJ) campaign to phase out fossil fuels.
The “Claremont Off Fossil Fuels”campaign proposed the Colleges stop purchasing electricity from Southern California Edison (SCE), an investor-owned utility that primarily relies on fossil fuels, and instead enroll in the CPA, a not-for-profit energy provider that offers 100% renewable electricity options. The Claremont Colleges’ Business and Financial Affairs Committee and the consortium-wide presidents committee have now approved the proposal.
Milo Slevin PO ’28, campaign co-founder, said the transition marks a concrete shift in how the Colleges demonstrate their commitment to sustainability by taking action that immediately reduces carbon footprint.
CWPD and QCL see declines in sign-ups; student employees say AI is to blame
Sign-ups at Claremont McKenna College’s Center for Writing and Public Discourse (CWPD) and Quantitative and Computing Lab (QCL) have declined significantly this academic year. Some student employees attribute the trend to students’ growing use of AI tools for academic support and say a continued lack of sign-ups may result in staff cuts.
This spring, the CWPD has only seen around 345 appointments, according to its sign-up portal — an approximate 50 percent decline in use compared to last spring, when the center received 700 student appointments, according to an email from Associate Director Chloe Ray sent to writing consultants last May.
Several current and former student QCL employees confirmed the center experienced a similar decline in sign-ups.
Pomona students report buying and trading room draw times due to housing crisis
During room draw this past week for fall 2026 housing, students at Pomona College have reported trading and bidding for housing selection times — including thousand-dollar bids and internship offers. This follows the college’s decision to demolish the Oldenborg Center in May and subsequently reduce on-campus housing.
Taking down Oldenborg, a 120-bed language residence hall, is part of the college’s $125 million Center for Global Engagement (CGE) project to replace the dorm, dining facility and language center. CGE is set to open in fall 2028 and, once completed, will house 200 students.
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.
5Cs admit class of 2030; CMC to reinstate testing in Fall 2028
As the 5Cs continue to evaluate test-optional policies, students said differences in access to standardized testing shaped their approach to the admissions process, particularly for international applicants. While some colleges have made their policies permanent, others plan to reinstate testing requirements in future cycles.
Claremont Police Commission holds first meeting since homicide of Diego Rios; community demands reform
Last Thursday the Claremont Police Commission held their first meeting since the homicide of Diego Rios. Claremont community members — including many 5C students — spoke out during public comment seeking accountability and reform from the city.
The Commission did not respond to demands or suggestions from speakers throughout the meeting.