Rochelle Lu shares her experience navigating insomnia and the stigma of mental health throughout her childhood in China and now here in Claremont. Lu faced relentless challenges as she sought relief, whether it was doubting critics or inaccessible wellness resources — chasing sleep felt like a never ending nightmare. Lu emphasizes the intersectionality of her struggles as an international student, explaining how the added stress of managing familial relations abroad paired with the sudden introduction to a new culture inherently impacts one’s wellness.
Columns
Jazz That Breathes: The Streetlight Sermon of Venna’s Sax
For Sinan Walji PO ’28, Venna is revolutionizing jazz. His debut album, “MALIK,” though not technically dazzling, reminds you that jazz can still be the soundtrack to your daily life.
The Feline Stare: Finding myself in Hiroshige’s Ricefields
Am I a cat? Meiya Rollins PO ’29 reflects on the “Art After Hours” event at the Benton Museum of Art. She marvels at how artist Utagawa Hiroshige places the viewer not in the festival, but at a distance, in a home made of crisp diagonals that lead the eyes to the festival and the sunset that surrounds Mount Fuji.
Books ‘n Love: When fake dating gets too real
“The Love Hypothesis” follows the complicated (perhaps cliché) love story of Olive Smith and Adam Carlsen, professor and grad student duo who strike up a deal to enact a fake relationship for both of their benefits. Kassia Zabetakis PZ ’28 reviews the novel’s highs and lows in the first of her romcom review series, offering critiques of the characters’ one-dimensional personas while still recognizing the light-hearted excitement that’s sparked by reading a cheesy romcom.
Reverb: Music is finally safe at MTV’s 2025 VMAs
On Sunday Sept. 7, the fan-voted MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) were hosted by LL Cool J. Columnist Tomy Helman reflects on the night’s performances and each category’s winners – unimpressed by Mariah Carey’s lackluster performance, he applauded Lady Gaga’s moving speech upon winning Artist of the Year.
Inscriptions: A place of my own (kind of)
What makes a place truly one’s own? Liam Riley PO ‘26 paints us a picture with the help of Michael Pollan’s collection of essays, “A Place of My Own.” Inspired by Pollan’s efforts to construct a writing shack in his backyard, Riley embarked on a journey to transform his buddy’s old van into a livable camper. Here, he recounts the “heres” and “theres” of his experience, underscoring that every attempt to make something independently your own will unwaveringly require the support of those in your corner.
The Writing Process: How not to compute your writing
Otto Fritton PZ ’27 used to write like he was solving a math equation. Mimicking others’ writing like a copy-and-paste equation, his stories continued to reflect a stubborn, rushed voice that ultimately left him humiliated. His new formula: Ignore the easy solution.
Lab Notes: Newts, rats and summer research at Claremont
You’ve seen the fliers dotting the boards in the halls of the Nucleus and Estella advertising mysterious summer opportunities, maybe you even fought through rounds of interviews yourself to no avail. Fear not, Malin Moeller SC ’27 answers the question on the minds of many: What is summer research even like?
The Writing Process: Park benches, 80s synthpop and Toni Morrison
Writing and divining a story is an exercise in extremes, superstitions and eccentricities. From Jack Kerouac’s amphetamine-fueled writing benders that birthed “On The Road” to the rigor and intentionality that bore Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” the rituals that create the craft bear the marks on the work itself. Otto Fritton, PZ ‘27 provides a view into his ritual and the authors he is inspired by as he wraps up his first manuscript.
Science as a Human Endeavor: A mole of calcium walks into a lab … and gets replaced by lithium
Big Pharma uses it. It costs $44,000 (a price that has now risen to over $82,000). Pomona students and chemistry professor Nicholas Ball are developing smarter ways to make the molecules behind common medicines.