Special Projects - The Student Life

Sun shining on Alexander Hall at Pomona College

By Soren Murphy Pearson 287 Views ASPC, Associated Students of Pomona College, Pomona College, Pomona College community raises concern over proposed academic building security policy, Privacy, Security, Soren Murphy-Pearson, Surveillance

Pomona College Vice President Chief Operating Officer and Treasurer Jeff Roth sent an email on Sept. 1 to the student body titled “Building Access Policy: Campus Review and Feedback,” requesting student feedback on a proposed security policy. The new policy would require a 5C ID to enter Pomona academic buildings at all hours, a change from the current open access policy from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays.

Soren Murphy-Pearson PO ’29 — an Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) Senator and South Campus Representative — spoke with multiple community members and researched similar developments at peer institutions to explore the proposed policy and how it might impact student privacy, including possible extensions to data tracking.

Special Projects

November 12, 2026 11:33 pmNovember 13, 2026 1:46 am

The other blue wave: diving into the 5Cs’ blue-haired population

By Ila Assegaf 264 Views blue hair, ila assegaf

Intrigued by the rising number of blue-haired students on campus, Ila Assegaf PO ’28 set out to hear their stories.

Front Page Special Projects

October 29, 2026 6:37 pmOctober 29, 2026 6:40 pm

TSL’s 2026 Midterm Election Polling

By Jessica Levin and Evelyn Hao 1208 Views Data, data vis, Democrat, Evelyn hao, Jessica Levin, midterm, partisan, Poll, polling, Republican, stats, Voting

TSL’s data desk polled 237 students across all 5Cs ahead of midterm elections this fall. Students polled overwhelmingly identified themselves as on the political left, and 89.1% of survey participants said they would vote for Democratic candidates in the midterm elections, 4.1% selected Independent, 2.7% selected Republican and 4.1% selected ‘other.’

Special Projects

October 1, 2026 7:00 pmOctober 1, 2026 7:10 pm

Professor Jordan Daniels on college as an enchanted forest of transformation

By Aamanya Sejpal and Ila Assegaf 442 Views

Aamanya Sejpal chats with Professor Jordan Daniels at her favorite spot on campus, the James Turrell Skyspace at Pomona College.

At night, people stand at a crosswalk near Harvey Mudd

News Pomona College Special Projects

September 10, 2026 11:38 pmSeptember 25, 2026 2:51 pm

Claremont Police Department called on senior graduation party, raising questions around college police protocol

By Madeleine Farr and Nadia Hsu 1758 Views Camp Sec, campsec, Campus Safety, Campus Security, Claremont Police, CPD, HRL, investigative, kimani francois, noise complaint, Party, Police, Residence Life, resident advisor

The Pomona College class of 2026’s final celebration the night of their graduation ended in confrontations with Campus Safety and, eventually, the Claremont Police Department (CPD). Officers followed the group from Pomona to Harvey Mudd College and ultimately called the CPD on students. What multiple students and HRL student employees described as an excessive and abnormal response prompted TSL to investigate protocols surrounding HRL and Campus Safety’s relationship to the CPD.

Special Projects

September 10, 2026 11:34 pm

A letter to the Claremont community from TSL’s new Director of DEI & Outreach

By Rochelle Lu 943 Views Hoch-Shanahan Dining Commons, rochelle lu, Rooted and Restless, The Student Life, TSL DEI & Outreach Director

Hi Claremont! We’re The Student Life, the weekly student newspaper of the Claremont Colleges since 1889. You’ve probably seen our name around campus, whether on a physical paper, a newspaper stand, an Instagram post or in a group chat. But even if you haven’t seen or read us before —

Arts & Culture Special Projects

May 16, 2026 2:19 pmMay 16, 2026 3:50 pm

Last month, the Claremont Colleges opted into 100 percent renewable electricity. Here’s how student pressure made it happen.

By Lucy Reed and Milo Slevin 3574 Views Claremont Colleges, Claremont Off Fossil Fuels, Fossil Fuels, Lucy Reed, Milo Slevin, Pomona College

As the co-leaders of the campaign, we want to clarify what this win means, why it matters, and how we got here. Our win is a testament to the power of grassroots student organizing. But despite our excitement that the Claremont Colleges have moved away from fossil fuel-driven electricity, we must recognize that this decision should have been a no-brainer for the Colleges.

CLS Lounge. Mural on wall with people reading and wriitng. Books, table, desktops, couches. Clocks and posters on the wall.

Special Projects

April 24, 2026 5:05 amApril 25, 2026 2:52 pm

More than a major: Finding identity and community in the 5Cs’ Chicanx Latinx Department

By Alison Barrera 2123 Views 5C Intercollegiate Chicanx Latinx Studies Department, Alison Barrera, Arely Zimmerman, Drea Alonzo, El Poder De Mi Sueño, Gilda Ochoa, Isabella Henriquez, lizette gonzalez, Martha Gonzalez, Philip Rodas

As her first year at Pomona comes to a close, Special Projects writer Alison Barrera PO ’29 paints a picture of the 5Cs’ Chicanx Latinx Department, speaking with students from across The Claremont Colleges who have found community in this space. “There’s an innate sense of community, passion and appreciation that exists among the Latines in the CLS department that I haven’t found anywhere else,” Barrera writes. “So, please, if you’re a first-year student, or just someone who has never taken a CLS course (or an ethnic studies course for that matter), give one a try. You might find yourself writing a 40-page thesis — or a TSL article — about it.”