The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) gave Claremont McKenna College (CMC) the second-place spot on its 2027 College Free Speech Rankings, a report that rates the free speech climates at college and university campuses nationwide. CMC received a passing “B-” grade from FIRE, while all of the other undergraduate Claremont Colleges received failing “F” grades.
Of the 261 colleges surveyed, Pitzer College ranked 160th, Scripps College ranked 167th, Harvey Mudd College ranked 184th and Pomona College ranked 226th. While the other Claremont Colleges saw increases in their rankings compared to last year, CMC dropped by one rank, losing its first-place spot to the University of Chicago.
News
Milk & Honey delegates to Pomona admin with Local 11 and dining workers, demands fair labor practices and reopening plan
Milk & Honey student workers and Pomona College dining workers gathered as a delegation on Monday, Sept. 21, to demand fair labor practices for both Milk & Honey and full-time union workers from Pomona administrators.
Diego Rios’ parents file civil rights suit against Claremont, CPD officers involved in homicide
The parents of Diego Rios filed a federal civil rights lawsuit on Sept. 16 against police corporal Benjamin Alba, officer Joshua Orona, the City of Claremont and 10 unnamed city employees. Alba and Orona killed Rios on Nov. 28, 2025, in a use-of-force incident during a traffic stop, as Rios was experiencing a mental health crisis.
Pomona closes Milk & Honey, walks back decision five days later
On Sept. 10, Pomona College Dining Services informed Milk & Honey’s student managers that it would close the student-run bubble tea program operating out of Café 47, citing declining sales at the college’s coffee shop and Pomona dining halls as the reason for the cut. In an email statement to
After Coop Store backlash, 5C businesses to navigate AI’s growing role
On July 16, the Coop Store at Pomona College sparked controversy with two promotional Instagram posts created using generative artificial intelligence (AI). Although the posts disappeared within roughly a day, their brief appearance ignited discussion about AI use on college campuses beyond the classroom.
Since July, TSL has contacted student and faculty managers and employees responsible for dining and retail operations across the consortium to gauge whether and how AI already fits into campus businesses. Responses were mixed. Some took a definitive stance against AI; other managers said that while they haven’t formally embraced it, they wouldn’t rule out future use.
Claremont Police Department called on senior graduation party, raising questions around college police protocol
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.
Meet TSL’s fall 2026 editorial board
Claire Welch SC ’27, Madeleine Farr PZ ’27 and Nadia Hsu PO ’27 are taking the reins as TSL’s editorial board this semester.
The three have big plans to revitalize key parts of the newspaper: they launched new journalism ethics workshops, prioritized training for TSL staff by pushing the regular publication cycle back by one week and brought back a pre-COVID-19 tradition of publishing an “Issue 0.”
News and sports round-up: What’s happening at the 7Cs?
Editorial note: The shorts in the news and sports sections are intended to complement articles to come in TSL’s first official issue, to be released on Sept. 25. TSL is currently conducting research and soliciting interviews to develop these stories further, and welcomes any insights that the community can provide
Gas leak reported at CMC Sports Bowl, CGU under lockdown soon after
The Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to a gas leak at the Claremont McKenna College (CMC) Sports Bowl in the afternoon on Aug. 27, prompting a temporary road closure on Claremont Boulevard between Foothill Boulevard and 6th Street. Less than 20 minutes later, The Claremont Colleges Services (TCCS) reported
The other side of Pomona College’s gubernatorial debate: Sitting with the students
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.