When Trump first got elected we all remember liberals claiming that this was the last straw, that it was over, that they were done with it all and finally going to Canada. You may remember shaking your head, admonishing them for leaving the nation behind or for posturing like they would ever actually leave. But in this second era, people are actually leaving and Alex Benach PO ’28 argues that they may be right to be concerned.
Opinions
OPINION: Tolerate thy neighbor
It’s so easy to have a campus enemy. Be it the guy who talks too much in my sociology class, the girl I always see wearing the same dress as me or that one person who said that one terrible thing to my old roommate second semester freshman year, we all have these little enemies, clouding our minds with hate and clogging our hearts with rage by their simple existence. But what if we let bygones be bygones? Parker DeVore PZ ’27 argues that we must learn how to bury the hatchet now, or suffer out of the comfortable confines of the Claremont Colleges.
OPINION: Confronting furry hate
Furries find themselves maligned and stigmatized in communities where people act like relentless activists for self-expression. Xavier Callan PO ‘28 calls out the hypocrisy of this collective consciousness and the superficiality with which we approach such activism. Is it possible that furries are one of the few groups left that actually value authentic self-expression, a kind of expression that doesn’t require cultural validation? Callan argues that, perhaps, furries get a bad rap, that they might have something to teach us, and that they should be treated with more acceptance.
Shame on the governor: Gavin Newsom is his own worst enemy
Gavin Newsom continues to put his foot in his mouth of his own volition, in more and more surprising ways. Akshay Seethram, HM ’27 argues that Gavin Newsom has nothing to gain from this favorite hobby of his, and only hurts his imagine shows how power hungry and morally bankrupt he is by buddying up with alt-right commentator and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk i the inaugural episode of his podcast, and then sitting by and mildly assenting with Kirk’s raving opinions and attacks on transgender athletes.
OPINION: Accessibility at the 5Cs requires more than just good intentions
Although the 5Cs promote values of equity and diversity, students with physical disabilities face broken elevators, apathetic and unreliable emergency support and inaccessible dorms. Jackie Kostyuchenko PZ ’28, who uses a mobility device, has experienced these failures firsthand. Alongside Zena Almeida-Warwin PO ’28, the two document how institutional negligence affects the daily lives of students with disabilities. They call for concrete reforms: improved infrastructure, better emergency protocols and a 5C-wide reporting system.
OPINION: Your spring break destination isn’t really yours
Spring break trips to Hawaii may seem picture-perfect, but there lies a danger many tourists overlook. By reflecting on her touristic pursuit in Oahu, Nicole Teh SC ’27 discusses the ways tourism fuels displacement of local residents, drives up living costs and erodes native culture.
OPINION: Pomona College’s Merritt Field transformation contradicts environmental commitments
With Leed certifications, promises to the community and lofty goals set by the SAVE plan, Pomona has done the outward work to appear sustainable, but Katie Cline PO ’25 argues that installation of Merritt new artificial turf and continuation of conventional lawn care process illustrate an enduring incongruity between Pomona’s outward appearance of environmentalism and institutional practices.
OPINION: Seminars should be tech-free spaces
We have all seen the sneaky side of Google, summary sheets open mid-class and ChatGPT flooding browsers. Is this what we imagined when we decided to pursue a liberal arts education? The temptation of the internet open to us in each class seems too great to resist, but we can resist it. Elias Diwan PO ’25 argues that we should elevate the quality of our classes by leaving our computers at home and actually doing the reading and taking the risks necessary to engage deeply in our classes.
OPINION: The bitter truth to the bitter brew
Have you found yourself in the cold brew line at Malott? Probably. But have you ever thought about why you’re doing it? Most likely not. Are you a thinking, acting individual or just a cog of the mechanization that is Big Cold Brew? Daniel Choi PO ’28 argues that the next time you take a sip, you should consider whether you love cold brew or just the idea of cold brew.
OPINION: The dangers of disconnection from reality at a liberal arts college
A liberal arts education values knowledge for its own sake, cultivating well-rounded citizens beyond the narrow confines of pre-professionalism. Yet Anna Yost PO ’28 argues that both pre-professional students and academia-focused students at Pomona are disconnected from practical skills necessary outside the classroom.