Grandmaster Garry Kasparov compares chess to “mental torture” — a statement that at first glance seems overdramatized for a leisure activity enjoyed by seniors at the local park — but to budding competitive chess players, could be an emerging reality.
Commentary
Paulo Dybala and the art of being second
How does it feel to be good, but not quite good enough? Otto Fritton PZ ’27 explores the confusing career of footballer Paulo Dybala, feeling as though some chapters were left unwritten for the Juventus regular and Argentine international.
Seminars and scoreboards: Sports and politics
Every semester, the Claremont Colleges advertise nearly 2,700 courses across dozens of disciplines. This semester, course selections offer a whopping six sports courses taught by four different instructors across three colleges. In Jake Creelan’s PO ’29 new column, Seminars and Scoreboards, he dissects the contents of each course with the course’s instructors and students. First on the list is Sports and Politics taught by Tom Le of Pomona College.
Eileen Gu and the double standard toward China
Chinese-American Olympic skier Eileen Gu speaks fluent Mandarin. She was raised in a single-mother household by her Chinese mother, and she visited Beijing every summer as a child. Should she be criticized for choosing to represent the People’s Republic of China, the homeland of her mother, over the United States, the country of her birth? Jun Kwon PO ’28 argues that the conservative backlash against Gu is a symptom of a broader misunderstanding of citizenship in America and defends Gu’s decision to represent her motherland.
Gibson Hall’s fantasy football league is no punishment, all prize
Resident Assistant Josh Marx PO ’28 leaned on a fantasy football league to bring his hall together.
Longtime fantasy football participants and new members alike spoke to its allure as a social ritual. Fantasy football is both meticulous and meaningless, yet it remains an enduring way to sustain friendships.
Where is your Ballon d’Or? Don’t need it
Otto Fritton PZ ’27 likes to look at the “what-if.” Few careers saddened him more than that of Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior, a man who influenced an entire generation without ever quite fulfilling his potential. Yet, despite his shortcomings, Fritton wonders if it even matters. Perhaps Neymar shouldn’t be judged on what he didn’t accomplish, but on the generation he inspired.
Biggest Game of the Year, 5C style
On Sunday, Feb. 8, millions of Americans, including many in Claremont, will tune in to the most widely watched American sporting event of the year: Super Bowl LX. This year’s contest is a rematch of eleven years ago, when the New England Patriots dramatically defeated the Seattle Seahawks in the last drive of the game. This year, the Patriots can mark the beginning of a new era, or the Seahawks can look to reclaim the Lombardi Trophy for the first time in 12 years.
Behind the scenes: The Pomona-Pitzer student athletic trainers powering Sagehen football forward
Behind the 90-person Pomona-Pitzer football team, which practices daily and competes weekly, are the student athletic training staff who work behind the scenes to ensure the season runs smoothly for the players. The full-time football athletic trainer (AT), Lane Fishburn, currently employs three student ATs to help her with operations.
Whistle of bias: Racial inequity in sports officiating and commentary
When a referee’s whistle blows, everyone expects a fair call, free of external biases or decision-making mechanisms that may influence the quality of the game. However, Mooke King PO ’28, a Division III athlete and intramural referee, has found that such expectations often fall short in the face of referees and commentators who struggle to identify their implicit biases.
These 5C dining staff bleed blue: A Dodgers victory and the fans behind it
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series for the third time in five years, highlighted by stars like Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman. However, the three Commissioner’s Trophies are partly thanks to the fans both at Dodger Stadium and those who cheer on, even in Claremont. For Miguel Menjivar, the general manager of McConnell Dining Hall, his tenure at Pitzer has fostered a tight-knit community of Dodgers fans, as he frequently hosts watch parties for games.