Bianca Mirica Archives - The Student Life

By Bianca Mirica 1051 Views Bianca Mirica, Celeste Garton, Georgia Stettner, Housing, Josh Scacco, Marketplace, oldenborg center, Pomona Housing, Residence Halls, Room Draw, Tendo Lumala

During room draw this past week for fall 2026 housing, students at Pomona College have reported trading and bidding for housing selection times — including thousand-dollar bids and internship offers. This follows the college’s decision to demolish the Oldenborg Center in May and subsequently reduce on-campus housing.

Taking down Oldenborg, a 120-bed language residence hall, is part of the college’s $125 million Center for Global Engagement (CGE) project to replace the dorm, dining facility and language center. CGE is set to open in fall 2028 and, once completed, will house 200 students.

Front Page News Uncategorized

April 11, 2026 12:32 amApril 18, 2026 5:05 pm

Students picket and boycott Frary Dining Hall to protest termination of cook Rolando Araiza

By Bianca Mirica and Joelle Rudolf 932 Views Bianca Mirica, boycott, CSWA, Elias Pleucker, Frary, Isaiah Curtis, Joelle Rudolf, Kai Chen, Kobe Leonor, Maggie Zhang, student protests, Ukiah Halloran-Steiner, Una Marie Lake, UNITE HERE Local 11

Around 30 students picketed the entrances to Pomona College’s Frary dining hall at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 10 — chanting, holding cardboard signs and drumming on buckets. The demonstration, organized by the Claremont Student Workers Alliance (CSWA), encouraged 5C students to boycott the dining hall and advocate for the reinstatement of recently fired cook Rolando “Rolo” Araiza.
Picketers said the boycott directly pressured Pomona to rehire Rolo, asking students to spend meal-plan money at the other colleges. They added that making noise in the picket line drew attention to their cause, something other forms of demonstrations may not accomplish.
“I think you can do a lot of talking, but I think when you really start singing and yelling is when you can really get your message across in different ways,” Una Marie Lake SC ’29 said.

Front Page News

April 10, 2026 1:31 amApril 10, 2026 3:00 am

5Cs admit class of 2030; CMC to reinstate testing in Fall 2028

By Bianca Mirica 1583 Views ACT, Bianca Mirica, Claremont, Claremont McKenna, COVID-19, David Simionca, Harvey Mudd College, Hope Moronay, Jennifer Sandoval-Dancs, Julia Savage, Pitzer College, Pomona College, PreACT, PSAT, SAT, Scripps College, Shanna Rose, Sophia Lu, Test Optional, test policy, Testing

As the 5Cs continue to evaluate test-optional policies, students said differences in access to standardized testing shaped their approach to the admissions process, particularly for international applicants. While some colleges have made their policies permanent, others plan to reinstate testing requirements in future cycles.

A group of students dance in a dimly lit setting with decorations, discos hanging from the ceiling. A student sings in the background.

Arts & Culture Multimedia Multimedia

April 2, 2026 10:44 pm

MULTIMEDIA: The Hive’s Soundbox team showcases student talent in their Spring Tiny Patio Concert

By Bianca Mirica 311 Views Alina Shah, Ben Cerbin, Bianca Mirica, Noah Ginsberg, Orion Rove, Siraj Saker, The Hive, Tiny Patio Concert

On March 6, The Hive held its annual Tiny Patio Concert, a spin on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series. In this video, TSL’s Multimedia team captures this vibrant environment by interviewing multiple participants and performers who share their thoughts on taking part in projects and initiatives that highlight student artists.

Students enjoy the outdoors at Pomona College sitting in chairs while chatting.

Multimedia Multimedia News

April 2, 2026 10:37 pm

MULTIMEDIA: 5CEJ Field Day draws student support for renewable energy switch at the 5Cs

By Bianca Mirica 436 Views 5C Environmental Justice, Bianca Mirica, Field Day

On February 28, 5C Environmental Justice organized a “Field Day” at Walker Beach, encouraging students to learn more about their renewable energy “Claremont OFF Fossil Fuels” campaign. In this video, the TSL Multimedia team highlights the 15 environmental and political clubs and organizations from across the consortium who took part in the event to support 5CEJ’s campaign and build community in an afternoon of music, lawn games and outreach.

Poetry being read by Professor Sharma and others in front of large crowd.

Arts & Culture Multimedia Multimedia

April 2, 2026 10:24 pm

MULTIMEDIA: In the CLMA gallery, Prageeta Sharma finds a language for abstraction and loss

By Bianca Mirica 208 Views Barnett Newman, Bianca Mirica, Chloe Martinez, Claremont Lewis Museum of Art, Pasadena Art Alliance, Prageeta Sharma

On Feb. 21, the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art hosted its newest exhibition, “She Opens the Door: Women Artists and Writers Shape Language and Space.” In this video, TSL’s Multimedia team takes us behind the scenes of the exhibition curated by Chloe Martinez, poet-in-residence and Claremont McKenna lecturer in religious studies.

Front Page News

March 6, 2026 3:50 am

5CEJ Field Day draws student support for renewable energy switch at the 5Cs

By Bianca Mirica and Kahani Malhotra 1095 Views 5C Environmental Justice, 5CEJ, Bianca Mirica, Clean Power Alliance, David Taylor, kahani malhotra, Lucy Reed, Milo Slevin, Southern California Edison

After garnering student support and attention at its far-reaching field-day, 5C Environmental Justice (5CEJ) met with the Claremont Colleges’ Business and Financial Affairs Committee (BFAC) on March 5 to lobby for a consortium-wide transition to renewable energy sources, while Claremont McKenna College’s student body voted that night to support the campaign.

Though BFAC’s decision is still pending, if approved, the proposal will advance to a consortium-wide presidents committee for final consideration.

In addition the field day showcased sustained student interest, as their proposal advances through the institutional review process, according to Hope Dragseth SC ’28, the 5CEJ outreach lead on the campaign’s working group.

Arts & Culture

March 4, 2026 9:40 amMarch 4, 2026 11:15 pm

In the CLMA gallery, Prageeta Sharma finds a language for abstraction and loss

By Bianca Mirica 323 Views Arie Lewis Pugh, Bianca Mirica, Claremont Lewis Museum of Art, Pasadena Art Alliance, Writers Shape Language and Space

Pomona Professor of English Prageeta Sharma joins efforts with the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art in “She Opens the Door: Women Artists and Writers Shape Language and Space,” curated by Chloe Martinez, poet-in-residence and Claremont McKenna lecturer in religious studies. Combining poetry and various mediums of art, the exhibition gathers artists from Claremont and the greater Los Angeles area who challenge inherited ideas of ‘women’s work,examining how women’s labor and craft has been devalued as art and work.

Chau Vu poses and smiles for a portrait photo near computer.

Front Page News

February 20, 2026 1:53 amApril 9, 2026 2:52 am

Chau Vu ’26 becomes Pomona’s first CRA Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher

By Bianca Mirica 927 Views Alexandra Papoutsaki, Bianca Mirica, Brent Carbajal, Chau Vu, Computer Science, CRA, Human-Computer Interaction, Jingyi Li, Maggie Zhang, Stephen V. Marks

Chau Vu PO ’26 was selected for the 2026 Computing Research Association Outstanding Undergraduate Researcher Award last month for her research in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Vu is the first Pomona College student to receive the distinction and the only awardee from a liberal arts college this year.
For Vu, the CRA award demonstrated that meaningful research can happen in a liberal arts setting. She attributed her national recognition to both her technical skills and her breadth of education.

Affinity Arts & Culture Multimedia Multimedia

February 20, 2026 12:07 amMarch 6, 2026 3:07 am

MULTIMEDIA: A taste of home, right here at the 7Cs — inside the annual International Festival

By Bianca Mirica and Isabella Leyton 441 Views 7Cs, Bianca Mirica, Claremont Colleges, Culture, International, International Festival, Isabella Leyton, Multimedia

On Feb. 13 from 12:30 to 2 p.m., the second floor of Roberts Pavilion hosted “The World Meets at 7Cs,” a festival organized by the International Student Community Programming Council. With booths representing more than 30 countries, TSL’s Multimedia team captured the 7Cs’ vibrant international community.