I caught up with the guys outside the apartments, where they were enjoying a mid-afternoon cold beverage and some characteristically intellectual conversation.  Cooper and Jeffrey each have a distinct sense of style that’s informed by their wide-ranging interests. They’re neither pretentious nor conformist, and always wear what they find most appealing, appropriate, and comfortable.  Next time you see Jeffrey and Cooper bicycling around Claremont, be sure to note their swag.

Cooper, you’re looking dapper today.  What are you wearing?

I’m wearing Levi’s 511 jeans—they fit well, so I just buy these in every color I need. I have on my Adidas Originals high-tops, a striped scarf from Fred Perry, and a button-up.  This is a J. Crew peacoat and sweater; I like J.Crew because you can dress nicely without paying a ridiculous amount. Their clothes are conservative, and hearken back to timeless styles that won’t look dated anytime soon.  This is one of my Nixon watches—I have two, because they’re simple, casual, and go with everything.

What inspires your personal style?

I think trying to stay on the cutting edge is kind of a losing battle.  You’re going to lose the battle if you wear a lot of the dumb sh*t GQ tells you to wear.  I read something about how we should all “wear yellow” right now.  I would strongly advise against wearing yellow.

For me, I’d say old films are most inspiring, in particular the French “New Wave.”  I like the looks from many Jean-Luc Godard films, like Jeanne-Pierre Léaud in “Masculin Féminin.” I think the Italians are a bit too flamboyant, but the French always look terrific.

What do you think someone’s style says about him or her?

It’s the first, immediate interaction—and that’s integral.  People always say style is a good way to show your personality; I guess that’s true, but then you run into trouble with the label obsession our culture has.  People might call you a “hipster” or “prep,” but I think it’s really about whether you’re well-dressed or not.  Jeffrey and I are completely different in our styles, but we both try to dress well.  That’s all that really matters.

What article of clothing could you not live without?

Well, there’s shoes.  You can’t get in too many bars without shoes.   I also love my peacoat—my sister hates it, but I love it.

Who on campus do you think has the most killer style?

I think Tyler McBrien (’13) really got it right with Professor Lobis.  Those spectacles—they’re awesome. Professor Petropolis, the chair of History department, is also very well put-together.

How has your sense of style evolved over the years?

I’ve gone through a lot of phases, you could say.  I’ve been through the punk phase, the I-don’t-give-a-shit phase…  I’ve built off each of those phases.  I still wear a lot of the things I’ve accumulated, but in a new way.

If CMC were any article of clothing, what would it be?

It’s got to be the tank top.

Jeffrey, you’re looking excellent yourself.  Tell me what you’re wearing.

I’m wearing some burgundy loafers, navy blue socks.  Burgundy cords, a button-down, and a cardigan sweater.  We don’t need to talk about labels—we really don’t.  This gold watch I’ve had for a while—it’s my fathers.

What inspires your style?

The weather.  I’m from Pasadena, just nearby.  I always check the forecast for the day to see what’s appropriate.  Also, comfort—comfort is key.

On a side note, I’m interested in what actually defines today’s style.  We look at britches or hoopskirts and think “costume”—what will people 100 years from now call our “costume?”

What do you think someone’s style says about him or her?

It’s the first thing you see.  In our culture, we’re all about the visual.  Often times that thing that’s inside the shell might not correspond with how someone sees you.  It’s always better to just be yourself.

Who on campus do you think has the most interesting style?

Professor Eric Haskell at Scripps.  Oh man, he monograms everything.  I’d never seen a monogrammed sweater, but he has one.  Wow.

How has your personal style evolved over the years?

In high school my uniform was khakis and a shirt and belt—all day, every day.  Then I started accumulating things, like Cooper, and incorporating them.  We’re young, so we’ll be acquiring things for some time.  If you’re able to buy nicer, well-made things, you can wear them the rest of your life.  This is just the beginning.

How would you describe CMC’s sense of style?

Ultimate comfort.  And I suppose it is just comfortable to wear sweats or a t-shirt…

What’s your biggest style DON’T?

Tight clothes.  Very tight clothes.  It just looks awkward.

What article of clothing could you not live without?

I’m in love with these shoes I’m wearing, and I think I’ll just buy them the rest of my life.  These tassels—they are little mink tails.  I was buffing them one day and the tassel came off, so I added these fur tassels myself.  Plus, they keep my shoes clean.

Want more style? Check out Falling for fall, Sweet and Petite and Wear it CMC.

Whether it’s interview season or the Athenaeum, seeing the words “business casual” can be more yawn-inducing than exciting. How many times in a row can you wear the same jacket and tie (or skirt) combo?  But Susie Lee (’12) defies the notion that dressing professionally implies boredom or frumpiness.  This CMC senior who hails from Cerritos, CA manages to wear her personality on her sleeve, no matter what the occasion.  Looking effortlessly chic, as usual, Susie chatted with me on a sunny Sunday about couture-wearing bunnies, uber-cool professors, and how she dresses for success while staying true to her own style philosophy.

Susie, you’re looking fabulous—tell me what you’re wearing today. 

I’m wearing this patterned blazer from H&M, a pastel top from Nectar (in the Village, love it there), and a cream skirt from Cooperative.  My pearly heels are hand-me-downs from my cousin in Korea.  I think they’re really unique and they actually fit me—that’s rare in shoes, because I wear a size 4 or 4.5.

I wear this barrette every day: it has a pearl, a leaf, and a flower charm. I randomly ordered it online—should’ve bought two! This wire ring was custom-made for me by one of my favorite designers in Venice Beach, Deanna Horton.  My bag is a vintage Dooney & Bourke from Buffalo Exchange in NYC.

I think this outfit perfectly describes my summer working in the Empire State Building and living in the East Village of NYC—it’s a perfect blend of professional and hip.

What inspires your personal style?

Do you know the bunny FiFi Lapin?  She’s this extremely stylish bunny.  Her creator blogs about different designers—like Marc Jacobs, one of my faves—and takes outfits and shapes them onto a bunny!  It’s gorgeous, lighthearted, and fearless… I like to think it’s in line with my own style philosophy.

I’m a huge “Sex and the City” girl, so naturally I love a lot of the outfits Patricia Field puts on Carrie Bradshaw.  She’s not scared to strut through the city in bold outfits. Style is about fearlessly being yourself.  And just workin’ it, you know?

You mentioned you’re a size 4.5 shoe—how do you deal with dressing for your petite frame?

I don’t really believe in sizes.  I look at fabrics, colors and details, and I’ll wear what I like regardless of whether it fits me “perfectly.”  Some of my favorite pieces are big tanks I’ve turned into dresses, or frocks I can wear with or without leggings.  The only things I get tailored are jeans.  I get these hemmed about a foot [laughs]… but good jeans go a long way.  Can you tell I’m a Cali girl at heart?

What do you think someone’s style says about him or her?

Style is a way of showing your personality and who you are without saying anything.  Your style is a way of hinting at your “story” and piquing people’s interest.

Which article of clothing could you simply not do without?

There’s this teal tank top I bought at Beacon’s Closet in Williamsburg.  I call it my classic summer tank.  I have no idea what brand it is, but it’s an emblem of my two amazing summers in New York.  It says things like “Go Crazy” and “Do what you feel like doing!”  I even took it to China where I studied abroad, and wore it with tights and a coat, too.  If I could, I would wear it every day.

Who on campus do you think has the most killer style?

I really like Professor Albert Park’s style.  He’s this awesome Asian hipster who teaches a class on Modern Korean History.  One day he was wearing his hipster glasses, a collared shirt tucked into cuffed khakis, and navy Tom’s.  So fly.

What’s your biggest style DON’T?

I really don’t like it when people wear running shoes with jeans!  So awkward.

What’s one thing you think CMCers should do to improve their style?

CMCers are really unique— we’re all from such different and interesting places.  But when we get to campus, we tend to dress very similarly … I guess the SoCal weather and college culture can do that.  I think people should remember where they come from and flaunt it in what they wear.  Getting up in the morning and getting dressed can be a chance to exude who you are and inspire others to be creative with their wardrobes, too.

If CMC were an article of clothing what would it be?

A great vintage blazer.  It might look business-like and typical, but there’s a story behind where it came from.  And once you try it on, you can just work it and it’s a classic staple that will always be in style.

Invisible Man (Ralph Ellison)

Maybe legendary former CMC professor Adam Bradley inspired you to read this National Book Award winning masterpiece.  Maybe you’ve heard about the novel’s fascinating plot, complex characters, and perspective-shifting breakdown of race, identity, and existentialism in America.  Either way, this is one of those classics you simply must read.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (Milan Kundera)

Set in Communist Prague during the spring of 1968, this novel explores the intellectual life of Czech society during a critical period in European history.  Don’t be fooled by the title: the philosophical underpinnings of this book are anything but “light.”  Kundera challenges Nietzsche’s concept of eternal recurrence with a thought-provoking alternative.

The Sun Also Rises (Ernest Hemingway)

Modernist icon Ernest Hemingway presents a captivating novel that chronicles the vibrant lives of American and British writers as they “came of age” abroad during World War I.  From the bullfights of Pamplona, Spain to the literary cafes of Paris, Hemingway’s novel is an almost cinematic journey into the expatriate’s Europe.

Just Kids (Patti Smith)

Rock star Patti Smith also happens to be a talented, poetic writer with an incredible story to tell.  Smith’s gorgeous memoir not only captures a snapshot of the artist’s New York City during the bohemian 1960s and 70s, but also paints a portrait of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, her longtime creative partner.  This insider’s ode to an era of music, love, art, and beauty is breathtaking… and tearjerking.

Chronic (D.A. Powell)

California poet D.A. Powell shares a collection of contemporary poetry that is at once accessible and entrancing.  Powell masters the nearly impossible task of simultaneously conveying both the outside world and a person’s innermost thoughts.  The LA Times writes that Powell “can paint the weed-choked cemeteries of the Central Valley and also the cluttered toy chest of his memory.”  We’re intrigued.

The Monkeywrench Gang (Edward Abbey)

Ed Abbey is the original eco-warrior.  His billboard-burning, dam-busting cast of unforgettable characters will transport you to the author’s beloved Southwest for some “monkeywrenching”: general sabotage, law-breaking, or activism to preserve wild spaces.  Abbey’s characters are far from granola-crunching hippies; the author portrays a group of environmentalists with a penchant for red meat, whiskey, and keeping the earth free.

Have you already read these? Want more from the NON-required reading list? Here is my list from year. Got more ideas? Suggestions? Please add to the list with comments below. Enjoy!

In 1976, Claremont Men’s College became Claremont McKenna College, a coeducational institution with a student body equally divided between men and women.  Admittedly, CMC’s more masculine reputation may not land far from the truth, but CMCers of both genders are known to embrace the school’s culture as their own.  Graduating CMCers are prepared to enter a world where men and women coexist within the workplace—whether that’s Wall Street, Washington, or the art world.

But the new Scripps president insists that a women’s college will forever remain relevant. “We’re at a point in time where people will say ‘Why?  Women can do what they want!’” Scripps President Bettison-Varga mused during our interview.  “But the bottom line is that women are not yet equal to men.”  According to Scripps College’s 8^th president—and only the 2^nd female to hold the position—the place of a women’s college in America remains vital.

Mention the word “Scrippsie” to most Claremont students and a barrage of stereotypes will follow: artsy, bookish, naïve, ravenous for men, uninterested in men…and all female.  These stereotypes—a mixture of entirely off-based and completely true—exist for each of the 5Cs.  But what may be different about the Scripps stereotypes are their actual effect on the student body’s mentality.  Initially, Scripps students may not take as much pride in their school as most CMCers do.

“It’s a tough thing,” President Bettison-Varga acknowledged. “You know, there’s only a small portion of students attracted to the idea of attending a women’s college from the get-go.  It really is when we get students here on campus that they realize ‘Wow, it’s a fabulous college, it’s a women’s college, and it’s set within a co-ed environment.’”

In order to cultivate a cohesive Scripps community, Bettison-Varga believes the college’s unique humanities Core requirements set students on the path to becoming empowered women.  “Women at women’s colleges have more chances to become leaders, more high-impact opportunities to further their knowledge, and become more engaged in their academic experiences than women at coed colleges,” Bettison-Varga explained.  “If you looks at the sciences, women’s colleges historically have a higher percentage of women going on the pursue PhDs. More women role models means more supportive environments.”  Bettison-Varga cited statistics from the Women’s College Coalition to support her stance that a “leaky pipeline” still exists from college to the post-graduate and professional fields for women.

The oft-spoken catchword at another 5C, “leadership,” has infiltrated Bettison-Varga’s own vocabulary.  The Roxanne Wilson Fund for Women’s Leadership has brought prominent women in various fields—culinary sensation Alice Waters, for one—to campus in order to promote leadership at Scripps.  The 2007 Strategic Plan for Scripps outlined an idea for a women’s center for leadership, eventually a physical building where faculty and students can conduct research related to leadership.  “The idea is to really think about how we can set ourselves apart from other centers in Claremont like this and build upon what is unique about Scripps,” Bettison-Varga stated, a bit vaguely.  The center for research in leadership seems to be a plan still emerging for Scripps.

Bettison-Varga’s primary goal is to shine a spotlight on Scripps to enhance the college’s visibility on the national level.  With the most aesthetically beautiful campus in Claremont—“an environment conducive to reflection”—and a ranking within the top 25 liberal arts colleges, visibility would not seem to be an issue for Scripps.  “What we can do to help raise visibility is important to the future of the college,” Bettison-Varga said.

The president also believes the other Claremont Colleges have a duty to explain the consortium, clear and in full.

“The consortium can be more proactive as a collective in articulating who we are so that people know when they’re at Scripps they’re not going to take a shuttle bus to CMC,” she said.

Philanthropy is certainly not a weakness at Scripps.  This year, the White House recognized the Scripps College Academy as one of fifteen winners of the National Arts & Humanities Youth Program Award. The SCA is a program to prepare female students at underserved high schools in Los Angeles County for college.  Each summer, around 50 students reside on campus for a two-week intensive program.  Last year, 100% of SCA graduates attended college.

With an idyllic campus, an array of academic options, and a reputation for doing good in the community, Scripps College certainly has a great deal to offer.  But in a world where men and women must work together toward common goals, the concept of a college exclusively for women may approach irrelevancy. The President doesn’t think feminists can rest their case just yet; she thinks women still face subjection.

“Feminism means equality,” Bettison-Varga stated.

If equality is what feminists strive for, wouldn’t the ideal move be a coed Scripps College?  According to President Bettison-Varga, the answer is, simply, no.  “There will always be a place for the women’s college,” she said.  But there’s a certain danger for Scripps in retaining this feminist mindset.

The President’s comments suggest she recognizes the natural limits of the institution she inherited.  Landlocked by coed colleges similarly bent on increasing the renown of the consortium, Scripps’ original premise could prove a detriment to its growth.  Will American undergraduate women continue to believe they can attain equality through academic separation from their male counterparts?  For Claremont Men’s College, equality meant welcoming women into the student body; will Scripps one day make this crucial move towards integration?

Bettison-Varga rejects the idea of a coed Scripps College.  For now, she can do so safely; buffered by four coed colleges, the “heart of the 5Cs” can maintain its traditional identity.  50 years from now, however, the idea of a women’s college may well be an artifact of Claremont’s history.

Since Waters’ foray into California cooking, pesticide-free, seasonal, locally grown produce has become ubiquitous.  Eating organic, Waters made the nation realize, is essential for capturing natural flavors of produce and ensuring the health of both the environment and consumers. What many of us now take for granted when we eat from Collins’ Farm-to-Fork area was made possible by Waters’ eco-crusades.

Waters’ activism extends beyond the kitchen.  The Edible Schoolyard is Waters’ way of spreading her culinary credo to young students, who may contribute to a more sustainable future for food.  In 1996, Waters built a 1-acre garden adjacent to a kitchen classroom at Berkeley’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School.  The Edible Schoolyard now involves 1,000 students in an experiential learning program about the food cycle.  There are now 5 Edible Schoolyards in New York, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Berkeley, and Greensboro, NC.

The School Lunch Initiative is another of Waters’ extraordinary efforts with the Center for Ecoliteracy to provide children with proper nutrition and bring them closer to the roots of what they eat.  Waters has inspired Americans to confront the nation’s complex problems with food, such as childhood obesity.  Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign publicly channels Waters while working in the White House garden.

Whether or not you’ve tasted the butternut squash soup (divine) at Chez Panisse, Waters’ food credo deserves Claremont’s attention.  “I believe that how you eat, and how you choose your food, is an act which combines the political—your place in the world of other people—with the most intensely personal—the way you use your mind and your senses for the gratification of the soul,” Waters has said.  “It can change the way we treat each other, and it can change the world.”

To the left of the café’s barista is the lair of Harvey Mudd Literature professor Jeff Groves.  Bespectacled, bearded, and donning a denim apron, Professor Groves presides over the First-Floor Press and its six 19^th-century printing presses. Here, Professor Groves instructs Claremont students in the art of printing.  Each semester, Groves teaches a workshop that students can take for credit.  From business cards to calendars, from recipe cards for Aunt Jane’s kugel to poster-sized Ginsberg poems, the impressive projects of Groves’ students decorate the pint-sized place.

Groves started the Press in 2007, after being inspired to do so by a Scripps class on the history of books and the “book arts” which he audited while on sabbatical.  The class was an epiphany for Groves—he decided to devote his energy to starting a printing press, a rarity in the modern era.  Only one thing stood in the way of Groves’ nerdy but surprisingly thrilling dream: money.  “As luck would have it,” Groves explains with twinkling eyes, “a Mellon Grant and a certain Dr. Ed Petco made the First-Floor Press possible.”

Something of a legend in Groves’ world, Petco is the proud but aged owner of the Press’ cornerstone machine, a mammoth Columbian Eagle Press from 1850.  Cast-iron and topped with an enameled bald eagle, this press intimidates and inspires awe.  Groves uncovered this first press while sifting through storage in Honnold-Mudd.  With Dr. Petco’s press, a little TLC, and funding to buy additional presses, type, and other materials, the First-Floor Press was up and running.  “It’s fantastic how each press has its own history,” Groves notes.  “I found this press in a village in Idaho…it belonged to a man who was killed by a car while stumbling out of a pub.” Groves clearly has a passion for printing.

At first, the presses seem daunting: they’re immense, technical, and require knowledge of a language only true printers can speak.  Cheek, frisket, platen, girth, spindle…what?!  But when Professor Groves unearths a foldout book he’s hand-bound and printed, the effect is magical.  For bookworms and lovers of vintage kitsch, the First-Floor Press is a resource in need of use.  Next time your brain needs a break from O-Chem or Econ, check out the Press for a trip back in time… or sign up for Groves’ workshop next semester.

On a walk one day

My daughter said, “Cheese is love.”

She was three.  And wise.

Marnie and Lydia, the duo of sisters who recently opened the Cheese Cave, live by the three-year-old cheese lover’s credo. The sisters, raised in nearby La Verne, were born into a cheese-making family; the sisters’ grandfather and father were both cheese artisans. Marnie and Lydia have spent decades studying and practicing the art of cheese-making.

From Napa to New York, from Paris to Claremont, these two foodies have lived in locales serious about dairy products. Marnie and Lydia know their manchego from their mozzarella. A fateful trip to watch their brother play pro-hockey in Finland was the impetus behind the duo’s business plan for the shop. “There isn’t much sunlight in Finland,” Marnie fondly recalls. “We played a lot of cards…and talked a lot about cheese.” The Cheese Cave—a gourmet shop carrying a veritable cornucopia of cheeses, both domestic and imported—was born.

The sisters’ love affair with cheese is deep and passionate. When asked what she loves most about the food, Marnie waxes poetic about the mystique of cheese-making. “Cheese is really a magical thing. You take perishable ingredients—milk, salt, culture, and enzymes—and they transform into a lasting food with so many distinct forms.”

Exploration of the Cheese Cave’s cozy, hardwood interior—it feels like the inside of a NorCal farmhouse—inspires giddiness and hunger pangs. Tiny refillable glass bottles ($5 per bottle) await filling from the vats of infused olive oil that line one wall. Craft-brew beers and hard ciders chill a case. Cocoa butter caramels, cabernet-flavored pasta, organic honey, and tubs of olives tempt from each tabletop.

Three new types of sandwiches are made fresh each day and are available for purchase–if you can snag one before the lunchtime rush. Recent crowd-pleasers include an Mediterranean masterpiece of ricotta, fresh tomato, and balsamic, as well as savory-sweet concoction of blue cheese, endive, and asian pear. The Cheese Cave is much more than a cheese shop—it is a foodie’s utopia.

But the Cheese Cave’s true stars are the artisan cheeses. Each cheese is displayed in the shop’s large glass case, alongside a note card scrawled in the sisters’ handwriting. Creative names and descriptions match the shop’s endearing quirkiness. The description for the “Humboldt Fog” chevre piques the intrigue and the appetite:

If a handcrafted samurai sword made of vegetarian ash sliced through a tangy, lemony wedding cake of cheese, you’d have the Humboldt Fog.

“Truffle Tremor,” “Lavender Cheddar,” and “The Drunken Goat” are just a few other eye-catching varieties. Funky monikers aside, we all know what cheese is really about: flavor. Marnie, clad in a cow-printed apron, offered a delicate mound of shaved idiazabal, a Spanish sheep’s milk wonder. A translucent slice melted on the tongue, imparting a flavor that was nutty and buttery, rich and smoky—a definite hit.

Marnie and Lydia have served an increasing flow of customers since the Cheese Cave’s grand opening on June 18^th (their father’s birthday). Claremont has welcomed the dairy-loving ladies to the Village, a reception that the owners hope to capitalize on with more in-store events. The sisters will welcome new cheeses with each passing season. They’re particularly excited for the arrival of fall cheeses like Montione, a blue cheese made in the Rogue River region of Oregon only during the fall equinox. It’s wrapped in grape leaves soaked in pear brandy and is worth tasting at the upcoming Fall Launch Party the sisters plan to host.

A visit to the Cheese Cave is essential for every cheese-deprived foodie tired of the Collins salad bar’s customary feta. Enter the Cheese Cave for an epicurean adventure and a taste of some truly tasty cheese.

Check out the Cheese Cave’s website or Facebook page for store hours, event info and sandwich menus.

Nine Stories (J.D. Salinger)

This collection of short stories from Holden Caufield’s creator will have you at hello.  Salinger exposes each of his characters’ secret complexities, offering the reader a penetrating glimpse of what makes humans tick.  Tinged with the sadness of wartime loss, poignant stories like “A Perfect Day for a Bananafish” and “For Esme” entrance the reader.

Vanishing Point: Not a Memoir (Ander Monson)

Graaaaaaa!!! This is Ander Monson lashing out at the virus that is the confessional memoir in American literature.  Monson grapples with the compulsion of self-interest and the “I” in his series of inventive, ever-engaging meditations.  Lose yourself in this eccentric writer’s collection of essays.

Drop City (T.C. Boyle)

Travel back in time to the scene of 1970s counterculture with T.C. Boyle’s psychedelic, sociological novel.  Free love, hallucinogens, and peace signs are blurred by a brooding insecurity about nonconformity.  Boyle floats from the California hippie commune to an isolated cabin in the Alaskan wilderness, a setting shift that allows the reader to examine and contrast off-the-grid lifestyles.

Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)

What would the world look like without leaders?  Ayn Rand’s monumental work explores a dystopian America in which the nation’s innovators—industrialists, artists, government officials—withdraw from the scene.  Rand emphasizes the necessity of these creative minds to the productivity and growth of society.  Be prepared for a philosophical journey…Rand isn’t a beach read.

Been Down So Long Looks Like Up To Me (Richard Fariña)

Enter Gnossos Pappadapoulis, arch-nemesis of academia’s bureaucracy.  Even though CMC is arguably among the most nurturing colleges, we’ve all been frustrated with the system at one point or another.  Fariña’s legendary Greek student-cum-rebel takes a stand against The Man in 1960s style in this haunting yet hilarious novel.

Interview Magazine

Andy Warhol’s ever-relevant magazine, started in 1969, features easy-to-read Q&A format interviews between random pop culture greats.  Expect the unexpected: Susan Sarandon, Carey Mulligan, Andrew W.K. (ha ha), and Ke$ha are just a few recent interviewers/interviewees.  A+ photographs from the likes of Annie Liebovitz and Bruce Weber abound.  Profanity and nudity are not off-limits for this envelope-pushing publication.

Wrong. These myths have probably deterred you from grabbing a mat and heading to one of Claremont’s many yoga classes. Plenty of CMC’s fine young men, however, can attest to yoga’s overwhelmingly positive effects. “The complete feeling of relaxation and calm after I finish a class is pretty awesome,” says Solon Christensen-Szalanski CM ’10. “Yoga also really helps with coordination and fine muscle control.” Professional athletes– LeBron James, Andy Murray, Shaq– swear by the addition of yoga into their workout routines.

Mentally, this activity will soothe your stressin’ psyche and help you focus for finals.  Physically, you will not only become more flexible, but also will get toned, improve overall strength, and increase your stamina. “I like the feeling of balance,” Brian Hoffstein CM ’12 explains. “In combining strength and flexibility with meditation, yoga synthesizes exercise with relaxation.”

Finally, the social benefits of yoga are superb…especially if you’re looking for a lady. Solon was led to yoga by an ex-crush who dragged him to classes.  ”Things didn’t work out with the girl, but I’ve done yoga consistently ever since,” the senior yogi claims. Plus, the famed yoga butt is one of this activity’s true stereotypes…need I say more? Gentlemen, take a deep, cleansing breath (in for a count of 8, hold, out for a count of 8…) and resolve to get your Om on sometime in the near future. You’ll never regret your decision.

The 5Cs offer a multitude of yoga classes that students can take for Physical Education credit next semester. Any of these classes can meet your GE requirement, or just join in for kicks. If terms like “downward dog” or “breath of fire” just sound like crazy talk, the Portal’s listings may baffle you. For easy enrollment, here are next fall’s offerings.

Hatha Yoga, the most popular method in the US, is the granddaddy of most yoga styles. Perfect for a beginner seeking a taste of what the activity has to offer, a Hatha class typically incorporates Asanas (postures), Pranayama (conscious breathing), and meditation– great for stress management and physical exercise. Pomona and Scripps will hold Hatha classes regularly next fall, some even taught by 5C students and professors like CMC’s own Lit lady Audrey Bilger.

Anusara Yoga is another style taught at the 5Cs. From this Pomona class, you should expect a heightened Hatha experience: Anusara uses principles of alignment to open the body and the mind to discover one’s true self by being more accepting of new ideas. For budding yogis seeking the most positive, joyful yoga practice, Anusara is the style to choose. Practitioners are encouraged to embrace ideals of creativity and freedom, making an Anusara class an ever-changing, light-hearted experience. You’ll leave this class beaming.

For a more invigorating type of yoga, CMCers should try one of Scripps’s Power Yoga classes. Power yoga emphasizes the development of physical flexibility and personal discipline–this isn’t your mama’s yoga class. Poses are held for extended periods of time while the breath is synchronized with the body, creating a trance-like movement.  Mental and physical stamina will improve dramatically through Power Yoga, and you’ll definitely break a serious sweat. You’ve been warned: Power Yoga is going to kick your booty the first couple classes.

Kundalini Yoga focuses on awakening the storehouse of energy that yogis believe exists at the base of the spine. Skeptical? Drop in on a class at Pomona’s Rains Center to give this style a test run. Kundalini requires yogis to chant mantras, meditate, and engage in visualizations during class. For some, this type of yoga is incredibly cleansing and psychologically beneficial; powerful endorphins are released through breath control and basic poses.  For others, however, Kundalini Yoga is borderline awkward: try the Breath of Fire yourself to see if Kundalini is the practice for you.

If it’s the most endurance-testing yoga experience you seek, Bikram (or “Hot Yoga”) may be the practice for you. Bikram Yoga classes are offered daily in the Village for a discounted price if you enroll for Phys. Ed. on the Portal. The rigorous classes take place in a room heated to anywhere between 95 and 100 degrees with 40 percent humidity. High temperatures allow for maximum muscle loosening and intense sweating, a process thought to purify the body of toxins and improve circulation.  Feeling beat after a weekend of partying? A single Bikram class will cleanse and revive your system. A series of 26 poses, each held for a long duration, will increase strength and stamina. Despite the buckets of sweat you’ll be drenched in, Bikram is notoriously addictive. Just remember: hydrate.

CMC’s administration seems to have realized the benefits of yoga. A recent email from Jim Nauls regarding the Yogathon on May 7 at the Tranquada Health Center is tagged as a way to relieve stress before finals. RSVP for the event to heo@cuc.claremont.edu.

A yoga revolution is definitely sweeping campus…and not just among the female student body. “The biggest myth about yoga is that it’s for pansies,” Hoffstein claims. “Real men are the true yogis.” Whoever says the Stags can’t dominate on the yoga mat has clearly not been enlightened. See you in the studio, CMC!

CMC's newest arts club has planned a full week of events.

Finally, a group of like-minded creative students have banded together to address the arts deficit. In true CMC fashion, seniors Ashley Baugh, Lauren Wong, and Grady Wieger are mobilizing for a full-fledged arts invasion with the formation of a (yet unnamed) arts club. “Although they don’t often get front stage focus on-campus,” Baugh ’10 noted, “CMC has a lot of gifted and driven artists. This club wants to highlight that aspect of our student body.”  The idea for the arts club arose during a dinner conversation at the Athenaeum between the three students and some CMC administrators. “The three of us agreed that CMC students who are passionate about the arts shouldn’t feel uncomfortable on campus,” Wong ’10 recalls. Soon after, the group held an interest meeting at the Ath during teatime.  By word-of-mouth, news spread among CMC’s artistic students and more than 20 people attended the meeting to discuss the best plan of action for enhancing the schools anemic arts culture.

CMC’s characteristically well-rounded students are often both business-minded and artistically inclined. International Relations major Wong ’10, for example, hopes to pursue a career in the strategic area of design, a profession that would benefit from her artistic ability and strong foundation in IR. Like many students and administrators, Wong feels strongly about what a true liberal arts education should entail. “The purpose of a liberal arts college is to expose students to all kinds of ideas and disciplines, art being a major one,” Wong explained.  Overwhelming support from both the student body and key faculty members has spurred the club’s action.  President Pamela Gann is due to meet with the students to discuss incorporating the arts into CMC’s fabric from a higher level; Wong expressed that President Gann has thus far been supportive and eager to help.

Even for students who draw stick figures and dread the limelight, awareness of the arts is essential.  “Art can have a large impact on one’s educational experience” Wieger ’10 mused. The ability to appreciate and intelligently discuss artwork are important skills, if only for the sake of becoming more sophisticated and interesting.  Forming a personal taste for artwork of any medium can become a lifelong journey.  For music lovers: think about how awesome it was to discover Pandora Radio or Last.fm for the first time.  Discovering new art in line with one’s own taste is a thrilling, addictive experience.

CMC students suffering from art phobia need not try out for the Shades or an Under the Lights theater production to gain valuable exposure to the arts. With the new arts club’s exciting initiatives, events both on campus and throughout the Claremont community will become more accessible to students.  Kick-starting the overhaul is ArtsWeek, a full-throttle effort to elevate the arts at CMC. ArtsWeek will run from April 12-16 and is intended to celebrate the talented and artistic student body by showcasing a multitude of events: acapella performances, improvisation groups, an eclectic variety of concerts, dance rehearsals, and much more.  Photography and art exhibits will pop up around campus, so keep your eyes peeled for student artwork.  Friday’s events will include the Athenauem’s Student Art Exhibit, a venue well-worth checking out and the anchor of the forthcoming ArtsWeek. Stay tuned for specific scheduling details in the coming weeks.

“We’re not trying to make CMC into an arts school or force Beethoven or Monet on people,” Wong ’10 remarked.  ”What we want to do is show CMCers that there’s a large network of creative people in our community whose talent should not be overlooked.”  This arts invasion, for many CMC students, is not only welcomed but an absolutely necessary measure.

Want to get involved?  Contact lwong10@cmc.edu or gwieger10@cmc.edu for more information.