The grand prize went to freshman Chris Rama ’15. The event raised $586 for Rama’s charity, the Red Cross.

He started by mentioning that his primary role is to elevate the quality of faculty and academic programs at CMC. He then stated that over the last six or seven years, in his role as the Dean of Faculty, he has hired roughly 40% of the current faculty members as the college has experienced high faculty turnover. For the upcoming academic year, Hess mentioned that the college engaged in a strong amount of hiring. (See below for a list of the departments with new hires.) He stressed that he is looking to hire faculty to encourage margins of development in areas where the college is not particularly strong, such as languages and sciences.

Hess then discussed the external review process for the academic departments and the various programs the college is looking to expand. The external review process occurs for each department every six or seven years and highlights specific improvements which should be made to advance that particular department.

According to Hess, the external review process of the Philosophy department determined that CMC currently has the best Philosophy department in comparison to any liberal arts institution.

Furthermore, CMC is extending the Yonsei-CMC summer program for another six years, with the hope to place students in internships in Korea in another two years. This summer, the college is also hosting a travel trip to Rome. Hess also noted that CMC wants to ensure the Silicon Valley Program is a 5C program. Four Pomona Students participating in addition to the 14 CMCers for next year; Pomona and other 5C alumni are helping out with the program.

He also mentioned that CMC is looking to add another ITAB networking trip, in addition to the current trip, to provide more students with opportunities in Silicon Valley.

In the near future, the college plans to establish a South Asia presence, particularly in India. CMC has been recruiting Indian students heavily, and President Gann visited India over winter break with the hope of establishing internships and course offerings for CMCers.

For the summer, the college has paired up with several NGO’s in India to offer social entrepreneurship internships. In the future, Cynthia Humes, a Religious Studies professor who has lived in India, may possibly teach a half-credit course. This opportunity will be subsidized heavily; the college is raising funds in South Asia to make the price modest for CMCers.

Dean Hess ended his talk focusing on entrepreneurship and the manner in which the college is trying to increase the academic presence in this field. CMC wants students of all majors to have some experience in entrepreneurial programming in the future. The college is trying to compliment the work done by the KLI and the RDS to extend entrepreneurship education to all students.

New hires:

Robert Day School: Hired two now professors. One of the professors will teach a course on economic development, and the other professor will offer a course on finance.

Literature Department: Hired a professor from Harvard to teach a course on British Literature.

History Department: Hired two new faculty members to teach courses on 19th century western history and environmental history, respectively.

Keck Science Center: Hired three faculty members to teach courses on Environmental Science, Chemistry and Biology respectively.

Furthermore, a professor from the University of Munich has been hired to teach Holocaust Studies in the John Roth Chair, which alumni of the college provided funding for. The college has also established the Cook Chair in honor of Scott Cook, the co-founder of Intuit, which will be filled by a new faculty member from Cal Tech to teach behavioral psychology and economic decision-making. Next year, the college is looking to hire faculty to teach Korean Politics, Brazilian History and Portuguese at the 5C’s, which will allow students to learn Portuguese after Spanish, if they so desire.

What brought about the decision to open-up TNC to the other colleges, as TNC has traditionally always been a CMC-only event?

Cooke: Over the past year, there has been a decrease in attendance at TNC’s, as Campus Security would not allow non-CMC students to attend the parties without a guest pass. The process was such that CMC students would have to register their friends in time for the party. TNC has always been a CMC only event; however, this rule was never strictly enforced until about the past year. Clare Riva ’13, the last DAC, had been working with the Dean of Students to make it easier for other 5C students to attend TNC’s and they were in the process of formulating a new system which allowed for greater attendance at TNC’s. In the past, such decisions have been mainly under the jurisdiction of the social chairs and have been supported by the rest of the ASCMC Executive Board. While we want to preserve the tradition of TNC being a mostly CMC party, we recognize that CMC students all have friends at other colleges that we want to be able to come and enjoy the party with us.

What is the new system of the guest list policy?

Cooke: One TNC a month will be opened up to the 5C’s, where any Claremont College student will get in with their school ID. At the CMC only TNC’s, a guest list policy will be implemented.  A Google form will open up every Monday to Thursday (noon) where CMC students can register guests from another 5C by submitting their name and student ID number. This will add the Claremont student to the guest list and the student will be able to check in with Campus Security at TNC to gain admittance.

What are the main concerns of the administration regarding this change?

Cooke: The Dean of Students Office is unwilling to make TNC a 5C event every week. The main reason is that we do not have large enough spaces to hold 500+ events every Thursday night. Dean Spellman is allowing one 5C TNC per month with 2 kegs, which is an increase from the single keg allowed at CMC only TNC’s.

In your new role as the DAC Chair, what other changes would you like to see for the forthcoming year?

Cooke: This year one of my main goals in terms of party planning will be to revive TNC. Alumni and upperclassmen always talk about how TNC was well attended, had great music or bands, was held at diverse locations, and rivaled the Saturday night party. I will be talking to past social chairs and looking into how they structured their events to figure out how to make TNC more epic, so to speak. I want to make sure that the CMC party and social culture from the past is preserved and not lost.

So far, the highest proportion of attacks are occurring at Harvey Mudd.

Victims of this violence are displaying bizarre tendencies. Most are flatly refusing medical care. Those attempting to help the victims have been attacked, many times by the victims themselves. Large groups of victims have joined their attackers in perpetrating violence on others. The viral nature of this violence cannot be overstated. Extreme caution should be observed around attackers and victims.

When asked to give a reason for their violence, anonymous attackers told the Forum that “bbbrrrrraaaaaaaaaiiiinnssss” were their primary motivation. They could not be reached for follow up commentary.

The size of the group of attackers, who have begun referring to themselves as Zombies, seems to be growing exponentially. However, there is a group of students who are banding together in self-defense. This group is calling itself “The Resistance.” Although attackers seem to forgo weaponry, The Resistance is heavily armed.

“When I woke up this morning, being eaten was not on my list of things to do,” said Cameron Conley ’12, a member of The Resistance. When asked what he planned to do to keep himself safe, Conley simply responded by cocking his gun dramatically. “We are the 99 percent,” he added.

Coverage will be ongoing. Stay safe.

Four years may seem like a long time, but, as we realized, it can go by more quickly than one could ever imagine.  One minute you’re arriving on campus for freshman orientation and the awkward first roommate encounter, and the next minute President Gann is handing out diplomas and suddenly life in Claremont has disappeared in a flurry of job applications and interviews.

Before the time slips away, there are some things students absolutely should do before leaving Claremont.  While we made our own bucket list, and have worked hard on the weekends crossing many things off, this list is intended as a suggestion for students looking to explore and make their own memories – a starting point for everyone to incorporate their own unique goals and interests.

My best advice as a senior is to not waste time worrying – instead, spend more time doing… and enjoying.

10. Discover the Claremont Village.

Neighbors meet at the village market

Claremont isn’t exactly a booming metropolis, but there are many fun parts of the Village that Claremont students never take the time to experience.  Hidden gems like C.K. Cafe, which has free WiFi and a fantastic tea selection that includes the special blooming flower teas, are great places to study or just to hang out.  Likewise, Eureka! Burger is a great place to visit, with a rotating beer selection, visiting brewers, and “Steal the Glass” Night on Wednesdays.  While some make it a goal to visit every restaurant in downtown Claremont, it’s also worth it to expand that goal to include going to events in the Village.  The Sunday morning farmer’s market, held from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Second Street, has fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as honey, hummus, pita, and local artisan crafts.  It’s a great place to grab groceries for the week with friends and prices are often cheaper than in stores.  On Fridays from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. students can visit the Green Market at the Packing House, where vendors bring food and crafts to sell at great prices.  Students staying in Claremont over spring break will find many options for fun close to home.

9. Cheer on C-M-S at a sports game.
Although CMC doesn’t have the big-school sports frenzy like USC or UCLA, C-M-S events are not to be missed.  Division III events can be just as exciting as Division I, especially when you’re rooting for people you actually know.  It’s a great way to show friends that you care by supporting the Athenas’ undefeated basketball season, or going to a track meet to see a friend hurdle her way to victory.  And how better to show that guy in Econ 50 that you like the way he talks about the demand curve than by cheering on his water polo team?  Not only are C-M-S sports events fun and exciting, but they’re also a great way to bond with friends.  Game schedules and results are posted online at the C-M-S webpage.  Even at a small school, spirit is important.

Students at an open mic night perform a cover of Weezer's "Buddy Holly".

8. Attend a student theatrical or arts performance.

There are many organizations that put on plays, open mic nights, improv shows, and musical performances around the Colleges.  The CMC theater group, Under The Lights (UTL), puts on several performances each year, including their One Acts – a night of one-act plays – and the perpetually classy Dinner Theater performance at the Athenaeum.  “The name of the dinner theatre play is ‘Finnegan’s Farewell’ and it is going to be performed the evenings of April 9th, 10th, and 11th,” says UTL President Jen Baute (CMC ’12) about this semester’s play, a comedy involving Irish drinking songs.  These students work hard for weeks to put on a professional and entertaining show, and they rarely disappoint. Plus, they always have great refreshments.

7. Go to Karaoke Night at Sushi Cruise or hit up El Ranchero for Mexican fare.
Sushi Cruise, the restaurant shaped like a boat and home to the infamous Claremont Roll, Rainbow Dragon Roll, and many other California sushi fusion masterpieces, is also the home of Thursday night karaoke.  Not only does Sushi Cruise have a huge selection of songs for karaoke, they also have big screen displays for the lyrics and an incredible waitstaff that will participate in the festivities.  The Claremont icon has a great all-you-can-eat menu that is even more valuable with the 10% off coupon you can find on the CMC Forum – valid with a student ID.  El Ranchero, which is on the same block as Sushi Cruise, is another option for a fun night off-campus that is great for larger groups.  They have incredible specials, like the popular “dollarita,” that make it a must for the tail-end of spring break. El Ranchero is big fun, small price.

6. Spend a day downtown.

Hollywood attractions are easily accessible by Metrolink and metro busses.

Lots of people take trips to the beach, but fewer people take the time to explore downtown Los Angeles.  Although Claremont can feel far from the city, it’s quite accessible: by Metrolink train it only takes 50 minutes to get downtown (and it’s only about $7.50 each way, compared with $18.50 or more each way, plus parking, if you choose to drive).  L.A.’s Union Station is just walking distance from attractions like Olvera Street, an old-town Hispanic marketplace and the  the oldest part of Los Angeles.  The Walt Disney Music Hall is very close to the train station, as is the L.A. Museum of Contemporary Art, which charges just $5 for student admission every day (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays) and has free admission on Thursdays from 5 – 8 p.m.  For lunch, hit up Grand Central Market, an open-air plaza famous for homemade mole and the fresh, El Salvadorian specialty food, pupusas. Helen Kim, a senior who frequently visits the Los Angeles downtown area added, “You can take the Red Line out to Hollywood to see the Kodak Theatre and also the Purple Line if you wanted to go explore Koreatown.”  There are always new places to discover and there is always something going on downtown.  Whether it’s a museum exposition or a cultural festivity, the possibilities are almost endless.

5. Explore Mt. Baldy.
The image of Mt. Baldy in its snow-capped glory standing majestically behind Bauer Center is one with which we are all familiar.  We see it on postcards, emails, and even the CMC webpage.  But how many students have actually been to the top of Mt. Baldy?  How many have been to the bottom?  Mt. Baldy presents so many possibilities. In the winter there are often online deals from Groupon.com or Livingsocial.com that offer discounts on lift tickets or snow-tubing passes.  In the fall there’s a swim-suit hike organized by Pomona’s On The Loose program (OTL, an outdoor activities organization).  The town below the ski area, named after the mountain, is a fun place to visit before or after making it to the top.  For upperclassmen, there’s the Mt. Baldy Pub, with the Mt. Baldy Lodge right next door for those who want to make a weekend of exploring the mountain.  In addition to great hospitality, the good people of the Lodge lead moonlight hikes.  And for students of all ages, there is Buckhorn Restaurant, which has live music on the weekends (and a free drink special on its website), and the Mount Baldy Trout Pool, where students can try out their casting skills.  The trout pool has all the rental equipment necessary, as well as bait and lures.

Spring break is a great opportunity for road trips with friends.

4. Impromptu road trip with friends
Whether near or far, a road trip with friends is a must in college – especially in Claremont.  Claremont is uniquely located, where it’s only a three to four hour drive to Las Vegas or Death Valley, two hours to San Diego (where there is great beach camping), and six hours to the Bay Area and great outdoor spots like Big Sur.  Companies like Zipcar have made it even easier to get away for the weekend, with cars in Claremont available for members.  With online discount sites like Kayak and Priceline and deals from Groupon and other community sites, it’s easy to find a last-minute place to stay.  And great camping spots are only a Google search away.  Don’t have the gear? The OTL gear room is open from 7-10 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and has everything you’ll need.

3. Go all night at the Marathon Party.
It’s not uncommon to pull an all-nighter for class to write a paper or study for a midterm exam, but attending a party with friends and classmates that lasts all night is much more memorable, and much more fun.  The 24-Hour Party is planned every spring by ASCMC to involve activities that last an entire twenty-four hour period, from noon on a Saturday to noon on a Sunday.  Events range from swimming, to wine and cheese tasting, to karaoke, and even huge games of tag.  This event is also purposefully inclusive of students who choose the dry lifestyle; it’s more about fun with friends than about anything else and designed for maximum participation by everyone.

2. Participate in Ski-Beach Day.
Ski-Beach Day is the infamous day when a group of students ski for half a day and then hit the beach.  It’s an event unique to the Claremont Colleges, where students are close enough to the mountains to drive up to resorts like Mountain High and ski until noon before hitting the beach for some tanning, swimming, and good eats. This is an event few people will ever do outside of college.  Since it’s subsidized by the College and it’s planned out by the Student Life Chair (SLC), it’s well worth it to take advantage of this trip.

1. Get ponded or pond a friend.

MC for the Evening Will Kahn

All four years of CMC’s student body were represented on stage, and each were given ten minutes to make their case for a new, radical idea. The audience comment feed that backed the stage, allowed audience members to post live reactions to both the speakers and, more often, their fellow audience members during the presentations, making for quite the participatory show.

The live feed wasn’t without its faults, however. Elise Hansell ’15 noted the value and humor it brought, but was concerned about how much of a distraction it posed, stating “It could have been extremely distracting to the speakers and is probably not a good idea for regular Ath speakers.”

The night opened with a presentation by Jen Ringoen ’12 on the need for a new, unified Claremont-Mudd-Scripps mascot to replace the current Stag and Athena. Ringoen postulated that the confusing couple does nothing but reduce the quality of potential CMS apparel (which sports either a tame Athena or a mediocre-looking Stag) as well as create a division in the school between Stags as a men’s mascot and Athenas for the women. Ringoen’s solutions drew on essential elements of 5C culture, with possible new mascots ranging from the ubiquitous squirrels on campus to simply the Sae Bins, after Sae Bin Park ’12. The audience response system agreed, though some students proposed such suggestions as the Fighting Farandas, or the JIM NAULS DISNEYLAND TICKETS.

Sean McQueen Presenting on Humans Becoming God

Sean McQueen ’13 presented next on the idea of merging robotic technologies with the human body. McQueen focused on the idea’s possible implications, ranging from telekinetic communication to the potentially devastating issue of viruses and spyware. McQueen believes that humanity will either kill itself before reaching this level of technological advancement, or will simply need much more time to make this a reality.

Nadeem Farooqi ‘15 followed McQueen with a presentation on the race to explore and live on the Earth’s moon. Farooqi shared McQueen’s thought that humans will most likely extinguish themselves before managing to live on the moon, or beyond for that matter, but suggested possible success if the idea were couched in global cooperation. Farooqi took pains to distance himself from current Republican Presidential candidate Newt Gingrich by pointing out the inherent flaws of Gingrich’s insular and self-driven approach to moon colonization. Farooqi spent a large portion of his time showcasing the current technologies that could potentially aid humanity in their quest for outer space exploration, focusing on new rocketry and shuttle programs.

Maz Zipperman Presents on Entomophagy

The final presenter, Max Zipperman ‘14, focused on the potential benefits of entomophagy or the eating of insects. Zipperman led the audience, which had thankfully finished dinner by that time, through a detailed analysis, showing that a majority of the world practices entomophagy in some form or the other. Zipperman also highlighted the hidden bugs in our food today, explaining that most chocolates and peanut butter products include a significant amount of insect parts. Zipperman concluded his presentation by offering the audience a taste of prepackaged insects, an offer in which few indulged.

Perhaps we will see these ideas sparking serious discussion in the future. I, for one, am looking forward to Chef Dave starting to serve up skewered crickets and grasshopper soufflé for Ath dinners and the CMC Squirrels playing Pomona-Pitzer in the newly constructed Ducey Moonasium.

Want more pictures from the event? Check out Caroline Nyce’s photoessay here. Be sure to check back in for the video of the event.

A giant sports banner in Ducey gym reads, “3 schools, 2 mascots, 1 spirit.” But do we really have one spirit? The Stag and Athena mascots divide us, splitting our spirit in two. The jumbled, half combination “Stagthena” reminds me of stagflation, and I’d rather not think of economics when cheering for sports.

Before Claremont had a women’s sports program, Claremont-Mudd shared a sports team, the Stags. Once the women’s program was added in the late 1970s, there was some talk over what the mascot for CMS should be.

According to Michael Sutton, the current director of athletics for CMS and a CMC alum, there was a lot of push to go with one mascot and logo. However, a lot of CMC alumni weren’t willing to change the mascot from the Stags, and the women’s athletics weren’t willing to accept that mascot.

While the widely known and accepted current definition of stag is a male deer, the word carried several negative connotations for quite some time. The third definition of stag, according to dictionary.com, is “a person who attends a social gathering unaccompanied by a partner, especially a man who is unaccompanied by a woman.” The fourth definition is “a social gathering for men only.” And one of the adjective uses: “pornographic” (i.e. stag films).

Sutton also said that in the 60s and 70s  ”Stag” often referred to activities objectifying or demeaning women. While he admitted that he’s unsure how much weight this definition still holds, he added: “I guarantee you that if you surveyed some women (about the term) they’d be offended.”

Hence, the CMS committee was reluctant to band behind the Stags to encompass both the women’s sports as well. Out of this controversy, the Athenas were born.

Since the definition of Stag has changed substantially over time and I doubt anyone even knows of the old definitions, I don’t think people find it offensive.

On a quick tangential point, it probably disturbs a lot of you, as it does me, that if ‘stag’ truly was an offensive term, it was still allowed to be our school’s mascot, even if it was once a men’s college. If it really is chauvinistic, it remains that way with or without the presence of women at our schools. But that’s a topic for another article.

Sutton noted that while our current two-mascot predicament is odd, it works. “The conversation (to consolidate to one mascot) has come up over time, and we haven’t come up with a better plan that we’ve felt strong enough about,” Sutton said.

“At the end of the day, since we haven’t come up with a more popular idea, we are fine with what we have” he noted.

Some student athletes feel differently.

Carmen Lundell, CMC ’13, feels the differing mascots divide the rift between male and female sports even further. “The problem is that when you go to a sporting event that’s a coed sport there are Stags and Athenas there, so people have to choose between the two. So people say, ‘Go Stags,’ typically,” Lundell, a varsity diver and former track runner commented.

Both track and field and swimming and diving are coed, and it’s tough for fans – and for students – to feel like they’re cheering for one team when the mascots are divided.

“I see it as further perpetuating the stigma against women’s sports. People do choose to cheer for Stags. I would say there’s no guy here – maybe a couple – that would say ‘Go Athenas,’” Lundell added.

We can change the rift that having two mascots creates. If we all became Stags, at least women’s sports – and women at the school for that matter – wouldn’t feel left out during the cheers.

Having two mascots also further divides our fan apparel. The CMS athletics website has separate merchandise for Athenas and Stags apparel. Students are explicitly choosing whether they are supporting male or female sports based on what apparel they buy. This clearly divides us.

So why should we consolidate to just Stags? Why not change our mascot entirely?

There are some solid arguments against changing our current mascot. Although the word stag has some remnants of its past offensive definitions, the word merely means “male deer” for most people. Most students probably don’t even know the other definitions exist, or even care.

Additionally, the Stag mascot already has name recognition in Claremont. Since the term probably doesn’t offend anyone anymore, there’s no reason to completely take away from a dominant, well-liked symbol. And the fact that a stag refers to a male deer specifically does not exclude female members of the student body. A stag is an animal, and I would no more feel a kinship to a female animal than a male one.

And most importantly, Harry Potter’s Patronus is a Stag, which should be reason enough.

Ultimately, it’s more worth it to have one united fan base – one mascot and one spirit – than to continue the divisions the dual mascots bring because of an antiquated definition.

But hey, at least we’re not the Sagehens.

Editor’s Note: This article was written independently of the Idea Night talk by Jen Rignoen ’12 on March 6.

Hoppe exhibit and artifacts, second floor of Honnold

Anyone who has been to the Honnold-Mudd library has probably seen the collections of student artwork. Big paintings and photos hang on the walls, most commonly along the Honnold wing.  But every so often, the library hosts a special art exhibition curated by professors at the Claremont Graduate University.  This semester, the second floor of the Honnold library is hosting a photo exhibit by E.O. Hoppé featuring images from his 1929 trip to visit Nobel Prize-winning poet, novelist, playwright, musician, and painter, Rabindranath Tagore, at his home in Santiniketan.  The exhibition, which is part of a larger series undertaken by Hoppé as a study of the Indian subcontinent, is hosted by the Foundation for Indic Philosophy and Culture.  The exhibition, notable for its artistic and historical qualities, is also a great opportunity – these photos have just been released for a limited time after 60 years under lock and key in London.

The photos themselves are all in black and white and feature both people and landscapes.  The series takes place in Northeastern India, in the Bengali town of Santiniketan (meaning abode of peace), where Tagore founded the Patha Bhavana school in 1901.  Some photos show families living in the town and portraits of Tagore himself, while others document the activities of the students at Tagore’s growing Visva-Bharati University.  At this revolutionary school, Tagore cast off the notions that strict repetition was the way to learn, opting for a reflective and passionate learning experience close to nature.  It was a radical departure from tradition.  Many of Tagore’s works criticize strict traditionalism, like Hindu orthodoxy in society (the novel Gora) and arranged marriages and the tense domestic situations they bring about (the short story Haimanti).  Tagore was also widely read outside of India and remains a staple in the canon of Indian and South Asian literature.  The portrait by Hoppe stands out among the group of almost exclusively European notables, highlighting Tagore among the great minds of his time.

Music Student, 1929 - E.O. Hoppe

Several photos show students gathered under trees listening intently to their professors lecturing on subjects like mathematics.  One photo depicts a young music student practicing his sitar, while another shows female art students working hard at their crafts.

The most iconic portrait by Hoppé shows Tagore sitting at an angle to the camera, but staring straight through the frame.  His expression carries a frown worn deeply into his face, sharp eyes and a long, white beard.  In another portrait Tagore is reclined while dictating his thoughts to a student.  In other portraits one can see students gathered around Tagore, listening to him speak or discussing their studies with him.

Exhibit plaque, with portrait of Tagore

Hoppé, who is famous for his portraits, photographed distinguished subjects like Albert Einstein, Fritz Lang, Benito Mussolini, Paul Robeson, as well as Tagore and even Queen Elizabeth in 1923.  His portraits are part historical document, part modern art photography and have catapulted him to the top of his field.  Indeed, he was famous in his own right.  “Rarely in the history of the medium has a photographer been so famous in his own lifetime among the general public. He was as famous as his sitters. It is difficult to think of a prominent name in the fields of politics, art, literature, and the theatre who did not pose for his camera,” said biographer Bill Jay in his book Emil Otto Hoppé: A Personal Snapshot.

While it would be easy to rush by the photos on your way to a caffeine-inspired cram-sesh, I would encourage you to spend just a moment to take them in.  They capture a definite moment in time, a world unto itself.  Hoppé wanted to highlight the exotic landscapes of India on his trip, as well as the people that lived there, and his photos, with simple beauty, do the job well.  Until this year, these pieces of artwork were locked in a London photo library for over sixty years.  They will be on display until April 15^th and Claremont will be the only exhibition on the West Coast of the United States this year.

Students and photos on the second floor of Honnold

Last year, I took a British Fiction of the 1980s class, where I had the privilege of reading relevant, interesting fiction by authors like J.M. Coetzee and Salman Rushdie. I became acquainted with British politics, history, and culture in the 1980s and learned much more from that class than I thought I would.

It wasn’t until this class, until I was weeping over The Remains of the Day, that I realized I could really intensely enjoy my Literature classes, that I would want to do the homework and reading for these classes.

Unfortunately, the CMC Literature major consists of several required courses whose subjects often tend toward older British writers. As is, the CMC Literature major is too confining and should either be completely restructured – similar to the construct of Pomona or Scripps’s major – or should favor more general electives in its requirements.

The Literature Department offers an array of interesting courses and is composed of talented faculty. However, a lot of these courses–the more modern Literature courses that appeal to students–cannot count toward the Literature major. By adding new contemporary literature electives and offering students more choice, the department could make room for more types of Literature electives.

Photo Credit: morhymesdapoet.wordpress.com

The CMC Literature major consists of seven required courses: two required survey courses, British Writers I and British Writers II and a few elective courses that fulfill the pre-1700 Lit course requirement or single author course. The major has two electives as well. Two.

Conversely, Pomona College’s English department requires 11 courses for the major, which consists of three required courses and “eight additional courses,” which each major selects after consulting with his or her advisor. Scripps College also requires a minimum of 11 courses for the major, constituting five survey courses in British or American Literature and four electives, with the last two reserved for thesis.

CMC’s Literature Department used to be structured similarly, with five survey courses and the rest electives. According to Professor John Farrell, the current chair of the Literature Department and a Literature professor at CMC for 22 years, this policy changed in the mid-1990s because the department felt like they were teaching too many survey courses and wanted to go more in depth in other subject areas.

“Surveys have their purpose, which is to orient you in a grand way with the subject,” Professor Farrell explained. He also noted that the classes were getting too big, and the department thought it was better to switch to a two-semester survey course.

Survey courses, generally, are more limiting than the elective style courses CMC currently offers. For example, students have to take British Writers I and British Writers II, but then can choose which elective they take that falls under the category of a pre-1700 Lit course. In a way, survey courses can be more restrictive, but the existence of survey courses allows more electives and less restrictive elective courses (like a 1700-1900 elective, which the Lit department currently requires).

Farrell also emphasized the importance of reading authors like Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare. “All the modern writers read Chaucer, and all the great writers before them,” he explained. “You can’t read modern authors without reading these.”

While I agree with the basic premise, I think that message can, and has, been taken too far. There is a reason authors no longer write in the style of Daniel Defoe or Henry James. Literature has developed, I would argue, for the better, and it is a shame that more of our classes shy away from these incredible new novelists. Studying the “grand” writers of the past seems to overemphasize their historical importance, which in turn underemphasizes the literary merit of newer writers.

Farrell noted that there is generally high demand for Literature courses, and that most classes don’t have a problem reaching capacity. While this may be the case, the narrowness of the CMC major might still deter students from majoring in Literature.

While it is important to read original, classic authors, it is equally important to read authors who currently demonstrate a mastery of the English language. I will always love Jane Austen and appreciate her development of complex, interesting characters, but she can’t make me cry like Jonathan Safran Foer does.

Last semester, ASCMC Senate began “Open Senate” sessions during its weekly meetings. During this 15 minute window, any CMC student can bring up campus issues for discussion. Senate hopes that these sessions will allow students the opportunity to identify problems on campus and work with Senators to develop solutions.

During an Open Senate last semester, Blake Morell ’13  raised the issue of Ducey Gym’s short hours and pointed out that many students wished that the gym was open for longer. Following the session, ASCMC Vice President Aditya Pai ’13, sent out a survey to all students to gather feedback on the issue. The responses were overwhelming, with more than 100 students agreeing that the hours were insufficient. Pai says, “Blake Morell ’13 deserves credit for his initiative and effort in approaching the Senate and building the case for such a change to happen.”

Pai and Morell approached Director of Athletics Mike Sutton and Director of Recreational Sports Adam Pruett to find a feasible solution to the issue. Both members of the CMS staff were extremely forthcoming and open to making changes. Towards the end of last semester, the hours of the Ducey Weight Room were temporarily extended as a part of a trial program, and all students were notified of the change via email. Over winter break, the CMS Staff decided to increase hours permanently and has hired the required number of student monitors to make this possible. Pai noted that, “Efforts such as these are testament to the potential of the student senate to make changes on campus. ASCMC is there to serve the student body, and that’s what ASCMC is for.”

The weight room hours are now the following:

Monday to Thursday 9:00am–11:00pm
Friday 9:00am-10:00pm
Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm
Sunday 1:00pm-10:00pm

The same hours will apply to the basketball courts and the fitness center inside Ducey Gymnasium. However, the Athletic Department will have to work around the PE classes and varsity practices.

This change represents significant progress by Senate and the CMS Athletic Department. Pruett stated, “CMS is happy to make whatever changes it can to benefit students, and I believe that ASCMC has provided a great model for changes to occur on campus.”