While many students who came into CMC with strong backgrounds in their high school bands, orchestras or art programs have adjusted to CMC’s lack of an art program, some still ask for CMC to change its ways.

Sophomore Chelsea Durgin says, “Students would really benefit from art as an outlet to the stress of school… I think that a lot of students at CMC are extremely talented in the arts, but they can’t express themselves because of the CMC reputation.”

Devashish Dey performs at the Athenaeum (Photo by Warren Bessant)

For students from neighboring schools and artistically-inclined CMCers, the school’s image as a leadership-driven institution for go-getters has left its commitment to the art world by the wayside. CMC has abandoned some traits of average liberal arts schools and become the economics-oriented school that it is, but as Durgin says, this doesn’t mean that CMC students are devoid of any artistic talent.

The idea of pursuing art on campus has inched into the spotlight with the appearance of Stark’s new piano and with growing involvement with arts organizations at the 5Cs. Yet, some students still argue that CMC is not currently an art-friendly school and believe that there is a stigma associated with pursuing a degree in the arts.

Freshman Becca Rosenthal says, “At the very least we can start putting student artwork in Kravis, but ideally there should be an arts GE.” Those who are proponents of larger changes to CMC’s image like Rosenthal argue that the school could start embracing its liberal arts label by requiring students to study art.

For other students, calling Claremont McKenna a liberal arts school is almost a misnomer. CMC has a unique approach to providing students with a well-rounded education: we receive the benefits of a liberal arts school, yet we’re unlike any other. One of the things that sets us apart is a focus on creating leaders in business and the professions. Advocates of CMC’s leadership-oriented mission point out that our access to the resources at the other 4Cs – including arts programs like theater, music, studio art, and art history – allow us to bypass the implementation of our own arts program.

Indeed, those who actively pursue the arts have many opportunities, even as a CMC student, to be involved in the arts. A CMC-specific theater club Under the Lights allows students an outlet for artistic expression. Other 5C opportunities include taking part in KSPC, Pomona’s student radio station; an acapella choir like Shades; or Without a Box, the Claremont Colleges’ improv group. For those students willing to integrate with the rest of the 5Cs, the abundance of artistic opportunities on our neighboring campuses offer CMCers a chance to pursue their artistic passions with ease. The beauty of the consortium is that each of the schools can specialize in a few fields, instead of attempting to do everything at once, which would be redundant and ineffective.

Local band Songword performs at the Motley on Scripps College campus (Photo by Yuqiao Guo)

The accessibility of the other Claremont Colleges and their strengths in the arts balance out the unique liberal arts appeal of CMC. The administration faces a choice between encouraging the appreciation of art at CMC and offering art programs on CMC’s campus. But one thing is sure: when it comes to whether art should be more encouraged on campus or remain an untouched issue, Freshman Erika Sa says, “I want more!” The best resolution is for CMC to encourage students to appreciate and participate in some form of art, but continue to utilize the other art programs in the Claremont Consortium instead of devoting resources and time to building a new one at CMC. In other words, take advantage of the resources that the consortium offers.

CMC students’ interest in pursuing art academically is less common perhaps than at other 5C institutions. Appeals for drastic changes to CMC’s academic focus seem to be coming from a unique group of students who would like CMC to acknowledge the importance of art by offering art programs on campus. However, this desire does not seem to apply to most students and thus no change will likely be made.

But CMC students as a whole do not disregard the arts entirely. The claim that students don’t care about art because CMC is a school focused on a couple of strong programs is simply not true. It is true, however, tacking on an art department to CMC’s academic offerings would not increase the benefit to CMC students enough to justify the cost. It would be both widely beneficial and much easier for the student body to simply ask CMC for more on-campus practice rooms or to see more student-made art in the hallways of our dorms. Adding small things like pianos or providing an area just to hang out and play music would give CMC some artistic flavor of its own. We don’t have to drop our reputation as a school of industrious students in order to appreciate the arts – we can embrace it without becoming a run-of-the-mill liberal arts school. With the new piano in Stark and the ever-growing involvement of students in artistic programs on and off campus, it seems like we’re on the right track.

Recently, Claremont McKenna College students may have glimpsed Espindola dancing in the Living Room on select evenings. Espindola, whose dances run anywhere from four to eight hours, incorporates ballet, modern dance, and yoga poses into her routines. She chooses to use the Living Room as her dance studio as part of her ongoing interest in “site-specific dance.” As she describes it, “Site-specific dance is created to exist in a certain place where the artist considers a site’s unique environment, social context, and architecture. I see the beauty of moments that cannot be planned or created.” Espindola emphasizes that her performances are part on her ongoing research into the field of dance. She explains, “I am no different from the students that go there to study.”

Hold me closer tiny dancer!

Initial reactions to the dance performance were varied. Some, for example, thought that Espindola might be a Pitzer student protesting in conjunction with the Occupy Wall Street movement. Many speculated about her props, which include ropes and ribbons. One student playfully suggested that the props might be “symbolic of the oppression of the 1% on the working class.”

Espindola emphasizes that her performance had no ulterior motives or messages. When informed of fellow students’ reactions, however, Espindola was unsurprised, stating, “There is a power bigger than me that can communicate on a nonverbal level. Everyone will have their own experiences, ideas, questions and feelings when they see me dancing.”

After learning the reason for Espindola’s dancing, students have had mixed reactions.  CMC sophomore Sam Stone, who live-tweeted a portion of the performance, joked, “if Pomona students are entitled to express themselves in new CMC facilities, then I should be allowed to work on my Goldman Sachs application at Pomona in Sontag Hall!”

More seriously, senior/tech guru Dave Meyer was “impressed with her innovation, and [feels that] it is demonstrative of the lack of creativity on CMC’s campus. Perhaps the focus on economics and government pulls students away from their deeper passion for the arts.”

Espindola echoes Meyer’s sentiments, stating, “While there is plenty of artistic expression on campus, the problem is that we are too busy to see them, to appreciate them, and be thankful for them.” She hopes her dancing inspires students to think and create art in non-traditional ways. As she puts it, “There is always more to see. Open your senses to feel, to hear, and to see the hidden meaning of a space.”

While Espindola does not have any scheduled dances, she will be on the CMC campus performing at various locations for the rest of the year. You can find out more about Pomona’s site-specific dance program at www.sitespecific47.wordpress.com

Pacific Standard Time: It Happened at Pomona

Hungry for a study break in the middle of the night?  Head over to the Pomona Art Museum for a steaming hot platter of thought provoking culture, since it is now open twenty-four hours a day for the first installment of the It Happened at Pomona art series.

The first exhibition celebrates curator Hal Glicksman who, from 1969 – 1970, helped transform Claremont into a major center for new art.  Recruiting and nurturing young artists, Glicksman created an artist-in-residence program for artists to set up shop right inside the museum during gallery exhibitions.

The exhibit itself is diverse, showcasing pieces from Tom Eatherton, Ron Cooper, Judy Chicago, Robert Irwin, Lloyd Hamrol, and Lewis Baltz all at once.

Walking down into the exhibit, you’ll notice immediately a dramatic montage of photos depicting a landscape covered in smoke.  Then two large smashed car windshields, a looped video of a ball smashing into a glass plate, and a wall of minimalist photography taken around the greater Los Angeles area.

As you try to absorb the images before you, an attendant will come down and guide you into a pitch-black room lit by huge curved panels that seem to extend into the darkness forever.

"Rise" by Tom Eatherton, Pomona Art Museum

Current Pomona Art Gallery curator Rebecca McGrew cites their works as prime examples of the Light and Space movement.

“It [Light and Space] captures a really, truly “California” kind of art movement.  Artists who responded to the light and space qualities of living in southern California, in conjunction with a lot of the other art movements at the time, came up with the idea of questioning architecture, questioning art, questioning what an art object actually is,” says McGrew.

The art works at the exhibition really do play with light and with space, like the Robert Irwin display: acrylic lacquer on formed acrylic plastic, essentially a bent plastic disk with a single black line.  At first glance, it’s not extraordinary, but then you might notice that you can’t see what’s holding it up – or even where it begins and ends.

Untitled, by Robert Irwin

Irwin asked himself if he could “paint a painting without a mark, without a line.”  The result was a work of art that transcended its frame, that didn’t “begin and end at the edge.”

The point of these artworks is not just to show something, but to make the audience ask important questions about what they see, how it is seen, and the nature of art itself.  The real beauty of this artwork is that it isn’t easy to absorb – you have to think about it.

These ideas about art were really radical.  So radical, in fact, that curator Hal Glicksman’s successor, Helene Winer, was fired by Pomona College – reportedly after an artist, during his ritualistic performance art piece, urinated in front of fifty people in the gallery.

Situational Construction by Lloyd Hamrol

In just over three years Claremont had become a focal point for some of the most radical art and ideas in the country, but it didn’t last long.

“Because it was this key moment of a few short years where all the trends in art converged right there… in a way it was just coincidence, and then it all ended in ’73.  It’s hard to get a moment like that back”

Need more of an excuse to visit the Museum?  The Pomona Art Museum hosts weekly “after hours events” with movies, concerts, craft events, and even an appearance by featured artist Judy Chicago this Sunday, October 9^th.  “It Happened at Pomona”, the first of three installments in the Pacific Standard Time series at Pomona is open twenty-four hours a day to the public through November 6th, 2011.  The Pacific Standard Time series, a collaborative effort throughout southern California, has more than sixty institutional partners and runs through April 2012.

Looking for more places for art at the 5Cs? Check out Jillian’s article on art around the campuses.

Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery, Scripps College

The Ruth Chandler Williamson Art Gallery

Hours: 1-5PM Wednesday-Sunday (during exhibitions).

Located at Scripps College on Eleventh Street, this facility is a hidden gem.  With funding that allows the gallery to bring in a host of historic and fascinating exhibits throughout the year, the Williamson Gallery also boasts permanent collections like the C. Jane Hurley Wilson ’64 and Michael G. Wilson Photograph and Print Study Room.  Current exhibitions include the Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. from 1945-1980 and Asian Textiles displays, beginning in October and running through April.  The Williamson Gallery has plenty of future exhibits already planned, as well as grand opening receptions.  If that’s not your cup of tea, check out the many prestigious speakers that come to the gallery to speak on art history, specific art forms, and a large range of other topics.  Too busy to make it over?  Check out the gallery’s online catalogue or digital art collection.

The Pitzer Art Galleries

Hours: 12-5PM Tuesday-Friday.

Edythe and Eli Broad Center (entrance), Pitzer College

If you’re looking for something thought-provoking and different, Pitzer is the place to be.  Hosting The Lenzner Family Art Gallery and The Nichols Gallery (located in Broad Center), Pitzer College has created great art exposure opportunities for the Colleges.  While the Lenzner Family Art Gallery focuses on “a space for risk and experimentation dedicated to emerging artists working in all media”, the Nichols Gallery is “committed to solo and group exhibitions by national and international artists both emerging and established.”  Together, the galleries display an impressive number of exhibitions throughout the year, varying from video installations, participatory and performance art, to textiles and photography.  Many of the exhibitions and events allow for audience participation, such as a tree planting event that graced the campus with “living art.”  Pitzer College also includes resident artist events and periodic lectures by upcoming artists.  Their current series, Synthetic Ritual, features fifteen artists over three months on display until December 9^th.

The Pomona College Museum of Art

Hours: Part I of the It Happened at Pomona exhibit open 24 hours a day.

The Pomona College Museum of Art located on the northeast corner of Bonita and College houses permanent fine art exhibits and temporary collections, as well as student displays.  The permanent collections house an impressive display of American Indian art and artifacts from the pre-Columbian period to the present, as well as their Kress Collection, featuring 15th- and 16th-century Italian panel paintings.  Currently, Pomona is hosting the exciting and historical exhibit It Happened at Pomona: Art at the Edge of Los Angeles 1969-1973, a three-part series continuing through May 2012 that includes a performance art exposition.  Check out the Museum at its after-hours events: the opening gala with KSPC was on September 15^th. It kicked off the year with live music and video games.  The next event is a talk by Carlos Motta, titled “We Who Feel Differently”, which discusses the politics of sexual difference.  If you can’t make it, many of Pomona’s museum resources are available online for viewing.

Pomona Museum of Art During an Exhibition

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!

Oh CMC, how thrilled I am to return to you in the fall! I can only hope that all of you back on campus have had a stellar spring semester—I certainly have. As my time abroad wraps up I have become prone to random bouts of contemplation, the fruits of which are the following.

I have been in Siena—a medieval town in the heart of Tuscany—for four glorious months, and I know it will be heart wrenching to leave. Upon our arrival, we were debriefed on the emotional stages of a typical ‘study abroad’ period, of which I have experienced one: the romantic stage. Sure, I’ve missed family, friends and In-N-Out Burger, but there is simply too much to love in Siena to spend any time pining for the comforts of home. Home will always be there, but my time abroad is fleeting. And so I have compiled a list of the things that have grown dearest to my heart here, the things I will undoubtedly miss most when I return to the States.

I have found many testaments to the Italian affinity for beauty. The percentage of Italy, of places, things and people that are just beautiful is ridiculous. There is a value of the aesthetic here in almost every facet of life.  In terms of art and architecture, Italy is unrivaled in both beauty and plentitude. From Siena’s magnificent striped Duomo to the incredible Uffizi and Accademia galleries of Firenze, there are stunning churches, paintings, sculptures and buildings in every single Italian city. The amount of splendor to be absorbed in this country is astonishing, from the fading crimson of an ancient fresco to the strikingly lifelike form of a statue, transformed from marble block by the human hand.

Fashion is one of the most celebrated ways in which the Italians express a zeal for all things beautiful. Sleek, sophisticated Armani suits and painstakingly crafted Ferragamo heels are on the more upscale side of Italy’s sartorial offerings, but there is even a kind of beauty in more ‘Eurotrash’ style.  Garish patterns, cheap fabrics, strange color combinations and confused lines that encompass the ‘Eurotrash’ look could only be scorned by a total snob.  An undeniable type of beauty is in these ensembles.  Of course the ultimate beauty of Italian fashion, tasteful or outrageous, lies in the incredible ability of its wearers to pull just about any outfit off. I feel at once perplexed and impressed by the inexplicable capacity of Italians to wear things I would undoubtedly look and feel ludicrous in: a fabulous cream pantsuit, a pair of baggy grey sweats tapered at the ankle, or even a jacket tied around the waist.  I can only aspire to gain that Italian sensibility on some level before I leave.

And the cuisine encapsulates an elemental, irresistibly alluring kind of beauty. That fleeting, hedonistic beauty all foodies find in the fragrance of perfectly aged cheese, a cone of cloudlike gelato, or the brightness of fresh, green basil atop a mound of spaghetti al pomodoro.

But here the most beauty can be found in the simplest of things: the gleam of green shutters in the afternoon sun, the scent wafting into the street from a pizzeria, or basking for hours in Piazza del Campo with a six-pack of Birra Morretti. Of course the unapologetic pleasure so many Italians take in all these things, the immense joy with which they lead their lives and take their world in, makes every day all the more beautiful. And it is the beauty in the every day that I will miss most when I leave here and that I will try most to keep in my heart when I am gone. My friends at home may need to prepare themselves for a slightly more bold, indulgent, spirited version of me- or at least the me they know well, striving to be just a little bit more Italian.

This passage is the first of many entries on my blog, http://lifeinbauteworld.tumblr.com/. Grazie a tutti!

Baci,

Jennifer Baute

Let me tell you, writing about successful music artists who are also younger than you is a trip.

Haven’t heard of him?  Or rather, haven’t heard of the Los-Angeles rap collective ODD FUTURE WOLF GANG KILL THEM ALL?  They’re probably not going to be your cup of tea.  The group, which consists of names that seem to have a harmonic effect on the “blogosphere,” consists of a handful of Los Angeles kids who are probably younger than you.  There’s Tyler the Creator, born Tyler Okonma, the lanky producer and ringleader with a reputation for being notoriously goofy in interviews.  There’s Earl Sweatshirt, who’s not even old enough to vote yet, and for reasons that have been left utterly up for speculation, seems to have disappeared from the face of the earth.  There’s Frank Ocean, taking on the role of crooner, and making perhaps the most accessible music in the group.  The rest of the group requires a Wikipedia check to list out:  Hodgey Beats, Domo Genesis, Mike G, Syd the Kid, Left Brain, Matt Martians, Jasper Dolphin, and Taco.  They’re not all rappers, or even musicians, mind you.  Jasper Dolphin is credited as being the group’s “skateboarder,” Martians does graphic design, Taco makes music videos.  The group records their music in a room at Taco’s house, known as the Wolf Lair.  And it prompts the question: why should anyone care?

Here’s why.  ODD FUTURE WOLF GANG KILL THEM ALL (a name it is only possible to write in bold and all-caps) are going to be huge.  These are 16-21 year old kids, Los Angeles skateboarders, and for the last year and half, they’ve done nothing but give away music for free.  It’s an endeavor that grew a cult-like following, and one that ultimately prompted Sony’s RED music branch to give them their own record label, Odd Future Records.  They’ve got a TV show in the works for Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim, they’ve performed at Coachella and soon at England’s Reading festival, they’ve been on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, they’ve been interviewed by the New York Times, they’ve been live on the BBC.  And all of this in the span of less than two months.

So what’s the buzz about then?  It’s about this.  If you’re squeamish, do yourself a favor and click the links in the parentheses instead.  They make heavy grinding beats, they rap about rape, violence, psychiatrists, and Jesus.  Their biggest break yet came with the release of the music video for “Yonkers,” the first single off Tyler the Creator’s new album, Goblin. (Non-Music Video)  The video, shot in shaky black and white with a camera experiencing serious ADD, depicts Tyler, in order, eating a cockroach, throwing up, removing his clothes, and hanging himself.  Oh, then there’s the video for Earl Sweatshirt’s song “Earl,” which, again in order, has the whole of ODD FUTURE WOLF GANG KILL THEM ALL mixing pills, weed, malt liquor and other items into a blender, mixing it, drinking it, and then skateboarding while bleeding from their noses, nipples, mouths, and losing teeth.  (Again, just the song)  Okay, so now we need a new question: what on earth is going on here, and who in the right mind would give these guys a record deal?

There will be many more magazine covers in these guys' future. Or should we say "Odd Future?" Har Har Har.

The answer to that question could, very well, be expounded upon in a three-part blog article.  But in its essence, it can be boiled down to this: It’s raw.  It’s angry, jaded, and off-the-wall, and it’s what has been missing from rap music.  It’s like the 1990s all over again: hardcore rap music, with questionable production values, controversial content, the whole nine yards.  All that comes nicely to a head on Tyler’s latest work, Goblin. Kanye West might have explored his own psyche on his most recent musical album, but it happens to be that Tyler’s id, ego, and superego are a bit darker.  Some sample lyrics: “I’ll stab Bruno Mars in his goddamn esophagus,” “I’m not gay, I just want to boogie to some Marvin,” and (perhaps most worrying for me), “I’m stabbing any blogging [bad word] hipster with a Pitchfork.”  And those are all from the same song.  Tyler and company have gotten the genre-tag of “horrorcore,” which means exactly what it sounds like, but the group, fittingly, insists they’re just making rap music.  Maybe it boils down to a matter of taste if you appreciate what ODD FUTURE WOLF GANG KILL THEM ALL are doing here, but there’s one thing that can be said: no artist with a major-label deal could even dream of saying something like this.  And what’s more: these punks are making the most of their creative freedom, and by god they’re getting famous doing it.

So maybe that’s what’s in store for rap: a lack of self-censorship, and the ability to do pretty much whatever.  Their business model (Goblin is the first record that the group will be charging for, and while I have the leaked version now, count me first in line to financially support them) is startlingly indie-rock, and harkens back to the days in the late 1980s when Fugazi never charged more than 5 dollars for a concert ticket when they easily could have charged $20.  If ODD FUTURE WOLF GANG KILL THEM ALL isn’t your scene, there’s other great independent rap artists out there, too, and a lot of them are similarly giving their music away for free.  Childish Gambino (who I am contractually obligated to say is Community actor Donald Glover) raps about sexual escapades that will put anything that happened at Slippery When Wet to shame.  Das Racist (who recently performed at Pitzer College) raps about smoking weed, and then about smoking weed some more.

The bottom line?  Perhaps rap music is about to hit its “indie” phase.  There’s a plethora ($10 word, check) of great independent artists that are basically giving their music away for free.  So get out there on the big scary interweb, read hip blogs, and find good music.  If rap can be saved (if it even needs saving), then it’s going to take a team effort between you and people like Tyler the Creator, and what better friend could you ask for than this man.

(A) Do you know whose tattoo is whose? Answers at the end of the article.

A Life Magazine poll in 1936 estimated that roughly 6% of Americans had tattoos. According to the Pew Research Center, 38%  Americans aged 18-29 now have one or more. With over a third of our generation deciding to go under the needle, questions emerge about the future of ink in America.  Are tattoos just passing fads, or are they proof of changed standards formality that are here to stay?

I’m biased towards the latter verdict. It’ll be a little tougher to throw my tattooed foot in the closet than it was my Ugg boots and Beanie Babies. Once you get a tattoo, especially if it’s visible, you can expect to have “the tattoo conversation” almost daily: What does it mean? Did it hurt? Why did you get it? Aren’t you worried about your career?Any regrets? Do you want any more?

Perhaps the biggest hurdle to overcome is finding something that really represents your individuality. Maybe you will yearn for ink that is meaningful, classy, and something you think you’ll never get sick of– it will be there forever.

Coming to terms with the permanence boils down to thoughtfulness and your perspective on life.  Junior Dan Evans says of the subject, “Lots of people say oh you’ll have it forever, and I’m like yeah, so when I’m old and dying I’ll be like that was awesome when, you know, I was young.”

(B) "my tattoo is of my brother's initials. He passed away a few years ago, and I wanted a way to permanently have a reminder of him with me"

The way sophomore Johnny Lenahan sees it, “The permanent aspect of tattoos never troubled me very much. Each person’s life is so short that nothing really seems permanent.” Harmony Palmer, class of 2013, takes a different approach to permanence. Her tattoo represents something just as permanent as the ink itself, “family is permanent, so getting a tattoo that represented family just seemed to fit.

Freshman Daniel Price’s tattoo also has a timeless meaning, his tattoo is a symbol that stands for “The Triumph of Life.” The permanence of this idea made sense to him, “ I was attracted to the idea that whenever I look at my feet I will be reminded that I am alive, and that I have no reason to be anything but positive and happy, because life triumphs everything.”

We’ve all been warned about how unprofessional it is to have a visible tattoo. Across the board CMCers simply say, keep it coverable. Most students think that in an ideal world having a tattoo shouldn’t matter at all for your profession. Be that as it may, we are a practical student body and understand the status quo. As Johnny believes, “Tattoos should have no effect on job opportunities or an individual’s professionalism. However, many (older) people still make negative assumptions about people with tattoos.”

(C) "My tattoo means my name, in Chinese. My tattoo is by my ear to symbolize God calling on me to hear His words so I can live rightly, fulfill my purpose, and help others."

A sophomore who preferred to remain unnamed reflects on society and her own judgments, “The more I think about it, the more I realize that these standards of professionalism are completely arbitrary, I mean who is to say that having tattoos is unprofessional and why do they get to make that judgment? Regardless, I am subject to these standards and honestly they have somehow been engrained in me too.” My opinion? Tasteful tattoos will only become more accepted as we get older. I find ink-free to be an old fashioned standard of professionalism, but I’m not willing to bet my skin on that prediction, and will keep mine to easily coverable places until I have an established career.

The tattoo stigma isn’t only present in the professional realm. The social stigma among peers is no less real. There definitely seems to be a “type” that gets a tattoo. Dan Evans jokes his tattoos “upped my hipster point total by about 50%, which led me to buy a pink 80s road bike and start rolling my jeans into capris.  How am I supposed to get a beer at a CMC party when I look like I go to Pitzer?”

Junior Chelsee Cox’s perspective on her tattooed comrades is a positive one. “People with tattoos have stories to tell.” Unique tattoos are intriguing, too. Harmony loves the expression and individuality illustrated in tattooing, but thinks generic tattoos spoil the purpose. “Instead of portraying I am my own person, standard tattoos are saying look, I can be like everyone else. Harmony’s opinion is a common one. People often get tattoos for meaningful reasons, but just as often people get them to be rebellious, prove a point, or because everyone else has one. Daniel Price says, “sometimes I don’t want people to see it, merely because I feel like a lot of people think that I’m just trying to be cool by getting tatted.”

So you want to get inked? Here’s some advice:

• Junior Julian Martinez colorfully describes the sensation of getting a tattoo as, “a cat scratching a bad sunburn.” He suggests that if the pain is what deters you, you may want to think twice. “That is a clear sign that the tattoo’s meaning is not all that important to you.”
• Johnny says, “Don’t let the social stigma placed on tattoos deter you from putting something meaningful on you, life is too short to be restricted from doing what you want based on bullshit social norms.”
• Similarly, Chelsee advises,“Don’t listen to what others think, make it something you like and get it where you like. You have to live with it forever, they don’t have to.”
• Making sure you like it might be the tricky part. Daniel Price suggests that you, “take the image of what you think you want and put it in one of your drawers. Six months later, open up that drawer, and see if you still actually want it.

Answers:

A: Johnny Lenahan

B: Julian Martinez

C: Harmony Palmer

D: Johnny Lenahan

E: Ethan Harry

F: Erica Bellman

G: Jack Oliphant

H: Ethan Harry

I: Dan Evans

J: Cori Solomon

K: Chelsee Cox

L: Ellie Beckett

M: Chelsee Cox

If you’ve been in Claremont long enough, you know it can become suffocating. How many times can you eat at the same restaurants with the same upper class, mid-forty year-old couples? Not to mention the dogs. If I see another poodle in the village I’m going to drop kick it off a bridge like Jack Black did Baxter. Sometimes I need to escape, and LA is a larger debacle than I’m often willing to deal with. So I go to Pomona.

What does Pomona have to offer besides bomb Mexican joints and the Glass House (who wants to see Passion Pit with me Saturday)? The Second and Last Saturday Art Walks. Downtown Pomona morphs into a bustling art zone, with welcoming galleries situated around a central square of vendors and live music. The city comes alive. DJs are stationed near the galleries, so tunes are pumping while an array of folks peruse art of various mediums.

If you think Second or Last Saturday might interfere with your plans to get black-out drunk at a cleverly themed CMC party, don’t fret: the art events start at 6pm and end before the CMC festivities get bumping. I went with my mentee Daniel last time – he’s the suave one chillin’ in some of the pics below. But you could take, you know, a girl you like. Or a boy. The Art Walk is a prime date spot with plenty of dark spots to sneak in some necking, frisking, whatever you kids call it these days.

Under the premise of evolution, man (and lady) has one main reason for existing: survival. This quest to pass on genes to one’s offspring, at all costs, may yield a selfish propensity in mankind.  Accordingly, evolutionary scholars are puzzled as to how the trait of altruism continues to persist.  In order to achieve our goal of self-survival, why would anyone need to be altruistic?

As odd as it may seem, altruism – and relationships, for that matter – bolsters our well-being and ultimate pursuit of survival.  To examine this further, let’s get hypothetical for a moment. Imagine a modern-day dude (or dudette) who spends his entire life in pursuit of maximizing his chances for surviving and ensuring that his kids have the opportunity to do the same. Ignore the fact that this may seem like an awful and inhumane way to live your life; recall that evolutionary theories dictate that this is man’s natural primary goal.

In order to achieve grade-A survival, this guy needs help from his fellow humans.  Furthermore, he needs his kin to outperform the competition; surrounding himself with other survivors is beneficial for our hypothetical man. To become fit for survival, the individual needs every advantage possible. Discovery of the correlation between one’s own prosperity and that of one’s kin is monumental for the individual.

This is where it gets really interesting for all of us at CMC:

We are kin. Period. One big, ridiculously awesome family. The success of every student at CMC is enhanced by the success of the other students, and ultimately by the excellent standard CMC is known for. In our common quest to thrive, we are inextricably linked.

So whether you’re a Finance major dreaming about how fat your bank account is going to be one day, or an Art major swooning over owning your own studio in Venice, we all need each other. Being surrounded by a group of peers at CMC who are all working to excel in their respective fields is inspiring, encouraging, and will propel us to places too spectacular for our most ambitious dreams. As CMC’s reputation continues to improve and our alumni make their mark on the world, it enables us to live our dreams – whatever they may be.

While we all must actively pursue our own dreams, we also must help and support our fellow CMCers. By combining our various specialties into one solid support base and encouraging one another to strive for our goals, CMC and its students can excel. I am not saying we need to hold hands and sing Kumbaya, but root for your classmates! Don’t judge the paths others choose to follow; instead, urge them to reach their potentials. Let’s use Darwin’s prescription for CMC’s success.  With a healthy dose of altruism, we can become the fittest family for survival.