Excluding interviews with the Forum and the Claremont Port Side, the ASCMC Senate meeting was the first time members of the administration spoke directly with students since the discovery of manipulated data was made public last week. During the meeting, Benavidez noted that President Pamela Gann, “said that she will meet with the students at an upcoming occasion.”

The Bauer Forum was unusually packed with nearly 150 students in attendance, eager to hear the administration speak publicly on recent events and offer answers to the many unanswered questions raised by the SAT scandal and Dean Vos’ resignation.

Photo Credit: Kelsey Brown

The meeting began with a motion from representatives of the Claremont Port Side to allow for recording and live-streaming of the event. Following an extensive discussion and vote, the senate body decided to bar video and audio recording from the room, much to the dismay of some attendees.

The discussion opened with an address by Dean Huang in which he explained, “We’re here tonight to listen to your concerns… We want to talk about moving forward as well.” He went on to summarize the events of the past two weeks, and tried to reassure students that the situation was under control. “We’ve pledged to strengthen our interior controls over the data,” he explained. He also argued that the impact of the scandal on current students would be minimal, especially for their employment opportunities. “One company … actually did call and said that they had heard about this, and that they were staying with us, saying ‘CMC students are still of incredible talent.’”

Following Dean Huang’s address, DeVeres and Sandoval-Dancs fielded questions from the students, while Benavidez offered help when necessary.

Students were quick to voice their concern for the potential ramifications of Vos’ misconduct. Daniel Shane (CMC ’13) asked how Early Decision applicants were responding to the recent news. DeVeres responded that none had yet asked to withdraw from enrollment because of the debacle.

When asked how the administration would prevent similar problems in the future, DeVeres declared firmly that “all admissions data has been audited” and that, “we’re going to be swiftly putting controls in place” to decrease the likelihood of a repeat offense. Benavidez seemed hopeful for the future when he declared, “We are in the middle of a PR challenge, but we are withstanding it because CMC has a strong foundation”

When asked what kind of pressure, if any, was placed on the administration to strengthen CMC’s performance in national rankings, Sandoval-Dancs claimed, “I can’t say I’ve ever interpreted anything as pressure … to me it was just about momentum and feeling good and knowing you can set goals and you can reach them” but that, “it was always be very clear, you know, be realistic.”

Photo Credit: Kelsey Brown

The officials also discussed the impact of recent events on themselves personally. Dean Huang in particular noted that, “I will forever be changed by this.” He hoped that students could also learn something from the affair, and implored the audience to, “be honest and forthright with the people you work with.”

Students later offered their responses to the discussion. Aditya Pai (CMC’13), who leads the Senate as ASCMC’s Vice President, said, “My expectation was that students would ask constructive, pointed questions and that administrators would answer those questions honestly and openly to the best of their knowledge. I think that expectation was met.”

Others were less satisfied. Tyler McBrien (CMC’14) noted that, “The voice of Dick Vos remains notably absent,” and summarized the night as “Too many questions. Not enough answers.” Talia Segal (CMC’15) agreed, saying “I thought there were too many ‘I don’t knows.’”

Sam Stone (CMC’14) was more critical. He explained, “I was not satisfied. I was, in fact, a little bit insulted because, number one, they spent a lot of time talking about how nice it was for them to take time out of their day to come and talk to us, and that’s their job … The only thing I got from today was that these people didn’t have answers.”

Carly Lenderts (CMC’14) added “I felt like they were trying to pacify us … the answers were dry and a little bit prepared.” She added that, “On a personal level, I don’t really believe it was just Dean Vos. I just don’t think that institutions work this way. You can’t tell us that every application gets two reads but the SAT scores are only dealt with by one person. That doesn’t really make sense to me.”

The CMC administration has made an initial attempt to reach out to students who are hungry for answers. Unfortunately, the general feeling of attendees seemed to be one of dissatisfaction. Many feel that the administration has yet to own up to their mistakes and engage the student body in a thorough, honest discussion regarding the manipulation of admissions data by the Office of Admissions. Hopefully, the administration will better involve students in the process of moving past this ordeal and work harder to resolve lingering questions.

Nathan Falk ’14 contributed reporting.

On campus, the Forum broke the news of President Gann’s email concerning the fudged reports and compared a google cache of the Office of Admission webpage to its current page, and later highlighted former Dean Vos’ resignation. On Wednesday afternoon, the Forum publicized an official statement from CMC’s student government, ASCMC. Nationally, The New York Times and The LA Times were among those to first pick up the story, offering background on the events of the incident, including the score falsification, Richard Vos’ resignation, President Gann’s email to students, and the move to hire a law firm to investigate the matter more fully.

Photo Courtesy of CNN

A variety of reports have concluded that the college’s rankings will only be mildly affected, if at all.  CNN reported that according to U.S. News and World Report, SAT scores “account for about 7.5% of a school’s total score in the formula.”  In an interview with NPR, Robert Morse, the director of data research for U.S. News, speculated that while the score change wouldn’t have dire effects on the college’s ranking, it could likely drop out of the top ten.

USA TODAY interviewed Robert Franek, the senior vice president of publishing for The Princeton Review who stated that “he had never heard of a college intentionally reporting incorrect data.” However, Franek also told the Forum that he didn’t believe the score inflation would make a real difference in CMC’s standing with the Princeton Review, as their reviews are based entirely on student opinion.

Rankings aside, the Claremont Port Side conducted an in-depth investigation into how much the scores had been altered to create an upward trend in scoring. Reporter Jeremy B. Merrill ’12 published graphs which reveal critical reading scores were inflated by “an average of more than 17 points,” suggesting the score manipulation was more drastic than President Gann had originally suggested. Merrill reported an elevated mean during the past years to cover up a dip in scores and the fact that, “the freshmen admitted in 2011 — the class of 2015 — had mean Critical Reading scores that were the lowest since the class admitted in 2007.”

TIME magazine’s online newsfeed was sympathetic to CMC and criticized the rankings system for putting undue pressure on colleges to present a flawless face.  The Chronicle of Higher Education also reported on the competitive world of admissions and gave examples of several colleges in similar circumstances.  The article concluded by reaffirming, “We also maintain the belief that the system is fair and honest, and try to head off the cynicism that our families could easily adopt by viewing college admission as a rigged game of numbers and self-interest.”

As for the man responsible, The New York Times also confirmed that it was in fact Richard C. Vos the former Vice President and Dean of Admission and quoted him as saying, “No comment. It’s an internal personnel matter.”

The New York Times Education Section spent time on campus for an article entitled “Students at Claremont McKenna More Worried About Reputation Than Rankings” interviewing students who generally agreed that although the score adjustment was regrettable, it did not reflect negatively on their fellow students. Most students echoed senior Blake Bennett’s sentiment, “It’s still a great school. I just wish this wasn’t why it was getting headlines.”

ABC News reported on campus in front of the Kravis Center, gathering footage of sweatshirt-clad CMC students as a background to its report on the recent controversy.  More recently, ABC News reported that a spokesman for CMC, Associate Vice President for Public Affairs, Communications and Marketing, Max Benavidez, stated “We’re not hiding anything,” he said. “We’re the ones volunteering to tell people what took place and what we’re doing to fix it.”  The report also quoted Aditya Pai ’11, ASCMC Vice President, as saying, “[Vos’s] actions do not reflect the strength of our community, the excellence of our education, or the caliber of our people.”

Students continued to ask for answers as Nathan Falk ’14 called for a further explanation from the administration. “Only shedding light on the issue will bring us closure,” Falk said in his Forum op-ed.

In a positive take on recent events, Caroline Nyce ’13 defended her college and its community in another Forum op-ed published Wednesday morning. Nyce wrote, “The CMC they’re writing about? That’s not my school.”

Both groups have eerily similar functions. The CPB is a board of elected officials that plans alcohol-free events and activities for students at Claremont McKenna College (CMC). Alexandra Cooke ’14, the current SLC chair, is required by the Associated Students of Claremont McKenna College (ASCMC) constitution to “coordinate non-alcoholic activities for the student body.” If you just did a double take, you’re not alone because CPB and SLC have essentially the exact same purpose. The only differences? CPB has deeper pockets, different funding sources and an unelected leader.

Jim Nauls helped bring Aziz Ansari to Claremont last spring

This article is not intended to disparage either Cooke or the current CPB chair Christina Khavarian ’12.  As dozens of airbrushed unicorn tattoos and decorated holiday cookies will attest, they have each done a fantastic job of keeping us entertained, happy, and well-fed inside and outside our Claremont bubble.

Still, from budget differences to election practices or lack thereof, it seems that the CPB chair and SLC chair are two positions that could easily be merged in order to truly benefit the students and be most effective. If combined, the new “dry chair” could pool monetary resources from two sources and avoid the inefficient overlap in positions that currently exists.  The position of SLC chair should be eliminated altogether and the CPB Chair should be elected by the students to allocate funds from both the DoS Office and ASCMC. This does raise a few problems: will ASCMC become nothing more than a glorified party-planning committee? Where will the money allocated to the SLC chair go? Because the CPB is not governed by a constitution, would the interests of students truly be spoken for?

Cooke sums up budgetary concerns perfectly, “The main differences between the two are simply where their funds come from and the sizes of the budgets. My budget comes from ASCMC and CPB’s budget comes from the Board of Trustees and is allocated by Jim Nauls in the Dean of Students Office.” Cooke notes that CPB’s budget is approximately 10 times larger than her SLC budget and reiterates, “I work for ASCMC and CPB works for Dean Nauls. While I have a constitution, an executive board and a budgeting committee to oversee how I spend my budget, CPB is guided by Dean Nauls.”

Don’t get me wrong, it is indeed admirable that CMC students (via CPB) are now in charge of allocating the funds the Dean of Students Office has appropriated for student activities, but it just seems convoluted to split funds (unevenly) between ASCMC representative Cooke and CPB’s 14-person board. CPB gets to sponsor the big names like Demetri Martin, take students to Dodgers  games, and bring Kogi trucks while Cooke only has the funds to sponsor No Shave November contests and cookie-decorating.

Then there’s the matter of the election process. As Cooke puts it, “ASCMC has a constitution that mandates the fair election of an SLC; CPB does not (yet).”

Indeed, this is how the election for CPB student representatives went in Appleby Dorm. Resident Assistant Jordan Santo ’12 asked his residents, “Who wants to be our CPB rep?”  Silence. “Seriously guys…someone…anyone?” Someone tentatively raised their hand, and thus, a new CPB representative was born!  It was hardly the best example of political activism at CMC, and while the process may not have been the same in other dorms, it’s hard to imagine that there was any hard-core campaigning going on.

Yes, Cooke ran unopposed, but she still had to make her future plans known and tell us what she intended to do as SLC chair.  Besides, a certain sneaky “Write-In” (John Faranda, perhaps?) gave her a run for her money by winning 27.37% of the vote. Students had to actively take thirty seconds out of their day to check boxes and that, my friends, is democracy.

While the individual members of the board were elected, Khavarian was chosen by Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Activities Jim Nauls and was not elected to her position.

In an earlier Forum article introducing CPB to the campus at large, Jim Nauls was quoted as saying “she will not have any more say in the events than other students on the board.”

CMC is all about choosing their leaders and controlling spending (trust me, I’ve seen Senate debate the merits of a various garden plants for over a half hour), and I find it hard to believe that this decision didn’t ruffle a few feathers. Yes, the idea of a CPB tyrant imposing miserable activities on sober students is preposterous, but shouldn’t the students have more of an active role in choosing who plans activities on their behalf?

When it comes to the CPB and SLC chair Cooke, the method of “divide and conquer” has become “divide and do the same thing with different funding and varying degrees of student input.”   Add to this the fact that there is very little if any communication between the two, and it’s clearly time to combine and conquer.

Though much of what we see from ASCMC as students are events like Monte Carlo or the “party inform,” ASCMC isn’t simply a governing body debating the merits of various themes (or so we hope).  As a group of leaders trying to create the best community for all of us, I believe ASCMC could get used to the idea of contributing what funding it previously used for SLC chair to CPB’s fund so we could benefit from both resources.

Cooke agrees that some cooperation could benefit both groups. “I think CPB and SLC have great potential to work together…the two groups should collaborate more, to maximize great events.”  If the SLC chair simply becomes CPB chair, eliminating redundancies and allowing for fair elections, CMC students can have the best of both worlds. Imagine a glorious campus where you can nosh on hand-decorated cookies while laughing uproariously at Demetri Martin. Dreams do come true.

Ultimately, both groups joining forces to accomplish the exact same thing can only create and fund even better activities for all of us. Personally, I’d like to see some collaboration or I’ll be forced to adopt the much less catchy slogan (my apologies to Patrick Henry), “Give me a fairly elected group of students with shared funding to provide booze-free entertainment, or give me death!”

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.

It was a busy semester at CMC.

CMC moved up in the rankings to the 9^th best Liberal Arts College in the country.

The Kravis Center officially opened to students and faculty.  The Living Room (affectionately known as ‘the Kube’) attracted students’ attention  after some technical difficulties and the administration’s initial decision to limit access to students. This was all before the Kube became home to one Pomona student’s temporary interpretive dance studio.

The fall semester also celebrated and embodied student leadership at CMC.  Students started a movement to do a better job of cleaning up after parties and led an effort to change our campus conversation about sex and gender norms. Trying bridge the gap between our Building Attendants and their residents, the Forum got to know some of CMC’s friendliest staff members. CMCers led a campaign to be more environmentally friendly on campus and coordinated a day of reflection on 9/11. Others took the lead in social activity planning, expanding student involvement with Dean of Students and creating the College Programming Board (check out the big name they are bringing to campus). Student initiative also brought the popular TED talks to the Claremont Colleges, hosting a TEDx conference in September.

CMC also faced a number of challenges in the fall of 2011: an unexpected over-enrollment of students forced the conversion of two popular study spaces into four-person rooms and a large number of students returning to CMC in the spring from fall study abroad programs led to an on-campus housing crisis.  The story behind the “Marks Squatter” brought some humor to a rather-serious-but-now resolved issue of on-campus visitors.

The Associated Students of Claremont McKenna College was hard at work all semester, advocating for students on issues such as increased study spaces, building a better quality of life, and providing some much needed snack time.

The Occupy Movement swept the nation this semester and arrived at the doorstep of our Claremont Colleges. Students were active in the protests in Claremont, Los Angeles, and the rest of the nation. Indeed, two Pitzer students were arrested for their involvement in the Occupy LA protests.  Political dialogue was alive and well, especially towards the end of the semester, when CMC welcomed former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to our campus. Many 5C students, however, had a different plan in mind and formed an “unwelcoming” party for Rice’s visit. The planned protests forced a change in venue for Rice’s speech, which triggered an outcry from students. While the protests stirred up quite a controversy, the civility and political discourse throughout the evening exemplified students’ diversity of thought, without provoking violence or hostilities.

The Forum sat down with our very own college president Pamela Gann and discussed her current and future projects for the school, which included a revamp of the beloved North Quad and expanding the new Center for Civic Engagement.

But it wasn’t all business this semester at the Forum. Speaking with Paul Zak, a.k.a Dr. Love, the Forum got to hear the Doctor’s thoughts on love, life, and how giving 8 hugs a day will make the world a better place. Those student globe-trotters enjoying their study abroad experience took time to write home to CMC and share their experiences from far-off lands such as Washington D.C., South America, Italy and Oman. And for those bright-eyed freshmen, returning students and Dean Spellman gave them their two cents (sometimes musically) on how to navigate their first semester and discover how great this college really is.

We uncovered the top 5 companies that hire CMC students, brought Words with Friends lovers the 10 most useful Scrabble words, and suggested 8 classes to students that might have overlooked some academic treasures. Students contributed to the ongoing discussion on topics such as art, film, pop culture, public radio, music and concerts. And despite the delicious unveiling of a new Ath menu, the Forum offered some tips on how to stay healthy, even in the face of all those Rice Krispie treats.

A-Mitch even appeared for an encore.

ASCMC hosted a number of events this semester, improving on past traditions—Monte Carlo—and even starting some new ones—The Boardwalk Empire party and No Shave November. We know you can’t wait for the Wedding Party next spring—and neither can we. Expect even bigger surprises next semester.

Our tech guru offered some awesome tips on his #CMCTech blog, including advice on how to make your work faster and more effective, thoughts on the Semester in Silicon Valley Program and even a holiday gift guide (it’s never too late to get that perfect present).

The Forum also better incorporated sports into our publication. The Forum now offers live broadcasts of all home CMS athletic games, complete with video and audio from student broadcasters.  We celebrated triumph, defeat and the utter domination at SCIACs.  The publication also took and in-depth look at sports at CMC and uncovered how SCIAC rules hurt CMS recruiting high school athletes and what many are doing to save the Intramural program.

Outside of the CMC bubble, the Forum checked in with our beloved Claremont village, celebrating the once-in-a-century Zipcode Day (9/17/11=91711) and partaking in the delicious festivities at the California Beer Festival.

It was a busy semester and time for reflecting has just begun. First, we would like to thank you, our readers, for your support, comments, advice, kindness, crudeness, humor and thoughtful discussion. But, we have one more request. The Forum has grown considerably in the last semester but we want to know how we can continue to improve. Below is a short survey that we hope you will fill out so we can make this publication stronger. We look forward to hearing your constructive thoughts, suggestions and comments.

The Forum wishes you a wonderful break and a restful holiday. We promise to bring you the best in news, opinions, and insights from Claremont College students as we enter our spring semester. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading with us this fall, and we’ll see you in 2012!

“I have heard a lot of frustration from several students who find the spaces available to be too crowded or limited in hours,” said Mao. “The spaces in the proposal are ones where students should have increased access. Several other institutions allow 24-hour access to classrooms and a 24-hour library space. We’re a top academic institution, but lack these qualities of our peers.”

The SSTF submitted a proposal on Tuesday, December 6, to Dean Jefferson Huang, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Dean Gregory Hess, Vice President for Academic Affairs, which suggests how study spaces on campus can serve to satisfy what they identify as six primary student needs: a 24-hour (1) individual study space, (2) group meeting space, (3) group study space, (4) computer lab space, (5) outdoor space and (6) an informal gathering space.

Photo Credit: David Leathers

Identifying and detailing the proposed use of six spaces–the Hub, Frazee, the Living Room, the Kravis Center terraces, classrooms and the Crocker Reading Room–the proposal seeks to ameliorate the difficulties CMC students have recently encountered with procuring appropriate study spaces. The SSTF also suggests measures to increase the efficiency of printing in computer labs and ways to increase the availability of information to the CMC student body regarding hours of the study spaces.

The proposal recognizes the advancements made in the Hub over the past year, but points out that it is not being fully utilized by the student body. The Hub is most often used during the weekdays, when students can get meal replacements, snacks or socialize with friends. But, as the Hub grill only serves food after 8pm on weekends, the space is nearly empty for much of the day, excluding mealtimes. Thus, in the short-term, the proposal suggests that an expansion in the hours of operation would lead to students making better use of the Hub over the weekends as an informal hangout space. In the long term, the proposal suggests that the Hub should be accessible to students 24-hours a day through key-card access. Furthermore, as the Hub lags significantly in terms of food and aesthetics in comparison to its counterparts across the five colleges, the proposal suggests renovating the Hub as part of next summer’s North Mall Renovation Project.

In its proposal, the SSTF questions the effectiveness of Frazee, the newly created study space on campus, in creating a comfortable and suitable study environment for CMC students. In particular, the proposal sites the ‘chair room’–the room adjacent to the Hub Store–as an inconvenient answer to increased study space. In the short-term, the proposal suggests the conversion of the ‘chair-room’ into a 24-hour conference room for students by removing all the chairs and adding a table. The SSTF suggests that with this change, the room would be more useful as a group meeting space or a group study space. The long-term proposal suggests the elimination of the walls between Frazee’s two rooms to create a much bigger study space.

The Living Room does not currently serve as an appropriate study or a lounge space as the tables are too short for studying to take place and limited access to the building itself prevents students from taking full advantage of its resources. The proposal suggests that it is necessary to increase the accessibility of the room to 24-hours a day.

The SSTF also cites limited access to the Kravis Center terraces as seriously inconveniencing students and preventing use of the space for group meetings, group studying, or more social student interactions. The proposal suggests that day-time access to the second and the third floors should be granted to students every day of the week. ID card readers and security cameras will ensure that students are safe and treat the building respectfully.

According to their proposal, the SSTF assert that there is no group study space on campus where group collaboration can take place. The library and the reading room have restrictive noise rules, making them excellent places for peaceful studying but less great for rowdy meetings. Meanwhile the dorm lounges and the Hub are too noisy. The proposal suggests that classrooms in Kravis Center, Roberts, and Bauer be available for students to work in a group after-class hours. Currently, the Dean of Students Mary Spellman and Registrar Elizabeth Morgan are looking into this while Assistant Dean of Students Eric Vos and Dean Huang are also looking into the matter.

The Crocker Reading Room does a good job of providing a quiet, individual study space to students. The proposal suggests that the Presidential Collection on the second floor be moved elsewhere in order to allow for an extension of hours and access to the reading room. By moving the collection, students would be able to appreciate the collection at a more secure place and there would be no need for student monitors outside the room. The monitors could be reallocated to supervise the Ducey weight room, which would ensure that the student monitors are still employed. The proposal highlights this particular recommendation as it has a few costs for the college, with many benefits for the students.

To the SSTF, printing remains the main problem in the computer labs. Many students rely on the availability of computers at labs like Poppa in order to quickly print reading and study materials; more often than not, however, students arrive at a lab only to find that no computers are available for a simple print job. The proposal notes that these circumstances lead to one of two things: students leave unsuccessfully or interrupt students already at work. To remedy the problem, the proposal suggests the creation of 1-2 ‘printing stations’ in Poppa lab – computers designated for students who come in solely to print. This would solve the problem by allowing students to get in and out quickly, while preventing any additional equipment from being added to the lab.

Perhaps most important in the SSTF’s recent proposal is what they cite as the underlying reason for why the Kravis Technology Classroom or Frazee are underutilized: a general lack of communication. The proposal seeks to address the communication gap between students and the administration and suggests that the “Student Gateway” page of the CMC website include a detailed list of study spaces with availability and hours of operation.  Rather than sending out school-wide emails regarding the hours for a particular study space, the information could be consolidated in an easily accessible and readily available format on the school’s website.

SSTF hopes that with their proposal comes a marked change in how the CMC administration will assess and evaluate the existing–and potential–study spaces on campus. It is clear that procuring appropriate study space for college students is a high priority issue, and the SSTF hopes that their initiative will draw the attention of both administration officials and the CMC student body to this reality.

The full text of the proposal is here.

Vote for the best beard below and the winner will have a $200 donation given in his name to the American Cancer Society, specifically for prostate cancer.

“No Shave November was started to raise awareness for Prostate Cancer, and we want to stay true to that,” said SLC Chair Alexandra Cooke ’14.

Only 24 students lasted all of November in the competition including Cameron Bernhardt ’15, Palin Liu ’15, Christian Mkpado ’15, Christian Ayala ’15, Chad Tarpley ’15, Dante Toppa ’15, Caleb Cunha ’15, Cora Miller ’15, Sydney Stephenson ’15, Tyler Sonnemaker ’15, Christian Neumeister ’15, Marc Blumberg ’15, Nadeem Farooqi ’15, Shantanu Garg ’14, Daniel Price ’14, Andrew Bergman ’14, Felipe Fagundes ’14, Nick Gillette ’14, Jon Steck ’13, Greyson Blue ’13, Evan Nigh ’13, Danny Polyakov ’12, Schuyler Kruizenga ’12, and Jake Petzold ’12. The contest had originally 52 participants, but over the past month students dropped out for various reasons.  Let’s face it: beards can be a hassle.  They itch, they catch food, and they make kissing a little awkward.  Plus, not all beards are created equal, and some faces either can’t grow them evenly or get a little too enthusiastic and produce overwhelming gobs of hair.

One of the two girls in the competition held strong, however: “Not shaving for the month was not a very big deal for me because I can cover my legs whenever I want, while I know all the men out there couldn’t cover their beards. What did bother me though, is the double standard I was held to. Why is it not okay to leave my legs unshaven, but it is ok for my peers to leave their faces, the part of their body that is looked at most, unshaven? I went to track in shorts quite often and I don’t think anyone there noticed my unshaven legs!,” said Cora Miller ’15.

Some students also partook in No Shave November just for fun, including freshman Nick Weiss.  He actually misses his beard now that “Please Shave December” has rolled around. “Now that it is over I feel really naked all the time,” said Weiss.

Here are the 10 Finalists:

Andrew Bergman 14

Christian Mkpado 15

Danny Polyakov 12

Dante Toppo 15

Evan Nigh 13

Felipe Fagundes 14

Nick Gillette 14

Jake Petzold 12

Tyler Sonnemaker 15

Shantanu Garg 14

Vote for your favorite:

According to Dean of Residential Life Eric Vos, the shortfall comes in at only 4 beds; rather, only four students are currently without housing. Last week, says Dean Eric, the number was at 5 after CMC conducted its housing lottery for returning students until one student decided to triple with friends instead. Though some expected the shortfall to be much greater, Dean Eric noted that the newest figure takes into account existing empty beds on campus and those willing to take up the offer to triple or move off campus. The number, however, does not account for those expected to leave campus on academic suspension.

In early November, news of the housing crisis caused a stir and frustrated many, including those on campus and abroad. Though aware of the underlying issues of the most current housing crunch, junior Sean McQueen “was definitely upset that enough housing on campus was not available for juniors coming back from abroad.” McQueen, who is currently participating in CMC’s Washington, DC program, has found housing via an on-campus senior but is concerned for those given less convenient living options. While there seems to be an implicit guarantee for housing all four years at CMC, Dean Eric reminded students at a recent November meeting of the Residential Life Committee that such a guarantee does not in fact exist in CMC’s bylaws.

In an effort to accommodate those left in the lurch, CMC has been working with Pomona College to insure beds for those students unable to find housing on CMC’s campus. Hoping to keep CMC students close to home, Dean Eric attempted to secure beds in Pomona’s newest dorms, Sontag and Pomona Hall, located on the college’s North Campus. The demand among Pomona students for living space in the new dorms, however, has only allowed for availability in Pomona’s Mudd-Blaisdell, a largely freshman dorm located on Pomona’s South Campus and much removed from CMC. Thus far, CMC has secured six beds in three double rooms at Mudd-Blaisdell.

Dean Eric remains hopeful, and says he is “optimistic that everyone returning from abroad will get a bed at the Claremont Colleges.” Indeed, says Dean Eric, “the likelihood that additional openings at CMC will come up for the 4 students [without housing] is high.” Whether those openings on campus are favorable options or last resort attempts at housing remains to be seen. “They’ve all been given the opportunity and information to triple into double rooms,” says Dean Eric, “if they so choose.”

The lingering question remains on how to deal with those CMC students returning to campus in the spring but not from abroad. While transfer students can often account for the increase in housing needs, CMC will not admit any transfers next spring. However, each semester, CMC readmits a certain number of students on leave for suspension, academic probation, or an elected leave of absence. The 5 students who fall into this category next spring, says Dean Eric, are unlikely to get housing at the Claremont Colleges though the potential for space at Pomona seems promising. Unfortunately for the already fragile housing situation, the number of readmits could potentially increase, causing even more stress on campus resources.

To aid all students in securing spring housing, CMC has asked that students consider a triple bed option in rooms the administration will deem appropriate for tripling . In the November Residential Life Committee meeting, Dean Eric suggested, for example, that the especially large double rooms in Beckett Hall be used as triples next spring. Yet after speaking with the residents there, only one room agreed to convert their living space to a triple. Others living in large doubles elsewhere declined the offer to add a third roommate. While there is a slight financial incentive for tripling up ($410 according to the Dean of Students Office calculations), students have indicated that the incentive remains too low to encourage voluntary tripling and should be raised to account for the loss in space. Currently, 4 groups have agreed to the triple option with the possibility of a fifth triple room.

Students are also encouraged to look for housing off-campus. Thus far, 9 students have committed to living off-campus. Sixteen years ago, CMC offered financial incentives for students to move off-campus, but Dean Eric assures that, “we’re not there yet.”

McQueen says he doesn’t blame CMC’s administration for the housing crunch. “I felt like they handled the situation pretty well overall,” McQueen remarked, “Communication wasn’t stellar, but I feel like [Dean] Vos pursued every option he could given the cards he was dealt.”

The root of the housing problem is indeed the result of a number of compounding factors. Most often cited is the disproportionate desire to go abroad in the fall semester versus the spring semester, which translates to a squeeze on bed availability for those returning in January. Kristen Mallory at the Office of Off-Campus Study is working to balance the numbers of students abroad despite the continuing demand to study abroad in the fall—an initial survey of those planning to study abroad in Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 showed a discrepancy of about 100 students preferring fall to spring. Dean Eric assures that the imbalance has been taken care of. “After accounting for attrition rates, moving students from fall to spring, and late additions,” said Dean Eric, “the numbers have balanced out to reasonable levels.  At this point, there is nothing to worry about for next year’s off campus study students and their spring housing.”

Of course, there are other factors that enter the equation. The opportunity to apply for a Residential Assistant (RA) position is only available in the spring and requires all applicants to be on campus at the time of their application. Students often want to get involved with student government and run for ASCMC office, yet can only do so in the spring term. Additionally, certain required courses are offered spring term only and can deter students from choosing the spring option for their off-campus study experience. The desire to be involved in campus life creates hesitancy among those students thinking about a spring semester abroad.

CMC has taken steps to address the root cause of the problem, working with the Office of Off-Campus Study and the Dean of Students Office to better coordinate their student numbers for the fall and spring. In order to avoid a housing crunch where tripling in double rooms and housing on Pomona’s South Campus remain the most viable options, the administration will have to look more closely at their methods of estimation regarding students both on and off CMC’s campus.

Green Beach in 2011.

Despite our reputation as a school primarily focused on Government and Economics, there are a number of environment-related avenues that students could pursue. Many of these paths are academic, particularly research opportunities at the Roberts Environmental Center. There is also significant and growing interest in the unique Environment, Economics and Politics (EEP) program. Last year alone, the college graduated 24 EEP majors, almost double the previous year’s tally. Still, if environmental sensitivity is seen as a series of lifestyle choices, then a degree alone does not complete the picture.

Student-run activities like SPEAR (Students Promoting Environmental Awareness and Responsibility) and the more recently established Community Garden support green initiatives outside of the classroom. Some students go even further in their environmental missions and pursue internships at organizations such as the Environmental Protection Agency or the Natural Resource Defense Council.

Sachi Singh, a senior and NRDC intern, finds that CMC’s emphasis on policymaking and leadership are in fact quite applicable to promoting sustainability. “Governance is a crucial part of the environmental movement,” says Singh, “and CMCers are well-prepared to become leaders in the field.”  Dr. J Emil Morhardt, the Roberts Professor of Environmental Biology, notes that “CMC graduates tend to put themselves within the system to effect change.”

Yet these dedicated people do not form a large enough percentage of the overall student body. We can do better.

By contrast, a certain next-door neighbor (read: Pomona) seems to better integrate environmental concerns into its campus culture. Now, a dedicated environmental position is included as part of the Associated Students of Pomona College (ASPC) board. They got an A in student involvement.

This comparison is not meant to undermine the work of green CMCers. In the words of Libby Friede, one of the co-founders of Community Garden, “The dedicated [students] here are just as dedicated as there.” But we can do better.

As Jessica Mao, the President of ASCMC says, “With the diversity of leadership that exists at CMC, there is space for environmental issues.”  She points out that the ASCMC Executive Board is already “creating conversations about sustainability issues through something as visible and accessible as dorm damages.”

These trends form what Brian Worley, Director of Facilities and Campus Services notes as “more interest” from CMCers on environmental issues over the years. From events such as the annual dorm energy competition to SPEAR’s trash on the lawn day, Worley observes that there has been a “pretty strong” level of continuity in student interest towards sustainability initiatives. Although, when it comes to consumption patterns, he points out that it is “hard to quantify lasting behavior changes.” Even so, he joins several others in appreciating that there is “a lot of potential” for progress. In this regard, the fact that students are introducing red cup and beer can bins at parties is an encouraging start.

At the same time, it is a mistake to equate environmental sensitivity with protest-march style activism. We can all be more environmentally sensitive doing simple, passive things like recycling, only grabbing what we can/will actually eat in Collins and turning off the lights when we leave a room.  It’s the little things that matter too. As Social Affairs Chair, senior Will Brown noted, “the extra effort required for recycling is marginal enough that it doesn’t necessitate any additional belief.”  In other words, whether you are an environmentalist or not, small actions can add up to make a big difference.  We can also be more active by encouraging others to do the same and holding them accountable.

The Environmental Concerns Committee, which meets on the second Friday of every month, can be one of these systems for change and an important vehicle for students to express themselves.

One point of general agreement is that the CMC student body represents possibly among the most diverse political spectra of U.S. undergraduate institutions. A factor consequently reflected in people’s opinions on environmental trends. Look around and you will find plenty of both students who define themselves as environment-conscious and those who do not. What really matters though is just how much of that awareness translates into action during our time here.

Ultimately, environmental sensitivity at CMC boils down to what sophomore Hilary Haskell, co-president of SPEAR, describes as “presence.”  Yes, it is on our minds, but we need to do better.

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.