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!

Sylvia Gonzales is the shy building attendant for Fawcett Hall. She loves history and even shares some of her own with CMC. Sylvia’s name is on the fountain outside Bauer, celebrating her 30th anniversary as an employee of Claremont McKenna College. For the last five years, Sylvia has been the building attendant for Fawcett Hall. Sylvia’s sister, Jennie, has also been at Claremont McKenna just as long. Sylvia will mark her 32^nd year at CMC this November.

Q: In your work here at the school, how do you interact with the students?  Do you see them on a regular basis?

A: I see them every day when I clean rooms and they’re always nice, they’re wonderful people.  I respect them and they respect me.  So it works out pretty good that way.  There is never a dull moment, and I am always willing to share a laugh with them. (laughter)

Q: Do you ever find anything funny in their rooms?

A: Not yet. (laughter)

Q: Are they generally pretty clean over here in Fawcett?

A: They’ve been pretty good so far, I don’t know for how long though. (laughter)

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not working?

A: I love going to Olvera Street, and to the Grand Central Market.  I do a lot of walking at each. At Grand Central I get a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, and get some time in the sun.

Q: What else do you do?

I like to visit the California missions. I could visit them over and over and over again and not get tired of them. They are so full of history.

Q: What’s your favorite food?

A: I eat a lot of Mexican and Chinese food. I’ve tried Brazilian food, but I mostly stick to Mexican. (What about other foods?) I like Italian, especially bruschetta, and I’ve tried pesto.

Q: Where do you live now?

A: In Ontario, it’s a short commute to the college.

Q: Your sister is a fellow building attendant, do you enjoy working with her?

A: It’s nice to have my sister here. It saves us on gas to get to work. But I enjoy working with the whole team, all of the building attendants; especially in the summer when we work closely together to do a deep clean of the dorms.

Q: Any last thoughts?

A: Nothing really, I love the kids. Oh, and I’m not running like Ilma.

Sylvia is shy in front of the cameras, but is appreciative that students want to get to know her and the other building attendants. Jokingly she tells me to get going so she can get back to work. Share your favorite story about Sylvia below in the comments section.

Student’s can do their share to make Sylvia’s life just a little bit easier. Pick up that red Solo cup, and remember to say hello to your building attendant.

Interested in getting involved in appreciating our support staff? The Worker’s Support Committee (WSC) meets on Thursdays at 7:30pm.in Marks Lounge. Each month WSC holds student sponsored appreciation events for our service staff. 

Want more “Better Know a Building Attendant?” Check out part one, the GreenDorm.

by Crawford Taylor

The CMS Athenas move to .500 overall (7-7, 2-2) after a win in five sets over Whittier’s Poets this past Tuesday.

The Athenas lost the first set 19-25 despite jumping out to a quick lead.  This was largely a result of Poet’s junior outside hitter Alyssa Sialaris who helped her team outhit CMS 13-6; Sialaris finished with a game-high 16 kills. In the second set, CMS jumped out to another early lead but was able to maintain it to take the set 25-17.  The third set was the closest set of all, going to CMS 25-23.  Small mistakes and miscommunications plagued the Athenas in the fourth set and the Poets were able to capitalize taking the set 25-20.

The Athenas fell behind once again in the fifth set, but the intermission caused by switching sides provided a much-needed pause.  Upon resuming play, the outside hitters stepped up the take the set 15-12.  Freshman Monique Nguyen had three of her five blocks near the end to put CMS up 13-11.  Lone Senior Emily Hudson then had one of her team-high 13 kills to put the team within a point of victory.  Sophomore Bennett Jones completed this triangle with one of her four blocks to get the win.

Other notable performances include 39 assists by setters Taylor Jones and Alessandra Rios of the Athenas and Poets respectively.  Freshman Libero Megan Coleman had a game-high 27 digs and three more Athenas had 9 kills each in addition to Hudson’s 13.

CMS will be visiting Whittier on October 15, but will look immediately to hosting Redlands this Friday, September 30, at home.

Pre-Game Coverage

Looking to rebound from two straight SCIAC losses, the CMS Athenas (6-7, 1-2 SCIAC) take on the Whittier Poets (3-9, 1-1 SCIAC) tonight at 7:30 PM in Ducey Gymnasium. The Whittier Poets, who currently sit in 4th in SCIAC standings, last week beat University of Redlands 3-1 before traveling to Chicago where they dropped three of four contests.

The Athenas aim to start strong with kills leaders, Emily Hudson (CMC ’12) and Bennet Jones (CMC ’14), and sets leader Taylor Jones (CMC ’13) lead the charge. Courtney Searls (CMC ’13), Megan Coleman (CMC ’15), Regina Mullen, and Monique Nguyen (CMC ’15) have all played strong in their first season of SCIAC play.

Live Broadcast

The live audio and video coverage will begin at 7:20 PM as play starts at 7:30 PM. You can catch all of the live action on this page! The broadcast will be brought to you by Claremont Sports Connection broadcaster Crawford Taylor (CMC ’15).

If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions about Sports Broadcasting at the Claremont Colleges, please email Broadcasting@ClaremontSportsConnection.com

The “modules,” affectionately called Center Court, will remain exactly where they are next year. Most of their current inhabitants will relocate to the new Kravis Center in July.

The administration decided that it is financially sensible to save space for future construction projects, and bought these “temporary modules” outright, instead of simply renting the units until construction on the Kravis Center was completed. The space will be used to house faculty when the school undertakes its next construction project: an overhaul of Ducey Gymnasium.

Photo Credit: Sean McQueen

The architecture at Claremont McKenna College has never been something to brag about:  giant tetris-piece towers, military-style barracks in North Quad, and the bomb shelters called Mid-Quad. They’re not unbearable, but they are definitely not the reason that applicants to CMC are steadily on the rise.

Cheap-looking, temporary trailers, on the other hand, are something entirely different.

So why did the college decide to buy the trailers? To be fair, their options are limited. In a few years, the school will be forced to relocate the athletic department faculty members to begin construction on the Ducey project, and without the trailers, there is nowhere to put them. Moving them to a location far off campus is not practical, and it does not make sense financially to remove the current units, then replace them with new temporary trailers in a few years when the Ducey project gets underway.

The current 30-year master plan takes these spacial concerns into account, and projects after the Ducey overhaul should not require temporary extra space.

While the administration’s reasons are logical, the decision to keep the trailers is still hard to stomach. CMC is one of the country’s most respected liberal arts institutions, and having a large number of now semi-permanent trailers in the middle of campus is an affront to the campus’ image.

Photo Credit: Sean McQueen

However, CMC is currently far from beginning construction on the new fitness center, and with no definite time line for that project, the “temporary” units start to feel more like a long-term solution.

The college is relatively young, yet it now has the resources and alumni network to upgrade its original buildings to fit the elite status of the institution. Let’s face it: there is a lot of construction that will be done at CMC in the next couple of decades, and keeping these trailers is not a viable long-term solution.

Members of the administration have indicated that faculty will not have offices in the modules after the Kravis Center is completed, and the buildings will mainly be used to house a few miscellaneous administrative and technical offices.

Claremont McKenna College will continue to expand and improve its campus over the next few decades, and it should.  Ducey and Bauer need to go, but the trailers cannot become the answer to every new construction project. Updating and changing the buildings are important, but it is difficult to reconcile this fact with the continued presence of the trailers.  Students and faculty alike look forward to removal of this academic shantytown.  Until then, admissions officers will just have to explain to prospective students–who will pay over $50,000 a year to attend CMC–that these trailers will stay for their four years at school.

Deciding which course of action CMC will take and when, however, depends on securing the financial resources needed for the building.

The Board of Trustees will not begin such a large project until 100 percent of the cost of building has been secured through gifts or renewal and replacement reserves. “Our board does not do wishful thinking,” said Claremont McKenna President Pamela Gann.

Currently President Gann and the Development Office are seeking to secure a lead gift for the project.

Conceptual map of campus master plan including FAC and new fields.

“In the short to medium term… actively moving this project forward will require a significant fund-raising component,” explained CMC Vice President for Administration & Planning, General Counsel and Secretary of the College, Matthew Bibbens.

Once a lead gift is secured, there will be a two to three year timeline before the building will go online. “We are balancing the optimism that it is a priority with the fact that it is a significant project.” said Bibbens.

While in need of renovations since the 1980s, Ducey has continually been placed at or near the bottom of CMC’s building priorities since the construction of Axelrood Pool in 1993. While in the advanced design stages since 2008, the proposed FAC project has been delayed due to the construction of the Kravis Center and the progress towards new campus Master Plan.  The Master Plan was released last year and the Kravis Center will be completed this summer.

“Around [CMC], recreation in a building was always given short shrift because we have this great weather,” explains CMS Athletic Director Mike Sutton.  “I notice now, however, that organized activity is crowding out play [in Ducey Gym] and there is an increase of interest towards lifting weights and exercising in Ducey.”

The current building, constructed in 1957, was originally designed for ten varsity sports and an all-male student body of 800. Inadequate office space for coaches and administration and not meeting various state and federal building codes are only a few of the problems that the administration currently faces with the building.

The continuing increase of afternoon classes has  impacted the limited gym and fitness facilities between the times of 4 to 7 p.m., said Sutton.

The plan to improve CMC’s athletic facilities began in 2000, when the bulldozing and replacing of Ducey with a new building in the same location was proposed. With a price tag of nearly $25 million, however, the Board of Trustees deemed the project beyond its budget. “For the past ten years we have been making the case,” said Sutton.

Conceptual Rendering by John Friedman Alice Kimm Architects, 2008

Going back to the drawing boards, plans to renovate rather than rebuild Ducey were presented to the board in 2008. Due to numerous ADA code demands, earthquake retrofitting costs and infrastructure upgrades needed, the costs of the renovation were nearly equal with those of building a brand new facility.

“The proposed renovations were a compromise that didn’t satisfy our needs,” said Sutton. “It didn’t really create any more square footage or add additional spaces.”

In the summer of 2008 the administration once again began a study to determine the feasibility of building a brand new facility. While the details are not yet finalized, preliminary designs were created for a new 120,000 square foot facility, an increase of 109 percent over the existing 55,000 square foot building, at an estimated cost of $50 million.

Some of the proposed features of the new facility include additional support offices, a climbing wall, larger fitness areas, an additional full size gym, and a competition gym capable of seating 1600, which would also serve as a convocation space for the college, capable of seating 2000.

“This [increase in space] was due to the desire to increase our fitness and recreational components for all students; not just to have a facility perceived for athletes,” said Bibbens.

While fitness and recreation facilities for students will improve considerably, the FAC will also help recruit and train better student-athletes.

“When we renovated Axelrood pool our buzz words were, ‘it’s not the pool, it’s who you put in it,’” said Sutton. “[For athletes touring the facilities], at some point, however, the facility becomes so below the norm they question how committed the school is to its athletic program.”

With the great effort that the administration has already put into the project, students’ impatient desires for a new facility will, hopefully, soon be fulfilled.

“In the history of CMC, competition has always been paramount,” said Sutton. “When the Rains Center was built at Pomona in the mid-eighties, President Stark said [in reference to renovation plans for Ducey], ‘Well, we aren’t doing it first, we aren’t doing it bigger, I guess we will just have to do it better.’”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Top 20 things I would buy if I were President Gann* and had a boatload of money (in order of importance):

1. A new athletics/recreation center to replace Ducey.  Easily the most important thing for CMC right now.
2. A computer science professor (or two).  We only have one now.
3. A new website
4. More “networking” trips during breaks like the ITAB (Silicon Valley) and FEI (NYC) trips.  Both were some of the best learning experiences I’ve had in the past four years.
5. Renovations and furniture for the Hub
6. Renovations and furniture for the computer labs (better furniture, more screens, etc… check out the Mudd/Pomona labs and you’ll see what we’re missing)
7. Renovations and furniture for the Reading Room
   (Onto the frivolous purchases…)
8. Giant plasma screens and speakers all over campus broadcasting the same thing at all times
9. An elaborate mini-golf course between Boswell and Green
10. An outdoor pool for non-athletic use (Scripps is too far and has inconvenient hours for men)
11. A large outdoor hot tub at the Senior Apartments.  (Important: cleaned and sanitized daily, at least.)
12. A bronze statue of Donald McKenna outside Collins Dining Hall.  Oxidized to look old and grand.
13. A gold statue of Henry Kravis outside the Kravis Center.  Polished daily to look new and expensive.
14. Scripps College (just the students, the Motley, and the dining hall.  They can keep the other stuff.)
15. A lazy river from Kravis Center to Bauer Center.  (Important: shut off and emptied on Thursday and Saturday nights.)
16. High speed train from Claremont Boulevard to the top of Mt. Baldy
17. Chairlift (gondola?) from South Quad to North Quad
18. Pitzer College (KKR leveraged buyout style)
19. The Mudd Hole
20. Loanable go-karts (with front-mounted video cameras)

Other changes would include abolishing senior thesis, most GEs, and demolishing McKenna Auditorium and Ducey Gym.

*Henry Kravis, Robert Day, or any other super rich donor would do

Disagree? Did I forget something? Leave it in the comments.