The Motley: If you’re looking for coffee and can’t haul your butt all the way down to Honnold, the Motley is always a great choice. The noise level is moderate, but there are enough people that it all almost sounds like white noise. But beware: the seating is limited, and there are paper mache boobs on the wall.  The drinks and food are well worth it, though, and on these cold nights the Motley is always toasty and cheerful.

Hours: Mon-Thu, 8am-12am; Fri 8am-5pm; Sat, 11am-5pm; Sun, 11am-5pm, 8pm-12am

The Living Room: The most novel place to study on campus. The Living Room has cool new furniture that’s surprisingly comfortable – however, the tables are low, so all you can really do there is read.  Plus, be ready for the “new car” smell that permeates the whole room, a bi-product of those fancy new leather couches.  Always look to see who is studying in there. And a final reminder: When you’re in there at night, even if you can’t see everyone outside, creepily enough – they can see you.

Hours: Mon-Thurs, 8am-12am; Fri, 8am-10pm; Sat, 12pm-10pm; Sun, 12pm-12am

The Reading Room: Probably the most popular place on campus to study this year, the reading room offers two floors of absolute quiet. It’s like taking the 4^th floor of the library and putting it in Bauer. While there’s no food available, the short walk can’t be beat.  However, if you need to study in groups or like that “white noise” aspect of a study room, this may not be the one for you.  For those who need utter silence: you have found your haven.

Hours: Mon-Sun, 10am-1am (extended during finals week)

The Coop: If you’re like me, and the presence of anyone you recognize is the perfect way for you to procrastinate, take a walk to the Coop. There’s great food and drinks, and you are less likely to know the people there, so you won’t have that overwhelming and urge to talk to everyone you see (although, I’m sure they’re great people too). If you want even more privacy, sneak over to the Pomona Living Room: it has great couches, bright lights, and even a fake fireplace for your wintertime ambiance.  One of the less-known study-spot gems on the 5-C’s.

Hours: Mon-Thurs, 9am-12am; Fri, 9am-1:30 am; Sat, noon-1:30 am; Sun, noon-midnight

Off Campus: Drag yourself to Starbucks, The Last Drop Café or Coffee Bean in the village, or even further off campus to Panera or Fruizen, and you might find that removing yourself from the stressful atmosphere of finals makes you less stressed and more productive.  Enjoy the change of scenery and that fresh start might be just what you need to get a kick-start on your studying.

As you make your way to wherever it is you’re studying (everything feels like a trek during finals week – maybe it’s because your textbooks weigh more when you’re actually going to have to read them), just remember to mix it up. You’ll make it through, I promise. Just breathe, switch to decaf, and get some sleep.

On Friday, September 23, Seaver Theatre was full of excitement and intellectual curiosity.  The captive audience heard ideas from six speakers and watched two videos from previous TED talks.  The theme for the evening was “Friending the Future.” The chosen speakers were people who not only excelled in their respective fields but also channeled their work in a way that they could give back to society.

Gordon Zacks, the first speaker  of the night, is a leading industrialist and Chairman of the R.G Barry Corporation. He spoke about the lessons that he learned from his father and his business on humility, adaptability and stability. Zacks noted, “The most important thing you can learn about yourself is your limitations.”  He continued, “The leader, the manager has to be able to say, I don’t know… what do you think.” Zacks reminds us that we need to focus on how our actions–as students, colleagues, and even future CEOs–can help others.  The next speaker was someone who’s work does just that.

Medicine is all you need to cure disease right? Apparently not, according to Doctor Karl Haushalter, a professor at Harvey Mudd, a pioneer in AIDS research and a man whose moving words reflect his unrelenting passion for the work he does. Haushalter stressed the importance of social involvement involved in the treatment of AIDS and opened our minds to a whole new aspect of medicine.

Allen Proctor, an ex-Chief Financial Officer for Harvard University and expert in the non-profit sector, spoke next about the fallacies people have regarding the non-profit sector and of the importance of the sector itself. He noted that the role of non-profits is to be reliable providers of community needs as long as the private sector cannot do it.

Anyone called ‘Doctor Love’ is obviously doing something correct with his life, and indeed Paul Zak (the next speaker) is. Zak is a professor of Economics and the Department Chair and Founder of the Center for Neuroeconomic Studies at Claremont Graduate University.  He studies the effects of oxytocin and testosterone on human behavior and, with his prescriptions like “hug at least eight people a day”, Zak seemed like a cross between a scientist and Ziggy Marley. His other challenge to the audience was to perform at least one random act of kindness a day.  One noteworthy piece of advice that he gave was to try going on a roller coaster on a first date. He claims, “it’s like three dates in one.”

The last two talks of the evening had the largest impact on me, personally  (in no small part  because of my own struggling attempts at gardening and music). Jesse Dubois, the penultimate speaker, is an LA based urban agriculturalist whose team converts personal gardens and yards into little self-sustaining organic farms through a process called ‘farmscaping’. The night concluded with Mateo Messina, a Grammy-winning musician talking about his passion for music, and how it drives him to give back to society. Messina believes his job is about “cuing” emotion through music.  He incidentally cannot read a note of music (Jimmy Hendrix couldn’t read music either, OK guys?), and yet has composed and conducted symphonies and even written a number of film scores. Messina played a clip of himself performing Kashmir by Led Zeppelin, with an all-girls student choir and the the rock band Alice in Chains. He also scored the music for Juno.

The show also included two video talks from previous TED events.  Eli Pariser, President of  MoveOn’s board and fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, spoke about the impact of Google and internet search engines on what type of information we see online. Deb Roy, an Michigan Institute of Technology professor, spoke about social connections by analyzing television and Tweeted reactions.  He also installed videocameras and videotaped his home for six months, studying social connections and capturing the first months of his son.

Jesse Dubois’s company has one hundred clients; Gordon Zacks owns a huge footwear company. These two speakers come from extremely contrasting backgrounds and yet their talks shared the theme of inspiration. All the speakers at the event taught us that we can help create a better future while having extremely satisfying careers.  Talks such as these show us that people can combine both success and meaning in their life.  Also, the talks were just plain interesting.

The talks brought like-minded Claremont students together for some intellectual engagement.  Students learned by personally interacting with the speakers and with one another at the informal discussion sessions. It is a shame that not all applications were accepted as some seats were empty. The talks were a sheer delight and for many to have missed them seemed a waste. The lack of female speakers was also quite clear and organizers would do well to work them into the program at a future event.

Overall, the event was a resounding success. A good talk leaves the listener with a sense of awe and happiness that they have learned something. That is exactly what the TEDx talks did for me. From music to retail to agriculture to psychology, the audience was taken on a journey through the lives of people who have seen great success and are using their talents to help create a better future. The talks were inspirational; one can only hope that we live such successful lives after Claremont.

The sun is shining, the quads are bustling and classes are starting. It must be that time of year again. Welcome back to Camp Claremont! (and to the freshman, welcome to Claremont!). While everyone was traveling the world, building resumes, taking classes, making money or lounging, the Forum staff was hard at work. Here is what we did this summer:

The Forum and the Claremont Sports Connection joined forces to provide your number one stop for all things CMS sports. Stuck in the library? Can’t make your friends game? Abroad during your favorite sports season? Don’t worry, the new Claremont Sports Connection Section of the Forum will broadcast CMS sports games live, streaming at cmcforum.com/csc. You can listen in and watch games from your couch, a different state and even across the world! Broadcasts, done entirely by students, will include pre-game and post-game analysis with audio and video (when available) coverage of home games. So, tell your friends, parents, fans, alums and anyone else to tune in for the play-by-play and color commentary of your favorite Stag or Athena team. The new section will also include CMS sports news and weekly recaps of games and events. Visit cmcforum.com/csc!

If you are interested in broadcasting or want to become the next Dave Niehaus, let us know! Email forum@ascmc.org or ClaremontSC@gmail.com. We are also looking for sports writers.

If you thought that was big news, wait until you see what else we have in store for you. Keep checking the Forum for the biggest news of the summer. If you want to be the first to know, be sure to “Like” the CMC Forum on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @cmcforum.

Interested in working for the Forum? Want to know what we are all about? Visit us at the Club Fair on Wednesday, August 31 between 11:00am and 4:00pm. We will also hold an information session on Wednesday night at 8:00pm in Davidson Lecture Hall.  Mingle with current editors, writers, photographers and business managers, ask questions and see what working for the Forum is like.  Check your CMC email for more info. We hope to see you there!

In a letter dated March 21^st to Claremont McKenna College President Pamela Gann and Dean of Faculty Gregory Hess, CMC’s history department and 45 faculty members of the consortium called the process “forced de-accessioning” – a deeply harmful and permanent discarding of some of the library’s print collection.  The letter reads that the professors “can neither understand nor approve a process that amounts to a yearly ‘slaughter of the innocents.’”

Dealing with desperate capacity issues and a myriad of other setbacks, library administrators have instituted a more vigorous process of de-accessioning.  Faculty around the college, including CMC’s Literature, Philosophy, and Economics departments, raised objections to various forms of downsizing in addition to the History department.  Many believe the policy neglects the integrity of the library and is detrimental to the consortium’s students and academics.

The de-accessioning of the print collection coincides with a move to decrease the number of online journals to which the library digitally subscribes.  With the downsizing, the Robert Day School of Economics (RDS) is losing access to important digital data sets published in several prominent journals and have voiced concern.

Philosophy faculty around the consortium are also drafting a letter of discontent.  Professor Paul Hurley, who teaches philosophy at CMC, explained that the, “proposed cutbacks include many journals without which it would simply be impossible to do effective research in philosophy, including several ‘top ten’ journals.”  CMC’s Literature Department has also drafted its own separate letter to the library.

Origins of the Crisis

Honnold, as early as 1988, was aware of the impending capacity issues.  With a collection of over 2 million volumes, Honnold has been, by some estimates, officially over capacity for eleven years.  Before the financial crisis, library officials developed a plan to build a permanent storage facility capable of holding up to 40% of the collection that would prevent any drastic measures of weeding (another commonly used euphemism for the discarding of books).  As the economy turned south, Professor Bill Alves of Harvey Mudd College and the chair of the Advisory Board for Library Planning (ABLP) explained, those plans were abandoned as budgets were cut.

The library is currently 150,000 books over capacity. “Our position,” says library administrator John McDonald, “is that we need [to] deaccession approximately 20,000-40,000 books per year to slowly get down to capacity and to provide space for the more than 10,000-15,000 books we buy every year.”  In the past month, faculty reviewers have deemed about 15,000 of the 37,000 books on review for this round of de-accessioning too valuable to discard.

While professors and students may have only found out about the “de-selection” of books this spring, the underlying tensions and problems are rooted in years of library policy decisions and consortium development strategy.

In 2007, the library administrators, without student or faculty involvement, notes Alves, created the Library Task Force Report.  The ABLP holds only an advisory role – CUC makes library policy, which is then approved by college presidents and deans.  The report echoed the plan to move 40% of the books off site, a plan that was put on hold during the 2008 financial crisis.  The report also called for an “expansion of user space” – a policy that drove the renovation of the first floor periodical shelves into the library café.  While increasing the study and social space of the library is a great boon for the consortium, it was intended to coincide with permanent and accessible off site locations that could hold over capacity books.  When that was canceled, the library, partially in reaction to the Claremont president’s 2007 endorsement of expanding “social space” at the library, forged ahead – further restricting Honnold-Mudd’s capacity.

In fall of 2009, the library began to downsize its collections of print journals.  Alves explained, “no one knew about it…[it had] faculty in an uproar.”  Most print journals, however, are also available online in various databases – JSTOR, Lexis Nexis, etc.  The library, at least digitally, still provides access to some of these journals.  But even that, is a tenuous excuse, especially when the library has begun to eliminate several digital subscriptions and discard almost 40,000 books. When Honnold’s books, many out of print or hard to find, are discarded, it is very likely they are gone forever, explained Professor Hamburg, a history professor at CMC.

Compounding the problem, the consortium, out of financial concerns, chose to close its satellite libraries in Spring of 2009.  This included two science libraries at Pomona and Mudd, as well as Scripps’ Denison library at the time.  Denison was spared until further measures could be taken, but that did not even come close to alleviating capacity issues in Honnold.  In addition, the library began to merge the Science library collections during the Summer of 2009 while also selecting books that were to be discarded, explained McDonald.

The Controversy

The library developed a time line for de-accessioning, but the ABLP was not aware of it until 2010.  The library’s space issues had grown so tight that for every new book purchased, an old one had to be removed directly off the shelves.  There was no longer any storage space left to hold over-capacity texts and the ABLP developed protocol that allowed for faculty review of the books chosen for de-selection.

Mr. McDonald explains the library set up a faculty review period of the de-selected books for January 2011-April 2011.  However, Professor Rosenbaum, a previous member of the ABLP and now sitting on a separate committee tasked with hiring a new Vice President for the Library, explains that CMC’s history department did not find out about the upcoming forced de-accessioning until a week or so before spring break.

McDonald, in an email, was adamant that the library had taken the necessary measures to inform the faculty of the upcoming de-accessioning.  “I cannot say why the History Department would say they only found out about it in the past month,” referring to the month of March.  However, Cody, Rosenbaum, and Hamburg all attest that they found out very recently – after the books had been selected and moved off site in preparation.  Professors can visit the Records Center to review the books and the library has created an online portal for browsing the candidates for de-selection.  Yet with tens of thousands of books on the intellectual chopping block and only limited time as a result of communication errors, many faculty feel that such steps are not adequate for what they see as a direct threat to our academic library.

This communication gap between the faculty and library, as well as students, is an ongoing issue.  There are, Alves explains, “problems aside from money,” underwriting the current round of problems.  The ABLP was created to combat faculty unhappiness with the library and recommend policy or planning options, but the board alone cannot dictate library policy.  When the board asked the library to delay de-accessioning, the library agreed at first, opting to move the candidates for de-selection to an off-site storage space until the faculty review period was over.

Mr. McDonald explains, “We leased the largest possible space we could find in April 2009.”  This space, the CUC Records Center in Upland, holds various consortium files and briefings and is now full.  Until a compromise on the de-accessioning process is reached, the library has determined it will no longer be leasing additional space for financial reasons.  While storage space itself in the Inland Empire may be affordable, the facility would require a staff and there would be numerous perceived logistical problems in moving some of the collection to the new site – whereas now it can be kept all together at one off-site location.

Faculty Pushback

Every professor I spoke with agreed that routine de-accessioning is a legitimate practice at all libraries.  However, this forced de-accessioning of such a large number of books is dangerous. Hamburg explains, “the crisis is just beginning.”

De-accessioning is severely harmful in several ways for the consortium, however it is perhaps the History department that will bear the brunt of the process.   Historians need the library’s physical collection for research, and valuable books are being lost.  Professors Rosenabum, Selig, Hamburg, and Cody (all CMC faculty) have all remarked that they discovered rich and important primary and secondary texts within the group of books that may soon be discarded.  While these professors can now flag a book as valuable and remove it from the pool, they can only do so in their field of expertise.  With 150,000 books over capacity, the consortium does not have enough academics to pour over each crop of candidates for de-selection every year.

Alves, and many others, noted there is significant opposition to these arguments.  Many, in the 21^st century, think digital books can replace traditional print media.  This is, to some degree, the case with journals and archival newspapers, explained Hamburg.  However, the same cannot be said for books.  For one, the possibility of the all-digital library is still years away.  Private corporations like Google have undertaken the beginnings of a such a process, but it is far from replacing the value of a book and the importance of cataloguing knowledge by context and not searchable keywords.  The History department’s letter states, “we are not living in the ‘radiant future’ of the all-digital library, but in the here-and-now of a library that has precious, and in our view irreplaceable sets of books, collected at great cost in a plan initiated with the foundation of Pomona College more than a century ago.”

There are also pragmatic arguments for maintaining an extensive physical collection and only conservatively downsizing duplicate or obsolete books.  For one, a strong library is key in attracting top tier faculty – the type of faculty that publish nationally recognized books and journal articles.  This sort of publicity will not only appeal to faculty but also attract elite students and perhaps contribute to a higher school ranking.

The Road Ahead

Despite the many problems with de-accessioning, the process, according to Dean Hess and John McDonald, will continue.  The library decided to delay execution of the plan until May 27^th to allow for further faculty review and consideration.  Yet, all signs point to a continuation of a de-accessioning of the collection at the abnormal and damaging rate determined a year ago.  The faculty that signed the History department’s letter called for an immediate moratorium on the process.  This request, however, has been denied by the library and the deans at consortium colleges.  Additionally, the letter requested the leasing of additional off-campus space to offer a long-term solution.  This request is still under consideration.

The library and CUC, explains John McDonald, is pursuing a permanent solution in order to bring a stop to the damage.  However, no tangible timeline exists and the nature of the library at a consortium – where no one takes direct ownership – does not point to any immediate financial backing for an on or off site expansion.  While a permanent solution may be a ways off, permanent damage to the consortium is not.  Research opportunities, academic reputation, educational abilities for the undergraduate students in all disciplines, and an already stressed relationship between the library and faculty could all be highly detrimental as the library continues to downsize its print collection and number of online journal subscriptions.

The Razor Scooter

These toy-like little scooters are extremely convenient: Laura Epstein bought hers off Amazon for only $30 and they shipped it to her Story House mailbox in one light package. Laura is delighted that her Razor “gets the job done” –she’s not late when she only has 5 minutes to get from one class to the next. But when I tried to ride her little scooter, I felt like an elephant on a tricycle and could barely make it move. Moral of the story: don’t get a Razor scooter if you are over 5’8”, or if you’re looking for long-distance mobility.

The Gas-Powered Scooter

The big brother of the little Razor is the gas-powered scooter.  This scooter is larger and has added endurance, thanks to an engine that’s attached to one side for greater speed and power. Michael Bagby and his friends bought a fleet of these scooters so they could motor around campus together in a “scooter gang.” He has mixed feelings about his scooter, however. While it’s fast and fuel-efficient, it is obnoxiously loud– he often feels bad roaring through campus during the quieter daytime hours. On the flip side, it’s hard to deny that Bagby’s scooter has a retro-cool factor that’s hard to come by as far as small-scale transportation.

The Longboard

By far the most commonly used means of transportation on our campus (other than good ol’ fashioned walking), riding a longboard sends a message, whether intentional or not: “I am so So-Cal, man.” On our hilly campuses, long boards are especially efficient, and you can work up some serious speed cruising down from North Quad to 6th Street. I’ve been assured that it’s easy to learn to use them, although my attempts have always ended in scraped knees and curses.  Check out The Forum‘s resident skater-girl guru Caroline Nyce’s longboarding manifesto for more info on this mode of transport.

The Power Board

Erik, a Mudd professor, has taken the long board to the next level. His “power board” has a battery-powered engine welded to its bottom, allowing him to travel up to 16 miles on a single charge. Riders say that the power board feels more stable than a regular skateboard, but that smoothly accelerating and braking takes some practice. Power boards are an investment– they cost $500 to $800 dollars– but, as Erik points out, “I replaced a Mercedes with this,” although he adds sheepishly, “I kept the Jaguar though.”

The Bike

This two-wheeled campus classic is one of the most versatile choices for transportation. Whether you’re just trying to get to class or you’re running errands in the Village, a bike is the most reliable way to get around. Reliability, however, doesn’t have to mean boring or dated. Brendan Huss stands out on his flashy custom-painted bicycle: the wheels and frame each boast a different shiny neon hue. From vintage fixed-gear bikes to beach-style cruisers, the variety of wheels on campus is extensive and far from dull.

The Unicycle

If you’ve walked through Mudd’s campus, chances are you’ve seen someone riding a unicycle. No, these cyclists aren’t circus performers– they’re just regular college students getting to class. Although this feat appears impossible, a Harvey Mudd unicyclist named Jeep claims that he learned to ride in just a week.  He admits, however, that it’s much harder to keep balanced while wearing a heavy backpack. So, why ride a unicycle instead of a regular bicycle? “It’s just cooler,” Jeep explained, “Also, you don’t have to lock it up. Who’s going to be able to take it?” Jeep should look out, though; there is actually a fairly large community of unicycle riders at Mudd who go on recreational rides together… for up to 20 miles at a time!

Freelines

Mudd takes the prize for the coolest modes of transportation. In addition the thriving unicyclist community, the campus is swarming with people zooming about on “freelines.” These foot-sized platforms with wheel are not the easiest to learn how to ride says Zeke, a Mudder who uses the wheels to get to class every day. To move, riders balance their on the platforms and swivel their feet in a “sine curve” pattern (had to review my trig to even understand this one). Freelines are fairly expensive, running from $120 to $200 dollars, but riders assured me that once you learn to ride them, the wheels are addictive and well worth the initial cost.

Does that uber-long trek to Honnold-Mudd have you groaning for an alternative?  Test out some of these options for speedier, more creative transportation. I wonder when we’ll get our first CMC Segway gang…

These trends of discontentment make the few days of Thanksgiving break seem even sweeter. Before departing for home, it’s important to consider what this holiday is really about: expressing gratitude and experiencing the revitalizing power of doing so.  Thanksgiving is glorious, in this sense; it allows us to look beyond the negatives and appreciate the good in our lives.

With this in mind, let’s pause our dreams of the feasting that awaits us next week.  Let’s give thanks to our much-loved school.

I have compiled a brief list of things I am grateful for at CMC.  You are all encouraged to add to this list as it is undoubtedly incomplete. Here is what I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving:

I am thankful that the grass is always green.

I am thankful that when I walk into my room, I’m blown away by how clean it is (thanks Sylvia).

I am thankful that my professors know my name and are always free to chat.

I am thankful that my diploma’s value is going to continue to appreciate.

I am thankful that I can drunkenly roam the campus without worrying about serious trouble (well, with the law, anyway).

I am thankful that Harry Potter tickets were subsidized by the school.

I am thankful for classes at CGU (check the portal, yo).

I am thankful that we are perfectly situated: if we so desired, we could go to the beach, go skiing, and go to Vegas… in the same day.

I am thankful for Scrippsies.

I am thankful that if I ever need a pick me up in the middle of the day, rice crispy treats and coffee await me at the Ath…for free.

I am thankful that the hill on Green Beach is perfectly formed for a slip ‘n slide.

I am thankful that Elizabeth Morgan, Jeff Huang, and Diana Seder are absolutely amazing at what they do.

I am thankful that Dora helps me work on my manners every time I see her.

I am thankful for the Motley’s chocolate bars.

I am thankful that Mudders build stuff…because it’s cool.

I am thankful Frary is open till 8.

I am thankful Story House will bunk my bed, fix my blinds, and charge me the most obscure fees ($47.27 for wall damages…what?).

I am thankful that Sasi Desai came all the way from India to be one of my classmates.

I am thankful that Brock Blomberg writes the most succinct emails known to man.

I am thankful for Camp Sec… More specifically, I am thankful for Officer Dennis.

I am thankful for the Back Abbey and late night walks home from Kinya and The Press.

I am thankful for the athletic department’s MEDCO water bottles.

I am thankful for the feeling after finishing an all-nighter in Poppa.

I am thankful for the daily conversations with my peers that keep me on my toes.

I am thankful for Tuesday Night ‘Ruit.

I am thankful for the standard of excellence this schools asks of me.

I am thankful for the challenges that make me feel alive, and help me to learn, grow, and progress.

I am thankful to be at this little utopia that no one knows about besides us.

Happy Thanksgiving, ya’ll.

The plan?  Deck the North Dorm courtyard out like the lair of a mad scientist.  With a host of science themed decorations and music provided by perennial favorite DJ, Mixed Reactions, the Mudd Goes Madd Party is slated for this Saturday evening.  But an event of this caliber doesn’t simply invent itself.  For that, much of the task fell to Harvey Mudd freshman Julius Elinson, who along with Jonathan Schwartz and a score of friends navigated the hassles of bureaucracy and fundraising to bring the plan to fruition.

“Mad scientists. It felt so right,” said Elinson, “It was surprising we hadn’t already done something like this.”

Mudders hard at work in preparation for the party. Photo credit: Daniel Crowley

The challenges of preparation can be hard for the uninitiated to appreciate.   Elinson began taking care of the laborious process required to hold an event this elaborate early in December.  There were several stages to the ordeal, beginning with budgeting.  Funds were needed to pay for alcohol, decorations, and music.  The social board had to grant approval, and then came the waiting.  As the 5C student governments gave funding to the event, Elinson had to be patient as his proposals were slowly accepted by all 5 colleges.  ”At Pitzer, I went to three different groups, there was some miscommunication, and I wound up having to go back a second or third time,” he explained, adding that all colleges contributed to the party funding, though some schools were more generous than others.

To help cover the cost of the party, Elinson and his co-conspirators also sold condoms in custom-designed wrappers at the Hoch-Shanahan Dining Hall at Harvey Mudd.  Available in a variety of bundles, the condoms have been wildly successful.  ”The general idea is t-shirts and shot glasses [at most parties], but we thought, ‘What’s cooler than a custom condom?’” said Elinson, who touted the merchandise as both humorous and useful.

The turnout could be fantastically high, with over 1100 students RSVPing as attending on the Facebook event and the party will occur regardless of weather, as the students have plans to cover the courtyard in the case of rain.  It’s comforting to know that regardless of what happens come Saturday night, the Mudders have made arrangements to keep us protected.

The best part is, they didn’t just rig their own numbers, they catapulted six schools (among them the unlikely Bob Jones and Scripps College) to the top seven spots so that they could spell out the acronym WIBSTR or “West is best screw the rest,” apparently some kind of dorm related boast.

How’d they do it? Much of the jargon is beyond me, but basically, through computer programs and the enlistment of beer-enticed freshman, the residents of West Dorm were able to write a script that broke Secret’s “one post per day rule” as well as their image verification software (you know those crazy letters you have to identify when you want to sign up for something?). If you’re truly interested, you can follow this link to learn a little bit more.

Also to give you a true sense of the HMC/VS PWNAGE you may consult this chart created by our ever-meticulous HMC friends. And yes, that red line at the top is Harvey Mudd. Because it isn’t enough to prank someone, you should always provide them with a spreadsheet and chart so that they can intricately model the depths of their ownage.

Exec Board met last night but there is nothing of note to report, I couldn’t resist reporting the lack of report to you anyway.

Go to Slippery When Wet at Mudd this weekend-maybe they can find a use for all the unused jello…(kidding).

-CD

Song of the moment:
Marlena Shaw-California Soul (Diplo/Mad Decent remix)

Before we turn to the menus for the week, here is a way to add some variety to your dining hall experience:

Mixed Drinks, Dining Hall Style

Spring Break has ended, so you can no longer sit on a Mexican beach sipping on a pina colada and be lulled to sleep by the soothing sound of gunshots, but your beverage at Collins doesn’t have to be a complete bore.  While most diners eventually tire of Orange Passionfruit Guava juice, the combinations you can make on your own are virtually endless.  For example:

Cran-Orange Juice: Fill your cup with half cranberry juice and half orange juice.

Arnold Palmer: Half lemonade, half iced tea.

Tart Orange:  Two parts orange juice, one part lemonade.

These are just examples, experiment yourself to find your favorite combinations.  Now onto the weekly menus:

Monday

Discerning diners can choose between Mudd, Scripps and Frary tonight.  Frary has its Individual Pizzas on Mondays.  Scripps is offering a Caesar Salad Bar at the expo with a Crispy BLT Chicken Sandwich at the Grill and Chicken Noodle Soup at the soup station.  Mudd has its normal Muddgolian BBQ as well as a Nacho Bar.

Tuesday

Saunter on over to Collins tonight for a Southwest Chicken Wrap or a Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich or Crepe Expectations – Cherry & Apple. Unfortunately for CMCers, Collins crepes are nowhere near as good as Mudd’s.  Before the break when I went to go get crepes on a Tuesday night, I watched the serving guy rip three out of the four crepes he gave me an the other person in line.  Furthermore, he put so much filling on the crepe pancakes that I had to dig with my fork and knife for a few seconds to find them.  While warming the final crepe he gave me, he realized that spraying the pan with PAM might be a good idea. Unfortunately, this seemed to be more easily said than done.  Rather than spray the pan and then place the crepe on the non-sticky pan, he put the crepe into the pan and sprayed the crepe.  While this might have worked to keep the crepe from sticking if he had flipped over the crepe, he just put the crepe on my plate after a few seconds and buried it in filling.

I continue to recommend Collins because the other stuff they serve on Tuesdays is good and because I still hope that Collins can shape up and finally figure out how to serve crepes.  Unfortunately, it isn’t looking like this will happen anytime soon.

If you too are tired of botched crepes, try Scripps where there will be Cheese Tortellini and Breadsticks at the Expo and Lamb Tikka Masala in the main line.

Wednesday

Tonight is Collins sushi night!  Grab a pair of chopsticks and enjoy.

Thursday

Head up to Scripps tonight for Red Curry Stir Fry Pork at the Expo, a Sky Ranch Chicken Flatbread Sandwich at the grill and Pesto Chicken Breasts in the main line.

Friday

It’s Cesar Chavez Day! Celebrate in style at Mudd with Individual Pizza’s Made to Order, Carne Asada Tacos and Clam Chowder.

You can also get sushi at Scripps.

Saturday

Tonight Scripps is not only offering its weekly steak cooked to order night, but also serving Chicken, Chipotle & Cheese Quesadillas. Scripps is worth braving the lines for tonight.

Sunday

Ah, Sunday, isn’t it strange that what is supposed to be a day of rest for many people is spent frantically working on papers and homework?  Collins essentially takes Sundays off, so try braving the lines at Mudd for Steak Made to Order (make sure to get there early) or you can head to Pitzer for pre-cooked steak and Pitzer’s generally high-quality food.

That is all for this week.  Thank you for reading!