1. The ASCMC Senate enjoyed a change of scenery. Both Bauer Forum and Pickford Auditorium were occupied at the Senate’s new starting time, so all of the Senator’s trudged upstairs to Bauer 35 where they filed in, filling every chair and most of the floor space. It may not have been the most comfortable senate session in the history of the group, but I’m pretty sure that everyone got to know each other a little better.
   
2. For all Senators, it’s time to sign up for committees! Senate President Aditya Pai explained that all Senators interested in joining a committee must submit their applications by tomorrow, Tuesday September 20th.
3. Jim Nauls, Dean of Student Activities, stopped by to talk about changes in student trips budget this year. Nauls noted that the student trip fund received more funding this year and, as a result, “we have programs every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of the semester.” He did explain that “chances are we will not do anything this semester, as far as concerts,” but that “we do movies every Friday night.” To conclude, he made sure to remind all students with ideas and proposals for student trips to simply drop in and let him know.
4. The Chair of the Administrative Affairs Committee, Adam Griffith (who’s that guy?) explained that the process for funding requests will be modified this year to decrease the amount of time spent on them at weekly meetings. Rather than going straight to the Senate general body, requests will now first go to the Administrative Affairs, who will provide recommendations on all funding requests.
5. The vote for freshmen class President will be held on Tuesday, September 20th , following speeches from each candidate at snack on Monday night.
6. Aditya Pai introduced a new section to the night’s Senate session that he calls Open Senate. During this period of the meeting, any and all CMC students can come before the Senate and describe a personal grievance or campus-wide problem for discussion. Tonight, two speakers came forward.

•      First, CMC student Jack Oliphant described his efforts to convince the Consortium to pay to keep the Honnold/Mudd library open later on weeknights. Thanks to his perseverance in bringing the problem before the administration, he described an upcoming trial program during which students will be able to study in the library café until 3AM to gauge the level of interest in such a time change.
•      Second, Tyler McBrien, Chair of the Senate Student Trips Committee described efforts by his committee to explore a number of new options for school-supported spring break programs, such as a possible W.O.A-like set of excursions during the course of the break.

The Annenberg foundation provided most of the $180,000 set aside for the CCE this year. This money is expected to cover the staff salaries, the creation of an alternative spring break trip, student internships, Athenaeum speakers, service trips, and a service themed WOA! trip.

Bibbens has high hopes for many of the new programs slated for the year. One new program is an alternative spring break trip.  The alternative trip  is a new option for students to spend their break traveling and performing community service trips. Similarly, Bibbens plans on offering a WOA! trip which would allow incoming freshman to opt into performing service instead of current options like hiking, camping, and surfing. She also wants the new center to work as a liaison between students and organizations in the area, allowing students to perform service with their dorms and sports teams.

The CCE replaces the old Community Service Center, which was not as robustly funded, and was not able to support new initiatives like the ones mentioned above. Among the other key changes is the installment of Bibbens as a full time director, whereas the Community Service Center staffed only part time employees. Until her transition to the CCE, Bibbens worked in the Public Affairs Office.

Bibbens will also sit on the sustainability committee with Brian Worley, where she envisions her role will be to “find ways to get more students to engage in sustainability issues on campus.” With her involvement in the committee she hopes to add to programs with new focuses to the service offerings on campus.

Bibbens is fresh on the job, having just started on September 1st. Still, she hopes for a highly successful first year.

The CCE is currently hiring student assistants to help develop the programming for the year. There will be more information to come on job opportunities, service projects and other programs through the center.

Hey WOAmies!

I still fondly remember arriving at CMC for my WOA! Trip.  It was a beautiful and sunny California day and I was ready to begin my journey as a college student. The day started with a few awkward “hellos!” but the foundations for lasting friendships were laid.  I was admittedly nervous and timid, but by the end of that first day, I was sure that CMC was the place for me.  After the upperclassmen got us up to speed by answering our questions about college life and classes, we spent vital time getting to know one another and bonding as a group.

Photo Courtesy of Kelsey Gross

When I returned to campus after my WOA! trip, I hit the ground running with a solid group of friends, as well as a few upperclassmen mentors to turn to for advice, guidance and the inside scoop.  I began to feel at home in a brand new environment.

In case you don’t believe my gushing words of praise for the WOA! experience, the great Kevin Macpherson (KMac ’12) can vouch: “Everyone should go on a WOA trip because it’s the perfect way to have 20 immediate close friends when you step onto campus… before orientation begins. Not only 20 or so friends from your grade, but three upperclassmen mentors that look out for you for the rest of the year. Friendships bond instantly when you are going through adversity out in the wild. I think the greatest shock of WOA was how much I had in common with everyone on my trip. I realized early on that CMC was the place for me, and that I was going to have an amazing four years here.”

I’m betting we have finally convinced you to go on a WOA! trip.  Now comes the hard part: choosing which one to go on.  With the broad range of options available, we have a WOA! trip that will suit almost everyone’s interests and preferences.

Santa Barbara Surfing

Leaders: Leah Bross, Will Brown, Andrew Fevery

Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Every year we offer at least one surfing trip to keep in line with the laid-back California lifestyle.  This trip includes surfing lessons, so you can learn to be a pro (or at least not a newb) in no time.  Each day a van will pick you up from the campsite and bring you to the beach to catch some waves.  Even if surfing isn’t your cup of tea, you can still sign up for this trip and spend your days lounging on the beach and getting a tan.  Surfing every single day of the trip is not a requirement.  No surfing experience required.

San Onofre Surfing

Leaders: Katie Bilotti, Austin Hallett, Niki Lotte

Level of Difficulty: Moderate

Since the surfing trips have always been popular in the past, we decided to offer two surfing trips this year to accommodate.  On this trip, you will be sleeping on bluffs overlooking the gorgeous coast.  Each morning you will walk over to pick up your surfboard and wetsuit and walk the short hike down to the beach where you will be met by instructors who will tell you everything you need to know about surfing. No surfing experience required.

Colorado River Canoeing I

Photo Courtesy of Chloe Hauenstein

Leaders: Viken Douzdjian, Davi Dubinski, Maren Hotvedt

Level of Difficulty: Moderate

This trip is one we’ve been doing for years and years and it always proves to be a fantastic time.  Before you choose this trip, you should be prepared for some exercise: you will be canoeing 10-15 miles each day.  However, your hard work will earn you the chance to cliff jump off cliffs you see along the way and explore the caves that line the banks of the river.  Although it does tend to get a little hot on the Colorado River, you always have the water right underneath your canoe to jump into when the heat gets too hot to bear.  Be sure to bring lots of sun screen and a sense of adventure.

Colorado River Canoeing II

Leaders: Hannah Goldberg-Morse, Paul Jeffrey, Christina Khavarian

Level of Difficulty: Moderate

This canoeing trip is the same one described above except with different leaders, all of whom are equally awesome.  The two canoeing trips are paddling down the same river, but will most likely not run into each other so each group can have a unique bonding experience.

Channel Islands Kayaking

Leaders: Alexandra Cooke, Edward La Cava, Kristina Norrgard

Level of Difficulty: Challenging

This trip is not for the faint of heart and definitely proves to be a physically strenuous…but incredibly fun.  You’ll paddle 3-4 hours each day, but the sights are definitely worth the effort.  Every day you will paddle alongside cliffs and kelp forests and with favorable conditions, you’ll venture into sea caves!

Photo Courtesy of Chloe Hauenstein

Big Sur Backpacking

Leaders: Kelsey Gross, Karun Kiani, Jack Oliphant

Level of Difficulty: Challenging

Big Sur has some of the best backpacking in California and it located along the coast.  During your trip you will see breathtaking views of the coastline that you may never experience again.  The great thing about this trip is that your group can choose how hard they want to push themselves; if your group is super ambitious and feels ready to backpack a couple more miles, there are some hot springs at the very end of the trail that provide a nice, relaxing finish to your trip.

Yosemite Backpacking

Photo Courtesy of Kelsey Gross

Leaders: Ethan Landau, Claire Peterson, Andrew Yandell

Level of Difficulty: Challenging

This trip is another program classic.  On the trip you will be hiking on the Cathedral Lakes-Glacier Point trail in the gorgeous Yosemite National Parks.  You will be hiking around the famous Yosemite Falls– this is an adventure you won’t want to miss out on!  You might see a bear, you’ll swim in a lake sustained from melting glaciers, and you’ll certainly experience amazing, breathtaking views.  You have to be prepared to hike a bit — there will be a 5-8 mile journey each day.  Students who have gone on this trip in years past always come back commenting on the fantastic views and amazing time they had.  Beginning backpackers are welcome; no experience necessary.

Sequoia Backpacking

Leaders: Melissa Becker, Ellie Pickrell, Will Yandell

Level of Difficulty: Challenging

On this trip, you will be hiking the Twin Lakes trail where you will have the opportunity to walk on logs, rock-hop across a river and see bears.  During the entire trip you will be hiking beneath majestic sequoias, which provide a fantastic backdrop to a sometimes grueling hike.  On the last day of your trip, you will have the opportunity to do a day hike to the lakes and swim in the beautiful water before you return to campus.

Grand Canyon Camping

Leaders: Bojana Bozic, Emma Jones, Will Kahn

Level of Difficulty: Easy

This trip is one of our newer camping trips, but allows you to spend some up close and personal time with the Grand Canyon.  You will be sleeping under the stars at the North Rim Campground and will take numerous day hikes around the Grand Canyon to experience more of its beauty.  However, your group also has the option to sit around the campsite, play games and get to know each other.

Photo Courtesy of Jordan Lieberman

Mammoth Lakes Camping

Leaders: Max Mullen, Emily Nordhoff, Clare Riva

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Like the other camping trips, this trip also offers a lot of flexibility in how you spend your days.  The location is beautiful as located on a lake that is surrounded by picturesque mountains.  You can spend your days playing around in the lake, taking day hikes or just sitting at your campsite chilling with Mother Nature.  No matter how you choose to spend your days, you are bound to create lasting friendships in the beautiful wilderness of California.

Sequoia Camping

Leaders: Chloe Cotton, Chloe Hauenstein, Jake Roth

Level of Difficulty: Easy

Like on the Sequoia Backpacking trip, you will be sleeping under the beautiful sequoia trees every night.  However, this trip is much less grueling than the backpacking trip and you will get to choose how you spend your days.  If you choose to do so, your group can stay at the campsite and play games all day.  However, if you are feeling a little restless, you always have the option of going on day hikes and experiencing a little bit more of your beautiful surroundings.

Every single trip offers a unique experience, but one that will be adventurous, exciting and an all-around good time.  You really can’t go wrong.  So choose a trip, fill out the WOA! forms that we sent out June 1^st and send them back to us as soon as possible so you can land a spoy on the trip of your dreams.

We hope you’ll join us, and can’t wait to get to know each and every one of you in August!

Photo Courtesy of Chloe Hauenstein

WOA! Quick Facts

Participant Information

- 3 leaders per trip (at least 1 male and 1 female)

- 15-20 students per trip (camping trips tend to be the largest)

Schedule and Important Dates

- Trips are 4 days long

- Arrive Saturday, August 20^th between 12pm and 5pm

- Students flying into the Ontario airport will be picked up by W.O.A.! leaders

- Students flying into LAX can call for assistance in getting a shuttle, but W.O.A.! will not be available to meet students at the airport

- Upon arrival on Saturday, students can drop their belongings off in their dorm rooms, but students will not be given a key to their rooms until they return on Wednesday

- W.O.A.! activities begin with a group meeting and dinner Saturday night

- Saturday night is spent in trip groups in dorm lounges

- All groups depart early Sunday morning, August 21^st

- All groups return to CMC Wednesday, August 24^th between 12pm and 4pm

- Students receive room keys and can spend the night in their dorm rooms Wednesday night

- On-campus orientation begins Thursday, August 25^th

- Parents and family are welcome to join students on Thursday for orientation

Trip Offerings

- Channel Islands Kayaking

- Colorado River Canoeing (2 trips)

- Sequoia/King’s Canyon Backpacking

- Sequoia/King’s Canyon Camping

- Yosemite Backpacking

- Mammoth Lakes Camping

- Santa Barbara Surfing

- Grand Canyon Camping

- San Onofre Surfing (?)

- Big Sur Backpacking

Cost

- $350 for all trips

- Checks should be made payable to Claremont McKenna College/W.O.A.!

- Rental equipment can be paid for on the same check or separately

In short, your sponsor group is your hall. As the Pomona website will tell you: “the groups are coed and consist of 10 to 20 first-year students who live in adjacent rooms in the residence halls, along with two sophomore sponsors who help them learn the ropes of campus life.” The program is almost entirely student run: each year, a predominantly student committee picks a new group of four “head sponsors” – always juniors or seniors – who in turn organize the process by which the 56 “sponsors” – almost always sophomores – are selected, paired, and placed throughout the dorms. The four head sponsors are also responsible for sorting incoming students into rooms and sponsor groups. They read every housing form and try to organize freshmen by sometimes obvious and sometimes mysterious criteria. Some sponsor groups will have a majority of athletes; some will have a lot of musicians; some will have nothing obvious in common.

The head sponsors are paid for their time, but sponsors are all volunteers, willing to end their summer in mid-August to go through two weeks of 12-hour/day training before the school year begins. This training includes everything from mediation training to team building to first aid. These two weeks are generally understood to be grueling and tedious. Nonetheless, an average of 35% of each year’s freshman class applies to be a sponsor when the selection process begins each spring. Though there are exceptions, of course, most Pomona students end up with a few close relationships that began in the sponsor group.

The positive light in which most Pomona students view the sponsor program speaks to its success at making some important aspects of freshman life easier, but the institutionally-endorsed nature of the program also gives rise to some difficulties. 2009-2010 Head Sponsor Zach Barnett points out that “because the sponsor group is expected to be so close and to get along, and because the students in a sponsor group often do get along so well, this tends to intensify feelings of exclusion and alienation for those who don’t.” The problems of exclusion and alienation have historically applied more to students who identify with minority groups, and issues of this sort have sometimes led to sponsor program clashes with the mentoring groups on campus.

The strangeness of the Pomona sponsor program seems to some like an indication of its frivolousness. After all, Pomona is one of a tiny group of schools with similar programs. Most schools, and larger schools in particular, sort incoming students into rooms without considering the social life of the hall without any apparent detriment to student happiness or success.  CMC, which ranked first on a recent Daily Beast list of the Happiest Colleges, simply mixes first years in with the general population and allows older students to take on mentoring roles organically.

Despite these issues, the sponsor program is very popular, seen by most as an integral and formative part of the Pomona College experience, which is why Pomona students like myself so often go to the trouble of explaining it.

Our second day at Mammoth Lakes it poured buckets while we stood cramped under a small tarp singing camp songs. Conveniently, our sleeping bags caught the brunt of the storm, forcing our leaders to make a decision between booking a hotel or losing 14 campers to hypothermia. After some unnecessary deliberation, they chose hotel. Rather, a massive three-floor resort with beds for all of us.

Three years later, it’s cool to see everyone a little more grown up, preparing to be a college graduate. We all have different majors and I can’t say that I really hang with anyone from the trip, we do smile at each other, say hello, have short conversations. We’re not besties, but I couldn’t have wished for a trip with more amazing people.

I’m nostalgic, wondering where the time went, and happy to see that this year’s freshman have made some friends on their own adventures. Have fun with your first college buds, your first crush – the first group of individuals who like you for who you are, not for you killer AP scores.

The following is a collection of pictures submitted by CMC freshmen and their WOA leaders.

I am a freshman and I recently went on one of the WOA trips. I love all the people I met, and I think I made some true friends. I am writing because one of our leaders, to be unnamed of course, probably needs to be my future husband. Okay not actually, but I have a big crush on him. I didn’t really know how to approach him on the trip, though it probably wouldn’t have been inappropriate for me to do that anyway. He is obviously a bit older than I, something I don’t find too problematic. Others (my friends) however, think I should just keep him as a friend because he’s older and has been somewhat of a counselor to us. I am not quite sure what to do on this one, apparently you’re the one to ask?

Young Woman,

Although I do have experience with older men (e.g. Portland Mayor Sam Adams), I don’t think throwing yourself at your WOA leader for political power is the route you want to take. Stay off the news! You may not know this, but I’d estimate, say, 91.3% of men in the US don’t truly care how old you are. And at CMC, or any college, one usually doesn’t have to worry about whether you legally bought those cigarettes in the black and pink box of marketing genius. We’re talking an age range of 18-23 years old- more like 18 and 20 for you. This doesn’t mean that age is a non-issue in relationships, just this: At CMC, qualities that supposedly develop with age, like maturity, are not always positively correlated. Truthfully, CMC can probably go ahead and take that conjecture out of the scrutiny box. Have you met Tom (last name omitted in conjunction with copyright laws)? Kid blacks out more frequently than Dora mugs folks in the dinner line.

As far as figuring out if this guy has any interest in you, well, it sounds like you already have a plan for that. If I were to make a suggestion, it would to be to take charge of the circumstance. You could ask this stag to go somewhere with friends, or maybe meet him for a one-on-one coffee date at the Motley? It will show him that you are old enough to handle taking the lead- Maturity, bang! Plus, confident women are sexy. If you don’t agree I’ll introduce you to Allison Lockscrub.

One more thing (and I hate to stereotype), but I’m fairly certain females have some genetic power inside of them that makes it really easy for them to get positive attention from men, at will. Not sure where you mix up that potion. Maybe in the colon? Because I am also pretty sure women don’t poop. How are you so discreet!? So, you know, that is always an option.

Sincerely,

A Mitch

Dear A Mitch,

As I am sure you know, there are a lot of buff, good-looking guys on campus. For girls, this couldn’t be better. For me, this poses a problem for my nerdy, much less strong, tan, and athletic self. Seriously every party I went to last year ended up with me losing the girl I was dancing with to some plastered meathead. I heated up the oven and they ate the cake. What the fuck?

Sir,

OH, I KNOW! And I am sorry for your losses, but are you upset because more attractive men are swooping up all the sexy ladies at dance parties? That’s like getting frustrated with Jimmy because he picked you last in dodgeball. People go with the best available. Would you upgrade your phone service for free? Only if daddy says okay? Daddy would if the only obstacle in his way was turning 180 degrees to some other guy’s gyrating crotch. Daddy might think that is gay but I don’t think he understands the analogy. I hope you do.

Look, super attractive guys have it easier. So now what? You gotta get over it and come up with your own ways of bettering your chances. See, Jimmy might not pick you last if you were a good friend of his. Or even if he knew you were an awesome guy, that might put you a head above the cannon-armed, personality-deprived dickface. Point is, the best way for you to get play is to establish relationships with the ladies– assuming a hook up is your ultimate goal.

You need to get a girl interested in you before the weekend. Establish a playful connection with a lady you might like sharing kissies with. When I say playful, I mean taking it easy, friendliness. Rock a smile and tell her how you’re gonna drop it like it’s hot on Saturday night and she needs to be around to get broken off. She’ll say, “Oh is that so!?” Then you say, in your driest voice, “Yeah, and I apologize ahead of time for any embarrassment you may feel.”  BOOM– when you see her that weekend on the dance floor you’ll have a connection– something that cuts out the awkwardness of approaching a woman and dry humping to Lady Gaga.

And yet, you may still be traded in for a newer, more attractive model. Luckily, drunken, clothed sex is not the only way to find good girls. Maybe you should try the Friday-night-not-going-out-but-still-going-to-chill type of kick-it session. Maybe the after-class-tea-time game, where you can spit knowledge about your extracurricular activities while the athletes are all at practice. Or you could just start working out. In the sun. For maximum results, I suggest you do this.

Sincerely,

A Mitch

The clues they had to work with:

• This 5C college is not too far to roam. Every year they host a gathering full of foam. After dancing the night away, get a famous Galileo Sub at the Place of Jay.
• When things heat up, this place will keep you cool! So head out and take a picture at Pitzer’s pool.
• More often full of shes than hes, this locale is known for its coffees and teas.
• Enjoy intellectual discourse and speakers from across the world and nation, this location also hosts our annual Madrigals celebration.
• BONUS: Pour ice on another freshman.

Get smart. Read the New York Times or some other reputable news source daily. Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, whatever… learn to be an informed human being.  Professors will expect this from you, and general campus conversation will demand it.  Bonus points for Real Clear Politics, which pulls the best editorial and opinion content (from both sides) daily. Or even better, start using Google Reader.

Big fish in a little sea. So you were a hotshot at your hometown high school.  If you started a company, were student body president, or directed a Broadway play at the age of 6– that is awesome and you clearly have your stuff together, but it can easily rub your new peers the wrong way.  Be proud of your accomplishments, but leave them behind in Akron/Modesto/Westchester. We were all pretty impressive during high school, otherwise we wouldn’t be at CMC. Use those experiences; don’t talk about them. You’ll be more productive and probably even have more friends.

Love your WOA trip. I met my best friend and she met her boyfriend on our trip to Yosemite. If you attend a WOA trip (some don’t), this an automatic set of friends for you doing your first few weeks.  You’re not bound to this group of people (like Pomona students are to their Sponsor Groups), but it’s a nice safety net. While you’re hiking, canoeing, or playing beirut (with water, of course), just remember that first impressions make all the difference.

Free T-shirt Week. Otherwise known as Orientation Week and Dry Week.  The aforementioned best friend and I made it our goal to collect as many free t-shirts as possible during this week.  With all the budget cuts at CMC, the swag-factor may be slightly reduced at these events, but get ready to expand your t-shirt collection by at least 25 percent. To round out the week, there’s 6:01– the party to celebrate the precise end of Dry Week.  It really is as glorious as everyone says it is.

Overachievers anonymous. There’s a club fair in early September where all the clubs and organizations will try to convince you to join their cause.  The greatest part is not how many clubs there are –but the opportunity for leadership positions. A sophomore can be the Editor-in-Chief of a publication. A freshman can be a delegate to a national environmental conference. Get involved and stay committed, your resume will thank you.

Chill out with the Target runs. You really don’t need that much stuff at school. Every superstore — and your mother — will be trying to get you to buy dorm room stuff that you don’t need.  Think about it this way when you’re standing in line with two shopping carts full of stuff: the hottest weeks of the year are during move-in and move-out.  Do you really need that striped area rug that matches your bedspread?

What you guys should most look forward to is that you won’t be treated like the scum-of-the-earth freshmen that you are.  When I started at CMC, I was terrified to venture out to the Senior Apartments during my first week, but the upperclassmen were overwhelmingly friendly and welcoming.  It is our duty to spread goodwill and pay it forward to you guys. Good luck!