Articles Written By: emae2021@pomona.edu

How To Become a Beloved Pomona College Cook

November 19, 2024 by Lorraine Harry Comments Off

Visit Frank Dining Hall for brunch, and most days you will find Teo Ibarra on the back patio, bantering with students while serving up made-to-order omelets. Ibarra has worked at Pomona for 12 years and is considered by many to be a Pomona mainstay. It’s hard to tell if students love Ibarra or his omelets more, but it’s safe to say that both have reached legendary status.

Work at Pomona in the ’90s as a dishwasher on the weekends while doing construction during the week.
Take a full-time position with Sodexo (the food services company at Pomona at the time), who pays for you to attend the Culinary Institute of America in New York. “I couldn’t say no to that,” says Ibarra. “I’d have to be out of my mind.” Become a manager with Sodexo at other universities across the country and eventually at Disneyland.
Apply to work as a cook at Pomona again, seeking a shorter commute and better work-life balance. Cook in Oldenborg Dining Hall for seven years.
Ask to take over making omelets when the current omelet chef retires.
Pour love into your cooking. Ibarra preps at least 20 fresh ingredients for the omelets each day, chopping vegetables and cooking meats to perfection beforehand.
Talk to students while making omelets. Get to know them by name and ask about their interests. “The students motivate me the most,” he says.
Remember people’s orders. Many students are regulars at the omelet bar, getting the same order every day. “I know what they want, what they like and how they want it.”
Gain perspective on life through a major health issue. Ibarra experienced a brain aneurysm during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I really thought I was going to go. They opened my head,” says Ibarra. “Ever since, I see life totally different. And if I can help someone, I can. I go the extra mile. I would do it even if they don’t appreciate it. We’re all humans. We all sleep, breathe, die, so why not be the best you can be?”
Let students reciprocate the care you show them. Ibarra experienced an outpouring of support from students and alumni while in the hospital. A GoFundMe organized on his behalf raised close to $26,000. “I’ve been blessed,” he says.
Make something you can’t eat yourself. Ibarra, ironically, is allergic to eggs. “I get hives all over my body.”

Three New Scholarship Winners

November 19, 2024 by Staff Comments Off

Schwarzman Scholar

New environments have always fascinated Lydia Haile ’22, a Coloradan and first-generation college student whose curiosity led her to Pomona and now is taking her across the globe.

Haile is pursuing a master’s degree in global affairs from Tsinghua University in Beijing, thanks to the one-year scholarship. At Tsinghua she will attend lectures, travel and deepen her understanding of the world’s second-most populous country.

“I’m excited to immerse myself in an environment I would not find myself in otherwise,” Haile says. “I’m at a stage in life where I can just pack up and move, simply for the sake of learning.”

A neuroscience major, Haile was chosen as one of 150 scholars from 4,200 applicants. After graduation, she became an operations specialist at the Obesity Medicine Association and helped launch the nonprofit Global Medical Relief for Tigray (GMRT) to address health care needs in Tigray, Ethiopia, raising funds for medical supplies for a hospital affected by the 2020 conflict.

Being of Tigrayan descent herself, Haile views her involvement with GMRT as an opportunity “to utilize my skills to enact long-lasting change.”

As a Schwarzman Scholar, Haile hopes to leverage her diverse background to develop interdisciplinary solutions spanning global affairs, medicine, technology and language.

“This opportunity is invaluable,” she says, “There’s so much I have yet to experience, and by gaining a broader perspective, I simply can’t lose.”

Find out more at pomona.edu/news/2024/06/24-schwarzman-scholar-lydia-haile-22-embraces-opportunity-live-and-learn-abroad.

Udall Scholar

For someone entering her junior year, Arianna Lawrence ’26 has already built an impressive resume. She interned with the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), the New York City Commission on Human Rights and the San Francisco Environmental Department. She is an EcoRep in Pomona’s sustainability office and a student manager of ReCoop, helping students recover and reuse clothing, furniture and other items. And now, she’s been recognized for her sustained involvement and potential for environmental leadership by being named one of 55 Udall Scholars for 2024, earning a $7,000 scholarship.

“I’ve always been interested in environmentalism, in how inequities can manifest in physical spaces,” says Lawrence. “I’m from Brooklyn. Nobody [there] has backyards. Nobody has green spaces.” What Lawrence did have in her New York community, though, was a high school where she could pursue a major. She chose Law and Society, with an interest in environmental organizing.

Lawrence remembers being inspired by the 2019 New York City Climate Strike, where tens of thousands marched for climate action. The next summer, as a rising high school senior, she interned with the Natural Resources Defense Council and joined a youth coalition for the United Nations Environmental Program, focusing on youth involvement in environmental policymaking.

At Pomona Lawrence majors in public policy analysis with an emphasis on environmental issues, aiming for a career in urban planning, zoning law or environmental litigation. “It’s exciting to figure out my niche in environmentalism and policy,” she says.

Find out more at pomona.edu/news/2024/05/29-udall-scholarship-recognizes-pomona-student-environmental-involvement.

Goldwater Scholar

Daniel Gao ’25, a molecular biology major, was awarded the prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, established by Congress in 1986 for students in science, engineering and mathematics. This year 437 Scholars were selected out of a pool of over 5,000 students.

Since his sophomore year Gao has conducted research in the lab of chemistry professor Malkiat Johal, using surface-chemistry tools to look at “receptor-ligand interactions” that are involved in blood clotting. They are also probing the physiological significance of the interactions beyond the chemistry.

Gao’s interest in blood clotting began at a young age when his grandfather experienced a stroke. “That was the sort of alarm,” he says. “It’s a very niche type of work, but it’s been a big passion of mine.”

Gao sought out Johal because he was interested in the convergence of the biology of blood clotting with Johal’s background in surface chemistry. “Having the different perspectives brings a lot to the table in terms of the interdisciplinary aspect of our research,” says Gao.

Along with conducting research this summer, Gao applied to M.D.-Ph.D. programs with the goal of beginning a program in fall 2025.

The future physician hopes to create new tools for diseases, particularly in the realm of blood clotting. “A big part of being an M.D.-Ph.D. is [to] translate basic science into clinical tools,” says Gao. “That’s something I want to do: being proficient in both, and having both perspectives.”

Find out more at pomona.edu/news/2024/06/06-daniel-gao-25-named-2024-goldwater-scholar.

Reflecting on the History of Pomona’s Built Environment

November 19, 2024 by Staff Comments Off

This year marks the publication of the second edition of Pomona College: Reflections on a Campus, a campus history authored by professor emeritus Marjorie Harth, co-creator of Pomona’s archives program with former director of donor relations Don Pattison.

First published in 2007 in conjunction with the efforts of many colleagues, the book aims to chronicle Pomona’s campus not simply as a collection of buildings and open spaces but as a carefully designed learning and living environment for Pomona students. We spoke with Harth about the project.

How would you summarize this new second edition?

This version updates the history of Pomona’s campus, adding the many new and recently renovated buildings during the 17 years between editions. Physical changes reflect shifting pedagogies, societal priorities and a host of other cultural factors. I recommend Professor George Gorse’s essay on Myron Hunt, our founding architect; Scott Smith, long-time planning consultant, contributed a new chapter on landscape architect Ralph Cornell who worked hand in hand with Hunt. These give us insight into campus planning, how it has changed and how integrally related the two disciplines—architecture and landscape architecture—should be.

What would you like readers to take away from Reflections?

I hope they will take away an awareness of how rich the history of this College and its campus are and how much we can learn from and take pride in them. I hope readers will begin to register the way our environments—buildings, grounds, classrooms, public spaces—affect the quality of our lives.

We all know this on some level, I believe, but we don’t always focus on it when we’re creating or inhabiting spaces for various purposes, especially, in this case, a place for learning, intellectual growth and experimentation. So, this book offers what we hope is a fresh way of understanding the College and the lives lived within it.

A Historical Emmy Nod for Baby Reindeer and Nava Mau ’14

November 19, 2024 by Staff Comments Off

Photo courtesy of Nava Mau ’14

This summer Nava Mau ’14 became the first-ever trans female to be nominated as best supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movie. Mau played Teri in the hit Netflix series Baby Reindeer.

“For trans actors we just don’t get a lot of opportunities to develop our craft, grow as artists, and to be recognized for all that we are and all that we can be,” she told Deadline magazine this summer. “We can see that when trans people are given the opportunity, we will grow into it and so far beyond any expectation.”

A Historical Emmy Nod for Baby Reindeer and Nava Mau ’14

10 Years of the Studio Art Hall and the Chan Gallery

November 19, 2024 by Staff Comments Off

When the Studio Art Hall opened in October 2014, it brought together under one roof art making, art appreciation and art interaction at the College. Housed in the building is the 1,500-square-foot Chan Gallery, made possible by Trustee Emeritus and art major Bernard Charnwut Chan ’88. This fall the Art Department celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the Studio Art Hall with “Lush Matter,” a Chan Gallery exhibition that served as a spotlight of alumni artwork inspired by nature.

Drenk’s “Compression 13”

Jessica Drenk ’02 traces her “Compression 13” piece back to her time at Pomona. One of her first projects for Professor Michael O’Malley involved transforming books into rich, unusual tunnel-like structures by removing their covers and tearing holes through them. “Books have become part of my repertoire, so that class was the beginning of my art career,” she says.

Falby’s “Peregrine”

Dan Falby ’12 sent the show four abstract ceramic sculptures that involved dropping and tossing clay slabs, relying on gravity to do its work. He says he strives to make art that has “a similar elemental happenstance” as natural phenomena. Falby was a visiting artist at the American Museum of Ceramic Art, then served as a ceramics instructor in Los Angeles before relocating to the Northeast in 2021.

Gewirtzman’s
“Black Velvet Canyon, Red Rocks”

Aliyana Gewirtzman ’12 submitted four pieces, including “Indifferent Earth,” a 40-inch-by-30-inch oil painting, and two ink drawings of Red Rock Canyon and Joshua Tree. She worked in New York for 10 years before leaving to travel the country in a camper van. She currently works as a full-time artist in Colorado, including teaching drawing and color theory courses remotely at the New York School of Interior Design.

Becca Lofchie ’10 (left), returned to the College to give a gallery talk earlier this month. She and classmates view her collection of ceramic vases. Photo by: Daniel Klein ’26

Becca Lofchie ’10 had a collection of ceramic vases on display in the show. While working professionally as a book designer, Lofchie took up ceramics a few years ago “as a way to do something with my hands,” she says. A design teacher at California State University, Los Angeles, Lofchie returned to the College earlier this month to give a gallery talk. Lofchie’s graphic design work clearly influences her ceramics, with an affinity for ’80s Memphis design that shows up in her bright color palettes and bold patterns.

Marsh’s “Untitled Mirror“

Tristan Louis Marsh ’18, an L.A.-based visual artist and designer, contributed four pieces: a pendant, mirror, chair and pair of candleholders. Creating works from wood and resin using a CNC machine and 3D printer, Marsh focuses on sculptural furniture and lighting that derive their form from biological structures and natural occurring phenomena. This summer Dezeen Magazine named Marsh’s studio one of “10 scene-setting independent design studios in Los Angeles.”

Yonten’s “Untitled (still life)”

Ugen Yonten ’22 is a second-year graduate student at the Yale School of Architecture, and contributed a still-life painting that he created at Pomona. The piece was a way for him to reflect on the pandemic and “the stillness of being back at home.” Tricia Avant, who serves as academic coordinator and gallery manager of art at Pomona, credits Yonten for his strong sense of artistic direction. “For just about any subject that he would tackle, he has his own aesthetic sensibility about it,” she says.

The Road to Truth

November 19, 2024 by Staff Comments Off

This summer, author and professor Soma Mei Sheng Frazier ’95 perched on a stool in front of an audience of Pomona alumni and opened her debut novel, a high-stakes road trip story published after nearly three decades of authoring shorter works. “Ready to get read to like babies at bedtime?” When she closed the book again, Frazier’s role model—Henry E. Sheffield Professor of History Samuel Yamashita—piped up to engage her in conversation about Off the Books, which, per The New York Times, “captures the relatable toggle between the private and the collective, between sinking into the anxieties of your life and grieving for the cruelties of the world.” In it, Frazier introduces us to Měi, a college dropout who begins driving private clients—including a man with a mysterious suitcase—to make ends meet. PCM spoke to Frazier about the book, the Uyghur ethnic minority group and her enduring admiration for Yamashita.

PCM: This book contains elements of mystery, drama, coming of age, Chinese American and multi-ethnic identity struggles, and the juxtaposition of East vs. West (globally but also between the two U.S. coasts). Did you set out to tackle all these issues, and how do you see them working in tandem to set the novel’s tone?

Frazier: The seed of Off the Books was a single issue: China’s treatment of the Uyghur ethnic minority group, many of whom have been “disappeared” into detention camps for such offenses as sporting the wrong beard. Their birth rates have plummeted, and children have been instructed not to speak the language their mothers sang them to sleep in.

To shine a light on that faraway situation, I set about writing the very American story of Měi Brown, a college dropout who finds herself driving a secretive private client from Oakland, California, to Syracuse, New York. As I wrote, all those themes grew from Měi’s personal growth and fraught relationships with a Caucasian dad and Chinese American mom, which became the backdrop for a quirky—and funny, I’ve been told—story about the circumstances that lead people to take big risks, and the consequences of leaving one’s home.

PCM: Several of the central characters do not fit typical molds. Lăoyé, the main character’s grandfather, is a smack-talking, weed-smoking, 86-year-old video-gamer from China. Does this reflect your own personal experiences? How do you believe it adds to the major themes of the story?

Frazier: Well, typical molds can suck it. In my personal experience, people gain freedom when we stop contorting ourselves to fit those molds. Lăoyé is actually almost everyone’s favorite character, and I believe that’s because he is a mold breaker. He’s unapologetically sincere. As children, we say what we truly think and feel because we haven’t learned how to do otherwise yet. Then, as we gain age and wisdom like Lăoyé, if we’re lucky, we return to authenticity. When we meet Měi, she’s just beginning that journey back to herself, remembering the difference between reaction and intentional, self-driven action. On top of that, transporting her sweet (and I’ll say it: sexy) client Henry Lee across the states ultimately leads her to take the wheel in other ways.

Soma Mei Sheng Frazier ’95

PCM: The story unfolds through flashbacks intertwined with the progress of Měi’s road trip through the U.S. Although disorienting at first, it nicely accorded with real life—that is, we are constantly relating the present to past events we have experienced, even without noticing it. Does that structure serve other purposes?

Frazier: We are always toggling back and forth between present and past. Through the structure, my hope is that the road trip itself gives the story momentum, while the flashbacks (interspersed with present-day action) allow the characters to sort of experience that languid mental wandering that we often do on long drives.

PCM: Why did you use pinyin (romanization of Mandarin Chinese characters) for Chinese terms, including notating them with tone marks in an English-language book?

Frazier: Měi’s Chinese is rudimentary, so she’s limited to the kind of household language that one picks up organically from an immigrant parent, like “I’m hungry.” I wanted to permit people who know Chinese, or grew up in households that spoke Chinese but do not have complete command of the language, to relate. I also wanted readers who don’t know Chinese to experience the sort of disorientation that Měi herself does when the other characters suddenly start conversing in this language she doesn’t fully understand. So that’s why I didn’t italicize the Chinese. Italicization implies a sort of separation from English. But then in real life, there’s no separation. I wanted what was on the page to mirror the experience of hearing the characters’ conversations in real life.

PCM: What do you ultimately hope that this book accomplishes?

Frazier: I hope that Off the Books will make readers laugh and remind us to be kind to one another. I also hope it will pique interest in China’s treatment of the Uyghurs, ethnic minorities and prisoners of conscience. Because, yes, they’re halfway around the world, but I think we’d be fools to think of their issues as distant. China is the U.S.’s number one trade partner, and likely to gain regional hegemony and become a superpower. Before speaking with you, I did an interview with Radio Free Asia where I learned from the Uyghur interviewer that family members of every one of her Uyghur colleagues have disappeared. Ultimately, I want people to know about this and acknowledge the ugly truths about our number one trade partner, just as I hope we do about this country. And then to decide on their own whether and how to act on that knowledge to make things better for everyone.

PCM: How did Pomona College help or inspire you to undertake this book?

Frazier: When I was preparing to head to Pomona from New Hampshire, I walked into my mom’s office, and she was writing a check. I asked, “Hey, who’s that check going to?” And she replied that she was sending my aunties some money. I inquired why. After all, they were doing well. She said, “No, not those aunties—it’s for the aunties we had to leave behind in China.” And I didn’t know about these aunties, so I went off to Pomona reflecting on that experience and about the things I didn’t know about China. Those sentiments inspired me to delve further as an Asian studies major and Asian languages and literatures minor. Furthermore, I think a lot of experiences at Pomona—particularly being in Samuel Yamashita’s class—can make a person who might not have been focused on global politics think about global politics. Dr. Yamashita also makes us relate the issues we’re thinking about to our own behavior in the world. As the saying goes, a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. In classes like his, you think you’re eating candy. Just all sugar. Yet you leave medicated, fortified with information about the world.

Bookmarks

November 19, 2024 by Staff Comments Off

In The Presidents and the People, Corey Brettschneider ’95 explores how five American presidents in different eras abused their power and how citizens fought back to restore democracy.

Chanté Griffin ’00 helps readers develop a vision of anti-racism and move toward racial healing in Loving Your Black Neighbor as Yourself: A Guide to Closing the Space Between Us.

As an editor of American Aesthetics: Theory and Practice, Walter B. Gulick ’60 proposes a distinctly American approach to aesthetic judgment and practice through this collection of essays.

In his debut novel The Emperor and the Endless Palace, Justinian Huang ’09 crafts a genre-bending queer Asian love story that unfolds across multiple timelines.

Jade Sasser ’97 explores climate-driven reproductive anxiety, placing race and social justice at the center, in Climate Anxiety and the Kid Question: Deciding Whether to Have Children in an Uncertain Future

The Five Ranks of Zen: Tozan’s Path of Being, Nonbeing and Compassion is a comprehensive guide to the teachings of Zen Buddhism by American Zen teacher Gerry Shishin Wick ’62.

As president emerita of Kalamazoo College and trustee emerita of Pomona College, Eileen B. Wilson-Oyelaran ’69 presents a fresh perspective on higher education leadership in The New College President: How a Generation of Diverse Leaders Is Changing Higher Education.

BOOK SUBMISSIONS

If you’ve had a book published and would like to submit it for inclusion in Bookmarks, please send a review copy to or email us

Lorraine Harry, PCM Books Editor,
550 North College Ave.
Claremont, CA 91711

Stray Thoughts

November 19, 2024 by Adam Conner-Simons ’08 Comments Off

Adam Conner-Simons ’08

Making the Practice of Deceleration Normal, and Natural

Am I the only one who’s noticed a shift in the pace of life these days? Stepping into this new role as guest editor, I’ve reflected on it more than usual. I wake up to an onslaught of urgent emails and push notifications that demand immediate responses, leaving little room for quiet reflection. While there are many tech-driven advances that have brought us convenience, speed and savings, these developments also pose a particular challenge to our well-being: the erosion of our ability to slow down and simply be present.

One powerful antidote to this is the theme of the issue sitting in your hands today: getting “back to nature.” For me, at least, the most reliable action for counterbalancing the frenetic rhythms of modern life is the simple act of stepping outside and mindfully observing the natural world in all of its gentle profundity.

When we take moments to appreciate nature—the rustle of leaves in the wind, the rhythm of ocean waves, a simple sunset—we break free from the constant demand for swift action. Nature operates at a pace that can’t be rushed, and in its presence, we are reminded that life is not about racing from one task to the next, but about engaging fully with each experience.

I’d like to think that the intentional slowing down we feel in nature is not entirely dissimilar to the liberal arts atmosphere that surrounds us at Pomona.

Instead of rushing through a checklist of prerequisites or focusing on a narrow band of vocational skills, Pomona asks students to engage with a wide variety of perspective-broadening disciplines, teaching them to appreciate the interconnectedness of ideas and the complexity of the human experience. With a curriculum that forces us to think deeply, critically and holistically, we can soften our pace, reflect on the larger picture, and wrestle with a robust range of ideas here before going off to the great, big “real world” (whatever that means).

Sagehens graduate not only informed and skilled, but also thoughtful, curious and empathetic. Somewhat paradoxically, they’re better equipped to navigate a world that demands instant answers because they have learned to take the time to think differently, and more creatively. In both the act of appreciating nature and the ethos of a liberal arts education, there is a shared recognition that the process of deceleration—whether it’s to absorb the beauty of the natural world or to deeply explore a complex idea—enriches our lives. It helps us cultivate a more profound understanding of ourselves, the world, and our place within it.

—Adam Conner-Simons ’08

Guest Editor

Letter Box

November 19, 2024 by Staff Comments Off

2024 Protests

It is with dismay that I read about the disruption of several aspects of campus life (e.g., 2024 Commencement and the fall opening convocation) by pro-Palestinian protesters.

Full disclosure: I have relatives in Israel, who knew people who were killed on 10/7/23, the worst massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Lest you view me as a cheerleader for Netanyahu, I believe that his refusal to entertain the idea of a two-state solution has contributed to Israel’s diplomatic isolation and security crises. While I initially supported Israel’s military response, I have come to believe that it reached a point of diminishing returns long ago. Like any decent human, I am saddened by the loss of innocent Palestinian lives, and wish that Israel put greater effort into a two-state solution.

That said, these nuances are absolutely lost on the West’s “pro-Palestinian” movement—a term I put in quotes because it seems to put a higher priority on destroying Israel than on improving the lot of the Palestinian people.

Anyone who has studied the history of that region would realize just how complicated it is, with both Jews and Palestinians having legitimate claims to the land and legitimate grievances toward each other. My complaint against student protesters is threefold. First, a college is supposed to be a place for critical thinking. Students who shout eliminationist anti-Israel slogans obviously gave up on that a long time ago.

Second, the protesters’ methods often push the boundaries of legality. At Pomona and elsewhere, they have shown callous disrespect for other people’s property and personal space.

Third, while I do not believe that “pro-Palestinian” protesters are consciously antisemitic, their actions have the effect of making many Jewish students feel targeted and intimidated.

All of this breaks my heart.

—Tony Gansen, ’84

Foster City, California

Another ’60s Activist Offers View on Campus Climate

I look back with pride at my political activity when I was at Pomona. I did not have the privilege of knowing Harry Stein ’70 (“A ’60s Activist’s Take on Politicized Campuses,” Summer 2024), but may have participated in some of the same demonstrations he did. Even though I played football, considered the sign of a caveman, I marched with Jane Fonda. The Vietnam War was actually a simpler issue than the Israel-Palestine conflict. The rest of the Middle East, the United States, and the rest of the world bear responsibility for the failure to complete the 1947 United Nations Resolution 181 that created the state of Israel and called for a separate state of Palestine. As for the criticism of the news coverage regarding Pomona by Pomona College Magazine, I have not found it biased. While I live in Arlington, Texas, I still have family in Upland and Riverside with whom I share discussions about Pomona. I was surprised that Harry Stein did not mention the Claremont Institute and its far-right views, yet stated that there is “near-uniformity of thought in Claremont on issues of race, gender and now the Middle East.” I applaud President Starr’s efforts to promote significant discussion regarding difficult and contentious issues.

—Gerald Casenave ’72

Arlington, Texas

Pomona Students, Yesterday and Today

Regarding the letter from Harry Stein ’70, when I returned to Pomona after my Melvin Laird Fellowship in Southeast Asian Studies, I found the campus to be as vibrant and intellectually alive as it was when I dropped out in February 1968.

I have been on campus a number of times in the last 10 years. I have talked to undergrads. The only way one could conclude there was “near-uniformity of thought” among Pomona undergrads is if he had no contact whatsoever with the undergraduate population.

—Bart Scott ’75

Santa Rosa, California

President Starr on 10/7 Campus Events

The takeover of Carnegie Hall by protesters and the events that ensued “should be unfathomable” in a close-knit, ethical and caring learning community such as Pomona’s. That was the message that President G. Gabrielle Starr shared with the campus in the aftermath of the events.

“Our academic mission was directly targeted. Faculty, students, staff and high school student visitors were subjected to intimidation and fear. This is unacceptable,” she wrote. She expressed gratitude to the members of the College community who, she said, “in the midst of crisis showed who we are at our best and provided help.”

“The destruction in Carnegie Hall was extensive, and investigation has revealed that the vast majority of those who occupied Carnegie are not Pomona students,” Starr said. “Disciplinary letters are going out to students from Pomona and other Claremont Colleges identified as involved in the takeover. Student groups affiliated with this incident are also under investigation. Individuals who are not students will be banned from our campus, she noted.”

Pomona is committed to the integrity of its disciplinary processes, and President Starr affirmed that the College will not comment on individual cases. Within the scope of the student code, and commensurate with individual circumstances, sanctions may include campus bans, suspension and expulsion—a step not taken lightly, she said. Students have due process, with opportunities for appeal.

“As we head into the final months of the semester, let us not lose sight of what unites us and makes us strong,” President Starr concluded. “We are given great gifts that we must bear in trust for this generation and generations to come. I am proud to be part of this community. I look forward to engaging alongside you, and setting our feet together on a path that, even at our most profound moments of disagreement, leads to higher ground.”

Memories of KSPC in the Late 1950s

When I transferred from Columbia University to Pomona, attending for 2½ years before graduating with distinction in 1958, trad jazz (short for traditional) continued to figuratively save my life. So, I was delighted to host an evening program featuring the likes of Louis Armstrong and Bix Beiderbecke on KSPC (“KSPC Radio Rocks On,” Summer 2024). Terry Drinkwater ’58 ran a tight ship at the station and went on to greater things in broadcasting as a correspondent and anchor at CBS News before tragically passing prematurely in 1989.

But it was my weird fellow classical jazz enthusiast, Jim Bogen ’57, who played a mean clarinet, who encouraged me to host such a program that probably attracted no more than a dozen campus listeners—I never knew as no one ever commented besides Jim and a fellow Phi Delta, Bill Baer ’58.

I was only attracted to buddies then who were a little crazy and off the wall during the deadly conformism of the ’50s, and Jim was one of the few. I’d occasionally visit him four flights up the stairs in Smiley Hall and stare respectfully at the pennies he deliberately cast about his room floor, like a true philosophy major, to show his disdain for Californian materialism. If he’s still alive and reads this, I want him to know I still have the LP he and a pickup student band recorded—some amateurish riffs on trad jazz that must now be very collectible, and that his clarinet solos still stand out.

I also wonder if any archives exist witnessing most of KSPC’s 68 years at its various locations. Nothing like old-time radio going back to the 1930s, but that’s another story.

—Paul Christopher ’58

Pebble Beach, California

Correction

Joanne Tobiessen ’64 worked in career development at Union College in Schenectady, NY, and developed its peer facilitators program during 18 years of service, and also served on Union College’s Women’s Commission. Her obituary in the Summer 2024 issue incorrectly identified the college as Pacific Union. Pomona College Magazine regrets the error.

Write to Us at PCM

We welcome brief letters about College issues from alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, donors and other community members. Email us or mail a letter to Pomona College Magazine, 550 N. College Ave., Claremont, CA 91711. Letters should include the writer’s name, city and state of residence, contact information, and class year (for alumni). Letters should be no more than 400 words, are selected based on relevance and available space, and are subject to being edited for brevity and clarity.

Notice Board

November 19, 2024 by Staff Comments Off

Pomona College Fundraising Hits Historic Highs

Here’s a further look at our notable numbers as of June 30, 2024 (unaudited):

$57.1M in total fundraising
$5.3M For Pomona Annual Fund
19.6% of alumni made gifts
612 Family Weekend attendees
1,515 Alumni Weekend attendees

Pomona College alumni, families and friends gave a record $57.1 million in gifts and pledges this past fiscal year to help provide students with a transformative liberal arts education. In addition to breaking records in total fundraising and alumni giving participation, volunteer engagement also soared, making us a standout among peer institutions. Thank you for helping us make history, Sagehens!

Pomona Alumni Out and About

From coast to coast, Pomona’s Regional Alumni Chapters continue to build Sagehen connections. This summer and fall, activities included a music performance, a baseball game, a visit to an art center, the Blue Angels, a Sagehen’s book launch and a hangout with coffee and donuts. Visit our website to connect with a chapter in your area!

: Bay Area Sagehens cheer on the San Francisco Giants.

: L.A. and O.C. Sagehens join Professor Sam Yamashita at a book launch for Soma Mei Sheng Frazier ’95, author of Off the Books.

: Puget Sound Sagehens watch the Blue Angels, a flight demonstration squadron of the U.S. Navy, during a rooftop reception.

: N.Y.C. Sagehens visit the Storm King Art Center.

Save The Date: Alumni Weekend & Reunion Celebrations 2025

Join us May 2-4 to celebrate our classes ending in 5 or 0, the Class of 1978 and our Diamond Reunion Class of 1964 and beyond!

Visit our website to learn more.

Sagehens, We Need Your Nominations!

Help Students Explore Life Beyond College

Nominate yourself or a fellow alum for Return to Pomona, a new program that gives exceptional alumni the chance to share their experience, knowledge and talents with students and faculty. Whether serving as a guest lecturer, teaching a course or forging relationships with students and faculty, we’re seeking to cultivate stronger bonds with alumni who can enrich the student experience through unique and challenging opportunities. Visit our site to submit a nomination and read about our first Return to Pomona alum Mikey Dickerson ’01, the first administrator of the U.S. Digital Service.

2025 Pomona College Alumni Awards

Nominations are now open for the Alumni Awards! The Pomona College Alumni Association honors remarkable alumni who represent the core values, spirit and excellence of the College with the following recognitions:

Blaisdell Distinguished Alumni Award
Alumni Distinguished Service Award
Inspirational Young Alumni Award

Visit our website to submit a nomination and learn about past award recipients. The nomination deadline is December 6. Honorees are selected by a committee of Alumni Association Board past presidents and/or current board members.

Fall Greetings!

A Message from the Alumni Association Board President

Dear Sagehens,

I hope your fall is going well. The Alumni Association Board is off to a busy start and enjoyed our October retreat on campus. The chance to meet and discuss board initiatives in person is always helpful and productive, and we particularly enjoyed our time with students. One area of focus for us this year is the value of a liberal arts education—a critical issue to support at this moment.

As we get going, we are deeply focused on ways to build alumni connections through our three main committees. The Engagement Committee will focus on events, like career panels and Alumni Weekend. Our Regional Chapters Committee will help support the fantastic work of our alumni chapters. And the Development Committee will focus on community connection and fundraising. We are also excited about opportunities to welcome our seniors into the alumni community.

I am thrilled to lead and support these dedicated Sagehen volunteers—and to help our alumni community connect with Pomona and each other. I encourage you to find ways to meet up with Sagehens, as well—a regional chapter event or an impromptu dinner with a classmate who’s in town. And please join us for Alumni Weekend 2025. The board will be there, and we’d love to see you!

Chirp!
Andrea

Andrea Venezia ’91
President, Alumni Association Board
pomona.edu/alumni-board

Read about the Alumni Association Board and get to know Board President Andrea Venezia in her recent interview.

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