Slowly, Cautiously, the Reopening Begins

More than a year after Pomona—like so many colleges across the country—was forced to evacuate and close its campus in the face of the growing pandemic, there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel.

After a devastating fall and winter surge, COVID-19 case counts dropped dramatically in Los Angeles County through late February and early March, even as the pace of vaccination accelerated, generating a spirit of optimism in the College community.

County officials agreed in the early spring to first steps toward a limited re-opening of some campus facilities. It began, naturally enough, with outdoor spaces. For students living off campus in reach of Claremont, Pomona made plans to open outdoor facilities for recreational sports activities and physical conditioning. Haldeman Pool, the Pauley Tennis Complex and Strehle Track were set to open for current students, faculty and staff under a reservation system, President G. Gabrielle Starr announced in late February.

Colleges in Los Angeles County were not permitted to bring students back to campus during the spring, and so remote learning continued to be the only show in town. But looking forward, Starr said, Pomona is planning enthusiastically for the full return of students in the fall, with in-person instruction and on-campus living. “The campus is ready,” she said. “We are ready.”

With the county taking a highly restrictive approach to in-person higher education amid much of the pandemic, Pomona has taken the lead in advocating for college students with county officials to work for a responsible return to campus. “The young people who will build our future need to be given greater priority,” said Starr.

By early March, the county was sending positive signals for the return of students to campus for summer programs, and vaccination for higher education workers had begun. Student Health Services received its first small allotment of vaccines in this period, and Pomona faculty and staff were encouraged to seek their shots through the massive county vaccination effort as soon as possible.

As the College reached a turning point in one of the most sweeping crises in its      history, Starr noted the need to stop and mourn for those who lost their lives in the pandemic. “For some of us, the shock of loss is something we are just beginning to feel, and even for those who have been grieving for months now, the pain is still too fresh. In many ways, we are just beginning to absorb what has happened.”

She noted how “so many of our students saw their lives turned upside down. They— and our entire extended Sagehen community—responded with perseverance, ingenuity and grace in the face of the direst world crisis of most of our lifetimes.”

Starr also said she looked forward to the time—not so far away now—when the entire Sagehen family could be back together on campus.

“We are moving full steam ahead for the return of in-person education and on-campus living in the fall,” said Starr, noting that safety protocols would need to be carefully followed. “We will push forward with our mission of providing the most compelling and complete liberal arts education in the world.”

Updates: pomona.edu/coronavirus

A Pandemic-Conscious Campus

The object on the right is one of nine Gekka infrared thermometers that have been wall-mounted near the entrance of Pomona College residence halls as part of a project to upgrade campus facilities to provide for the safe return of students, faculty and staff. These IR thermometers are only one small part of a wide-ranging story of added equipment, renovated spaces, upgraded facilities and carefully planned health protocols designed to make the campus a safer place while the novel coronavirus continues to require a high degree of institutional vigilance. Here are a few of the other changes that members of the returning College community will find waiting for them:

1. The creation of an on-site clinic in Rembrandt Hall to oversee health protocols, do COVID-19 testing and carry out contact tracing

2. Optimized heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems that will infuse more outside air into the interior of campus buildings

3. The installation of upgraded air filters (from MERV 8 to MERV 11) throughout all campus buildings

4. The installation of 15 automatic door openers and 275 touchless door-opening devices throughout campus to help the community avoid high-touch objects such as doorknobs

5. The addition of 325 soap dispensers in residence hall bathrooms to make it easier for students to wash their hands frequently

6. A daily Pomona Safe email reminding members of the campus community to follow all health protocols, including a required self-check, before coming to campus.

7. The installation of 175 hand-sanitizing stations throughout common areas in all campus buildings to encourage safe behaviors

8. The development of new seating plans for Pomona College classrooms to allow for in-class social distancing during instruction

9. The addition of plexiglass shielding to all front-facing College departments to provide protection for employees whose work requires face-to-face contact with others

10. Specialized COVID-19 cleaning training and supplies provided to all housekeeping staff

CROSSWORD CHALLENGE

This crossword puzzle was designed by Joel Fagliano ’14, the digital puzzle editor of The New York Times and assistant to the print crossword editor, Will Shortz. The solution is available here.

COLOR ME CREATIVE

For those who have joined the adult coloring craze—or who want to give it a try—here’s another familiar image from the Pomona College campus. Send us a scan of your work (pcm@pomona.edu) to show off in a future issue.

This rendering of last issue’s coloring challenge was submitted by Boston architect Harriet Chu ’76.

Construction Begins on New Athletic Center

Althought the pandemic caused a delay of several months, construction of a new athletics, recreation and wellness center finally got under way in February, with completion expected in time for the fall 2022 semester. The rebuilt and expanded facility is designed to replace the Rains Center for Sport and Recreation with an upgraded, up-to-date athletic facility while boosting health and wellness for all members of the Pomona community.

“The need for a revitalized center has been clear for years,” noted President G. Gabrielle Starr in an email to the campus community. “Last spring, however, as the pandemic forced the evacuation of students from campus, we decided to delay the start of construction in the face of the unfolding crisis. Moving forward this semester allows us to complete the most disruptive aspects of construction—demo- lition, grading and assembly of structural steel—at a time when few people will be on our campus. This will reduce the impact of noise, vibration, dust and truck traffic and also will reduce the costs of mitigation steps. When we return to normal operation in the fall, we can proceed with the less disruptive aspects of the work.”

By rebidding the project after the delay, the College was also able to negotiate reduced prices. At the same time, Starr said, the College has benefited from generous gifts that allowed the project to proceed without affecting Pomona’s operating budget. “We are incredibly grateful to Ranney ’60 and Priscilla Draper, Libby Gates MacPhee ’86, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the many other friends of Pomona whose early and generous partnership and support has allowed us to begin construction on this vital facility.”

In addition to supporting more than 450 varsity athletes, the new building will serve more than 900 intramural athletes, 550 club athletes and student physical education classes and accommodate fitness and recreation programming for students, faculty and staff for both colleges.

The new center will include a larger recreational fitness area, with additional space for cardio workouts. Studio space available for fitness classes will be doubled. In addition to a general-use weight room, there will be a dedicated varsity weight room. Locker rooms will be redesigned to provide sufficient space for the groups that use them, with separate facilities for faculty and staff in addition to varsity teams.

The men’s and women’s varsity basketball teams and the women’s varsity volleyball team will continue to play in the facility, with Voelkel Gym remaining largely intact and a new two-court practice and recreational gym added above the fitness area. Plans also include athletic training and equipment storage areas, three new team meeting rooms and individual offices for coaches and administrative staff.