This dramatic image of the Stanley Academic Quadrangle in winter is a view you don’t see very often—unless, that is, you’re a drone.
—Photo by Jeff Hing
Pomona Today
Working Dog
THE NEWEST MEMBER of the Campus Safety team wags his tail lazily as he strolls across campus, pausing to have his back stroked or his ears scratched. But don’t be fooled—Officer Red Dogg is hard at work.
“He’s built more for comfort than speed at this point,” says Campus Safety Director Stan Skipworth, who adopted the 10-year-old beagle mix from a rescue organization, “but he is actually certified as an emotional support animal, and he’s had some modest training for that.”
Skipworth had been considering adding a canine to the staff, and when he happened onto Red, he decided it was worth a try. “He’s such a good-natured dog, and I thought it would be a nice way to build on our community-oriented policing policy.”
The response, he said, has been remarkable—and not just when Red is out patrolling, wearing his official ID collar and his Campus Safety insignia on a red-and-black bandanna. “We actually get several visitors a week who come here specifically to see Red and pet him, and then they go on to class,” Skipworth says.
Red really earns his keep, however, when people come to Campus Safety to make a report. “He doesn’t do real police work,” Skipworth says, “but he’s our official greeter, and when people who’ve had a bad experience come in to do a report, he comes and sits with them, and I think he makes a real difference.”
Two for MLB
TWO MEMBERS OF last year’s Pomona-Pitzer baseball team are now making their way in the world of professional baseball. Sagehen slugger and second baseman Tanner Nishioka ’17 was picked by the Boston Red Sox in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball draft—the highest draft pick in Sagehen history—while pitcher David Gerics ’17, though undrafted, signed a contract with the Minnesota Twins.
“It’s a huge honor to have two Sagehen baseball players signed by MLB teams in the same year.” says Sagehen Head Baseball Coach Frank Pericolosi.
Nishioka is the first Sagehen drafted to the MLB since David Colvin was selected by the Mariners in the 27th round of the 2011 draft. During Nishioka’s senior season, the neuroscience major from Honolulu led the nation for Division III with 18 home runs and a .888 slugging percentage, and he racked up a slew of honors, including selection for First Team All-American, Academic All-American, West Region Player of the Year and SCIAC Player of the Year.
“I just wanted to play baseball for as long as I could,” Nishioka told the Los Angeles Times. “I wouldn’t say I thought I would get drafted in the top 10 rounds at all. I still can’t believe it.”
Nishioka completed his college career in the top six in Sagehen history in hits (254), home runs (36), batting average (.395), runs (189), and RBI (166). Nishioka also ranks seventh in single-season batting average (.441) and is tied for third in home runs in a single season (18).
Gerics ended his senior year with a career-high of 86 strikeouts. He also earned All-West Region honors during his junior season, as he finished the year with a perfect 7–0 record and a 2.31 ERA with only 16 earned runs surrendered in 62.1 innings pitched.
After graduating in May with a B.A. in economics, Gerics tried out with the Mets, the Angels and the Twins. He was on his way to Gary, Ind., with plans to play baseball for the non-MLB affiliate, the Gary Southshore Railcats, when the Twins gave him his long-awaited callback.
“Two hours before I arrived, I got the call that my wildest dreams were becoming a reality,” says Gerics. “I couldn’t believe it, and I still can’t believe it. It was pure elation.”
The 2017 Wigs
Each spring, juniors and seniors honor a group of outstanding professors, recognizing their excellence in teaching with the Wig Distinguished Professor Award. Here is the list of the recipients for 2017 (left to right in the photo above), each with a quote from a student.
Philip Choi, associate professor of physics and astronomy, teaches such courses as Techniques in Observational Astrophysics, and Stellar Structure and Evolution. This is his first Wig.
“Professor Choi is one of the most helpful and contemplative professors I’ve met. He’s not only is a gifted instructor and mentor, but he truly cares about his students and their successes.”
Tzu-Yi Chen, professor and chair of computer science, teaches such courses as Intro to Computer Science, Computer Systems, and Algorithms. This is her first Wig.
“Pillar of the CS department. Always open to talk and support students despite doing so much already.”
Vin de Silva, associate professor of mathematics, teaches such courses as Topics in Topology and Geometry, and Combinatorial Mathematics. This is his second Wig.
“Professor de Silva is simply brilliant. His lectures are very insightful. I also got to have him in my ID1, ‘I Disagree,’ and his arguments and lessons were often extraordinary.”
Donna Di Grazia, David J. Baldwin Professor of Music and choral conductor, teaches courses like Engaging Music and conducts the Choir and Glee Club. This is her second Wig.
“Professor Di Grazia consistently goes above and beyond with her students. She offers her full self to her teaching, to her committee work and to her performances.”
Michael K. Kuehlwein, George E. and Nancy O. Moss Professor of Economics, teaches such courses as Principles: Macroeconomics, and Advanced Macroeconomic Analysis. This is Kuehlwein’s sixth Wig.
“Professor Kuehlwein is one of the best professors and mentors I have ever had in both my life and my time at Pomona. … Overall, it is because of his classes and the times we’ve talked together that I chose to pursue a career in economics.”
Pardis Mahdavi, former associate professor and chair of anthropology; dean of women; director of the Pacific Basin Institute; and coordinator of gender and women’s studies. Mahdavi left Pomona last summer to become the senior associate dean at the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School of International Studies. This is her second Wig.
“Pardis sparks my desire to learn, to improve myself, and to fight so others can have equal opportunities in this world. She’s unmatched in talent and in her ability to inspire courage in all her students.”
John Alldredge Clithero ’05, assistant professor of economics, teaches courses including Behavioral Economics and Experimental Economics. This is his first Wig.
“Concise lecturer follows up with students a lot after they have finished taking his course. One of the most knowledgeable professors at Pomona College by far!”
David R. Kauchak, assistant professor of computer science, teaches courses that include Natural Language Processing, and Computation and Cognition. This is his first Wig.
“From his matter-of-fact, clear lectures to his fair and balanced tests and assignments, Professor Kauchak is an excellent communicator, whether in a lecture-based class or in a seminar course.”
Of Record Books and Lab Books
Birir sets the all-time Sagehen career rushing record in the 2017 season opener.
AS AN ATHLETE, Aseal Birir ’18 has made his mark as the leading running back in Pomona-Pitzer history. At the same time, as a senior chemistry major working on his last research project, he is also leaving his mark in the laboratory.
On the athletic side, Birir was named Rookie of the Year in the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) during his first year of college. Since then, he has validated that award by going on to claim team records both for career rushing and for single-game rushing.
He became the football program’s all-time leading rusher during the team’s home opener this fall against Lewis & Clark, surpassing the previous record of 3,004 yards set by Luke Sweeney ’13 and becoming only the second Sagehen ever to eclipse the 3,000-rushing-yards mark.
“The all-time rushing record was a satisfying record to break,” says Birir. “I think it is a great reflection of what our whole team has accomplished over the past four years. Football truly is a team sport, and I have received a lot of help from teammates along the way to get to the record.”
Then, for good measure, on Oct. 7, Birir also set the record for most rushing yards in a single game, with 275 yards against Cal Lutheran. His achievement was recognized by the conference, which named him SCIAC’s Athlete of the Week.
“The single-game record is somewhat bittersweet for me,” says Birir. “I am very proud of my individual effort, but it stings to know that I broke the record in a game that we lost in the last minute. However, it will probably be the game that I remember the most 10 years from now when I reflect back on my football career at Pomona.”
Voted captain by his peers as a junior, Birir also serves as captain during his senior season.
“Aseal’s athletic abilities and his leadership on and off the field have been instrumental in the improvement of our entire football program,” says Sagehen Head Football Coach John Walsh, who recruited him in 2013.
Birir works in the biochemistry lab on a medical research project with Professor Charles Taylor.
On the academic side, under the guidance of Chemistry Professor Chuck Taylor, Birir, who hopes to become a doctor in the future, is focusing his research on reducing the risk of bacterial infections in hospitalized patients. The goal is to understand the types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by bacteria that are known infectious agents for many hospital-acquired infections. Working with Soleil Worthy ’18 in an ongoing project led by Professor Taylor, Birir aims to use the VOCs as biomarkers in a breath test, offering a quicker way to test patients for infectious disease.
Birir’s scientific journey started early at Pomona after his senior year at Tamalpais High School in Mill Valley, Calif. As an incoming first-year student, he participated in the summer High Achieving Program (HAP) for minority students interested in pursuing a career in the STEM fields.
The HAP experience in Professor EJ Crane’s biochemistry lab provided him with an eye-opening introduction to scientific research. It also laid the foundation for the academic support that would be key to balance his rigorous curriculum and a full athletic schedule with the Sagehen football team.
Professor Taylor points to Birir’s perseverance in the lab and on the field.
“When experiments don’t go as planned, extra work is needed reviewing the data and conditions to determine why the experiment didn’t work out as expected,” says Taylor who has worked with Birir since he entered Pomona. “Some students would throw up their hands and say ‘I’m done,’ but Aseal would come back and we’d work through the problem together.”
“You can’t teach a person to have this kind of drive, but by getting to know them, you may be able to learn what gets them excited and tap into that,” adds Taylor. “Ultimately, the drive comes from within and is a combination of intellectual curiosity and willingness to learn from one’s mistakes. This is probably the trait that makes Aseal a great football player and what will make him an excellent physician.”
On top of his athletic and academic commitments, the Novato, Calif., native finds time to mentor young men at a local high school. On Fridays, he volunteers for the program Young Men’s Circle at Pomona High School through the Pomona College student group BLOC (Building Leaders On Campus). The program involves college volunteers meeting with high school students and encouraging them to pursue their goals through either workshops or conversation.
“We try to use what we have learned about our own paths to college to help these students purse whatever goals they have—may that be college or something else,” says Birir. “Young Men’s Circle works to bridge that opportunity gap by providing the kids access to volunteers who were in similar situations to theirs not too long ago.”
Another factor in Birir’s success is the ability to forge relationships with his mentors. Two high school coaches greatly influenced him to pursue a college football career and to follow his dream of becoming a doctor. Coach Mark Ridley put him in contact with college coaches, while Mick O’Mera was his coach and his AP chemistry teacher—and one of the reasons why Birir is a chemistry major today.
“Without him [Ridley], I probably would not have even realized that I could play football in college or even how to go about pursuing it,” says Birir. “He still keeps in contact with me and is planning on coming to Claremont this year to see me play.”
What does Birir want to accomplish in his final year as a Sagehen?
“I guarantee if you ask Aseal what is more important—his personal record or for the team to win games—he will always want team success,” says Walsh.
“Win SCIAC and beat CMS [Claremont-Mudd-Scripps],” Birir responded.
Heard on Campus
U.S. SEN. BRIAN SCHATZ ’94
ON OPPORTUNITIES TO DO GOOD:
“Every day will give you a chance to change the world.
But it’s not always super clear when your moment arrives. I mean, life isn’t a Marvel movie, when your opportunity for courage and leadership presents itself in an obvious way, when the bad guys show up with ominous music. What do you do when human rights and civil rights are undermined during your comfortable life, sliver by sliver, minute by minute? What do you do when the sea levels rise millimeter by millimeter? What do you do when you see injustice, but your life is becoming more successful by the day? You do whatever you can with whatever you have. That is your responsibility as of today, as of your graduation from Pomona College. You have done very well. Now you have to do good.” (The U.S. senator from Hawaii spoke at Commencement 2017.)
MYRLIE EVERS-WILLIAMS ’68
ON COMING TO POMONA COLLEGE:
“IT HELPED, IN A SENSE, TO BRING
together the different parts of a shattered body, of a shattered mind, of a shattered family, and bring hope, when there was really no hope, that my children and I could survive and not only survive, but thrive here on this campus.” (The civil rights leader spoke at Alumni Weekend 2017.)
JUDGE RICHARD TARANTO ’77
ON WORK THAT MATTERS:
“THERE IS NOT MUCH THAT’S MORE
satisfying than being able to exercise a craft well, which takes a lot of work, and if you can be
excellent at work that you have come to believe, at some moral or philosophical level, is worth
doing, the combination can be wonderful.” (The U.S. appeals court judge spoke at Alumni Weekend 2017.)
BRIAN TUCKER ’67
ON MOTIVATING PEOPLE TO PREPARE FOR DISASTERS:
“A HIGH-CONSEQUENCE, LOW-PROBABILITY
event is pretty unmotivating. But we have found, in all the cities we’ve worked in around the world, if you talk about the safety of the parents’ children, that motivates them. As some of us say, this is the ‘gateway drug’ to disaster reduction—to talk about schools.” (The founder of GeoHazards International spoke at Alumni Weekend 2017.)
PENNY DEAN ’77
ON TRAINING DISTANCE SWIMMERS:
“IN THE POOL, YOU’LL PASS THAT
barrier, that pain threshold, and you’ll feel it in your side, and if you just say, ‘Oh great—here’s the pain. Now go faster. Go harder. Go harder now.’ And you’ll get through it. You’re on top of the world.” (The record-breaking swimmer and former Pomona College swim coach spoke at Alumni Weekend 2017.)
From the Archives
Old News
Pomona’s student newspaper, the oldest in Southern California, was first published by the College’s two literary societies in 1889 as The Pomona Student. In its first year, it was a four-page monthly, financed by student subscriptions that sold for 75 cents per year. The name of the publication changed to The Student Life in 1893. Today it is published weekly by the Associated Students of Pomona College and covers life across the five undergraduate institutions of The Claremont Colleges.
ITEM: Three copies of the student newspaper of Pomona College
DATE: 1891, 1898 and 1924
COLLECTION: The Student Life
If you have an item from Pomona’s history that you would like to see preserved in the Pomona College Archives, please call 909-621-8138.
Picture This
“MONEY!”
Students in Assistant Professor of Theatre and Dance Giovanni Ortega’s Music Theatre class launch into the choreography for the song “Money” from Cabaret.
—Photo by Mark Wood
Milestones
Commencement 2017
Class speaker Dominique Curtis ’17 brings her capped-and-gowned daughter with her to the stage to accept her diploma from President David Oxtoby.
U.S. Senator Brian Schatz ’94 of Hawaii delivered the principal address at Pomona’s 124th Commencement exercises on May 14, 2017, as a total of 372 graduates stepped forward to receive their undergraduate degrees. Other speakers and honorary degree recipients were researcher and educator Sarah C. R. Elgin ’67, P’05; human rights lawyer and activist Gay McDougall; and philanthropists Frederick “Rick” P’95 and Susan Sontag ’64, P’95.
The graduation ceremony was the 14th for outgoing President David Oxtoby, who gave his final charge to a Pomona graduating class, telling the Class of 2017, “I call on you to engage politically, and to use your Pomona education for that purpose. It is not enough simply to complain privately about some action being taken. Organize, protest, vote, run for office, and engage in the political world. While some might think ‘politics’ a dirty word, we have heard from Senator Schatz today that it can also be a high calling and an opportunity to help craft solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems. It can be difficult, but sometimes you must compromise, and you must work with people with whom you disagree. In doing so, you may not always accomplish exactly what you want, but you just might move forward the causes you care deeply about.”
Estela Sanchez ’17 sports a unique lei of folded dollar bills.
Announced during the ceremony were 2017 Wig Award winners (from left) Philip Choi, Tzu-Yi Chen, Vin de Silva, Donna Di Grazia, Michael K. Kuehlwein, Pardis Mahdavi, John Alldredge Clithero ’05 and David R. Kauchak.
Rodrigo De Leon ’17 awaits his turn to pick up his diploma.
President Oxtoby delivers his last charge to a graduating class.
During the processional, faculty line the walkway to applaud Eric Montgomery ’17 and the other new Pomona graduates.
—Photos By Carlos Puma
Object Lesson
What’s in Your Desk Drawer?
We asked three members of the Pomona College campus community to show us the strangest or most interesting object in one of their desk drawers and to tell us the story behind it. Here’s what we found.
(1) Samuel Yamashita, the Henry E. Sheffield Professor of History, reaches into the bottom drawer of his desk, which harbors intriguing artifacts of every shape, and pulls out a bound volume of bamboo strips, each bearing a vertical row of tiny Chinese characters. It is, he explains, the famous Daoist classic called the Daodejing, which translates to “The Classic of the Way and Virtue.”
He found and purchased this beautiful reproduction in the bazaar in Turfan, an old Silk Road town in western China. Probably written by several different individuals between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE, he explains, the text also contains some archaic passages that may date from the second millennium BCE.
“I started reading it in the original Classical Chinese when I got to Pomona in 1983 and spent one to two years going through the 81-chapter text, passage by passage, word by word,” he says. “I still can recite passages from memory. I tell my students it is the perfect desert-island book, since it is complex, mysterious and allusive, and its meanings are inexhaustible—or perhaps infinite.”
(2) Brenda Rushforth, assistant vice president for human resources, says she has been a Star Wars fanatic ever since 1977, when she begged her mom to take her to the first movie for her birthday. She then passed the obsession along to her son, buying him his first light saber at Star Wars Celebration IV in 2007.
All told, the family has attended six Star Wars conventions—one in Los Angeles, one in Anaheim, three in Orlando, Florida, and one in London. Along the way, she has met a veritable who’s who from various Star Wars productions, including original director George Lucas and actor Mark Hamill. The commemorative “Last Tour to Endor” pin that she keeps in her desk drawer is a memento of a special event by that name held at Disney Hollywood Studios in Orlando in 2010 in honor of the ceremonial closing of the Star Tours ride. The attendees had an opportunity to enjoy the ride one last time before the original version was shut down for refurbishment.
(3) Eleanor Brown ’75, the James Irvine Professor of Economics, paws through a couple of desk drawers, pulling out occasional odds and ends: a couple of bills in Kenyan currency (“Students returning from study abroad often bring samples of currencies along with their many stories”) and a CD titled “The Slippery Noodle,” (“Indiana’s oldest bar and a great place to listen to the blues”). Finally she settles on a small rubber stamp. “In my early 40s, I did a three-year tour of duty as an associate dean,” she explains. “One of the great pleasures of the job was working with the office staff. Jane Arnal and I had offices at one end of the suite, and one of her many artistic outlets was making ink stamps. This one was a gift to me during the time I was the sexual harassment officer of the College.”