October 2011

t h e C L A R E M O N T

october 2011| vol IX |iss 1

rockin’ the boat

HOW  DOES  ASCMC  SPEND  YOUR  STUDENT  FEES?  pages  10-­11pages  14-­15

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The Claremont Port Side is dedicated to providing the Claremont Colleges with contextualized, intelligent reports to advance debate among students and citizens. This is a progressive newsmagazine that offers pertinent in-formation and thoughtful analysis on the issues confronting and challeng-ing our world, our country, and our community. Each article in the Clare-mont Port Side

the Claremont Port Side, its editors, its staff, or the Claremont Colleges. Letters, Questions, Comments? [email protected]

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Somewhere in my attic lies a Denver Post press pass featuring a mug shot of my ten-year-old, platinum blonde, smiling self. My dad, a journalist, ensured that my valid credential for Take-Your-Daughter-To-Work-Day was nothing more than a dress-up accessory. As his two-decade career at a mass-circulation newspaper ended with longer hours, less-engaging work, and a buyout, he warned against entering the family business. I cycled through various career aspirations growing up – children’s book author, “baby doctor,” geneticist – but never considered

the newspaper at the breakfast table each morning, and tuning into NBC Nightly News was a 5:30 p.m. family ritual. Seventeen got a few glances, but the pages of each is-sue of Time were wrinkled from hours spent studying the contents. I learned about war, famine, political bickering, life-changing technologies, and exotic cultures. But that was just what I read – not what I

grade gossip I heard as I strolled home along tree-lined streets, clutching my Disney Prin-cess lunchbox.

By high school, lunchboxes were out. I happily joined the swarms of teenagers jay-walking across Colfax to get our Pizza Ex-

But when downtown “bureaucrats” threat-ened our off-campus lunch, I wrote to a lo-cal columnist. When enough of us spoke up, they listened. Sure, the issue was trivial. But, as a fourteen-year-old whose sole income came from bab-ysitting, it affected my daily life much more than the Iraq War or Medicare Part D. I spent the summer after high school café-hopping, listening to activists explain why they needed health insurance reform. I also shared my story: My family was fortunate to have adequate coverage to pay for therapies, a wheelchair, and other services for my little brother, but I’d watched our friends battle insurance companies over coverage for their children with disabilities. One of my volunteer’s stories stood out:

boyfriend couldn’t get married because their combined income would make him lose his state-sponsored health coverage. He had a preexisting condition and wouldn’t qualify

for a private plan. An HMO shouldn’t say “I object!” on anyone’s wedding day.

I’d seen stories like Katie’s on the Nightly News and in Time, but hearing her tell her personal experience over a chai latte was

threat of losing my petty lunch hour. There are stories that are moving, and then there are stories you can relate to on a per-sonal level because they touch your life. These stories incite action. That’s journal-ism, applied.

The Port Side is more than a newspaper. We don’t just write about what happened,

Ninth Street. We strive to bring the Clare-mont Colleges community closer to the sto-ry, asking why should we care? We want to spark discussion and encourage you to share your own experiences. Each of our stories takes us one step out of the Claremont Bubble.

-nalist. I’ll be one, if you will too.

Campus  Progress  works  to  help  young  people  —  advocates,  activists,  journalists,  artists  —  make  their  voices  heard  on  

issues  that  matter.

Sing l e c op i e s a r e f r e e , t o pur chas e add i t i ona l c op i e s p l ea s e c on ta c t u s .

[email protected]

By Silas BerkowitzSta f f Wr i t e r , PO ‘12

Starting this semester, students hoping to -

ing to have to make alternative arrange-ments – at least on Mondays.

Malott Dining Hall at Scripps has imple-mented a new program, Meatless Mon-days, where no meat is served for break-fast, lunch or dinner one day a week. Instead, the dining hall will focus on pro-viding students with vegetarian and vegan alternatives.

This program follows on the heels of the popularization of the semi-vegetarian, or

a primarily plant-based vegetarian diet with the occasional inclusion of meat products. The goal of the movement isn’t meat elimination, but reduction of meat consumption. As proof that this move-ment is gaining in popularity, Scripps is far from the only school that has imple-mented this change. Over 60 colleges and universities have joined the movement to reduce meat consumption by eliminating meat one day of the week.

Scripps’ implementation of the pro-gram was instigated by student involve-ment. Emily Jovais SC ’13, spearheaded this push, with her and fellow classmates gathering 400 signatures in a single week to persuade Sodexo, the food service company that is in charge of Malott, to adopt the program. “I [also] wanted to see higher quality, more sustainably pro-duced meat and animal products in the dining hall,” explained Jovais.

However, at meetings with Sodexo repre-sentatives and the Sustainability Commit-tee, it became clear that budget constraints would prevent this from happening.

“We eventually decided to combine the two ideas into one campaign that could

Scripps dining hall joins “Meatless Monday” movement

simultaneously help pay for the higher quality products, satisfy both the meat and non-meat eaters, and create a more sustainable campus,” Jovais said.

But why the large push for this program? Students’ answers ranged from personal and ethical reasons to environmental and economic concerns. Mitsuko Balenciaga PO ’14 cited the large number of vegetar-ians and vegans on campus as a reason why this program is necessary. “We’re

to Scripps on Mondays because of this program.”

Balenciaga also pointed out that as a vegan, she and her vegan and vegetarian

variety of foods in the dining halls that they can consume. She is delighted with the wide variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes that have been served on recent test-runs of Meatless Monday such as tropical vegetable stir-fry, mushroom po-lenta, Lyonnaise potatoes and vegetable samosas with yogurt sauce.

In addition to personal reasons, there are a variety of economic and environmental explantions for this program’s popularity.

Agriculture Organization’s estimation that the meat industry generates nearly

gas emissions, which is far more than that of transportation. “Eliminating meat from your diet one day a week saves more greenhouses gasses than a com-pletely local diet,” she explained.

MeatlessMonday.com, a website that of-fers several compelling arguments for

this with data from the American Jour-nal of Clinical Nutrition. One of the most striking statistics the website cites is how many fossil fuel calories are needed to produce one calorie of feedlot beef

compared to one calorie of plant-based protein – about 18 to 1.

MeatlessMonday.com also points outs that water use, a hot topic in Southern California, is linked to food consump-

water are required to produce a single pound of beef, one pound of locally grown, Southern California tofu only re-

-tion.

While the full impact has yet to be seen, the Meatless Monday program undeni-ably helps to implement environmentally and socially responsible values at the Cla-remont Colleges.

The Indian Hill Blvd. “Peace Activists” speak

Claremont Port Side: What triggered these peace demonstrations ten years ago and what is your aim?

Jim: We came out when there was a pos-sibility of invading Iraq to alert peopleto certain things. More than 50 percent of the American budget goes to the defense department and war. When they say we are cutting teachers it is because we have no money. It has gone to war. More and more Americans need to stand up. We are not here screaming about this or that politician. We are involved or culpable if we allow our government to make these decisions against our interests.

CPS: What do you think America can do to reduce its defense budget?

Jim: One of the things that people need to understand is what the control of oiland petrol resources means to this coun-try. This is why the United States Defensehas control of bases all over the world, and they should reduce all that because of one reason: it brings terrorists. They want America out of their country; they want jobs. In reality, there is such a thing as the American Empire and that’s why the country does not want to remove its bases from the countries it has occupied. We are exploiters; we are colonizers.

TERESA WILSONPEACE ACTIVIST

CPS: How long have you been here?

Teresa: I have been a peace activist for

at the United Nations in peace advocacy, and went to Beijing on the fourth WorldConference on Women and Peace. I went to the U.N. every spring for ten years andmonitored what the government said they would do.

CPS: Did the government do what they agreed to?

By Deborah FrempongCont r ibu t ing Wri t e r , PO ‘15

ten-year anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York. In

Afghanistan to begin the ‘War on Terror.’ -

nounced that 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden had been killed by American troops. Today, America is planning to re-move its troops from Afghanistan. The Port Side spoke with the group, known as the Peace Activists, to understand their aims and ideas

The reasons why countries go to war are complicated. But, when thousands of lives are at risk, we must ask: is war ever worth it?

and women have stood with placards just south of campus, on the corner of In-dian Hill and Arrow Boulevard, advocat-ing for peaceful negotiations with coun-tries instead of war. The Port Side spoke with these demonstrators – known as the “Peace Activists” – to understand their aims and ideas.

JIM LAMBORGANIZER OF THE PEACE ACTIVISTS

Teresa: Mostly not. They might begin…it was easy to sign but implementing did not work. Once the needed a budget, they just let go of it.

CPS: Did any of the wars America fought have a direct effect on you?

Teresa: Well, my brother fought in the second World War. But more importantly, there is the general consensus that women bear the brunt of war. A lot of the brutal-ity of war falls on women. Wars cause ref-ugees and women are the primary ones.

DAN KENNAN VIETNAM WAR VETERAN

CPS: Why are you promoting peace?

Dan: The biggest reason is that there is a dichotomy between the thought of war and the reality of war. We are raised to be patriotic American kids, and there is a romantic view of war: good guys, bad guys. It is not like that.

CPS: How old were you when you were drafted for the war? What was Vietnam like?

Dan: I was 19 years, and I was there for

believe in something you have to stand up for it. You MUST talk about it.

Wars clearly damage, destroy and affect more civilian lives than we would like to admit. But our leaders think that war is the answer to aggression. The Peace Activists who have stood on the corner of Indian Hill Boule-

ten years beg to differ. To them, and many more Americans, war is a terribly inappropri-ate way of dealing with issues. It costs billions of dollars – and worse, thousands of lives.

Our generation was raised during wartime. Do we think war is the way to go? Will we care more about waging war than about making sure that every American can afford to have food on their plate? Most important-ly – will we be willing to stand up against it, like the activists on Indian Hill?

at 4 p.m., on this corner, protesting. It is a lot of death and it’s also a situation where you get closer to some people than you will ever be with anyone as long as you live.

CPS: I assume that before you went to Vietnam, you thought it was an honorable duty. At what moment did this change for you?

Dan: -ese kid that we had killed, I realized it hadnothing to do with what they were saying. We killed a little kid about three years old. He wasn’t the enemy.

CPS:

Dan: The way to end the war would be to send the politicians’ and the rich people’skids to it. Not just the poor ones. And the war would be over by next week. JustBlack, Latino or White-trash…No sena-tor’s or C.E.O’s kids are there.

TED DARLANDVIETNAM WAR VETERAN (1968-1969)

CPS: Why are you demonstrating?

Ted: We have had war for thousands of years and it has not gotten any better. We have the Department of Defense, we should also have the Department of War, where we can meet with other countries and talk and not decide to blow up their countries just because they are different. I was in San Antonio College when the war was ongoing and it was so bad that people began to call them ‘baby-killers.’

Our unemployment rates are at about

want to go to college, but they cannot afford it, so they join the military, hope to survive it and then go to college. The military says, ‘we’ll pay your tuition, but you’ve gotta do this for us.’ A lot of people claim that they are for peace, but they do not do anything about it. If you

Drought in America’s southern states impacts all

By Brian SutterSta f f Wr i t e r , CMC ‘13

The drought in states like Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, New Mexico, Arkansas and Georgia did not change the water supply in the state of Washington or California, but its effects were clearly visible to me as an entry-level stock worker for Eddie Bauer this summer. Processing hundreds of articles of clothing a day was mind-numbing, but one afternoon I noticed a minute change in the process: each individual plastic bag the clothes came in had been ripped at the side. I wondered whether these goods were damaged, but quickly realized every article of clothing Eddie Bauer sold had been re-priced and re-tagged to account for a dramatic jump in the price of cotton.

The global market for cotton experienced a sharp drop in supply this spring; prices

percent from the price level of the year

commodity prices, but it is likely that

India coupled with severe drought in America’s cotton belt decreased cotton supply, thus raising the price.

High cotton prices are only part of the terrible consequences resulting from this

percent of the nation – the largest area on record – is suffering from “exceptional drought,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The states experiencing the worst drought are Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Georgia. Michael Brewer of the National Climatic Data Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration stated, “In Texas, this year has been characterized as the worst one-year drought on record by the State Climatologist. Recent estimates of

the statewide agricultural impact from

and Arizona this summer due to severe lack of rain – Arizona suffered its worst

shrunk to new lows.

In Texas, farmers have abandoned over two million acres of farmland. More than half the rivers and streams in Texas are

reservoirs have dried up. Where aquatic ecosystems used to exist, blood-red

time hottest average temperature in the summer for any state in U.S. history at

These record-breaking temperatures and droughts are not only detrimental to the local environment, but also to the national economy. The state of Texas

direct economic losses, twice the amount

losses mean one thing: higher food prices in the United States.

Unfortunately, La Niña, the weather pattern caused from the upwelling of

typically causes dry years in the Americas, looks to keep the rains at bay throughout the fall, exacerbating the drought. The future of the South in the face of

unmitigated climate change yields little hope. The short-term plan of action is to reduce water waste and install strict water conservation policies so people can function off the low water supplies. In the long run, efforts to reduce carbon-emissions and promote sustainability can help mitigate the effects of a warming planet.

In Claremont, water conservation and reclamation could save water waste and costs. Dustin Zubke HMC ’13 spent this summer researching Claremont’s water usage and found that the colleges use an

that, 55 percent is used for irrigation and the rest is for domestic use. Zubke found that a water reclamation system on the 5C campus could save anywhere from

Los Angeles is looking into reclamation and conservation programs to reduce imported water from the threatened San Joaquin-Sacramento delta from 45

do well to follow Los Angeles’ lead on water conservation.

In this age of severe storms and prolonged droughts, climate change is no longer an abstract phenomenon -– it is happening now and its effects are visible everywhere. Climate change is not just an inconvenient truth. It’s an inconvenient reality.

Data pr ov id ed by Dust in Zubke HMC ’13

Pitzer set to add a major in secular studies

By Arielle ZiontsSta f f Wr i t e r , PZ ‘14

Last May, the New York Times and other news outlets proclaimed that “Pitzer Col-lege in California Adds Major in Secular-ism.” While the bold new program made waves across the country, few people out-side the 5Cs actually know the real pur-

students will be studying.

According to Pitzer’s website, the new secular studies program is “an interdis-ciplinary program focusing on manifes-tations of the secular in societies and cultures, past and present.” Students will study different forms of secularism, ask why people are secular, debate the virtues and challenges of secularity, and among other things, seek to understand its im-

not about bashing religion or debating the existence of God, Pitzer sociology pro-fessor and program creator Phil Zucker-man assured.

-ment. Instead, like all newly proposed majors or departments at Pitzer, secular studies is included in a category of aca-

Although Zuckerman has outlined the re-quirements for a major in secular studies, students must apply for a “special major” for any academic program listed under

-lar studies is successful, it will become an

Zuckerman thinks that an academic pro-gram in secular studies is long overdue at Pitzer. Secularity is a growing trend in many countries and is present in places as diverse as Canada, Sweden and Ka-zakhstan. Pitzer’s secular studies pro-gram will add to a growing number of intellectual programs and organizations studying secularity.

A major in secularism would include four core courses – “Sociology of Secularity,” “Skepticism, Secularism, and Critiques of Religion,” “The Secular Life” and “Anxi-ety in the Age of Reason” – as well as

courses in sociology, history, philosophy, religious studies, psychology, interna-tional and intercultural studies, and the sciences. More classes will be added as this program, and the subsequent major, continue to evolve.

While only one student from Pitzer is currently majoring in the program, sev-eral 5C students have expressed interest. Kiley Lawrence SC ‘14 is majoring in Biophysics with a self-designed minor in secular studies through Scripps.

The secular studies major “is broaden-ing religious studies to be more inclu-sive; to investigate more ideas of God,” explained Lawrence. “Science gives us facts and hypotheses, while the concepts central to secular studies allow for accep-tance of those ideas.”

According to Zuckerman, so far there have been no accusations of “religion-bashing.” It is widely agreed upon that secularity is a topic worth exploring, but there is some disagreement as to whether

like religion, sociology, or history.

“[I believe] that establishing a separate major in secular studies would expose

-

secularism,” explained Pitzer professor of history and anthropology Daniel Segal.

Barry Kosmin, the director of Trinity College’s secular institute is also against secularism being studied as its own ma-jor. Kosmin told hat he would prefer “to see secularism exam-

-cerned that students will not be attracted to the major because it does not offer clear job opportunities.

While these arguments do apply to the real world, they fail to take into account the nature of any major at a liberal arts college, such as Pitzer, which focuses on educating the entire self. A degree in sec-ularism, like all other degrees in the so-cial science, can lead to a diverse array of careers such as teaching, practicing law, community activism, writing or working

-dents chose a major based on what they are passionate about, not about what will give them the best job.

While secular studies is neither an of-ficial major nor a department, most people agree that it is exciting and sig-nificant that Pitzer is now providing students with the opportunity to study secularism.

Stories of our generation’s global push for change

By Elham Yusuf-AliSta f f Wr i t e r , CMC ‘15

News clips of triumphant faces marching in a large city square dominate Western perceptions of political and social activ-

much more. Two young activists, one here at Claremont McKenna and one across the globe in Bahrain, share their unique experi-ences in recent democratic movements.

Ratik Ashokan, a CMC freshman from In-dia, relates the frustration and hopelessness

an expelled Bahraini student, reveals the personal consequences of vocal opposi-tion to repression. Together, their stories

-vey our generation’s collective power and inspire meaningful action.

RATIK ON INDIA: THE LIMITS OF REFORM

worst qualities. It is the ability to control

being controlled by them. Ironically, free-dom requires constraints. This is a message

and India native, took away from the Anna Hazare movement in India this past spring.

Hazare has instigated a large-scale nonvio-lent movement against corruption in India. On April 5, he began a nine-day hunger strike to pressure the Indian government to enact an anti-corruption law as part of

-tion, compensates protests of citizens, and protects whistle-blowers. If passed, the law would be used to investigate cases re-garding complaints of corruption against politicians and bureaucrats without prior government approval.

Indian youth, including Ratik, were in-spired. “Although Hazare is a respected

focus on the movement. In fact, he took on this large project all on his own without

system but instead he should have worked within the system. If you are an intelligent person, use the system to your advantage.”

Having attended one of Hazare’s protests, Ratik believed that the movement was tar-geted more to the lower and middle classes. “It was interesting. It was a bit pretentious for me because I come from an upper class family.” When asked whether the move-ment did affect him in any way socially, po-litically, or economically, despite his socio-

economic class, he characterized the issue

affected. We all want an equal life. Politi-cians bribe each other, our tax money isn’t used for the sake of the people, and slums around Mumbai still exist to this day.”

With around 5,000 protesters supporting Hazare in August, small changes began to appear. However, Ratik still sees much room for improvement. “We are driven by a sense of frustration, not justice,” he said. “Many of us lost hope, including myself. I doubt anything will change, because this sense of idealism is lost among the people. However, it is encouraging that people are

Egypt. The vast assimilation of Sunnis has created a demographic imbalance and has considerably marginalized the Shia Mus-lim sector. According to many, these newly naturalized Sunni citizens enjoy unfair ad-vantages in employment, education, and housing arrangements. Many have argued

traces its religious roots to the time of the Prophet Muhammad, whose death

-

persists today.

Aggression and anger rose in March and April in many Shia areas around Manama, Sitra, and Budaiya. “They are angry; I am angry. I am one of them,” Sarah explained. “I remember going to the Dawar [Pearl Square], and all of us Sunnis and Shias would sit, sing, believe of a better tomor-row under the extreme heat. We thought we were invincible.”

Soon, the royal family’s special guards, police, and neighboring military countries such as Saudi Arabia had intervened in the Square and ordered to break up the peace-ful sit-in. To the police’s dismay, many pro-testers stood their ground and refused to leave. In the approaching months, a normal life to Bahrainis would include censorship and blockage of websites, tear gas, rubber

bullets, and torture. Additionally, there have been abductions of major political activ-ists including the kidnapping of Ebrahim Sharif, a Sunni leader of the National De-mographic Action.

“My family encouraged me to go. I did. I don’t know when my father will come back home, but I do know that it is a cause

us to live freely and justly. I blog, I write, I

steps towards winning. Communication to the outside world.”

Soon after her activism during the spring of -

sion Inquiry investigated Sarah’s involve-ment in the protests and her daily posts on

then misled me and encouraged me to give out names. I made names up because I knew they had a strategy. They repeatedly

my initiation within the protests.”

-gation, Sarah was expelled from school.

“I believed in the truth and the ugly reality, and I was expelled because of expressing it. At that moment, I started to question my sense of nationalism and the true essence of my identity. After losing my voice and education, I felt numb. I thought of alter-natives. But reality has hit me, when no one was willing to hire me for work because I was expelled for a cause I believed in. Some colleges have blacklisted us expellees from applying to their schools. Later on, the chief investigator promised that I would go

Sarah, along with 63 other expelled stu-dents from Bahrain Polytechnic, are striv-

full potential without an education. The Bahraini youth’s faith and willingness to

a purpose-driven life.

taking the initiative.”

Maiden in New Delhi to support Hazare with the fast. However, critics have scru-tinized Hazare and his advisers for not reaching a compromise with their protest campaign and debilitating India’s parlia-mentary process. Ratik agrees with the crit-ics who believe that change in India should be based on smaller scale initiatives that are run by the people and for the people. SARAH ON BAHRAIN: CONSEQUENCES OF REBELLION

from Bahrain Polytechnic, one of Bah-rain’s leading public higher level institutions in Graphic Design, Information Technol-ogy, and Business Management. During an interview via Skype, she told a story of possibilities. With profound conviction in her eyes, sincere pain in her voice, and im-mense faith, she began with, “I lost a lot. I lost my education, friends, credibility, and my voice.”

The Kingdom of Bahrain is an archipelago of 36 islands that resides next to oil tycoon Saudi Arabia. Bahrain has had its share of political tensions as part of the Arab

-tion “Youm il khadhab,” the Day of Anger.

citizens marched toward Pearl Square and peacefully protested against violations of civil rights, the suppression of freedom of speech and media, and the lack of housing and employment opportunities.

-ty country, Bahrain is ruled by the minority

Shaikh Khalifa ibn Salman Al Khalifa, has been under close criticism because of sec-

-ment has provided fast-track Bahraini citi-

Arabs from Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and

“ “I blog, I write, I still have Facebook, and those are my

Communication to the outside world.

Sarah An expel led s tudent f rom Bahra in

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By Jacob FikselSta f f Wr i t e r , PO ‘15

Despite Brazil’s sparkling beaches and abundant sunshine, President Obama’s visit to the country in March of this year was purely business. Brazil now stands as the world’s seventh-largest economy, and it is poised to grow even more due to the discovery of 30 to 80 billion barrels of oil reserves off its coast.

Obama wishes to reverse the trend of economic independence in this develop-ing nation by fostering cooperation be-teew Brazil and the United States.

Brazil’s economic development stems mainly from its commodities. As a coun-try rich in minerals, especially iron ore,

commodity prices. High demand from other developing nations, such as China and India, has caused Brazilian exports to skyrocket. The country exports 40 times more goods to China than it did 10 years ago.

spurred Brazil’s develop-ment, especially that of its infrastructure. Attracted by the strong economic growth, a booming hous-ing market, and protection-ist trade policies, foreigners have poured money into Bra-zil, providing the country with yet another source of income.

on economic growth, it is Brazil’s do-mestic spending that has propelled the

Strong job growth, low borrowing costs and tax breaks helped Brazil become the

the recession.

Of course, Brazil’s economic growth has

Recognizing the country’s growing importance, the 5Cs adds a Portuguese class

its downsides. With rapid foreign invest-ment and domestic spending in the econ-omy, the central bank has to deal with

government set a goal of a 4.5 percent

rate, the central bank’s current interest – very high, compared

United States.

However, Brazil’s interest rate was cut

due to fears of another recession. Many economists believe this to be a political move to spur growth, and fear a reaction

Brazil’s growth has not gone unnoticed within the Claremont community. As

recently reported in The Student Life, the consortium added an intensive introduc-tory Portuguese class for this semester

make the course possible. Housed at Po-mona and taught by a Scripps professor,

are enrolled in the class.

Professor Rita Alcala, who teaches the Portuguese class, saw the effects of Bra-

the Salvador de Bahia. “I was told that because the governor of Bahia is friends with President Lula, the state and the city of Salvador de Bahia are seeing unprec-edented support from the federal gov-ernment. There was construction going on all over the city. Additionally, I was informed of the enormous investment in education and medical care for people

-ernment is paying for preventative health care as well as private school tuition for

children of the poor to better en-able them to attend university,”

explained Alcala.

In addition to her knowl-edge of Brazil, she also shared her insights about the importance of the Portuguese class. “The in-

terest in Brazil here and the demand for English speak-

ers there is happening right now. This class will make an

enormous difference in the kind of experience students have while

studying abroad in Brazil or doing a

around the globe will see the effects of the country’s economic growth. While

-main, Brazil is poised to make a splash on the world stage when it shows off its de-veloping infrastructure.

With citizens drawing new districts, Claremont may turn blue

By Sasha Hondagneu-MessnerSta f f Wr i t e r , PZ ‘15

After over three decades of being repre-sented by Claremont McKenna alumnus David Dreier, the powerful chair of the House Rules Committee who still lived

-sional campaign, it looks like a Democrat will represent the Claremont Colleges

last year, calling for a group of citizens, instead of politicians, to re-draw Cali-fornia’s congressional district boundar-ies. This proposition was a response to state politicians gerrymandering district

Whichever party was in control of the state legislature at the time determined what the districts would look like for the

a Citizens Redistricting Commission to draw district lines though a fair and non-partisan process.

Last August, the commission approved the newly drawn districts. While there are many important changes, the most

protecting the seats of long-serving in-cumbents. Under the new system, there are very few “safe” districts left in the state of California and many incumbents will be forced into highly competitive elections. As a result, California could be sending a very different group of repre-sentatives to Washington next year. Cla-remont McKenna Professor of American Government John Pitney thinks that Cali-fornia’s new district boundaries will make many congressional seats more competi-

is uncertainty,” explained Pitney.

Representative Dreier is one of many incumbents with a suddenly uncertain political future. Dreier’s current district, which includes Claremont and most of

the San Gabriel Valley, will be split into multiple districts that are much more Democratic and minority-based. Pitney, among others, believes that Dreier will not have much of a chance to win reelec-tion in either Claremont’s new district or in San Dimas, where he is currently resid-ing. Dreier has not stated where he plans

speculated that he may run in a more in-land, Republican-friendly district. Rep-resentative Jerry Lewis, however, is also

considering running in this area, and may offer some serious competition.

Under the new boundaries, Claremont will be in a very Democratic district – one of the few that will likely not be very competitive. Representative Judy Chu,

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special election. Though Chu has very lit-tle seniority in Congress, she is the likely front-runner in Claremont’s new district.

one priority has been to work alongside the Obama administration to advocate for “green collar” jobs in public tran-sit, alternative energy, and conservation. According to Pitney, the likelihood of Chu becoming our representative is “ap-proaching certainty.”

Claremont’s new district will probably be dominated by liberal voters in Pasadena. While it has become more liberal in re-cent years, Claremont is a fairly conser-vative city that has been loyal to Dreier. With the new district lines, the next rep-resentative will likely have less vested in-terest in the conservative values that have traditionally dominated the citizenry. But the new district may result in a stronger voice for left-leaning students, faculty, and staff at the Claremont Colleges. Co-

president of the Democrats of the Cla-remont Colleges Jared Calvert PZ ‘13 maintained that the club has “always been very active in politics regardless of who our Congressperson is.” However, they are still “very excited that there is a good chance we will have a Democrat as our Congressperson.”

Pitney describes the new district as “very permanent.” Many Republicans and

new district lines, so an attempt to recall the plan appears unlikely. Thus, Judy Chu will almost certainly become Claremont’s representative, and David Dreier will face a tough campaign wherever he decides to run – if he even decides to seek reelec-tion. The Claremont Colleges might be getting the Democratic representation that many have been hoping for.

By Tyler LamonSta f f Wr i t e r , CMC ‘13

-nel of the Center for Writing and Public Discourse arrived at their new space in the

with several inches of water. The damage was severe enough that all of the carpets had to be replaced, and sections of dry wall had to be torn out in every room of the Center. While the Center for Writing hoped to be back up and running in the damaged space within two weeks, the Cen-ter’s staff will not be able to resume work-ing in the space until just before the Kravis

Center for Writing. A similar – though less damaging – incident occurred over the summer.

Center for Writing, is intended to be the aesthetic centerpiece of the Kravis Center. It hasn’t been full of water in weeks. Cur-rently, it lies dirty, brown, and barren in the middle of the courtyard. Plans have been announced to place plants around it to beautify it, but, for the moment, nothing of that nature has actually occurred. What, exactly, is going on with the Kravis Center?

McKenna’s Director of Construction, and Matthew Bibbens, CMC’s Vice Presi-dent for Planning and Administration,

caused by a failure in the Kravis Center’s air conditioning system. Instead of hav-ing a conventional air conditioning sys-tem, they explained, Kravis implements a chilled beam/radiant panel system to regu-late the temperature inside the building. Rather than circulating air, the building is kept cool by a system of pipes that circu-late cold water through the beams of the building itself. Those large grey columns in

rushing water. This process, Perri and Bib-

One particular section of faulty pipe is re-sponsible for both leaks in the Center for

were caused by a failure of a “shark bite”

ends of one pipe segment. “There was no actual damage to the metal of the pipe,” asserted Perri.

The reason this happened – not once, but twice – remains somewhat of a mystery. The connecting pipes that carry the water are rated by their manufacturer as being capable of handling water pressure levels

and have been tested up to 150 psi. The water in the chilled beam system is at a constant pressure of roughly 40-45 psi at all times, which should be well within the the pipe’s capabilities.

“Director Perri and his department are currently in talks with the manufacturer [Twa Systems of Canada, the same manu-facturer of the chilled beams and radiant panels] of the pipe itself to investigate what went wrong,” said Bibbens.

similarly frustrating. The pool consists of a concrete base completely waterproofed on all sides by hot rubber asphalt, and on the visible surfaces by standard pool

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Water damage caus ed by th e f l o od ing in th e Cen t e r f o r Wri t ing r equ i r ed th e r e p la c emen t o f s e c t i on s o f d r y wa l l and ca r p e t . Photos by Amanda DaSi lva

Perri explained.

the architect, contractor, and planning departments – decided that the problem was probably just that the concrete was exuding water that had no place to go, so

pool to collect the runoff. Unfortunately, the vents began removing far more water than had been anticipated: roughly 55 gal-lons an hour.

invasive reconstruction that would close the walkways on each side of the pool, ef-fectively isolating the Kravis Center from the rest of the campus. To repair the pool while classes are in session would be too

winter break because doing so will prob-ably require stripping the top layer to get at the supporting layers of the pool. This is problematic, Perri explained, because it tends to rain in Claremont during the win-ter. Getting water in the exposed, uninsu-

pool would cause even more problems. -

pairs are being deferred until the summer.

Despite these mishaps, however, the ad-ministration remains upbeat about the Kravis Center. Perri and Bibbens both highlighted the project’s overall success.

-ties and Campus Services Brian Worley opines: “Given that there are roughly four thousand connections of [the type that failed in the Center for Writing] in the

chilled beam system in Kravis, the failure of two of them is not that bad.”

While these shortcomings pose an incon-venience to students and faculty alike, we should not overlook the incredible re-source that the Kravis Center offers the

Engineering New Record, a commercial con-struction industry publication, named the Kravis Center the Best Higher Educa-tion/Research Project in all of California

Project out of 34 project categories. This is a notable honor because the judges of the competition are national leaders in the architectural and construction industries.

of the Center for Writing and Public Dis-course, echos this praise. “We feel quite fortunate to have been given a space in the Kravis building. The new facility is centrally located and well suited to be-come a hub for CMC’s writing culture. We were just settling into our space when the leak occurred, and we can’t wait to be back in Kravis again.”

The empty r e f l e c t in g poo l su r r ound ing “The Li v ing Room.” Due t o w ea th e r and o th e r c on c e r n s, th e moa t w i l l no t b e r e pa i r ed un t i l n ex t Summer.

On th e day o f th e f l o od , wr i t in g c on su l ta t i on s w e r e h e ld in th e Hub.

“ “The new facility is centrally located and well suited to become a hub for CMC’s writing culture. We were

just settling into our space when the leak occurred, and we can’t wait to

be back in Kravis again.

Professor Audrey BilgerDirector of the Center for Writing and Public Discourse

Taiwanese election highlights sovereignty v. cooperation debate

By Alvin HuangSta f f Wr i t e r , CMC ‘15

Since the two entities split amid civil war in 1949, China and Taiwan have made this animosity the basis of their relationship. While both insist that

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each claim legitimacy, both parties agree that a system of two governments is the best course of action. The Taiwanese government operates independently of Beijing, and likewise, Beijing tends stay out of Taiwan’s domestic affairs. In re-cent years, however, China and Taiwan have been on a path of mutual coopera-tion and growth in the form of cultural exchange programs and closer eco-nomic ties. Unfortunately, this period of tranquility may soon be shattered.

elections just around the corner, the is-sue of cross-strait relations is once again at the forefront of the political fray. President Ma-Ying Jeou of the ruling

record of promoting closer ties with Beijing. Ma, a Harvard educated lawyer, opened up high level dialogue for the

He also pushed for several free trade agreements that have led to the elimi-nation of more than 90 percent of the tariffs put on Taiwanese products. Re-cently, he signed legislation creating the

policy between Taipei and Beijing.

Ma’s challenger is Tsai-Ing Wen of the

The DDP champions Taiwanese inde-pendence and is often critical of Ma’s eagerness to work closely with Beijing. On several occasions, Wen has criticized Ma for willingly tarnishing Taiwanese sovereignty and dignity in his dialogue with Beijing. Though most Taiwanese support continued amity with China, a growing number of people are starting to turn their support away from Ma and towards Wen.

lead in the polls, his reelection is far from secured. In recent months Ma has become increasingly vulnerable. His mishandling of the Morakot typhoon disaster coupled with rising unemploy-ment and economic stagnation has dis-

appointed made many of his supporters. Ma,

-idential elections with 60 percent of the vote, saw his approval ratings drop to 16 percent in July of last year. Today it remains at a dismal 45 percent.

However, despite low approval ratings, many still believe that Ma’s reelection is imperative for the continuation of cross-strait dialogue. Agreeing with this analysis is Minxin Pei, Professor of Government at Cla-remont McKenna College and Director of the Keck Center for International and Strategic Studies. Pei explained that Ma has taken a “pragmatic approach to seeking stability and that Ma’s ef-forts have led to improved commercial

trade agreements.” Yet despite all of Ma’s accomplishments, Pei believes that this election places Taiwan at a delicate point. “The election of Tsai Ing Wen can bring about an abrupt change in

the cross strait relationship,” Pei said.

emphasis from the DDP on indepen-dence, thereby cooling relations across the strait.”

Pei also thinks that Wen’s platform con-cerning cross-strait relations is “very vague.” Regarding Wen’s recent propos-al for a national referendum support-ing closer ties with Beijing, Pei shook his head in disapproval. “Such a pro-posal,” he explained, “sets a dangerous precedent that Beijing will not appreci-ate. This proposal concerns closer ties. What if the next one she proposes con-cerns independence?” Pei went on to criticize Wen’s ambiguity. “What does she mean by closer ties? Is it binding? Does it have the effect of law?”

Pei’s analysis of the situation highlights an important distinction between the KMT and DDP. Members of the KMT see China as a potentially ally, at least, in the economic sense. Members of the DDP, however, see China as the oppo-sition and the root cause of their prob-lems. They believe deeply that a true Taiwanese must not consider himself as Chinese in any sense.

absent from the Claremont scene. Bon-nie Yan CMC ‘15, an international stu-dent from Shanghai explained, “Among the youth, there is no animosity. Though several of my Taiwanese friends are proud of their cultural identity, they have remained respectful of mine.” When asked about her thoughts on the upcoming Taiwanese elections, Yan not-ed that the political undertones of the election are trivial and divisive. “The real issue that should be discussed,” she said, “is how we can continue to foster mutu-

interested in job creation, higher wages, and better standards of living. Every-thing else is irrelevant.”

International students overcome language barrier in writing

By Sam KahrCampus Edi t o r , CMC ‘14 Claremont McKenna’s international stu-dents are one of our greatest assets. Pro-viding a different perspective on world events and cultural issues to the college community, international students offer

-ican students and give these students more accurate perceptions of their life circumstances in a global context.

-ever, adjusting to the demands of Ameri-can college life is not as easy as simply increasing their English vocabulary.

“It’s more than just a language hump that international students face,” explained Donald Delgado, director of Internation-al Place at the Claremont Colleges. “Rath-er, there is a whole set of cultural assump-tions that the U.S. classroom makes that international students must navigate.”

With the second highest number of inter-national students of all of the Claremont Colleges, 138 international students in total, 18 percent of CMC’s current fresh-man class is made up of international students, the most in the college’s history. As a result, the issues that international students face both in and out of the class-room are gathering more and more atten-tion in Claremont.

“Non-native English speaking students are incredibly bright, but they face a cer-tain obstacle,” noted Audrey Bilger, Pro-

-tor of the Center for Writing and Public Discourse at CMC. “As a professor, if a student is struggling with some issue I want to make sure that that student has the best possible assistance.”

In addition to providing writing resources

the Center for Writing and Public Dis-

course, CMC also hired a new Visiting Instructor of English as a Second Lan-

American idioms, essay-writing, note-tak--

students with pronunciation and accent control, discussion participation strate-gies, and presentation skills.

-ternational students face in the American classroom, however, cannot simply be taught to them through ESL instruction or words alone.

“I don’t have problems with grammar – my sentences are right. When I give my essays to my American students and professors they tell me my sentences are right, but they just don’t sound right to-gether,” explained Shitong “Stone” Shou CMC ‘14 an international student from China.

Shou also said that he takes his essays to the Center for Writing and has met with professors for help. “They help me a lot, but only for that one essay. It is very hard to verbalize these writing issues. I have improved a lot because I have been here for a long time and have been exposed to a lot of work, not because somebody has taught me,” he observed.

Language barriers are not the only issues that international students face in the classroom. Many international students at

to American Politics, as one of the hard-est classes they take in college.

lack of common knowledge that other American students had,” said Shou. “In China, schools do not require that you study politics, especially American poli-tics.”

In addition to the basic knowledge of American government that is required for the course, class discussions, which require a student to think quickly and for-mulate responses to other students’ com-ments, also pose issues to international students, according to Shou.

The administration understands these dif--

ternational students with an orientation to cultural issues and the academic require-ments of the American classroom through International Place. The freshman orienta-tion for international students focuses on student-faculty relationships, how to con-tact other students and ways to participate in classroom discussions.

“We try to squeeze as much as we can into a 60 minute time frame,” explained Delgado. “Many students, however, come from a sys-tem where these issues are not the norm.

-tion in class is an admission of failure.”

With these obstacles affecting international students’ learning at the Claremont Colleg-es, it is important for students who speak

concerns in mind.

“I think it is exciting that we have so many international students on campus,” Bilger remarked. “They provide a broader con-text for learning and our entire community

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excited to help provide resources for these students.”

“ “They help me a lot, but only for that one essay. It is very hard to verbalize these writing issues.

Shitong “Stone” ShouCMC ‘14, an international student from China

By Logan GalanskySta f f Wr i t e r , PO ‘14 Have you ever seen an Argentinean mov-ie? Despite numerous Oscar nominations and its status as the only Latin American country and one of two Spanish-speaking nations to win the Academy Award for

distribution, low national viewing rates

In an attempt to generate revenue and --

productions because they must compete against the more popular Hollywood blockbusters.

However, this tax will also impact the

from other countries by making it too

Argentinean theaters. Since the law does not emphasize restricting the number of

on, in the end it may not even help the na-

The act is part of Argentina’s greater protectionist policies that have been lev-ied in an effort to make the number of goods and services imported match the number of those exported. Many Ar-

-bois, the creative force behind the newly

Güelcom, are in support of the act as a way to balance the “unfair

Hollywood productions like Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Kung Fu Panda 2, which sold over 500 copies to Argentinean theaters.

Yet others, like Julio Raffo, a prominent

at Cuba’s esteemed International Cinema and Television School, think that the gov-ernment measures will have an adverse effect by “mixing a revenue-raising policy with a protectionist policy.”

Since there is no guarantee that the act will increase attendance at show-ings of domestic films, Raffo believes that it will “help raise more money for the Institute, but it won’t help national cinema.”

also limit the continuance of cultur-ally enriching events, like Arab Cinema Week, which took place in Buenos Aires this past June. The event was intended to foster “cultural exchange and increasing

Argentinean audiences could experience

co-production forums and networking workshops geared toward facilitating in-dustry relationships and future collabora-

were also able to present and share co-

techniques with their Middle Eastern col-leagues.

The positive impact of showing smaller -

which focuses on increasing understand-ing of native island culture by dedicating

-nous Hawaiian themes. These events have

have been lost among mainstream block-busters.

“I think that college campuses, espe-cially those as diverse and tolerant as the 5Cs, can be true breeding grounds for

and resident of the Oldenborg Center for Modern Languages and International Relations, LaPook describes himself as a

“It’s of course fun to see those entertain-ing Hollywood hits,” LaPook said, “but

immerse yourself in a world that is com-pletely different from your own and learn about different cultures in a way that you wouldn’t get from something like Trans-formers or The Hangover.”

The Oldenborg Center is one of many ways that students at the Claremont Col-leges can experience other cultures. The center requires students living there to at-tend certain cultural events each semester,

a dimension that LaPook has enjoyed so far. “We just watched Aparte last week and it opened me up to some of the hardships in Uruguay that I would have never oth-erwise have had a perspective on. I also liked that it was in the native language be-cause it created a level of authenticity and really made me focus on the high quality

Argentina is not the only country at-tempting to use protectionist policies

South Korea and China have implement-ed similar taxes and quotas on foreign

also creatively by improving the quality of

Additionally, the United Nations Edu--

ratifying an international treaty that will establish trade laws intended to protect

much controversy over the economic and social implications of legal measures that could both foster and limit cultural expo-sure.

Timothy Craddock, the United Kingdom

Ambassador to UNESCO and an advo-cate of the treaty, stated, “this convention is to…help countries promote their own culture and creative industries in a way

National Public Radio correspondent Elizabeth Blair further explained that the

a belief that culture is not only about economics, but also about international identity.” Nevertheless, Blair went on to say that “culture and commerce are inter-twined.”

able to relate their stories to the nations that they are connected to, it is also im-portant to give people the opportunity to learn about and gain an understand-ing of other cultures through a medium

the head of the Latin America branch of the Motion Picture Association, argues that “entertainment product must be…

-ships are key in achieving such goals.

Thus, aside from their economic effects,

and the UNESCO treaty on indigenous

value of cultural awareness. These poli--

viding viewers with new insights on alter-nate lifestyles, such as what we experience here at cultural events at the Claremont Colleges.

-na College Sophomore Class President

students are receptive to other cultures but still wants to incorporate more for-eign events to the 5C social scene.

said, “After seeing Pan’s Labyrinth, I be--

there, I started getting into other foreign

culture, like Amelie, and I was opened up to a whole network of new movies and cultures.”

Kyl has found that there is a divide among students at the Claremont Colleges re-

students, she said, who are willing to put -

eign features, but many students are also discouraged by the assumption that these

-titles or a slower pace.

-nitely interested in promoting greater cul-tural awareness through media at Pomona and at the 5Cs as a whole,” Kyl went on to say. She emphasized the need to build a foundational desire to see non-American

-

Oscar-winners.

Overall, Kyl argued that “if there’s a

be shown on campus, students can abso-lutely work with ASPC, or their respective Senates, to make that happen.” Efforts to expose students to other ways of life are undoubtedly taking place across the Claremont Colleges. With Pomona’s In-ternational Relations Colloquium, Pitzer

Claremont McKenna’s Athenaeum speak-ers and the International Place banquet at the end of each year, it is clear that op-portunities to learn about different cul-tures exists. But we can always do more.

their knowledge and reassess the condi-tions of their lives. Hopefully, the Argen-

-out undercutting the understanding of other cultures that can be forged through

the

me to think outside the box about my own professional path and to be open to unexpected opportunities. Working at ED helped me to better understand the relationship between the different players in the public sector, and encouraged me to think about how I could improve those relationships by fostering communication and development of shared goals.”

Just as the Obama administration has bolstered social innovation, the 5Cs and each student body have a responsibility to promote social sector work. Individually, the colleges should strive to break down their own institutional

career services center, and give students more opportunities to learn from alumni who have

particularly upperclassmen, should share their knowledge with their peers interested in careers within the social sector. The social sector has captured my imagination, and I hope it inspires more 5C students to follow in the footsteps of the alumni who have gone before us.

By Mark MunroSen io r Wri t e r , CMC ‘12

It is not often that government captures our imagination. President Barack Obama may not have saturated the economy with jobs, but he has inspired me to change the way I think about the private sector’s role in delivering social services. Along with the President’s proposed

allowed agencies to issue contracts for “pay-

pilot initiatives across areas such as education, juvenile justice and childcare.

Pay-for-success bonds aim to enhance the performance of government services, allowing private investors to pay for the start-up costs of an innovative take on a social program. The government then repays the investors based on social improvement, but only if the program meets the desired social target. Crippled by the risk that early interventions will not elicit the desired outcomes, the public sector largely focuses its resources on treating the symptoms of social inequality rather than the underlying causes.

Who are the social innovation bad-asses behind pay-for-success bonds? Jonathan Greenblatt

Social Innovation and Civic Participation as its director, replacing Sonal Shah, who resigned in

After graduating in 1990 with a degree in economics from University of Chicago, Shah took a year to trek through Kenya, Mozambique and India. She later spent six years at the Treasury Department, taking roles ranging from an attaché in Bosnia sent to restore the central banking system to a debt negotiator for African nations. Goldman Sachs

wide environmental strategy, and afterward she

Inspiration to innovate trickles down to the 5Cs

directed Google.org’s development initiatives.

Jonathan Greenblatt traces his commitment to public service back to then-Governor Clinton’s

a job as an aide in the Clinton White House and Department of Commerce, focusing on

founded Ethos Waters with Peter Thum CMC ’90, and went on to serve as vice president of consumer products after Starbucks acquired

While Shah and Greenblatt represent just a fraction of the fervent leaders working across the public and social sectors on innovations like pay-for-success bonds, we should also look to our peers at the Claremont Colleges. Harvey Mudd’s chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World has applied their technical expertise to harnessing solar energy, which powers the secondary school and hospital in the village of Ngomano, Kenya.

Young alumni offer us examples in which leadership and a willingness to take the road less travelled literally pays off. Each year, Pilgrim Place, a local retirement community,

Claremont Colleges. Last year, Jacob Cohen PO ’11 won for his work with the Vietnamese Americans in New Orleans, launching the Raise Your Hand Campaign, which engages high school youth to form a collective voice and advocate for solutions to lessen the achievement gap.

Aside from providing us with an exemplar to follow, alumni across the Claremont Colleges are eager to share their own career paths. In the past two years, four Claremont McKenna students – including myself – have interned with Taryn Benarroch CMC ’05, the TEACH campaign project director at the U.S.