The Claremont Colleges are known for their student activism and none more so than Pitzer College, widely considered the most liberal of the city’s undergraduate institutions. A few causes, however, drew puzzlement and even ire from people across the nation.
The most controversial incident took place prior to the start of the school year, when Karé Ureña (Pitzer ’18) posted on Facebook that she and two friends were planning to live off-campus and needed a third roommate.
Students at Claremont High School filed into the Wolfpack gym on December 1, some grabbing a spot in the bleachers and others sitting on the floor, ready for a lively presentation on a sobering topic.
Chris Holden, an assembly member representing California’s 41st Assembly District, is no longer on the campaign trail, having sealed the deal in November on third two-year term in state office. He is, however, a man of his word. Mr. Holden said he was too busy for a visit at the time, but would give a presentation at the Claremont elementary school after things slowed down.
Harvey Mudd College has nabbed the top spot on CNN’s “10 Most Expensive Colleges This Year” list. It’s the second year in a row the Claremont College has topped the charts.
The list—published last Friday, November 11—also includes Claremont McKenna and Scripps College, which came in at number five and six on the list, respectively. Its rating is tabulated according to each college’s published sticker price, comprised of tuition, fees, room and board. For HMC, it all adds up to a yearly $69,717, according to CNN.
At the November 3 meeting of the Claremont Unified School District Board of Education, the school board will vote on a resolution to hold all future school board elections in November on even years.
The resolution comes in response to Senate Bill 415, the California Voter Protection Act, which became effective in January 2016. The bill aims to remedy two problems with off-cycle elections: low voter turnout and higher costs.
Claremont High School Principal Brett O’Connor tackles the role of Sam Craig in the CHS production of Our Town. CUSD Board of Education Member Dave Nemer, at right, plays undertaker Joe Stoddard. CUSD administrators and faculty have agreed to take the stage to help raise funds for Claremont After-School Program (CLASP) ArtStart, Sustainable Claremont’s school garden efforts and the Claremont Faculty Association’s Epic Win Program. COURIER photo/Steven Felschundneff
Fifth graders at Sumner Elementary School got a taste of the political process on September 27 when Casey C. Higgins, a Republican candidate for the California Assembly, took some time to talk to them. Mr. Higgins is hoping to unseat incumbent Chris Holden. Mr. Holden represents the 41st Assembly District, which is responsible for portions of more than two-dozen cities, including Claremont, Diamond Bar, La Verne, Pomona and San Dimas.
A labor of love makes its debut tomorrow, as the inaugural Claremont Authors Book Faire takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Claremont Public Library. The free event is a showcase, both for the city’s rich literary history and its many authors working today.
“We always talk about Claremont as the city of trees and PhDs, but we also have a long literary tradition and an art tradition and a musical tradition,” Faire organizer Rose Ash said. “And they all need to be celebrated.”
Include Erica Tyron on the short list of folks who are “living the dream.” Ms. Tyron, Director of College Radio at Pomona College’s KSPC 88.7 FM, has been on the job since 1992, when she received her diploma from Scripps College. “When I graduated I essentially lucked out and took over,” Ms. Tyron said.
Melvin Oliver, the new president of Pitzer College and first African-American president of a Claremont College, initially did not want to get into college academia. “I went to [the professor] and I said, I’ve never heard of sociology, what can you do with sociology,” Mr. Oliver said. “And he said you can do one of two things—you can either be a social worker or you can be a professor.”
The Claremont Unified School District wants local property owners to know the district is being thoughtful with their money. The refunding is cutting $2.3 million from what’s owed, bringing the district’s outstanding bonds to a little more than $21 million, more than half of the original borrowed amount.
A group of local teens is working to raise awareness about rules they say unfairly target girls. Their effort was prompted by concerns about changes in the 2016-2017 dress code at Claremont High School.
The rules circulated only a few days in advance of the new school year when Principal Brett O’Connor emailed CHS families the evening of Thursday, August 25 notifying them the school would revert to the previous year’s dress code.
A group of residents has banded together, ready to go to bat for a $58 million school facilities bond measure that will go before Claremont voters this November. Every advocacy organization needs an acronym and they’ve come up with a catchy one, RISE—Renew Infrastructure and Sustain Excellence.
As the dog days of summer wind down in Claremont, the scent of freshly-sharpened pencils and the anticipation of new classmates become the things students begin to think about.
As school draws closer, registration dates and back-to-school nights become the norm for parents and, hopefully, cause less anxiety than the eventful 10 months that students must prepare for, beginning on August 31.
