San Francisco Protest Shows Value of Taking a Political Stand
By Sierra Ferguson
Contributing Writer

Ah, the perks of being a Pomona College student: swimming pools, beautiful weather, beautiful people, corn dogs at snack, and green grass no matter how much or how little it rains. And, of course, free beer with a minimum of hassle, whether you are 21 or not. This last perk, however, might be on its way out. In response to recent incidents of alcohol poisoning, the Board of Trustees has asked the Student Affairs Committee to evaluate, and possibly reform, the college’s alcohol policy. This process has just begun, and there is no way of knowing how, if at all, the policy will be changed. But there has been a trend across the country for schools in this position to severely restrict alcohol, with many universities becoming strictly “dry” campuses.

Confrontational Tone Undermines Message of SCRAP Table Tents
By Michael Owen
Opinions Editor

Becoming too self-absorbed is dangerous. Single-mindedness, which when taken too far leads to an inability to consider the needs of others, is a poor strategy for surviving in a world that does indeed have other people also trying to get by. Taken way too far, it causes blindness to reason and an unwillingness to negotiate that begets things like terrorism. Becoming too self-absorbed is dangerous. Single-mindedness, which when taken too far leads to an inability to consider the needs of others, is a poor strategy for surviving in a world that does indeed have other people also trying to get by. Taken way too far, it causes blindness to reason and an unwillingness to negotiate that begets things like terrorism.

Resistance to Caste System Offers Hope
By Kavin Paulraj
Opinions Writer

Yes, it’s true that Pomona students are pretty oblivious to things going on outside the bubble, but I don’t really see that as being a problem. When Congress authorized war a few days ago, I heard about it right away. However, due to my quickly skimming through the article, I spent the next few days under the impression that the “to enforce U.N. resolutions” clause meant that we’d need Security Council approval. Except, as someone eventually pointed out to me, the U.N. resolution being referred to was the ’91 cease-fire, and not some hypothetical U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing something new. In one sense, this changes everything, as it now looks very likely that we’ll soon be at war. But in another, far more accurate sense, it changes nothing. After all, we knew that a week ago.

Ed-Board Erred in Senior Gift Criticism
By David Lydon
Opinions Writer

On the way to four of my classes (I am only taking four classes, so that’s all of them), I walk past the hollow shell known, apparently, as “Pearsons Hall.” “Pearsons Hall” is reportedly undergoing a renovation, and by “renovation” I mean that “Pearsons Hall” is being replaced, inch-by-stuccoed inch, with a new, safer, painted concrete-and-rebar “Pearsons Hall” that will more closely resemble the structure as it appeared shortly after its construction, which took place during the natal period of Philosophy Professor Frederick Sontag, and will also have a red tile roof. Right. Its original appearance. So someone is going to go back in time, to whatever war or financial crisis during which “Pearsons Hall” was built in order to give people jobs to raise money for the war effort or resolve the financial crisis, and figure out how it appeared originally.

Environment Policy Offers Chance for Student Input
By Peter Douglas
Opinions Writer

On Friday afternoon last week, students involved in certain leadership programs on campus attended a luncheon in Edmunds Ballroom with the trustees of the college. There are 39 trustees, thirty of whom are alumni, ranging in age from their twenties to their eighties, and one of them, who is non-voting, sat at my table. When asked about the possibility of allowing students of different genders to room together, this man—whose name not coincidentally corresponds with the name of a certain south campus dining hall—responded that it was happy for those of us who support such a change that he was no longer in a position to vote on the issue; given the choice, he said he would favor a return to the segregation, abandoned decades ago, between men’s and women’s campuses.