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CAMPUS

Cowart Information Technology Building 

The J.C. Cowart Information Technology Building provided a new home for the College’s Information Technology Services, as well as 130 subterranean parking spaces for Pomona College faculty, staff, and visitors. The 12,000-square-foot facility allowed the College’s entire ITS Department to be housed, for the first time, at one site, while also offering enhanced technological facilities for students, faculty and staff. Key features include a 24-hour student computer lab; spacious conference room equipped with an interactive whiteboard; and a classroom that can be set up with as many as 30 laptops for classes and training sessions. The building was made possible by a gift from Jim C. Cowart ‘73, who created his own major in computer science at Pomona long before the formal major was created, and named for three J.C. Cowarts, including Jim, his wife, Janet C. Cowart ‘70, and their son, Jefferson C. Cowart ‘07.

Pearsons Renovated

The most recent renovation of Pearsons Hall, in 2003–04, not only significantly upgraded the building’s structure, interior spaces, and facilities, but also recovered original architectural details and features including the wooden windows and handsome staircase.

STUDENTS

“The Scholar”

The ABC-TV primetime reality show “The Scholar” ended in July with the announcement that the winner, Melissa Hanna of Tarzana, California, would be using the full scholarship she won to attend Pomona College in the fall. Hanna would go on to graduate as a member of the Class of 2009.

STUDENT LIFE

47 Things Challenge

2005 was the first year of the “47 Things Every Sagehen Should Do” program, which challenged students to break out of the “Claremont Bubble” of the college campuses and explore the outdoor recreation opportunities, cultural institutions and other resources of the Southern California region. The original list was composed by a committee of students and faculty. Included were activities ranging from watching a sunset in Joshua Tree National Park (#1) to watching a gray whale breach (#17) to eating a deep-fried Twinkie at the L.A. County Fair (#32).

FINANCES

$10 Million Gift

Lillian Lincoln Howell ’43 gave the College $10 million to construct two new buildings to house the various cognitive sciences, Geology, and the intercollegiate ethnic studies departments. The two buildings, completed two years later, were named the Lincoln Hall and the Edmunds Hall.

ATHLETICS

Water Polo Title

Women’s water polo defeated Wheaton, La Verne and Cal State East Bay to win the Collegiate Division III National Championship as Lauren Moore was named the tournament MVP.

ELSEWHERE

North Korea announced that it possessed nuclear weapons.

The Kyoto Protocol, part of an international treaty aimed at fighting global warming, went into effect without being ratified by the United States.

Pope John Paul II died and was succeeded by German Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI.