5C Resource: The Hive

As members of the Claremont Colleges Consortium, Harvey Mudd students have access to countless resources within the five schools. Whether it’s dining halls, sports, classes or clubs, Mudders are far from lacking when it comes to cross college engagement opportunities. 

One resource in particular, is The Rick and Susan Sontag Center for Collaborative Creativity, better known as the Hive. Located on the Northern edge of Pomona College’s campus, the Hive acts as a home base for students interested in creative collaborative work. Within the building, there are meeting rooms, study spaces, materials for all types of art and even rooms dedicated to mediums like sewing and woodworking. They focus on creating an environment where Claremont students can engage with Liberal Arts and explore how different disciplines can intersect through collaboration and creativity. 

Similar to the Harvey Mudd Makerspace, the Hive is run by a combination of staff, 5C alumni and current students. They work together to host workshops, skillshares and events, as well as make tools and collaborative creativity accessible to all of the Claremont Colleges.

At the beginning of the school year, I attended one of their kick-off events, the annual Blue Tape Mural Wall. Students from all five colleges came together to decorate one of the Hive’s largest mural walls with an assortment of colored masking tape. Throughout the hour and a half (more if you count the stragglers who stayed behind to finish and chat), the previously white wall became filled with patterns, drawings and words. The wall will be on display for the remainder of the academic year, before being removed so that next year’s students can create their own.

Beyond events like the Blue Tape Mural, the Hive also hosts skillshares, writing workshops, and even “Creative Career Speed Dating.” Some other events featured this fall semester include Social Movement Poster Design, Leather Working, Introduction to Podcasting And Nerikomi Clay. 

A week ago, I attended one of their “Made at the Hive” workshops for Block Printing. Walking into the Hive, it was fairly easy to find the main room due to the large amount of signs that say things like “Yes, you can sit here” and “Yes, the workshop is this way” (One of my favorites was the “Yes, you can wash your hands in this sink” located in the bathroom). From there, I put my name on a sign in sheet and joined the other block printers at some work tables. For students who were new to printmaking, the Hive staff running the workshop were available to help walk you through the process. Students who were familiar with the medium, or brave souls who preferred to jump right in, were able to get started with the materials the Hive had laid out on all of the tables. 

The entire environment was very welcoming and I had an amazing time being creative and getting to know others from the community. At my table, two Scripps freshmen were very quick to introduce themselves and start a conversation. Just two minutes after meeting them, I already had the chance to learn about their interests and what club sports they were thinking of signing up for. We even had a visit from a service dog who was sitting with a student at the neighboring table.

Throughout the workshop, other students came and went as they worked on their own creative projects. Across the room, a group of upperclassmen worked on a birthday sign for their friend, using collaging materials and paint. One of the student employees came by our table at one point to update the whiteboard calendar for the coming weeks events. Across the hall, students could be seen working on sewing projects and a glass meeting room next door housed several collaborators discussing a project. Every day of the week, the Hive provides a home base for student creativity.

Once my print was done, it was time for me to say my goodbyes and head out. As I left the workshop, I was invited to fill out a feedback form so that those in charge of Hive events can use that input as they plan the next ones. There was even a section for event-goers to leave a little doodle about how their day was going. 

Now that I have gotten the chance to visit the Hive, I look forward to exploring their other resources. A friend and I have already made plans to go back and try more of their printmaking supplies, and I am excited to learn more about what they have to offer.