Catching a Concert in L.A.

Tkay Maidza in concert
By Porter Reyes ‘25 My friends and I are often antsy to get off campus. Even though there’s usually a lot going on at Pomona (plays, orchestra performances, lectures, etc.), Southern California has many places to visit and things to do. Recently, my friends and I drove to the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood to watch one of my favorite artists in concert, Tkay Maidza! While...
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An L.A. Adventure

Japanese noodles
By Emma Grace Howlett ‘25 Last weekend, I found myself on an uncharacteristically spontaneous expedition to Los Angeles with my friends. Our day began with an hour-long train ride to LA’s Union Station, a grand, commanding building with arched, painted ceilings. The yellow ochre walls glowed golden, afternoon light streaming in through a wall of high glass windows. After tak...
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Breaking Out of the Claremont Bubble

Hollywood sign framed by palm trees
By Sonam Rikha ‘24 From snazzy pop songs about the city to Disney channel movies set in the area, a glamorous image of Los Angeles has always been ingrained in my head. So when my friends asked me if I wanted to go to downtown L.A., I responded with childlike joy. Despite the warnings from peers to lower my expectations, I couldn’t erase the delicate images and stories of L....
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What Is Research Anyway? (Don’t worry, I had no idea either)

group of 9 students smiling for selfie shot outside
By Youssef El Mosalami ‘24 After a grueling online semester full of  multiple spontaneous FaceTime calls, outings in NYC with other Pomona students who lived in the area, and turning off my camera during class to nom down on some lunch (don’t tell my professors), I definitely missed being able to give friends hugs when I saw them or just being in the physical presence of oth...
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My Favorite Spots in the Claremont Village

cookie and Some Crust bag
By Chloe Mandel ’23 Working for Pomona’s admissions office last summer, one of the questions I received frequently from prospective students is what the city of Claremont has to offer. While Pomona’s suburban setting isn’t exactly teeming with the types of cultural attractions and nightlife one would find in a city like L.A., I’ve come to find that the Claremont Village is a...
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Surrounded by Birds and Procrastination

ducks and geese in water
By Sonam Rikha ’24 With finals looming and the bucket-load of assignments professors are piling onto students, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and find procrastination more and more appealing. As a burnt-out first-year dreading the few days I have left to turn in papers and finish projects, I’ve been finding any random reason to push aside my assignments. Today, I convinced my...
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4+7 Things I Realized About Pomona as a Sophomore

image of psych class on zoom
By Chris Meng ’23 It’s hard to believe that I am starting my second semester of my sophomore year. At the end of May, I will be halfway done with college, and I will have somehow reached the age of 21. Over my nearly two-month winter break, I spent a lot of time with family and friends (mostly virtually), having conversations with them and myself that gave me a chance to ref...
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Wildly Unprepared in Vancouver

Siena in Stanley Park
By Siena Swift ‘22 The first independent trip I went on was spring break of my first year in college. It was the first time I had organized an entire trip, bought plane tickets and rented an AirBnB. I traveled from Ontario Airport (about a 15-minute drive from campus) to Seattle, where my friend picked me up. I stayed with her at her grandparents’ house in Gig Harbor, an hou...
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Car-Less in Claremont

shops in Claremont Village
By Chloe Mandel ’23 In my suburban Connecticut hometown, I fully depended on the use of a car to get around. Since the day I got my license in my junior year of high school, I’ve embraced the opportunity to drive my parents’ slightly worn-out Chevy Equinox everywhere I’ve needed to go. Granted, my daily drives to school were often full of frustration as I waited in a long li...
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5 Things I Miss About College

"Urban Light" at LACMA
By Siena Swift ‘22 Since I filed for a leave of absence from Pomona College for the fall semester, I’ve been thinking a lot about how much I will miss my college community and Claremont itself during this time. I think most of us miss “normal” (i.e. pre-COVID) life: going out to restaurants, concerts, hugging people outside of your family, being able to be in a room without ...
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