Physical Education for the Physically Uncoordinated: Ping Pong

(Disclaimer: I apologize for frequently writing about my physical uncoordination. Speaking of, I got my first bike injury of the semester not that long ago. My knee was scraped pretty badly. Sad face.) I never thought P.E. in college was a thing—it seemed so…juvenile to require students to exercise. Eughh. Like, what? Can’t us physically incapable people ever get a break...
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Studying Abroad in Melbourne, Australia: Being an Athlete Abroad

One of my main/only concerns with going abroad initially was my sport. Swimming has been such an integral aspect of my college experience, from the exercise worked into my daily schedule to the close bonds I developed with my team. I was nervous about leaving the comfort, support, and structure of my friend group and of the daily routine swimming provided me. I wondered, would ...
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A First Year’s Time Capsule

I have officially finished the first half of the semester. My impressions of Pomona are fresh, and I would be lying if I said I felt completely at ease here. Being an international student, living in America is something I’m still not used to. Being at college, my new independence can feel overwhelming at times, and I am not yet sure how I will be able to call Pomona my new ...
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PE… in College?!

An aerial view of Strehle Track and the field where my Ultimate Frisbee class took place!
Before college, my experience with Physical Education (PE) classes was limited to synchronized warm-up exercises, running laps around tracks and fields, and the occasional treat of basketball/flag football/fill-in-the-blank ball. When I began perusing Pomona’s course catalog and general education requirements the summer before my first year, I stumbled upon the PE requiremen...
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What Pomona Isn’t

Pomona is an incredible institution, so it makes sense that so much of what you hear about it is positive. If you like to measure the worth of things in rankings, we're #8 on the Forbes national list, #5 on the U.S. News & World Report liberal arts college list, #20 on The Daily Beast's list (#1 and #7 on the "Student Life" and "Campus Quality" sublistings, respectively), a...
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47 Reasons Why Pomona is a Special Place

My sponsor group at the Walker Wall painting during Orientation Week!
One of the opportunities the Office of Admissions offers first-year students is the chance to be a Student Ambassador. After you apply, eight first-year students are chosen to give tours, host prospective students, coordinate events for the tour guide and overnight host programs, and collaborate with the Office of Admissions on other projects. The tour guiding aspect of bein...
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For the Prospective Student Athlete

It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that I welcome you to a mystical, magical land of hope, wonder, and division 3 sports! But what does it really mean to be a student athlete? For a lot of serious high school athletes, division three athletics on paper can sound rather underwhelming. Coming from a year-round, intense club team in high school, I found that th...
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Puerto Rico, ¿Por Favor?

Ah, spring semester. The sudden influx of eager, excited students back on campus, the sweet reunion of briefly separated pals, the even sweeter reunion of students and the dining halls, and the rediscovery of one's appreciation for that glorious Claremont sunshine. Oh, wait, that happened on January 1 for me. Several athletic teams stay on campus for a large part of the holi...
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Working It Out

“Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands; they just don’t.” In the wise words of Legally Blonde’s Elle Woods, exercise generates endorphins and endorphins increase happiness. Additionally, according to almost all doctors, exercise has the added benefit of improving physical health. As students return from Thanksg...
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Diving Right In

"Get out of your comfort zone! Try new things!" I've always thought of these tired phrases as the most generic pieces of college advice, not one of those useful gems like "buy a lot of underwear so that you can maximize time between loads of laundry" or "don't take an 8 AM class." However, in the last couple weeks, I really have tried something completely new. I started diving....
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