Enjoyment > Perfection

Hayeon and friend in the makerspace
By Hayeon Lee '23 The extent of my drawing is sketching nice Kirbys or Pokemon; if you told me to draw a hand, I would most gladly produce a stick figure drawing. However, one of my New Year's resolutions this year is to treat myself with kindness and patience. In my journey of healing my inner child, I find myself naturally returning to my hobby of arts and crafts. Whether ...
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Four Unexpected Joys of Going to a Liberal Arts College

flag of Taiwan on a table with sign advising not to speak English
By Serena Lin ’25 If you're a high school senior trying to decide which college to attend, you've probably heard the conventional Pomona sales pitch: small class sizes, “liberal arts experience,” being in the Claremont consortium, and good weather. But what does that actually mean? Here are four unexpected benefits of going to Pomona College. 1) Exploring One...
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My Favorite Study Tools

screenshot of Hayeon's thesis deadline calendar
By Hayeon Lee ‘23 If you ever catch me studying in the library basement or having a study sesh with my friends at the Coop, you would immediately notice my highlighters, planner, and stationery strewn about on the table. I am obsessed with all things stationery, academic planners, study apps, and so on. I am that one person in the class with different highlighters for differ...
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Rediscovering the Joy of Music

hand holding heart object with words about creativity and joy
By Serena Lin ‘25 "You cannot count the beats. You must simply feel the music." As someone who is very numbers-based and methodical, this was quite a challenge. There was something stressful about not being able to protocol-ize a music note. As I stumbled through the first semester of my beginner's clarinet lessons, I originally expected just to "get through it" for th...
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All of Campus is a Classroom

Great horned owl in tree
By Emma Grace Howlett ‘25 Whether they overlook the Quad, lay nestled beneath an Oak tree, or hug the side of the stately Carnegie Building, outdoor classrooms offer a beautiful, natural environment in which to learn. As a precautionary measure against Covid last year, Pomona has set up various outdoor classrooms around campus. Learning outside the traditional classroom shif...
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Reflections on the 5Cs: Internships

group of students holding what looks like a giant pencil
Featuring Kevin Song HMC ’24 By Hayeon Lee '23 Kevin Song  HMC ’24 and Hayeon Lee POM ’23 competing at FAR for the Mudd Amateur Rocketry Team. They’re the two students at the end, NOT looking at the camera.   Hi everyone! This is Hayeon Lee, a current senior English and Politics major attending Pomona College. I will interview a 5C student about a topic in th...
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A Taste of France in LA!

theater marquee
By Arie Lewis-Pugh ‘26 Last week, I had the opportunity to go on a language excursion hosted by Pomona’s French language resident. We saw the play La Machine de Turing about Alan Turing, the man who solved the German enigma during the second World War and is also credited with creating the earliest version of a computer, which he called “thinking machines.” Though our exc...
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Harwood Lounge, a Pomona Gem

Bilal with 4 friends in hallway
By Bilal Adamjee ‘24 Harwood Lounge will forever be for me a place of fond memories, fun, and new beginnings in coming to Pomona College. After finishing my first year on campus as a sophomore (my first year was spent remote), I can only look back at the moments I’ve had with friends and see what I think is a microcosm of what Pomona College offers. The Lounge itself—the ...
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A Letter to My First-Year Self

graphic image of tips
By Serena Lin ‘25 Tip #4: It's ok to fail … cut yourself some slack. (To be continued…) Throughout my first year, I started the practice of writing weekly letters to myself to celebrate, commiserate, and collect meaningful moments. As I completed my first month of my sophomore year, I decided to write a letter to my first-year self. Hopefully, you'll find some of thi...
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The Glee of Glee Club

Emma under waterfall in blue swimsuit
By Emma Grace Howlett ‘25 Contrary to its name, the Pomona College Glee Club is not a club, nor does it perform elaborately choreographed musical numbers. A long-standing tradition for over 100 years, the Glee Club is the small college chamber choir, and performs an a cappella repertoire of music from the 16th century to the present. Somehow I worked up the courage to auditi...
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