Combatting an Erasure of My Identity: Feeling Unforeign in Oldenborg

Vids in long skirt against glittery backdrop
By Vids Hingad ‘25 A ticket from Terminal 2, Chattrapatti Shivaji Terminal in Mumbai to LAX. A 26-hour journey. Four oceans in the middle. Before boarding the flight from Mumbai to LAX, my dadi (grandma) always used to put a teeka on my forehead. This red dot symbolized that, no matter where I am, she would protect me and guide me. Guilty of wondering what strangers would...
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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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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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Midnight Walks Around The 5Cs

Young Seo and 3 friends on steps
By Young Seo Kim ‘26 You’re one of the 50 Pomona College first-year students who came early to campus. It’s nighttime, and you’re bored. The Village is closed and you and your friends don’t own a car to travel outside of Claremont. What’s a better idea than going out at night and walking around campus with your friends? It was my third night in Claremont. After going thro...
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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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Approaching Normalcy

icon for 5C friend is chicken with antlers
By Porter Reyes ‘25 Being a first-year at Pomona last year was weird. We were getting close to “normal,” but the pandemic’s effect on the first-year experience was tangible. This year, however, things are different for the new first-year class and the entire student body as Pomona approaches normalcy. Staples of life at Pomona, such as Orientation Adventure, cross-campus...
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A First-Year’s Largely Unhelpful Guide to Showing Your Family Around Campus

bowls of berries
By Emma N. ‘26 A couple weeks ago, my family came to visit. Since I’m an international student, that was the first time they’ve made the trip “across the pond” to see the place I now call home, the first time they got to see Pomona College with their own eyes, rather than through FaceTime. I was overjoyed, of course, and incredibly grateful that they were able to come to visit...
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First-Year Adventures in Southern California

In hockey arena looking down on rink
By Marc Beaulac ‘26 As a first-year, it has been interesting transitioning into independent life, especially as the plethora of activities that Pomona College offers keeps one in the 5C bubble. However, one of the elements I have appreciated the most is the activities that can be found in Claremont as well as the whole of L.A. county. During the relative peacefulness of f...
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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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Making a “Home” at Pomona

5 students eating outside
By Arie Lewis Pugh ‘26 It’s the third week of school, and I’ve said the words “I’m Arie” more times than I can count. It’s strange meeting so many people and wondering which of them will feature in the memories everyone says college is about. In these first three weeks, I’ve tried my hardest to attend every event, dance, and group dinner in the hopes of finding “my people.” ...
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