Pomona College
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Art
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: East Asian Queer Female
Summary
I am on the 5C Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Team, which is a club team. I’m part of Pomona Ventures, which is an entrepreneurship club. I’m also part of the Pomona College Artists’ Coalition.
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: East Asian
Sexual Orientation: Queer
High School Experience: Private school in Tacoma, WA with a graduating class of about 80 students. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: No
Major: Art
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I am on the 5C Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Team, which is a club team. I’m part of Pomona Ventures, which is an entrepreneurship club. I’m also part of the Pomona College Artists’ Coalition.
Have any of your extracurricular activities had a particularly big impact on your experience?
I think the frisbee team has because that’s the place where I’ve met the most people from the other colleges. It’s also a larger time commitment than my other extracurriculars.
Academic Experience
Can you describe the weekly coursework for your major?
Last semester, for Ceramic Sculpture, that was a lot more work just because it was a sculpture class and also it was at Pitzer, so I had to go to Pitzer every time I wanted to work on my project. I had three or four big projects and then small practice pieces. This semester, I’m taking Drawing I, which is pretty laid-back, we only have one assignment per week. I’m also taking Self-Publishing for Artists and that has about one assignment per week too.
Is there anything you feel the Art department does especially well or especially poorly?
At Pomona, so far what I’ve experienced is the Art department does a really good job of reaching out to the students. It’s a pretty small major so it feels very intimate and well-connected. The professors are also very accessible. But, I think the Art department could be expanded. They recently built a new building and they have been exploring ways to use the space but the programs are still pretty limited.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
It’s very collaborative. Because it’s a small group of people and Pomona isn’t known for having a really strong Art program, people don’t themselves too seriously but are also serious enough about their grades to work on projects together.
How accessible are your professors?
They are very accessible. They have office hours and if you can’t make those you can just email them and set up a meeting time.
Why did you pick your major?
In high school, I became a lot more interested in visual art. Going into college, I knew I really liked learning in general, but definitely wanted to focus on something creative. I came to Pomona because it’s a liberal arts college and there are a lot of different pathways that I could take. The Art program here is super interesting because there are a lot of intersections between Art and other subjects.
How do you like the being part of the Claremont Consortium? How has that impacted your academic experience so far?
I really enjoy the Consortium and I think I’d have a more negative experience if it was only Pomona College. It would be a pretty small environment here if we didn’t have the other schools and it would feel even more like a bubble.
How was transitioning academically as a freshman? Were there any systems in place that helped you adapt?
The first semester was pretty rough. I had been at my high school for so long that I was used to the system there and was used to doing the homework and having a routine. But, at college, everything is different and you don’t have that routine anymore because you’re living here and also going to school. There is a good number of resources in regards to academics and tutoring, but there is definitely a lack of resources in the mental health department. I’d say the best resources are the other students around you and your peer mentors.
Reasons to Attend
1) The people you meet. A lot of people are excited to be here and learn with you and collaborate, which is really cool.
2) The diversity, not just in race but socioeconomic status, gender identity, and sexuality. I think Pomona does a good job in admissions of encouraging students of different backgrounds to apply here.
3) The Consortium. I personally really like it because Pomona’s such a small school but the consortium makes it feel like a bigger community because you have so many more options for classes and people who you can meet.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) It’s a really small, tight-knit community, so that might be kind of hard for some people.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on campus?
Freshman: Lyon Court with one roommate.
How was transitioning from Tacoma, WA to Claremont, CA?
It’s not a huge transition. Claremont is definitely smaller but it hasn’t been a culture shock. Where I live in Tacoma is a suburban area and there wasn’t a whole lot happening there and there’s not a whole bunch happening here, so it’s very similar.
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
I feel really safe around campus as well as the other campuses. There are times when I’m studying late and walk home alone and it’s not a big deal.
Social Opportunities
What kind of nightlife or weekend activities do you participate in at Pomona?
If it’s a nice day, my friends and I will go on a hike or we’ll sit on the quad and do our work. If you’re just on campus and not doing anything it can feel unproductive, which can feel unfortunate. During the week at night, there are always a lot of events that are hosted by different clubs and organizations, like movie screenings, a dinner, or a speaker. On the weekends, there are some parties hosted by clubs and some hosted by the five colleges. You just walk around the campuses and see what’s happening.
What nights of the week do you regularly go out?
At the beginning of freshman year, I got really excited and went out Thursday through Saturday. Now, it’s just Thursdays and Saturdays. Sometimes there are a lot of events happening and other nights I just hang out in a room with my friends.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
There’s a movie theater in the Claremont Village, but there’s not a whole lot to do there. I know some people like to go into L.A. for the weekends. There are also performances sometimes but I don’t think they’re the best.
If at all, how has identifying as Queer impacted your nightlife experience? Is there much of a Queer nightlife scene?
It’s pretty common to identify as Queer here. I don’t know about the rest of the Five C’s, but Pomona seems to have a pretty large Queer population so it feels very welcoming and safe. I haven’t gone yet, but there is a Queer nightclub nearby. There are also a lot of Scripps events that are gay parties. They’re fun, but they tend to be very Scripps dominated.
How happy are you with the nightlife options at Pomona? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I’m pretty happy with the weekend options. There are a lot of evening artistic events because we have The Hive. The nightlife and parties are there if you want it, but there is no pressure from anyone to go out if you don’t want to.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
A lot of my close friends live in the same area as me, whether that be in the same part of Lyon or in the dorm next to ours, which is Wig Hall. I’ve also met some pretty cool people through some of my classes and the Ultimate Frisbee team.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Pomona?
Overall, people are very welcoming and open-minded. But, it’s also an environment that incites cliques and smaller group dynamics. It’s not as much everyone’s friends with everyone, it’s more that because there are so few people here that these are my friends and those are your friends.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
People mix a lot at Pomona. It’s pretty common to see groups of friends who are all of different backgrounds. I also think it depends on which social circles you’re with, I do see a lot of White athletes walking around, but that’s because the athletes run on a different schedule. [9% of students are Black, 14% are Asian, 16% are Hispanic, and 35% are White.]
How would you describe the Queer community on campus? How strong is it?
I don’t formally participate in the Queer Resource Center (QRC) and their activities. But, just by nature of being a Queer student at Pomona, I participate in the community by knowing other people and being friends with people. It’s there for formality’s sake, but the QRC is not a resource I have gone to.
How do you like the size of Pomona in terms of undergraduate enrollment? How has that impacted your experience? [There are about 1,670 students.]
I like the size, but I don’t think I’ve felt the huge impact of the bubble yet, which is something a lot of the upperclassmen will talk about. It is nice being able to walk around and say hi to people that I know and see familiar faces. I can definitely see in the future getting a little tired of the smallness. I’m really glad there are the other colleges around just because it reminds you that there are a lot more people here than you think.
Do you feel like you’re more of a student of the Claremont Consortium or Pomona?
I’m more of a student of Pomona just because most of my classes are at Pomona and I participate in the Pomona events more. I think it depends on the semester because last semester I took classes at other schools and I felt like I was across the campuses.
Careers
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
I talked to someone at the CDO and they showed me how to use LinkedIn and use the office. They were pretty helpful. I think if I had been more active in reaching out to people, it would have been more helpful, but I didn’t.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
I’ve learned Adobe InDesign.