Mary-Clare Bosco is attending Pomona College in Claremont, Calif. She is majoring in environmental analysis and plays Div. III college basketball. The weather was so nice in Claremont that I interviewed her while she was on a bike ride.
Q: What classes are you taking, and which do you like the best?
A: Right now I’m taking Macroeconomics, Advanced French, an Intro Environmental Analysis class, and a Public Policy Analysis class. But since it’s a public policy class, it has a broad discussion base. It’s one of my favorites. We first talked about health care and Obamacare, and then we moved on to mass incarceration and how it’s really a form of Jim Crow segregation and the caste system. And now we are discussing how the National Security Agency has been spying on people for years. It’s really, really interesting.
Q: Which classes don’t you like?
A: I actually don’t dislike any of my classes this semester. I was a pre-med last semester. Then I changed to environmental/econ stuff. I was in genetics and general chemistry, and it was just like death. Taking two labs, being a freshman and plus being on the varsity basketball team, I realized it was too much and I wasn’t really passionate about it. There was no point in me putting myself through that.
Q: How’s your dorm?
A: I have a double. I have a roommate from the Bronx; she’s Jamaican and also into holistic health stuff. I recently became a vegan, so we’ve bonded over healthy eating and our lifestyles.
Q: The weather?
A: The weather is awesome. It’s a big part of my happiness here. Right now it’s sunny and 75, and there’s breeze in my hair. It’s perfect.
Q: The food?
A: The food is really good. I’m actually impressed. Pomona itself doesn’t have my favorite dining hall, but on other campuses in Claremont, there is a lot more variety. So I can eat at any of them.
Q: Are you participating in any extracurricular activities?
A: I’m part of a Title IX party-planning events committee that plans a big party every other Thursday. It provides people the opportunity to have fun without any pressure or the feeling of being threatened, like sexual assault.
Q: Have you ventured into the town surrounding your school? What’s it like?
A: Claremont Village is really good. They have really good restaurants, especially for when family comes to visit. LA is an hour’s drive, so I don’t go down there much.
Q: What’s the most embarrassing freshman mistake you’ve made so far?
A: I was in the shower once and forgot to bring my towel. That was awkward. Also awkward when I locked myself in the bathroom after my shower and my roommate was nowhere to be found. So eventually we decided to keep our keys in the bathroom so that wouldn’t happen again.
Q: What has disappointed you about your school?
A: When I came to admissions day, I knew that I had to go here. When I got here, I was kind of disappointed because it looked like all the kids were super nerdy. But after I met and found people on the basketball team, my experience got much better.
Q: What would you say has been the highlight of going to college?
A: Well, right now it’s Coachella because I’m still on a high from that. But I have to say my first game on the varsity team as an official varsity athlete in college was such a fun and exciting experience. I’ll never forget that moment. Also orientation was a little different. I went on a trip, like an adventure trip. We went sea kayaking in the Channel Islands (off the coast in Santa Barbara) We got to go cliff jumping and a whole bunch of stuff. I met a lot of my good friends on that trip.
Q: Do you have any advice for the class of ’14?
A: Give your college a chance. Don’t hate it after the first month. I know people who have had moments when they question whether it was the right decision. Just let it settle in and be open to new experiences.
