By Emma Grace Howlett ‘25
When the time comes to declare a major at Pomona, it is tradition to ring a giant desk bell the size of a dinner plate. The bell rests on the counter at the registrar’s office, its gleaming brassy sheen well-worn, yet alluring. It beckons to every student, yet some take longer than others in deciding what major to declare. As a first-year, I considered every major under the sun, and took classes in English, geology, politics, and math. However, I ultimately decided to become a History major.
Contrary to what my first-year self believed, choosing your major is not a cataclysmic decision determining the course of your life. I chose History because I connected with the material, was inspired by my History professors, and loved engaging in small-group discussions established in historical text. I enjoyed how I could be creative with crafting narratives yet remain grounded. Finally, I felt I could better understand the world by studying ideas and patterns that still resonate with people and politicians today.
My ID1, or first year seminar, was “The European Enlightenment” with Professor Kates. This class was a formative experience for me, in which I was exposed to thinkers such as Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Smith. I went on to take two more classes with Professor Kates, “Enlightenment and Capitalism” and “The French Revolution.” I explored earlier time periods in Professor Wolf’s famous class “Medieval Europe and the World Outside,” and extended my concentration in European History through Professor Chu’s classes “Modern Europe since 1789” and “WWII in Eastern Europe.” Other highlights included “US Environmental History” with Professor Miller and “Power in the US” with Professor Reidy.
My friends and I decided to declare our majors together on April 7th, or what is known at Pomona as 4/7 day. For mystical reasons unknown to mere mortals, Pomona worships the prime number 47. As such, from 4 to 7 pm on 4/7 Day, campus is home to festivities such as live music, food trucks, dunk tanks, water slides, and water balloon fights. Marston Quad is filled with lounging students, spike ball games, and picnics.
Surrounded by such a celebratory atmosphere, my friends and I marched to the registrar’s office, ready to declare our majors. One by one we stepped up to the desk, declared our major, and rang the bell. I cheered as my friends declared Music, Math, Neuroscience, Public Policy Analysis, and Computer Science. Finally, it was my turn. I stepped up to the desk, shouted, “History!” and triumphantly rang the bell as my friends clapped. The brassy ring of the bell echoed through the hall, marking the beginning of my path as a History major. I finally feel like I’ve found where I belong. The rest is history!
