Though it's my last semester my classes do not stand out as particularly exceptional as a whole; I have requirements to fulfill.

It's a shame, since things seemed to be going my way.

I can't say I've ever had a standard semester here at Pomona. Each brings something new.

Bonds which seemed solidified by the end of freshman year were more or less lost by a simple change in location as sophomores.

Every semester sends new people abroad and brings old ones back, changed. Group dynamics and campus dynamics must adjust. This all makes the traditional liberal arts community one of the worst places in the world to form lasting friendships.

What comes instead? Proliferation of drinking and drug use feeds non-communication. I was quite inspired by Saul Williams's comments at his performance last Friday about the search for the sublime things in life.

I was somewhat less inspired to hear many of my peers ready to then go search for them at the bottom of a bowl or bottle.

What comes instead? A simultaneous intolerance and casualness accompanies our lives. In the absence of anything serious, there's a lot of hate between individuals on campus.

Much of it is based on assumptions and anecdotes, as opposed to facts. Much of it is also very long-standing, and there's no apparent way to break out of it.

There are people here who I regret that I'll never speak to again because of events that are many years old.

An example. For those of you who make decisions about who gets school funding for events on campus: Do you know the people you deny or grant money? Most peopledon't.

Most are basing their decisions, for or against, on reputation and bias.

What else comes instead of durable relationships? A mode of discourse based not on learning but on sharing common experience.

Saul Williams characterized the way he learned as a process of conglomeration; each person he knew was into his or her own shit and brought it to the table for discussion.

Contrast that with what goes on here: a pursuit of similarity, sometimes encouraged by the institution, sometimes intentionally in the face of it.

The goal behind learning should not be to have all read the same books. That's the goal of pretentiousness and it leads us into a circle of self-reference, it does lead us into learning.

Another example: "Foucault" is a popular word to use amongst some Pomona scholars.

It's not clear to me, though, what aspect of this person is popular. His theories? His books? His name? I haven't read a word of Foucault, so I can't say.

Some people have read his books and can tell you why he's relevant, or why not. Knowing the man's name alone, however, does not qualify you to discuss Foucault much beyond the spelling of the word, and in some sense it does not qualify you to associate with those who do know what they're talking about.

Knowing all the right words does not mean you understand them. What comes from knowing words without understanding the ideas behind them are cults of personality builtaround students and professors as well as writers and directors.

It's alarming to me that the error committed here extends beyond students to professors as well.

I know, or I hope, that there are certain interests I have that few others share. There are some films and books out there that, no matter how critically acclaimed, I just don't want to see, and I'll always have obscure or frowned-upon favorites.

I think it's far harder to actually say this than to keep quiet. Politeness is just about the easiest road to walk here.

This time, this semester, I was hoping for more. Some sort of summation of experience, or at the least a good time had by all.

What seems to be in evidence, however, are the same things which have defined us all along.

The adage that the worst thing that can possibly happen upon one's graduation would be forgetting everything one knew only applies to those who have actually learned anything in the first place.