Editor,

This letter is in response to the last two issues of The Student Life. Firstly, let me state that I am currently studying abroad in China and thus have a particular perspective on the current events taking place at Pomona. One may say that being so far removed from the college definitely restricts my understanding of on-campus problems. But, on the contrary, I feel that only from several thousand miles away can I truly comment on the fundamentals of Pomona College society.

As I read the latest issues of The Student Life and was confronted with campus suspensions, protests, and the obligatory militant vegan article, I became overwhelmed with how easily the average student can become solely concerned with the goings on within the sheltered environment of Pomona College. The melodrama was overwhelming and the pseudo-intellectual rhetoric a little too much to bear. Right now I am living in a country with an education system that promotes a knowledge based off regurgitation and memorization. The other day a young Chinese teacher asked me, "What are your tests like? If you don’t retell the facts learned in class, how does your teacher test your knowledge?" I told her that tests were often based off essays in which teachers expect us to use our own ideas to analyze and explain that which we had learned. One can value knowledge and intelligence not by how well he/she can memorize facts, but rather how well one can take those facts, apply them to his/her own ideas, and then expand upon them to develop a new understanding. Her reaction was one of pure surprise. "Wow," she said, "so that’s what it’s like in America." Free thought has not only been criticized throughout China’s history, but also obliterated from the minds of many Chinese citizens. They cannot even fathom the meaning of "freedom" — because it has been ground out.

But, how does this apply to Pomona? I think that in the sheltered, somewhat pretentious world of the small liberal arts college, we have forgotten to use our brains — or maybe used our brains too much. We have become separated from reality and run wild with the intellectual babble that is often associated with college students. A recent article in The Student Life compared Pomona to the womb — warm, nurturing, safe. And, I must say, I miss the womb. I miss the nurturing bubble of Pomona college. I miss the "deep" conversations and the ridiculously wordy college essays that only a true liberal arts’ student could write. But I don’t miss the gossip; I don’t miss the close-mindedness, masked by the title of "liberalism." I don’t miss the hypocrisy that underlines many of our protests or complaints. As far as the military bombings in Afghanistan, we have every right to oppose that course of action. That is our right as American citizens. But, why do you oppose those actions? Is it because American’s are fighting for something you don’t believe in? Do you oppose using force as part of a plan to promote the safety of our nation and our world? Is this all just a big plan to promote big business, the Bush oil empire, etc? Or is it just something about bombs and the reality of war that you’re just not willing to accept? If your answer is yes, then protest. Do your part as an American citizen and utilize the opportunity given to us. But think about your reasons. Think about the reality of the situation and contemplate the true options available to our government — the government that we elected to represent our collective needs and preserve the ideals that founded our nation. Our government officials do not have the luxury of hiding in the womb of Capital Hill and having endless intellectual debates. Action had to be taken. They represent the citizens of the United States, and right now our president is fighting to preserve the freedoms that allow students like us to attend Pomona and develop our minds. Contrary to the commonly used argument about fighting the "system" and the evils of capitalism, we American students are not products of a predetermined structure. We are given the opportunity to take the influences of society, education, and culture and then decide which aspects, if any, we want to accept and adopt.

So, can the bullshit. Pomona fosters a unique opportunity — don’t abuse it with empty rhetoric about the political evils, overblown tirades about the blatant discrimination plaguing our campus, or the apathy that has become a well-accepted aspect of the Pomona student community. Use your head. Forget the knee jerk response that is triggered by certain key words. From the large scale of the American anti-terror campaign to the problems at home clearly shown by the suspension of two Pomona students — where do our opinions lie? And from where do they come? No matter what you come up with, two students who, on one drunken evening, made a big mistake do not constitute threats to our community. They do not need to serve as examples of Pomona’s justice system at work. Because, from over here in China, it looks like they are simply products of the automatic, fearful response. Was it racial discrimination? If you answer is yes, please tell me how you’ve managed to come to that conclusion. None of the "facts" — unearthed through gossip, the student paper, or elsewhere seem to be concrete enough to support such a heavy statement. Unfortunately, the key word "racial discrimination" triggered a violent response by those who were too hyped up on exposing the college’s social problems to truly analyze the situation. And, since that gossip managed to reach Beijing, I have no doubt that it entered the minds of the J-board committee members. So, from one Pomona student looking forward to my reentry into the Claremont womb, I ask you to please reevaluate your stance. Reevaluate your opinions, and do not become lackadaisical in the face of individual thinking. Do not take it for granted. It is close mindedness that could ruin two students’ college careers, and it is close mindedness that could limit our options when confronted with a real problem outside of the safe and comfortable world of Pomona College.

Sincerely,

Riley Lipschitz ‘03