Bwog’s inbox just got word that the Columbia College valedictorian has been named: Maxim Pinkovskiy, majoring in economics-mathematics, a Soros Fellow, and bound for a Ph. D. at MIT. Maxim, from St. Petersburg by way of Brooklyn, has won several prestigious essay contests and took an internship at the Federal Reserve. But did he give to the Senior Fund?
Tags: class of 2008, rankings
17 April 2008 @ 7:23 AM · 28 comments
I lost some matte green Ray-Ban sunglasses during the last night of Senior Week revelry outside EC. If anyone finds them, take pity because they were the only thing that fools people into thinking that I’m cool. One delicious burrito dinner reward for their safe return. Email sar2160@columbia.edu if you know anything.
Name: Emily Selinger, lost 5/10 somewhere at Senior Ball, gaslight, or 1020. ess2168@columbia.edu
Found in one of the couches in the Wallach Sky Lounge. Returned to Hartley Hospitality Desk.
Dark blue-green plaid Old Navy jacket and green scarf. Misplaced in EC on April 30. If found, please email abc2160@columbia.edu. Thank you!
PointMobl Black Retractable Micro USB AC Phone Charger. Lost it in Hartley lounge. E-mail: nnamdi.nwaezeapu@gmail.com
Lost a Black High Sierra backpack containing a white binder and a red pencil bag in Ferris Booth Dining Hall on Wednesday, April 25th, around 7:30 to 8pm. It was left on a chair in the second floor in a table around the middle of the room close to the staircase. If spotted someone taking it or found, please call immediately at 208-964-6780 or email rm2999@columbia.edu
Light blue, hardcover. Beginning Level. Lost last Tuesday in the Barnard 2nd floor women’s bathroom.
If found, please contact jac2295@columbia.edu
Lost a Blackberry Bold from Verizon Wireless at ADP on Saturday night. If found please email rsf2121@columbia.edu or call 601-994-3697. There will be a $$ reward!!
These were lost potentially on philosophy lawn on the evening of April 17th. The earrings are large silver flower cutouts and the mood ring is a blue band with small flowers inset. Both are old with a lot of sentimental value attached. Would greatly appreciate their return if found. Please contact on2139@columbia.edu/
646-496-3613, will reward with home baked goods and eternal gratitude.
Droid II Phone without any particular markings. Possibly left at the street fair or in Math. Contact cw2453.
Maxim is awesome. stylish, in his own dorky way. and super-smart and -articulate. used the word “verisimilitude” in our first Art Hum class.
Maxim v. Hawkmadinejad for Columbia supremacy.
Yes, Maxim. BUT WHAT COLOR IS THE LINE????!?
Uh….green?
No. FUSCIA!
//
Mrs. Martin. Only I may call her grandma.
I hope that was Macoeconomics from Fall 2006, but I know Chabs is keen on reusing jokes sometimes…
I’m really impressed with his background. This is one of those rare Columbia moments where I feel good about going to a school with people like this as my peers instead of feeling a twinge of jealousy at those more specialized than I am.
The Soros description said he won both the Lit Hum and CC best paper awards. I’ve always been curious how those are selected – does anyone know? I’d love to read his papers.
Prof reads your paper and suggests you enter the best paper competition.
PS Economics & Mathematics is not the same thing as Economics-Mathematics, Bwog.
Oops! Fixed.
Well, at least it’s not a Rabi scholar for once. Thank heavens!
He sounds really smart.
He is extremely smart and well-deserving. The only knock is that he sadly has absolutely no social skills.
that’s not the case at all! he’s a charming fellow and totally deserving of his success
That’s not true. Max is outgoing enough, you just have to run into him. I’ve had extensive conversations with Max and he is certainly the most broadly intelligent person I’ve met her, well-versed in both humanities and sciences.
As for best papers, your professor has to suggest you. He was in my Seidel section for Lit Hum, so that presumably carried a lot of weight. But he was also the one who consistently knew every answer in class, and expressed it in a brief, eloquent fashion.
But even more than all of that, he’s just a quiet, nice guy. Not sure how great his speech will be, but I have a feeling it will shock a lot of people who don’t think it will be good.
valedictorian doesn’t give the speech, the salutorian does
outgoing does not equal having social skills. I am sure that he is a nice enough guy if you are friends with him, and clearly he is brilliant. In my experience however, he seems awkwardly outgoing, which is worse than quietly awkward.
Maxim is extremely nice and helpful to everyone, not just his friends. I think you may be confusing his super politeness and his articulated way of speech with awkwardness.
Seems like a great choice. I like smart people.
who the saludictorian is?
No you. You can’t even spell the word.
either. You said “No you”.
Can #15…who is the salutatorian this year?
He is one of the nicest people I know. There really could not be a more deserving candidate.
On the humble-brilliant chart, he is the farthest northeast I have ever seen.
you are the first person I have ever heard describe the first quadrant as “northeast”. But it makes sense, I guess.
washington, dc has been doing it for awhile.
Maxim is the man – super brilliant and an awesome dude. Congrats man!
Maxim is simply on another level. In spite (or perhaps because) of his prodigious intellect, he’s articulate and personable. He’s quirky, but he’s also completely original, meaning his quirks are very much his own.
I’ve had a few discussions with him regarding his work and I would be surprised if he didn’t do something absolutely groundbreaking in the field of economics.
I don’t know, I slept with max freshman year and he was a real jerk the next morning. He told me to “just get my things and go.”
Congratulations Maxim!
Also, to people in the comments, stop being being bitter and picking on his social skills – would you comment on his awkwardness if you couldn’t do it anonymously? It’s not like this somehow devalues him as a person.
I know Maxim and think he’s extremely personable and kind. I’m just surprised anyone would have
bad things to say about him!