Name, school: Devora Aharon, CC

Claim to fame: Student Governing Board Chair, Hillel Executive Board

Where are you going? Most likely Mount Sinai Medical School, but I am trying to take the long way across the Atlantic and then Pacific to get there.

Three things you learned at Columbia:

  1. Go to Orgo Night and then Midnight Breakfast – I’ve spent many Thursday nights of Reading Week trying different ways to get the best of both. This way, you’ll skip the lines at Midnight Breakfast and there’ll still be a ton of food.
  2. The amount of sleep you “need” is really just a question of the amount of sleep you’ve trained yourself to get.
  3. Every successful event at Columbia involves free food. I think people have stopped even trying to program without free food. And every successful night at Columbia involves Koronets.

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: I gave out money to student groups with a cause – political, activist, religious/spiritual, and humanitarian. I was basically your sugar mama to make controversy.

Any war stories from the War on Fun? The usual, moving between three parties in Ruggles as each gets broken up and revives in cycles, fighting a good fight. More personal was trying to save Postcrypt Coffeehouse, the latest victim of the War on Fun, from ridiculous Security fees they faced just to run their event as they have, peacefully, for years. This was a very discouraging episode with Columbia Bureaucracy.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese It is hard to resist something with so much variety.

Any advice for the Class of 2014?

  1. Skip Cubmail and go straight to Gmail
  2. Do some “Columbia” stuff before you leave, even if it’s cheesy – Pillow Fight, Backyard BBQ, Varsity Show, Orgo Night, etc. These events are where you’ll find that bit of school spirit that really does exist here, and they’ll give you a warm feeling when you look back on your time at Columbia.
  3. Find something you’re passionate about to get involved in—there is so much to choose from here—and throw yourself into it. Take advantage of the opportunity to work with the diverse, talented people here. Some of my most memorable experiences and most interesting friendships at Columbia were formed through my participation in groups. These are likely to be the best four years of your life, so make the most of it!

Any regrets? Not having seen Varsity Show before senior year and not having played in the snow enough.