Name, school: AJ Pascua, CC

Claim to fame: CC 2010 Class President (sophomore and junior years) and author of the barely tolerated class email for two years.

Where are you going? Google (Mountain View, California)

Three things you learned at Columbia?

  1. If you live in Claremont and grocery shop at Westside, (shamelessly) use the shuttle service.
  2. A cup of six grapes and a few impossibly small cubes of cheese costs 4+ bucks at Lerner. Buy elsewhere.
  3. The Diana Center is the best place to study (natural light, wifi, cheap/good food, generally unpopulated).

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: I was interviewed by NPR when Ahmadinejad came to campus. Luckily, I was sober.

Any war stories from the War on Fun? Yes. Having forgotten my shampoo in my John Jay dorm room, I got out of the shower to get it. Along the way, I bumped into my fire-breathing RA who complained about the “nauseating top 40 music blaring from the bathroom.” I told her I would “find the idiot who brought his ipod speakers to the bathroom.” It was me, and I resisted her war on my fun.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? I’ve never really liked cheese, not even with crackers and wine…

Any advice for the Class of 2014?

  1. Push yourself to go outside of your comfort zone. I studied abroad in Beijing in 2008 and had the biggest culture shock of a lifetime. I ended up making some of my closest friends in college there while developing an interest in a culture and language I now love studying.
  2. When planning your class schedule for the approaching semester, ask your favorite professors for their input, especially the professors in the department of your prospective major. They know what their department has to offer (lectures, seminars, even other professors) and can help guide you along the way.
  3. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. This goes for your professors, administrators, and classmates. Often times people enjoy bringing out the best in others. All you have to do is ask. I have professors, administrators, and peers to thank for a lot of the opportunities I’ve found in college.

Any regrets? I once “fell asleep” in the Tom’s bathroom. I found out the next day over the phone. It was not my finest moment.