Herding sheeple or just making funny faces at them?

Read another senior wisdom to learn how to be wise! Rachel Ford shares a few things.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Rachel Ford, Barnard, MESAAS, Cumberland, RI

Claim to fame: Former Personnel Manager of CUMB who herded sheeple I love. Former McAC chair who planned Barnard traditions. Left a freshman who joined a band trip under false pretenses behind in Ithaca, NY in November 2015. Will not shut up about my study abroad experience or the plight of the Palestinian people. Have attended all women academic institutions my entire life. Angry feminist.

Where are you going? I’ll be staying in the city and trying to make ends meet while I keep looking for a job (any leads appreciated lol).

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2021?

1) Freshman year (and honestly all the subsequent years) here is hard. You might have to actively build your network of support and community here, and sometimes it sucks and it’s hard and it’s uncomfortable. But you are not alone. Everyone is nervous and trying to figure it out, even if it feels like you’re the only one who doesn’t have a 10 year plan.

2) Be open to changing your mind. Don’t accept things at face value, but instead try to challenge the preconceived notions you have about your community, your society, and yourself, and how that fits into the rest of the world. Telling yourself you’re a progressive person doesn’t count.

3) Study abroad (if you are able to)!!! Please do it. Leaving Columbia for a semester is not a disaster and was truly the best thing I could have done for myself. Going somewhere outside of Europe can also be a good choice.

“Back in my day…” I thought I wanted to be an Econ major and work in finance, Bacchanal was the best day of the year, and Orgo Night was in Butler 209 where it belongs!!

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: I went to the West Bank and saw things that would challenge all the inane arguments about the offensive nature of divestment from Israel. Also Stephen Colbert high-fived me once.

What was your favorite class at Columbia? Rethinking Middle Eastern Politics with Professor Timothy Mitchell (feat. TA to the stars Henny Ziai) changed my life. The name of the course kind of speaks for itself, but it made me challenge assumptions about the Middle East that have become essential in American foreign policy discourse. If you aren’t able to take it, read anything he’s ever written for a similar experience.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? While I have yet to receive spectacular oral sex (*sad*reacts*only*), I have deeply enjoyed every quesadilla I’ve ever eaten (except the one from the deli across the street from Kraft @ Wien @ Baker, which mysteriously contains no cheese).

One thing to do before graduating: Go to every borough. Although I have probably spent 10 minutes total on Staten Island (it’s all about getting right back on that ferry), I’ve seen so much of the city by making an effort to leave Manhattan.

Any regrets? Not joining more clubs and not talking to more people freshman year. Also, just generally not going to office hours more often. What I do not regret is time I’ve spent with people I care about rather than always finishing my reading on time.

Photo via Rachel Ford