59 Comments
Name, School: Josh Mathew, CC
Claim to fame: Editor in Chief of the Journal of Politics & Society; former Middle East affairs correspondent for the Bwog; RA; Double Discovery Center; leading conspirator in the anti-hunger strike; local jackass.
Post-grad plans: Lounging on the always classy Jersey shore for the summer and then returning to a consulting firm’s office in Dubai/Riyadh.
What are three things you learned at Columbia?
1. There is no “return to roots.”
2. If you’re ever trying to push through a crowd to ask Al Gore to write for your journal, it’s not a good idea to shout out “Mr. Clinton.” It’s also not a good idea, when people then stare at you, to swear loudly.
3. “With so many dissonances in my life I have learned actually to prefer being not quite right and out of place.”
Justify your existence in 30 words or less.
Bet I can make you smile when the blood, it hits the floor. Tell me, friend, can you ask for anything more?
Favorite study spot?
I crave natural light, and Columbia’s dorms have sought to deprive me of it repeatedly. We might all be happier if we had bigger windows. I used to love the business school’s library for its open spaces and plentiful windows, that is, until the b-school’s xenophobia drove it to close off the study rooms and segregate the wireless network. Whatever, I didn’t want their misogynist banter and perpetual dark jeans with black dress shoes anyway.
What was your favorite controversy in your time at Columbia?
Definitely the hunger strike. My parents and I got a kick out of it when I heard that a strike organizer had referred to me as a Bobby Jindal. I’m tempted to digress, but I don’t think this is the appropriate place to discuss my reasons for opposing the strike.
Also, I really appreciated working with the Pro-NROTC Committee. I realized the extent of the civil-military gap (not necessarily anti-military sentiment) on campus. I also got to know some of the really great ROTC cadets at Columbia.
Any battle wounds/war stories from the War on Fun?
I was an RA so I guess that makes me a belligerent?
Would you rather permanently give up oral sex or cheese?
I believe that I have a minor case of lactose intolerance.
What do you wish you could tell the Class of 2013 before they come here?
1. Your being at Columbia suggests that you have something pretty remarkable between your ears. Share that gift with the less fortunate as soon as possible – there are countless volunteer tutoring programs here. “If you do, your life will be richer, and our country will be stronger.”
2. I think a lot of people, myself included, waste a lot of time trying to find a niche, clique, or at least a group that resembles the Sweathogs. Appreciate Columbia’s diversity because you’ll probably never have something like it again. Try to jump amongst circles and see what they have to teach you.
3. Anonymous commenting is dangerous to your health, as there is not a clean divide between our real and online selves. To those ready to pounce and call me a tool below, know that the act pollutes your mind and soul. Also, this.
Regrets? None. Just thankfulness.
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59 Comments
@lol at 58 so true!!!
@I am in love with josh! Legitimately one of the nicest people on campus.
He even gave me a banana in butler once.
What a sweetheart.
Love you, Josh!
And my love will go on and on!
@Anonymous If only you knew that Josh gives bananas to all the women with which he wishes to have intercourse. The banana is therefore a phallic gesture meant to preview his subsequently flashing you next time you’re alone with him.
@wasn't josh an RA in McBain last year???
@I have... …defeated this man in battle during the War on Fun. He attempted to write up me and my Ruggles 3 suitemates last year for an awesome Halloween party, and thought he would teach us a lesson by writing a condescending account of our drunken revelry, even going so far as to describe our costumes. Little did he know that the lady that would dole out our punishment, if she saw fit, was a huge Star Wars fan and really just wanted to find out which one of us was Obi-Wan Kenobi. We got off with hardly a warning.
@sheeeeeeeeeeeeeet josh mathew rocks….best gchatting buddy ever
– arab money [wa wa waaaaaaaaaaaa]
@Jan-Michael Dear Josh,
Stop trying to save money by buying undersized pants.
Yours,
JM
@umm josh mathew has had sex with everyone i know. horny man.
@Sumaiya I love this man and shall miss him dearly.
@you have not lived until you have seen josh mathew in a beater. or better yet shirtless.
@actually if you combine comments 24 and 25 above, that’s about right. I know him and he’s a pretty great guy, but attention-grabbing is josh to a T.
@like it I enjoyed this. Definitely not a tool — he seems right on.
And yea– ahmidijad, rotc, the hunger strike, and the noose incident are the biggest things that have happened on campus over the past four years. (McCain/Obama coming to campus was hyped up, but not that interesting.)
@Anonymous …Or god forbid, an athlete. There are only 800 on campus.
@silly commenter athletes can’t read and write!
@the reasons why all of these senior wisdoms seem to be so homogenous are because 1 – they’re the few on bwog’s popularity radar and/or 2 – they were former writers for bwog.
bwog – do some research and find more diverse, interesting people
@josh = the man definitely a quality guy – those who posted hate for him obviously don’t know him.
i’ll miss ya, but the world needs people like you
@I want More artists!
@Bobby Jindal?? Wow… that’s fucked up. Clearly he has more of a Gandhi-look going…
@jlam What a tool.
…I’m eating your red velvet cake baked using diet coke right now.
@Amy Thanks for everything! i’ll be sure to give you 14 hrs notice for the next jps party.
here’s to more gchatting…and red velvet cake.
@Wors The picks have been kinda homogeneous!
@Lauren Josh, you’re seriously one of the greatest people at this school. You and your red velvet cake will be sorely missed. Also, please bring hookah bubbles to Dubai.
@what about some GS wisdom?
@well being old doesn’t make you wise.
@dear bwog, i love the senior wisdoms, really i do, but can you please ask sam packard to write one? it would be oh so much fun. and he was never an ra, and i feel like diversity would be good for this series.
thanks.
@i love josh this guy is the best. and he gives great hugs.
@... YOU NEED TO DO DISCOE
@EAL Josh, you are the mayor of Awesometown.
@josh mathew tell me sir, how did you get so ripped?
@justification for existence entirely warranted. josh is one of the funniest people i’ve met at columbia. and one of the most principled, since he’s not afraid to take unpopular stances on sensitive issues.
@bobby jindal you could not have been more wrong about the hunger strike, but you’re a good guy and your heart is in the right place.
@josh mathew is a huge douchebag. half of these comments are probably his, knowing how starved he is for fame and attention.
@Annie If you haven’t gotten to know Josh yet (shame on you!), you should quickly find and befriend him. My days are usually better after having run into Josh. I also concur with everything Jacob said above.
@cc09 definitely one of the smartest guys i met on campus. very witty. and a lot of fun.
good luck with everything josh.
@lol jtmizzle!!!
@ugh so fucking annoying.
@seriously Bwog? You have like, 8 CC or SEAS students and 1 Barnard student? Come on now… I know you don’t hate Barnard that much.
@bc student Forget CC/Seas vs. Barnard, these Senior Wisdoms are overwhelmingly male in general…I don’t care whether you have more Barnard but have more girls in general!
@the barnard issue and it should stay at this ratio…8cc/seas to 1 barnard
@haha #3 to the Class of 2013…
well done Josh, well done.
@what a douchebag.
@this uy this guy is a fag… a cigarette i mean, not a flaming homo
@hmm you know, i don’t even remember the hunger strike. were all these senior wisdom people really affected by it?
@josh You are the best! But, you forgot to mention your love for free food (especially donuts)!
(guess who)
@josh is quality!
@anonymous why is going to work in consulting if he so highly values giving back knowledge?
@hahaha do you even realize what consultants do????
@... yes.
they celebrate michael bolton’s entire catalog.
that is when they’re not using their advanced training in philosophy and greek literature to assist companies in streamlining their hr practices or adding to sarbanes-oxley driven make-work.
@Anonymous Hey now, there’s no Sarbanes-Oxley compliance requirement in the Middle East, and Josh’s firm does a lot of government and education advising.
More to the point, Josh is a gentleman, a scholar, and a fine judge of wine and women. He also makes a legendary red velvet cake.
@cupcake mmm i have to disagree with josh’s taste in women =p
@LOL LOL
@josh fan yay josh! nice guy with good sense of humor. wish you all the best.
@colin drummond is awesome. why haven’t we seen a senior wisdom on him this year?
@because He was a campus character.
@wtf why does anyone pretend to care about the hunger strike?? I thought we had all agreed that it was dumb. can we get someone reasonable, please?
@read carefully He was one of the organizers of the anti-hunger strike, not someone pretending to care about it.
@cupcake joshy matthewsq!!! MMMMM WHATCHYA SAAAY
@cccc seems like a cool guy
@yess i freaking love that springsteen song. clearly a good man