Our series continues with SGA President Sarah Besnoff.


Name, School
: Sarah Besnoff, Barnard College

Claim to fame: Student Government Association President, Columbia Urban Experience Coordinator, Peace by PEACE volunteer

Post-grad plans: Eventually: law school, local politics in Philly; Now: Looking for a job in New York and moving into an apartment with my CUE Co-Coordinator Stephanie Davidson

What are three things you learned at Columbia?

1) Developing “good time-management skills” really means learning to function on less sleep.

2) The kindergarten friend-making tactic (e.g. “hi, we both like troll dolls; will you be my friend?”) is also how it’s done in college/the real world. Now it’s just called “networking.”

3) The Barnard-Columbia relationship is confusing because Barnard students think we’re part of CU and the Board of Trustees thinks we’re partners with CU…And both are right.

Justify your existence in 30 words or less. If I meet you once, I will continue to smile and say hi if we pass each other on campus.

Favorite study spot? Really love Lewis Parlour. Comfy couches, free coffee.

What was your favorite controversy in your time at Columbia? The fear/anticipation of whether or not we’ll name our student center “The Vag” was definitely the highlight of the past year. It was totally the donors’ right to name it “The Diana,” but I’m bummed that we won’t have a late-night eatery called Va-JJ’s.

Any battle wounds/war stories from the War on Fun? Not really. Although, every month, having to watch cases of beer be poured out after Lerner Pub wounded my emotional stability.

Would you rather permanently give up oral sex or cheese?

As a peanut-allergic vegetarian, I pretty much only eat cheese.

What do you wish you could tell the Class of 2013 before they come here? Do Columbia Urban Experience. In case you can’t, here’s what four years of CUE taught me: You have time in college to do community service every week. Take “Women and Leadership.” Go to the Nuyorican Poets Café. Don’t ever try to student-rush Wicked. Karaoke is always more fun and never as awkward as you think it’ll be. Hewitt has the better food. Discussing Harry Potter consistently gets conversations started between nervous first-years. The best public restrooms in Midtown are at the Marriott on 46th. And if you take that elevator to the top floor without stopping, it feels like a rocket ship.

Regrets? Probably should have gotten a fake ID. Never went to Hangama or Holi. Overall, though, I’ve loved every moment of being at Barnard.