Sylvie Krekow

Sylvie Krekow

Another member of the Bwog/Blue & White (note the ampersand) family: Sylvie Krekow, rower and sweatpants-clad managing editor of the Blue & White.  Congrats on graduating today!

Name, Hometown, School: Sylvie Krekow, Sun Valley, Idaho, BC

Claim to fame: Former managing editor of The Blue & White (pro-ampersand contingent), rower, fratstar. If we’ve had class together, you probably know me as “that sweatpants girl.”

Where are you going? You know, I never liked that Dave Matthews song, and now it’s stuck in my head.

Three things you learned at Columbia:

  • It’s okay to tell your professors if you’re having a hard time in life and it’s adversely affecting your schoolwork. If you’re honest and upfront with them, most of them will be incredibly kind, understanding, and helpful. And, if they’re not, you can talk to your class dean — or at least write a heinous review of them when it’s time for class evals.
  • You can pre-order Chipotle online, and when it’s time to pick it up, you can hop in front of all those poor saps waiting for their carnitas and guac and grab your perfectly-wrapped ‘rrito. I learned this trick junior year, and I value it more than anything I ever learned in “Confessions” (yes, Barnard girls read Augustine too).
  • In class, listen. Just listen. I wish I had learned this earlier, because I was probably the most annoying, loud-mouth, hand-raised-constantly freshman ever, but at least I got it eventually (apologies to everyone who put up with me while I definitely did not get it). Your professors are incredibly knowledgeable, and you’ll have lots of time to express your own thoughts in papers or office hours or with your friends over a growler at Mel’s, but you only have so much time in the classroom. Use it wisely.
  • Okay, sorry, I know this is four, and at this point, with the Chipotle thing, I’m treading dangerously thin “dumb athlete” ice (ugh) but: there is a “simple English” language on Wikipedia. If you haven’t cracked open a science book since high school and you desperately need to understand something like spacetime to pass your science requirement, you’re welcome.

Back in my day…Anna ruled the Heights, there was no “shuttle system” to Baker, and the Jay was gloriously, blissfully open on Saturday mornings.

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: I’m good at carrying heavy things, summarizing novels, and making breakfast. And if you need me to do one of those things for you, I probably will!

Write a CU Admirers post to anyone or anything at Columbia: @myhomies, you know who you are: I love you. You are the reason I have cherished this place so much. You surprise me every day with your wit, your drive, your creativity, and your kindness. I can only hope I’ve returned the favor. Also, thanks for sharing your Hulu Plus and HBO Go accounts with me.

@dianawhitepizza: damn, girl.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? There are acceptable substitutions for oral sex, but the same can’t be said for cheese (nope, don’t get me started on “soy cheese”).

One thing to do before graduating: Go over to a professor’s house/apartment/brownstone for a chat and a snack! I mean, don’t just show up like a creepy stalker, get to know them and then wait for an invitation like a polite human being. But if you get the chance, take it — it’ll remind you that your teachers are real people, too, which is always a good thing. Also, take a class with any of the following people: Kassanoff, Gordis, Prettyman, Gordon, Basker. They will blow your mind *and* make you lol.

Any regrets? One time, this girl in ADP brought home a horseshoe crab shell from the beach (?). It was huge and terrifying, and my friend Kate and I named it Lorraine. We thought it would be the funniest thing ever if we stuck her in the corner of a John Jay elevator to freak people out, and it totally would have been. Whatever.