Cesar Rodriguez

We bring you our next Senior Wisdom from one of our seniors graduating this winter: Cesar Rodriguez.

Name, School, Major: Cesar Rodriguez, Columbia College 2015, Biology and History

Claim to fame: I think I pretty much succeeded in infecting most of my friends here at school with what they like to call, “Cesar lingo.” Many of them have permanently added such wonderful words such as “realtalktho” or “that’s a force” or the classic “sauced!” to their everyday vocabulary. Not only that, but I do see that sometimes they tweet with the hashtag #realtalk and I, of course, take full responsibility. I would have to say, then, that my claim to fame over the past four years would have to be the linguistic interplay between the slang of Framingham, MA and the halls and dormitories of Columbia. Also, maybe being named in a New York Times article about Model U.N….

Where are you going? “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door,” he used to say. “You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there is no telling where you might be swept off to.”

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2018?

1. “No one gives it to you. You have to take it.”-Frank Costello in The Departed.
2. Learn to motivate yourself and fend for yourself, because no one here will help you do anything unless you learn to be pro-active and search for answers.
3. “All we have to decide is what to do, with the time that is given to us.”-Gandalf; No one is going to tell you how to budget your time or what to do with it, the onus is on you to plan everything out or pay the price for not doing so.

“Back in my day…” We used the older, less cool looking Courseworks, we arrived on campus right when the Dean of the College resigned, and a hurricane ruined our Convocation. Also, JJs place did not look like it looks now!

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: My collector’s edition Luke Skywalker lightsaber that is mounted on my bookshelf back home; it has a metal hilt and the hum is very accurate.

Write your most memorable note from the field: During Hurricane Sandy my sophomore year, my roommate and I, who were shafted in McBain, spent the whole time huddled around our small T.V. watching all of Louis C.K’s stand-up specials on Netflix and then most of his show Louis, along with many Budweisers to keep us company.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? Despite my recent love of manchego cheese (I always thought that name was a joke!), I would say cheese because at least oral sex doesn’t have really weird sounding pseudonyms…or maybe it does…

One thing to do before graduating: I really want to go to a Columbia baseball game! Being a huge baseball fan I can’t believe I haven’t done it yet. But time is running out and I will make it my mission to go in the Spring.

Any regrets? Too much “Model” U.N. and not enough actual living.