Caleb LoSchiavo

Now that classes are over and you can no longer glean enlightenment from your professors, Bwog has got you covered with your much-needed daily dose of wisdom. Here’s BC senior Caleb LoSchiavo’s senior wisdom to get you going. 

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Caleb LoSchiavo, “The College” (Barnard), Psychology major and Italian minor, hailing from Wyckoff, NJ

Claim to fame: You may know me as one of the prominent leaders of The Gay Agenda on campus. A hater once said to me in an email, “You might mean well and have good intentions but you are doing the opposite of you hope to achieve.” I’ve worked on overall education and awareness on campus as well as initiatives like gender neutral bathrooms on both sides of the street, trans inclusivity in mental health services, a preferred name option in SIS, and a trans-inclusive admissions policy at Barnard. So I think I’m doing exactly what I hope to achieve here.

Where are you going? Nowhere. No honestly, I’ll be here working on a show that was accepted to the Glicker-Milstein Summer Program. After that, I have no idea where I’ll be.

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2019?

1. If you want something to change at this school, I promise you’re not the only one who feels that way. Speak up. Find other students who share your drive and desires. A lot can happen if you join forces and get the right people to listen to you.

2. You cannot do everything. You should not try to do everything. Just because there’s an open board position in your favourite student group doesn’t mean you need to fill it. Just because a class can fit into your schedule doesn’t mean it should. Your plate doesn’t always need to be so fill that it’s overflowing. Doing too much will inevitably backfire, and people won’t resent you for knowing your limits and respecting them (if they do, they’re probably not worth your time).

3.The people who you can call family and who can make this place feel like home are out here. You might not find them right away—they might not be in your orientation group or on your first-year hall. I didn’t start to meet my people until October of my sophomore year. I’m still meeting more and more people. Your people might be in unexpected places, like a class you almost dropped or an event you almost didn’t go to. Don’t underestimate the power of chosen family.

“Back in my day…” People fought about their problems in person instead of fighting via op-eds (or maybe I just didn’t read Spec enough).

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: Trans lives matter.

What was your favorite class at Columbia? Professor Barolini’s class on Dante’s Divina Commedia! I was a sophomore in a class of mostly grad students, so a lot of it was over my head, but I loved it.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? I’m gay and lactose intolerant. Do the math.

One thing to do before graduating: Go to GenderFuck!

Any regrets? Being pre-med my first year and a half. Trying to do everything.