Katherina Barguil

As finals approach, we’re rolling out even more senior wisdoms. Today, we bring you wisdom from SEAS student Katherina Barguil.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Katherina Barguil; SEAS; Civil Engineering (Water Resources); Cartagena, Colombia

Claim to fame: Once smuggled 40 bananas out of John Jay at a single dinner; I am also the person who caused the burn mark on the table in Hartley 8C (it was the first birthday for a friend I celebrated here); the big one though is probably being known as the RA of Wallach 9, the floor with the piano (among other pieces of random furniture/art/stuff throughout my time here.)

Where are you going? I’m off to Panama as a Peace Corps volunteer in the environmental and water resources engineering sector for the next couple of years, and perhaps I’ll be traveling further south after that. All I know is I’m leaving New York for a while, but I hope to be back before the end of the decade. :)

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

1. Read, write, and cultivate your creative side. There were moments that I told myself I was too busy to read or write (I speak only as an engineering major), and that I didn’t have time for things outside of my classes…I was wrong. Read books along with your friends, write what you feel and/or what you’ve done, even if just a few lines a day, and build up your canon of thought. I’ve slowly put together my own library of classics: books and articles and poems that have shaped my experience here. I have also included books of my own cultural patrimony, reading and studying them myself the same way I would a book from the core. Explore that part of yourself, away from the problem sets, and if writing is not your thing, do whatever is, but do not let your creative spark be stifled, and cultivate it along with every part of yourself while you’re here. I also encourage you to learn to build something, to use your hands and bring a physical project to completion. Enrich your academic life by exploring what you’re not so good at, or have never had the opportunity to try. The larger point I’m trying to make is really to just not get (too) caught up in the mundane, and to remember that while we are all students in pursuit of that next goal, pay attention to the periphery and be not afraid of veering a bit off the path.

2. Columbia was for me, a difficult place to be at times, and it will be for some of you as well. Accept that disillusionment, anger, and anxiety may sometimes come, and do not be afraid to step away. I realized too late at times that I was allowed to be overwhelmed, and that I could take a step back and learn to breathe again, regardless if it pissed people off. Do not be afraid of your vulnerability, or of your fragility, because acknowledging that part of yourself makes you strong. What I’ve done/do to find myself again during hard times took time to learn as well, and so I encourage you to find that place – on campus, in the city, or in your head – where you feel comfortable enough to look into yourself and mend your broken pieces.

3. Appreciate the staff and people that are part of your daily existence here on campus. While you might get looks throughout the city for approaching and/or greeting a stranger, take the time to learn about the public safety officers at the entrance to your residence hall, to the person swiping your card at the dining hall, to the person cleaning your living space. On some days it is they who remind me about the power of a smile, of a “how are you doing” that isn’t asked as a passing formality. Billy, and Murray, and Larry have known me since Day 1, and they are bearers of wisdom, kind words, and happiness. Remember them in turn, and be of service when you can. Don’t ignore the person cleaning your bathroom, taking out your trash. They are integral, necessary members of Columbia, and they are the people who make your comfort here possible.

“Back in my day…” We had a library in Mudd; musty and bland, but ever so comfortable, it was one of my favorite places on campus. Also, there was somewhere to actually sit down and eat in Mudd. But don’t worry Class of 2019, you’ll have that come next semester (probably not the library though). Also, the amazing Elisabeth T. staffed the Hospitality Desk and sympathized with our poor locked-out souls.

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: 2 AM campus walks with my best friend, Wallach 9, and manhole covers.

What was your favorite class at Columbia? Translating Hispaniola: Being able to talk about the Dominican Republic and Haiti in the context of the Caribbean, and just being able to talk about dictatorship, diaspora, and collective national trauma has been absolutely incredible. Professors Horn and Glover are so engaging, and superstars in provoking discussions and incorporating guest lecturers that have kind of blown my mind. Engineering for Developing Communities is a close second; there was an unfortunate situation in which one of my team members met us drunk the day before our project was due… Overall, I’ve realized that my engineering degree means so much more by having actively developed social awareness and context in other classes, and by trying to understand my place in the world through an interdisciplinary lens.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? Yes

One thing to do before graduating: I’d like to get every person I love here on campus in the same place at the same time and make them all empanadas.

Any regrets? There are a few, so I’ll just list them off as quickly as possible: pulling so many all-nighters and forgetting to appreciate actual learning at times; not taking more classes having nothing to do with my major; not letting go of friendships/relationships that had run their course sooner and vice versa not investing enough time and energy into those relationships that became/are so meaningful to me; not having more dinner with friends at the dining halls; and not achieving my Columbia-long dream of becoming a yo-yo master.