William Holt

The Senior Wisdoms just keep on coming. Sharing some insight from one of the Blue and White’s very own, Will Holt imparts his wisdom upon Columbia.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: William Holt, Columbia College, Political Science, Bridgewater, Massachusetts

Claim to fame: Unless you wrote for the Blue and White during the Wagner-Skelding years or currently work for the Columbia Bartending Agency, you probably have no idea who I am.

Where are you going? Back to New England. I’m hoping to get a foothold in the craft beer industry there, either starting out in a taproom or as a distributor. I’ll sweep floors for a living if it will get me in the door somewhere.

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

1. The Columbia Bartending Agency beats the hell out of any work-study job you could ever find on campus. Joining the agency as a freshman was quite possibly the best decision that I made in college, in part because of the window it gave me onto the incredible diversity of life in this city (albeit the limited kind of diversity one finds among people who can afford a bartending service).

2. Don’t be afraid to take some time off if you think you could use it. Last semester I took an internship at The Boston Globe and can say with some confidence that those six months away from Columbia were invaluable in terms of setting priorities and figuring out the kind of life I’d like to have after college. Seriously, you’re not going to miss anything by stepping away for a little while.

3. Bitterness won’t get you anywhere. I went through most of my time at Columbia with a chip on my shoulder, and I can’t say that ever helped me.

“Back in my day…” This was Mike Bloomberg’s city and we were all just living in it.

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: I once made a martini for Robert De Niro. He frowned approvingly.

What was your favorite class at Columbia? Twentieth-century African American Literature with Marcellus Blount

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? Toss out this question.

One thing to do before graduating: Find your place off campus, preferably someplace far, far away from Morningside Heights. For me that was a beer bar in Greenpoint (Torst), where I spent countless Friday afternoons over the last couple of years. Put some distance between yourself and school every once in a while, and make an effort to see as much of New York as you can manage during your time here.

Any regrets? I’m still very much haunted by regrets from middle school, so yes. I wish I had majored in English instead of political science. I wish I hadn’t held myself so aloof from people. I also wish I were taller.