In Audrey’s SW, there are three class recommendations and perhaps a new woman-behind-the-Millie…

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Audrey Pettit, Barnard College, English, Missoula, Montana

Claim to fame: The loud blonde girl who’s always on Barnard’s campus; the bunhead walking around in a leotard and tights in the middle of the day; the 8th President of Barnard College.

Where are you going? Lyon, France on Fulbright! I’m going to teach high schoolers English and they are absolutely going to bully me.

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2026?

1. Study in the Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary! It has the focused, classical vibes of Butler without all the stress culture. Plus you can always find a seat 
2. Take a dance class—ballet, modern, jazz, hip hop; the possibilities are endless! They’re a solid GPA boost and so much fun—plus they’re accessible to all levels. 
3. If you’re looking for alone time or some grounding energy, check out the garden next to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine on weekends. There are peacocks!  

“Back in my day…” You could get an iced coffee from Liz’s Place for a meal swipe. Barnard students had to PAY for laundry. SGA reps were unpaid. The 116th subway station said “Columbia University” on both sides. Diana had smoothies at late night D: 

Favorite Columbia controversy? That time a Barnard first-year lost their Mario Badescu face wash in the communal showers, plastered the walls of the quad with flyers, and then proceeded to knock on every door in their vicinity and demand to look into their shower caddies.

That, tied with President Beilock’s secretly super misogynistic husband—but you didn’t hear it from me. 

What was your favorite class at Columbia? 

• Elementary French I with Hadley Suter! Who doesn’t love a class where everyone speaks like toddlers who just learned the words for cat and flower? 
• Senior Seminar: Write to Vote with Jennie Kassanoff, because you get to learn about the origins of voter fraud and the sexualization of the ballot (you read that right!) and why literary thinking is essential to understanding our political landscape.
• Intro to Philosophy with Kyle Driggers because now when people talk about Descartes and Sartre and Lacan I can at least convincingly pretend to know what they’re talking about.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? Let’s just say there are cheese substitutes, and some things cannot be replaced.

Whom would you like to thank? Liz’s Place double chocolate muffins, the outdoor seating outside of Milbank (so peaceful), Barnard tunnels, the long tables on Millie 3, Riverside Park. And of course, all the friends who have become my family + all the folks in the Barnard English and French departments. <3 

One thing to do before graduating: Try on the Millie the Bear suit and freak out all my friends! ;) 

Any regrets? Never went to Homecoming. Just kidding, I’m very comfortable with that decision.

Photo of Audrey via herself