Who hasn’t thought about swimming in the penis fountain?

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Maya Corral, Barnard College, American Studies & French, Eugene, OR 

Claim to fame: Consistently yelling about abortion around campus; minor Barnard admissions celebrity.

Where are you going? I’m hitting the road! My best friend and I are doing a west coast road trip and then coming back to NYC and finding a job/apartment. 

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

  1. Do as little as you can: I did way too fucking much and I wish I had done less. Enjoy spending time with friends and living in an awesome city and doing things you care about. Learn from my mistakes and don’t do a double major in two subjects that are inherently somewhat incompatible. 
  2. This school doesn’t give a fuck about you (self-explanatory). 
  3. Mama’s Too is WAY better than Koronet’s. 

“Back in my day…” there was yerba mate in Diana !!! 

Favorite Columbia controversy? Pro-lifers blocking the abortion illumination and subsequently getting a ton more signatures for Reproductive Justice Collective’s petition (a shameless plug).

What was your favorite class at Columbia? Love love loved Queer Caribbean Critique with Maja Horn — Prof. Horn is a seriously great professor and legitimately every single reading/discussion in this class was awesome. I also think everyone should take a Barnard Creative Writing class. 

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? My friend said, “cheese, even though you always eat cheese and never get oral sex.” So, I guess, cheese? 

Whom would you like to thank? I’d like to thank my parents <3, everyone who lives in apt. 34 (including Olivia and Jenna), the 9-year-old I babysit on the UES who makes me coffee every time I go, and my repro fam. 

One thing to do before graduating: I just want to swim in the penis fountains once before I graduate. I love to swim. 

Any regrets? Many, many regrets. Taking Econ freshman year. Not getting to study abroad. Definitely mostly just not prioritizing myself enough. We’re moving forward though, babes!! 

Portrait via Maya