So why are Butler’s doors so windy?

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Lewis Lee, Columbia College, Ancient History, Charleston, SC

Claim to fame: Probably my biggest claim to fame is developing a bit of a fan following for writing Badminton Club’s emails during my three-year term as secretary. In fall 2022, our president asked me to make our emails more “unhinged” and since they have never been the same. Highlights include: conspiracy theories on why Butler’s doors are so windy, a review on Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films, and a totally legit, not-falsified-for-comedy history of badminton (created by Joseph B. Adminton in 3027
BCE).

Where are you going? That’s for me to not know and you to, uh, not find out? I’m staying in the city, working on my book, and looking for a job, so if anyone has one of those, pls send thank you

What are three things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of
2029?

1. Get Involved! I spent most of my freshman year lonely, depressed, and just kind of lost and I know damn well that there are a lot of other people just like that out there right now. What ultimately changed for me was making the choice to go to a club and commit to it. It started with Badminton Club, but it grew to so many other organizations, including some that literally led me to a corporate board of directors for a time. Clubs are the community and culture that defines Columbia, and it would be a mistake to not get involved in clubs for your interests.
2. Put yourself out there! If you’re like me, you probably hate hearing this advice literally all the time. It’s so unnecessarily vague. But, honestly, I’ve learned that there is something to it after four years here. I am the definition of an awkward loner, but I still managed to make friends and have a strong relationship with my partner. It all came down to the choice to actually talk to people and go to events, even if it takes a couple tries to get right.
3. Don’t take life too seriously! Early adulthood is stressful and trying to be perfect will eventually drive you crazy. The “work hard, play hard” mentality can carry you for a while, but you’ll still wind up stressed as hell when push comes to shove. I’m not saying to slack off or take the easy way through your classes, but part of self-care means to live a life that you enjoy living. Not just one that you have to live because it’s expected of you. Do things you love doing, make the friends you want to have, and try to enjoy your time here while you can.

“Back in my day…” We didn’t know who noted-campus-personality Chef Mike was. When I first arrived, it was just John Jay, Ferris, and JJ’s. Statistically, we have gained 1.5 dining areas every year I have attended. You’re welcome, freshies <3. Oh also, since we were coming off of the pandemic, late-night JJ’s didn’t exist and 24-hour dining options were just a thing Columbia put on their websites, not reality.

Favorite Columbia lore? Columbia is big. Like, really big. Campus may be small, but Columbia is actually the second largest landowner in NYC after the Catholic Church, the library system is one of the largest in the world with over 15 million volumes, and we have not one, but two different national historic landmarks just on our main campus (Low Library because of its architectural history and Pupin because of its connection with nuclear history).

What was your favorite class at Columbia? It has to be Ancient Greek History with Richard Billows. As someone who studies ancient history, I really should have taken it before my senior year, but so it goes. Billows is the only professor that will: teach you the fun and the informative stuff about the past, recommend you underground British rock bands from the 70s, complain about dumb celebrity names, and make fun of Elon Musk all in the span of an hour and 15 minutes. The man is a genius. This is also the class that pretty much convinced me that I made the right call when it came to my focus academically. Ancient history was more of a passion than anything, but I’ll be damned if I wasn’t happy about it taking this class.

Aside from that, I also greatly enjoyed taking Filipino as my language class since it really helped me connect with the other side of my family. I also really enjoyed all of my creative writing classes with Molly McGhee and I honestly enjoyed LitHum with Jeffrey Wayno. Also, Human Evolution with Jill Schapiro is a treat of a class that I recommend to anyone. There’s honestly a ton of great classes at this school, and I wish I could have taken more of them in the limited time that I had.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? Can cheese give it to you sloppy style on a crisp November morning? I thought not. Goodbye cheese, you will be dearly missed. Just not as missed as oral sex would be.

Whom would you like to thank? There’s so many people honestly, many of whom have already graduated. First and foremost, I have to thank my friends and comrades in the Badminton Club, especially those that I have known for years. Tina (my first friend at Columbia), Brian, Bo, Rosie, Eva, and so many others, y’all are an indelible part of my Columbia journey.

Next, I have to thank everyone I have met because of the Columbia University Science Fiction Society (a super sexy club that everyone should join btw). Aron, Jamie, Embyr, Will, and Atri, y’all are the best and helped make CUSFS into something I looked forward to every week. Talon, Ben, and Alex, y’all are going to do great things too, I am certain of it. I also want to thank Genovee Dominguez for being an excellent supervisor and letter of recommendation writer.

I also have to thank everyone I met through RHLO/NRHH. Xiyan, Neev, Zoran, Mike, Nicole, you guys are amazing and I can’t thank you enough for the impact you have had on me.

Finally, I also want to thank the staff and other friends who made my academic career possible. Jeffrey Wayno, Molly McGhee, Adam Kosto (my excellent Thesis advisor), and Guro Bing, you have all changed my life. I also want to thank the lovely Em Hatcher, Sasha, Adi, Edward, and Gi for being my closest friends over the past two years.

One thing to do before graduating? Take advantage of the Columbia museum passport! There are so, so, so many museums I want to check out before I lose that privilege. The Cloisters is next on my list, but
honestly, borderline unlimited access to the Met and the MoMa is a fantastic way to
spend an entire weekend. Museums may not be for everyone, but I promise, there is something for everyone.

Any regrets? I really wish I talked to my professors more often. I had a tendency to treat office hours
as something you only go to if you desperately need help, but really, they are an
opportunity to develop and rapport with some of the best minds in academia.

Lewis via Lewis