Hold fast to the spirit of youth!

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Sahmaya; CC; Political Science & Drama and Theatre Arts; Charleston, SC.

Claim to fame: 2024 Bwog EIC, Political Science and Theatre major blueprint, Barnard Theatre thesis director, and calmest theatre kid. 

Where are you going? Places. 

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

I’ve learned so much, but I’d like to leave these inklings of wisdom: 

• You probably won’t stick with your NSOP friend group forever. It can happen, but it’s rare. I encourage you not to look for a group consciously but rather stick with the people with whom you can do anything, text about anything, and mutually support. Join student organizations and make friends, meet and work with people within your majors, and be accepting of the seemingly random and incidental friendships. Some of the best friendships I’ve made here were due to being in the same student organization, in the same LitHum section, and becoming a random roommate, respectively. I’ve made other friends just by sitting at their table in a lounge or being introduced through another person. You never know who your next friend might be. TL;DR: don’t be jaded. Make friends. 
• Use your first year to really explore potential majors (especially if you’re not pre-med). The Core can be heavy if you’re a CC student, but take some time to look over major requirements and determine what your four years will look like. Do the same if you think studying abroad is in your future. 
• Breathe. Some college days are so bad, you feel like wallowing in the misery and reflecting the gloom of a cloudy NYC day. Don’t do this; don’t be this. You’re going to be busy, but plan for some non-negotiable contentment time, whether it’s reading for pleasure, watching a YouTube video essay, or watching a movie. These moments will sustain you when it gets hard, but you have to make time for and stick to them. 

“Back in my day…” You could graduate with a concentration. Cheers to my classmates doing so this year. You’re the last concentrators standing! Also, shoutout to the mandatory-masks-and-only-three-dining-halls-take-your-pick era. It was so necessary but also so… character-building. 

Favorite Columbia lore? Girl. 

What was your favorite class at Columbia? Nazi in Performance, taught by Professor Hana Worthen, and War Narratives: The Arab World taught by Professor Al-Musawi. Both classes were so enlightening and relevant, and I’ve met some brilliant classmates in those courses. Also, Theatre majors know this, but any class taught by Professor Shayoni Mitra is excellent. 

Whom would you like to thank? Is this where I start crying? To start, my family—with special thanks to my parents, sisters, niece, and grandmother. I love you all so much, and I couldn’t have done it without you. I’d also like to thank all of my professors (with special thanks to my theatre professors). Lastly, a big thank you to my friends Paulina, Morgan, Jordan, Kai, Dianney, and everyone else who supported me during my time here. 

One thing to do before graduating? Use all of the arts passes you can! Enjoy the Riverside Park swings! Do a neighborhood dessert crawl! Go see a live SNL dress rehearsal or taping! Hold fast to the spirit of youth! 

Any regrets? No.

Sahmaya via Chancey Stefanos