Before Joanna heads off to virtual Michigan, she would like to implore you to prioritize people, including yourself!

Name, School, Major, Hometown:
Joanna Cohen, CC, Physics, NYC

Claim to fame: 
Dems Prez, Greenborough RA, “wait you’re a physics major?” 

Where are you going?
Planning to go to virtual Michigan to do campaign work! But irl not leaving my house for the foreseeable future.

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2024?

  1. Prioritize people. You’ll never regret spending time with people you care about, or making plans with that person you always thought you might get along with. Columbia doesn’t always do a lot to foster those connections, but you can choose to.
  2. Challenge yourself to do things that you don’t expect from yourself. College is a great time to try out different versions of yourself. Don’t feel like everything you do needs to fit into some greater plan for your life.
  3. Be kind to yourself. It’s ok to take time for yourself and to not always be one hundred percent on your game. Slow down and take a break when you need to, and reach out when you need help.
  4. (bonus!) Ferris is better than John Jay. There I said it.

“Back in my day…”
John Jay Jays was the hot spot for late night snacks, Ham Del was open 24/7, Carman had cinderblock walls and always-broken ceiling tiles. Oh, and we used to love having gatherings of more than six people.

Favorite Columbia controversy?
Haha remember when Columbia didn’t divest from fossil fuels and then the oil market crashed………………

What was your favorite class at Columbia?
Lots of history classes, including Africa Before Colonialism with Mamadou Diouf, Transnational Migration and Citizenship with Mae Ngai, and anything with Khalidi. If you’re a physics major, take Particle Physics with Georgia Karagiorgi. Also, everyone should take a dance class at some point!!

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese?
I’m going to rewrite this question to make it more applicable to the current times. Question: What type of cheese are you eating most often in quarantine? Answer: idk probably cheddar

Whom would you like to thank?
My wonderful family, my wonderful friends. I would certainly not have gotten through these four years without you guys and love you infinitely.

One thing to do before graduating:
Walk the length of Manhattan!

Any regrets?
I wish I had been quicker to reach out to my support networks when I needed them.