This Bwog Publisher reminds us that it’s cool to care.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Ava Slocum, Columbia College, English, Pasadena, California

Claim to Fame: I’ve had a handful of different jobs in Bwog for the last four years (including keeping Bwog from going bankrupt this year as publisher). That means I’ve had YEARS to think about my answers to these questions…

Where are you going? Literally nowhere! After graduation, I’m going home to L.A. for the summer and then coming right back here to start a master’s program at Columbia Journalism School. (I’m also continuing my current job for Ms. magazine and hoping to work in the lucrative, stable world of nonprofit feminist journalism.)

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the class of 2029?

1. Study abroad! For a whole year if you can (I know most programs are just one semester). My year abroad in England genuinely did change my life. A lot of people worry about missing things here, but you’ll get to see a whole new place, and Columbia will still be here when you come back. And when else are you going to have this chance to live in a foreign country for a few months? (If you’re on financial aid like me and money is a factor, your Columbia financial aid will cover your time abroad!)
2. Read your emails. At the risk of sounding like an ad, we’re really lucky to go to a school in a city with so many events and guest speakers and outings and activities happening all the time. Sign up for things that the RAs host and that University Life sends in their weekly emails. Go to the free on-campus concerts. Join the listservs for departments that aren’t yours to find out about events they’re putting on. It can be really helpful mental health-wise to feel like you have a life and other things going on outside of homework and studying.
3. Ask people to get coffee with you! Not just in a “networking” way but also if there’s someone in one of your classes who seems really nice, but you never see them outside of class and you’d like to get to know them better. I’m definitely an introvert, so I know it can be tough, but this is a great thing to push yourself to do! I promise everyone you ask will be really flattered and will not think it’s weird that you reached out to them.
4. Bonus: It’s cool to care about things. I think some people try to come across as slightly apathetic or too cool for school, but the most interesting people I know are the ones who have genuine passions and interests and enjoy learning and classes, clubs, activities, etc. At the same time, though, it’s really important and healthy to not stress too much about getting *that* coveted internship, or perfect grades, or whatever it is—some things are outside of our control, and as long as you’re staying open to things and “trusting the universe,” you’ll end up in a good place!

“Back in my day…” We all wore masks and regularly tested for Covid. Deantini and PrezBo were still here. We only had three dining halls—Ferris, John Jay, and JJ’s—not the 14 million we have now. ChatGPT was not a thing. Columbia wasn’t in the national news every five seconds.

Favorite Columbia lore? Professor Thaddeus’s college rankings exposé and Columbia dropping from #2 to #18 before leaving the U.S. News & World Report rankings altogether. College rankings are silly anyway.

What was your favorite class at Columbia? Honestly, Lit Hum! I absolutely loved it and had a great professor (thank you so much, Dr. Workman!). Lit Hum was an amazing intro to college, Columbia’s Core, and my English major.

I loved Milton: Then and Now and Seventeenth-Century Prose & Poetry, both with Achsah Guibbory, who’s incredible. (It’s not a coincidence that I wrote two theses and one was on Milton and the other was on Donne!)

Children’s Literature with James Adams

Dante’s Divina Commedia with Teodolinda Barolini

Art Hum with Martina Mims and Music Hum with Knar Abrahamyan

Whom would you like to thank? So, so, so many people. My family, first and foremost, with my wonderful mom, dad, and twin brother. Love you all so much! Bwog and all of Bwog staff. You’re all amazing! All of my professors. My friends. I’m so lucky to know so many kind, smart, loving people. Clare College, Cambridge, and all the people there—thank you for being my home for a year! I miss you. Ryan, Justin, Joy, and the whole Canterbury community. Thank you for being such a lovely part of my life these last four years. So endlessly grateful for these people and this world!

One thing to do before graduating? Get a cheap student discount ticket to an opera, ballet, or Broadway show!

Any regrets? Yes, of course (mostly not having enough room in my schedule for certain cool classes and extracurriculars, second-guessing myself too much, and being too shy/insecure/afraid to talk to people). But I also feel like the last four years got me to where I am now, so I’ve had short-term regrets, but nothing that really matters in the long run!

Also, never making it to the Eras Tour. I’ll get over that someday.

Ava via Ava