Former Bwog Social Media Editor Tal tells us not to use AI and be kind!

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Tal, Barnard College ‘26, Major: English (Creative Writing) & Human Rights, Minor: Spanish & Urban Teaching (7-12th Grade English)

Claim to fame: Barber of Barnard college, always has bubbles in backpack, that one they/them with a pink buzzcut.

Where are you going? To be a high school English teacher in NYC!

What are three things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2030?

(Chat I do not deserve this soapbox; ignore me.)

1. Be kind to everyone, and hang out with as many people as you can. Everyone has such cool stories and lives; everyone is lonely and bored and wants friends. Ask people their life stories once you get bored of asking their major. As a certified introvert, it is so overwhelming getting to campus, feeling anxious that everyone is finding their friend groups and you are not. You will be okay. You will have friends. Be patient with yourself.
2. Don’t sell out. Don’t let this university scare you out of protesting, out of caring about anything. Find classes, organizations, and groups that are doing real work. (The people you meet will be cooler, kinder, smarter, and more genuine, too.) Remember how much Columbia and Barnard harm our surrounding community. (Also don’t use AI!!!!!!!!!!! Use your brain!!!!! You will not be the only one not using AI!!!!)
3. Everyone should be a teacher! Be an Urban Teaching minor and receive your teaching certification in undergrad. You will learn so much about education, pedagogy, and justice, and you will be able to work as a public school teacher immediately post-grad. Otherwise you will find yourself working at Success Academy. 

“Back in my day…” The student body had a spine. There was a tent on Futter Field. 620 had stoves and ovens (I’m told). Bwog senior wisdoms had another prompt.

What was your favorite class at Columbia? Abortion in Context, Playwriting I, Climate, Religion & the Anthropocene, Seeking Sanctuary in NYC

Whom would you like to thank? Allll my dear friends (you know who you are), my family, my students and teachers at FDA!!!!!, my mentor teachers and professors, my suitemates, Nonsequitur A Cappella, The MaMa Project, the Boy Band Musical, Newsies, REDACTED, Columbia Orchesis, the Barnard Human Rights Department, Barnard Creative Writing, the Athena Center, the GMT orange couch, Diana 6, LIZ’S PLACE!, the Barnard Hall staircase that goes up above the 4th floor, the Flixbus, JJ’s vanilla milkshake + coffee, Sakura Park, gay palace, my disco boots, Hungarian Pastry Shop, Qahwah House, the deli on 150th and 7th, the zine library, the one Green chair on Milstein 2 on the far right of the first section, the Natural History Museum, all the pink trees that you forget are pink until one week in August. 

One thing to do before graduating? The 24 hour musical is pretty fun I won’t lie.

Any regrets? Nope! Get me out of here. :)

Tal via Tal