It’s never, ever that serious.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Ida Santiago-Gutierrez, Barnard, Double major in English & Theatre with a concentration in Creative Writing, NYC (specifically, The Bronx)!!

Claim to fame: Doing too much student theatre, my mom working in BCIT, & me getting fired as an RA my junior year…

Where are you going? Idk guys… to live under a bridge as a troll probably. NYC rent is expensive :(

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

1. As someone with horrible time management skills, having an organized GCal is a life saver! 
2. Sometimes it’s okay when the lock-in with your friends turns into a 4 hour yap session. Those are usually the best bonding moments, don’t be too hard on yourself afterwards.
3. It’s never, ever that serious. Sometimes it feels like the world is going to end, because sometimes things really *really* suck. And then you take a deep breath, and the world doesn’t spontaneously implode, and you remind yourself that you have friends and faculty and people in your corner who genuinely care about you, and then everything feels a little less bad.

“Back in my day…” Milstein sushi used to be in Diana, and Pete’s coffee still existed. Shoutout Milstein sushi, the only good change to happen in the last 4 years.

What was your favorite class at Columbia? All of the creative writing classes I took! The Barnard English department is actually kind of awesome, but specifically shoutout American Lives, American Stories with Maria Hinojosa, and also Desire & Metamorphosis with Jenny Boylan. 

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? Well I’m severely lactose intolerant but famously I also stopped being vegan after 6 years so I could keep eating Bacon, egg and cheeses… so… interpret that however you choose.

Whom would you like to thank? Firstly, my best friend, and best photographer on campus Olivia Kuan-Romano (OKR), whom I’m sure if we did not go to high school together, would not have put up with me for this long (she’s stuck with me forever now). Shoutout Milf Manor, Liv Dwyer, Luna, Noel, Wren, (and Eshan ig) for being perfect to me, and for the many many manyyy nights we spent in the Plimpton lounge together. All my vacation buddies who put up with how much I talk about how hot all the average looking men in the airport are. Bella, Julia, and Molly for being some of my first real friends here, and for being the coolest people I’ve ever known. Maya Shore for being my OL and also for showing me student theatre, I owe her lots. The CUP Board <3, my DnD group (yes we are nerds), the entire BCIT office, the Bursar for my nepo job, and anyone who’s ever witnessed me drunk in EC. I owe you all everything.

One thing to do before graduating? Eat at every single dining hall, at least once! (I only have Chef Don’s Pizza spot left… but that seems a little dodgy to me, so we’ll see)

Any regrets? Of course, but I also have severe anxiety, so I overthink everything. I’ve learned that sometimes, it just simply can’t be my business to worry about it.

Ida via Ida