At 10 p.m. on a Sunday night, you can find most Columbia students engaged in a variety of work-related activities. Some are holed up in Butler, others are in their rooms hunched over computer screens, and still others are at JJ's in group study sessions. But every rule has its exceptions-like Neil Sarkar, SEAS '06, Columbia's very own self-proclaimed slacker. At 10 p.m. on Sunday night, Sarkar is in a smoke-filled brownstone on 113th Street starting (yet another) game of Beirut.
A graduate of the prestigious Horace Mann School in Riverdale, N.Y. and a resident of Westchester County, Sarkar does not fit the typical profile of a slacker. A number of successes and failures have characterized Sarkar's five years at Columbia. Sarkar was suspended for the spring semester in 2005 after repeated academic probations required him to take three classes at another school in order to continue at Columbia. When he realized that his third course in the summer would conflict with an internship in Geneva, Switzerland, Sarkar hired a friend to attend his classes but not to do his work. Once the friend found out when Sarkar's tests would take place, Sarkar convinced his employer to fly him back to New York so he could take them.
"I ended up getting an A," he said with a laugh.
In spite of his success over the summer, Sarkar admittedly is not a student dedicated to work in the classroom. But he does have a reason for his inaction.
"If I don't want to do something, then I won't do it," he explained. "And that makes me a slacker." However, to a certain extent, Sarkar contests the conventional definition of a slacker.
"Being a slacker doesn't necessarily mean that you're lazy, and you just fuck around all the time, and you're afraid," he explained. Sarkar believes that most slackers are perfectionists about the things they really care about. "If I can't do something better than anyone's seen it done, then I won't do it ... I'd rather go out in flames than not be the best."
Sarkar's friends and fellow brothers at Zeta Psi share this views. "He doesn't see class as a goal," said James Leo, CC '06. "Who wants to learn about an algorithm? But if you're able to motivate him to do something, he's the best to get the job done." Alex Dreyer, BC '06, echoed these sentiments. "Going to class is a hassle for him," she said. "He's so much more into getting to know people and getting the most out of life."
The turning point in the life of this Columbia slacker was an unhappy job experience during the summer following his junior year.
"I was working for Citibank," Sarkar said. "Before that, I never thought about what I wanted to do after school as far as a job. I just kind of assumed I'd have a corporate job ... When I worked at Citibank, I realized the true meaning of the phrase 'sell your soul.' You're being paid a lot of money because you're not allowed to be yourself at all."
His analysis of life in the corporate world is philosophical. "When people come to work, they relate to each other solely on a professional level and never on a personal level, and that emptiness is something that I see in a lot of people-especially in New York, that emptiness pervades."
It was this experience that led Sarkar in the direction of comedy-a far cry from the corporate world of suits, ties, and business. According to friends, Sarkar is a natural comedian. "I've seen a bit go from something he made up when he was playing Beirut to a full-on show," said Jared Sunshine, CC '04. "He's one of those people that had a dream and makes it happen."
Sarkar links his love for comedy to his desire to connect with people on an emotional level. He named Seth McFarland, creator of the TV series Family Guy, as one of his top inspirations. "When people watch that show, they're really united," he said. Sarkar described his experience with stand-up as being very similar. "It's divine, almost," he said. "Making a room full of people laugh is the best feeling in the world. If you can get paid to do that, why do anything else?"
Sarkar's advice for other potential Columbia slackers is as follows: "There has to be a balance," he said. "You need to be aware and conscious of where you're slacking, and be aware that that's alright." Although Sarkar slacks in class, he maintains that he works hard at his comedy, trying to perfect his craft and promoting himself through his Web site www.neilsarkar.com. Moreover, even his parents, although initially disappointed in his academic performance, are supportive of his comedic endeavors.
"They're really excited," he said. "They know I'm not going to be going in a normal path, but they know that I'm capable of greatness."
Sarkar expects to receive a Columbia degree at the end of the spring semester, and although he did work to return to Columbia, he questions the importance of his formal education.
"There's never been anybody famous from here who didn't drop out," he said. "So if you drop out you have a 0.003 percent chance of becoming famous, and if you don't drop out you have a zero percent chance."
Hopefully Sarkar will be able to break that tradition.
COMMENTS
Comments will be moderated in accordance with our comment policy