Five Hopes for My Final Year at Columbia

There are very few things in this world that I follow more passionately than sports. Politics and music are the only two that I can think of, and even then, putting them at the same level as sports is a stretch.

That desire to follow sports and call a team my own is what influenced me to follow the Lions. As a senior who has seen more total athletic events on this campus than nearly any other nonathlete, I can say that Columbia’s athletic program really isn’t much different from any other school’s when it comes to providing great moments of joy and heartache. Like any program, there have been some unexpected victories—last year’s Ivy League championship in baseball comes immediately to mind—and some disappointing campaigns—football’s 1-9 record last season after hitting .500 the year prior seems to fit the bill.

Heading into my final nine months of college, I have set aside personal academic goals for this year, but I also have a wish list for what I want to see on the field this year from the Lions.

— A football campaign in which the team improves every week: I’m not going to delude myself or anyone else into thinking that this team can win the league, but I think it is possible that this group can go out and take a few wins from unsuspecting teams. Head coach Norries Wilson has done a great job recruiting in his first two seasons at the helm and it is now time to see that new crop of talent grow on the field. As long as this group can put out a solid effort every week and show signs of development, I will be a satisfied fan.

— Field hockey making another run at an Ivy title: One of last year’s best athletic stories came from the field hockey team, which made its first serious run at an Ivy League championship. The Lions have returned nearly every major player from that team, and it isn’t inaccurate to think this is the squad that can wrest control of the Ancient Eight away from Princeton.

— Men’s soccer breaking through the Ivy ceiling: The past two seasons have been tough on the pitch for men’s soccer. The Lions have failed to get an Ivy win in either of those campaigns, despite coming close on many occasions. I will take pride if we can get out of the Ivy cellar this season by grabbing a league win or two.

— Continued dominance by Columbia’s most successful team: The only sport in which the Lions have been a perennial national power is fencing. I have no doubts that this team can produce another fantastic season on the strips and bring home an Ivy title. In an ideal world, that Ivy title will be supplemented by a national championship.

— An above .500 record for men’s basketball: There is a no more perplexing team on campus than men’s basketball. Head coach Joe Jones consistently brings in quality players to the program, but the past two seasons have ended with 7-7 records in Ancient Eight play. There may be no better time to break the .500 barrier than this year as a solid mix of youth and upperclassmen paired with an Ivy League in a down year could produce positive results.

But this is only a wish list, and in the most likely scenario, many of these goals won’t come to be. There will be the unexpected runs at championships and teams that have high hopes yet will never find the right chemistry. Still, it would be nice to leave campus in my final year with more victory than heartache.