English

Whether staring at the blank first page of an unwritten term paper, or trying to make that particularly cogent point in section, or trying to explain to a roommate why you don’t want to live with her next year, we have all had the experience of trying to put what we want to say into words but being unable to express exactly what we mean.

After coming through the gauntlet of midterms and spending much of spring break in a state of acute relief and recovery, it occurred to me that, as challenging as being a full-time Columbia student is, the task would be much more difficult were I not a fluent English speaker. While a lot has been said about Columbia’s position as an international university reaching out to the wider world, what about those students from the wider world who come here, to Columbia?

As an undergraduate at a college that fetishizes requirements, the English major seemed like a breath of fresh air. And then I looked a little closer.