Lent

Today was the last day to glut yourself on pancakes and other decadences, because starting tomorrow, for 40 days and 40 nights, we must give up all the luxuries Columbia students know and love. Here is Spectrum's guide to what Columbians should give up for Lent.

The Hebrew people wandered the desert for 40 years, Jesus was tempted by Satan for 40 days, and I, Ana Baric, underwent a spiritual trial for 40 days. As a product of 12 years of Catholic school, I am well acquainted with the practices of prayer, penitence, and almsgiving involved in the Lenten season. This year, I decided to not only follow Lent, but to make the ultimate sacrifice—I gave up Facebook. Facebook and I first met when I was in high school. I was interested because it didn't have a shady MySpace vibe. I then proceeded to fall in love with it because it was a socially acceptable stalking tool that also inflated my ego. But I soon became obsessed and felt I had to check my account at least five times a day. I may not have cared about the "PREP Soph Formal 2009!!!" pictures that a random girl from my high school posted, but I still faithfully went through them. I felt ashamed, so I decided to end my Facebook abuse and take a break from this unhealthy relationship. The experience was initially painful, as my separation anxiety would often translate to hours spent on addictinggames.com and strangers' blogs. But it did eventually become easier as I started doing things like going outside and sleeping instead of Facebooking. Gradually, I began to realize that a living real—as opposed to a virtual—life has its perks. I didn't feel compelled to stalk out that grade school frenemy, maintain artificial friendships based on witty banter and "poking," and look for another anti-Edward Cullen bumper sticker to send to fellow Twilight haters. Oddly enough, I felt free. Many Columbia students have become too sucked in by Facebook. I'm not denying that it's a useful tool, especially in the college setting, for socializing, receiving important information, and having burning questions like, "What do Columbia hipsters do on the weekends?" answered. But it can become a frighteningly exclusive means of communication. Presently, I have a 4,023-message thread in my inbox that I started with some of my high school friends before we went off to college. During Lent, I realized that this was my primary, if not only, means of communication with them. I only knew that Alex Z. "took shots with other girls crying about boyfriends in the bathroom of McDonalds" because of the thread, and I was terrified to discover how small a role she played in my "real" non-Facebook life. To get a second opinion on my new feelings, I talked to Valeriya Safronova, a relatively normal Columbia first-year, who doesn't have a Facebook. She confirmed that Facebook might not be essential for living. "People say you can't survive college without an account. But life is fine. I don't feel that I am at a disadvantage at all for not having one," she said. Although people without Facebooks are clearly not worth listening to due to their poor life choices, she has a point. Where I sometimes catch myself forming thoughts in status update format (that was rock bottom) and bringing a camera out with me only to get more picture "tags," Val has created a life for herself that is less obstructed by technology. And I think she's right. Life without Facebook may be fine. Why, it may even be ... enjoyable. The author is a Columbia College first-year. She is a staffer for Spectator Copy.