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A group of college-aged women dressed in togas roll hoops to a finish line and jump over hurdles in the 1920s. Another group of women listens diligently to recordings of consonants and vowels for an English speech course in the 1940s. Others are dressed in their best winter clothes with suitcases in hand about to embark on a journey to the Westchester hills. What do all these women have in common? They are all part of Barnard’s unique history.

Somewhere between hour four and hour six of the journey, I lost all sense of time and space. We were either in Ohio or Pennsylvania. It wasn’t quite day anymore, but it definitely wasn’t night. The lingering smell of the movie-theater-flavored cold microwave popcorn we ate earlier was both comforting and sickening.

One night, a guy I was sleeping with asked, “You know you’re really hot, right?” I hesitated as different narratives piped through my head and felt the slow rise of self-imposed shame within me.

I love being an athlete. This love affair isn’t new. I played tennis from the age of four, going with my mom to the courts every day for at least two hours. Then came swimming, getting up early before school and going back to the pool at night. At my sister’s suggestion, I joined my high school’s rowing team and ended up here, as a Division I rower.

April marks the beginning of the end of the school year. As summer comes closer, so does the dread of the tedious move-out process. It’s hard enough to be a college student juggling the onslaught of classes, jobs, and clubs, and figuring out how to have a half-decent social life without the pressure of studying for your final exams—let alone packing up your entire life at college. Like all things, the key is to plan ahead so you’re not stressed out about moving during finals. Spectrum has come up with a step-by-step list on how to plan and prepare to make this process manageable and efficient.

It’s 5:35 a.m. when my alarm goes off. I roll over, switch it off, and force myself to sit up. I hadn’t gone to sleep until almost 1 a.m., and I hadn’t slept very well. I inch my feet over to the side of the bed and turn on my lamp. As much as I want to sleep—as much as I should sleep—I get dressed. I glance down at the reading I haven’t finished yet and tell myself that it isn’t a priority at the moment. Before leaving my room, I take a long look at my body in the mirror. The hatred I feel reminds me why I am going to the gym.

Earlier this week, Shaan Pandiri published an op-ed titled “Beto Should Be Better.” I’m writing to explain that Columbia’s obsession with its identity as an alma mater is not unique nor novel. In fact, whether from students itself or supported by the administration, famous alumni (in politics, arts, science) are a marketing tool for the University and a confirmation for students that their $70k+ tuition will hopefully pay off. Look at Beto O’Rourke, Columbia can say, a former punk rock bassist who is running for president! You, nameless Columbia student with eclectic interests, can pay thousands of dollars to our school and eventually run for president too!

Dean of Barnard Library and Academic Information Services Jennifer Green presented an overview of the Milstein Center, which opened on time and on budget last Tuesday, at the first Student Government Association meeting Monday night.

In anticipation of moving my belongings into storage next month, I recently decided to clean out my closet. The task sent me into a four-hour-long trance that resulted in ditching almost two-thirds of my entire wardrobe: I got rid of my skinny clothes.