Butler Library from Low Steps. Photo credit: Christian Flores.
Perhaps it was because it was the fact that I had sat in that particular lecture hall a total of 5 times throughout my time at Columbia. Or perhaps it was the fact that in my final semester, I would be taking a class with my Lit Hum Professor, someone with whom I began my Columbia journey. I drowned in nostalgia as the sun rays beamed through the Hamilton windows. Just as the light highlighted markings on the old, beaten desks, the Core has illuminated my college experience. During each of my semesters, I tried my best to interact with the Core whether it be through taking a course or engaging with events that conjured up the spirit of the Core. It provided a connection that tied me to something beyond my major and actually enhanced my view of what a liberal arts education should be.
Being in a high-paced environment like Columbia has usually left me scrambling to move on to the next endeavor without much of a break. It was never enough to successfully finish a homework assignment – after submission, I needed to get started on my next problem set or study for the upcoming exam. The Core, though, never stressed me out. It could be because of the faculty with whom I took my Core courses, but my impression is that the goal of Columbia’s crown jewel is to make us think, not to bombard us with work. While that may be stress inducing for some, for me it was a relief and welcome change from the rigorous demands from my major courses. Our Core assignments ask students for comprehension of the material, yes. But in my experience, they tend to be so open ended that one can treat them as an opportunity to reflect on what they are learning. So much so that I barely remember the books I wrote about. Rather, I remember the frames of reference that stuck with me as each semester ended. In Lit Hum (and currently in my literature lecture), exploring the importance of an individual’s inner life is what genius writers like Augustine and Virginia Woolf yearned to share with the world. From CC, I gained a good sense of how various schools of thought could structure our society, and the concerns that animated their debates, assertions and world views. And so far in my Astronomy class, I have learned how much the stars and our place in the universe have puzzled humans for centuries! In other words, the questions and topics at the core of the Core are exciting and enjoyable, and without the pressure that some of my other courses have, my personal engagement with the Core mean that I can doze off about why Butler has those names engraved.
Not only did the Core provide a healthy break, but it also strengthened my resolve and commitment to liberal arts education. I knew that it played a major role in my deciding to attend Columbia, but now as I prepare to graduate, I realize that it cultivated my inner curiosity about the world around me. When I walk around New York, the images from Art Hum pop into my head and urge me to pick out the similarities in architecture. I learned that nothing is ever born on its own – most aspects of our society follow some tradition or another. Thinking aloud about these influences means that after a hectic day, I can always return to the world that connects us back to antiquity. It is a gift that will guide me as I prepare to exit these College Gates one last time.