This piece in Columbia’s Daily Spectator is hauntingly reminiscent of my own school, a few weeks ago. Everyone struggles. Let no one struggle in silence.
(link via @misscouturable)
“I used to think there was something seriously wrong with me, because my life looked nothing like the Columbia admissions brochure. Judging by The Blue Album, Columbia students are “embraced” by the “warmth of a close-knit community.” They are flawless, radiant, and successful. They do research while juggling classes and community service, throwing Frisbees on the lawn, and hitting SoHo every weekend.
So when I looked at myself, a lonely, unhappy, and overwhelmed freshman—I blamed myself. I was scared to tell people I was unwell, because everyone else seemed so put-together. I couldn’t admit that I had become terribly lost when all I wanted was to seem normal and to fit in. I would’ve rather died than let people think I didn’t understand how to be a perfect Columbia student.” — Wilfred Chan
“What do you do when a friend seeks help and then pulls back and seems happier? It was as if there was a fire going on in the house, and Tina had opened the windows but kept the door locked. We were left watching from the outside.
[…]
I recalled his words as I sat on the chairs, staring at the stiff, wooden funeral casket, wondering at the fact that it contained Tina while disbelieving it at the same time. It technically held her body, surely, just as her depression had held her in a vise of unreality, but neither of them captured her.” — Sarah Ngu
I read this at 5am in the morning, after pulling an all-nighter to study French. I immediately burst into tears, crybaby that I am (Let’s get rid of the stigma around crying, all right? Crying does NOT mean weakness — just as smiling does not mean strength.). Two of my most wonderful friends at Columbia wrote these two articles, and they were able to articulate everything that the student body has been feeling — and more. My friend, Amanda, brilliant journalist that she is, edited the article.
Even if you don’t go to Columbia, you should read these two articles.
They are less about being Columbia students and more about being human.
