The Basics:
Name: Mandeep Singh
Graduation year: 2015
Major: Urban Studies (Specializing in Political Science), Business Management
Why did you choose to come to Columbia?
From the few different options that I had for college, I definitely knew that Columbia was going to have the most to offer. In addition to being an academically challenging school, there are a multitude of resources that lie at the hand of Columbia students. Whether it is the network or financial resources that exist, the opportunities are endless if you choose to push yourself and keep an open mind.
What were your first impressions of Columbia?
To be honest, I did not like it very much. As many students would agree, Columbia is a school that grows on you rather than exactly be the college you envisioned. Since I am originally from New York, the fascination of the city was not something that was new to me. The stress culture that exists here was definitely a downside. However, I was extremely impressed by the collective diversity and caliber of my fellow classmates.
What makes your Columbia experience unique?
What’s interesting about Columbia is that no one student’s experience is the same. What I believe that makes my experience different is the different opportunities through which I have met a variety of different people. Being heavily involved with dance my first semester, I was able to make life-long friendships through dancing with Sabor (a Latino dance troupe) and CU Bhangra (a dance native to the region of Punjab). Rather than allowing myself to become comfortable with just one group of people, I have pushed myself to find opportunities to meet as many amazing people that I can. During this year, I have also lived in the Intercultural House—serving to advance student learning through a residential experience integrating self-awareness, multicultural and intercultural communication skills, and social justice education. Through my dancing and social justice initiatives, I have met amazing people who have all added so much to my college experience.
How would you describe yourself?
When it comes to all the different things I’ve been involved in, I’d say I’m pretty hardworking and love to make a difference. Apart from academics and extracurriculars though, I would describe myself as an easy-going and laid back guy. I love to simply have fun and hang out with friends whenever I can. Considering myself to be pretty friendly, I also just love to connect and meet as many people as I can!
Please tell us about your involvement with CU Bhangra.
I joined CU Bhangra my freshman year. Although I was familiar with the dance form growing up, I had never danced on a professional team. Coming into college, I knew it was something I definitely wanted to try and explore—especially because the language and culture of Punjab are something I hold dearly. We practice three times a week for at least two hours. In addition to competing all over the country two to three times a year, we also host the largest Bhangra showcase in the tri-state area. This past year I have served as the Public Relations chair. My duty consists of scheduling different performances both on campus and in the New York City region. I also assist the team with choreography and choosing music. Apart from the dancing aspect, what truly keeps me invested within the dance team is the social aspect of it. It has allowed me to create a complete family on campus that I can always rely on.
We heard that you were published in the Huffington Post. (That’s awesome!) Please tell us more about what you wrote and its importance to you as well as in society.
Yes! I recently have had the privilege to publish for the Huffington Post. My first piece is called “Openly Different: Life as a Sikh on Campus”. Originally published in the Spectator, it tries to articulate the different micro-aggressions that Sikhs can face both at Columbia or other college campuses (Sikhism is the 5th largest religion in the world). For people who wear turbans as a part of their faith, there are many issues and negativity they may encounter that a lot of people may not understand. Through this piece, my purpose was to bring up important points that are not discussed often and hopefully influence people to keep a more open and accepting mindset. In the few months to come, I hope to publish a few more pieces. I am currently working on pieces that discuss police brutality in New York City, the concept of terrorism in a post 9/11 world, stress culture and the importance of human interaction. If you are interested in reading or checking them out in the future, you can find them here!
How are you involved with CU Sewa? What is Sewa’s significance in the Columbia community?
I am currently the president of CU Sewa (say-wah). We were formerly known as the Sikh Students’ Association; however, we changed our vision and goal last spring. Rather than focusing on being on an affinity group, we wanted to be an organization that focuses on universal values found in Sikhism but also are important in all communities—social justice, peace, equality, community service. We wish to impact and improve the vibrancy of campus by hosting a number of cultural events, discussions, panels and community service opportunities that pertain to these values. This past year has been remarkable for us—especially since we are a relatively up-and-coming organization. We hosted a langar, which means community kitchen, where we fed over two hundred people with food we cooked at a local Sikh temple. We also organized a Post 9/11 Immigration Policy Panel, “We are DREAMers” image campaign to raise awareness about undocumented students, a weekly soup kitchen project in Harlem and Turban Day—a day of festivities where people could get turbans tied in solidarity against hate crimes against Sikhs and other religious minorities. Sewa itself means selfless service and that is what we exactly would like to bring to the Columbia community. We are an emerging group that is looking to add to all the amazing things that happen on campus while presenting and raising awareness about a variety of issues.
Is there anything you wish you could change about Columbia? Is there anything you wish you could change about your experience here in particular?
Yes, many things. As I mentioned earlier, Columbia’s stress culture is extremely harsh and detrimental to the mental health of students. If there was something I could change, I would change this consistent air of anxiety that envelops too many students and our habits. Even if you yourself are not an extremely stressed person, the way our community is organized many times drags you in. (I’d also change the fact that you have to sign your Barnard friends into dorms. And I’d change the food options to try to make more variety.)
In terms of my experience, I wish I hadn’t overcommitted myself in the last few years. There are a ton of different areas to get involved in, but sometimes they start taking you over. Being at Columbia, there are so many cool events and things I’ve wanted to see but haven’t been able to due of my schedule. I would try to make sure that I have more free time to check out all the interesting things that happen while having more time to hang out with my friends.
What’s next for you?
This is a very deep question. Such a deep question that I wrote a poem about it once. I wish I had a straightforward answer for you. In the past few years, I thought I wanted to go to law school. Being interested in social activism and community organizing, I thought a law degree would be a great asset to have. But, the market for lawyers sucks right now and I’m not sure I want to go into debt for the rest of my life. I have not figured out what my short-term plan is for life, but I do have some long-term plans. In the future, I’d like to explore the realm of politics, business, writing, and non-profits. Maybe even run for mayor one day. To help me figure things out, I will be travelling to Washington DC this summer to work for a Senator. In the Fall, I will be studying abroad in Brazil, South Africa and Vietnam as part of an Urban Studies program. I hope that these opportunities help me to figure out what’s next for me and where I would like to go in the years to come. Until then, I’m going to focus on each day as it is and try to live life as its fullest!