As confident, powerful, and beautiful Barnard women, it’s not a far stretch to imagine that many of us identify with another set of New York City women with these very same qualities—of course, I’m talking about our girls from Sex and the City. Many of us know them like we know our best friends. In fact, in many ways the characters are just like our best friends. Think about Carrie, Charlotte, Samantha and Miranda, and maybe you’ll realize that they probably are just like a lot of us Barnard girls, rushing around from class to class (or Magnolia’s to Barney’s), similarly confused about love and life. So, this week I’m going to start off by profiling Charlotte, and what she would be like if she were a student at Barnard today.
Hailing from somewhere green and pleasant in Connecticut, our Charlotte is a true bridge-and-tunnel kid like so many of us. She chose Barnard because she has planned on being an Art History major ever since she was a little girl after her grandmother took her to the Met—where else better to study than New York City? Barnard eagerly accepted her too as she was the complete package between her smarts, sweet disposition and talents (varsity cheerleader and track & field captain). Not to mention, she was crowned prom queen– but that didn’t make an appearance on her application.
Her lifetime of education at an all girls’ parochial school has given her really strong values, a sensible head on her shoulders, but a mind that can dream and knows exactly what it wants in all facets of life.
Charlotte knows that an education at an all-women’s institution won’t provide distractions for her trajectory towards success and that perfect man (a doctor, obviously) she knows she’ll marry one day.
She dresses very carefully, yet has difficulty finding her own sense of style since her outfits in parochial school were always uniforms. However, her eyes are constantly open to the world around her and throughout her time here she develops a style that is classic, girly, and flattering. In class, she always sits near the front and takes notes in color-coded spiral notebooks, sometimes pausing to push up the glasses she occasionally dons, knowing they lend an air of sophistication to her girlishness. She is friendly if you need to borrow her notes, but is one-hundred-percent dedicated to studying Art History, and will tell you about her dream to run an art gallery one day, if you ask. Her self-assuredness and total focus is a little bit unusual, actually, but understandable. And if you talk to one of her friends from the Quad they’ll say that she is the sweetest, most loyal girl.
What our Charlotte maybe doesn’t realize is that sometimes life is not so predictable and planned. She may be really focused on her future and the Park Avenue apartment that lies ahead, but should also welcome with open arms some of the more unexpected things in life too. Maybe then she’d see that there’s a really cute boy in line for the kosher food in Hewitt who’s been keeping his eye on her (aside from his pre-law books…)
…Maybe it’s Miranda time! What would SATC Barnard style be without our token ging? Check out my next profile on Miranda Hobbes, who oddly looks like that Barnard ’88 alum, Cynthia Nixon. Any connection?