Ani Kumar

Year: 2013
School: Columbia College
Major: Pre-med, Sustainable Development; Concentration in Anthropology

Hometown: San Diego, CA

Relationship status: Off the market.

On-campus activities: Columbia Raas, Research Assistant at the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions

Off-campus activities: The time I walk between practices, work, the library, and my classes. Joking–but I do wish I had more time to do cool NYC things. Eating from as many food trucks as possible and trying as many types of India Pale Ales and pizza joints as I can are on the list.

Spring Break plans: Traveling to Bangladesh through a Columbia course to do sustainability field work on the Ganges Delta.

Pet-peeves: People who aren’t passionate about things.

Dream job: Working as a physician for the impoverished in sub-Saharan Africa or India.

If you were stuck on a deserted island, you would need: Good books, NFL Network, and definitely beer.

Every guys needs these three things in his closet: classy ties, a warm peacoat (goes with anything), and a signature cologne.

Your perfect date in 7 words or less: Beer, bar food, laughing until I cry.

Favorite off-campus location: Levain Bakery on 74th and Broadway. Best cookie in NYC.

Favorite thing about NYC: The density and diversity of people. The ‘burbs were getting oooold. And I like how having a weird name here isn’t actually weird because basically everyone has a weird name. I always knew when the teacher was calling on me on the first day of every year in K-12 because she/he would just pause and frown at some point during attendance. 

Favorite class and professor at Columbia: Social History of American Public Health. James Colgrove is an amazing lecturer. I’ve never felt guiltier for missing a 9AM.

Spirit animal: Obviously, bear. FACT: BEARS EAT BEETS.

Dream wife: Some combination of Penelope Cruz and Salma Hayek with the brains of Shakira.

One thing you want to do before graduating: Complete the King’s Crown. I want to leave my mark at Columbia.

Top three albums of all time: Everything All the Time by Band of Horses, Rubber Soul by the Beatles, and The Life Pursuit by Belle & Sebastian.

If you could have a super power what would it be and why: Definitely to fly. Wouldn’t ever have to drive or use the subway again!

If you could invite anyone to dinner, you would ask: I think I’d have the most fun with Sarah Palin or Michelle Bachmann–you know, because of their respective capacities for intellectual conversation.

HamDel decides to name a sandwich after you (what’s it called and what’s in it): Heaven on Earth — CALIFORNIA-grown avocado, tomatoes, onions, sprouts, sweet mustard, mayo, pepper jack cheese all on freshly-baked sourdough or ciabatta.

Photo by Michael Discenza