Anne Epstein, a senior in Barnard College, can tell you all about the fire hydrant Barack Obama, CC ’83 used to wash himself after being locked out of his apartment his first few days at Columbia. After all, she wrote his encyclopedia entry.
Epstein, an American studies major and self-professed “trivia junkie” has found her footing in music, advocacy work, ultimate frisbee, and working on the Encyclopedia of New York City with the New York Historical Society.
“I’ve always had a lot of really disparate interests,” the Barnard College senior said. “I think that’s what drove me into the American studies major.”
Epstein joined an a cappella group, Nonsequitors, as a first-year, and felt immediately at home. “They really became my family,” she said. After serving for several years as treasurer of the group, she eventually became its president, where one of her brightest moments was leading the Nonsequitors to unusual success at this year’s International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella. The group won its quarterfinals round, the furthest it had ever gotten in the competition. In addition to singing, Epstein has also volunteered with the Rape Crisis Center, where she is a peer counselor and helps staff the hotline.
For her History of New York class with professor Kenneth Jackson, she was required to either take a walking tour of the city or complete an internship. The choice was easy—she had just had knee surgery.
So the history buff took a job at the historical society. She was the perfect person for the position, according to Jackson, which required intensive writing, editing, and correcting—not to mention creating encyclopedia entries completely from scratch.
“We’ve had perhaps three dozen interns work for us over the past five years. I would say she’s in the top several in terms of her intelligence, her dedication to the quality of her work, and her spirit,” Jackson said.
“There are people who just put in their time and they don’t care after the job is done. That’s not describing Annie,” he added.
For now, Epstein said she is returning to her hometown of Birmingham, Ala. to take some time off, but plans to eventually attend graduate school and hopes to one day work in public health and social work. But she already knows what she’ll miss about college: the tight knit group of friends she met her first year, springtime in New York when everyone on campus seems to suddenly come out of hibernation, and Barnard traditions like the Big Sub—“I love how all the Barnard traditions revolve around copious amounts of food.”
“She’s going to be a loss to the Columbia community ... and to the Encyclopedia of New York City, and to me personally,” Jackson said. “She’s just a great credit to Barnard.”
