Haroon Arain ’24

Jill Shomer

Meet Haroon Arain ’24 (he/him), co-president of the Columbia Culinary Society. A Washington Heights native who is dedicated to showcasing and sharing the amazing food in his hometown, Arain is a neuroscience major with a concentration in chemistry.


Do you have a favorite thing you’ve done with the Culinary Society?

The biggest thing so far was Columbia Restaurant Week [in late January]; that was a lot of fun. We modeled it after New York Restaurant Week; we reached out to local restaurants and partnered with them to offer discounts for students who showed their ID. It worked out great! One night [during Restaurant Week] I was at Anār, which is one of my favorite restaurants, and I overheard some students talking about how much they appreciated that it was happening!

What’s been your favorite class at the College so far?

I really liked “Cognitive Neuroscience,” taught by Mariam Aly; that was super fun. As a neuroscience major, I’m interested in philosophical ideas of the brain in addition to scientific ideas, and she really touched on that.

What do you like to do outside of class and the Culinary Society?

I enjoy playing guitar and trying to make music. I’m also a huge cricket enthusiast — I’m always trying to find people on campus who are interested in cricket!

How do you like to take advantage of being in New York City?

I’m from Washington Heights, so I have the ability to pretend to know all about New York. I like showing people my favorite spots. I especially love to show off Washington Heights — that area is so peaceful and calm, and a lot of people don’t go there, especially students.