Name, school: Katie Lupica, CC ‘11

Claim to fame: Previously seen on Bwog as director of The Saint Plays and (Love) Story, PBK inductee, and friend of campus character Phillip Dupree . . . Also part of various other theatrical endeavors (directed The Yellow Boat and in Wordplay 2010; performed in Into the Woods, Xmas 2!, and The Physicists; co-produced this year’s NOMADS’ CARAVAN because I just love acronyms) . . . Am an RA and member of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship

Where are you going? First home to sunny Arizona (it’s a dry heat but so is an oven). Then directing at NYC Fringe. Then most likely Brooklyn or DC. Or Kentucky.

Three things you learned at Columbia

1) There are few things more miraculous than just being in the same place at the same time with the right assortment of people. I’m trying to commit my life to making this happen in theatres, but I have learned the truth of this statement on the steps, in dorm rooms, over drinks at the Heights, in 9am classes, during late-night food runs, in weekly staff/club meetings, etc., as much as anywhere else.

2) People sometimes let you down. And vice versa. It’s ok.

3) SNOW IS GREAT . . . You can make things out of it! . . . And throw it at people!

“Back in my day…” Breaks from any rehearsal in Lerner meant trying the Tasty D-Lite flavor of the day, movie nights featured cult classics rented from Kim’s, and it was still cool to like Vampire Weekend.

Additionally, I still type “bwog.net.”

Justify your existence in 30 words or fewer: I would not be where or who I am today without my extraordinary family, friends, and teachers, or the love and mystery of this universe, which I joyfully call God.

Is the War on Fun over? Who won? Any war stories? I’m an RA, so I have many war stories; but the best ones are classified, and I would not consider my job “winning.” I also got written up for playing stickball in my John Jay hallway freshman year and fah-reaked out.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? Mac and cheese is basically a food group in my diet.

Advice for the class of 2015

-Resist settling for any definition of who you are, who your friends can be, and what you should be doing with your free time. Take advantage of the many opportunities that challenge you to articulate something you hold core to your being or view of the world – welcome change and be willing to admit the inevitable gaps.

-Bureaucracy sucks; your dreams do not.

-If you’re debating it any given day, just go to class. Do as much of the reading for Lit Hum and CC as you can, although Squashed Philosophers has been a friend of mine. And don’t waste Core requirements on things that don’t actually interest you (I personally recommend Cultural History of Japanese Monsters and East Asian Humanities for major cultures and any dance class for the second half of PE).

-If you are at all interested in theatre, check out NOMADS (shameless plug, but seriously).

-Attend Holi, a basketball game (or another sport but basketball is most convenient), Orchesis, KCST Spring Show, and Midnight Breakfast at least once.

-Don’t feel pressured to go abroad. Consider multiple majors or concentrations. Never assume you know everything about this city or even this campus (go explore!).

-Express gratitude liberally to the many people who make life, happiness, and success possible here, from maintenance staff to your best friends.

Columbia really is amazing. Being on this campus and in this city with all these incredible people around you all the time is like magic. Know that the ups can be ecstatic and the downs can be downright dark, but you will change and grow in ways you can’t predict. I know that sounds really sappy and possibly patronizing, but I was such a snob when I got to this campus about a lot of things – “I know how to write, I know what kind of people I like, this is the finite list of things I am good at and therefore enjoy, musical theatre = oxygen” (yikes) – and only when I let that go did things start getting good.

Any regrets? None big enough to recall.