Name, Hometown, School, Major: Mrinal Mohanka, Calcutta, India, Columbia College, Economics and a concentration in Sustainable Development

Claim to Fame: I’m guessing I got this nomination because of my involvement with a few different Columbia organisations/activities… So that counts? If not, I’m sure I’ll be famous by association in a few years because of the people I’ve been fortunate enough to meet here.

Where are you going? Staying in NYC and joining the big and apparently bad world of consulting. (I swear it’s not like Will Smith makes it seem in Hitch, or the way it’s portrayed in House of Lies or the Varsity Show!) Only for a few years though since the plan is to get into economic development (and try to save the world) eventually.

Three things you learned at Columbia: Americans sound funny and make a lot of fun of New Jersey; you’ll be pleasantly surprised and find you’re passionate about and really enjoy things you had no idea about (Art History and British Literature were my two big ones); not to stress because as bad as four finals in a day can be, it’ll be over before you know it and all will be well.

“Back in my day…” Ferris was quite gourmet and had all-you-can-eat Sushi, white sauce/hot sauce or yellow rice/spicy rice hadn’t come to this part of town, and Jeffrey Sachs actually came to class instead of skyping in.

Justify your existence in 30 words or less: I think I was fairly successful in conning people into believing I had a British accent for four full years.

Is the War on Fun over? Who won? Any war stories? You can do whatever you like as long as you’re smart about it. Roofs, tunnels, unlimited intoxication, whatever, there’s really no limit. As for me, I may or may not have spent a night at a South African police station during the 2010 World Cup. Maybe for inappropriate public behaviour. Maybe for nudity in the Prime Minister’s Office.

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? I’ve never been a fan of cheese; seems like a solid reason to give it up.

Advice for the class of 2016: Be prepared to change in the next four years and don’t worry when your idea of who you are is different from what you thought it would be, it’s a part of the awesome journey you’re embarking upon; do things for no reason, you’ll appreciate them more than you think; take classes far removed from your major (Econ majors should take British Literature, Nobility and Civility, and Renaissance Art); take the bartending course and try to join the agency (it’ll be fun and you’ll recover the investment in one assignment); when doing a senior wisdom make sure you keep in mind that your employers and children could see it some day since the internet is probably not dying anytime soon.

Any regrets? It’s been an amazing four years but I probably should have studied abroad, I probably should have spent more time reading for Lit Hum and CC, and I definitely should have gone to more office hours. (I also want to say I wish I had been more involved in organisations, but I think that’s more the problem of hindsight rather than a practical regret.)