You, too, should discover the beauty of Cidre Rosé.

Name, School, Major, Hometown: Sophie Harrington, Dual BA-Sciences Po School of General Studies, Human Rights/Urban Studies, Cambridge, MA! 

Claim to fame: Micro-food blogger @sopheatsgood and the biggest advocate of Women’s Club Soccer. Oh, and Columbia Four Square founder — don’t sleep on us. 

Where are you going? Directly to my hometown bar to watch the World Cup final. Then, back to Mama’s Too for the vodka slice. 

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2027?

1. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Lots of us came to Columbia with the dual interest of wanting to study rigorously while being able to explore one of the most vibrant cities in the world. There are so many non-traditional ways to learn outside of the classroom that will be able to teach you things your readings, lectures, or exams won’t be able to. It’s okay to not have everything figured out all the time, and more importantly it’s okay if you don’t take a linear path to achieve what you want your degree to get you. It can be easy to get worked up about getting an internship, having a job lined up, or being at the top of your class is great – in the end, just take a deep breath and know that everything will be okay in the end. Prioritizing your interests and needs over the grade-based merits most of us seek is important and necessary for success.  
2. YOLO. Go to the dinner parties you’re invited to, the jazz show you’ve been wanting to see, the restaurant you’ve been dying to try, or the event on campus that sparks your interest. College can be the easiest time to adventure and to explore so take advantage of it. You will most remember the nights you went out, we’re surrounded by people you loved and who loved you, and were doing something that sparked joy. The assignment that wasn’t completed perfectly or the reading that didn’t get done will fall into the background noise. 
3. Tip and thank your service workers, on campus and everywhere else. They make our lives incredibly easy and are rarely afforded the thanks and credit they deserve, remind yourself of that.  

“Back in my day…” Back in my day people gave each other their numbers on paper and tried to flirt over dumb class assignments — now there’s this whole online dating thing… There was also that time when people attended lectures pantsless from their living room, moved around cities in the middle of the semester, and could only see three friends.

Favorite Columbia controversy? When Columbia wouldn’t pay its student workers a livable wage but the President makes $20 million a year had to be a favorite. 

What was your favorite class at Columbia? Public Health and Human Rights with Widney Brown. Taking this class during the first semester back in-person and in the midst of the pandemic was eye-opening. 

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese? Honestly oral sex — how are you gonna eat a bagel without cream cheese? 

Whom would you like to thank? So many folks along the way: my community back in France who helped me figure out what it means to live alone for the first time and lead me to discover the beauty of Cidre Rosé. My soccer coaches who pushed me to play at a more competitive level and the owners of the local Reims Pizza Kebab. My friends working at the Democratic Party of Missouri who provided me with the best semester off of school I could have hoped for. My people in Cambridge who had my back and reminded me where home was.  And of course Columbia Women’s Club Soccer, my coworkers at Banh, the Ford Hall Food Pantry, and the new friends who welcomed me to NYC with open arms. To Charlie, Joy, Junie, Caroline and Ally — it’s been a wild ride. And my parents, thanks for reading every college paper, attending every game, and letting me know it will all be okay. 

Any regrets? I never tried the food carts outside of campus, that is truly a bummer. 

Sophie via Sophie