Before graduating, Emilia Flack imparts her wisdom onto us by advocating for senior thesis seminars AND shell eggs.

Name, School, Major, Hometown:
Emilia Flack, CC, History with a concentration in French and Francophone Studies, London but not really (it’s complicated).

Claim to fame:
Staying sober for all of freshman year. Don’t ask.

Where are you going?
This question is such an attack and I feel like no senior graduating into this shitshow should have to answer it on principle. Nonetheless… I’m avoiding the real world next year by doing a History masters in the UK. Long-term, I’d love to be back in NYC working on cultural/historical/social documentaries and long-form journalism Lisa Ling and Christiane Amanpour style.

What are 3 things you learned at Columbia and would like to share with the Class of 2024?

1. If an extra-curricular is not making you happy after one semester and you don’t see opportunities for growth within it in the future, drop it ASAP and get out there and explore! The years go by so quickly, especially if you decide to…
2. Study abroad! It’s cliché (please note my use of the accent because I STUDIED ABROAD IN PARIS) but you will grow in ways you didn’t anticipate and (if you’re like me) will come back with a renewed appreciation for everything that Columbia is.
3. Get shell eggs at the egg counter. ALWAYS.

“Back in my day…”
Hewitt was to be avoided at all costs… now it is without a doubt THE superior dining hall.

What was your favorite class at Columbia?
My thesis seminar. It was such a painful process at times but also the most fulfilling academic work I have ever done. If you have a topic that interests you enough to make the hard work worth it then definitely consider doing a senior thesis! Otherwise, Social History of American Public Health with Professor Colgrove (worth the 8:40).

Would you rather give up oral sex or cheese?
I have only ever referred to one of these as “God’s gift to women.” On an unrelated note, I am lactose intolerant.

Whom would you like to thank?
Getting a little teary writing this one because there are so many people I feel like I didn’t get to thank properly before leaving campus. To my talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show-stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique friends, to AXO for introducing me to some of my favorite human beings, to the professors who taught me so much, and to all the fabulous facilities, public safety, and dining hall staff who made Columbia a home away from home. Also, nobody asked but I would NOT like to thank the front desk staff at the Medical Center.

One thing to do before graduating:
Lie on the grass with friends and find shapes in the clouds.

Any regrets?
I think it’s impossible to get to your senior spring and not have regrets. Just remember that things you might regret have perhaps made some of your favorite memories possible. Do I regret watching so much Bachelor in the Wallach lounge during freshman year? Yes. Do I regret the friendships that I made because of it? Never.