Evelyn Flashner

COL ’15
Age:
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Major: Government and Theology; Minor: French

What do you do on campus?

What do you want to do after Georgetown?
Probably pursue a Ph.D in political philosophy.

What do you hope Georgetown will help you accomplish?
I’ve interacted personally with the Catholic community at Georgetown and it has shown me the vibrant, faith-driven service that men and women can do for each other. I guess at Georgetown I would like to continue that spirit of truly faith-driven work.

What’s your favorite class that you’ve taken at Georgetown?
Freshman year I stumbled upon — well, I came in wanting to be a math major — I stumbled upon a class called “Forefathers and Faith” with Stephen Fields. It was theology. We studied Augustine, Aquinas and Bonaventure. It changed everything about how I looked at the world and got me onto a completely different track on how I was going to treat education, my faith, knowledge in general.

Compare and contrast where you’re from to Georgetown. Where do you feel more comfortable?
I feel more comfortable in Philadelphia. Something about the D.C. area feels a little contrived to me. The city itself is not very residential, there’s not a lot of local components to it, there’s very few families, very few natural connections because everyone commutes. I guess that would be one difference between Philadelphia and D.C.; Philadelphia’s a very residential city so I feel more comfortable where I’ve grown up and have all those roots.

What would you change about yourself, or what’s the biggest change you’ve consciously made and why?
My change of major was a big change. My change to theology and political philosophy really did harness my analytical skills just into something else. It seems very different but it really is the same way of thinking. But what I would change about myself — maybe I’d have a little less social anxiety. I’d be a little more chill, I guess.

If you could lead a protest on one thing, what would it be?
Well, I do, and it’s abortion. 

What is your favorite thing about Georgetown?
Masses at 10 p.m.in Copley Crypt. They’re really short, they’re 30 minutes long … there’s often baked goods afterwards and it’s really welcoming. It’s just a prayerful way to end your day, praise God. That’s my favorite thing about Georgetown and that’s also where I’ve made quite a good deal of friends.

What do you do for fun?
I like to cook. I cook a lot of French food. So I go to Safeway, put on some Frank Sinatra Pandora, get my 40-year old woman on and cook French food. I like to make beef bourguignon, which is French. In the Italian realm I like to make lasagna. It’s a fun one.

Interviewed by Kim Bussing