Priya Sridhar '07 (Illustration: Chelee Ross '12)
This profile originally appeared in the Summer 2011 issue of Bowdoin magazine.
Current residence: New Delhi, India
Twitter: @prisri123
Bowdoin major: Government & Legal Studies
From liberal arts to international journalism: Because I have an academic background in international relations, it doesn’t take me as long to catch up when I get assigned an interview with only 45 minutes to prepare. Most importantly, Bowdoin taught me how to read and write. I learned how to take primary documents, understand and analyze them, create an argument, and back it up with points. These are the exact things I do pretty much every day as a journalist.
On reporting from India: I do have to work with translators in order to really interview people properly. I miss having direct interaction with my interview subjects though-it’s harder for me to react or have an emotional connection when I’m going through a middleman. Also, a lot of things in India take longer. People here are very warm and hospitable, and frequently, when I go to interview someone, they will want to offer me a meal or introduce me to their relatives. I am a naturally curious person, which is why I got into this field, so oftentimes I will get sidetracked by personal stories or learning about someone’s family history-but when you’re working on a deadline it can definitely slow things down.
Indian food: Some of the favorite foods I’ve eaten here have been the seafood curries, especially shrimp in Kerala and Goa (both coastal states in India).
Dream interviewee: I don’t really get too star-struck. But one person I have always wanted to meet is Ted Turner. He has such diverse interests and has been incredibly smart in his business decisions.
I’d be a reality show contestant on: “The Amazing Race.” The idea of traveling and seeing new things appeals to me. I’m also a little bit competitive and I think anyone in the news business is a little bit of an adrenaline junkie.
Fashion: One thing I learned in news is always wear flat shoes because you never know where you’ll end up! This hasn’t been a huge problem for me because I’m all about comfort and hate wearing heels.
Music: I think the first CD I ever bought was Ace of Base. Still love those songs to this day.
