I’ve been trying to figure out how I want to say my goodbye from The News for a while now. And then, I thought of it. 

One final Q&A…on the one and only, me!  

I’ve done 30 Q&As throughout my time with The News. Instead of answering 30 different questions, I’ll answer 15 of my favorite questions I’ve asked athletes and coaches in Q&As and say thank you to some people who’ve changed my life:

Q: Who are your biggest supporters? 

A: “Definitely my family. I have a very supportive base, and the amount of love and support I get from my mom, dad and sister, it means the world to me. My grandparents have also been huge supporters of me. My mom’s mom and my dad’s dad have passed away, but I can still feel their support, like they’re my guardian angels. Everything I do is for them.” 

Q: Do you have any hidden or secret talents? 

A: “I don’t know how hidden it is, but I played the violin ever since I was 4 years old all the way up until the end of my freshman year in college. I won the National Orchestra Student Award during my senior year of high school, so you could say I was pretty good.”

Q: What’s the best water brand? 

A: “Voss. Hands down.” 

Q: Pancakes or waffles? 

A: “Neither. Crêpes” 

Q: Do you put anything in/on your crêpes? 

A: “Back at home, there’s a restaurant my sister and I love called Crêpes and Croissants. My favorite crêpe there is called the Cinapple. It has caramelized apples and cinnamon inside and more cinnamon, caramel drizzle and homemade whipped cream on top. It’s the best thing ever.” 

 Q: Which athlete would you give the aux to? 

A: “I would think most athletes would have amazing playlists, but one person in particular got me into UK rap, and that was Jake McConnery. He 1,000% gets the aux for me.” 

Q: Do you think the Earth is round or flat? 

A: “Hot take, but I think the Earth is round.”

Q: If you had the power to bring one celebrity on campus, who would you bring? 

A: “I think having Kevin Langue on campus would be really funny. He seems like a nice guy and someone that you can have a good laugh with.” 

Q: Who’s the funniest athlete you’ve interviewed? 

A: “I’ve had the opportunity to interview so many funny people, I can’t just pick one. Top five in no order; Jay Pearson, Sydney James Desroches, Taji Mathis Akinremi, Matilda Dahlström and the duo of Kyndall Davis and Tiger Booker.”  

Q: If you had a walkout song, what would it be? 

A: “If I had a walkout song, I’d want it to be a song that makes people know, ‘She ain’t playing.’ Probably ‘Who Run It’ by G Herbo.” 

Q: Who do you believe is the G.O.A.T. in basketball? 

A: “Michael Jordan.” 

Q: What is the best piece of advice anyone has given you? 

A: “I’ve heard this one a lot, and even though Dwanye ‘The Rock’ Johnson didn’t personally tell me this, a quote I heard from him always sticks with me, and it’s how I live my life. The quote is ‘Don’t worry about being the next me, be the first you.’” 

Q: Which athlete would be your emergency contact? 

A: “I’m basing this off of who is really good at getting back to me quickly. It’s probably between Nic DiSanto and Luisa Renovales Salazar. Those two get back to me very quickly.” 

Q: Who are your favorite professional teams? 

A: “For football, the Chicago Bears. For baseball, the Chicago Cubs. For basketball, I’m more of a player person, but I like the Utah Jazz and the Las Vegas Aces. For hockey, the Vegas Golden Knights.”  

Now, before I answer this last question, I can’t go without thanking a few people that have changed my life: 

To the athletes: thank you for trusting me enough to let me tell your story. Whether I met you two and a half years ago (which isn’t a lot of y’all) or if I just met you a couple months ago, I enjoyed learning more about you and your journey in life. 

Every athlete I have come across at Eastern has shown me what it means to have passion for what they love and how they have gotten to the point they’re at right now. 

From 2,000-word features to simple Q&As, I’ve learned so much about the athletes here, and that truly starts with the ability, courage and strength to open up and allow me to know more about their lives. 

Thank you to the athletes that have sent me numerous Instagram Reels to try and allowing my creativity to shine throughout my time making different reels with teams. 

Thank you for the endless support, no matter if it’s stories or multimedia content. 

To the coaches: thank you for the post-game interviews and the insight into y’all’s craft. Your dedication behind the scenes never goes unnoticed in my eyes. 

Thank y’all, especially the coaches of sports I’ve never played, for helping me learn more about the game itself. 

I truly don’t know what I would’ve done without y’all’s kindness and overall support. 

And to The News: it’s truly been an honor to write with y’all and learn from all of you. Y’all have made the job more than me just coming in to do my work. Y’all have helped me open up and try new things. 

Now, onto the last question. 

Q: Knowing everything you know now, what would you tell 10-year-old you? 

A: “I would tell 10-year-old Zaria to always live life to the fullest and to embrace my true self more. Everything will work out the way it should. Trusting God’s plan and having faith will make you less worried about what’s to come and actually excited about the unknown.” 

So, what’s next for me? I have no idea yet. 

But this won’t be the last time you see me in the sports field, I know that’s for sure. If I could stay, I would, but at the end of the day, I got to close this chapter in order to read a new one. 

No more, “Who am I here with?” questions from me. This is Zaria Flippin, aka Z Flip, signing out. 

Zaria Flippin can be reached at 581-2812 or at zhflippin@eiu.