Name: Michelle Lou
Major: Economics and Computer Science
Year: 2018
Hometown: Short Hills, NJ
1. If you could be any fictional character, who would you be and why?
I would really love to be Daenerys from Game of Thrones. She’s fearless and badass and just such an incredible female character. Like, firstly, she’s a leader who’s respected and loved by her people. Secondly, she knows how to handle power and she totally holds her own in a fantasy world primarily dominated by men. And thirdly, that scene where she rides off on her dragon is one of the single greatest moments on television.
2. What’s your biggest pet peeve?
As someone who’s spent most of her time in large cities (NYC, Shanghai, etc), it kinda kills me when people in front of me walk slowly. Like, come on…a glacier can move faster than you at this point.
3. What Disney princess do you most resonate with?
Merida – she’s strong, independent, and has a mind of her own. Though she acknowledges that she has responsibilities to her family (and Ireland lol), she doesn’t let that stop her from pursuing her passions and becoming her own person.
4. What’s some Junior wisdom you’d like to pass down to underclassmen?
Hmm…don’t take things too seriously/don’t let the little things stress you out. Work smart, spend time on the activities you enjoy, hang out with people who make your life happier, and good things will come!
5. What dairy product best defines who you are as a person?
I’m actually lactose intolerant, but if I were a dairy product I’d probably be brie cheese. I’m pretty mellow most of the time, but I can also be really nutty. And I pair well with chardonnay.
6. What’s been the best class you’ve taken at Duke?
I loved my Neuroscience and Law Focus classes during freshman year. I was in this really cool course with Prof Edna Andrews about neurolinguistics, and it was fascinating learning about language acquisition and bilingualism and how it related to different areas of the brain. Additionally, we went an all-expenses-paid field trip to Florida for 3 days to play with dolphins and study their neuro-cognition! It was awesome.
7. What do you like about being in Duke Symphony Orchestra (DSO)?
I really like the community of people. We’re all a bunch of dorks who like to chill out together, blast classical music, and do fun activities like go to the beach or the NC state fair. We can #turnup and go to parties, and also #turndown and talk about Tchaikovsky’s 5th Symphony all night.
8. What instrument(s) do you play, and what do you think that says about you?
I play cello. One of my friends from high school used to call me “Mellow like a Cello,” because I’m a pretty chill person. Cello is also the instrument whose sound most closely resembles the human voice, so I guess that also means that I’m a pretty easy-to-talk-to person as well.
9. What’s your favorite spot on Duke’s campus?
Probably the Duke Gardens. It’s so beautiful, and I feel very at peace there among the trees, flowers, and water. Yayy nature. Sometimes I’ll go there during the day to feed ducks, and sometimes I’ll go there during the night to walk around, look at the stars, and experience life on the edge.
10. What’s your favorite city?
Hong Kong. It’s such a cosmopolitan place – it has the glitz and glam of a current modern city, along with the more culturally-traditional and serene areas such as Tian Tan Buddha and Dragon’s Back. Also, Hong Kong’s night life is like no other, and one of the to-do’s on my bucket list is to have tea with a Triad member.
11. What is your ideal date?
Low-key: Netflix and Chill
Medium-key: Picking fruits/veggies/some sort of produce at an orchard
High-key: Skydiving
12. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Hopefully with a steady well-paying job, a nice apartment, and 3 dogs because who doesn’t love corgis?! (I follow like 10 corgi accounts on Instagram, don’t judge me.)
13. Best and worst places to eat on campus?
I really enjoy eating at the Divinity Café and the Law School Café on campus. I think they’re two hidden gems that deserve more attention than they actually get.