Name: Ya Fang
Major: Economics
Year: 2017
Hometown: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
1. What’s been your favorite part of Duke?
Pretending like I know enough about basketball to justify my fandom of Duke basketball. To be honest, I didn’t know Duke was even good at basketball until I got here—to the point where I had no idea who Jabari Parker was when I met him during freshman year orientation week.
2. Least favorite part?
Other than the construction, it’s definitely the abundance of inchworms. I love spring, but I’m terrified of finding inchworms in my hair whenever I walk underneath a tree.
4. What’s something most people don’t know about you?
My mom thought that having to maintain long hair was too much work, so when I was young I used to go to the barber with my dad and get the same cut. I was also dressed in polo shirts and sweatpants (my dad dressed me in the morning and thought it was practical), so until I was 8 years old people often mistook me for a boy.
5. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
Definitely my parents’ house. Free rent, utilities, and an always-stocked refrigerator—you can’t find that anywhere else.
7. If you were in The Hunger Games, how long would you last?
I’m not very athletic (I definitely get out of breath from walking up to third floor of my dorm), but I have a strict no-die policy so I think I could last until the end just because I’d be willing to do anything necessary to survive.
8. What are you most involved in on campus?
I was actually pre-med for about 2.5 hours first day of my freshman year, and when I abandoned my dreams of becoming a doctor I found a business society on campus called Scale and Coin. I’ve been a member since my first semester at Duke, and have been honored to serve as the president this year. I’d say that it has contributed the most to my Duke experience.
9. Where’s the best place to study on campus?
Fourth floor Bostock, in the cubicles next to the windows. There’s also amazing couches around the corner that are perfect for naps.
10. If you could add one task to the unofficial graduation requirement, what would it be?
Take your mattress and take a long nap on the quad—pillows and all. I’ve definitely thought about doing this many times.
11. What’s your biggest guilty pleasure?
Eating in bed. My parents never let me eat in bed, so naturally when I moved out I had to rebel a little.
12. What’s a fun fact about you?
I once folded 1014 paper cranes over the course of four years in order to make a wish. By the time I finally finished, I realized that I had miscounted and went past 1000 paper cranes and I forgotten what I was originally wishing for.
13. What is your dream job?
I’d like to think of them as “long term career goals” rather than dream jobs. I would like to be a stand-up comedian, actress, or rapper. Basically, I’d like to have the female version of Childish Gambino’s career.