Each week, the Record (using a script in R) randomly selects a student at the College for our One in Two Thousand feature, excluding current Record board members. This week, Aarju Poudel ’27 discussed her hometown, dyeing her hair red, and her love for untranslatable words. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Phoebe Pallesen (PP): You’re part of the Asian Dance Troupe, right? Tell me about what that’s been like.
Aarju Poudel (AP): There’s a subsection of the group that does Desi dances, and that’s the closest connection I’ve felt to home here. I’m actually thinking of maybe doing a Nepali song next semester, which I don’t think has ever been done before, because the Nepali population here is pretty small. But, yeah, it’s been amazing.
PP: What do you miss the most about home?
AP: I know I sound so mean when I say this, but everything here feels so artificial. I look at the grass, and it doesn’t even seem real. It just feels very meticulous, in the sense that I don’t see dogs and cats walking around here. It’s only after coming here that I feel a physical pulling of my heart towards Nepal. It’s funny because you never really appreciate the beauty of a place until you step back.
I really appreciate the small things now. Sitting at the dinner table, being with family, eating with hands, or sitting on the ground. I go to Hollander Hall so I can sit on tables and the ground — things are different, but I keep finding small ways to find happiness. That’s how life works. You have to find those links that make you happy, because life here can feel pretty mechanical. The system is built in a certain way — you’re supposed to attend class, go to social events, do all these things — and it’s very hefty. The system is designed in a way to make you feel tired, but you have to put in effort to find joy.
PP: Speaking of life here, we’re currently sitting in our shared common room.
AP: Yeah, this is the second time I’ve ever been here.
PP: [Laughs.] Sometimes we spot each other in the bathroom at 2 a.m. What are those interactions like for you?
AP: [Laughs.] Do you remember that time when I walked into the bathroom and you had just dyed your hair purple? And I had to convince you that it looked cool?
PP: Yeah. Low moment.
AP: It looked good!
PP: [Silent.]
AP: It did!
PP: On the topic of hair dye, what spurred you to dye your hair red?
AP: Well, firstly, I’m queer. [Laughs.] But I’ve always loved red. It’s such a fierce color. It’s vibrant, it’s intense, it’s energetic. It’s a little messy in all the good and bad ways. And, I don’t know, I feel like people see me as the color — or, I’d like people to see me as the color red.
PP: That’s an excellent answer. In a similar vein, you often have really excellent outfits and makeup. What do you incorporate into your personal style?
AP: It’s just a pop of color. I usually like matching either my socks or shoes with the shirt that I’m wearing. During the winter, my outfits tend to be a little lazy, because I just like being warm and cozy. Oh my god — I can’t wait for summer. I’m such a summer person. My wallpaper is literally a photo of the sun.
PP: If you had to pick one favorite part of Williams, what would you say?
AP: I really appreciate the remote location. The part of Nepal where I’m from is full of national parks and heritage sites. It’s very colorful and full of nature. I don’t know, everything reminds me of home! [Laughs.] Even my history class!
PP: What history class?
AP: It’s about the pre-partition era [in South Asia]. The professor once asked, “What was your intention in taking the course?” And I was like, “Yeah, it feels like home.”
PP: It’s really beautiful how much you love home. What’s your favorite hobby?
AP: There’s so much, girl. I feel like I fluctuate and do a little bit of everything. Oh! I don’t know how I got reminded of this, but I collect words that are untranslatable in English. There’s this one particular word called Hiraeth in Welsh, and I think its meaning is like “a longing for something that is not true or never happened in this life, or longing for something that’s not real.” There’s this other word in Japanese for the view that you see when you are looking at the sun through branches, [Komorebi]. It just has a certain imagery, and I can feel it.
PP: Last question: I was stalking your Instagram, and I noticed you seem to be a Taylor Swift fan. Who are your other favorite musical artists?
AP: Florence & the Machine. She’s magical. She’s witchy. She’s so powerful. There’s this one line: “You make a fool of death with your beauty, and for a moment I forget to worry.” It’s from the song “Hunger.” That line defines the longing that I feel.
