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, Akshat Vohra ’29 discussed his interest in astronomy, his favorite vegan food, and his growth at the College. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Arleny Flores (AF): You’re an international student from Singapore. Being so far from home, what attracted you to Williams?

Akshat Vohra (AV): I think the idea of studying in a remote place is really attractive to someone that’s only lived in big cities for their entire life. I’ve moved around a lot. I could say I’ve seen the world, but I’ve seen a very particular kind of world. This is a new place, and there’s a part of me that feels I won’t ever get a chance to live somewhere like this in my life again.

AF: You’ve lived in five different countries. How has your perspective been shaped by your experiences around the world?

AV: I’ve lived in Singapore for eight or nine years. I lived in India for four, China for five, the Philippines for two, and I’ve been [in the United States] since the start of fall semester. I think it’s given me the willingness to reconsider my perspectives, generally. I will frequently change the way that I look at things. I have an understanding that my opinions on matters in general will change a lot. I feel like I won’t think about things the same way in a year as I do now.

AF: That’s awesome — very liberal arts. Having lived in so many different countries, do you speak any other languages?

AV: Well, that’s an embarrassing question for me. Because English is the language I speak at home, and the language I’ve always studied in. In a way, it’s been something consistent in a life that’s changed a lot. I speak a bit of Hindi, a decent amount of Chinese, which I take here. I would only really consider myself fully fluent in English, though.

AF: Aside from Chinese, what other classes are you taking? Do you have a favorite?

AV: I’m also taking “Introduction to Astrophysics,” “Mathematical Methods for Scientists,” which is a physics course, and “Marxism in Reverse,” an Africana Studies course. At the moment, I’m really enjoying astrophysics. As I said, I appreciate coming here because it’s a chance to see another part of the world. There’s something I find very romantic about the big picture, and I think astrophysics is the biggest picture a human can get. I just think there’s something innately very cool about studying a black hole that’s a billion or a trillion miles away.

AF: I know that you’re interested in the astronomy major. When were you first exposed to astronomy? Was it at the College or before?

AV: Academically, definitely at the College. I didn’t really have a chance to study it before coming here. In terms of interest, I’d always read books about planets and stuff when I was a kid. I think that interest has kind of carried on.

AF: What do you hope to achieve after college? Do you see yourself pursuing a career in astronomy?

AV: Yes, I think so. Part of me is a bit apprehensive about going into industry. I would love to stay in this [academic] environment, but I don’t know how practical that is. If we’re talking about something I want to achieve more generally, I want to learn to be a bit more passionate, and decisive, and almost angry about things sometimes. I wonder if I approach things from too resigned of a perspective at times, in the sense that I wonder if I’m retreating or preventing myself from seeing and learning more.

AF: I know you’re also interested in environmental issues. How do you weave that interest into your daily life? Did you do anything for Earth Day?

AV: So I am a vegan, and I have been for about five years. I commemorated Earth Day in the sense that I had a great time at the fair [the College] had with all the vegan food there. I try my best in general to not consume as much, not buy too many clothes, things like that, and also to annoy other people to change their lifestyles, as I have, when appropriate.

AF: Do you have a favorite vegan meal? Have you ever cooked your own food at the College?

AV: Yeah, I love chana masala; it’s chickpea masala. I would cook it at home sometimes. It’s a bit difficult here, and I’ve had many disasters in the kitchen, so I don’t know how intelligent it is to cook here without supervision of my mother or someone, but I will probably be cooking more in future years.

AF: Outside of academics, how else do you enjoy spending your time?

AV: I like old Fire Emblem video games. It’s a series of tactical video games. The older games [from the 90s] are very obscure. Some of them are only in Japanese, which is a language I have no familiarity with, but I like to plug the old games in on my computer when I have the time. And I also like reading about history, especially when I’m not taking a history course. I recently read a book about the Taiping Rebellion in China, which I thought was super interesting.

AF: You’re only two semesters in, but are there any big lessons that you’ve learned from your time at the College so far? More broadly, how do you think you’ve grown since your first days here?

AV: I think I’ve benefited the most just from learning to appreciate where I am. I feel like I’ve been enjoying my life just experiencing it as it is and not worrying too much about the future, and maybe that’s a privilege that only a [first-year] can afford. After a few more months that might go away, but that has been a big takeaway for me so far.

AF: Last question: If you were to write an article for the Record, what would it be?

AV: My article would be called “Why should you take the Record seriously?” It’s something I think I’d enjoy both writing and reading.