By Mary Leong & Katie Fedosenko
Arts Undergraduate Society president Justin Yang talks about his new role and double major.
Fifth-year English Honours and Cell Biology/Genetics student Justin Yang splits his studies between Arts and Science, the two biggest faculties at UBC. Yang values the scope of knowledge he receives from the two disciplines.
For Yang, the Faculty of Arts is a site of passionate inquiry. “My favourite part of Arts is that students go to class with this joie de vivre,” said Yang. “In Arts classes it comes down to two questions: ‘what are we doing here’ and ‘is what we’re doing important.’ The sheer diversity of opinions in Arts and the questions we ask make us who we are, and I can’t find that anywhere else.”
Why pursue a dual degree in Arts and Science?
The plan was to do a minor in English along with my major in Cell Biology/Genetics, and it progressed to a double major. I had read about the option in the course calendar in first year, so as I kept doing more I found myself falling in love with Arts.
What’s the benefit of doing a dual degree?
It’s definitely got to be the interdisciplinary nature of it all. Being formally trained as a student of liberal humanities and as a scientist is a huge benefit. The ways of thinking are so different, and I’m finding that there is actually a lot of fertile ground between them.
One of the things I was really interested in was the rhetoric of science, medicine and technology. It blends two things that I’m relatively familiar with – advanced cell genetics/cell biology and human cultures.
Also, I’ve learning different ways of thinking. When I write English papers I often find myself thinking about the meta-literary, or meta-philosophical; in other words, questioning the methodology we use, a practice that we get from Science. So it’s the range of education I’m getting here.
You’ve had quite the journey of involvement.
I first got involved when I ran to be the First Year Representative for the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) and I won my election. I decided to throw myself at the first opportunity that came at me and see how it goes, and that started a four-year love affair with the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS).
What spurred your decision to run for Arts Undergraduate Society (AUS) president?
Last year, during the by-election, I noticed that the AUS needed a Vice-President, Finance. I’d always toyed with the idea of being part of both constituencies ever since I got into the dual degree program. I thought that given I’d completed a term as the SUS Director of Finance and addressed a lot of their problems, I could help.
I wasn’t altogether sure that I was going to stay involved with the AUS – I just wanted to come in for a year, make a budget, and fix it up. But getting to know the people, getting to work with people in the AUS, I really grew to admire a lot of them. I’ll always have fond memories of SUS, but I reached a point where I thought the organization needed to grow beyond me. I thought there was a lot more I could give to the AUS in terms of my expertise.
What do you hope to accomplish during your time as AUS President?
There’s so much to do! I’d really like the AUS to be a fixture in student life. I want it to be recognized as a place to do things of value for students. The experience of being an Arts student is extremely valuable, especially when students participate and get involved.
