about
the short
I’m a Canadian Morehead-Cain scholar at UNC-Chapel Hill. You can subscribe to an email “newsletter” 1 on Substack for completely erratic, irregular updates on this blog. I study mathematics in reality and I study political science according to my visa. I’m now Americanised enough for non-Americans to think I’m American, but not enough to convince anyone else. My email is changrandy0@gmail.com. There is nothing you could email me (or tell me in person) about this blog that would cause anything other than deep joy and pleasure. Send me your favourite story! or your favourite book! or anything else! I will be extremely happy you said hello.
the medium
I currently help coordinate the HKU AI Policy Lab and “volunteer unpaid”2 at Dr. Angel Hsu’s Data-Driven Envirolab. Past lives were pleasantly spent at a geography startup, Cleveland’s largest youth development nonprofit, and Carolina’s task force dedicated towards ensuring excellent operations. In the last two years, I read every Haruki Murakami novel, travelled to ~30 countries, and (at one point) benched 225.
I spend a good chunk of my free time reading (fiction) or writing (this blog). My favourite academic courses so far have been EATS101, discrete math, a guest-lecture series on Israel/Palestine, a guest-lecture heavy class on diplomacy and Beowulf, a premed health writing class, and an internship recording the oral history of Southern union labour organisers.
the long
I started writing this blog during my year abroad (which is a pretentious phrase that disguises how I lived out of a 30L backpack). I logged my travels with — similar to all other written things I produce — too many em dashes, commas, and bracket asides. I spent my gap year travelling Europe and Asia, reading a book a week, nearly dying at the summit of kilimanjaro, spending time with family, and meeting some extremely inspirational people that I continue to look up to (and shamelessly copy). I now maintain this blog because I like what writing does to me, and also so that the external viewer (you!) can see what I like thinking about in case you ever want to reach out (which you should totally do, please.)
Growing up, I cycled through three different suburbs in Ontario before moving to Toronto to attend the boys-only private school I eventually graduated from. Somewhere in between, I debated for the national team (some indirect thoughts here and here), assisted on research into Ghanian graveyards, and did some student government stuff. I also learned how to tie a tie three different ways, did an educational biking trip through Belgian/French WWI battlefields, and befriended some incredibly uplifting, supportive, and energetic people.
More miscellany: I’m right-handed in every task except brushing my teeth. I’m currently in an ongoing struggle to learn how to read poetry (and how to let poetry affect me). The trait I admire the most is adaptability; the trait that irritates me the most is deliberate close-mindedness. My favourite author is Christopher Buckley; favourite film is The Hustler; favourite artist is a tie between Laufey & NIKI; favourite book is Lucky Jim, by Kingsley Amis; and my favourite reader is you, no question.