Vu Nguyen

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Vu Nguyen is an undergraduate double majoring in Performance Studies & Math. Originally from Virginia, right outside of Washington D.C., they are learning to be a writer & researcher interested in questions about education & analytical thinking and how they interact with different methods of creative expression. Particularly, they are passionate about mathematics as it takes place in various forms: poetry, paintings, pedagogy, and, of course, the sciences.

What area of study in PS are you most interested in?

I’m probably most interested in the performances of everyday life due to the variety of unique circumstances that are brought into conversation in its study. Since even the most mundane routines, like waking up, a commute, or getting ready to eat, inform our daily interactions, mood, and performative ability, I’ve found these aspects of our lives are incredibly rich in perspectives on different spaces, problems, questions, and needs, and thereby rich in the study of educational needs.

How does. your double major relate to your interests at PS?

I’d be lying if I said Mathematics and PS weren’t so different, but to me, it’s like flipping a coin where each exists on one side. The free range of expression that PS allows for can sometimes be daunting. So, in contrast, math provides a kind of structure that allows me to systematically & rigorously deal with the diverse kinds of arguments in PS like those found in Critical Race Theory, Gender Studies, Disability Studies, and more. Since I’m interested in aspects of math like provability, as well as the existence, and uniqueness of mathematical objects, rather than numerical aspects, what I enjoy about the double major, is how PS provides exceptional ground on which the formal & qualitative qualities of an object of study are brought to attention, similar to the aspects I love in mathematics.

What is a favorite moment you've had in a PS class?

I think some of my favorite moments have been sharing in the same wonderment of performances as my friends in the department. If I had to choose one, it would be when I had to opportunity to take a graduate course taught by Michelle Castañeda with a good friend in my cohort. We had been given free tickets as a class to attend a performance, Danzantes del Alba, at NYU Skirball. My friend and I had shown up together not fully knowing what to expect. As we enter, she’s explaining to me this week’s reading as if she’s seen lightning struck twice, and we’re ushered towards the front of the house. Our conversation is cut when we’re funneled onto the stage now a bit confused and in anticipation of what’s to come. To our awe, the dance starts a few minutes full of costumes vibrant in color, texture, and movement. Drawing the spectator in and guiding them through the history of the fabric & workers who made them. It was beautiful, and something I won’t forget because of how the moment of the dance swept us up so fast.

What is your favorite spot on campus and why?

There’s a seminar room on the 13th floor of Warren Weaver Hall overlooking SoHo with a view of the One World Trade Center. It’s been my favorite place since finding it during my sophomore summer in the city. It’s an old rectangular room, filled with a handful of red accented, dark oak and walnut-colored chairs, with a big wooden table in the center. On one long edge was a chalkboard spanning from floor to ceiling, and on the other, a full unobstructed window. It’s perfect, simple in all the ways I need it to be, and I love watching the night take over downtown from it. A good spot to study on campus with a great view is hard to come by, and this one is no different between the lectures & talks held there. So, every time I get the chance, I take it if not just to catch a glimpse of one of my favorite views of the city.

... Performance Studies @ NYU seemed like the perfect place where the flexibility between disciplines I wanted to study could not only be nurtured and cultivated but was encouraged. - Vu Nguyen.