Get to Know Lucy

As Duke celebrates Student Employee Appreciation Week, meet Lucy Law, a student employee in the John Hope Franklin Center.

April 10, 2025

-By Charles Givens

What’s your major and what sparked your interest in it?

  • I’m majoring in International Comparative Studies (ICS) and minoring in both Linguistics and Chinese. I was really drawn to the multidisciplinary approach that ICS takes to looking at the world – there are so many different classes across different departments that I could take that all counted for my major! I was also really drawn to the ways my ICS classes taught me to use a critical eye to examine historical processes that have shaped the world.

What’s your favorite spot on Duke’s campus, and why?

  • I’m a big fan of the Bryan Center Plaza! On sunny days, it’s a great place to sit with friends or get some work done. It’s nice to run into familiar faces on the way to class or WU.

What’s a fun fact about yourself that most people don’t know?

  • I grew up reading the Moomin books by Finnish writer-illustrator Tove Jansson, and I am still a big fan of the characters. The Moomins aren’t super popular in the U.S., but they are much more popular in Hong Kong (where my family is from) and especially in Japan. Whenever I go to Asia, I always look for Moomin themed things since they’re hard to find in the U.S. My favorite item in my Moomin collection is a purse designed to look like a Moominvalley book.

What is one thing most people don’t know about being a student at Duke?

  • Be prepared to receive a lot of free t-shirts. Also, it may seem like everyone has their entire life planned out, but in reality most of us are still figuring it out. Everyone is always a work in progress. It’s comforting to remember that at such a high-achieving school like Duke.

What’s your favorite study spot or method?

  • I love to study at Bella Union! The vibes are good, there is caffeine nearby, and I like the sunlight streaming in through the windows.
Lucy posing with her Moominvalley purse in front of a large Moomin poster. (Photo credit: Lucy Law)

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and how would you use it?

  • I would love to be able to shapeshift into any animal. I could swim, fly and breathe underwater! Probably I would use it for taking literal cat naps in the sun.

What’s your favorite place outside of Duke’s campus (in Durham or elsewhere)?

  • I love Taiwanese night markets because you can get the most delicious food for super affordable prices! My favorite night market foods are black pepper buns and mango milk.

What’s a book, movie or show you’ve recently enjoyed and why?

  • I recently watched the TV show XO, Kitty and absolutely loved it. I’m a big fan of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before series, and when I heard that the main character’s younger sister, Kitty, was getting her own spinoff show, I knew I had to see it. The show is delightfully fun and campy while also having some really great emotionally charged moments.

What are your hobbies or interests outside of school and work?

  • In my free time, I enjoy thrifting, watching Studio Ghibli movies, and baking. I also love performing (singing, dancing, acting), so outside of school and work, you’ll probably find me at rehearsal.

What’s one thing you’re looking forward to after graduation?

  • I’m really looking forward to the unexpected and seeing where life takes me next!