Student Squared: Richard Noh

Q: Hi! What are you majoring in? What are your interests? 


A: I’m interested in biochemistry. I took a lot of intro classes last year, and I’m taking a lot of advanced classes this year. I took “Organic Chemistry I” last semester, and also “Molecular Genetics,” and I’m taking “Organic Chemistry II” now.

Q: And what do you want to do with that major? What do you want to go into?

A: For now, I’m still deciding. But, for sure, I want to try to do summer research this summer and try to even get  an opportunity on campus. I don’t know if med school is still on the table, but if not, maybe [I’ll] go to graduate school, and from there, we’ll see.

Q: That’s awesome, keeping your options open. Where are you from? Tell me a little bit about home for you.

A: I’m from [a] small town in Bergen County, New Jersey. I’d say that one thing that is very similar [between] back home and Amherst is that my high school was [pretty] small. And Amherst, in terms of colleges, is relatively small as well. So that feel of a small college and walking around and seeing people that you see everyday, it’s like, I just get that feeling … Just being able to say hi to my friends or people that I’m acquainted with.

Q: What does a typical day in your life like? Walk us through that.

Today I actually went to work in the morning from 9 to, like, 10:50 [a.m.] ish. [My job is in] Kirby Theater, [I’m] a lighting and audio shop assistant. Today, the manager got some big lights — [really] cool technology — [that] we can attach it to a specific monitor so we can change the light, colors, and stuff like that. And then after that, I went to “Organic Chemistry [II].” Then I came back, [get] Grab-n-Go [and] hung out with my girlfriend. After this, I’m going to class for an “Intro to Econ[omics]” discussion, in the Science Center.

Q: Speaking of classes, what’s the best class taken at Amherst so far?

A: One class that I really enjoyed [was] “Molecular Genetics.” It’s a 300-level bio course. One thing that was really cool [was] the labs that we did. Everything was interconnected, so it’s not just a singular lab that you do each week. For example, the first few weeks would be about creating a plasmid [so we] could try to replicate a gene of interest that the professor had in mind. [Then] later on, we would [try] to express that gene into a protein expression vector. It was all woven together. It was the first time I ever had a class like that, so that was really cool.

Q: What’s your favorite spot on campus? Either for studying or just hanging out?

There [are] a lot of [options] but I’d say there are a few that I [especially] like. I like Arms, the music center here; the practice rooms are great if you want to sing [without] worrying about people hearing you. Frost is always nice. [Last] year, I used to always study on the third floor, but these days I work on the second floor, sometimes even the A-level … The science center is always good, chill vibes in the “Q Center.”

Q: What are your hobbies, clubs, activities, etc.?

I’m on the men’s ultimate frisbee team. I started going freshman fall, but then I had to get surgery, so I wasn’t able to go. But now I’m back in shape, [so] I went a lot more last semester and this semester.
It’s really fun. These days it’s kind of chilly and windy, so it’s tough, but it’s good to toss around with the guys.  

Also, I’m in the a capella group DQ. We do three rehearsals per week, for two hours. It’s a lot of singing, a lot of hanging out with people [who] love to sing. We have concerts coming up … we have a collab show with the Sabrinas this semester, so that will be cool.

Q: What’s your favorite song that DQ has performed that you were a part of?

A: Actually this semester, we’re singing a song called “Street” by Daniel Caesar. I hadn’t heard of it before, but just [listening to] the melody, I fell in love with the song.

Q: How big of a part of your identity is music? Has it always been a big thing for you?

A: Yeah, I did a lot of singing back in middle school and high school. I joined chorus [in] sixth grade, did it [all] of middle school. In high school, I took a break [with] Covid, and I joined again [from] 11th grade to my senior year. I did other activities [too], like county choir and all-state choir. It was really cool, [I remember] that there were 200 to 300 people. At one point we performed in a performing center, [it was like] a blessing to your ears. I even sang a lot when I was young. I remember doing singing competitions in church with my sister when I was really young,

Q: If you could only listen to one artist for a year who would it be?

A: That’s a tough question, let me think about this. I listen to a lot of music, like K-Pop. I don’t have one specific artist I like. I do love Daniel Caesar songs. There’s this one song, “Always” by Daniel Caesar. [I love] his mellow songs, the lyrics touch my heart.

Q: Who is your dream dinner guest?

A: [I wonder] what it would be like to have a famous chef, like Gordon Ramsey, doing all the cooking, presenting a whole meal. That would be dope.

Q: Speaking of food, if you could only eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?

It would have to be Korean food, just because I’m Korean I grew up eating a lot of Korean cuisine back at home. If I were to name some, galbi [and] a Korean meat [dish] called samgyeopsal — that’s really good. [Even] the Chinese restaurants around here are really bomb. Lili’s, Oriental, Lao Hu Tong — there [are] a lot of really good restaurants in town. You have to try Lili’s.

Q: If you could spend an hour with your future self, what would you ask them? What would you want to find out?

A: I guess I would ask: Was I able to get my life together? Coming to college, [just] thinking about what I’m going to do in the future, I’m still kind of unsure of what I’m going to do. And in other aspects of life [because] you never know what’s going to happen in the future, [I’d want to know] how I was able to sort things out … I would ask how I was able to mentally get myself together in terms of that.

Q: Anything else you want to share that is important?

A: I like to work out. I love spending time with the people that I love. I guess anyone [who] wants to come here, just enjoy life. Life’s tough, but you got it. Always believe in yourself.