Ray Tang Hou ‘21
Hi Ray, welcome to Hot Bench! Please tell all our readers where you’re from!
I was born in the middle of Pennsylvania and I grew up in East Brunswick, New Jersey before attending UC Berkeley in California.
How did you like California?
Oh, the weather is perfect, like everyone says, but after five years there, I felt I needed a change. All anyone talks about in the Bay Area is tech! I knew it was too much when a bunch of skaters rolled by in Dolores Park and they were talking tech.
Haha, not a big tech guy?
I just need other things in my life. I can only talk about computer science for so long.
What are you interested in these days?
I’ve always been interested in diplomacy and foreign affairs. Currently, that means international law. You know, one of the first international organizations was the International Sanitary Bureau, established in 1902. That’s topical.
Are you working on anything related to international relations?
Yeah, actually. I’m helping Professor Verdier with research on international governance. I’m also working on a paper on international organization immunities. I just presented the executive summary a few weeks at a conference in Washington, D.C.
What would you say your hometown is best known for?
We had that one gym teacher who tried to take his case to the Supreme Court because he wanted to have the entire football team pray, but the Court denied cert.
When did you start thinking about law school?
I had just taken the Physics GRE and was applying for physics graduate school, when I thought back on all the lab work I had done. I decided that I really didn’t want to do that for another eight years. I started thinking about law school then, haha.
What kind of impact do you hope to have as a lawyer?
I would like to do something low-key but critical, something that involves expertise. I’d like to have my knowledge valued. Hopefully also my judgment, but you know, whether that’s worth anything remains to be seen.
What is your most unusual talent?
Chinese yo-yo. I don’t know anyone who does that around here.
How do you feel about putting pineapple on pizza?
Ehhh, it’s kind of like a sweet tomato in a way. It’s juicy but it’s also got that tang to it.
What’s your most impressive “go to” meal that you can cook?
Taiwanese beef noodle soup. “Taiwan numbah one!”
Favorite food?
Braised eel over rice. In Japan, it’s called a “Unagi Donburi.” I liked normal eel sushi when I was growing up and I was mind-blown when I realized you could just get a giant bowl of it.
Favorite place in Charlottesville?
Ivy Provisions; I like hanging out to eat a sandwich there if I’m not busy. My favorite is the smoked pork and apple sandwich they had before they took out the secret menu. I think it’s called Smoke Out.
What is your favorite meme?
Oh, it’s definitely the butterfly one. Is this a butterfly?
Anti-Stress Hobby?
What do I do when I’m stressed… hmm, what happens if I’m not stressed? I guess it’s YouTube. When I’m stressed, I usually try to get rid of the thing that’s stressing me out first.
Favorite word?
I’m not sure I have one, there’s just too many to pick from. They all have their time to shine. Except the word “the.” You see “the” too much for it to ever be special.
What’s the best type of cheese?
I like Gruyere just because I make Mac ‘n’ Cheese out of it. It’s got a nuttiness to it, and it’s more interesting than cheddar. It’s like going for a font that’s not Times New Roman or Calibri.
What’s your spirit animal?
Turtles. They’re laidback like, “Imma just chill in my pond.” They’re supposed to be wise and steady, which I like.
Where’s a place you’ve never been, but would like to go?
Oh! I’d love to go skiing in Hokkaido, that would be fantastic. I’ve heard that the snow there is phenomenal, and it’s in Japan, so it’s a double win.
What are some fun and interesting alternatives to war that countries could settle their differences with?
Poker. I guess that might be too similar? I suppose poker is at least fair.
What piece of tech do you hope is invented in your lifetime?
3-D image projection, it would be really useful for movies and video-games. Wait, that’s basically holograms then. It’d be like living in Star Wars.
If you could make one rule that everyone had to follow, what would it be?
Right now? Stay the inside. Happy quarantine everyone. 😊
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rth8kf@virginia.edu