Hello everyone! My name is Shade Wong, and I am a fourth-year student majoring in computer engineering at UBC. It’s pretty obvious from my major that I am not one of those avid readers you would expect to be taking this course. In fact, I believe the last time I picked up and finished reading a book was last September. My schoolwork consumed me, overwhelming me with a deluge of assignments and projects. 
Aside from the dull and tedious aspects of my studies, I was blessed with a delightful adventure last year when I journeyed to Mexico to partake in the Día de los Muertos celebration. Left: A picture of me taken during the Día de los Muertos parade in Mexico City. For those unfamiliar with Día de los Muertos, I highly recommend watching the film Coco, whose plot draws heavily from this Mexican tradition.
The story that led to my decision to visit Mexico dates back to 2020 when I enrolled in SPAN 101 to fulfill my humanities requirement. The class, which I adored, was largely due to my professor, who was nothing short of captivating. She’s cute, kind, energetic, and empathetic – possessing all the positive qualities one would want in a lover. During our online classes, she regaled us with fascinating stories of Colombian traditions, food, drinks, music, and games, making our evening classes the highlight of my days, weeks, months, and semesters. It was through her that I fell under the spell of Latin American culture, the very reason I am here today, taking this course, confronting my greatest fear, and holding fast to the belief that I will be able to survive the readings (fingers crossed).
Apart from my somewhat exaggerated love for Latin America, I was also fascinated by the concept of “play”, as demonstrated in the lecture, which revealed how a single piece of literature can yield vastly different narratives and perspectives when read in varying sequences. I anticipate delving deeper into this idea and other innovative approaches to literature through lectures and interactions with fellow classmates in the next few months. I believe that through this course, I will be able to not only expand my comprehension of literature across time and place but also challenge my tendency to cling to conventions and overlook individual interpretations, a habit ingrained in me through my studies in engineering. I hope that this course will open my eyes to new perspectives and methodologies for approaching the existing areas of study, through the lens of literature.
Question: How do you see literature and reading as a tool for personal and societal change?