UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students in Penn State's College of Arts and Architecture now have representation in the University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA) — sophomore Alexander Wu is the new voice for students within the college.
As a member of UPUA’s General Assembly, Wu's role is to represent every major that calls the College of Art and Architecture home.
The college has not had a UPUA member in some time. Wu applied for the position because he felt he could help represent students in the college's wide variety and number of majors, from art history to architecture to music to theater and more.
“I knew that I wanted to help the College of Arts and Architecture because we aren’t always as fairly represented and that’s only because there are so many different disciplines within the college,” said Wu. “I felt that having someone to be able to represent the entire college as a whole and all of the different students would really help both the college, and also the arts we are all trying to pursue.”
The UPUA advocates on behalf of students at Penn State to help improve the academic experience — for example, suggesting improvements to campus facilities, etc. — and also represents students when working with local, state and federal legislators.
As a cello performance and political science double-major, Wu said he felt he would be able to support his fellow performing and visual artists and designers, share their concerns beyond their individual academic units, and help the UPUA make an impact on the college.
“Everyone wants change, but having the power to be able to make that change and having the connections and the resources to be able to make that change is something that is unique to my position,” said Wu, adding that one of the most rewarding parts of being a UPUA representative is the ability to present an idea for consideration or to help spark change.
Wu juggles his UPUA responsibilities with several other activities, including the Philharmonic Orchestra, Cello Club and Pre-Law Society. He said he takes pride in being a Penn State musician, because he loves being surrounded by like-minded performing artists in a challenging yet motivating environment.
Although he is only a sophomore, Wu, who started playing cello at age 6, has an idea of what his future holds.
“I would love to be in some type of performance environment, whether that be as a member of an orchestra, or of a chamber ensemble,” said Wu, who was a winner of the 2019 School of Music Concerto Competition. “I want to be a part of something that is related to being on the stage, traveling, performing and making music with different people and sharing it with others. That would be a dream.”