Combining law and a love for the Arts

Alan Seah and Ashley Koh (Class of 2025). Photos provided by Alan and Ashley.

As students in the Double Degree Programme in Law and Liberal Arts (DDP), they are mainly preoccupied with classes at Yale-NUS College and Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore (NUS Law), leaving them less time to pursue other interests. A semester abroad provides a great opportunity for these students to delve deeper into passions beyond the curriculum.

This semester, two DDP students, Alan Seah and Ashley Koh (both Class of 2025) dedicated their semester abroad to their artistic craft. Alan is currently focusing on Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at University of the Arts London (UAL), while Ashley is committed to jazz and music at Yale University. “Being abroad has encouraged us to pursue our passions. It really opens up our schedules to try out different things”, Ashley expressed. Alan echoed this sentiment stating that, “Being out of the law curriculum for a while allows me to fully immerse myself in trying new techniques with much less time pressure.”

Studying in London has always been a dream of Alan’s since he was 13, when he first visited the city. He shared that the opportunity to study photojournalism at UAL was a “no-brainer” as it allowed him to “explore another potential future outside the realm of law. Right after a summer filled with law internships, I saw this as the perfect time to take a break from law to fully dedicate myself to photography.” Being at UAL has supported him with many facilities, such as specialised printers, to explore different mediums he had never experimented with before and a fully furnished dark room for him to develop his own films.

One of Alan’s works around London. Photo provided by Alan.

Over in the United States, Ashley is focusing on her love for music at Yale University. She has always been passionate about music, and is trained in classical singing and piano. Currently, she is part of Yale’s premier SSAA jazz and swing acapella group, ‘Proof of the Pudding’. Founded in 1975, Proof has been known for its vibrant sound, enthusiastic performance style, and energetic repertoire. Apart from Proof, she is also enrolled in a jazz history module and a singing class.

Ashley Koh as part of Yale’s ‘Proof of the Pudding’. Photo provided by Ashley.

Both Alan and Ashley also shared that being part of the Yale-NUS community has provided them with a conducive space to engage with their interests differently compared to being abroad. At the College, Alan has been able to explore multiple photographic genres through classes and his work with different groups in the College. He shared how his on-campus work gave him the opportunity to expand his photography repertoire, “from shooting campus events for the Public Affairs team to shooting a dance video for a sYNCd (Society of Yale-NUS Dancers), my technical skills and ability to adapt to new situations have improved a lot.” Ashley is grateful that the Yale-NUS community has been supportive of her passions for the arts. “Being around so many talented musicians and artists in the Yale-NUS community pushes me to continue pursuing what I love. Having performed at events like Sofasogood and Oak Lounge,  I am able to keep trying out new things, which gave me the courage to step out of my comfort zone.”

When Alan and Ashley return from their semester abroad programmes, they hope to give back to the Yale-NUS community through their craft. Alan wants to continue providing better photography support for the school while Ashley is excited to continue to perform at events like End of Semester Dinners and Sofasogood in the College’s final semester.