Meet Richard Harris, president of Student Forum
Hometown: Little Falls, N.Y.
Major: Economics
Minor: French
Activities: Admissions Interviewer, Peer Career Advisor at the Becker Career Center, Apartment Manager, Alpha Epsilon Pi
What do you want to accomplish this year?
I would love to encourage more student interaction with the Student Forum, especially when making decisions or suggesting changes to campus. The Forum is such a valuable outlet and link between the administration and students, and I hope to get more students to take advantage of it.
What issues on campus need to be addressed this year?
The Student Forum will be taking a strong look at the class registration and petitioning process as well as promoting wellness initiatives in conjunction with the new Wicker Wellness Center.
How do you plan to get students more involved in life on campus?
I think hosting events and supporting new organizations that are relevant and interesting to the students are important. We’ve already got more than 100 student clubs and organizations, students start more every year, and Student Forum is there to provide the structural and financial support so that there is something for everyone.
Has leading student government been a personal goal of yours since arriving at Union?
It was always something that seemed very exciting to me, but I never thought I would be able to do it. I’d already been very involved on campus, but I ended up having some great guidance from students already on the Forum who encouraged me to run for a position. Now, after being the vice president of Finance last year, I decided that being president was too good an opportunity to not pursue.
In what direction do you hope to see Union in 10 years?
In 10 years, I would love to see Union become even more of an academic community, with more students getting involved in their areas of study and connecting them with their activities on campus. I think that would make Union a more professionally competitive school.
What are your plans after graduation?
I’m very interested in the business world and definitely want to pursue opportunities in that area, but whether that’s in finance, banking or a start-up, I’m not entirely sure at this point. I can also see myself going into politics, but I think that’s farther down the road.