1. Name: Sam Gottuso
2. Major, Year: Public Health, Senior
3. Hometown: Fair Haven, NJ (Greatest state in the Union)
4. Affiliated with: Hopkins College Dems, JHU Varsity Track
5. You can probably find me… Either running repeats on the track or stuffing my face in FFC… yes I am a senior with a meal plan.
6. The best thing about Hopkins is… The people. I’m continuously impressed with the diversity of ideas, and people, that make Hopkins the interesting and quirky place that it is.
7. Something I’m especially proud of is… This the last 2 semesters I’ve been interning with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy… Where I think I’m making real change. I’ve been working on trying to reduce drug overdose deaths, the number 1 cause of preventable death in America (drug overdose deaths have surpassed car crashes!).
8. Something most people don’t know about me is… I own (and have beaten) every Pokemon game for the Gameboy systems…. You could say I’m a true Pokemaster.
9. This year, I hope to… graduate on time (don’t worry mom and dad I probably will), savor every last Natty Boh, and of course hold some kick-ass College Dems events.
10. In five years, I will be… I’d love to be able to make a tangible difference in people’s lives, maybe through Health Policy. Our nation can only be as strong as it is healthy.
11. Next up for me is… Track season is coming up—I’d love to help Hopkins repeat our Conference Champions title, and run in the Penn Relays.
12. Why being part of College Democrats is important to me: Living in the Hopkins bubble can cut you off from the rest of the world. Dems has helped me stay involved with what is going in the world, while also broadening my view of the world.
13. My best experience with College Democrats has been: I’ve loved the 2 canvassing trips Dems took. (1 for Governor Terry McAuliffe of Va. And the other for Governor Tom Wolfe of Pa.) Not only did we do an amazing job and got 2 governors elected, but it’s always so interesting to talk to so many different voters and see what really is important to a broad swath of America.
14. Why knowing about politics is important as a student: It impacts almost everything you do! Your voice is not heard because politicians don’t care, but because no one participates. If students were more involved in politics, there is the possibility that college tuition would be lower, Mental Health would be more broadly addressed by the Federal government and Chipotle would give out free burritos 2x a week (hey, you never know!).