Who are you?
Harry Catalani or @HarryCatalani is you prefer my super original twitter handle. (Selfless plug).
How old are you?
19 but depending on when this comes out 20 because my birthday is in two days.
Year/major?
ILR, sophomore
Where are you from?
Commack, NY
Favorite quote?
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost” – J.R.R. Tolkien
Favorite color?
Purple
Favorite movie?
Any and every Godzilla movie, except the 1998 version obviously. Or Spaceballs because it’s a classic.
Favorite TV show?
Either The West Wing because I’m a nerd or Game of Thrones because I’m a nerd.
What are you involved with on campus?
I am on the Cornell Undergraduate Research Board. I am a politics sector analyst for Cornell Current, and I am also a member of the Big Red Bears.
What are your hobbies?
Like any other college student I love Netflix and eating. But I also love reading books for fun (not for school), blogs, or news.
Who is your role model?
My brother Phil is my role model. He is five years older than I am and it is kind of funny because we were both completely different people growing up and we rarely got along. But today we are still super different and actually we get along really well. I can talk to him about anything and we constantly share our ambitions and life goals with one another and always try to help one another out. He is the person I call when I need advice and I really admire how driven he is.
What is your dream job (You can have more than one)?
President of the United States? That would be cool but I would settle for Congressman to be honest. But seriously, I am considering careers in either human resources or consulting, so anything along those lines would be a win in my book. Being a Vice President of Human Resources or a senior consultant wherever I decide to work is a real life goal.
Favorite part of being a Cornell Student?
My favorite part of Cornell is definitely the student body. I have never met such a large group of people with such diverse and deep interests. It has been easy to find people who are passionate about the things I am passionate about and it has also been super easy to meet new people who have different interests than mine and still hold a conversation with them. One of my favorite things is when I am talking to somebody and seeing their entire posture change and face light up when they are talking about a topic that they truly love and care deeply for. It may just be a “college thing” it is something that I have found to be pretty common here at Cornell.
Any advice you would give to new students?
There is no such thing as failure. When I first came to Cornell, I applied to a lot of clubs and organizations and I didn’t get into most of them. It was definitely a jarring experience, especially since I had just transferred to Cornell and was still in a new environment. But I took those failures and turned them into opportunities to expand my interests. I view myself in a different but also better way than I did before I came to Cornell and I am thankful for those experiences even if they didn’t turn out how I expected.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you?
“I’m just Harry, just Harry”. Shockingly enough, my full name is Harry (but unlike Harry Potter, I am not a wizard). People are surprised when they learn my name isn’t short for anything especially since my friends call me Harold and my family calls me Harvey. It’s weird, I know, but it’s Harry, just Harry.