Uncertain who to vote for in this year’s student body elections? Reading up on our latest campus celeb may just be able to help you out. Her Campus caught up with Student Body Prez hopeful, Forrest McGuire and got an exclusive profile of the driven junior behind the catchy “Run Forrest, Run!” slogan.
Name: Forrest McGuire
Age: 20
Year: Junior
Hometown: Huntington, WV
Major/Minor: Management and Leadership
Involvement on Campus: Chief of Staff for ASG, Former president of Chi Psi fraternity
Favorite class taken at Miami: MGT 303 Human Resource Management with Brianne Waugh
Post-Miami plans: Ultimately become an international Human Resource manager and work abroad
Hobbies: Soccer, scuba diving, campaigning for student body president
Favorite movie of all time: 500 Days of Summer
Favorite song on the radio right now: Thrift Shop by Macklemore
Fun fact about yourself: I was in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this fall as a clown!
Influential figures throughout your life: My parents for teaching me all of the values and lessons in my life, my assistant soccer coach in high school, Firas Al-Simmarie for teaching me how to become a leader, and my Big in Chi Psi, Nick Huber for modeling me to reach my full potential as a leader and a person.
HC: Being the Student Body President of a university is a highly demanding endeavor. And at a school as large and acclaimed as Miami, there is an immense amount of responsibility put on those involved within the student government. What led you to run for the position and why do you think you are the man for the job?
FM: I wanted to run for the position because I felt that I had the most experience to run and could really hit the ground running immediately following the election if I am elected. I’ve also been raised to leave something better than when you first found it, and I want to give back to Miami all that it has given me and that is why I want to run for student body president to uphold the legacy as well as lead.
HC: The position of Student Body President requires a certain dedication to the students here and the betterment of the Miami experience as a whole. What about your time at Miami made you want to give back to your school?
FM: When I came to Miami, what really caught my attention was when I talked to any current or former students, they all had the same message, which was basically, “Miami was the best four years of my life, I wish I could go back and do it again.” I’ve had the most amazing three years of my life here at Miami and I want to ensure that the generations after me have that same love and honor for Miami that I do. I want to make sure that every student has the opportunity to make their student experience the best that it possibly can be.
HC: How do you think your experience as Chi Psi’s former President will benefit you in serving our entire student body if you win this election?
FM: I was elected only after 6 months of being initiated to be the president of a 60+ man fraternity to lead them. They saw that I had the drive, passion and leadership qualities it took to be the president even as a sophomore. My experience as Chi Psi’s president was really a time of change and as I took office I wanted to make sure to get Chi Psi’s reputation out and make our mission to be the top gentlemen’s fraternity on Miami’s campus. During my time as president, I was faced with a lot of challenges internally and externally that I had to resolve and move past. However, it was also a time of great innovation and creativity where I was able to implement new programs with my executive committee. What I want to do with my term as president of the student body is to continue that creative flow and incorporate new ideas into how ASG works and how it reaches out to the student body. We are the representatives of the students and I want to find innovative ways to reach out to hear their voices and make sure that have the opportunity to be heard.
HC: You and your running mate, Lot Kwarteng have established ten points that make up the platform for your campaign. Which of these areas of improvement are you most passionate about and why?
FM: Of course we care about all of them, I would say our two main priorities are with Medical Amnesty as well as Professional Development for College of Arts and Science majors. Medical amnesty is something that I have been with since it’s creation a year and a half ago and it is something I will be with until the end when we get the administration to pass it. Lot is a political science major and has seen that there aren’t as many professional opportunities for CAS majors here at Miami and he wants to make sure that we get as many opportunities to Miami’s campus as possible to help students in CAS find jobs after graduation.
HC: What is one thing you think people should know about your running mate, Lot Kwarteng?
FM: One of the hardest working and most passionate individuals I’ve met in my life. During this entire campaign, he was the pledge educator for his fraternity and had the weight of the future of his new members on his shoulder but he was also campaigning with me all while balancing his academics. Lot brings a fresh perspective on the table being a student trustee on the board of trustees and is very engaging with policies he wants to enact in regards to Professional Development.
HC: You have mentioned that you wish to contribute your efforts to helping ensure that Miami continues to improve its national rankings, specifically for its freshman retention rate. If you take the election, what specific actions do you intend on executing to make this happen?
FM: If we improve academic advising it will come full circle to keep freshman here for their second year on campus. If freshman are given great academic advising and find what their passionate for they will be more likely to stay on campus and be engaged as a student. 27.5% of national rankings is based off of graduation and retention, if we can improve the quality of academic advising, we can keep students on campus and help Miami’s rankings as a university.
HC: You noted briefly on your official campaign page that you wish to “promote a university environment that has tough penalties for sexual assault cases.” As an online magazine for college women, we see this as an important issue. Our readers would love to know how you and Kwarteng hope to address future incidences of sexual assault and how you would strive to keep Miami a place where campus safety and accountability are valued.
FM: We want the students to know that sexual assault cases will not be tolerated on this campus or in the city of Oxford. We want those who have committed sexual crimes to be punished and for those who have been victimized not only to feel comfortable enough to report it and get any and all help that they will need. Lot and I view that safety as a top priority for students on Miami’s campus and we want to ensure that offenders are penalized for their actions.
HC: As a part of your campaign, you have also emphasized the need to connect Greek organizations with other student groups on campus to host service events- as a member of the Greek community yourself, what excites you about this possibility?
FM: I am very excited about this because I feel sometimes that many of our organizations are caught in their own worlds and are oblivious to the organizations that surround them. The Greek community as a whole does a lot of amazing things but are sometimes stagnant in their own bubble. We would love to help make the bridge that gaps the Greek community with other student groups to promote better inclusion, more collaboration and benefit the community as a whole.
HC: Seems like just yesterday when we were stepping onto this campus as freshmen and now senior year is right around the corner. Any advice you wish you could go back and give to your freshman self? Anything you would do differently?
FM: Three things specifically:
1. Get involved 2. Get involved 3. GET INVOLVED
I wish I wouldn’t have waited until my second semester to start jumping into different student groups on campus. I was involved with my dorm as president of Havighurst hall, but I didn’t try and go out to seek other student organizations to be a part of. I’m a big fan of not dipping your toe in the water but just going and jumping off of the high dive. If there’s any advice I can give to new incoming freshman it is that they should get involved as soon as possible with whatever their passions are. Not only is it rewarding to give back to something greater than yourself, but you develop long friendships that will last for years after freshman year and it will inevitably make your Miami experience the best that it can be.
HC: Best memory you’ve made at Miami thus far?
FM: My favorite memory would have to be freshman year living in Havighurst hall. I made so many great friends there, especially the first semester. We were all new to college, were looking for great friends to be around, and we all found each other. Even though we may not get to hangout as much now that we all live in different parts of campus, every time I see an old friend from freshman year it’s like no time had passed at all. I can’t believe I only have one year left here, I can’t imagine life not being at Miami. I’ve had the most incredible three years here, arguably the best three years of my life. I can’t wait to see what next year hold for me and my friends as we continue making our legacy and our Miami experience.
- For more information on Forrest and his platform, visit yourmudegree.com
- Voting takes place this Wednesday and Thursday @ miamioh.edu/hub