Being a residential advisor, a peer advisor and member of the College of Science Scholars program, an acting member and, as of April, the new President of Global Union, Harshita Sood has big plans for the organization and even bigger plans for herself. No wonder she is this week’s campus celebrity.
Where are you from?
Kolkata, India
What is your year and major?
I am 4th year Environmental Science major.
Why did you choose RIT?
Well, because of their BS program, it’s a really good place to study environmental studies. And I have always wanted to work with Tigers and RITs mascot is a Royal Bengal Tiger. Not just any Tiger- a Royal Bengal Tiger- they are found in my home state!
What has been your favorite class for far?
I would say either Animal Behavior or Conservation Biology.
What is your favorite thing about RIT?
I really like Student Affairs. I think they are a fantastic bunch of people- especially Res Life. There is always someone to listen to you, no matter what your problem is, you just need to find the right resource.
Where is your favorite place to eat at on campus?
Salsarita’s.
What made you get involved with Global Union?
My first year here, I lived in International House, which is a culture club affiliated with Global Union. And I had this lab partner who was a real jerk to me. He would stereotype against foreign people, it really bothered me and I didn’t know what to do about it back then. So I thought maybe if I joined Global Union, I could help other students who maybe struggling with this and don’t know what to do about it.
What made you want to become GU President?
I was in GU last year as Secretary, and there were just a lot of things I wanted to continue doing and a lot of things I wanted to do differently. I just had a vision of what I wanted Global Union to be, and I knew the only way of accomplishing that was if I were to run for President.
What are some things you’d like to accomplish both as President of GU and at RIT in general?
As President of GU: Further Student Affairs mission of making of making RIT the most engaged Campus by 2015. A subsection of that would be international culture clubs getting their names more out there, getting international students more involved in the RIT community. And dealing with issues that they face; a lot of them live off campus at Rustic Village and have transportation issues. That is one of the reasons why they don’t attend as many events as students living on campus. And that is my biggest thing even if they don’t live on campus, making them feel more like they are a part of RIT.
Personally: I just want to publish a research paper on the research I have been doing since freshman year on Isopods.
What is favorite food?
I don’t think I have a favorite food. But, my favorite cuisines are Malaysian and Thai.
What is your favorite song?
Anything by the Beatles.
What is your favorite book?
Harry Potter!
What is your dream job?
I want to be a Conservation Biologist.
What is something very few people know about you?
I know five languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi and American Sign Language. And I really like Cotton Candy!