Photo by: Daliah Singer
It may be his first year on Senate, but Rich Gould has quickly made a name for himself. Working on initiatives such as redrafting the AUSA constitution and improving the election process, this senior senator has been busy developing the many ideas he has heard in Senate this year.
Gould, a Chicago native, is a 21-year-old senior majoring in international studies. Originally planning on majoring in the jazz program at DU, Gould changed his mind at the last minute, deciding that international studies was a better choice.
He became involved in AUSA this year but says that he is sorry he didn’t start sooner. As a senior senator, Gould is working on a number of initiatives. One is to raise student awareness of graduation requirements as he feels it is currently “chaotic” for seniors to figure them out. He hopes to “centralize” these requirements on a Web site.
Gould is also working in conjunction with the Alumni Relations Office to plan the senior send-off events and senior gift.
Michael Jennings, student alumni director, has been working closely with Gould on these efforts
“I have tremedous respect for Rich. He is focused on making the senior experiecnce a memorable time for seniors as they walk away from DU. His love for DU shines from the first time I talked to him. We as administrators are happy to have students like him at DU,” Jennings said.
Along with his responsibilities as senior senator, Gould is chair of the Senate Affairs Committee and works with inter-Senate issues.
The Senate Affairs Committee was created at the end of last year and Gould is “still working to define its role.” One of the major undertakings of the committee is to revise the AUSA constitution which Gould says is “pretty dated.” The new draft is expected to be ratified in the next few weeks.
Inter-Senate issues involve matters related to filling vacancies within the Senate, overseeing spring elections, and addressing and fixing previous problems such as those that occurred during the spring 2006 elections.
Gould feels that there are “a lot of great ideas in Senate this year” and hopes his contributing efforts will “leave a good legacy behind.”
The potential legacy begins in June when Gould graduates and pursues his future goals. After graduation, he plans to look for work in China. Gould’s interest in Asia stems from his study abroad experience in Beijing and a summer spent in Shanghai, which he calls a “fantastically cool place.”
Gould also wants to work for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. He plans to attend graduate school in two to three years. Gould also says that “sometime down the road” he hopes to start his own consulting business to help small businesses in rural areas.
Gould has taken advantage of all the opportunities available at him by being an active member of Chi Phi fraternity, the Interfraternity Council, and Model UN throughout his years at DU. He advises fellow students to do the same because it “makes college better.”
He also asserts that at DU, one “learns as much from classmates as professors.” He attributes this to the “community feel, size of the school and of classes” that he so enjoys here.
A self-proclaimed “fascinating” guy, Gould’s personality and leadership are reflected by fellow students and colleagues.
Liz Sanchez, another senior senator said about Rich, “My experience working with [him] on AUSA has been a positive one. His great attitude and work ethic has made him a well-respected member of Senate, and I look forward to working with him on initiatives throughout the rest of the year.”
