On the third floor of Lockwood Library, Student Association (SA) President-elect Hassan Farah sits at a computer, relaxed and reflective on the past few weeks of his victorious campaign.
???As a freshman serving on the Student Assembly, Farah had a vision of himself as SA president. Through his time at UB and his diverse background, he felt that he was well qualified for the job.
???"My early involvement in UB government and clubs encouraged me to become SA president," Farah said. "My freshman year, SA was very vibrant and welcoming. It was something I really wanted to get involved with and was interested in from the beginning."
???Farah was born in Somalia and grew up in Kenya. His family then moved to Uganda, where he attended grammar school and became fluent in five languages. They then moved to the U.S. when he was 13 years old.
???His parents decided to move to the U.S. so their children could get the best education possible.
???"It was awesome over there [in Africa]. The education system was British, but the curriculum and language are very similar [to] here," Farah said. "But it was Africa, not a place that is as rich as many countries and does not provide as many opportunities that other countries around the world can."
???Farah attended Lafayette High School in Buffalo, where he was active in many sports, including football, tennis and soccer. He also wrote for the school newspaper and attended the Academy of Finance, where he took courses in accounting, finance and economics. Currently at UB, Farah is a junior, double majoring in economics and political science, with a minor in international business and world trade.
???Farah believes that being a part of many groups and organizations can benefit him in the future once he officially takes office.
???"I thought I could use my past experiences here at UB to promote change," Farah said. "I would like to show that SA is not just an organization, but is there to represent the voice and concerns of the students."
???Farah had been heavily involved in UB government and clubs prior to last week's election. As a freshman, he served as a Student Association assembly member. During his sophomore year, he was a member of the UB Advocates Program and vice president of Muslim Student Association. This year, Farah has served as chairperson of the SA Senate, advocating for student clubs.
???"I was involved in the assembly and had a good idea of how things in SA work. I was motivated to run for president through that," Farah said. "Another major motivation was [that] the current SA is not working to its potential. There are close to 19,000 undergrads. We need to represent them all."
???Farah and the other newly elected SA representatives have a number of plans they would like to bring to the campus, including a 24-hour library open for health and services students on South Campus and around-the-clock bus service to give students more adequate transportation between campuses. He also hopes that one aspect of student life is appropriately dealt with - safety.
???[Safety] has been an issue this past year," Farah said. "The priority of every student here is academics. With a safer campus, that is easier to focus on. I want to make sure every student is safe so they can focus on their goals and education."
???Another goal that Farah anticipates working toward is increasing every undergraduate student's awareness of SA.
???"I would like to engage in the student body," Farah said. "There seems to be a disconnection with students from the SA and because of that, there is no concern among regular students with SA. I would like that to change."
???According to Farah, every elected official in SA currently has office hours, which is something he hopes to continue in the future. He is also considering the possibility of using social networking Web sites such as YouTube, Facebook and other Web sites to stay connected with the student body.
???"I would also like to get a State of the Student Association address, which will be a flow of information between SA and the students," Farah said. "There is going to be a steady flow of information for the students. We ran in our campaign that we would be accountable, transparent and accessible. We plan on keeping our promises."
???Farah also wants to hear ideas from students on what SA can do for them, providing the best value possible for the UB student community.
???"Every undergraduate student pays a fee," Farah said. "We would like to listen to every undergraduate and let them voice their concerns so we can help them."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
