With the clock ticking down on his tenure, SG President Robert Huffman is leaving office this May with few controversies.
Huffman spoke with the UP in his office on the second floor of the Student Union less than 24 hours after the unofficial election results came out on Feb. 22 and Ella Tepper was named unofficial president-elect. He was very relaxed and reflected on the changes he’s endured since becoming president.
Huffman, a senior business administration and marketing management major, and his vice president, April Turner were elected in Spring 2012. Huffman has been SG president since May 2012 and received some perks with the job, such as free tuition, an exclusive parking space, and a free cellphone. He is a founding member of his fraternity chapter Delta Tau Delta. As president, he used that same passion for creating tradition by initiating new events during his term as president.
Whether it was having the presidential debate watch party at the football stadium or the 24-hour tailgating event before the FIU football game in November, Huffman hopes these were investments for the student body to enjoy their college experience.
UP: What made you want to run for office in the first place?
RH: “The reason I ran is because I love FAU. I came here because it was my first choice university. When I saw the opportunity to actually make a difference and help build the university, I took advantage of it.”
UP: Has being in office changed you personally since before you were elected?
RH: “It’s gotten me to be less afraid to take chances, speak to different people, to go against the grain, [and] to challenge others.”
UP: What’s the most significant thing you learned from being a leader?
RH: “Here, your personal opinion only goes so far. You’ve got to think about everyone else’s opinion. For the past year, I kind of put my personal opinion aside. I tried to make decisions based off the betterment of the student body as a whole.”
UP: What are some projects you started to make students more aware of what their A&S fees are being used for?
RH: “One thing April [Turner] and I started is our seal and brand of SG. What that does is it gets students aware about what they fund. The seal doesn’t represent me [or Turner] or anybody else in Student Government. It represents the students.”
UP: What was going through your mind when you voted against raising tuition at your first Board of Trustees meeting last May?
RH: “I think it was the first full Board meeting of my term, so it was very intimidating to go into a room where there are hardly any other students there. Being the only person to vote no within the Board, it’s difficult. But it’s the only way I can sleep at night knowing that I represented my students, because I know that nobody wanted that tuition increase.”
UP: What was the most difficult moment in your tenure as SG president?
RH: “I would say the beginning was definitely the most difficult. I just got inaugurated in this [position] and you have your first Board of Trustees meeting which you have to vote on fees. Then right around the corner next meeting was tuition increase. Those few things were difficult enough for me.”
UP: Why did you fail on your campaign promise to bring Greek housing on campus?
RH: “I guess you can say that’s something I let my students down on. It’s kind of out of my hands because it has to do with money. I’d definitely gotten the word to Dr. Brown [Senior Vice President of Student Affairs], President Saunders, [and] to the Board of Trustees that we need Greek housing.”
UP: What are your plans for after you graduate this spring and leave FAU?
RH: “It’s a difficult question. To be honest, I don’t really know. Even for myself, I want to be successful in whatever I do and live a good life. I don’t want to have to worry about money. I want to have a good family. I don’t have too many high expectations as far as life goes.”
UP: What friendly advice do you have about the job that you can share with your successor?
RH: “The only thing I really would tell [them] is don’t be afraid to voice your opinion, don’t be afraid to think outside the box, and enjoy representing the students.”
[Ed note: A previous version of this story said Robert Huffman was the only Board of Trustees member to vote against raising tuition. Jeffrey Feingold, also voted against raising tuition.]
