thedrifter
03-26-09, 07:29 AM
Posted on March 26, 2009 4:58 AM
UPUA candidate shaped by military experience
By Neha Prakash
Collegian Staff Writer
Matt Smith has successfully completed the list of the things to do before graduating from Penn State, including dancing in Interfraternity Council/Pahnhellenic dance marathon, climbing Mount Nittany and visiting the bell in Old Main's tower.
Now, Smith (junior-international politics) hopes to check off his own addition to the list -- becoming the University Park Undergraduate Association's (UPUA) vice president for 2009-2010 academic year.
"Success is a team effort, and failure is a leader's fault," Smith said.
Running with presidential candidate Samantha Miller (junior-political science), Smith is a veteran leader, having served in the Marines for about five years. Smith, who was deployed to Iraq three times, worked mainly in military intelligence.
Smith enlisted after his senior year in high school in Hanover, entering boot camp shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks. Smith said he never regretted joining the Marines, adding it gave him the ability to follow in the path of his grandfather, who served in Korea.
"I really feel like I contributed at the time. ... After five years I had done my grandfather proud," Smith said. "I felt fulfilled. ... There was closure there."
Smith said he grew greatly during his military experience, remembering being in the middle of war zones seeing flares over his head thinking, "Wow, this is real military power."
"It was the first time I had a cigarette. ... I thought I was being all hard," he said.
Dan Wegert served with Smith in the Marines and said Smith was one of his closest friends overseas and still talks to him, saying he values Smith's honesty the most.
As a student at Penn State, Smith said he immediately began to get involved, trying his hardest to "rise up in student government." He is the current academic affairs chairman for UPUA. Smith said he devoted almost all his time in UPUA to working closely with University Faculty Senate and other administrators.
"Matt brings an expertise to the ticket I don't have, which is in academic affairs," Miller said. " ... These are the problems that affect students more commonly."
Apart from UPUA, Smith was the former president of the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Student Council.
On his and Miller's platform, Smith said he is most passionate about providing programming for international students over breaks who cannot leave University Park because of cost, adding, "these students are largely left to fend for themselves."
Tanis Smith, Matt's younger brother, said he always valued his brother's leadership and dedication.
"Your time always comes before his time," Smith's brother said. "He's always been someone I could count on and I really love him for that."
Ellie
UPUA candidate shaped by military experience
By Neha Prakash
Collegian Staff Writer
Matt Smith has successfully completed the list of the things to do before graduating from Penn State, including dancing in Interfraternity Council/Pahnhellenic dance marathon, climbing Mount Nittany and visiting the bell in Old Main's tower.
Now, Smith (junior-international politics) hopes to check off his own addition to the list -- becoming the University Park Undergraduate Association's (UPUA) vice president for 2009-2010 academic year.
"Success is a team effort, and failure is a leader's fault," Smith said.
Running with presidential candidate Samantha Miller (junior-political science), Smith is a veteran leader, having served in the Marines for about five years. Smith, who was deployed to Iraq three times, worked mainly in military intelligence.
Smith enlisted after his senior year in high school in Hanover, entering boot camp shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks. Smith said he never regretted joining the Marines, adding it gave him the ability to follow in the path of his grandfather, who served in Korea.
"I really feel like I contributed at the time. ... After five years I had done my grandfather proud," Smith said. "I felt fulfilled. ... There was closure there."
Smith said he grew greatly during his military experience, remembering being in the middle of war zones seeing flares over his head thinking, "Wow, this is real military power."
"It was the first time I had a cigarette. ... I thought I was being all hard," he said.
Dan Wegert served with Smith in the Marines and said Smith was one of his closest friends overseas and still talks to him, saying he values Smith's honesty the most.
As a student at Penn State, Smith said he immediately began to get involved, trying his hardest to "rise up in student government." He is the current academic affairs chairman for UPUA. Smith said he devoted almost all his time in UPUA to working closely with University Faculty Senate and other administrators.
"Matt brings an expertise to the ticket I don't have, which is in academic affairs," Miller said. " ... These are the problems that affect students more commonly."
Apart from UPUA, Smith was the former president of the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Student Council.
On his and Miller's platform, Smith said he is most passionate about providing programming for international students over breaks who cannot leave University Park because of cost, adding, "these students are largely left to fend for themselves."
Tanis Smith, Matt's younger brother, said he always valued his brother's leadership and dedication.
"Your time always comes before his time," Smith's brother said. "He's always been someone I could count on and I really love him for that."
Ellie