The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

The independent student newspaper of Northeastern University

The Huntington News

Meet the candidates: Christopher Bourne

Up until the sixth grade, Christopher Bourne always wanted to be an astronaut. In middle school he excelled in the sciences, but when he reached high school he discovered business and law.

Now a sophomore political science and psychology major with a minor in business, Bourne is practicing his politics by running for Student Government Association (SGA) president.

Northeastern was not one of Bourne’s first choices, as he had not initially realized what the university had to offer.

“When I visited in April of my senior year [of his high school], I fell in love with it,” Bourne said.

Raised in East Bridgewater, 40 minutes south of Boston, Bourne was involved with many activities in high school.

He was the treasurer of his class during his junior and senior years. He was on his school’s yearbook committee and the math team. Bourne was also a member of the Student Advisory Council where two delegates from Massachusetts high schools attend regional meetings to discuss the school’s issues.

Bourne heard about SGA during his summer orientation prior to the start of his freshman year. He attended the first senate meeting in the fall and has not looked back.

He joined the student services committee while current SGA President Rogan O’Handley was the vice president for student services.

“Once I got involved I saw [SGA’s] influence on campus. I was doing something more than planning a dance here and there like it was in high school,” Bourne said.

Now assistant vice president for student services, Bourne has been involved in a number of projects.

He worked with Chartwell’s providing quarters for the laundry system and was responsible for the project to get spousal privileges for the Marino Center so spouses of faculty, staff and employees can have limited access to Marino with a reduced fee.

Bourne stood against the administration when 13 student groups were abruptly booted from their student center space, and co-authored a Sense of the Senate condemning administration for the process. Since then he has been working with administration to solve these problems and plan future space allocation in the Curry Student Center.

“This year we have a better relationship with administration and it’s helped us get a lot more done. Now we have a great relationship; granted we butt heads on some issues. They are eager to help us,” Bourne said.

Bourne said being president of SGA will help him in his future.

“It’s going to be a life-altering experience, basically having a full-time job with SGA for an entire year of my life,” Bourne said. “It’s going to help me a lot going into law and politics. Future employers will see this as a positive thing.”

Aside from SGA, Bourne is also involved with the Resident Student Association (RSA). He has worked for intramural sports refereeing volleyball and softball and he is a resident assistant in Davenport A. He works as a building manager in the student center and is also the vice president of the College Republicans.

“I’m more fiscally conservative than anything else. That’s why I chose the Republicans,” Bourne said.

Bourne also enjoys working out at the gym and, when he finds free time, playing the guitar, relaxing and hanging out with his friends.

Bourne said he is running for president of the association, and not for a vice president position, because he has a lot to offer the student body.

“I want to give myself to the entire organization in every way I can. Granted, I know I could to do a great job with student services. I’ve been trained well,” he said. “I think I have more to offer and I want to bring that to the table and offer it to the student body.”

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