People: Sumter Link

If anyone ever asks you who the big man on campus is, they might tell you it’s Student… If anyone ever asks you who the big man on campus is, they might tell you it’s Student Government Board President Sumter Link – especially if you call Telefact for the answer.

After working for Pitt’s Telefact service, giving tours to prospective engineering students, serving as an officer for Engineering Student Council and later as SGB member in 2007, Link decided to run for president.

The engineering-major-turned-student-politician from Columbia, S.C., won students over with a priority of getting a fall break for Pitt students. He said the initiative is possible for the fall but unlikely to be scheduled until following calendar years.

“Compared to other schools, Pitt has a much longer summer break than other schools,” said Link. “However, we get a day off on Labor Day, and the next break isn’t for nearly another three months.”

As an out-of-state student, he said it was difficult for him to go home before Thanksgiving break. Although only a slight majority of an online poll of 3,500 students favored fall break, Link said the number would be higher if all students had participated.

“Every endorsement meeting I went into when running for SGB president