Raich elected student body president.

This archived article was written by: Rachel Prows

Anticipation builds up in his chest as he stands in the crowd surrounded by his friends and fellow students, waiting for the winner to be called. Now is the moment that will show if all of his hard work paid off.
Ben Bjarnson, ‘15-‘16 student body president, takes the microphone and begins the announcement: “and your new ‘16-’17 student body president is. . .” A bead of sweat runs down a student’s forehead as he closes his eyes and waits for the name that will change his life: “Phill Raich.”
Having lived in Price the last 15 years, Raich developed a deep love for this school and has seen it in its many stages of change, having two older sisters that attended here.
“My favorite memory of USU Eastern was sneaking into the Lite Brite dance at age 16. It was the first time I had been to anything that was considered ‘adultish.’ I thought it was so crazy that people were willing to dance and drown themselves in paint. It made me more excited for college,” Raich said. “It is also something that I feel is very important to keep going, because it is something we are quite known for.”
Because his parents pushed him hard to get good grades in his early years of education, he was able to achieve his dream of coming here to receive a higher education.
Starting out wanting to be a train driver and have the exhilarating experience of blowing the whistle, Raich has decided to major in automotive in order to achieve his dream of becoming an automotive-field-service engineer, combining his passion with his skill.
Like many college students Raich’s goal is to, “survive school without drowning in payments to complete the necessary degrees.” Pizza is his favorite food with his reasoning being, “because college.”
“A nest for all Eagles” is what Raich is trying to provide for all the students at USU Eastern. Having his reason for coming here be all of the students, teachers, and faculty being so welcoming and supportive, Raich wants to provide that experience and atmosphere for all students who come here.
“My favorite thing I have been able to do in EUSA is being able to have a reason to sit down and talk with people. I am the kind of person who isn’t going to talk to somebody I don’t know without a reason. In EUSA there is always a reason to talk to people. It is so important to find out how the students feel and what they want and communication plays a key role in that,” said Raich.
With his favorite color being blue, one of the school colors, Raich sees a bright future ahead for the school. “Blue things are usually bright. A blue sky, the ocean, nobody looks at those and gets sad,” stated Raich.
“Life is a box full of rope. It’s all tangled up and it takes a while to figure out.” Philip Daniel Raich. Student Body President 2016-2017.