If you don’t know Sam Helm ’12, you probably should. Helm has a presence on campus that is nearly as legendary as his rib-crushing hugs that leave your legs dangling inches above the ground.
Helm is a psychology major and an East Asian studies minor, and he is also known for his computer skills. His diverse academic interests are just the tip of the iceberg; Helm has been an active member of the College’s Hall Staff since the spring of his first year on the Hill, and he is currently a Community Advisor (CA) in Dana. Helm was recently made Assistant Resident Director for the 2011-2012 school year, and will advise and mentor his peers from the comfort of a six-person Alfond apartment.

Alongside his Community Advisor duties, Helm serves as chair of the Student Programming Board (SPB)’s social committee. Perhaps these engagements help to explain Helm’s constant trips up and down the Pulver Pavilion staircase But Helm presented another reason: “I love the pub, it’s actually my favorite place in the world. Well, maybe not in the world, but definitely on campus,” he said.

Helm hails from Palermo, ME, only about twenty minutes from the Hill. “It’s the perfect distance away,” he said. “I don’t feel obligated to go home all the time, but if I want to, it’s there.” Helm is always eager to invite friends to the house for lasagna and some of his famous peanut butter bars (try to eat just one). The constant stream of students from the Hill to the Helm household has led to an interesting tradition; Helm and his family invite visitors to autograph a set of old wooden doors, and the collection of names shows the abundance of their hospitality. “A significant percentage [the College] has signed the doors in our living room, so that’s cool,” Helm  said.

Family is extremely important to Helm; his brother Zach Helm graduated from the College in 2009. “Having a senior as an older brother had some serious advantages,” he said.

Helm enjoys working out, watching baseball and playing basketball. He loves “everything but twangy country and angsty girl music,” and his favorite movie is The Departed. Helm is an avid fan of most everything related to Boston, including the Drop Kick Murphys and the Red Sox. “I’m Irish, if you couldn’t tell,” Helm added. “Doghead is my favorite holiday, by far.”

Helm would love to live in or around Boston someday, and his dream job is to be Jay-Z’s agent. “Actually, I want to be the agent of Jay-Z and Beyonce’s child,” he said. “I think that timing would be about right, when I’m all into the professional world.”

Helm may have traded in his childhood dream of being an official Ben & Jerry’s taste tester, but he’s still dreaming big.