On Nov. 12, Sophomore Trevor Pugh was sworn in as the speaker of the 13th Undergraduate Senate.
Pugh comes to the position with his prior experience as the senator for the class of 2020, where he served on the Committee on Responsible Advocacy and as vice chair of the Special Committee on Finance. Pugh was also the speaker pro-tempore for the 12th Undergraduate Senate, making him second in command to the speaker.
Pugh precedes past speakers Madison Wheeler and Noah Wills. As speaker, Pugh leads debate and presides over Senate meetings. He also works to prepare the Senate agenda, format legislation and collaborate with senators and administrators to carry out the legislation that is passed.
Pugh looks forward to his position, and hopes that he can use his role as speaker to improve the Senate’s image and increase awareness about its roles and responsibilities.
“Many people do not even know that [the Senate] exists and that it can be a resource for students wanting to see change at American University,” Pugh said. “For those that do know we exist, many of them have an unfavorable view of the body, and I want to change that as well.”
He said he is also excited to collaborate with the new senators and wants to help them become adjusted to their roles, especially because mostof them are new to the Senate and the University.
“I hope to get the senators excited in their new roles and get more active in the AU community,” Pugh said. “I hope to make a stronger connection between the students at American University and the senators that represent them.”
According to Pugh, the current body of senators is also the most diverse group that he has seen. He believes that this allows for a better representation of the student body in the Senate and for new perspectives to be brought to the table.
“There are fresh, exciting ideas that I have seen proposed from the senators already, and I am really excited to see the motivation and dedication that has been brought to the Senate get carried through to see actual change on campus,” Pugh said.
