American University Student Government senators elected Ishita Jamar, a sophomore in the School of Communication, as speaker of the AU Undergraduate Senate via a Zoom call on Sunday.
Jamar was formerly a class of 2023 senator and a senator for the campus at-large. In November, she championed the “Commission on Preventing and Handling Sexual Assault Cases,” a report established by AUSG that provides recommendations on how to handle sexual assault on campus.
“I believe the relationships I’ve created while I was [a] senator and the knowledge I acquired will help the Senate be as effective as possible this year,” Jamar said. “That being said, I think the biggest reason I am the right choice for speaker is simply because my colleagues believed I could be. I’m grateful to have made friends in the senate and AUSG who realize my potential and encourage me to fulfill it.”
Jamar said that she is looking forward to working with AU’s administration in the coming months on its coronavirus response, specifically pointing to the mid-semester residential experience, testing and vaccinations.
She succeeds sophomore Edu Nogues, who decided not to run for reelection after the new senate began its term at the beginning of the spring semester.
“Ishita is exceptionally bright, and has a marvelous way of looking at how things should be done,” Nogues said. “She is able to reach consensus and have an actual pragmatic discussion.”
Jamar was elected with 13 votes from current senators, with three abstaining from the vote.
In the same meeting, sophomore Martina Beggy, the parliamentarian of AUSG, announced her resignation. She said that her successor will be announced within the next week.
