Corey Trujillo (The Beacon)
By Corey Trujillo, Guest Commentary
As I enter my fourth year at UP, I find myself in at least one aspect, a freshman. I was elected to ASUP Senate this year and I am humbled by the veteran senators, most of whom are younger me. Contrasting with a typical freshman, I am unlikely to walk into the wrong classroom, pull an all-nighter playing video games, or fall off the Bluff. The awkward discomfort of freshman year is gone but the excitement and anticipation of a new experience is thriving in me as I begin my first term in Senate.
My first couple of years at UP, I knew we had a student government but that was about the extent of my knowledge of ASUP. I could not name my senators, and though I'd glanced over a few emails and articles about the Senate budget, I could not tell you how much money there was to allocate or toward what. I did not understand of the influence Senate had on campus, but most of all, I had no idea Senate not only wanted, but needed my input in order to effectively make a difference on campus.
I have helped coordinate and lead several different types of organizations since high school, but none of my previous co-leaders have ever impressed me like the members of this year's Senate and Executive Board. It is clear to me that they ran for their positions to represent and make a difference for you. Don't believe me? Senate meetings take place every Monday from 4:30 to 7:00 pm on the third floor of Shiley and are open to the public. Come see for yourself.
The moral of the story is that Senate can only make a noticeable difference on campus if you let us know what you want changed. So if you have an exciting new event that you're coordinating, a club that you want to start, or something on campus that you think is ridiculous, annoying or absurd, don't hesitate to let your senator know about it. We are here to help make this campus more of the place you want it to be. We can only do that with your honest input.
Corey Trujillo is a senior mechanical engineering and spanish major. He can be reached at trujillo13@up.edu
