Pacific Index

Pacific’s 2025-2026 Undergraduate Student Senate is ready to help students tackle campus issues

“Let us know what we can do better, and let us know what issues that you have,” is Kyle Woodcock’s message to Pacific’s student body. After sitting with this year’s Undergraduate Student Senate, their role is clear: To be there for students. 

President Gabriel Zurita adds to that sentiment. “I am mostly the voice of the student body. I am here to advocate for students’ needs, and I also work with my cabinet of my vice presidents to achieve that goal.”

This year’s cabinet includes VP of Finance Jagjot Singh, VP of Campus Betterment Kyle Woodcock, VP of Equity and Inclusion Gigi Whisler, VP of Communications Dylan Heimbuch, and VP of Leadership Quetzali Buenrostro Andalon. The senate also includes academic senators, and though voting has closed, the position of senator for undeclared and new transfer students is still open. Zurita says “If anyone trickles in, we will still accept applications and would gladly have them on as an academic senator.” 

The Student Senate is dedicated to helping students with any and every issue. Woodcock explains, “My role is to improve things on campus in various different ways.” He encourages students to come to the senate with their campus-related issues. Whisler describes her role as, “Being there for students if they have an issue where they do feel like they are not receiving an equitable treatment, or they are not being included.” Heimbuch’s goal is, “Bringing community, and helping people to find things they’d be interested in or maybe haven’t tried before because they didn’t realize it was there.” Heimbuch also helps spread information about club events through the senate’s social media. The variety of roles in the student senate allows them to cover any issues students may encounter. 

When asked why they decided to be part of the senate, Zurita jokingly answered, “How much time do you have?” He summed up his continuing efforts to create positive change at Pacific by explaining, “I was chair of ACE Board, I was an RA for a couple years, and I believe that becoming Student Senate President provided me the opportunity to connect better with students as well as make more change than being either an RA or on ACE Board.” The VPs also expressed similar sentiments of hoping to help students. Whistler says “I know what it feels like to not be included, and to have to fight to get equitable treatment, and I’ve had that experience at Pacific.” Whistler wants to create, “an avenue to help other students to not feel that way or to feel that someone is supporting them in those battles.”

As for current problems the senate is working to resolve, Zurita shares, “I think the overarching goal for Student Senate is to be more transparent in terms of our budget. The clubs have advocated for themselves in the sense of a more approachable Student Senate government…A lot of people put a lot of work into a pretty good budget spreadsheet that hopefully this year will make budgeting a lot better for clubs.” 

In the realm of individual goals, Heimbuch aims to get clubs more engagement, and Woodcock hopes to help bring about the return of the Boxer mascot costume at school events. Whisler intends to bring a workshop to campus about respectful communication to aid students in discussing difficult topics. 

However, one difficulty facing the senate is student engagement. In spite of their open meetings every Thursday from noon to 12:50 pm, Whisler says “Not a lot of people have shown up to them in the past, but we want people to know that’s a thing they can do.” These meetings are held in the Boxer Pause, and the senate encourages students to show up. 

In regards to what students may think about these meetings, Woodcock explains, “It’s not just a group of twenty students making calls for the entire campus, it’s everyone in the student body having a say in what we do.” Heimbuch adds, “Even if you don’t have anything to say, you can just show up and see what’s going on. It’s your way to get your voice in there.” 

In addition to their meetings, the Student Senate is also working on creating a virtual suggestion box and a Google Form students can use to get help with campus issues. Their main ask from students: participate. Get involved with the student senate. Even if you don’t think a topic is important, your voice matters. Pacific’s Student Senate is dedicated and ready to help, so long as students reach out.