Pohl resigns from TCU Senate

Junior Matthew Pohl announced Sunday that he will vacate his seat in the Tufts Community Union (TCU) Senate to dedicate time to a new political group he helped found.

Pohl, who was elected as a senator last fall, plans to leave his seat at the end of the semester to dedicate time to Emerge, a non-partisan political group focused on the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered (LGBT) people.

An election for a replacement will be held early next semester.

"Retaining my role in the TCU Senate and helping to run an immensely growing political organization on campus is not realistic," Pohl said at the Senate's meeting on Sunday night.

"It is with a profound sense of sadness, appreciation, and optimism that I submit my resignation."

Pohl said his decision to leave his post to focus his efforts on Emerge was not easy. "The ride [with the Senate] has been wonderful, but sometimes it's necessary to switch gears," he said.

Although the Senate has been an "overwhelmingly positive" experience, he said, his desire to become increasingly politically active on behalf of the LGBT community conflicted with his role as a senator.

Pohl started planning Emerge last summer and he will have many responsibilities with his new group. "I will be helping to coordinate major education campaigns, rallies, fundraisers, and partnerships with activist groups at other area colleges and universities," he said.

Fellow senators supported the decision and praised Pohl's achievements. "I respect that he has other commitments and it's simply an issue of not being able to put the amount of time he feels necessary into both groups simultaneously," Senate Historian Jeff Katzin said.

Freshman Senator Simon Sassenberg was confident that Pohl had made the right decision. "I believe that the University and greater community will greatly benefit from [Pohl's] work with Emerge," he said.

Freshman senator Andrew Caplan said that Pohl's "energy and enthusiasm are contagious."

"I am glad that he will be applying them to such an important cause," he said.

Pohl told senators Sunday why he thought Emerge was important and highlighted issues such as discrimination on the basis of sexuality in the workplace.

"Political activism -- becoming a catalyst for positive change -- is now my life," Pohl said.

The Senate will formally announce the vacancy of Pohl's seat at the beginning of the spring semester.