Two University of Maryland (UMD) students have expanded their roles as student liaisons to the College Park City Council.
Juniors Nick DiSpirito, the student liaison, and deputy liaison Amira Abujuma created a 13-member Student Liaison Advisory Council to plan events, conduct research and grow the pair’s social media presence.
In addition, they enlisted more than two dozen students to speak in favor of a council ordinance to prevent landlords from pressuring tenants to re-sign their leases less than six months before the contracts expire, held a voter registration drive and have proposed a paid internship program that would match students with councilmembers.
“There are [student] liaisons who are more active and those who are less active,” John Rigg, a former city councilmember for District 3, said. “[DiSpirito and Abujuma] definitely count in the ‘more active’ [category], maybe even the most active student liaisons we have had the pleasure of [working] with.”
Both were involved with College Park issues even before taking on their roles. DiSpirito formerly worked with Rigg on pedestrian safety, and Abujuma served on the founding committee of the College Park Tenants Union.
At the start of their term in June, both said their main focus was affordable off-campus housing for students. Rigg said by the end of summer, the liaisons had approached him with a proposal for an early lease ordinance.
The ordinance, which the city council adopted in March, prevents landlords from asking tenants to renew their apartment leases until 180 days before the end of the lease. Abujuma said students have complained that some landlords reach out as early as a week after move-in asking about renewing for the following year.
Abujuma said this is unfair to students, who are still adjusting to their new living situation at that time and may not know their plans for the following school year.
“You’re stuck with making this life-altering decision on whether or not to re-sign this lease or potentially go without housing for a few months as you look for other options,” Abujuma said. The new ordinance “will prevent landlords from continuing to profit and exploit students’ need for housing.”
Both liaisons also spoke with University of Michigan students, who helped pass a similar proposal in Ann Arbor in 2024.
About 30 students testified, both in person and virtually, at the Nov. 12 council meeting in support of the ordinance. Dhruvak Mirani, the UMD student body president and a former student liaison, said student involvement helps councilmembers effectively represent students’ needs.
“It means so much for city council members to hear directly from the people who live the issue, day-in and day-out,” Mirani said. “I’m fully in favor of any future efforts that Nick and Amira can take to bring more students into a place where decisions are happening.”
DiSpirito and Abujuma said their new advisory council is another way to involve students in government affairs.
DiSpirito said the advisory council has improved student outreach with highly engaged members who are discussing city policy with professors and student organizations.
The liaisons’ proposal to place one paid student intern with each councilmember comes after recent federal budget cuts, which DiSpirito said have affected UMD students’ job prospects.
“By creating more locally based internship opportunities, we have the benefit of getting students back to work, but also allowing them to be more involved in local government,” DiSpirito said. “A really big thing [is] getting more young people civically engaged in local government.”
Rigg said he thinks highly of the liaisons’ work and how they approach their positions.
“They [came to me] with a defined issue [and] … a proposed solution, and a lot of evidence,” Rigg said. “It’s extremely effective advocacy on their part and extremely effective representation.”