By the time midterms rolled around, Nicholas Coughlin PZ ’29, newly elected first-year representative for the Pitzer College Class of 2029, had managed the rare feat of being on a first-name basis with half the student body — across all five colleges.
You don’t so much encounter Nicky C. — as he’s colloquially known to students on campus — as get swept up in his orbit. He’s the one threading through a crowd, pausing just long enough to holler a greeting or to make sure you have someone to talk to.
“I started telling people on the first day, I’m running for freshman class president,” Coughlin said. “Turns out my position is actually a freshman class representative, but now everyone just calls me president.”
When it came time to campaign, Coughlin traded polished posters for personality.
“I started posting videos before the campaign process started,” he said. “I wanted to show Pitzer that even though [the first-year class is] 270 students, I hope I can eventually get to know every single student.”
Barely two months into the semester, Coughlin has already made himself a ubiquitous figure on campus. You’ll spot him everywhere: standing outside McConnell Center, in the dorms, mid-pitch about a “study-buddy” chat or halfway through a discussion about water waste.
“I don’t like standing still,” he said. “If something can be fixed, I’ll start figuring out how.”
This is not an exaggeration: Coughlin really does not stand still. A few weeks into the semester, for example, one of his friends mentioned that there were no menstrual products in the Nucleus’ bathrooms. So, the First-Year Representative took matters into his own hands.
“The Nucleus is shared by a whole [historically] women’s college and Pitzer, which is an extremely liberal college — you’d think there would be menstrual products in there,” he said. “There were not.”
He emailed facilities, found the right contact and ensured the problem was resolved. Now, the Nucleus is fully stocked with menstrual products — all thanks to Nicky C.
These initiatives that may be overlooked have, in fact, not gone unnoticed by the constituents Coughlin represents.
“I love how much he takes initiative,” Sara Cody PZ ’29 said. “Having that kind of presence around campus makes us feel like we have more say.”
This same determination drives Coughlin to pursue Pitzer’s problems with exacting precision. When asked what major problems he plans to tackle as representative, he pointed instead to a long, continually updating list of small but crucial issues.
He maintains a growing archive of things that could run more smoothly: hydration stations, mentorship networks, connections between freshmen and even water waste from the erratic sprinklers across the 5Cs; it’s all on his radar.
As this specific list demonstrates, Coughlin believes that good governance starts with understanding how things actually work. Many students are concerned about the ambiguity in the summer internship application process. Noting this confusion, Coughlin planned to work with the Career Office on an event to address this issue and connect students with opportunities.
This can-do attitude extends beyond logistics — one person at a time. Coughlin is constantly moving, getting to know every single Pitzer freshman.
“If I ever see someone alone, my goal is to always go up to them,” he said. “If they seem like they want to be alone, I’ll respect that. But if not, I’ll always try to offer some kind of friendship.”
Many students, like Cody, appreciate having a class representative with such an amusing demeanor and extroverted personality.
“His outgoing spirit and eagerness to get involved have helped the class connect more easily,” Cody said. “People laugh at his funny jokes, which gives us something to share.”
When asked what his biggest inspiration is, Coughlin cited his mother’s fierce determination.
“She’s a really big feminist,” Coughlin said. “She taught me to look at the world through an anti-patriarchal lens — to question why things are the way they are. I just never stopped asking why. Why can’t we do better?”
Perhaps this habit of staying in motion, of never sitting still for long, is fitting, given how he found out he’d won — on a bike ride with his friend.
“He looked back at me and was like, ‘Nick, you won,” Coughlin said. “I stopped my bike, checked my phone, saw the email and just … I got so excited. I started jumping up with glee.”
He laughs at the memory, but explains that the excitement was less about the win than what it represented: proof that the hours of talking, organizing and listening had meant something.
Even though he has just begun, Coughlin is already determined to leave a strong legacy behind.
“I hope people will remember me as dedicated, inclusive and brave,” he said. “That I worked hard, that I listened, that I wasn’t afraid to ask questions — even when it was awkward.”
Coughlin’s vision is already taking shape, as his peers note his outgoing personality and determination.
According to Alex Mamaluy PZ ’29, who serves with him on the Pitzer Senate’s budget committee, his approach to leadership felt different from the start.
“Nick is truly one of a kind,” Mamaluy said. “It feels fantastic to have Nick representing my class because he truly cares about Pitzer, down to its very core.”
It’s an observation that holds up in daily life. Mamaluy joked that walking anywhere with Coughlin takes twice as long because he stops to greet everyone along the way.
To Mamaluy, Coughlin embodies what student representation should look like — grounded, accessible and relentless in the best possible way.
“More politicians should look at people like Nick to see what it really means to be a representative,” he said.
As Coughlin’s interview with TSL came to an end, he described his big dreams to organize a Clash Royale tournament. From advocating for free menstrual products in the science center to bringing the joys of defending a 10 elixir push to the freshman community, Nicky C. is only getting started.
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