One year ago, The Daily hesitantly endorsed Adam Humann for Associated Student Government president. We endorsed him based on his credibility and experience, and the absence of serious challengers. But we were troubled by his lack of ambitious goals or nuanced proposals.
This year we are pleased to strongly endorse a candidate who combines proven leadership with a broad and thoughtful vision for ASG and Northwestern: Jordan Heinz.
The Education junior is a self-described ASG insider, boasting three years of experience, including one as executive vice president.
He ran for executive VP last year promising to reinvent the position to reduce the acrimony between ASG and student groups. His clear plan gained our endorsement last year and his admirable execution of it makes us confident that he can achieve the same redefinition of the presidency.
Heinz’s vision for the presidency is as passionate and as well articulated as was his vision for the vice presidency.
He plans to use the office to forge new relationships with administrators beyond the Office of Student Affairs, including development and financial officers, extending the influence of students into key areas of university policy that they have too long neglected.
He promises regular and substantive contact with Evanston aldermen, the importance of which was made clear by Tuesday’s municipal elections — both in terms of how much is at stake and how much remains to be done.
Taking Humann’s vision and clarifying it, Heinz looks to “defragment student life.” Rather than calling for paddleboats or carnivals, he would consolidate, cross-promote and cross-program student groups. With a nod to Humann, he also would lengthen the NU beach’s open season.
Heinz’s opponents are uncompelling in their challenges. Jay Goyal offers a plan for direct democracy that is naïve at best and dangerous at worst. His focus on wrong-headed and unworkable proposals such as binding student referenda and a student trustee would likely distract him from achieving more practical reforms. Scott Badenoch offers little besides bravado. Anil Hurkadli has resurrected a failed proposal to constitutionally restructure ASG that would complicate rather than improve. Howard Lien’s ideas, such as food service reform, show an admirable concern for the daily life of students. But he doesn’t seem to understand the complexity or scope of the presidency or his own proposals.
Heinz is the only candidate who has the capability and the know-how to continue ASG’s march towards legitimacy.
