While the students are away this summer, the Associated Student Government officers will play, of course.

But all four executive officers also plan to work on ASG issues over the summer, including Norris University Center renovations, safety policy improvements and multicultural issues.

ASG President Rachel Lopez said one of her major projects is planning a community action fair with Ben Cherry, ASG’s external relations chairman, for some time after New Student Week.

“Our jobs don’t end when the finals are over,” said Lopez, a Weinberg junior.

Lopez said she also plans to work on a campuswide Thanksgiving dinner, including local school children in the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations and tailgates. She said the executive board’s efforts as a whole would be concentrated on lobbying the administration to set aside funds for physical expansion of Norris.

Work with William Banis, vice president for student affairs, to improve campus safety also will continue, Lopez said.

“As students leave, people’s defenses might die down,” Lopez said. “Keeping students aware of that and not letting progress made this past quarter die (is a top priority).”

In the time since their election, Lopez and Academic Vice President Tamara Kagel, said they are most proud of having produced the first administrator and faculty honor roll this spring.

“One teacher told me that she walked out of Norris (after the honor roll reception) feeling damn sure that she’d rather be teaching at Northwestern than anywhere else,” said Kagel, a Speech sophomore.

Along with Lopez, Kagel plans to stay in Evanston this summer and work on several ongoing projects for ASG, including financial aid for summer classes, a target P/N option for Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences classes and a Latino studies program.

Much of Kagel’s ASG work will be research about peer institutions and meetings with NU administrators, she said.

“Academic projects probably require the most research,” she said. “That’s one great thing about the summer – administrators don’t leave.”

Even though she will be interning at Warner Bros. Pictures in Los Angeles, Executive Vice President Nicole Mash said she will complete several projects while two time zones away from NU.

Mash will focus directly on enhancing the relationships between ASG and campus student groups by updating contact information on the ASG Web site for all student groups and finish the fund-raising guide that student groups will use to approach businesses for sponsorships and donations.

“There will be tons of information for student groups to supplement their revenue streams,” said Mash, a Weinberg junior.

Mash said she also will work on changing guidelines for how student groups do officer transitions each spring because of the problems created by current deadlines.

“Poor transitioning has lead to most group and financial misconduct,” she said.

Student Services Vice President Tiffany Berry plans to live at home in Chicago this summer. In addition to working on ASG-related projects, Berry received a grant to hold a summer camp for disadvantaged young women in the area.