Associated Student Government senators will vote on two bills Wednesday, one to establish a greater presence of Counseling and Psychological Services staff during New Student Week and the other to create a program for a Middle Eastern studies major.
The first bill asks the university to ensure that newly arrived freshmen know about CAPS. The bill’s authors said students must know they have the option before they need it.
“We don’t want people to be in a crisis and have to figure out where to go,” said Alicia Dean, the Northwestern Community Ensemble senator and the bill’s co-author.
Students often attach a stigma to mental health issues, said Dean, a Weinberg sophomore.
“There is a big problem with depression on this campus, and I don’t think it’s very much addressed,” Dean said. “Students have had bad experiences because they don’t know how to deal with stress and they don’t know to talk to someone about what’s going on.”
Student Services Vice President Mike Fong likened the bill to an “awareness campaign” that would give freshmen the comfort they often lack.
“A lot of students felt, during high school, it was pretty cool to talk with a counselor,” said Fong, a Weinberg junior. “In college, we want to spread the word saying that the same service is available.”
The Office of Student Transitions is working with ASG to rework many aspects of New Student Week, particularly the participation of CAPS staff.
Jonathan Marino, the bill’s co-author, said he was confident senators would support it.
“It wouldn’t cost us additional money,” said Marino, a Communication freshman. “It’s just a reorganization of the way New Student Week works.”
The legislation is purposefully vague so that the administration can take liberties in implementing the bill’s goals, Dean said.
The second bill calls for the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences to create a Middle Eastern studies major.
Students currently can take Middle Eastern studies classes, and some have established an ad hoc major within the Asian American studies department. The closest official major now is international studies, where students can concentrate in Middle Eastern studies.
“(Weinberg) is behind this and is excited about it,” said Tamara Kagel, ASG academic vice president and a Communication junior. “I’m so excited we’ll have the opportunity to give students classes they have been interested in.”
Bassel Korkor, the Middle Eastern Students Association senator, said he co-wrote the bill after sensing interest from alumni and undergraduates.
“We’ve passed other bills calling for other academic programs,” said Korkor, a Weinberg senior. “Other senators realize this is a really important region of the world with rich historical value.”
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, senators will present two new bills, one increasing the size of the Multicultural Center and the other altering the radio/television/film department’s language requirement. Senators also will introduce two resolutions: One opposes the increased rooming house fees proposed by Ald. Gene Feldman (9th) that would up housing costs for students; the other calls for the organization of an annual “Northwestern Idol” contest mimicking the Fox hit “American Idol.”
