Some first-graders dream of being astronauts, firefighters orballerinas. Tamara Kagel always knew she wanted to be apolitician.

The Associated Student Government presidential candidate, whohas served as academic vice president this past year, said sheremembers telling her classmates that she wanted to be a senator.She couldn’t pronounce the word, but that didn’t deter heraspirations.

“I didn’t know what it was called, but I knew that’s what Iwanted to be,” said Kagel, a Communication junior. “What I love isthe idea that government empowers people to work on behalf of otherpeople.”

Kagel said her campaign, titled “Student Government: The Remix,”is meant to make ASG more responsive to student concerns.

Platform goals include improving off-campus safety with morelighting, implementing target P/N grading in all six ofNorthwestern’s undergraduate schools, and building communitythrough movies on Deering Field and a student night at the Waa-MuShow, NU’s musical revue.

The stage holds a certain appeal for Kagel, a double major intheatre and English, and she said some students wonder why atheatre major would participate in student government.

“People are shocked,” Kagel said. “It seems very incongruous,but (theatre) is the absolute best major one could have. Theatre isabout understanding human emotion, and politics is about knowingwhere people are coming from and helping them.”

Some people who have worked with Kagel through ASG agree shetries to create change by understanding what NU needs.

Stephen Fisher, associate provost for undergraduate education,said Kagel has met with him once a week during her term as academicvice president. His first impression was that she knew how toeffect change.

“She was clearly very dedicated to improving the academicclimate at the university,” Fisher said.

As a two-year Allison Hall senator, Kagel had a closerelationship with the dorm’s former president, Hayley Friedman.Kagel said she had “a ridiculous amount of dorm pride,” andFriedman said Kagel also knew “the technicalities of ASG” whenevera question arose.

Friedman said Kagel is thoughtful and dedicated to friends andissues.

“She really has a spark in her eye,” said Friedman, a Weinbergjunior. “Passion just envelops everything she does.”

And Kagel does a lot. A normal day includes courses for her twomajors, a dance class, working for ASG and studying at either theUnicorn Cafe or her room at Kappa Kappa Gamma.

In her time as academic vice president, Kagel has dedicated timeto creating an administrator and faculty honor roll, lobbying forchanges to the CAESAR registration system and providing buttons tostudents for Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Kagel is also involved with the Undergraduate Budget PrioritiesCommittee. She has spent three years on the committee, whichlobbies for student interests in the university’s budgetprocess.

Being academic vice president required Kagel to work closelywith administrators. Music junior Aki Nakagawa, who met Kagelfreshman year, said Kagel even has the numbers of some officialsprogrammed into her cell phone.

At a party when the two were talking about a class taught byeconomics Lecturer Mark Witte, an ASG advisor, Kagel grabbed hercell phone, called Witte using speed dial and handed the phone toNakagawa.

“I have a good working relationship with many of theadministrators,” Kagel said, laughing.

Kagel said she hopes the ideas in her platform and her previousASG experience will sway students and said she sees big things forthe future if she is elected:

“I really believe the campus will see some real, concreteimprovements and the student body will begin to view ASG a littledifferently.”