Four students applied for the position of Associated StudentGovernment student services vice president before Wednesday night’sdeadline, said ASG President Mike Fong.
The ASG Executive Board will not release names of applicants atthe their requests, but Michael Blake, last week’s runner-uppresidential candidate, told The Daily he will interview for theposition this weekend.
The position is open because the no-confidence option receivedmore votes in the April 17 runoff election than unopposed candidateAdam Forsyth. The ASG Executive Board will interview the fourcandidates on Saturday and reach a decision by late Sunday, Fongsaid.
Forsyth, who failed to garner a majority of votes in elections,declined to comment on whether he applied for the post.
Although they cannot be named, Fong said he is pleased with thequality of the applicants.
“We have established campus leaders,” he said. “We have peoplewith fresh perspectives and out-of-the-box thinking.”
Blake, who lost the presidential election to Fong by 99 votes,said if selected his goal is to respond to student concerns.
Blake said his leadership experience as the head of For MembersOnly and his confident demeanor would make him a successful SSVP.He also referenced his affiliations with Greek and minoritycommunities.
“I’m a candidate that can hopefully bring a lot of peopletogether,” said Blake, a Medill junior. “In a position like that,you need a person who can stretch to multiple atmospheres.”
Tamara Kagel, a former academic vice president who was defeatedby both Fong and Blake in the presidential race, told The Dailylast week she would not apply for the SSVP position. Kagel onWednesday would not confirm whether she submitted an application,saying she needed more time to consider her options.
“I’m just not sure what I’m doing,” said Kagel, a Communicationjunior. “I need another day to think about it.”
In their presidential platforms, both Blake and Kagel put forthseveral ideas about how to improve student services forundergraduates.
Blake stressed intergroup programming and incorporating studentsinto NU fund-raising efforts. He also mentioned holding Fridaynight block parties in Evanston to build community.
Kagel’s platform featured an initiative to improve off-campuslighting, as well as movie screenings on Deering Field. For thepast three years, Kagel has worked on the Undergraduate BudgetPriorities Committee and she said in her platform that she wouldcontinue to lobby for students through that body.
Nafis Ahmed, the fourth presidential candidate on last week’sballot, said he did not apply.
Current ASG Secretary/Parliamentarian Matt Hall said heinitially applied for the position Wednesday but withdrew hisapplication an hour after the deadline.
Hall, a Communication junior, said he is satisfied serving assecretary/parliamentarian, but applied because he “was afraid thereweren’t enough qualified applicants to give the board viablealternatives.”
“After seeing who applied,” he said, “I decided that there wereapplicants that were more qualified than I was.”
