Outgoing Associated Student Government president Mike Fong made a bet with Tamara Kagel at the beginning of Fall Quarter. Kagel, the student services vice president, would win a dinner if she kept 18 of her 22 committee members.
At the end of the quarter, the committee, notorious for losing senators within the initial weeks of the quarter, not only retained the wagered 18 — all 22 members stayed, said Kagel.
Fong said Kagel’s method of organizing her committee into three subcommittees — community, diversity and campus safety — is one of her major accomplishments.
“I just really believe in them and they respect me back,” said Kagel, a Weinberg and Communication senior.
After running unsuccessfully last year as one of four presidential candidates, Kagel was appointed by the Senate to her current position.
During Kagel’s tenure her ideas set bills and activities in motion. An NU Day at Wrigley Field, talks during campus tours about NU diversity and the addition of a Waa-Mu student night came from proposals in her presidential platform. Kagel and her committee members were able to make those ideas a reality, she said.
Kagel’s ability to work with several committee members as a team player and not a dominating leader has led senators to respect her. 1835 Hinman Senator David Kim, a Weinberg sophomore, said Kagel passed her ideas of the Waa-Mu student night and NU Day at Wrigley on to other committee members.
“You know you have a truly good leader when they don’t care about getting the credit for themselves, but they care about others getting credit for the work they’ve done,” Kim said.
Weinberg sophomore Alex Lurie, Hillel Cultural Life senator who plans to run for Kagel’s office, said Kagel’s “three-pronged approach” to dividing the committee worked well. But Lurie said more non-ASG students need to be included in subcommittee decisions — though that responsibility doesn’t fall on Kagel alone.
Foster-Walker Complex Senator Audrey Chen, a Weinberg freshman who worked on the Waa-Mu student night bill, said Kagel’s willingness to help committee members, as well as her innovative ideas, made her time in office a success.
“Her personality is what really inspires people to work with her and for her,” Chen said.
Kagel’s ability to work closely with Student Services Committee Members in determining their interests played a role in keeping all 22 members of her committee and ultimately winning her bet with Fong. Fong said it’s up to Kagel to decide where she wants her dinner.
“I always keep my promises,” Fong said.
