Alex Lurie and Sara Whitaker are both convinced they are readyto head the committee they have served on together for the pastyear. As a result, two candidates with similar experience, similargoals, but different plans will go head-to-head for the office ofstudent services vice president.
LURIE: ‘NORTHWESTERN COULD DO BETTER’
In the lobby of Harris Hall on Monday, Alex Lurie met withsenior Chris Sanchez to demonstrate that Sanchez, who is in awheelchair, could not access his history department adviser’soffice on the third floor. Lurie said he wants to press theadministration to triple the funds allocated to accessibilityissues per year.
“There’s miscommunication and red tape all over the place,” hesaid. “We need to push through that bureaucracy and send a messageto this campus … I think Northwestern could do better than itis.”
Lurie said his “grassroots” campaign aims to empower studentsthrough a series of initiatives to unify student groups andASG.
“The number one priority for any student services vice presidentshould be dealing with students’ needs, and student group leadersunderstand many (of those) needs,” said Lurie, a Communicationsophomore.
Lurie, who served as Hillel Cultural Life senator for a year andon the ASG student services committee, said that as studentservices vice president he would hold quarterly roundtablediscussions with student groups.
Lurie also said he wants to “bring social fun” back to campus inan effort to unify the campus and increase student safety.
Wet fraternity parties, he said, would encourage students tostay on campus where they would be safer because of increasedlighting, emergency call boxes and University Police patrols. Healso said he wants to coordinate all-campus events such as annualbarbeques.
“We need to have events on this campus that are fun andrelaxing,” he said. “An all-campus barbeque gives the community theopportunity to come together. We don’t do that enough.”
Lurie is tackling the STD issue by advocating that theuniversity offer a specific HIV screening test, Ora Quick RapidHIV, which he said makes results available in about 30 minutes.
WHITAKER: ‘STUDENTS TAKE EVENT OWNERSHIP’
Whitaker started out asking questions. She went to AthleticsDepartment officials, researched her project’s feasibility andlobbied intensely for it. Within a few months of its conception,senators voted to support the measure and, beginning next fall,students will feel its effect: A $25 fee tacked onto tuition willallow undergraduates to attend all university sporting events forfree.
Scott Arey, assistant athletic director of facilities andoperations, said Whitaker came to him Fall Quarter to discuss theproject.
“Through that I saw her passion and I got a better understandingof her capability,” he said.
Whitaker wants to continue to work on projects that unite thestudent body, she said, such as a block party during New StudentWeek where upperclassmen have booths and sell food, welcomingfreshmen.
Most important, she said, is that students are involved inplanning these events.
“We want this for students because when students take ownershipof an event — it takes off,” Whitaker said. “The Suitcase Party,(Dance Marathon), Dillo Day — all are examples of this.”
Other platform focuses include on-campus banking, shuttleservices, and STD testing.
Whitaker said that when LaSalle Bank leaves Norris UniversityCenter in June, she would make it a priority to get a bank oncampus immediately. She also would lobby for a cash-back systemthat would allow students making food purchases at Norris with abank card to draw money from their checking account at the sametime.
This would let users of other banks get limited cash “withoutgetting bit in the ass with a $2 fee,” she said.
Whitaker also said she would work toward the creation of ashuttle service line that runs throughout the day and stops atcampus locations along Sheridan Road and Campus Drive. She said thestops should be clearly marked and have shuttle routes posted.
Whitaker said she wants to work with University Health Servicesto provide students with low cost or free STD testing as well.Tests currently range between $30 and $50 — a prohibitive amountfor students to pay, Whitaker said.
