Voting in today’s Associated Student Government election was probably the last thing you thought about when you woke up this morning. As a typical Northwestern student, you probably have a busy day ahead of you. Perhaps you started your computer and opened NU Link to check the weather and ran your eyes up and down your “to do” list for the day. One thing on your list for today is to fill out an application for a $2,000 grant from NU toward an unpaid internship this summer.
You leave Elder Hall and walk to your first class. You absolutely love the class, a class you discovered when reading CTECs. You stop at the new Starbucks at Norris University Center and buy a latte with the points from your Block D Meal Plan.
You might not realize it, but ASG makes your life at NU easier. ASG certainly isn’t perfect. It doesn’t always adequately address student concerns and has made other mistakes in the past. Nonetheless, ASG is the best tool students have for lobbying administrators and initiating change on campus.
ASG has a huge impact on how you live your life at NU. In the past few years alone, ASG secured a satellite University Career Services office in the University Library, free student admission to athletic events and a full day of remembrance for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. ASG successfully lobbied the administration to secure funding for B- and T-status student groups, better wheelchair accessibility, greater campus environmental sustainability, more access to free condoms and the expansion of the SafeRide program. They secured $20,000 for internship grants, a new Starbucks in Norris, meal equivalency for Block C and D meal plans, mandatory posting of CTEC numbers and the creation of the Freshman Quad.
ASG always faces scrutiny. Part of the democratic process is the ability to question and criticize those who represent you. But, if you want ASG to best represent you, you must voice your concerns and demands through your vote.
Over the past few years we have seen only a few competitive elections. Most of them are uncontested with joke write-in candidates, such as El Testiculo, Dickie Humps and HoTaZnHoBag.
Sometimes real “candidates” run on ridiculous platforms too. It’s no wonder more people don’t take ASG seriously or run for an ASG position. I can also tell you, having worked on several ASG campaigns and having run in a campuswide ASG election, that campaigns are hard work. Candidates and their teams spend almost every waking hour writing platforms, planning appearances and talking with students, not to mention the years of work most candidates devote to ASG or some other student organization on campus prior to running for office. If he or she gets elected, it does not get any easier. There are countless meetings, a million e-mails and painfully long Senate sessions – and that’s if you don’t put any extra time into the job. Running for and holding a public office is possibly the most humbling experience someone can ask for.
The candidates are never perfect, but both presidential candidates Julian Hill and Jonathan Webber have put a lot of thought into their campaigns. This year’s race is especially exciting because Hill is new to ASG and extremely qualified. You know you care about Starbucks and timely SafeRide pick-ups, so protect your interests and vote! More importantly, stay informed about what ASG is doing all year long. Then ASG could more effectively represent what you want. Maybe you’ll even end up determined to run for office and make change yourself. If you think of a way to make campus life better while you’re leaving Elder to make your amazing class – wearing exactly what you need because you checked the weather on NULink – there shouldn’t be anything stopping you.
