By Elise FoleyThe Daily Northwestern
A resolution calling for American troops to pull out of Iraq was introduced at ASG’s Wednesday meeting.
The resolution was submitted to the Associated Student Government by several student groups, including the Campus Greens, Peace Project and the Coalition of Students Opposed to the War.
Nithya Krishnan, the president of Campus Greens, said the bill would send an important message from the student body.
“We want to send a clear message from our campus against the war in Iraq,” the Weinberg sophomore said. “We just want to follow the lead of other universities and end the year with a strong statement.”
Krishnan said he does not expect immediate results from such a bill, but defended its importance to the Senate.
“We’re not asking for ASG to pass a resolution saying ‘Chipotle is great,'” he said. “This is an important way to speak out against the war.”
Senate is set to vote on the resolution next week.
After a move for emergency legislation, a resolution to call for the reinstatement of the jazz studies major at NU was passed.
Music Dean Toni-Marie Montgomery last week announced the major will be suspended. Weinberg sophomore Nathaniel Zebrowski said ASG should vote in support of the major to help argue for the jazz students.
Senators also elected seven new members to the Student Activities Finance Board, ASG’s financial advisors. The four non-senator positions went to Weinberg freshmen Maggie Jim and Malavika Srinivasan, Weinberg sophomore Aamir Sarwar and McCormick junior Ravi Shah. Weinberg juniors Cassie Witten and Seva Rodnyansky and Weinberg senior Ivy Letourneau were elected to the three senator positions on SAFB.
After SAFB elections, the Senate voted against an amendment to require student groups to identify events funded by the Student Activities Fee as “Funded by ASG.” The Student Activities Fee is paid by all students as part of tuition and is divided by Senate during the funding process.
Eric Parker, a Weinberg junior, wrote the amendment. Student groups are allotted the funding by ASG, and the amendment would help students to understand who was funding their event, he said.
But Witten said ASG does not fund the events, it merely divides the money.
“It would be an extremely arrogant move by the Senate to pass something like this,” Witten said. “The money is a fee paid by each student – it isn’t something ASG should take credit for.”
The Senate also approved a resolution to encourage an initiative to give Nalgene bottles to all new students to help the environment. Undergraduate Leadership Program Group 12 introduced the idea as part of a class project, and is now working to raise funds to buy the bottles.
Sandeep Kini, a Weinberg freshman, said the bottles would be available for freshmen in the fall, and students who use them could receive a discount at Norris University Center.
A resolution was announced to improve security on campus and in Evanston. Will Upton, a Weinberg sophomore and the author of the resolution, said he hoped to improve lighting and safety with the resolution.
The Senate will debate the resolution at next week’s meeting.
Reach Elise Foley at [email protected].
