Speaker of the Senate Jesse Garfinkel lost an election to retain his seat during Wednesday’s ASG meeting to Parliamentarian Jack Eichorst, in a race that contrasted two markedly different individuals.
Garfinkel is a Weinberg sophomore who rose to speaker after becoming clerk freshman year when the position opened unexpectedly. As speaker, he was known to bring levity into Norris’ Northwestern Room during contentious votes.
Eichorst, a Weinberg junior, spent time as a representative on Students Publishing Company, the company that publishes The Daily, as well as the Chicago Coalition of Colleges.
Both candidates expressed a desire to encourage more activity in the Senate, but differed on their approaches.
Eichorst said he was concerned with strengthening the Senate and making it more proactive than reactive.
“I want to promote Senate action on issues that affect Northwestern students,” he said.
Garfinkel said he wanted to bring more students into the process.
“We’re connected in some way or another to every member of the undergraduate population,” he said. “I think by reaching out to the average student to get involved, we can get more done.”
The campaigns were initially marked by the candidates’ civility, but the proceedings became more contentious as some Eichorst supporters asserted that Garfinkel has made several missteps as speaker.
Weinberg freshman Jonathan Green won the clerk position, but not before unsuccessfully challenging Weinberg junior Will Upton for parliamentarian. Weinberg freshman Claire Lew won the position of treasurer.
The election for parliamentarian was not as heated. While Green gave an impromptu address about his year of experience in the Senate, Upton said he intended to investigate redistricting the Residence Hall Association and the Residential College Board seats and discussed a plan to expand the Senate’s size.
“I think we need a complete restructuring of RHA and RCB elections,” Upton said.
The elections for clerk and treasurer were uncontested.
After the elections, the only new business discussed for the week was revisions to the Executive Committee Student Group Guidelines for the upcoming year, which will be voted on next Wednesday. One change would allow religious groups to receive ASG funding.
