Associated Student Government senators and executive board members are entering “crunch time” if they want to make a lasting impact on Northwestern, said Speaker of the Senate Samir Pendse at the first ASG Senate meeting of the quarter.
“Fall Quarter is a quarter of transition, the Weinberg senior said. “Most people are new, and everyone is getting adjusted. Winter Quarter has to be the time every year where stuff gets done.”
At the meeting, executive board members reported on the progress of their projects, informed senators of plans for the quarter and discussed ways to ensure their initiatives will have a lasting impact.
“All of the things I am working on are things that will be continued to be worked on after I am gone,” ASG President Mike McGee said. “If that takes a month, if it takes a year, if it takes 10 years, I want to make sure that students are continuing to work on these and make sure we keep these projects sustainable.”
McGee, a Communication senior, and Tommy Smithburg, the executive vice president, plan to work on an official proposal for a new student center. The proposal could involve remodeling Norris University Center, moving the student center to a more central location or building an entirely new structure.
Smithburg, a Weinberg Senior, said his top priority was to gain official University approval for the new center.
“For 15 years now, it has been confirmed that Norris doesn’t meet the needs of the student body,” he said. “By the time I graduate or by next fall, if this could be approved by the University, that would be a huge milestone.”
Academic Director Muhammad Safdari said his committee has made progress on several projects, such as improvements in environmental and American Sign Language curriculum and the organization of InterNU, an internship preparation fair occurring today in the Louis Room of Norris.
The Weinberg senior said he hopes to continue to make progress on these projects, as well as on technical improvements to CTECs and CAESAR.
“We got a lot of things done that people wanted and got a lot of students to work together,” Safdari said. “The key is to make sure that we are making meaningful progress and that when I leave, (these projects) don’t get thrown out.”
Matt Bellassai, student life director, also said he hopes to leave his projects, including a listening campaign about dining and mailroom reform, in a way that provides a smooth and efficient transition for his successor.
“One of the problems that ASG has sometimes is that we spend a lot of time transitioning, passing off from one administration to the next,” the Weinberg sophomore said. “(We need to make) sure that if we can’t finish a particular project, they have a good foundation so that they can pick that back up.”
All ASG members-not just the executive board-should realize they have the ability to make a difference through student government, Pendse said.
“I want to make sure senators and people coming into ASG are motivated and productive, that they feel like they can actually get stuff done in ASG,” he said. “This year my job and my goal has been to empower all of these people to do things and make an impact.”
