Sidewalks are covered, email lists are blasted and profile pictures are changed. This can only mean one thing: ASG elections are upon us. ASG candidates hit the campaign trail on Monday, with three sets of candidates officially launching their bids for the 2012-2013 presidency. Junior running mates Kameron Dodge and Steven Monacelli, Victor Shao and Brad Stewart, and Dan Tully and Jeziel Jones, chalked, talked, tweeted and Facebooked in hopes of rallying support for their platforms. The three hopefuls running for president (Dodge, Shao and Tully) took a short break from campaigning to show their sillier sides to The Current, emailing us about their childhood dreams, hidden talents and Northwestern faves.
Excerpts:
The Current: What do you love about Northwestern?
Kameron Dodge: I have constantly been encouraged and amazed by the passion Northwestern students have to change our campus and our world. From the minute that I stepped onto campus, I felt a different kind of energy and that energy has motivated me to be the best student and leader I can.
Victor Shao: The most important asset that Northwestern has is the diversity of student passions and experiences. No other university offers the chance to join such diverse students in one community and we should take advantage of it every day.
Dan Tully: Plex! But seriously, I’m a Lakefill fan.
The Current: Who’s your must-read Twitter feed?
KD: Dane Cook, The Washington Post, Ancient Proverbs and Chicago Bulls.
VS: @FakeMorty because it is hilarious and something that all Northwestern students can relate to.
DT: I get the majority of my news from @Drake.
The Current: What celebrity (real or fictional) would be best to serve as ASG President, if it couldn’t be you?
KD: Yoda, without a doubt. The dude was almost 900 years old and still dishing out great advice.
VS: Does Ellery, the Allison worker, count?
DT: Chet Haze. After all, his debut song was devoted to proclaiming his exceptional school spirit.
The Current: What’s your hidden talent?
KD: I can shake it like no one else when doing the NUDM 30-Hour Dance.
VS: NBA 2K11. I’m terrible at basketball in real life, so I prefer to dominate the courts electronically.
DT: Although I’ve crashed my bike three times and broken bones in my extremities each time, I have never yet failed to break them symmetrically.
The Current: What do you want to be when you grow up?
KD: What I want to do when I grow up is sort of in flux right now. At some point I plan on attending law school and getting involved in politics at some level. When? I am not sure. I do see my future career rooted in public service.
VS: I’ve always been passionate about technology, education and finance. I would love to be an entrepreneur and create a business that involves at least two of these three interests.
DT: Up until a few years ago, I wanted to be the first X-Wing pilot to fly to Saturn and ice-skate on its rings. But when I realized that this opportunity was no longer a viable option, I decided to aim just to be employed.
The Current: If you could change one thing about Northwestern right now, what would it be?
KD: I would change [the] sense of community across different groups on campus. I think Northwestern has made some progress since I to school as a freshman, but there are many opportunities for growth in this area. Building partnerships between different communities will enrich the Northwestern experience for all students.
VS: I would change the culture we have of upperclassmen feeling the need to move off campus. In line with the administration’s long-term goal of bringing students back to campus, Northwestern must create on-campus living spaces that appeal to upperclassmen.
DT: I’d put us up in the US News and World Report’s college rankings to at least the top 10.
Hear the candidates at the Presidential Debate, Monday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. in Tech LR5, and don’t forget to vote on April 11.
–Allison Lasher
