As a transfer sophomore, I was not around Northwestern at this time last year, so this is my first experience with the Associated Student Government campaign season. So for all I know, maybe all of the excitement and all of the promises of the various campaigns are empty and pop up once a year only to fade once the candidates are actually elected. But in looking at the various tickets and their platforms, and the incredible student response they’ve attracted, I really don’t believe this pessimistic view to be the case. Rather, I am very encouraged by the energy surrounding the ASG candidates and their engagement with students, and I am hopeful that many of their great ideas have a shot at being turned into actual policy.
Although social media activism is hardly the definitive example of genuine social change (I’m looking at you, Kony 2012), one need only to log on to Facebook for a second to see the remarkable presence of the ASG election in students’ lives. From profile pictures to cover photos to statuses and page “likes,” the NU students who have yet to make some sort of opinion on the race known are few and far between. Granted, it doesn’t exactly take a ton of effort to switch a cover photo, but, like the recent nationwide show of support for same-sex marriage with the Human Rights Campaign profile picture, all of the public displays of engagement still indicate an admirable passion for the process.
The visible interest of the student body in the election is even more impressive when one considers that the election is to lead ASG. Student government, after all, isn’t exactly the sexiest subject, and many students have complained over the years that the organization is somewhat insulated from the needs and opinions of the students. Yet despite all of this, the student body has not turned apathetic or given up on ASG’s potential to genuinely improve the NU experience, but is instead committed to supporting candidates who have the potential to make a difference. In looking at the student testimonials on candidates’ websites, it is clear that the endorsements of the students go beyond doing favors for friends. People are genuinely interested in this election and in improving student life, and that alone is encouraging for our school.
Even more encouraging is the fact that the four tickets for president and vice president are proposing some innovative and impressive solutions to a wide range of problems and have actively engaged the student body in coming up with these solutions. David Harris and Jo Lee, for example, have put out 61 specific proposals in 10 different areas of focus, a wide-reaching agenda that is full of practical ideas on subjects from meal plans (allowing the quarterly rollover of points) to mental health (hiring three additional psychologists to decrease waiting time for help).
Candidates Ani Ajith and Alex Van Atta, meanwhile, come to the race with an incredible array of experience that proves their intense dedication to improving the quality of student life. From bringing a range of diverse student groups together for Deering Days to delivering therapy dogs to the Norris University Center during finals week last quarter, their track record of engaging with students and working in student government is very impressive and would allow them to effectively deliver reform to ASG.
As for the tickets of Benison Choi and Danny Kim and Aaron Zelikovich and Henry Brooke, both possess a passion for bringing the wider student community into the ASG fold. Choi and Kim, for instance, want to make sure that students are engaged and made aware of how they can get involved with student government and seek to promote tools like the Campus Voice online idea venue to make this a reality. Zelikovich and Brooke, meanwhile, have made student input the cornerstone of their campaign, creating a forum for ideas on their website and making it clear that their aim is to serve students first.
The point of this examination of the different tickets’ strengths is not to make an endorsement. Rather, I wish to highlight the incredibly deep bench of talent that we have to choose from in this race. All of these tickets are smart, experienced and care deeply about the student body. For a student government race to possess this many competent candidates is rare, and a testament to the NU community. From these impressive candidates to the excitement that they have spurred among a wide range of students, I am left very optimistic about the future of ASG and NU student life, and I’m glad to be part of a campus culture that cares this deeply about these issues.
Ryan Kearney is a Communication sophomore. He can be reached at[email protected]. If you want to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected].
