In this year’s Associated Student Government elections, increasing ASG’s transparency, reforming the alcohol policy, revamping mental health resources and improving campus safety are at the forefront of campus-wide conversations. In order to make measurable strides in these areas while maintaining efficiency and communication among ASG’s members, the next president and executive vice president must have established relationships with Northwestern administrators and city officials, as well a deep understanding of the inner workings of student government. Ani Ajith and Alex Van Atta have the greatest advantage in all these areas and are therefore the best candidates for ASG’s next president and executive vice president.
Although the decision was a close one, The Daily believes the combined experience of Ajith and Van Atta sets them apart from the other tickets. Ajith, a former Daily staffer, served as speaker of the Senate for the past year, and he therefore is knowledgeable about how to make the weekly meetings run more efficiently. As speaker, he also knows Senate procedure and will have few obstacles to overcome in transitioning to president. As student life vice president, Van Atta has formed relationships with various administrators in his work examining mental health resources and alcohol policy. He is a member of the campus coalition on mental health, which has been researching how mental health is handled at other universities. Van Atta has also served as chair of an ASG working group looking at the alcohol policies of NU’s peer institutions. Through these endeavors, he has cultivated valuable relationships with administrators that can help move ASG measures forward.
Ajith and Van Atta’s experience will allow them to make quick advances in improving student life. The past two ASG presidents and executive vice presidents were both “outsiders” promising a fresh start to ASG. Though their goals were admirable, they faced steep learning curves that ultimately resulted in lost time and impedance of efficient and meaningful progress, senators say. The Daily believes that experience and knowledge of ASG trumps all when it comes to making improvements that will benefit the student body.
Ajith and Van Atta know how to balance varying demands and have the appropriate resources to start making change. Their transitions into the roles will be smoother than those for the other tickets, which keep them from getting hung up on small details and allow them to focus on larger issues. Most importantly, Ajith and Van Atta have been working all year to make NU a better place. They haven’t mobilized merely for the campaign season — they have been using their existing roles to effect real change. Although all of the candidates bring enterprising ideas and passion, Ajith and Van Atta bring the solid background and immense knowledge ASG needs to truly represent the views of students.
