In my time on campus, I’ve seen five years of campaigns for ASG president and executive vice president. I’ve observed thirteen pairs of candidates, each with their own vision, experience, and values. And I’ve had the privilege to serve as your student body executive vice president, vice president for student groups, and vice president for student life.

If I’ve learned one thing in my time here, it’s this: To make real progress on our toughest issues — student wellness, inclusivity, and student group support, among others — we need leaders with unique perspectives and unmatched track records in improving the student experience.

The most successful ASG leaders have been those who could draw on years of experience achieving tangible gains for students (i.e. ‘what has been done’) to realize their vision for ‘what could be.’

Through their work ethic, coalition building, and unparalleled partnership, Haley Hinkle and Chris Harlow have shown that they are the candidates that have what it takes to lead our rapidly evolving campus through the year ahead.

Three years ago, I sat across from Haley and interviewed her to be on the Student Life Committee of ASG. Even as a first-quarter freshman, she had a passion for helping others, a desire to give back to the Northwestern community, and a drive to make Northwestern the best possible place to live and learn. Since then, she’s led ASG’s efforts in fighting sexual assault with the “It’s On Us” campaign, pushed for numerous improvements to shuttles, SafeRide, and other safety measures, and helped to organize the Deering Days BBQ — just to name a few achievements.

I met Chris his freshman year when he volunteered to help coordinate a residential conditions improvement team in my committee. I was blown away by his ability to singlehandedly coordinate visits to every single residence hall, college, and community — efforts that led to more than $100,000 in improvements. Since then, he’s used that energy to advocate for a more sensible alcohol policy, founded a grant program to enable student groups to work in the Evanston community, and led numerous other initiatives as the ASG vice president for student life. That’s Chris — he’s incredibly hardworking, relentlessly dedicated to campus, and doesn’t hesitate to volunteer his time and energy to situations where he can help others succeed.

In the three years that I’ve known Haley and Chris, I’ve seen them grow as leaders and achieve meaningful change across the NU campus. From their first quarter on campus, they have been working tirelessly to make the NU experience better for all students. More importantly, they have the personal and professional working relationship that a President and Vice President so vitally need to encourage each other through the trials and tribulations of their term.

In ASG, we sometimes forget that the work that we take on is deeply tied to enabling our peers to succeed at NU and beyond. Our work should help students pursue their passions, ensure our friends’ well-being, support the efforts of Northwestern’s dizzying array of communities, and even improve the academic experience. Haley and Chris realize the gravity of their prospective roles and will work tirelessly to serve our campus as the leaders of ASG.

I encourage you to check out their website, to learn more about what they stand for, and get to know them better at JoinHaleyAndChris.com. I hope they can earn your support, just as they have so definitively earned mine.

Alex Van Atta
former ASG executive vice president