This time last year, neither of us cared about what ASG was doing. Despite being active around campus, neither one of us felt that our communities were being actively supported or represented by our own student government. Participating in non-ASG funded organizations showed us that when ASG wasn’t accountable for our money, they also weren’t accountable for supporting us. We believe that better communication about the resources available to enhance all student groups’ experiences is an area that ASG should improve upon. Through their own experiences in and out of ASG, Noah and Christina understand that accessibility is a crucial issue.

We met Christina when she joined the NU Community for Human Rights (NUCHR) her sophomore year, inspired by her summer experience in South Africa with the Global Engagement Studies Institute. She has continued to follow this passion for social justice and engagement throughout her time at Northwestern, most recently earning a competitive selection for the Clinton Global Initiative this past winter with an online app that helps connect NU students to opportunities in Chicago. As a member of the social justice community, which is often funded by other university departments, Christina understands what its like to be a part of a community that isn’t supported by ASG.

Better representation of student groups is what drives Noah and Christina’s platform. They have a genuine interest in finding the many students and organizations that are isolated from ASG. They respect the knowledge and leadership of students outside of ASG, recognizing that there are good ideas to be found all over campus. Their goal is to have these diverse student leaders and experts lead the critical conversations on campus. They understand that ASG doesn’t need to execute every project on its own – what it needs is to support the number of important initiatives that exist outside of it.

We are choosing to endorse Noah and Christina this year because they are genuinely interested in improving the number of opportunities that ASG can provide for students, as well as opening new lines of communication between ASG and non-ASG funded groups. Too often, ASG has conversations with students, but takes these ideas into exclusive, closed-door meetings. Noah and Christina recognize the need to include these students in the meetings, allowing them to speak for themselves and represent their own interests. We believe that the dialogue that they have opened up about ASG will not stop after the election. They are ready to listen first, then lead.

Sincerely,
Melody Song and Maroua Sallami

Co-Directors, NUCHR
*The opinions presented above are solely ours and do not represent those of NUCHR or its members.