ASG student life VP position vacant as Star, Kim release ‘100-Day Plan’

ASG+President+Noah+Star+and+Executive+Vice+President+Christina+Kim+speak+at+a+debate+April+6.+The+two+released+their+first+%E2%80%9C100-Day+Plan%E2%80%9D+on+Sunday.

Daily file photo by Sean Su

ASG President Noah Star and Executive Vice President Christina Kim speak at a debate April 6. The two released their first “100-Day Plan” on Sunday.

Shane McKeon, Assistant Campus Editor

Associated Student Government remains without a major executive board member, as President Noah Star and Executive Vice President Christina Kim move forward with their “100-Day Plan.”

The plan, which was released Sunday night, is a list of projects the two will work on this quarter. Its title is inspired by President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first 100 days in office, although Star’s plan specifically outlines projects for the remaining weeks of Spring Quarter.

The vice president for student life, a critical cabinet officer who is ASG’s chief advocate for improving the student experience, is still vacant more than two weeks after Senate rejected the selection committee’s nominee.

Star, a Weinberg junior, said although no one is currently occupying the position, its responsibilities have been distributed to other ASG members, including senior members of the student life committee.

“It would be misleading to say no one is leading on student life issues,” Star said, “because all of our committees are focusing on improving students’ experience.”

Star said the selection committee — the students who will choose the nominee for senators to confirm or reject — will present another nominee to Senate before the end of the year.

SESP junior Chris Harlow, who previously served as ASG’s vice president for student life, said he’s still working on some of his former committee’s projects, even though he no longer attends cabinet meetings. Harlow ran for ASG executive vice president, but lost to Star and Kim.

Although “stuff isn’t falling through the cracks,” Harlow said the committee isn’t nearly at full health.

“We’re definitely not making as much progress on new projects as we could be,” he said. “Additionally, this delay will make it more difficult for the person coming in. They’ll have to orient themselves to the committee … and build relationships with administrators with only a few weeks left. It’ll be a little bit of time crunch.”

The “100-Day Plan” largely calls for improving resources for student groups, but it also includes preparing ASG to launch its Student Events Stipend in the fall. The program would give students who apply about $30 each per quarter to cover costs for on-campus events.

SESP sophomore Matt Herndon, ASG’s vice president for accessibility and inclusion, said he led work on the project when it was still in his committee.

On-campus events are a major part of students’ time at Northwestern, Herndon said.

“But those events, especially if they cost money, are often not accessible to low-income students,” he said. “They have to make decisions on which ones to attend and which ones not to. Creating this will make it much easier for those students to access those events.”

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