Northwestern Associated Student Government approved funding for two student projects with their Wild Ideas Fund in Wednesday’s Senate meeting — the first to receive these grants this academic year.

The purpose of the Wild Ideas Fund, according to ASG, is to “eliminate barriers” to students with creative projects. They approved $1050 for AutoAquaponics, a project from Engineers for a Sustainable World, and $850 for Quarantine Day!, a web series from three students about life in quarantine.

McCormick sophomore Bill Yen, the project manager for ESW’s AutoAquaponics, said the group is looking to build an automated aquaponic farming system in the team’s office. The soilless farming technique symbiotically uses the water from fish habitats to sustain plants.

“It uses a lot less water and nutrients than typical farming techniques,” Yen said. “We’re hoping to apply for money so we can move forward with the next stage of our project, which is construction.”

Communication seniors Rishi Mahesh, Valen Marie-Santos and Madi Hart will begin shooting Quarantine Day! in the spring. The comedic series will consist of three to five episodes focusing on the lives of NU students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The episodes will be five to 10 minutes long and “ideally” available for everyone to watch on the internet.

“It’s about Northwestern students in quarantine, so the effects of the online education and decisions of the institution,” Mahesh said. “We’re going to do some research and talk to a bunch of students and see if we can document the year.”

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