The Associated Student Government Senate met Wednesday to consider three new resolutions and vote on three resolutions presented at last week’s meeting.
Four Undergraduate Schools Caucus senators — SESP sophomore Addison Feldman, Communication junior Aidan Klinges, Weinberg freshman Jamal Omoniyi and Weinberg sophomore Melissa Kusi-Amponsah — proposed a resolution to mandate crisis response training for students and faculty.
If implemented by the administration, the resolution would mandate active shooter training for staff members and require the University to give students flexibility on assignments in support of mental health following an emergency situation. It would also encourage the University to implement an in-person campus safety True Northwestern Dialogue during Wildcat Welcome. Finally, the resolution calls for University Police and Counseling and Psychological Services to create an NUHelp app to keep students informed during emergencies.
“Especially with the increase of mass shootings in the U.S., this is something we need to be prepared for, not something we’re waiting to happen to us,” Kusi-Amponsah said.
Weinberg senior and NU Active Minds Senator Ben Katz introduced a resolution — co-authored with Bienen and Weinberg junior and Bienen Senator Angela Choi — to place posters with choking prevention and first aid tips in common rooms or stairwells on each floor of student housing.
“Choking is a relatively common occurrence,” Katz said. “We kind of want to think about what we might be able to do in the case of students choking on food that they’re eating in their rooms.”
SESP senior Lauren Walcott and Medill junior Alena Baker, the two Food Sustainability Subcommittee co-chairs, proposed a resolution to promote plant-based foods as the default option for students.
Walcott said student organizations often host large events, and promoting plant-based catering options could make these events more sustainable. The resolution asks ASG to encourage student groups to cater events with plant-based foods.
Three resolutions first proposed on Jan. 31 passed at Wednesday’s meeting. All three were written by Weinberg sophomore and Hillel Senator Talia Winiarsky, a former Daily staffer.
Winiarsky’s resolutions would encourage the University to include healthier dining options in Norris University Center, establish a memorial garden outside Alice Millar Chapel and stop sales of plastic water bottles on campus.
“I’m taking a class in American Studies on climate change,” Winiarsky said. “That has definitely piqued my interest in things we can do as a campus community to mitigate the effects we have. For me, it is upsetting when I see everyone in Norris with their plastic water bottles and their reusable water bottles right next to them.”
The Senate also voted to select Katz and McCormick sophomore and QUEST+ Senator Mia Jeremiah as the Senate representatives to the Selection Committee for the ASG Executive Board. In this role, Katz and Jeremiah will help conduct interviews with candidates for the board later this month and participate in the selection process, along with presidents-elect SESP sophomore Caleb Snead and Weinberg sophomore Ty’Shea Woods and other committee members.
Weinberg sophomore and ASG Parliamentarian Grace Houren’s proposed ASG Code revisions passed at Wednesday’s meeting. Revisions included provisions to hold remote Senate meetings during inclement weather, allow the speaker to break a tied vote, allow the president to create new Executive Board positions for one term, and more.
During the Executive Board reports, Woods said the next Cultural Summit, where cultural organizations can showcase food and dance, will take place April 7 in the Norris Louis Room. The Black History Month Game Night will occur on Feb. 23, she added.
“Our mission with (the Cultural Summit) is to integrate our diverse student body into our daily Northwestern culture, but in a more celebratory way,” Woods, who introduced the summit last year, said. “Right now, we recognize cultural diversity when it’s crisis time. So we want to bring an uplifting and celebratory tone to how we acknowledge our student body.”
At the ASG Ask Away event Friday at 4 p.m. in the Norris Armadillo Room, students will also be able to ask questions to a panel of University administrators about policies.
“ASG really seeks to reach admin with student voices and connect admin with students,” SESP senior and Speaker of the Senate Leah Ryzenman said. “This is one very tangible way to do so.”
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