Weinberg junior David Grow and Weinberg sophomore Camila Vicens are working for Associated Student Government president and vice chairman, respectively, on this week’s election.
While Vicens is a newcomer to ASG, Grow presently serves because the College Republicans senator and sits on the Finance Committee, the place he helps consider guidelines relating to fund allocations. The slate’s platform lists campus safety, psychological well being sources and transparency between college students, ASG and the administration as priorities.When choosing a working mate, Grow stated he prioritized bringing in a brand new voice.
“The student government lately hasn’t been a government for the students,” Grow stated. “It seems as if they’re ruling from above, almost. That’s not the way a student government should be running at all.”
The pair will partake within the ASG presidential debate from 7:45 to eight:30 p.m. on April 12 in a livestreamed debate hosted by Northwestern News Network and The Daily. Voting opens on Wildcat Connection at 7 p.m. on Thursday and will shut at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Campus safety
According to its platform, an integral a part of the slate’s campaign is enhancing campus safety by rethinking scholar companies like Safe Ride, a late-night rideshare possibility provided by the University. The service is obtainable day by day from 7 p.m. to three a.m.
“A lot of students on this campus have extremely long wait times for Safe Ride, to the point where it isn’t even a feasible method of getting home,” Vicens stated. “When you’re in a precarious situation, it is not a reliable source for students.”
Vicens stated she and Grow have reached out to related universities to find out how their rideshare companies function and determine if it’s doable to workshop Safe Ride to higher match scholar wants.
The pair can also be centered on growing administrative transparency relating to scholar safety incidents, particularly crime notices. Vicens stated enhancing communication between directors and college students is paramount to the pair’s platform, and is a selected concern for her after being persistently left at nighttime.
“We really want to see more accountability from the University when it comes to their responses to student safety crises,” Vicens stated.
Mental well being and web accessibility
One of Grow and Vicens’ campaign insurance policies advocates for prolonged hours at Counseling and Psychological Services, making counseling accessible on the weekends and growing total staffing.
“CAPS mental health services at Northwestern is both woefully understaffed and under-resourced,” the slate’s platform reads. “As a campus that is dedicated to supporting its students, Northwestern has done a lackluster job in this area.”
If elected, Grow and Vicens plan to spice up lecture accessibility by selling a coverage that will encourage professors to document lectures. Their platform additionally seeks to enhance eduroam, NU’s scholar web community.
Vicens stated college students depend on eduroam to interact with golf equipment, social media and lessons. She stated the community’s vary ought to lengthen to the Lakefill and be improved in areas just like the sorority quad.
“It becomes an issue of equity and accessibility,” Vicens stated. “Having good Wi-Fi on all areas of campus is imperative for students to be engaged within our campus and within the curriculum. It’s just so foundational.”
A brand new University President
With University President Morton Schapiro leaving earlier than the autumn, Grow and Vicens anticipate to work along with his successor, Rebecca Blank, if voted into workplace. Vicens stated if elected, the pair plans to ascertain a robust relationship between college students and the brand new administration.
“We want to make sure that there is an open line of communication between the students and the incoming president,” Grow stated.
Grow and Vicens plan to streamline the method for submitting scholar issues concerning the University insurance policies by internet hosting common conferences with scholar organizations. They additionally intend to host scholar boards and panels to make issues simply accessible for the governing physique.
Although Grow has prior expertise as a senator, he maintains he brings a novel perspective as a result of he believes energy is distributed from the manager board.
“We’re really just trying to focus on all students,” Grow stated. “Any student can come to us and tell us, ‘This is important.’ We will try our best to do what we can for everybody at the school.”
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