Every year, the Northwestern student body is asked to put its confidence behind the person they believe will best uphold the interests of our community. Every year we have a strong field of dedicated candidates and this election cycle will be no different. With a new Northwestern University President in Morton Shapiro next year, this student body faces a critical decision. Our next ASG President will work with a brand-new administration and shape student body interaction with university officials for years to come.
Last year I entered the race for ASG President in part because campus safety is a serious and growing issue at Northwestern. While our campaign helped highlight campus safety as a major concern, unfortunately many of the reforms promised last year have fallen by the wayside. A year later, we are still waiting on some basic changes that will have a monumental impact on the student body: increased lighting, shuttle reliability and an expanded blue light system. 2009 is a new year and a new campaign, but these continuing issues must be addressed.
There is only one candidate you will see on your ballot when you go online to vote on April 15 that has recognized the importance of every one of these reforms: Bill Pulte. As President, Bill Pulte will help take pressure off of the congested SafeRide system by increasing shuttle reliability and creating a North-South Campus shuttle route. He will work with the university to lobby local and federal governments to issue tax credits to landlords who install outdoor lighting in off-campus housing. He will make sure there are more blue lights in places students need them. Many of these things will be promised this election cycle, but I am convinced that Bill is the only candidate who can actually get them done.
That is why on April 15th I will be casting my vote for Bill Pulte. Bill has a unique background that qualifies him to lead: the experience of an ASG officer and the reform-minded ideals of a student government outsider. He has a proven track record not just of making promises, but of following them through with real results. In his only term as ASG’s Vice President, Bill helped bring to fruition valuable services like ASG ListIt, while overseeing ASG OCHE (Off-Campus Housing Evaluations), ASG NURD, ASG PAL, and many other services. He’s already made commitments to his fellow students here and has followed through on his promises with tangible results. In the end, that’s exactly what Northwestern needs at such a critical juncture.
The next ASG President’s term will begin hand in hand with a new University President. With that transition comes a fresh opportunity to redefine the student body’s relationship to the administration. When Bill Pulte is ASG President, he will work with President Shapiro to institute the changes that our student body needs. He will take his proactive experience to the desks of the administration. Bill Pulte means better, smarter policies coupled with action. Bill Pulte means results. Bill Pulte means a stronger and safer Northwestern community.
Sincerely,
Scott Burton