Northwestern Associated Student Government will support an individual or student group community service project in Evanston with a $500 grant this year.
The ASG Senate unanimously passed legislation Wednesday creating a pilot version of a Service and Community Engagement Grant, which aims to encourage positive student interaction with the Evanston community. This year will serve as a trial run for the grant program.
“The grant is only $500, so it’s not meant for big projects, but for little tiny things that impact communities or neighborhoods,” said SESP freshman Chris Harlow, who authored the legislation that created this grant with fellow ASG Senator Mike Morgan. “I’d like to see people in Evanston to associate it with different groups on campus rather than necessarily the Associated Student Government.”
The application for the grant will be available on the ASG website tomorrow.
With some difficulty, the Senate also passed a resolution acknowledging the destruction of Hurricane Sandy and encouraging student support for relief efforts. ASG will communicate this information in an email that will include links to donate to organizations like Red Cross.
Weinberg senior Ian Coley was an initial opponent of the resolution, calling it a “feel-good” statement that didn’t promote “positive action on anyone’s part.” After further debate, however, the Senate unanimously passed the resolution.
Weinberg junior Mike Morgan, whose Long Island neighborhood was turned into “a swamp” by Hurricane Sandy, supported the resolution, but hopes that ASG will take further action to support relief efforts.
“I really believe that the idea of the resolution is great, and like someone had mentioned though, there needs to be a step towards taking action,” Morgan said. “If ASG doesn’t really move forward or make any actions besides that it will be kind of disappointing.”
ASG’s Working Group on Alcohol Policy and Culture also discussed a study it recently conducted about the alcohol policies at other universities and then presented several potential recommendations to NU regarding its own policy based on these findings.
Among these suggestions were that NU should seek to monitor student consumption of distilled liquors and support the creation of a student organization of third-party risk managers who would monitor parties where alcohol is present. The group plans to release a campus-wide survey about NU’s current alcohol to students by the end of fall quarter and then present all of its findings and recommendations to administrators.
Other Senate proceedings included:
- The Senate unanimously passed a resolution that asks President Morton Schapiro to adopt a plan aimed at bringing Northwestern toward carbon neutrality.
- In preparation for ASG’s upcoming student group funding process, the Senate conducted a mock funding session featuring an imaginary Taylor Swift Fan Club.
- The Senate named Weinberg junior Jane Gilmore “ASG Director of Campus Safety” so that she can more effectively communicate with administrators about issues such as an evaluation of the Blue Light system.
- The Senate added five total ASG senators to the Transportation Working Group and the Dorm Conditions Working Group.
- Medill senior Brad Stewart, ASG vice president, discussed possible legislation to give $1,000 to the Center for Student Involvement’s planned “NU Day at the United Center." The potential proposal would be voted on next week.