ASG elects new Speaker of the Senate

By Amal Ahmed

11:23 p.m. April 1 2015

ASG Senate held elections for internal positions including Speaker of the Senate and Parliamentarian at a meeting Wednesday night.

Weinberg junior and current senator Noah Whinston was elected as Speaker over three other candidates, continuing the tradition, Whinston said, of "red-headed Noahs" as Speaker of the Senate.

During a brief speech before the Senate voted, Whinston called for achieving more action and enforcement of legislation passed by the Senate.

Weinberg junior Matt Clarkston was elected Parliamentarian and McCormick sophomore Sandeep Bharadwaj was confirmed as the director of dining.

Prior to the elections, ASG President Julia Watson informed the body about progress made on a proposal to create an Advisory Committee on Socially Responsible Investing. The Kellogg School of Management and Northwestern Law School endorsed the proposal, Watson said.

The proposal was initiated after a divestment resolution that was passed during Winter Quarter, but if the committee is formed it would address a wide range of issues, like environmental, health and human rights concerns, Watson said.

The committee would consist of four students (both undergraduates and graduates), four faculty members and four alumni.

"ASG and student activists have been calling for the creation of this committee for 37 years now," she said, adding that out of 31 peer institutions, Northwestern is one of seven schools which does not have such an advisory committee.

ASG is also taking a trip to Washington, D.C., and Springfield, Ill., to lobby lawmakers in approximately two weeks.

Weinberg junior Kevin Harris, the community relations director, said the group of five students will be advocating for issues including the affordability of higher education, sexual assault on college campuses and undocumented students' ability to enroll in colleges.

Additionally, a resolution to join the Coalition of Chicago Colleges and Universities, which promotes the interests of students in the metropolitan area, was introduced Wednesday night.

The Collegiate Housing Infrastructure Act was also introduced. The act would allow fraternities and sororities to have residences on campus, as well as non-profit housing on campus. The non-profit housing would allow groups to receive tax-deductible charitable contributions for improvements to housing facilities.

Both resolutions will be voted on the next time ASG meets.