ASG Senate elected its next speaker and parliamentarian Wednesday night, but not before approving emergency legislation to hand out free pizza to students on Election Day.
Weinberg junior Katie Funderburg ran unopposed for Speaker of the Senate and will be ASG’s first female speaker. McCormick junior Abby Klearman ran unopposed for Parliamentarian. The two will begin their term during the next Senate meeting. Funderburg and Klearman will take over for Weinberg junior Ani Ajith and SESP senior Brandon McNamara, respectively.
“Both of them are fantastic senators and will do a great job,” said Medill senior Brad Stewart, ASG executive vice president.
Senate also passed emergency legislation, proposed by SESP freshman Chris Harlow, “to encourage civic engagement on Evanston’s Election Day.” Elections will take place on April 9.
The legislation appropriates money from the Senate Project Pool to purchase pizzas to provide an opportunity to “inform students about the Evanston elections.” The pizza will be a part of ASG’s Get Out the Vote campaign, which is overseen by the Community Relations Committee.
During the question period, some senators raised concerns about the legality of the pizza legislation. In 2005, First Ward Alderman Judy Fiske sued Northwestern, former alderman Cheryl Wollin and students who voted over an alleged vote-buying scheme. The lawsuit was dismissed in U.S. District Court in 2006.
The Senate also discussed legislation proposed by McCormick sophomore Alex Lower that would support “the construction of a marked crosswalk across Sheridan Road at the east side of Hinman Avenue.” Lower claimed students coming from 1835 Hinman, Jones and ISRC often jaywalk across Sheridan and that a crosswalk might alleviate the problem.
However, senators noted that a crosswalk there would make little difference in students’ commutes and that a crosswalk used to exist in the proposed location. Lower said he hoped the legislation would encourage Northwestern and Evanston transportation planners to find a long-term solution to the problem.
“This is not a good solution to this problem,” Lower said. “If they realize this doesn’t work then maybe they’ll try another solution.”
Editor's note, Thurs. April 4 at 9:12 a.m.: This article originally spelled Katie Funderburg's last name as Funderberg. It also stated that she will be ASG's first female speaker, when actually there have been other women who have served as Speaker.