With more than 43,000 students enrolled, the Associated Students of Madison has a large constituency. Adding to this are nearly 1,000 registered student organizations listed on the Wisconsin Involvement Network, 17 General Student Service Fund groups and the network on campus that can each focus and engage students.
Last weekend, members of ASM hosted the New People New Voices conference in an attempt to not only to connect students to campaigns on campus, but to form coalitions between ASM and student organizations.
“I think there are a lot opportunities for coalitions to be formed … just being able to use the resources that ASM has. I think one of key differences between us and student orgs is we have the foot in the door with administration,” Matt Wulf, ASM Outreach Director and an architect of the event, said. “I think student orgs are so close to the ground, they're more focused and precise in their focus area. And they may be less intimidating.”
In the program's second year, Wulf said that they were able to nearly double attendance and restricted activities so that organizational leaders taught break-out sessions on the previews instead of ASM members “lecturing.”
He said that given ASM’s resources and connections, he views their role as one of a facilitator.
“This is one of the most blatant cooperative ventures between groups and us,” Wulf said.
Many students at the event decided to attend after receiving an email. Turner Netherton, a freshman, said he wanted to find organizations to get involved with.
“I consider myself hyper-political and really want to get involved with these sort of things and I see the best way to do that with grassroots activism,” Netherton said.
Senior Ryan Weisman also received an email advertising the event and wanted to know more.
“I don't really know too much about what issues are pertinent these days,” Weisman said. “I figured this would be a good place to come and figure out what people were talking about and how to make change.”
Wulf said that he hopes people left the event feeling invigorated and this event continues to grow in the future.
“The hardest thing, not only about being students, but being student leaders in a position is it's so transient,” Wulf said. “Being able to make something really impactful it has to be long-lasting. I hope that this grows and continues to grow, and that’s something I’ll try to pass along.”
