Last week, 14 newly elected representatives of Associated Students of Madison's Student Council issued a press release proposing several reforms that, while short and unarticulated, appeared to represent a step in the right direction for an organization that has become disconnected with the student body. Since these proposed changes lacked details, The Daily Cardinal Editorial Board spoke with a number of newly elected ASM representatives on Monday.
ASM's presentation was surprising, and for the first time in a long while we are cautiously optimistic that ASM can reform itself for the better and become an effective voice for UW-Madison's 41,000 students.
Recently, this editorial board has not hesitated to voice concerns with ASM. We, along with the rest of this campus, felt justified in doing so. Year after year, we watch ASM propose sweeping reforms and an all-or-nothing hook"" with no chance of enactment. Year after year, ASM has been ridden with representatives who seem more concerned with padding their résumés than actually improving the effectiveness of their organization and advancing student concerns.
With this in mind, we believe that ASM has turned a corner. The newly elected representatives have realized they must prioritize and enact internal reforms if they hope to be more than a student bus pass dispenser. Moreover, we were pleased to hear representative Jeff Wright report that ASM is dropping the hook issue platform.
Part of their reform platform calls for ASM to focus on issues of higher education, meaning they plan to lobby in the state Capitol on behalf of UW-Madison for issues such as partner benefits and increased funding. Although this lobbying effort will not bring a windfall for the university, it holds symbolic importance. The time and effort that this proposal requires shows a genuine commitment toward advancing the interests of the university and raising awareness of the financial problems this campus faces.
Creating a press office will streamline ASM's contact with students and the press, allowing for a healthy two-way line of communication. Although initially skeptical that creating this office would simply add components to ASM's already muddled bureaucracy, the need for a public relations office became readily apparent after the poorly attended ""State of the ASM"" forum several weeks ago. Moreover, this office promises to increase transparency and accountability for an organization suffering from a lack of both.
Effectively implementing internal reforms such as creating a press office and streamlining the ASM bureaucracy will be no easy task. Nevertheless, ASM needs to enact these reforms and commitments to earn back the credibility that it has lost over the years.
