Let's hope the bulk of last semester wasn't a precursor of things to come this spring for the Associated Students of Madison. Aside from going through the obligatory student government motions, ASM did little to expand on past accomplishments.
Yes, many of us picked up a bus pass from the Student Activities Center. Maybe you even went to the textbook swap. But good policy items like the Campus Services Fund, hiring a full-time lobbyist and finalizing Medical Amnesty legislation failed to make any significant ground.
Even worse, appeals from the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group and Collegians For a Constructive Tomorrow—two student organizations rightly denied General Student Services Fund eligibility last semester by the Student Service Finance Committee—somehow managed to find success with the Student Judiciary in questionable rulings. Although the odds are still stacked against WISPIRG and CFACT, each will undoubtedly take up future ASM time and money that could be better spent elsewhere.
Aside from the persisting structural problems of ASM—unavoidable turnover, lack of engagement from certain Student Council members, wasteful bickering and a terrible website (asm.wisc.edu)—there were some good takeaways from last semester.
For instance, ASM hosted a gubernatorial debate in October featuring eventual victor Gov. Scott Walker and Democratic candidate Tom Barrett. And at the local level, Legislative Affairs Committee Chair Sam Polstein partnered up with The Daily Cardinal to host the State Assembly District 77 debate. Polstein also helmed the first annual Madison Student Housing Fair, which offered tips for student renters and introduced incoming tenants to their future landlords.
In a more symbolic stride, ASM made an outreach effort unmatched in previous years. Due mainly to the backlash facing SSFC Chair Matt Manes' pet funding project, the Campus Services Fund, multiple town hall-style meetings were held to get a better sense of the problems surrounding current student organization funding methods.
Speaking as someone who made the effort to attend those meetings, I was genuinely disappointed by the turnout. So many students showed up to council meetings to vent their frustrations with the CSF just before it went to a vote, but hardly anyone was willing to do the dirty work. That lack of effort is exactly what undermines the credibility of many ""concerned"" student organizations.
Although the CSF was eventually sent to the rules committee for further evaluation, I'm hopeful that the problems it aimed to correct are still solvable. Rae Lymer, a newly elected member of SSFC, has made it a priority to transform the application process for GSSF eligibility.
In its current form, the application poses the wrong questions. It needs to be streamlined and less intimidating for would-be organizations. Simple questions focusing more on time and money allocations would make the whole eligibility process a lot smoother.
I'm confident Lymer, along with SSFC Secretary Jason Smathers, can make progress with the GSSF eligibility application and reword some misguided language in its criteria.
Outside of tinkering with the GSSF, there are other exciting opportunities for ASM this semester. Among them, implementing some form of permanent, accessible student legal service center could have the most impact.
Whether it's advice for settling disputes with landlords or just information regarding options to fight an underage drinking ticket, reliable legal counsel is painfully absent on campus.
There is less dramatic policy on the table as well. Since a good many of the top dogs at ASM are seniors, it should come as no surprise that the idea of a commencement speaker fund is being thrown around to attract the best possible graduation speaker. From what I've heard, raising anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000 seems reasonable. Um, how does President Bill Clinton sound? What about my girl Oprah?
Lastly, with the newly-elected Republican legislature about to slash the state budget to shreds—especially with cuts to funding for higher education—it's important that the university gains the freedom it needs to remain competitive at a national level. Chancellor Martin's Badger Partnership aims to do just that. By freeing UW from overbearing state restrictions in purchasing, construction projects and setting salary and tuition levels, Martin hopes to take the university in a new direction. In this case, ASM needs to be a helpful partner to the administration, not a roadblock to academic success.
Almost by definition, student government is a struggle. By no means do I envy those in the trenches. Show up to a Student Council meeting sometime and you'd get my point. But last fall, there were glimpses of greatness, and now's the time to actually follow through with those good policy proposals.
Without a doubt, there's a lot at stake this semester. But if ASM is able to cleanse itself of the petty arguments and pointless debate, it just might be able to make some significant changes this spring. If not, at least we'll still get our bus passes, right?
Dan Tollefson is a senior majoring in English. Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
