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Students rally for hostile takeover
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Approximately 15 students convened at the Stiftskellar in Memorial Union Thursday to participate in a forum about a prospective student government that could potentially replace the Associated Students of Madison.
The group looking to replace ASM calls the new organization "Student Government."
Senior Steve Schwerbel led the meeting and declared it is time for the students at the University of Wisconsin to "move away from the system of corruption."
Schwerbel said one of Student Government's main criticisms of ASM is its lack of "accountability" and "transparency."
In his opening remarks, Schwerbel suggested that ASM is too bureaucratic and that such "petty bureaucracy" has left the remainder of students uninformed and apathetic toward their own student government.
"This is not about left or right, about conservative or liberal … it's just about having a government for the students that works," Schwerbel said.
Several members of Student Government are current members of ASM or candidates in this semester's elections.
ASM Student Services Finance Committee candidate David Lapidus — who is also running for Dane County Board of Supervisors — said he considers himself a strong supporter of Student Government's ideals.
Lapidus said the fact that the Student Council has legislative, executive and judicial delegation is of particular concern to him.
"There is no longer a marketplace of ideas on campus — there is a monopoly of ideas," he said. "[A]nd that is something we need to reevaluate."
Though supporting Student Government, Lapidus remains on the ASM ballot.
He said that in the event Student Government does not succeed in overthrowing ASM and he is elected to the Student Services Finance Committee, he would represent Student Government's ideas as a member of ASM.
In reference to his dual commitment, Lapidus said, "I am running as a reformer and a supervisor to this new government. … For me, it's either reform or revolution."
Next Tuesday, Student Government will hold a meeting at which they will encourage students presently running for ASM positions to sign a contract saying they will "become allies" with Student Government.
According to Schwerbel, the contract would bind the candidates to an effort toward revamping segregated-fee policy and enhancing accountability and transparency.
Ideally, Schwerbel said, ASM candidates would immediately divert their focus to supporting Student Government.
"We feel that their reform efforts, while in the right place, are not going to work," Schwerbel said.
Some in attendance observed the display of activism for entertainment rather than to show support for Student Government.
Wisconsin Union Directorate President Janell Wise agrees ASM needs to change but thought Student Government's forum was more of a "media stunt" than anything else.
"I don't think a meeting in [the Stiftskellar] without any apparent organization is the way to reform a student government," she said.
Eric Varney, chair of ASM, commended supporters of Student Government for trying to implement such a radical change but did not grant much credibility to their efforts.
Varney said Student Government's forum was "comical at best" and criticized Student Government for using the recent voting complications as an excuse for its sudden uprising against ASM.
"ASM hasn't changed at all in the last week," Varney said.
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Janelle Wise and Eric Varney here exemplify the problem. Why can’t ASM reform? Because we have careerists like THEM involved!
I learned one thing during my time in Madison, that most student’s (sconnies and coasties alike) aren’t happy unless they are whining, crying, bitching, complaining, or protesting about every little damn thing that comes up. Next it will be Babcock Ice Cream is too cold. Get in touch with reality, and the big picture as to what is important in life.
Considering Janell isn’t involved with ASM and likely doesn’t give a shit either way, i wouldn’t say she’s a “careerist” standing in the way of ASM reforming.
Steve “I’d like to enter the Mendota Beacon into evidence” Schwerbel is just trying to make a name for himself. Lapidus has only been on campus for 6 months, does he really know what’s going on, or is he just trying to set up a sham government to kill all the multicultural and “liberal” groups?
This revolution is a joke. Change may be needed — and that requires more than a few shouts from freshmen Lapidus and the entire Mendota Beacon editorial staff.
“I learned one thing during my time in Madison, that most student’s (sconnies and coasties alike) aren’t happy unless they are whining, crying, bitching, complaining, or protesting about every little damn thing that comes up. Next it will be Babcock Ice Cream is too cold. Get in touch with reality, and the big picture as to what is important in life.”
This isn’t whining. There are some very clear structural problems with ASM as it stands now.
If you want to declare all legitimate criticism whining then by your standards all flaws should remain flaws.
“Steve “I’d like to enter the Mendota Beacon into evidence” Schwerbel is just trying to make a name for himself. Lapidus has only been on campus for 6 months, does he really know what’s going on, or is he just trying to set up a sham government to kill all the multicultural and “liberal” groups?”
Schwerbel has absolutely no vested interest in how this turns out. He just wants to see a student government that works being implemented by the time he graduates later this year.
As for myself, I believe I do know what is going on. A movement for reform or revolt has started, and it was long overdue. I ask all students to embrace this movement, to take a leading role in forming a competent student government.
This is not an attempt to setup a sham government; it is an attempt to force structural reform or revolution. It is not an attempt to destroy liberal groups or conservative groups. It is an attempt to destroy a system where groups of any kind control student government with their interests.
Stop thinking with partisan narrow-mindedness, we all know there are serious structural flaws with ASM. I think it would be more productive to start talking about fixing them rather then calling myself or any other reformer or revolutionary a partisan hack.
"I am running as a reformer and a supervisor to this new government. … For me, it's either reform or revolution." -Lapidus
Is this guy serious? Eric Varney’s comments on “student government” being comical are spot on and he has done a great job leading ASM this year.
I’d like to quote Eric Varney’s fear of this new government but I am going to restrain myself.
Is this part of an April Fool’s article? Seriously, help, I can’t tell. :-/
I don’t know a lot about the student government organizations operating on campus and with a 15% voter turnout shattering records I don’t think I’m in the minority. I must admit that this recent controversy has not left me feeling any more informed. I don’t believe someone telling me that ASM is “a vain, bloated, corrupt, and inefficient body” without real evidence in the form of numbers to back it up. I’m not moved by vague ideological rhetoric about bringing student government back to the people and making the UW-Madison campus safe for democracy. “Revolt,” “revolution,” and even “hostile takeover” are all eye-catching words, but I want to see some substance. What I care about, and I think others might care about as well, is the money. Show me how “Student Government” can really improve my day-to-day life or how ASM is wasting my tuition and you’ll really have my attention. Without verifiable figures, a general explanation of what the role of student government is, and an explanation of what ASM may or may not be doing wrong, I can’t see people caring enough about this to make any changes. To be honest, if someone else had written this post, I probably wouldn’t even cared enough to have read it.
I still don’t understand why students don’t stop crying about how bad ASM is and get involved, make it what you want. I suppose it’s just easier to complain than it is to actually do something about it.