NEWS
First ‘State of the ASM’ not well-attended
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Also by Carolyn Potts:
- $60 million Natatorium upgrade raises concerns (April 17, 2008)
- First 'State of the ASM' not well-attended (April 16, 2008)
- 'Jeopardy!' not only weekend quiz competition (April 15, 2008)
- Four Westboro Baptists meet 1,000 protesters at UW-Stout (April 11, 2008)
- Chad, Barnard to be restored (April 11, 2008)
Related Stories:
- SSFC to be paid for time (February 29, 2008)
- ASM elects Rath as 2006-07 chair (May 2, 2006)
- Student government ramps up safety campaign (August 31, 2007)
- Regents create new segregated fee committee (August 31, 2007)
- Commission: Give free tuition proposal a chance (December 14, 2006)
by Carolyn Potts
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Three reporters and six ASM members were the only people to show up Tuesday night to hear the Associated Students of Madison’s “State of the ASM” address.
ASM Chair Gestina Sewell said she was not surprised by the lack of turnout, adding she did not know how or if the event was publicized.
The newly formed Outreach Committee, Sewell added, is working on better ways to connect with the student body.
ASM Legislative Affairs Committee Chair Hannah Karns, who also serves as a staff writer for The Badger Herald, said the committee will do more to incorporate students and get feedback.
The first State of the ASM address — which had been called ASM’s Town Hall meeting — focused on working toward unification in the upcoming session starting May 1.
Reports from the Legislative Affairs, Campus Relations, Diversity, Academic Affairs, Student Activity Center, Finance and Student Services Finance Committees included work achieved in this year’s session and plans for the next academic year’s session.
SSFC Chair Alex Gallagher said there are plans in the works to build a new Natatorium on the footprint of the old building.
“Their projected cost is about $56 million, and right now they’re only assuming that would come from seg fees,” Gallagher said. “They haven’t secured any external or state funding.”
The project, if approved for funding from segregated fees, would add an additional $60 to student costs per year for the next 20 to 30 years.
Gallagher also said — addressing his “fellow Badgers” — that “the state of student-segregated fees is, well, a little better.” He pointed to “very straightforward” actions to provide stability to the fund, including changes to eligibility rules that will make it harder for certain groups to get GSSF funding. SSFC has cut more than $670,000 from the fund.
When asked the state of Student Council, ASM Academic Affairs Committee Chair Jessica Pavlic said discussions have focused on changing bylaws to make it “more legitimate.”
“The student council members we have appointed for next year are going to be very, very dedicated to making sure that ASM does become more legitimate, and I think that is going to show next year,” Pavlic said.
Pavlic also said it is important for all Student Council members to be in attendance for meetings. SC members often do not realize the time commitment when they sign up for the position, she added, and as a result, members often do not come or don’t stay for the whole meeting.
“You can’t expect to be done with a meeting in three hours after two weeks of being away from council,” Pavlic said. “That is not how important decisions are made.”
Karns, along with Pavlic and Gallagher, are incoming representatives of Student Council.
Pavlic also addressed the success of ASM’s Textbook Swap. ASM has already set a date for the fall swap, which will be the Monday before classes start in the fall, and has plans to expand the event across campus. It will eventually become a semi-annual event.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 2:50am):
ha!
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 6:40am):
when can students vote to disband ASM?
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 7:00am):
I never even heard of this thing happening. If the chair of ASM is clueless, this says something about that entire organization.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 7:29am):
i wish i could say i was surprised
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 7:50am):
"Wednesday night" ???
also, ASM is completely useless.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 8:02am):
its pretty sad when the Chair of ASM does not even know whether or not the organiztion that she chairs did any advertising or outreach. In the past I believe the Chair has written letters to the editor or had a column...this is truely pathetic, if ASM was bad before its sunk to a whole new low, but I really think next years leadership is going to be much more focused.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 8:09am):
SNAP! Great story, Carolyn.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 8:44am):
Greatest. Picture. Ever.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 9:16am):
where was it at?
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 9:31am):
Yet another example of how poor the leadership of ASM as become. I am sure the Chair was very relieved when no one showed up to view the ridiculousness of ASM. Hopefully Chair Karns will live up to her word and change ASM for the better. This can only be accomplished by voting to disband the organization, fire its staff and move on.
-Brent Maddux
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 9:39am):
When is someone going to put together a slate of candidates that will vote to dismantle and eliminate ASM? I think they would win in a landslide and the election would have record turnout.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 10:29am):
The only thing ASM is good for are the free bus passes
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 11:39am):
10:29
and memorial and union south, and serf, and the nat, as well as hundreds of other events on campus....oh and univeristy health services too
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 11:46am):
I'm guessing no one went because no one cares, not because it wasn't advertised
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 12:21pm):
Well, technically the bus passes aren't even free, the Bus Pass program is paid for with seg fees. So...
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 12:32pm):
i bet if there was a 'townhall' meeting to disband asm,thousands would show up!
what is this 56 million dollar for a new nat?!?! what's wrong with the current one?
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 12:43pm):
ASM -- out of touch with the student body, as usual
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 1:39pm):
The bus passes aren't even free, you pay for them in your seg fees!
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 2:56pm):
That's what they get for scheduling this opposite American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Big Brother, and The Biggest Loser.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 4:13pm):
Where is Gestina in this pic?
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 7:14pm):
@ 11:39,
"and memorial and union south, and serf, and the nat, ....oh and univeristy (sic) health services too"
The funny thing about everything you listed is the fact that ASM has almost nothing to do with offering those services. The services are funded with seg fees (although, since they are part of the non-allocable portion of what SSFC funds, ASM doesn't even have any real control over the funding, beyond making non-binding recommendations), and that is about it. ASM doesn't staff those places, they don't run them, and I guarantee if ASM wasn't there, the university would find a way to fund them.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 7:14pm):
Wow,does anyone else think that this is beyone rediculous and that these people are getting paid to talk to an empty room. I believe there needs to be something done about the current state of ASM immediately.
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 7:46pm):
"Student Government"...the Phoenix arising from the ashes.
- Germain E. Stemme
Anonymous (April 16, 2008 @ 7:46pm):
Well at least the press was there...
-Costello-
Marie Castano (April 17, 2008 @ 7:30pm):
DUH!
the meeting was for the press not the students
badger herald f*cked this article up from the start
contact the asm office for confirmation
and for all those who want to nag and complain but dont want to take up any action just need to shut those flapping faceholes already
Anonymous (April 22, 2008 @ 11:54pm):
ASM is truly pathetic and full of people almost as intelligent as Marie Castano, but barely and that's not saying much at all, if anything.
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