OPINION & EDITORIAL
Council signals end of ASM
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Also by Jason Smathers:
- Council signals end of ASM (May 4, 2008)
- UW can have cake, eat it too (April 30, 2008)
- Prioritize access over UW quality (April 29, 2008)
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- A new hope (April 3, 2006)
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- Last stop on the gravy train? (August 31, 2007)
- Time for an overhaul (November 27, 2001)
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by Jason Smathers
Sunday, May 4, 2008
It’s a sad day when “Change we can believe in” provokes more hope for a bloated federal government than for a small, accessible student government.
But with the debacle that the Associated Students of Madison paraded around as student government last Thursday, immediate change is a necessity. Either Monday brings about an oath to completely overhaul ASM, or students must demand its destruction.
With the poor turnout of the “State of the ASM” address in April, the organization hit a new low. Not only did they fail to legitimize their meager progress on issues like diversity, textbook costs and state funding, but they also could not even provide enough of a show for the campus press. If that isn’t rock bottom, I don’t know what is.
It prompted those fed up with this backyard dog-and-pony show to set concrete reform goals for the start of the next session. These included creating a presidential system, setting budget caps and forcing Student Council to actually sign off on the campaigns of ASM.
This past Thursday, the new representatives got their chance to start off on the right foot. To call the first meeting a failure would be putting it nicely. What I saw was a determined resistance to reform and half of our student representatives clinging onto complacency.
Rep. Alex Gallagher, former chair of Student Services Finance Committee, made his bid for vice chair, to the surprise of no one. However, so did Rep. Hannah Karns, chair of Legislative Affairs and staff writer for The Badger Herald.
While some may paint it differently, the choice was very clear. Mr. Gallagher helped take one of the most mismanaged, thrifty and irresponsible branches of ASM and bring it up to code by rewriting the criteria for funding in a way that ensured only true service-based student organizations would receive your segregated fee money. He has also been one of the main proponents for a complete overhaul of our student government and turned the tables at “State of the ASM” by asking the remaining chairs what they would do to reform Student Council. For a new class seemingly committed to reform, it seemed like a simple decision.
So why did they choose Ms. Karns as their vice chair? Many spoke on her behalf, but she has yet to demonstrate her ability to lead. Her committee, Legislative Affairs, outlined their goals for the semester but accomplished few. They made a meek showing at the Capitol during the state budget crisis and continue to foster a near-useless relationship with the United States Student Association and the United Council of UW Students, the lobbying arms for college students nation and statewide, respectively. Ms. Karns herself attended few Student Council meetings during her time as Legislative Affairs chair. When asked about this, her defense was that she was “within her job description” and her attendance was not required.
To summarize: ASM elected a sophomore with little visibility and already damaged credibility over a senior who has provided the model for student government accountability. Don’t worry, it gets worse.
Mr. Gallagher and allies made a push to effectively dismantle the campus relations committee and begin the road toward a press office by postponing the appointment of a campus relations chair indefinitely. While I don’t necessarily support a press office until they can adequately legitimize it, scrapping the ineffective PR arm of ASM was the right thing to do if they’re going to seriously debate the idea. My thoughts on the matter were further confirmed when I broke my focus from the heated debate over chair appointments to see outgoing chair Christie Penn in a world of her own — playing Cosmopolitan magazine’s version of Mahjong on her laptop.
There is no point in filling campus relations when the consensus agrees their existence has proved to either be a neutral or negative factor in the management of ASM. When you can’t even execute an outdoor movie screening due to wet grass, you’ve lost all claim to sound judgment.
Unfortunately, the rest of ASM didn’t share this view. They spoke of a need for transition, consistency and stabilization. Without campus relations, ASM would be put in dire circumstances.
Why does this status quo block not understand these are already dire circumstances? Our student government isn’t just dead; it’s rotting. And to stand over the carcass and discuss the best way to preserve the remains is asinine.
Mr. Gallagher’s resignation at then end of the meeting angered some people and shocked others. Namely, Rep. Jeff Wright, who seemed to have slipped into a catatonic state following the announcement. Certainly, the fate of ASM is at least partially decided by whether or nothe runs for and receives the chair position tonight.
However, regardless of the outcome, the student body must be made aware of the gravity of this situation. The University of Wisconsin is moving into an era of increasing uncertainty. The state is consistently cutting back its funding, professors are leaving in droves, textbooks are getting more expensive, and you are all footing the bill.
I assure you this: If ASM exists in its present form in future theaters of combat, we will eventually lose the war. Your voices will be written off because the people chosen to represent you are complacent cowards.
Don’t let that happen. Tonight, ASM will meet at 6:30, TITU to appoint its new chair and set the tone for the next year. Those who feel even the slightest inclination to protect this institution, the value of their degree or any remnants of integrity UW-Madison students have left should let the representatives know how they feel. For those around Memorial Union, attend the meeting and put yourself on the speakers list. For those who are too busy, e-mail your SC representative and tell them what you want from them.
Our student council has been asking for feedback; tell them it’s do or die. Either Monday’s meeting provides a concrete commitment to reform, or they finally do students a service and hold a referendum for fall disbandment.
Fifteen years of embarrassment is enough. Let’s end it tonight.
Jason Smathers (jsmathers@badgerherald.com) is a senior majoring in journalism and history.
Note: TITU previously listed the meeting as 5pm, but the meeting has now been confirmed for 6:30.
Anonymous (May 5, 2008 @ 12:59am):
we actually meet at 6:30.
Anonymous (May 5, 2008 @ 1:17am):
Hey 12:59 - tell that to the TITU. If you're going to schedule a meeting, make sure the time is consistent.
Anonymous (May 5, 2008 @ 6:59am):
It's time to disband this joke and start over with all new people.
Anonymous (May 5, 2008 @ 8:48am):
oh 1:17.. 6:30 is the standard start time for all ASM meetings. council and ssfc haven't started at any other time for the past few years. the agenda is e-mailed out to the papers.
Anyway, let's just hope that all of the people stirred with conviction from this article (it's very well done) don't sit by themselves for an hour and a half in an empty room and leave.
Anonymous (May 5, 2008 @ 9:42am):
wow, Mr. Smather, likes to load up on the BS.
Lots of complaining and zero solutions.
As much as he would like ASM to disband it's not a solution for anything. Although it would be easier for the administration to raise seg fees to pay for all the new buildings they want to pay for.
It would also be easier if the administration didn't have a pesky student government demanding students be included on campus committees.
So yes lets disband ASM and give the administration unobstructed access to raise seg fees, lets, get ride of the bus passes, close the libraries earlier, get rid of the study days, close StudentPrint so we can pay higher printing costs, close the SafeWalk and SafeRide programs, close SERF and the NAT and lets just ignore shared governance. After all we're only students lets have the adults in the administration make all the decisions for us.
Anonymous (May 5, 2008 @ 9:42am):
As a former ASM-er, I completely agree with your assessment of the organization. It is about time students wake up and realize how much their "government" as failed them. I only have one problem with your article - the characterization of SSFC as "thrifty." Seg fees have almost tripled since the start of the Southworth case in 1995, which is not exactly my definition of "thrifty" governing body.
Anonymous (May 5, 2008 @ 9:48am):
ain't.gonna.change.
Anonymous (May 5, 2008 @ 9:54am):
Jeff Wright appears to be the one shining light of ASM (...there used to be two, but Gallagher got cold feet, apparently). Talk about pressure to perform, though. Is there any way he could actually come out of this on top?
Anonymous (May 5, 2008 @ 10:44am):
OMG the Badger Herald hating on ASM, I haven't seen that for the past 4 years I've been a student here. Let's just accept that the BH is a conservative front paper with superior funding and comics compared to the Daily Cardinal.
Anonymous (May 5, 2008 @ 10:54am):
To 9:42 - I agree. For some reason, I used the exact opposite of what I wanted to say there. What I meant to do is call them a "spendthrift" organization. My apologies.
Anonymous (May 5, 2008 @ 10:40pm):
a typical smathers solution: DIE!!!
Anonymous (May 6, 2008 @ 12:43am):
false, 10:40pm, Smathers called it "rotting" not just dead.
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