Within the week, the University of Wisconsin's 40,000 students will have elected four members to the Student Services Finance Committee and the Class of 2011 will have elected their first representatives to the Student Council. These people wield tremendous power to shape and define the Associated Students of Madison's agenda and campaigns. Yet, only 6.6 percent of the student body voted in last fall's elections. What's wrong? Why aren't students voting?
One often heard excuse among nonvoters is that ASM has no power. In reality, ASM exercises an enormous amount of influence that has produced very visible results. Members of the SSFC allocate over $19 million in student funds; that's $19 million of money straight from students' pockets. Recent victories at ASM include the establishment of a 24-hour-a-day, five-days-a-week study area at College Library, as well as the securing of free, unlimited-access bus passes for all UW students. ASM serves as the official student government of UW according to Wisconsin State Statute 36.09(5). This allows students to participate in the administration of the University and mold it to their needs.
A second criticism frequently offered is that ASM is a corrupt and incapable organization. The fact of the matter is that ASM works to ensure that its elections and processes are fair and transparent. Motivated groups and candidates have the potential to change the direction and goals of ASM by mobilizing their respective constituencies. Unlike other civic elections, ASM elections are not controlled by small interest groups that use money to influence candidates. The organization provides its candidates equal opportunity to discuss the issues and promote their agendas.
In short, ASM offers the potential to change campus in a grassroots fashion. If interested groups and individuals truly wish to address their concerns for the university or ASM, they should at the least vote in the upcoming elections on Oct. 16-18th. For those wishing to be more directly involved in a change in their student government, they can run write-in campaigns for both the Student Council and the SSFC. In the end, the power lies not in the hands of those that complain about what others aren't doing, but in the hands of those that actually do something themselves. So go to http://asm.uwsc.wisc.edu and vote. What you put into this university is what you get out of it.
Chynna Haas & Todd Brogan
ASM Student Election Commission
