The Associated Students of Madison Student Council officially elected the majority of its leadership positions for the school year at a meeting Tuesday evening.
ASM held its first meeting of the semester and elected representatives to serve in leadership positions for the council’s 27th session, according to a press release.
College of Letters and Science representative Matthew Mitnick will sit as the new ASM Chair. Mitnick will replace Laura Downer, who served as the interim ASM chair up until the election last night.
In a statement to The Badger Herald, Mitnick said he felt humbled to be elected ASM Chair and work with the students elected alongside him. Mitnick said the meeting last night inspired him.
“Last night, I witnessed a level of energy and passion at the Student Council that I had not seen before,” Mitnick said. “Although there is no denying that we face a difficult semester ahead, having leaders dedicated to creating positive change and innovative solutions is so important.”
In his new role, Mitnick said one of his top priorities will be promoting equity for international students and marginalized communities on campus. Additionally, Mitnick said he hopes to develop a clear, accessible and inclusive process for student organizations to get grant funding.
Mitnick also said he will prioritize appointing more students to city and county committees, as well as work to increase student civic engagement. Mitnick also said he was concerned about UW’s plans to handle COVID-19, and he hopes ASM can help bind the campus together during the pandemic.
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“I am disappointed with how the campus is addressing COVID-19 and I know that we are going to need strong leadership and collaboration in order to make it through this together,” Mitnick said.
According to the press release, the remaining unfilled leadership positions will be elected at the virtual ASM meeting next Wednesday.
