Many of you are probably getting tired of hearing about student fees and all the controversies involving them. In all seriousness, if this is the case, please do what you can to get rid of them. No more eye soreness from reading all the tough language. You should be warned, though, that such a move might cause an epidemic of strained backs from carrying much heavier wallets.
But just how ingrained is the parasite upon student wallets known as the Associated Students of Madison? It is not as permanent as you think. For, although the infrastructure and governing documents have been around for almost nine years, this ship is far from unsinkable. In fact, there are only a few factors that keep your student government from teetering over the edge.
Because ASM would not exist without the financial dependence of registered student organizations, ASM is dependent upon a strong administrative function in its financial department. Alison Rice, due to her non-student position as chief financial staff member, is essential. She was and is the glue that holds ASM together.
Because of the lack of proper institutional structure and review for discretionary spending, oftentimes she is the only person who has full access to the financial records of student groups and ASM’s internal budget. When the day is said and done, the elite circle of student officers makes the decisions, but Rice is there to make sure everything is legal and will minimize administration review of ASM spending.
Two years ago, a serious weakness of ASM was exposed. This indispensable member of the financial staff took a leave of absence. During this forgotten year, which is forgotten both due to complete lack of historical records and its embarrassing reflection of the stability of ASM, the ugly face of unbridled student power shone through.
For example, committee chairs were blatantly paid off for their appointment votes for organizational officers via unearned stipends. Travel expenses bordered on the absurd, and discretionary office accounts were exploited and abused. Only after the return of this key staff member, along with a hostile ideological takeover, did the insanity temporarily cease. Since then, many of these past officers of the organization who found that ASM brought such a literal wealth to themselves and their friends have moved on to the more lucrative business of General Student Services Funding organizations.
There, responsible and good people like Rice may neither review nor suggest more ethical practices for players in the booming business of para-university groups funded by student fees. That is not to say that she is the voice of fiscal responsibility, but only a voice of reason and an eye for potential public perception. Nevertheless, the foresight and mediation she has is rare in student government circles.
The questions, therefore, are inevitable. Should people like Rice, for some reason, decide to leave, as is more than her prerogative, what would happen? Who would stand as the reasonable mediator between the carefree student government and the buttoned-down Administration? Would the entire organization crumble upon itself, or would students eventually storm the castle?
The festering problem of lack of institutionalized hard regulation and meaningful review of appropriations will eventually flare up. Ethical dilemmas are a weekly fact of life in ASM financial processes, due to a combination of selfish interests and general lack of knowledge by participants on both sides of the allocation process as to the basics of state law. Having the Student Judiciary in place will only serve as a buffer to keep ASM out of court for so long.
Therefore, the screaming headlines will cease. You can wait for ASM to do itself in with the inevitable loss of key staff members and lack of institutional regulation. You can wait for the next Southworth to reveal the ludicrousness of the system to the nation. You can take back your student fees by force. Or, you can sit back in your lecture hall skimming some guy’s article that predicts it all, while you smile and think about cake.
The choice is yours.
