From my experience many failed relationships don’t stop after one. People often seek divorce assuming there is someone or something else better out there, when in reality many problems can be solved just by taking the time to look inward. With that in mind, I think that rather than throw in the towel, the Associated Students of Madison needs to take a look inside and get some outside help — counseling, if you will. They need to look at themselves internally and fix what lies inside. They shouldn’t think that by starting something new or by splitting up this will be the end to all of their problems, because really it is just the beginning of a set of new ones. A better approach is to first try some outside counseling. Then if we still can’t make it work, perhaps a split is in the works, but for now let’s consult the experts — our peers or the student governments behind our peer universities in the Big Ten Conference.
Like ASM, all Big Ten student governments are two-pronged, offering both grassroots organizing as well as institutionalized student services. However, unlike ASM, their relationships with their student bodies are flourishing. So perhaps the better question is what are they doing that we are not? Why are their relationships flourishing, while ours is, at best, floundering?
As easy as it is to point at them as the root of our problems, grassroots committees make real change on campus — changes we all benefit from and we are all familiar with, including the 24-hour library, the Metro Bus Pass, a guaranteed study day before finals, the textbook swap and much more. We need grassroots committees to implement initiatives such as these and organize for student rights. There’s a reason ASM has been around in its current form for 15 years, and that is because at the end of the day it does great things for the campus at large.
However, like all long-term relationships, this one needs a little TLC. What ASM needs to do is already in motion. We are taking the time to self-evaluate by devoting the summer session to reviewing the structure, constitution and bylaws. We are asking for input from our partner (the student body) by inviting members of the general student population to apply for seats on the Constitutional Committee that will lead this charge. After a summer session of intense “therapy” I believe that we will emerge with a more organized, streamlined, transparent and accountable organization, better able to serve the student body.
There are 29 newly elected student council representatives committed to making this relationship work. Now they need a commitment from their better half: you, the body of UW-Madison. It takes more then just a handful of leaders to build a successful student government. Thus, I challenge you to join us in our task. While we work to reach constituents and recommit ourselves to the outreach for the student body at large, we need students to vote, to apply to be part of our Constitutional Committee, join a grassroots committee, apply to be a member of SSFC or apply to the Press Shop.
Relationships are hard work, but I think with a little counseling we can make this work. We’ll laugh, we’ll cry, we’ll criticize, we’ll reform, and at the end of it we will both be better for it. However, for now the doctor is in.
Jessica Pavlic ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in economics. She is also a College of Letters and Sciences representative for the Associated Students of Madison Student Council.
