[media-credit name=’JEFF SCHORFHEIDE/Herald photo’ align=’alignright’ width=’336′][/media-credit]Campus safety, improving admissions and giving students a voice in city politics were just a few of the Associated Students of Madison's semester initiatives announced at a press conference Wednesday.

ASM intends to pilot a neighborhood watch program, continue the tradition of student Shadow Day and work with the Madison City Council to ensure students have a say in the recently proposed Alcohol Density Plan.

"With the continuing safety issues on campus, I'm really excited for our neighborhood safety program to launch," said Dylan Rath, ASM student council chair.

The yearlong initiative will bring groups of five students to walk in shifts on Friday and Saturday nights in the areas surrounding Regent and Spring streets.

And while it will only be in effect the last four weeks of the spring semester this year, ASM hopes to re-establish the program next fall if it proves successful, according to Christie Penn, ASM campus relations chair.

"We needed a bigger presence on the streets, but not necessarily from police officers," Penn said.

The ASM Diversity committee is also preparing for their annual Shadow Day, when high school students are invited to accompany a University of Wisconsin student to class and experience life at UW for a day.

"The goal is to introduce the school to students who had maybe not thought about Madison as their first choice," Penn said.

According to Rath, this program was created with the purpose of UW's holistic admissions policy in mind.

"It brings in high school students to shadow college students for a day," Rath said. "It especially targets those who identify with LGBT (students) and persons of color."

An entirely new project this semester is a campaign regarding the proposed alcohol density policy in areas surrounding campus. This initiative, spearheaded by ASM student intern Steven Grant, was created in response to Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's plan to end the issuances of liquor licenses on State Street and in the downtown area with the purpose of reducing violence.

"We are approaching it as an issue that affects students," Grant said. "So we think that it's important that students have a voice at the table."

Grant said ASM is expecting an announcement of their student council's stance on the density plan in the next few weeks. Afterward, the organization can begin working to represent students in the citywide debate.

"We're hoping for a vote so that we have a little bit of a mandate from students," Grant said. "If they come out one way or another, we will have a clear starting point for negotiating."

While the organization continues pursuing its spring semester projects, ASM elections will be held March 20 to 22.