The Associated Students of Madison Student Council nominated and elected Ndemazea Fonkem as the new ASM chair for its 29th session, succeeding Adrian Lampron. Fonkem and 33 other new Student Council members started their term last Sunday.
Each representative is peer-elected within their college, and their platforms reflect each candidate’s values and pathos. Fonkem was elected as a representative of the College of Letters & Sciences.
As chair, Fonkem will act as the Student Council’s newest spokesperson and outlet for public interaction, serving to organize and report upon the organization’s overall budget and projects.
Fonkem served previously as the Diverse Engagement Coordinator, developing ASM’s engagement with the University of Wisconsin’s cultural and identity-focused student organizations. Fonkem said she hopes to continue her advocacy for inclusion and the representation for student voices.
UPDATED: ASM announces Shared Goverance appointments in final meeting of semester
The student council met for the first time Sunday night, allowing the representatives an opportunity to present and share their individual goals and platforms. Each representative brings a different point of interest to the table, Fonkem said.
“We’re a very new body,” Fonkem said. “[There’s] a lot of shared ideas.”
Fonkem said she will focus on community engagement, continue to advocate for equality and representation throughout campus spaces and work toward true inclusivity in student government.
UPDATED: ASM announces Shared Goverance appointments in final meeting of semester
ASM acts as UW’s official student government entity, serving to manage and allocate student activity fees and address various issues from a legislative standpoint such as student health. Fonkem said she will will uphold these values over the next session.
“Making sure that student voices are at every table, in every part of the conversation, would be my priority,” Fonkem said.
Other elected leadership positions for the 29th Session of ASM include
Reez Bailey as Vice Chair, AJ Butler as Secretary, Steven Shi as Nominations Board Chair, Meghan Savaglia as Press Office Director, Amaya Boman as Anti-Violence Coordinator, Emmett Lockwood as Diverse Engagement Coordinator, Anjali Subramanian as Equity and Inclusion Committee Chair and MGR Govindarajan as Legislative Affairs Committee Chair.
The newest student council will be in term until April 2023.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include a full list of elected positions for the 29th Session of ASM
