After a session many would describe as filled with tension, University of Wisconsin’s Associated Students of Madison is headed into its 19th session with hopes of a fresh start and a few new campaigns.
In an email to The Badger Herald, Chair Andrew Bulovsky said he plans to move into this next session having learned from the 17th and 18th sessions he observed.
“[The] 18th session was plagued by internal bickering and turmoil. It stemmed from a lack of understanding of the ASM Constitution and Bylaws and other democratic principles like the separation of powers,” he said.
For 19th session, he said he is confident in the new leadership and expects nothing but success.
Vice Chair Maria Giannopoulos said she agrees and that she has already started to see a “different energy” from the members in the meetings that have taken place thus far.
“As a session, the 18th session was bogged down in personal vendettas and negative stuff that doesn’t need to be there.” she said. “I hope this session doesn’t stoop to that level, and I don’t anticipate that it will because I see a high caliber of respect in the representatives.”
She added that for her, seeing the problems ASM faced last session kept her motivated to stay enthusiastic about making positive changes in the next session.
The three ASM endorsed campaigns so far are a mental health awareness day, a sexual assault campaign and a project to create a place online where syllabi for classes can be viewed, Bulovsky said.
Giannopoulos said she is spearheading the syllabi program, which she said if implemented would help students make more informed decisions when registering for classes so they can avoid classes that are not “their style” or they do not need to take.
As for the mental health campaign, Giannopoulos said it will focus on educating students on what resources the university provides.
Giannopoulos said the sexual assault awareness campaign will be geared toward first-year students and will involve an interactive program on Learn@UW.
ASM will also be involved in getting students to vote, Bulovsky said. He said informing students on where and how to vote will be a “primary ASM focus” this fall and that along with this will come a Big 10 Conference competition to see which school can get the most students to register to vote.
Also on the horizon this session will be the search for the next UW chancellor, as Interim Chancellor David Ward will be done with his term after this academic year.
Bulovsky said ASM’s Shared Governance Committee will be appointing an undergraduate and graduate student to the Chancellor Search and Screen Committee, with applications going out in late August for all students to apply.
Overall, Bulovsky said he wants this session to be a proactive student government that handles issues that arise with composure and works to make a positive impact on students.
“For me, what really matters are the tangibles,” he said. “This means actually accomplishing goals instead of just vaguely saying we want to work towards something. The tangibles are things that make a difference on the life of the average UW student and that positively affect the student body.”
The next ASM Student Council meeting, which is the sixth of the session, will take place Aug. 18.
