Let the elections begin! Money, politics, controversy, and of course a few vivid memories of déjà vu may pop into your head when you think of ASM elections.

Whatever comes to mind, the real underlying theme of ASM elections is the exciting possibility of obtaining a seat at a table where unparalleled student power is derived from ASM's shared governance and grassroots advocacy efforts.

While Student Council meetings every other week are sometimes long and heated, they are the perfect place for leaders to represent their constituents during discussions on important pressing issues such as Halloween, the ban on civil unions, holistic admissions, and University alcohol policy. The Student Council also approves many student organization budgets and finance grant proposals.

The most proactive and involved council members are true advocates for the improvement of the UW-Madison campus. They serve on bodies such as the Student Services Finance Committee (SSFC), Finance Committee, Nominations Board, Diversity Committee, Student Activity Center Board, Campus Relations Committee, and Shared Governance Committee. These students make a commitment to create change on campus and learn how to apply the power of grassroots campaigning.

Letters and Sciences Representative Jeanette Velazquez ran for Student Council because she feared that the things she loved about UW-Madison would disappear if she didn't get involved. Her work on the Finance Committee allowed her to become an asset for constituents and student organizations on campus. Velazquez says "to be part of a committee that educates and provides so many opportunities for such a diverse number of students is really amazing."

ASM Nominations Board Chair Samantha Ziesemer and her committee of six council members led the interview and selection process for hiring full-time professional staff. Representative Ziesemer enjoyed learning the Human Resources protocol and University policies necessary for hiring new employees.

Leadership from representatives such as Gestina Sewell, ASM Vice-Chair, and Hannah Buck, Chair of the ASM Diversity Committee, can be witnessed in events that range from national legislative conferences to admissions counseling and recruitment of underrepresented high school students.

The composition of the Student Council is designed to include the voices of student from various academic backgrounds with 33 seats split proportionally among all schools: Business (1), Life Sciences/Veterinary Medicine (2), Education (2), Engineering (2), Graduate (5), Human Ecology/Pharmacy (2), Letters and Sciences (12), Law (1), Medicine (1), Special Student (1), and four freshman elected in the fall.

Spring elections are March 20-22. Candidate declaration forms can be found at www.asm.wisc.edu and are due on Monday, February 26. Referenda and initiatives must also be filed by February 26.

Dylan Rath ([email protected])