Welcome to a new and exciting school year here at UW-Madison! While students are struggling to get used to their class schedules, meeting up with old friends or making new ones, student government leaders and activists are preparing for an extremely important year.
Due to the current state budget crisis, which has adversely affected students by hiking out-of -state tuition last spring, the Sept. 10 primary and Nov. 5 general elections will prove to be some of the most important in recent state history.
Although the legislature created a partial fix to the budget problems, the next round of budget discussions might focus on significantly raising in-state tuition to address the projected $1.2 to 2.4 billion budget deficit. Thus, it is imperative that students exercise their right to vote and make a statement that balancing the state budget problems is the responsibility of the officials we elect into office, not UW System students.
Although organizing students to vote and lobby their elected officials on issues they are concerned about or even to speak to administrators about their views on campus policies may seem like a daunting task, the Associated Students of Madison student government works to ensure students have the opportunity to become integral players in decisions that affect their lives.
For example, many students left Madison last semester unsure if drink specials would continue to exist at their favorite bars, setting up safety concerns with a possible increase in overcrowded and unsupervised house parties.
A study by a former UW student revealed that 1 in 8 females on this campus will be sexually assaulted during their academic careers here in Madison. The issue of sexual assault clearly ties into discussions and debates over the merits of a drink special ban, and it is essential that students become aware of how the city's decision on this might impact campus safety. ASM will work to provide
students with an opportunity to become involved in this decision, by organizing them to attend city City Council meetings to speak from a student perspective.
However, drink specials are not the only alcohol-related issue that will become important to students this year. Chancellor John Wiley has committed to researching more non alcoholic alternatives, a priority for the UW administration, to combat the binge drinking culture on campus. It is important for students to become involved to help provide an atmosphere where students do not feel that alcohol dominates their campus culture.
The university community also must also continue to address the nature of our campus climate so all students may feel welcome as members of the student body. Thus it is important for programs such as \Speak Up"" harassment reporting and Plan 2008 to be supported both by students and the administration.
The Speak Up harassment reporting program is being examined by students, the ASM Diversity committee and the Dean of Students Office to ensure students experiencing hate crimes have the means to protect their privacy when reporting incidents of harassment. Plan 2008 is the university's strategic diversity plan and ASM is currently working to implement a set of exit interviews for students who leave the university, in hopes of better understanding what we need to improve upon.
As you can see from what I have already talked about, students have a number of very important issues facing them in the upcoming months. But this is the part where I tell you how they can actually have an impact on these and the number of other issues facing students: by getting involved.
Talk to your student representative. Yes, I know that some of you did not vote in the student government elections, but you still have representatives who work to serve you and other students in these issues. Or better yet stop up to the ASM office in 511 Memorial Union to find out how you can be a part of the student movement for change on this campus.
If we are so convinced that students don't have a voice in such a large university, why don't we change that by getting involved in issues we care about?
