Student leaders went head to head in a debate over the best way to reform the Associated Students of Madison constitution Wednesday at Memorial Union.
Jeff Wright, ASM Constitutional Committee Chair, and Chynna Haas, President of the Working Class Student Union, answered pre-determined questions before taking questions from the audience at the end of the debate.
Subjects of contention included the use and distribution of UW-Madison's segregated fees. The Vote No"" and ""Vote Yes"" coalitions also expressed concern about the best way to reform the ASM constitution.
Wright, who was arguing in favor of ASM reform, said he believes the new constitution represents an improvement to the current system of government.
According to Wright, ASM has been having participation issues due to the disenfranchisement of half the members of the student council.
""There isn't much coordination between the leadership and those that are elected,"" Wright said.
Wright described three main tasks ASM is expected to accomplish: appointing shared-governance committee members, allocating these committees to student groups on campus and serving as a means by which students can effect change.
""[The new constitution] will make sure that only the best students are assigned to shared governance committees and not the friends of appointees, which is kind of what happens now,"" Wright said.
Representing the other side of the debate was Haas, who argued for the denial of the proposed ASM constitution.
One of Haas' chief claims was that grassroots organizations or subcommittees within ASM should have more power in student council because they are organizing student issues that matter to them.
""First and foremost, ASM's function is to advance student interest on campus on local, state and national issues,"" she said.
Haas said the new ASM constitution does not address the real problems with the student government, and it concentrates too much power in the hands of the executive branch.
Students interested in voting on the new ASM constitution can do so Feb. 23 to 24.
