The next session of the Associated Students of Madison student government met Wednesday to elect its leadership positions, including the appointment of Rep. David Gardner as chairman.
Gardner was elected by a vote of 21-10 over Rep. Sarah Neibart. Many council members said both nominees were hardworking and would be great leaders for Student Council and campus as a whole.
Rep. Katie Cary said she originally had a negative view of ASM, but Gardner changed that through his dedication and thoughtfulness in his work as former press office director.
“As a chair representing this body and the rest of campus, you really want someone who is going to involve ASM and make people want to come here and work and be the change for this campus,” Cary said.
However, some council members felt Neibart would be better for the position because of her professionalism.
Neibart was nominated by Rep. Jamie Wheeler, who said she is set apart by her experience working with many different administrators and government leaders.
“Her interactions as a professional demonstrate that she… can be an adult in a room with adults, be able to speak as a professional and to be taken seriously,” Wheeler said. “She commands great respect because you … know she is going to fight.”
Neibart was also nominated for vice chair along with Rep. Mia Akers. The position was voted on three times, but resulted in three 15-15 ties. Student Council will vote on the appointment again next week.
The council also elected Sean McNally as Shared Governance Chair, Becca Buell as Nominations Board Chair, Jessica Behling as Diversity Committee Chair, Morgan Rae as Legislative Affairs Chair and Will Mulhern as Sustainability Committee Chair.
The council will appoint the University Affairs Committee Chair, Rules Committee Chair and Press Office Director at its next meeting.
Although Student Council has yet to appoint all leadership positions, Gardner said he is confident they are creating a unified front of chairs driven “not by personal gain but student gain.”
Gardner said he hopes to emphasize a campaign for affordability, targeting both student loan debt and rising tuition costs.
“Day one, tomorrow, we’ll be starting to meet with legislators, to meet with administrators to push hard for a tuition freeze,” Gardner said. “Students deserve that.”
Gardner also said he wants to push for a living wage for student hourly positions on campus.
Additionally, Gardner said he would like to see ASM represent student interests in the next campus diversity plan, while also expanding overall outreach throughout campus and the state.
