Campaign Season Begins!

At 5:00 today it became official, ASAP has entered campaign season. After a long day that began at eight this morning, I'm proud to report we've recruited 34 senate candidates! Our candidates hail from almost every college within UWM, and are surely the most impassioned and qualified future representatives I've had the honor of working with.

After turning in a stack of papers as thick as The Bible to the University Student Court this afternoon, I breathed a sigh of relief. There were times when I wondered how many people would end up following through with their promises to get involved, and sure enough, come through they did! Now we begin the easy part, talking with the student body about our plans to improve life here at UWM, and learning more about what the students expect from us. This face to face communication is what I like best about being a student representative, and I hope to be able to gather a lot of creative input about ways to heighten student involvement and increase satisfaction with on campus events.

I'm a problem solver by nature. When I hear someone has a problem with the way something runs here, my first thought is what I can do as a Senator to help fix it. On the campaign trail I'll have the same mindset, so don't hesitate to give me any suggestions you may have!

I plan to hold a ASAP party meeting early next week and pound out our marketing strategy. I can't wait to get started!

In other news, I was proud to see the Student Association Senate take a stand for faculty and staff's right to collectively bargain at last night's meeting. My legislation "The Worker's Resolution" passed handedly, and set a strong tone for the defense of the rights of our professors, teaching assistants, and classified staff members. The UWM Post did a nice job of covering the debate, so I'll include a link below. Other than that, I plan on meeting with Union Director Scott Gore soon to discuss creating a financial plan to build music practice rooms in the Union, as well as purchasing more composting bins. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I was recently appointed Union Policy Board Chair. Although my term only lasts till the end of the semester, I'll make sure to make it productive.

Alex.

P.S. The UWM Post link:
http://www.uwmpost.com/2011/03/07/sa-senate-meeting-recap-this-is-what-democracy-looks-like/

Keeping a consistent vision at UWM

When Scott Walker's budget came out last week, many people asked how UWM would adapt to the massive changes scheduled to blow through the campus.

Under the last line of the "Education" section of the budget, Walker lists his vision for our campus. UWM is to begin implementing reforms that will lead to us becoming a "private authority," Think Marquette. Now as most of us know, UW-Milwaukee doesn't quite have the millionaire-alumni backbone that Marquette does. If we want to build on campus, we pay for it ourselves by taking out loans that cost us for decades. We don't get building donated and we don't survive off of handouts from the rich. Milwaukee is solidly middle-class, and proud of it.

We educate more Wisconsin residents than any other University in the State, and our goal is to shape the minds of our future lawyers, doctors and teachers. We cannot be who we are, who our community NEEDS us to be, as a private school. Our tuition will rise, our state funding will diminish. The diversity and multiculturalism we hold dear will disappear as middle-class and lower-class students are priced out of an education in their home city.

If elected this April, ASAP will fight to keep tuition affordable for our students. We will ensure that even if UWM makes moves towards privatization, the quality and mission of our campus will not change. We will do everything within our power to resist a fundamental change to our University.

In the meantime, I'll try to avoid harping on and on about the coming attempts at privatization. ASAP has a dedication to improving life on campus in many other ways, and although we certainly will have a important battle on our hands, we will not forget our pledge to RENEW, TRANSFORM and PROGRESS our campus.

I'll update sometime next week when the ballots are finalized.

Alex.

P.S. ASAP has finished the signature process, and has a membership of 37 senatorial candidates, making us the largest party ever!

A proxy of our website is currently up at:

www.asap2011.digitaldbo.com