Beyond the Talking Points

ASM Chair Elections Live Blog (Abbreviated)

ADAM JOHNSON ELECTED VICE CHAIR OF ASM!!!!!!

VOTE: 20-12-1

4:25 – ASM Vice Chair Debate!

Johnson v. Lizotte

Manes for Johnson
Love for Lizotte  (Love argued for Lizotte bringing forth new ideas)
Junger for Johnson (Junger addressed some of the duties of the position and the benefits of ASM experience)
Woolwich for Johnson (Johnson was very welcoming, inviting, worked well with everyone)
Zinn for Lizotte (Argued that VC doesn’t need ASM knowledge & experience)
Beemsterboer for Johnson (He did extremely well meeting with StuCo reps, state reps, and tackled many important issues as Leg Affairs Chair, etc.)
Hilliard for Lizotte (People are here to represent students)
Plamann for Lizotte (I really don’t understand why though.  Apparently Lizotte is some state lobbyist superstar and Johnson isn’t very good).
Love advocates for lack of experience in his VC vote?  I’m really confused about this guy.

Secret Ballot vote has been called for.  Majority vote passed the approval.

Yay!  Brandon just demonstrated adeptness at the nuances of Robert’s Rules with his Stand at Ease Order.

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3:30 – VICE CHAIR Q&A

Johnson and Lizotte were both nominated for the Vice Chair Position.  Opening statements:

Johnson – quintessential outreach position (On campus, in city & state, across the nation) – breadth of experience in ASM and with city/state officials

Lizotte – mostly focused on WIPSIRG experience (coalitions, moderator ability, kickoffs, voting drive)  - I wonder if her attack on Brandon will hurt her.

Q&A limited to 45 minutes.

LOVE: Questions from Love about outreach and getting people to voice their concerns.
Johnson: Mentioned work with Mayor Dave, close relationships with Alder Bryon Eagon, Bidget Maniaci and much of the work he has done this year (ALRC, Gubernatorial Debate, Lobbying, etc.)
Lizotte: Emphasized creating coalitions and working on getting people to vote.  More talk about WISPIRG.

Fergus: What qualities do you possess that will help you serve UW students?
Johnson: spoke about visiting other schools and being sure to work with them.  He also emphasized knowing all of the issues.
Lizotte: I got bored, rambled a lot

Fergus: What should Madison’s role be in larger lobby organizations?
Lizotte: We need to work for our students and we need to also work for the larger goals of all students.
Johnson: We have to work collectively with other campuses to effect change.

Zinn: What have you done to reach out to student orgs in your legislative work?
Johnson: We need to actively reach out to organizations who are politically active to connect these orgs to our efforts.
Lizotte: Coalitions, voting in 2008, worked with UC, College Dems and WISPIRG & ASM, etc.

This debate is starting to feel like the chorus in a Kesha Song…

Ziebell: What city/local issues have you worked on?
Lizotte: Transportation options issues because people don’t have cars, fair trade, etc.   Also another mention of voting.
Johnson: Most of my leg affairs work was local

Ziebell: How will you effectively work with Chair Williams to be a strong ASM leader?
Johnson: Previous work experience, complementary strengths, meeting and strong relationship with many
outside officials
Lizotte:  I would go through a very long process before opposing a decision.

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BRANDON WILLIAMS ELECTED ASM CHAIR

Trounced MPOWER candidate 20-12-1

NOW ON DEBATE!

Rep. Manes spoke about the wealth of endorsements for Williams and highlighted his outreach and experience.  Debate limited.  Max Love objected and lost.

Rep. Love (MPOWER)  spoke about wanting to know how many people were lobbied by constituents (this is probably because he tried to organize a mass emailing of council members)

Rep. Huang (MPOWER) spoke about working with Zinn on SLAC, and discussed how Zinn facilitates SLAC meetings well.

Rep. Fergus spoke about having worked with both candidates in the past and spoke about keeping his vote secret, and that all L&S reps received form emails composed by Rep. Love

Rep. Nichols spoke about meeting with Williams and was not reached out to by Zinn.  ”I was literally blown away by how good Brandon was… I cannot explain what an amazing experience it was working with Brandon”  He did not even attempt to influence my decision, and it was a great experience.  Lots of glowing praise.

Rep. Johnson spoke about really beginning to support Williams after the tenant services proposal in the ASM Budget.  He is hard-working and dedicated, and he is very likable. Also, apparently Williams plays guitar and bass.  He will “raise the bar” for ASM and make 17th session the real turning point for ASM.

Rep. Vollrath spoke in favor of Williams and discussed the respect that so many people have for him.

Rep. Stevensen (MPOWER) spoke about both guys being great for the position.  He is looking for a particular attitude about ASM – he wants more connection with students.  Blogs and office hours aren’t helpful at getting to know students, Zinn will outreach and talk to students.  This organization needs to organize.

Rep. Ziebell spoke about working with Williams on SSFC, SACGB and Student Council.  She spoke about Williams working well with her to fix the SACGB process and discussed her support.

Rep. Plamann (MPOWER) spoke about meeting with both candidates but wanting a different tone for this year.  Jonah’s history with SLAC is the deciding factor for him.

Rep. Beemsterboer spoke about the importance of working with administration and that this quality is critical.  Someone who previously worked anti-admin would have difficulty building the relationships.  Williams will affect positive change working with campus admin.

Rep. Lizzote (MPOWER) attacked Williams (without mentioning which GSSF groups “had issues” with him).

Rep. Junger spoke about how this is the first time he had ever heard any rumblings of negative interactions with Williams.

Rep. Manes spoke about how Williams was a very positive person on SSFC.

Debate time elapsed.  Time to vote:  Secret Ballot

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1:30 – A little agenda housekeeping & now time for fun! *** Chair Debate ***

Fergus & Love nominated Zinn
Johnson & Nichols nominated Williams

Opening remarks from both candidates, Chair Williams discussed meeting with nearly anyone and then addressed his background in ASM through SSFC as well as his vision for ASM.

QUESTIONS!

Manes: How will you outreach?
Williams: Blogging, Vlogs for greater accessibility, actively seek student input by talking with organizations
Zinn: Need to outreach to groups across campus, go to meetings, etc. (also emphasized anti-office hours)

Manes: Parli Pro Experience?
Zinn: Parli pro experience comes from being at Council meetings
Williams:  2 years of SSFC experience (much stronger and intense than Council meetings), also operating under Roberts Rules is much different than Managing meetings through Parli Pro

Fergus: Leadership Style?
Williams: Center of the spokes of a bicycle, listen to others, have conversations with everyone and drive forward
Zinn: Passionate about things he’s leading, likes working with other people

Vandenlangenberg: Tactics you would use when working with people with different ideologies?
Zinn: Meet with people who bot h agree and disagree with you and cross-committee collaboration
Williams: Chair’s job is to make sure people are working together, and it is important to develop a personal relationship in addition to a separate professional relationship.  To address this, people should be more engaged outside of meetings.  Friday basketball, drinks at the Terrace, etc.

Hanley: How would you determine the number of golf balls that would fit in a 747 jet?
Williams: Emphasized practicality.  Would first gather info on schematics on the 747 and measure golf balls & consult with a mathematician to determine the answer.
Zinn: I would want all the info I could find out and then talk to passionate people and talk to designers of the 747 and a mathematician

Vollrath: How will you balance ASM Chair time with Academics?
Zinn: This year I have worked hard to balance interests and next year I plan to focus on the chairship, school and girlfriend.  Other orgs will take a backseat.  I have scheduled easier classes last semester.
Williams: I plan to go to law school post-undergrad.  I will be taking the LSAT course this summer and the LSAT in the fall.  I also have room in my schedule to drop a class if necessary, and my past track record on SSFC has demonstrated that I can make the balance work.

Junger: When did you last speak in favor of a situation you did not agree with?
Williams: When presenting budgets to the Council and the Chancellor I had to represent the committee (SSFC), not my own views.
Zinn: I would have liked to be “more radical” on textbook costs, but I would not have an issue representing ideas different than mine.

Junger: When is it acceptable for the ASM Chair to influence the decision of the Student Council?
Zinn: After getting others’ perspectives
Williams: Center of the spokes of a bicycle.  There are times when the organization is in deadlock.  The Chair should be the central force to keep the student government wheels turning.

Plamann: Divestment from Israel Question
Williams: It is not ASM’s place to take on these types of controversial issues.  There are many universal student goals related to students that ASM should work on, and we should not pursue controversial interests.
Zinn: Starting out, we should focus on issues we all agree on, but controversial issues are often relevant and beneficial to students.  If this council decides it is important, I will do what I can to work on the issue.

Beemsterboer: Role of ASM?
Zinn: Represent students, funding, 36.09(5), influencing legislature, “representing students” – not sure about this answer
Williams: In my past two years of ASM, I have dealt with this question directly.  This is an organization of students for students.  Disposition of segregated fees, shared governance, lobbying at the capitol are all a part of serving students.

Beemsterboer: Role of Student Council?
Williams: StuCo is the center of ASM and the overall role is to keep the organization functioning and moving forward.
Zinn: Arena of debate on student issues.  Any issue that faces students should be brought up here.  (Editor’s question: does that mean divestment in Israel?  You did not state that you would be against it before.)  It is the place to balance out and decide on issues.

***Pause***  I’ll be back soon

Fergus: What have you done to build relationships with administrators?
Williams: Chancellor Martin, Vice Chancellor Darrell Bazzell, Assistant Vice-Chancellor Donna Halleran, Purchasing Services Director Carl Hubbard, Dean of Students Lorti Berquam, etc.  These contacts and relationships will come in handy
Zinn: Labor license and policy committee, and some people in administration.  He is difficult to hear though.  Some mention of academic staff organization.

Vandenlangenberg: Asked about team management when you know what’s right and you’re being pushed to follow a different approach?
Zinn: If the body is democratic, I have to follow it, but it would be good to inject some of you’re own influence.
Williams: I appreciate and respect the knowledge of others and would try to have an open discussion to understand the why, and this should help bring us to the right conclusion in the end.

Vandenlangenberg: Each member of the team knows their specific function of the team’s work.  Would you side with independent perspectives or put them all together?
Williams: Since I know the correct answer objectively, I would guide people to the right answer.
Zinn: It comes down to synthesizing all the info you are presented with.

Kuo: How would you respond to criticism?
Zinn: Being able to respond and be active in discussion is important.  By interacting with press and students, our work will speak for itself.  Response to criticisms would be evident in our actions.  Our press office needs to work well too.
Williams: I have substantial experience with criticism through SSFC.  Dealing with groups’ funding is always contentious.  If we operated without criticisms, we could not be held accountable to others.

Nichols: What’s a mistake that you have made and what did you do to fix it?
Williams: I didn’t make the SSFC process as clear as I should have and I will remedy this by assisting the next SSFC Chair in improving the process.
Zinn: I have trouble delegating.  I would hand out tasks more.  SPEAK LOUDER!

Love: How are you in touch with the General Student Interest?
Zinn: I am involved in a lot of student orgs on campus, I have a network of ppl I know in and out of student orgs.  It is important to synthesize info from others’ perspectives.
Williams: I do have conversations with people about ASM.  It is important to reach out beyond poli sci and econ majors by talking with grad students and others on council.

Ademaj: What are your weaknesses?
Williams: I struggle delegating tasks to others
Zinn: Delegating tasks also and becoming overly focused on certain things and neglecting others. BUT JONAH, THE CHAIR HAS TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON DOZENS OF TASKS AT ONCE!

Schmuhl: What are the two or three most important student issues to the average student?
Zinn: Those issues that affect the lives of most students like affordability of higher education and campus safety.  Also, campus unity and campus equality.  Perhaps grad student and undergrad issues aren’t different.
Williams: The pocketbook.  It is about affording education.

Lizotte: What’s the Chair’s role in leadership development?
Williams: The role is very diverse.  It is necessary to involve people to become good leaders.  The best way to start this process is to lead by example.  The best leaders inspire others.
Zinn: It is the role of the Chair to develop leadership for personal sanity to let people step up.  It is also a good idea to make volunteers express their opinions and views.

Junger: Do you feel that you have had an unmitigated success this year in ASM?
Zinn: Couldn’t hear.
Williams: SSFC making the right decisions

Junger: Address housing issues?
Williams: I have a three-page document on all the things we can do for housing in ASM.  He then described the Tenant Services contract he has been working on, the Madison Property Ratings Website, and the Maniaci ordinance.
Zinn: Mentioned something about student voice.

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1:05 – Open Forum Continues

- Matt Manes read a letter on behalf of former ASM Graduate Representative Erik Paulson who is presently in DC. Paulson endorsed Brandon Williams for Chair, Adam Johnson for Vice Chair and TJ Madsen for ASM Secretary.

- Jonah Zinn spoke about academic affairs and endorsed Carl Fergus to succeed him. Ironically, Zinn advocated for positive elections.

- Colin Ingram discussed wanting to schedule summer meetings on days other than Sunday.

- Dan Posca spoke favorably about Brandon Williams and Adam Johnson for Chair and Vice Chair. He stressed Williams’ impartiality and Johnson’s well-regard around the UW System.

- Martin Uraga came and spoke to Student Council about being interested in running for Diversity Committee Chair. He will discuss these plans during the Diversity Chair election.

- Steve Olikara, outgoing ASM Diversity Chair, spoke in favor of Martin Uraga for ASM Diversity Chair and discussed the disadvantage of slating in ASM. “Martin is one of the deepest thinkers I have ever met on diversity”

- Scott Thompson spoke about his experiences with Jolie Lizotte for ASM Vice Chair and discussed her outreach efforts in WISPIRG. (Important note: WISPIRG cannot endorse, this was Scott speaking as Scott)

- Rashi (WISPIRG Secretary) spoke in favor of Jolie Lizotte for ASM Vice Chair

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12:45 – Open forum speakers (SPILL for Matt Manes for SSFC and Brandon Williams for Chair), Sam Polstein discussed his goals for Legislative Affairs.

- Good point Polstein – ALDO (Alcohol Licensing Density Ordinance) will not be repealed and it would be foolish to push for repeal

Kayla Lubenow (former MPOWER candidate) just endorsed Adam Johnson for Vice Chair! Adam Johnson just received and MPOWER endorsement in addition to the Badger Herald and Daily Cardinal endorsements.

Theotis Sharpe (former ASM Noms Board Chair) advised Student Council on representing students and not becoming overly adversarial.

Chair Emeritus Junger spoke about not using too much open forum time for questions, etc.

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12:40 – Justices are present and it looks like we might get started now. (only 40 minutes late)

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12:30 – Still no Judiciary. The rapid execution of justice continues.

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12:10 – No SJ yet. I wonder when this meeting will get started.

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12:00 – Here we are, the first meeting of the 17th session of ASM. Most of council has arrived and we are currently waiting on the Chief Justice of the Student Judiciary to get this party started.

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ASM Chair Elections coming to you via Beyond the Talking Points today beginning at noon.

Stay tuned…this first meeting of ASM Student Council for the 17th session (and the first Student Council meeting for which I have not been an elected representative in 2 years) will be filled with wonderful debate and passionate arguments and will include decisions on who will lead the UW-Madison student government next year!

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