Dear WMU Community Member,
As we begin to enter the peak of the Fall season and the leaves begin to change, I would like to keep you informed on the progress of the Western Student Association. As a goal to become more involved in the political realm, the WSA has been active in the Kalamazoo City Commission election as well as attempts to retain the Michigan Promise scholarship program. Separately, during this month's United Way campaign, the WSA was able to raise over $100 dollars, but will rather concentrate its focus on promoting habitual student volunteer work between Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) and United Way member agencies beginning Spring semester. By the end of the Fall semester, the WSA will have had allocated nearly half of the $400,000 of the Student Assessment Fee it is responsible for each year to various RSOs in order to organize countless campus events, and will exhaust the remaining amount in the Spring. In exciting news, the WSA was well-represented this year on the 2009 Homecoming Court with two WSA members winning king and queen: Chief of Operations Eric Pacifici and Associate Justice Amanda Jandahl. Finally, I am happy to report that the WSA is experiencing an overwhelmingly positive level of student involvement this year with Senate meeting attendance topping off at 106 students. If you haven't yet had the opportunity, please consider joining us each Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. in room 157 of the Bernhard Center!
Bronco Pride,
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| Kalamazoo City Commission Forum Keeps Students Involved in Community |
 As the Kalamazoo City Commission approaches on November 3, many students are left wondering who to vote for, what to vote for, for and what is even on the ballot. The WSA and the WMU Institute of Government and Politics held the Kalamazoo City Commission Candidate Forum on October 27, 2009 in hopes to remedy these issues for students, as well as community members. The Fetzer Center Auditorium was filled with almost 100 people, the majority of them students and young people, facing the candidates at the front of the hall. Fourteen of the 17 candidates running for City Commission were present for the event. Gordan Evans of WMUK moderated the event and explained the parameters of the forum. Each candidate had one minute to answer the question until the final round, when they had 90 seconds to present any last minute remarks. Candidates answered questions from the audience, political science classes, as well as over ten questions developed by WSA members. Questions ranged from the Equal Rights Ordinance and Metro Transit millage to tourism and a downtown event center. A prevalent topic of the evening was how to retain students in Kalamazoo after they have finished their education at WMU. "We need jobs for students after they graduate," Candidate Mike Kilbourne stated. "Then they can raise a family here and send their students to WMU."
Sophomore student and WSA Senator Lauren Hearit is a registered voter in Portage, but she attended the event because she understand that important decisions made in Kalamazoo have great effect on WMU. "It's important or students to attend events like this because they are residents here for at least four years and they need to find places where their voices can be heard."
All candidates want students to feel like residents of Kalamazoo, not just "semester tourists."
Voting for the Kalamazoo City Commission as well as the Non-Discrimination and Metro Transit Millage will be held on November 3, 2009 at your local polling place. |
| Forum Allows Students to Voice Concerns to WMU's Top Administrator |
 Every semester, the WSA holds an open forum with WMU President John Dunn that gives students the opportunity to voice their concerns and get answers from WMU's top dog. This semester, the forum will be held on November 11 at 6:30p.m. in room 157 of the Bernhard Center. The WSA is always available to hear students' voices and respond to their concerns, but the forum gives students the chance to directly communicate these issues to Dr. Dunn. "This is our University so we should have a say in what is going on," Christina Clarke, who is participating in her first semester in the WSA said. "This is the perfect venue to voice any concerns or ideas." The forum will follow the traditional note card question and answer format, but Dr. Dunn will also be highlighting a few key issues before taking questions. The topics will include: The Business and Technology Research Park, the Downtown Kalamazoo Event Center, and increasing WMU's global education. All WMU community members are welcome to attend the event. Free pizza and pop will be provided. |
| Students Lobby to State Senate |
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While students were busy studying for midterms and heading to football games, the WSA was ensuring that ALL students are able to continue their education, no matter their financial situation. On Wednesday October 7, the WSA voted to support the reinstatement of the Michigan Promise Scholarship with no opposition.
The Senate of the State of Michigan voted to end the scholarship with a vote of 19-18 on September 30, 2009.
The Michigan Promise Scholarship states "beginning with high school graduates of 2007 completing 2 years of post-secondary education are eligible to receive the Michigan Promise Scholarship of $4,000." As of the 2008-2009 year, the Promise had been given to over 95,000 Michigan Residents.
WSA members spent countless hours calling, emailing, and writing their Representatives in support of the scholarship. WSA President Nate Knappen said "It is essential to stimulate Michigan's economy with investment in public higher education." |
| WSA Makes Strides to Help ALL Kalamazoo Residents |
 At the Senate Meeting on Wednesday October 21, the WSA voted in support of the upcoming Ordinance 1856, the Non-Discrimination Ordinance, on the Kalamazoo ballot for the election on November 3rd. The proposal was met with minimal opposition. The proposal voted on was an expansion of the proposal the City Commission approved last Spring, regarding the Ordinance. It was developed by the Political Affairs and Diversity committees. The affirmative vote on the ordinance means that the WMU student body supports the ordinance and urges the Kalamazoo community to vote in favor of it. "WMU students are the single largest source of income for Kalamazoo businesses," WSA Senator Alex Roman said. "It's important that they support us and in turn we support the citizens of Kalamazoo." |
| Call to Action! |
Do you have a student, friend, or colleague looking for a place to develop their leadership skills? Or maybe a student that possesses these leadership skills and wants to express their opinion with other campus leaders? Or are you part of an RSO that does not have representation within the WSA? There is a place in the WSA for all of these students. The WSA is still looking for students to represent their Academic College in the Senate. These students would play a vital role in the campus community and have a direct impact on the decisions that are made in the WSA. If you know of a student who is looking to get more involved at WMU, and the WSA sounds like a good place for them, please refer them to Speaker of the Senate, Andrew Ladd at wsa-speaker@wmich.edu | |
| Media Contact:
Justine Horton
Public Relations Chair
(269) 387- 2125 |
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| Upcoming Events |
| Senate Meetings every Wednesday at 4:15 in room 157 of the Bernhard Center
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Ribbon Cutting Ceremy Wednesday,
November 4th with President Dunn at 5:30 in the new Student Organization Center in the Bernhard Center
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Open Forum with President Dunn Wednesday, November 11 in Room 157 of the Bernhard Center
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Student Association of Michigan Conference November 13-15 at SVSU
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Pizza with the Provost Wednesday, December 2 at 6:30 in room 157 of the Bernhard Center |
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