ASNMU has been keeping busy over the past weeks as they get their Web site ready to be launched and construct the official bylines for a new External Affairs Committee.

The committee is to be comprised of three people: an external affairs committee chair, who will be responsible for presenting the work of the committee to the general assembly, a local affairs liason, who will be responsible for keeping track of what the Marquette City Commission is doing and a legislative affairs liason, who will be responsible for keeping up to date on the Michigan House of Representatives Subcommittee on Higher Education.

The committee will also send three ASNMU staffers to Lansing every year so they can lobby for increased funding for higher education.

“In times of financial crisis, often the first thing on the chopping block is education,” ASNMU president Webster said, adding that the committee will work to ensure that the state doesn’t forget about Northern when it makes its budget.

And while the bylaws have been put into place, the positions within the committee have yet to be filled.

The ASNMU Web site was another feature that Webster wanted to work on once elected to office. The Web site will be ready to go by the end of next week, Webster said.

“it’s pretty exciting,” he added.

The Web site has been completely revamped and will be much easier to navigate, Webster said, adding that a new blog on the site will also replace any mass e-mails of ASNMU’s progress.

The blog will feature updates on what ASNMU has been or will be working on, so interested students will always have access to what their student government is doing.

Also, a new Student Finance Committee (SFC) link will be posted, so students can check and see the SFC staff as well as their meeting minutes and by-laws.

“It helps with openness,” Webster said. “There’s way more features now, and the site is all about information.”