With student organizations starting again across the campus of Northern Michigan University, ASNMU held their first meeting of the Fall 2013 semester to discuss summer accomplishments and future plans for the student-body government.

On Tuesday, Aug. 27, ASNMU had their first meeting in Pioneer Room A on the second floor of the University Center. The meeting focused on a number of main points, including ASNMU involvement in on and off-campus housing, a bike share program and the creation of a new appointments committee from the current student government members.

ASNMU Vice President Abby Roche said the year is looking to be a promising one for the student-government, as well as the rest of the students who attend NMU.

“You can expect great things from us,” Roche said. “On that note, and I know Amber (Lopota) will say it too, we want people to question us moving forward.”

ASNMU President Amber Lopota said she has many plans to act on moving forward into the year, steering the organization away from a discussion group and into an organization of action.                                                                                                                                            “I feel very excited,” Lopota said. “I feel like there is a lot of talent sitting at this table and I feel that the people who have chosen to commit are going to make a big difference. The students don’t have any idea about what is going to hit them.”

During the meeting, three members of ASNMU who resigned were addressed to the participants of the meeting. The resignees include James Van Eck, Joe Jacisin and Jesse Brisson.

Lopota said the resignations occurred under respectable circumstances and ASNMU will continue moving forward.

“I do not feel negatively about the resignations because of the reasons that they existed,” Lopota said. “We had a student who was unable to make it to part-time student and another student who is just not returning. None of them had anything to do with conflicts and that is what is really important.”

According to Lopota, the appointment committee is made up of four assembly members and the Chair, which will be the vice president. Lopota said as applications come in and are approved by the Dean of Students office for open seats on the assembly, the applicants will move into a interviews with the members of ASNMU.

“Once applicants meet minimum qualifications, then they move into an interview phase with the appointments committee,” Lopota said. “They will meet with them and have an informal interview to establish what exactly they can bring to the table and then if the appointments committee feels that they would be an asset, they would bring them before the assembly and make a recommendation that they take a specific seat. Then, the assembly will vote.”

The Bike Share program that ASNMU established in 2012 had also been readdressed and reopened for students this semester. The Bike Share program allows students to check out a bike through the LRC with their student ID free of charge.

“Bike Share is absolutely complete,” Lopota said. “They went live at 8 a.m. [Monday] morning and they are already all checked out.”

Lopota also said ASNMU’s newest program will focus on student betterment in the working field.

“We have a brand new program that is going to be up and running probably within a month,” Lopota said. “It’s called ‘Seconds to Success’ and it’s a career closet.”

Students will be able to access the career closet with their student ID. Seconds to Success is another step in helping students prepare for the professional career field while attending NMU.

“It’s a place where students can come once a semester and receive a full career ensemble free of charge to best prepare them for job interviews, job fairs, presentations, anything like that.” Lopota said.

Lopota said the program is funded by donations of gently used professional clothing and an administrative endowment.

“We worked with the Alumni Foundation along with the Parents fund and we raised the first years starting costs entirely,” Lopota said. “So that none of that is coming out of student funds.”

Seconds to Success will be located in 2204 of the University Center. Future ASNMU meetings will take place at 7 p.m. in the University Center’s Charcoal room on the second floor.