ASNMU continues to move forward after two student representative resignations during the meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 7.
Chris Cline, down-campus representative and Summer Star, on-campus apartment representative, both resigned due to time conflicts.
ASNMU President Amber Lopota said despite the resignations she’s looking positively into the future.
“I know the individuals that resigned don’t have the time to commit,” Lopota said. “They don’t have the time to represent their constituents and we’ve got people waiting for those specific seats.
“I know we’re going to have them filled pretty quickly. The appointments committee is going to get on it this week and we’re going to have people out there available for the students.”
ASNMU is also working alongside the NMU Administration to conduct the survey for a tobacco-free campus.
According to ASNMU Vice President Abby Roche, the tobacco ban is a revisited issue by the NMU administration.
“The president has put together a committee and we have been looking at other universities’ policies along with how it would affect Northern’s campus,” Roche said. “This survey will be asking students simply by looking at the proposal if they support the proposal or not. This is not an end-all to the whole idea if we will go tobacco-free or not; that decision will be done by the president.”
Roche said the most important thing students can do is participate in the survey and get their opinions heard.
“Definitely take the survey and fill out the comment box because those comments are going directly to the president,” Roche said. “Of course, talk to any of the ASNMU representatives, rather it be emailing ASNMU or finding any one of us. I am the direct contact with the tobacco-free committee and we will definitely bring those concerns forward.”
Since the survey has been released, ASNMU has received a high student response through email and social media. The student body has been very divided on the ban and ASNMU is trying to represent everyone, Lopota said.
“There are people on one side that feel it very strongly that it’s necessary because the 30-foot rule hasn’t been enforced,” Lopota said. “What we’re hearing is that’s the only reason they support the ban is because the first step was the rule, the rule’s not enforced, so it might as well be banned.”
The other side of that is students actually saying they’re going to leave Northern because they don’t want to be in a place where they feel their rights are being taken away.”
A proposal for a designated ASNMU table in the Starbucks Lounge of the LRC is in the works, said Lopota.
“Our representative [Jon] Martin met with Kathleen Godec at AIS and they’re hesitant to give us a committed table during peak traffic hours, because if it goes unstaffed that study table is lost to the students, which I totally understand,” Lopota said. “So what we’re going to do is work to find a time that we know for sure we can have it staffed during those high traffic times so we can be present as people walk by so they don’t have to come all the way over to us [at the UC].”
ASNMU is working on a project to cater to off campus students. The event will be held at the Ore Dock and feature live bands from the NMU community. Lopota said the event will be open to students 18 and older.
They are also organizing a student organizational roundtable. According to Lopota, the roundtable would meet biweekly to help promote bigger and better events for students.
“We’re moving right along,” Lopota said. “The progress that’s going on behind the scenes is going to become apparent pretty quickly with all these other projects coming to light.”
ASNMU holds open meetings at 7 p.m. every Tuesday in the Charcoal room of the University Center. Students with questions or concerns can email ASNMU at [email protected] or call (906) 227-2452.
