Associated​ ​Students​ ​of​ ​Madison 

333​ ​East​ ​Campus​ ​Mall,​ ​Student​ ​Activity​ ​Center​ ​Rm​ ​4301​ ​ ​ ​Madison,​ ​WI​ ​53715 
Phone:​ ​608/265-4ASM​ ​ ​ ​Fax:​ ​608/265-5637​ ​ ​ ​E-mail:​ ​info@asm.wisc.edu 
www.asm.wisc.edu​ ​ ​ ​facebook.com/ASMStudentGov​ ​ ​ ​Twitter:​ ​@asmstudentgovt

FOR​ ​IMMEDIATE​ ​RELEASE
TUESDAY​ ​SEPTEMBER​ ​5,​ ​2017

CONTACT:
​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​Courtney​ ​Morrison,​ ​Press​ ​Office​ ​Director
cmorrison6@wisc.edu​​ ​ ​ ​847-612-1076

ASM​ ​CHAIR​ ​APOLOGIZES​ ​FOR​ ​ACTIONS​ ​OF​ ​LAST​ ​SEMESTER
MADISON​ ​WI--​ ​On​ ​April​ ​7th​ ​,​ ​2017,​ ​Ariela​ ​Rivkin​ ​emailed​ ​the​ ​now​ ​former​ ​Associated
Students​ ​of​ ​Madison​ ​(ASM)​ ​Chair​ ​to​ ​request​ ​that​ ​Student​ ​Council​ ​not​ ​take​ ​up​ ​any
legislation​ ​concerning​ ​“human​ ​rights​ ​mechanisms​ ​or​ ​transparency​ ​on​ ​investment​ ​policy”
at​ ​the​ ​regularly​ ​scheduled​ ​Student​ ​Council​ ​meeting​ ​to​ ​occur​ ​on​ ​April​ ​12th.​ ​She
explained​ ​that​ ​the​ ​meeting​ ​would​ ​conflict​ ​with​ ​Passover,​ ​and​ ​that​ ​members​ ​of​ ​the
Jewish​ ​community​ ​would​ ​be​ ​unable​ ​to​ ​provide​ ​substantial​ ​input​ ​on​ ​the​ ​legislation.​ ​At​ ​the
April​ ​12th​ ​meeting​ ​there​ ​was​ ​an​ ​item​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Student​ ​Council​ ​agenda​ ​titles​ ​“Bylaw
Change​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Creation​ ​of​ ​Financial​ ​Transparency​ ​and​ ​Ethics​ ​Subcommittee.”
Representative,​ ​now​ ​ASM​ ​Chair,​ ​Katrina​ ​Morrison​ ​motioned​ ​to​ ​suspend​ ​the​ ​rules​ ​to
allow​ ​for​ ​the​ ​introduction​ ​of​ ​this​ ​legislation.
The​ ​Summary​ ​Judgment​ ​regarding​ ​the​ ​case​ ​filed​ ​by​ ​Rivkin​ ​found​ ​Morrison​ ​guilty​ ​of
violating​ ​ASM​ ​bylaws.
“It​ ​is​ ​wholly​ ​unacceptable​ ​to​ ​discriminate​ ​against​ ​Jewish​ ​students​ ​by​ ​denying​ ​them​ ​their
full​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​speak​ ​in​ ​front​ ​of​ ​Student​ ​Council​ ​regarding​ ​an​ ​issue​ ​they​ ​had
expressed​ ​interest​ ​in”​ ​the​ ​Judgment​ ​reads.
The​ ​Summary​ ​Judgment​ ​mandates​ ​that​ ​Morrison​ ​read​ ​an​ ​apology​ ​letter​ ​on​ ​the​ ​first
Student​ ​Council​ ​meeting​ ​of​ ​the​ ​24th​ ​session
On​ ​Tuesday,​ ​September​ ​5th,​ ​Chair​ ​Morrison​ ​read​ ​her​ ​apology​ ​letter​ ​to​ ​the​ ​Council.
“The​ ​events​ ​of​ ​last​ ​semester​ ​are​ ​an​ ​example​ ​of​ ​when​ ​my​ ​passions​ ​misguided​ ​me,​ ​and
in​ ​my​ ​haste​ ​to​ ​pass​ ​legislation,​ ​I​ ​silenced​ ​students​ ​who​ ​deserve​ ​a​ ​voice​ ​in​ ​our​ ​student
government​ ​and​ ​on​ ​our​ ​broader​ ​campus”​ ​Morrison​ ​said.
Rivkin,​ ​who​ ​now​ ​serves​ ​as​ ​Senior​ ​Class​ ​President,​ ​was​ ​in​ ​attendance​ ​at​ ​the​ ​first
Student​ ​Council​ ​meeting.

  
Associated​ ​Students​ ​of​ ​Madison 

333​ ​East​ ​Campus​ ​Mall,​ ​Student​ ​Activity​ ​Center​ ​Rm​ ​4301​ ​ ​ ​Madison,​ ​WI​ ​53715 
Phone:​ ​608/265-4ASM​ ​ ​ ​Fax:​ ​608/265-5637​ ​ ​ ​E-mail:​ ​info@asm.wisc.edu 
www.asm.wisc.edu​ ​ ​ ​facebook.com/ASMStudentGov​ ​ ​ ​Twitter:​ ​@asmstudentgovt

“In​ ​my​ ​capacity​ ​as​ ​a​ ​former​ ​ASM​ ​member,​ ​and​ ​current​ ​Hillel​ ​Board​ ​Member:​ ​I​ ​very
much​ ​appreciate​ ​that​ ​Chair​ ​Morrison​ ​spoke​ ​tonight​ ​and​ ​did​ ​so​ ​in​ ​a​ ​serious​ ​and​ ​heartfelt
manner.​ ​We​ ​look​ ​forward​ ​to​ ​positive​ ​action​ ​and​ ​constructive​ ​leadership​ ​in​ ​the​ ​future​ ​that
includes​ ​our​ ​community”​ ​Rivkin​ ​said.
Chair​ ​Morrison​ ​strives​ ​to​ ​always​ ​fight​ ​for​ ​members​ ​of​ ​underrepresented​ ​communities
through​ ​creating​ ​a​ ​Code​ ​of​ ​Conduct​ ​for​ ​ASM​ ​all​ ​members​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​ensuring​ ​all
impacted​ ​parties​ ​have​ ​an​ ​opportunity​ ​to​ ​give​ ​input​ ​regarding​ ​legislation.​ ​Chair​ ​Morrison
is​ ​a​ ​co-sponsor​ ​of​ ​legislation​ ​passed​ ​on​ ​the​ ​September​ ​5th​ ​meeting​ ​regarding
anti-Semitism​ ​and​ ​hatred.
“Until​ ​the​ ​end​ ​of​ ​my​ ​term,​ ​I​ ​will​ ​work​ ​every​ ​day​ ​to​ ​regain​ ​the​ ​trust​ ​of​ ​Jewish​ ​students​ ​of
this​ ​University”​ ​Morrison​ ​said.

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