About
I started this blog in May 2010 after blogging over at Trying Tenacious Transparency!
This blog was started out of an appreciation for transparency in government, something which I felt was in short supply on the Associated Students of Madison (ASM) Student Council.
A lot of my first posts were born out of my tenure as a first year representative of the 2009 to 2010 school year 17th session of ASM Student Council. I argued for the following:
- Funding for students with differing abilities so they could participate in extracurricular activities
- Lower stipends for elected officers and against unnecessary positions
- Against the $900,000 student segregated fee sweep
- For legislation that would mandate a floor reading of legislation before its vote before council.
I served on the Diversity Committee and the Nominations Board, as well as attending Legislative Committee meetings and Shared Governance meetings. I considered myself an active representative holding office hours and promoting my blog as a way for first year students to find out about ASM in general. I think, looking back on my office, I did the best I could, but it was not nearly enough. I hope I am able to continue the policy and spirit of tenacious transparency in the near future.
Who am I?
Hello. My name is Maxwell John Love, I am now a fourth year student at the University of Wisconsin Madison. I am originally from the Madison area, completing high school in a small town community called Lodi, Wisconsin. My parents now live in Hudson, Wisconsin near the twin cities.
I am majoring in Afro American studies, Political Science, with a certificate in Chican@/Latin@ studies. On campus I worked as an intern and diversity coordinator on the Multicultural Learning Community. I’m also a former Seeking Education Equity and Diversity (SEED) facilitator, and a former United Council secretary.
I have been an active member of the Student Labor Action Coalition (SLAC) and Promoting Racial Equity and Awareness (PREA) groups on campus. I cofounded (revived) the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) group after spending a summer in a Lebanese refugee camp. One of my most exciting achievements in school was writing a research paper on the Sabra and Shatila massacre that I hope to turn into a thesis.
I am a former Young People For (YP4) fellow. I consider myself a radical, sometimes progressive, a concerned student, among many other “labels” but that’s all they are.
I enjoy trying unique drinks including ginger beer, strong espresso, cold press coffee, and craft beer, as well as cooking.
