9he ~ istgn Bat Eighty-Six Years of Editorial Freedom 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Renovating student government Friday, March 26, 1976 News Phone: 764-0552 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan I S 1 S 1' ,f -s -- L y . ,. = -.., By AMY BLUMENTHAL THE ZOO YEARS are over. The days when those Student Government Council (SGC) meetings were nothing but a three-ring circus, where Mickey Mouse bureaucrats yelled and scream- ed in preadoloescent temper tantrums, over nonsensical disputes, are dead and gone. They have been replaced by a new student body, a congregation of more mature, more dedicated individ- uals, representing all bodies of the Uni- versity, gathered under the aegis of the Michigan Student Assembly (MSA). Now, it seems, things are going to change. 'Student government wasn't always a joke. A bit of his- tory will remind those who weren't around that at one time the student govern. ment at the University held a respected position on the campus, recognized as an innovative and responsive body trying to uphold th e interests of the student pop- ulation against the overbear. ing indifference of an un- responsive administration.' Student government wasn't always a joke. A bit of history will remind those who weren't around that at one time the student government at the Univer- sity of Michigan held a respected posi- tion on campus, recognized as an in- novative and responsive body trying to uphold the interests of the student popu- lation against the overbearing indiffer- snce of unresponsive administration. The University Cellar, now an institu- tion most people take for granted, was founded only as a result of hard work and organizing on the part of SGC to establish an alternative store for stu- dents being ripped off by local mer- chants. The Cellar was finally founded after a massive sit-in organized by stu- lent government. SGC, AT THE TIME (1969-70) run by the likes of Marty Scott and Jerry DeGrieck, held an important slot in the local anti-war movement. The BAM strike, which led to the University's affirmative action policy, and the AFSCME strike, a crippling blow to University big-wigs, were -both, to a large part, sponsored by SGC funds and energy.. BUT THE TIMES CHANGED. For whatever the reasons, the period be- tween 1972 and 1975 was lost in the general malaise that characterized the rest of the country. Richard Nixon was president. Quaaludes were the rage. Col- lege antics had replaced college action. And student government, just a reflec- tion of the times, was run by and to- tally iticapacited by clowns, crooks, and cretins, wasting whatever potential the body had for constructive and innova- tive change. Today, with the proper leadership (the addition of graduate school and professional school representation) and with a new funding source (automatic funding which will return the funding back to the same method used in "the good old days"), things will finally get done. Student government, the only in- stitution that survives the normal four- year cycle, will once again move in progressive directions. AS AN EXAMPLE of this new at- titude, the MSA has already begun a special housing reform project, utilizing the wasted Student Legal Advocate Pro- ject funds, to combat an ever-growing local problem. Aimed at combating the poor maintenance and high rents that characterizes Ann Arbor rental housing, the group of three full-time employees has already made progress in the best interests of the student tenant popula- tion. If this is any indication, brighter days are ahead. This is not to ignore the services MSA provides that have survived the story and turbulent past four years, helping -thousands of students yearly. THE GROUP SPONSORS three health insurance programs for students and their families. Ranging in price from $39 to $71, these programs, which are written exclusively for the students at Ann Arbor campus, suit the health needs of the average student better than most Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans. Right now 7,000 students take advantage of these health insurance plans. In addition, MSA instituted a per- sonal property insurance program in September of 1975, covering the prop- erty of students that isn't covered by their parent's homeowner's policies. In just a short period of operation, the plan has been met by an overwhelming- ly positive response by students who are plagued daily by an ever-increasing lo- cal crime rate. In an attempt to quash what the national media calls "student apathy," student government operates the only permanent voter registration site on the U of M campus. In the 1974 Congres- sional elections only 25 per cent of those eligible in the 21-24 year old bracket actually registered to vote. Both the administrative assistant and secretary of the MSA offices are deputy registrars and will register applicants to vote. IN ADDITION, the MSA acts as a coordinating body for student organiza- tions around town, many of which have utilized office space, meeting rooms and financial donations, offered by the stu- lent government. This financial support has ranged from paying legal fees for the striking tenants of the Ann Arbor Tenant's Union (AATU), to sponsoring lectures for this year's Teach-In and Future World's Series. Yet this is only the beginning. With a new student government, properly funded by automatic funding, there is Amy Blumenthal is the Vice-President of MSA. no end to what can get done. Future projects will include work on sex dis- crimination, forming a student union, student participation in University poli- ty decisions, lowering tuition, and af- firmative action. Vote in the MSA stu- dent elections of April 6, 7 and 8 and watch student government once again gain the respect of the University and Ann Arbor community. ti vY.?,fi. ,. :. ..;. ,;:,.x;"a,:s:"<:;x tvxx--" «r "3.'": '3ff ' :"x ;x k": '", ; .,,.y , ":,,<::..;." :;:-, h"'°"2: s a , r", ;; :," .",, f ",. .. "bl."::"::";" ;:;. 1,: "1,.!t.V