OPINION
Page 4
Sunday, March 25, 1984
The Michigan Daily
__
m
-m
Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan
Vanishing student input
Vol. XCIV-No. 139
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily's Editorial Board
SMART for MSA
ADMINISTRATORS and regents pulled
the old disappearing student vote trick
this week. Now you see it, now you don't.
The Michigan Student Assembly voted
down the newestversion of the proposed code
of non-academic conduct for students.
A good percentage of the University regents
and administrators told them it probably
wouldn't make any difference-if the students
won't back any form of the code, the regents
will simply take away their ability to reject it.
Currently, University bylaws say the code
cannot be passed without the approval of
MSA. But at least four regents and several
administrators said last week that they might
be willing to change the bylaws to sidestep,
student oppostion to a code they feel the
University needs.
downtown West Lafayette, Ind. They didn't
need another trip into the middle of nowhere.
The other good thing about the Musketeer'
victory was that it made Michigan a heavy
favorite. The tradition-rich Wolverines were
expected to pound Xavier into the ground.
How can you respect a school whose name
starts with an "X"?
The final score Thursday night? Michigan
63, Xavier 62. Lucky for Michigan it was a
mismatch.
IN THE COMING year, the Michigan
Student Assembly will continue to
find itself confronting the issues of
military research, the proposed
student code of non-academic conduct,
and the Solomon Amendment. MSA
must also extend its efforts to reverse
declining minority enrollment, it must
combat the high campus crime rate,
discrimination against homosexuals,
and student apathy toward the assem-
bly. While all of this year's candidates
for MSA are aware of these issues and
concerns and most of them have a
responsible view of the role MSA
should take to combat them, we
believe that Scott Page and Steve
Kaplan of Student Michigan Actively
Reforming Today (SMART) would ad-
dress them in the most sensitive and
effective manner. SMART's platform
is a well though-out evaluation of
student sentiment and a realistic set of
goals for the assembly.
SMART opposes the proposed code
of conduct and the Solomon Amen-
dment and is the only party that
specifically calls for continued efforts
to extend the current University
guidelines on classified research.
Like the other parties, SMART is
placing great emphasis on increasing
campus security. Page and Kaplan
are proposing an evaluation of the
current Night Owl bus service and
hope to better adapt it to the needs of
students off-campus. SMART is also
considering the implementation of an
escort service and hopes ,to assstthe
University in the installation of an
emergency telephone system.
SMART offers the most concrete
proposals for increasing minority
recruitment and retention. Page and
Kaplan hope that MSA would work as a
liason between admissions office
and the Alumni Association in order to
implement their minority recruitment
proposal. They believe that in in-
volving minority students and alumni
in the admissions process, enrollment
would necessarily increase. The other
candidates have only spoken in
generalities.
One element unique to SMART's
platform is the establishment of a
revolving student loan program that
Page has envisioned. The program
would enable students to draw from a
$10-20 million fund created out of the
Michigan capital campaign. It is, ad-
mittedly, a grand plan, but Page and
Kaplan are the only candidates who
could conceivably pull it off.
Their greatest strength lies in tested
and successfull leadership, and -in their
intimate knowledge of MSA and its
abilities. Page has done an outstanding
job as president of the Student Alumni
Council, increasing the breadth of
student participation and applying the
participation to diverse and strong
campus programs. It is that type of
leadership that MSA desperately
needs. The other candidates talk about
increasing student involvement, Page
has already succeeded at increasing
student involvement.
Page has experience working with
the regents and administration and
would definitely bring a cooperative
attitude to the assembly's interrac-
tions with them. It is unfair to assume
that Page would bow to the wishes of
the regents simply because he would
avoid a confrontational stance.
SMART's platform is representative of
student concerns and Page's abilities
would aid in an effective com-
munication of those concerns and in
constructive efforts toward their
solution. Kaplan Chairs MSA's
housing committee and shares with
Page a broad knowledge of the resour-
ces available to MSA. SMART offers
the greatest hope of effective leader-
ship.
Andrew Plevin and Helen Maynard
of Let's Make Needs Our Priority
(LMNOP), while not lacking in en-
thusiasm and a few good ideas, offer no
real hope of effectively implementing
them. For instance, they have
proposed limiting dorm access to one
door after 11 p.m. 'Though this might
effectively cut down on crime, Plevin
was unable to explain how it might be
done (chaining doors is in violation of
the fire code). Plevin and Maynard
have their hearts in the right place but
don't seem to know the ropes well
enough to get that much accomplished.
Mark Weinstein and Randy McDuf-
fie of It's Our University (IOU) face a
similar problem. There is nothing to
suggest that Weinstein would be able to
deal effectively with the ad-
ministration. Both he and McDuffie
lack any real experience and they
speak in confrontational terms when
referring to the administration. Wein-
stein's affiliation withPSN and No
Code should not be as big an issue as it
is. However, it points out a problem
Weinstein might face were he elected:
could he fairly represent broad student
concerns, or would he lean too much in
favor of one end of the spectrum?
When asked what MSA is currently
doing poorly, McDuffie had trouble an-
swering. It should not be a difficult
question to answer.
RAP and its president, James Frego,
and vice president Cheryl Collins have
some interesting answers to problems
they see with MSA - answers that are
completely unacceptable. RAP would
establish guidelines to govern MSA
funding to political groups. The
assembly would classify each student
group based upon its "political" nature
and the conduct of its participants.
This classification plan could poten-
tially be undemocratic and result in a
great deal of conflict within MSA. It
would be difficult to effectively
classify a group such as the PSN.
Frego is also "sick of debate" on
military research and finds too much
"nit-picking" going on. That kind of
impatience has no place in MSA.
Ron Senkowski and Susan Thomas of
Your Own University (YOU) offer the
most dismal choice for next year's
assembly. They have managed to whip
up some fancy publicity, but nothing
else. Their extensive platform is
deceiving. It offers no substance and
has all been thought of before. There is
nothing to recommend them.
Because Scott Page and Steve
Kaplan offer the best combination of
experience, potential for strong
leadership, well-rounded priorities,
and an understanding of MSA's role as
the student voice, they would make the,
most effective leaders for MSA.
Even after MSA took its first official vote on
the code Thursday, President Mary Rowland
pointed to the futility of MSA opposing the
code.
"They know we are against the code," she
said. "I can't see (how) taking any formal
vote on it is going to make a difference."
Meanwhile, code opponents may soon have
another ally-the American Civil Liberties
Union. Students have asked the group's Ann
Arbor chapter to investigate the proposed
code, and at a meeting tonight, the chapter
will discuss what actions,if any, itcould take.
Tourney fever
Michigan has played its way into the final
four of the National Invitational basketball
Tournament with wins over Marquette and
Xavier. With three straight victories on their
home court, Bill Frieder's Wolverines earned
the right to take on Virginia Tech at Madison
Square Garden in New York tomorrow night.
But the key Michigan win this week did not
take place at Crisler Arena. While the
Wolverines were wearing down Marquette
Monday night, the mighty Xavier Musketeers
were playing Nebraska at home in Cincinnati.
If Nebraska had won that contest, Frieder and
friends would have been shipped out to Lin-
coln, Neb. for Thursday's game.
An audible. sigh- of telief. was released at
Crisler when Xavier pulled out a one-point
win. After all, the beleaguered Wolverines
have already travelled to such hot spots as
East Rutherford, N.J., Iowa City, and lovely
University gave them free of charge.
The Tax Reform Act of 1984, which is expec-
ted to go on the floor within two weeks, in-
cludes a provision to make the waiver tax-
free again, but it is possible the University
will not reimburse TAs for taxes they've
already paid, even if the bill is passed. "If it's
the government's money, we can't give it
back to the (TAs)," said Dan Gamble, the
University's manager of compensation and
staff relations.
At the same time as GEO is trying to get
money from the University, it is also trying to
collect from TAs who haven't yet paid their
union fees. Tomorrow, the union will give the
University a list of TAs who h'ave not yet paid
the fee. Once the University contacts the
TAs, they have 15 days to pay, or they may
lose their jobs.
Scalping tips
if you're going to scalp football tickets,
don't do it in a public place. And if you do
decide to scalp those tickets, sell them to
some rich alum, and ask a lot of silly
questions to make sure the blue fan isn't a
graduate from a police academy. John
Haughton, an engineering junior, might offer
these tips. Thursday Haughton stood trial
and was found not guilty of charges that he
scalped tickets to last November's Michigan-
Ohio State football game. While he admitted
that he had made a deal over the phone to sell
four tickets to what turned out to be a police
officer at a price of $240, he argued that the
deal never went through.
The law defines scalping as selling tickets
in a public place for greater than the advertised
price. Haughton said he never actually4
carried out the sale in public. When they met
in front of Ulrich's, Haughton testified he
asked the officer," '. . . this is going to sound
silly, but I've gotta ask, are you a police of-
ficer?' " When'the officer Thomas Seyfried
replied, " 'As a matter of fact, I am,'
Haughton said the deal went no further. But
Seyfried confiscated his tickets, and charged
him with scalping.
Marilyn Eisenbraun, assistant prosecuting
attorney, didn't buy Haughton's testimony.
"I don't have to prove that there was an ex-
change of money or tickets. It makes sense 4
that Haughton would say: no price was;
discussed, after all, he was caught red-
handed. What else could he say?"
Perhaps Haughton could have asked the six
jurors how many time they have scalped
tickets in their life.
The Week in Review was compiled by
Daily associate sports editor Jeff Bergida
and Daily editors Jackie Young, Cheryl
Baacke, and BillSpind/e.
Michigan's NIT path led to New York, not
Nebraska.
TA power
Teaching assistants angered that they're
taking home about $75 a month less since
January, are filing a grievance with the
University to get back money they have lost
due to a new federal tax.
The president of the Graduate Employees
Organization, Celeste Burke, said the union
will file the grievance tomorrow to try to get
the money refunded or reopen contract
negotiations.
The extra bite out of TAs paychecks
resulted when Congress adjourned in Decem-
ber without re-enacting a bill which makes
the tuition break for TAs tax-free. TAs only
pay two-thirds of their tuition, and until
Congress failed to re-enact the bill, they did
not have to pay any taxes on the third the
LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Rowland
To the Daily:
There is quite an array of can-
didates running for the positions
of president and vice-president of
MSA this year. Students have
important choices to make in
deciding the kind of MSA they
want for the future. After con-
siderable thought and discussion,
we would like to express our sup-
port for Mark Weinstein and
Randy McDuffie of the IOU Par-
ty. The two of them, along with
their slate, have the principles
and the understanding necessary
for an active, committed, and ef-
fective MSA next year.
Their priorities ofrincreasing
student involvement and better
communication with the regents
show a clear understanding of the
central issues facing student
government today. The ideas
that flow from these priorities,
and IOU's experience with
student issues and organizations,
provides them with the
background necessary to deal
with University politics.
Scott Page and Steve Kaplan of
the SMART Party are sincere in
their efforts and offer good ideas
for MSA. Unfortunately, they
have a false sense of the Univer-
sity power structure and place
too much faith in the goodwill of
the University administration.
We are afraid this will lead to a
year of frustration for them, for
MSA, and for students.
Drew Plevin of LMNOP lacks a
clear concept of the role of MSA.
He offers fine ideas for short-
term projects. Something like a
"Meet the Faculty Fair" merits
MSA's support but could be bet-
ter performed by other Univer-
sity groups like college student
governments or the counseling
office. More importantly, these
Soglin endorse IQUParty
of knowledge of MSA projects.
Their ignorance and their lack of
skills will lead to a year of failure
for MSA. Their main issue in the
campaign is "communication."
To that we say "communicate
what?"
Last and least we come to Jim
Frego and Cheryl Collins of RAP.
Their promise to stop funding
political activities and to keep
politics out of MSA is absurd. We
live in a political world, every
issue is political and MSA has a
responsibility to educate students
about all sides of an issue. Their
plans for MSA are narrow and
shortsighted and offer little hope
of constructive, long-term
educational change.
Unlike all the other candidates.
Mark Weinstein, Randy McDuf-
fie, and the IOU slate offer a
clear and comprehensive agenda
for MSA and the concern and
dedication necessary to continue
the struggle for students' needs.
-Mary Rowland
Jono Soglin
March 23
Rowland is president- and
Soglin is vice president of
Michigan Student Assembly.
Hartman 's letter incorrect
To the Daily:
While we respect the right of
Andrew Hartman to express his
opinions about the MSA presiden-
tal candidates, we feel it is
necessary to correct some of his
mistakes. "LMNOP most
qualified to lead MSA"(Daily,
March 23).
Far from being a "joke," the
YOU party has perhaps the most
extensive platform of all the par-
ties. The ideas Hartman casts
aside as neither good nor new but
merely rhetoric are not only very
sound; and substantial but
original and necessary (e.g. alumni
network and financial aid resear-
ch). As for experience, YOU
representatives have a wide
variety of experience in campus
organizations. The represen-
tatives from the many schools,
without exception, are involved
on the highest level with their
own schoolhgovernments. Ron
Senkowski has been involved in
dorm governments, un-
dergraduate English and
political science associations,
and various Career Planning and
Placement programs.
Hartman states that Jim
Frego, the presidential candidate
for RAP, "is chairman of Studen-
candidates, RAP stated that,
"The proposed Code of Non-
Academic Conduct is unaccep-
table and should be heartily
rejected by the students with the
help of MSA." On military
research, RAP's stand is for a
student referendum in the fall.
Hartman also states that Mark
Weinstein of IOU is a "bigwig in
the NO CODE group." Weinstein
has had close to minimal in-
volvement with this group. The
association of Weinstein and the
spray painting of the buildings is
false. Weinstein does not condone
such action. According to Har-
tman, "IOU is a group of elite
radicals on campus." The truth
is that a majority of IOU can-
didates are not involved in the
PSN. While Weinstein did use the
words "pressure the regents" it
was taken out of context. Wein-
stein meant pressure and con-
frontation of the regents only
over issues of the greatest con-
cern to students. (e.g. gay
rights).
Hartman implies that Scott
Page of SMART "will be looking
out for the regents more than for
the students." This is unsubstan-
tiated. According to the MSA
News, SMART "firmly opposes
the Code of Non-Academic Con-
duct." This shows that Page
has the ability to oppose the
regents when necessary.
A student. voter should not
make his decision for MSA on the
basis of one letter. A decision
should be made by looking at all
the information available on the
candidates.. We are sorry to see
,Hartman use his position as a
co-sponsor of the MSA debate to
endorse a candidate and call the
legitimacy of the other can-
didates positions into question.
-Dave Battalgia
Gretchen Morris
Karl Edelmann
Ron Senkowski
Jim Frego
Mark Weinstein
March 24
GCCAT ceygl_
~WC- (XED THE E
To PROTEC- T TEE
REDCED U CARE C
AONKY TO VMLT EOSAIt
s19
SMA R T's the best party
To the Daily:
It is interesting to note that, in
Andrew Hartman's letter (in
with a man who presented clear
and cogent solutions to student
concerns in the MSA debate.