OPINION

Page 4

Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan

SundayApril 7, 1985
Students condemn J

Vol. XCV,. No. 149

420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, M 48109

Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Doily's Editorial Board

MSA BALL OT QUESfT
Vote yc
ALIOTQUESTION A in the elections
for the Michigan Student Assem-
bly is a non-binding referendum asking
students whether they would like to see
MSA continue to collect mandatory fee
from all Students and utilize specified
portions of it to fund student Legal
Services, ADVICE, the Ann Arbor
Tenants' Union, and regular MSA
business.
Although the question calls for a
slight funding increase to cover cost-
of-living increases since the last MSA
funding request two years ago, it ac-
tually asks whether MSA should con-
tinue to operate as it has.
MSA has been a valuable resource
for students all year. Its campaign
against the proposed code of non-
academic conduct benefitted the entire
student body, and the many
organizations its budget priorities
committee funded promoted an en-
VoteI
B ALLOT QUESTION B on the Mich-
igan Student assembly ballot asks
students whether they would like to
have all of their mandatory fees
disclosed on their tuition statements.
Currently only the $20 registration
fee, the $4.75 MSA fee, and the 50-cent
school government fees are listed. If
the regents adopt the proposal, four
additional fees will be disclosed.
Those fees-$55 for health services,
$26.76 for debt retirement of several
University buildings, $15.75 for in-
tramural and recreational facilities,
and $6.65 for student"administrative
facilities-represent a significant ex-
pense for students.,
Disclosing the fees will not affect the
amount that students pay the Univer-
sity, but it will inform students why
they are paying as much as they are.
For instance, few students are aware

i

IONS:
s on A

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1
1
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vironment full of political, artistic,
and cultural events.
Also, some of MSA's standing
programs, such as Student Legal Ser-
vices and the Ann Arbor Tenants'
Union, aid students directly by helping
them with legal and residential
disputes.
It is important to note that the
referendum is non-binding. MSA's ac-
tual funding request must be approved
by the.regents at their meeting next
month. Although the regents can
choose to ignore the results of the
referendum, MSA's credibility would
be severely impaired if students voted
against its continued funding.
It is essential then, to vote yes on
ballot question A in Tuesday and Wed-
nesday's elections to encourage the
regents to continue MSA's funding con-
tract and simultaneously to maintain
MSA's credibility with the University
community.

LSA student government and the Michigan
Student Assembly both passed resolutions
this week calling for the postponement of LSA
Dean Peter Steiner's reappointment until he
publicly states his views on student represen-
tation on the college executive committee.
The committee, composed of six faculty
members and the college's deans, has been
labeled the most powerful in the college by
student leaders. All budgetary and tenure
decisions, as well as the appointment of
special standing committees, are decided by
the committee.
The Week
in Review
The impetus for the resolutions, according
to MSA President Scott Page, is the refusal of
Steiner to discuss student representation on
the committee with LSA student government
leaders.
Steiner sent a letter to former LSA-SG
president Eric Berman last summer ex-
plaining his reasons for opposing student
membership.
He said the council should not be a
representative committee because that would
make its decisions biased in favor of one
specific constituency.
The dean also stated that students do not
have the time or the experience to serve on
the committee, and said the students are
more valuable serving on the departmental
level executive committees.
Mike Brown, LSA-SG vice president, said,
"I think we can refute all of these issues," ad-
ding that time constraints should have no
bearing on student membership on the com-
mittee.
"Faculty can make the time, why can't
students make the time? That's assimine,"
said Steve Kaplan, MSA vice president.
Kaplan also discounted the dean's
Week in review was compiled by Daily
staffers Sean Jackson and Eric Mattson
and Daily editor Joe Kraus.

arguments on experience. "I don't think
(Steiner) is giving students enough credit.
(They) pick up skills to be good students at
the University, I don't see why they can't be
good committee members."
Student leaders also point out the gap bet-
ween students and faculty as a reason for
student membership on the executive com-
mittee.
The next step for LSA-SG may be a letter to
Steiner attacking his arguments, and asking
for a response. Brown said LSA-SG may set
up a forum for Steiner to address LSA studen-
ts.
The dean has said he will make no further
comments on the subject.
Presidential campaign

continues

*

The campaign for the presidency of the
Michigan Student Assembly hit high gear this
week as candidates from three parties spoke
out on a variety of issues.
Paul Josephson of the VOICE party
(Voicing Our Interests and Concerns in
Education), Kevin Michaels of the MUM par-
ty (Moderates of the University of Michigan)
and Alex Diana of 'the MOVE party (Make
Our Votes Effective) clarified their positions
on central campaign issues as they appeared
at public forums and private interviews.
Josephson and Michaels have both stressed
issues of women's safety and minority
recruitment and retention. Josephson
proposes pressuring the office of student ser-
vices to establish a general rape prevention
program with trained professionals and an
expanded Night Owl bus service.
Michaels believes that MSA should take a
more active role in working for women's
safety and ought to operate a pedestrian
escort service staffed by work study students,
fraternity pledges involved in philanthropic
projects, and possibly MSA staff members.
Diana calls for education programs direc-
ted at convincing women not to take chances
by walking alone at night.
On the issue of minority recruitment and
retention, Josephson claims the focus should
be on retention. He has not yet formulated a

yes on B
that they pay almost $30 a term to
cover the debts the University in-
curred during remodelings of the
Union and the Michigan League and
construction of the North Campus
Commons.
Additionally, listing all mandatory
fees on the tuition form gives students
a better perspective on the fees that
are already listed. Recently, some
students have complained abqut
having to pay almost $5 per term to
MSA. Those students may not have
realized, however, that were also
paying over $6 for the administration
of organizations such as the University
Activities Committee and WCBN.
In order to better inform the student
body of the mandatory fees that they
are already forced to pay, vote yes on
ballot question B in the elections on
Tuesday and Wednesday.

Wasserman

The Michigan Daily
LSA dean
specific proposal, but says he will support the
recommendations of MSA's minority student
researcher when he releases his proposals.
Michaels believes that MSA can take an ac-
tive role in minority recruitment by attending
functions at metropolitan high schools and by
working to link MSA with many high school
student governments.
Diana has emphasized the need for further
research into the question of suicide on cam-
pus, and has called for MSA to look into set-
ting up programs for counseling.
The election is on Tuesday and Wednesday
with vice-presidential positions and represen-
tative positions being determined as well.
Mayoral election
For the first time in 15 years, the
Democrats will have control of the Ann Arbor
City Council. Led by local physician Edward
Pierce, who cruised to a mayoral victory
last Monday, the Democrats reversed the
GOP's 6-5 majority on the council.
Neither the Democrats nor the Republicans
think the new regime will bring radical
changes in its first few weeks. Over Pierce's
two-year term, however, the Democrats
would like to significantly change the coun-
cil's agenda.
The Democrats want to take a long hard
look at what the city can do to strengthen the
stock of low- to moderate-income housing.
Currently, the Democrats say, Ann Arbor is
shut off to many people because they cannot
afford to live here.
Republicans contend that the council can
effectively encourage affordable housing and
other human services by stimulating
economic growth.
But the first major issue both parties have
to resolve is the budget, which should be ap-
proved in May. In order to amend the budget
the city administrator comes up with, the par-
ties have to hammer out a compromise to get
the,eight notes needed to approve a change.
Last year, the two caucuses were able to
make several hundred thousand dollars in
changes, but that was with a Republican
majority. We won't know for a few weeks if a
council with a Democratic majority can come
up with a repeat performance.
b ANDW DEPDQ1MASSACRE A OTE
AS NECESSARY
!e to students
says and The students of PSN are
rch mat- making an avid attempt to share
their feelings with President
lent Net- Shapiro and to have him voice his
ve role in views with the students. PSN

officials , should be praised for pursuing
hapiro in this issue and not just ignoring it.
ncerned This is the only way that we, as
students students, are going to get our
March at president to take some initiative
laddad's ' and deal with the issues, and con-
t against cerned students - face to face.
esearch.
;uilty for - Krista Dunton
2 days in April 2
orkin elsewhere
oston and pansion of downtown. The city
t evaluate must do something to reverse this
velopnient trend and to ensure that housing
bles. It is is affordable to people across a
that Ann broad range of incomes.
ffordable -Lowell Peterson
ercial ex- April1
spread rumor
dges say printed denial, but isn't it their
e" (Daily, responsibility to deny the rumor,
purpose: not the Daily's?
spread an It is unfortunate that the im-
r. For a maturity of a few individuals led
into a to the establishment of a false
to print it, rumor, but it is even more unfor-
vering its tunate that the immaturity of the
ck of in- Daily ,brought this matter to
lapse in campus-wide attention. You have
ly in this only played into the hands of the
ws rather original instigators.
-Jeff Berg
s of Delta John Steketee
ciate the April3

'I'M' IN CI4P6E cf OUR CONSTRUCTIVE
TOWA~.Q SOUTR k MtChv

MY' J3oe i; 'To ?bWIT To ~G ES.. NIL
VEFVRMS ND
1)CGE R~sTlAtNT

ICL.A IA SUCESES... OB~.JECT TC
SAi(CRON5J...EMPHAIZE

Letters
Shapiro should be availab

ai

0\

a w or a a dn


-j

To the Daily:
It seems to me that one of the
many responsibilities of the
president of a university is to be
involved as much as possible with
the student body. In fact, this
should be one of the president's
prime objectives. He should be
outwardly concerned with the
students' feelings on certain
issues, be willing to go out of his
way to hear their views and to
voice his. Isn't interacting with
peers and adults, including
prestigious professors and
distinguished presidents (who
live in massive white houses in
the middle of campus but are
never seen entering or exiting)
what college is all about?
Recently one of my TAs had
cordially invited President
Shapiro to speak in our class. My
TA gave Mr. Shapiro 34 various
dates to choose from. However,
Mr. Shapiro, our dedicated
president, replied in a brief
response that he was unable to fit
it into his schedule. A university
president, when invited to a
classroom at his university,
should go out of his way to "fit it
into his schedule." I sometimes
wonder if President Shapiro even
knows what occurs in a
classroom at the University. Yes,
I am aware of his many positive
contributions to this University,
but how often does he actually sit
down and listen to the students'
opinions; and for that matter,
when does Shapiro sit down and
share his views with the studen-
ts?
This point was brought up in a
recent article freatured in the
Daily ("PSN holds a sit-in at
Shaniro's office" March 1 9) -The

Housing proposal is w

"Shapiro cannot attend
because of a busy schedule," and
said, "one University official
would suffice." I doubt if just any
University official would be
nearly as effective as the
President himself. Perhaps by
assigning a colleague to deal with
the problem, this was iust
another cop out for Mr. Shapiro.
At the forum, the students from
PSN wanted to discuss classified
research at the University with
President Shapiro. The students
also wanted Shapiro to attend "so
there could be public recognition

1%


of what the Universitys
does on classified resea
ters."
The Progressive Stud
work has played an activ
stirring up University
and trying to involve S5
discussions with co
students. Various PSN
engaged in a sit-in last]
Professor George H
research lab to protest
his alleged military r
Students were found g
trespassing and served 1
jail.

Ai
414
ti

s
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149
't
'R"

To the Daily:
In your endorsement of my
reelection, (Daily, March 30) you
asserted that my idea that major
downtown development projects
be linked with affordable housing
development "border(s) on the
absurd".
I am sure this would come as a
shock to the people of Boston,
Massachusetts and. San Fran-
cisco, California, where precisely
this kind of linkage has been in
operation for quite some time.
In Boston, every large-scale
commercial development down-
town must pay $5 per square foot
of commercial development
into a fund which will help
develop low and moderate-
income housing. The San Fran-
cisco program operates on the
same principle, but the formula
for contributions is more com-
plex (and the program is
technically more "volunteer"

proven examples of Bo
San Francisco. We mus
the strength of the dev
market and other varia
quite clear, however,1
Arbor is losing af
housing to the comme
Story,
To the Daily:
Your article, "Pled
'Deke' rumor is not tru
April 3) serves only one
to verify and further s
obviously false rumor
newspaper to check
rumor is one thing, but t
especially after discov
falsity, displays a lac
tegrity and a serious
news judgement. Clear
case, the Daily made ne
than reported it.
Of course the member
Kappa Epsilon appre

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