I OPINION Page 4 Monday, March 16, 1987 The Michigan Daily Gle idiantiu Edited and managed by students at The University of Michigan Vol. XCVII, No. 112 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 Unsigned editorials represent a majority of the Daily's Editorial Board All other cartoons, signed articles, and letters do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Daily. The Daily endorses Students First for MSA: 4 MSA Bigfoot party Weine and Felton W HILE NONE OF THE FOUR parties running for MSA executive positions demonstrate overwhelm - ing superiority, the strongest candidacy, on balance, is that of the Students First party nominees for president and vice president: Ken Weine and Becca Felton. Both candidates have been active in the assembly. They are more experienced than their opponents. Weine has worked as chairman of the Student Rights Committee and Felton has worked on the Women's Issues Committee, cur - rently serving as co-chair of the Communications Committee. Fel - ton's work has been instrumental in implementing the Nite Owl and emergency phones. Weine and Felton have also been active in the fight against the proposed code of non-academic conduct. The Student Rights com - mittee, under Weine, has worked to publicize the no-code fight in the dorms and has been successful to the extent that the code has not yet been passed. Many students, however, still do not realize what the code is; much work remains. The Students First party pledged to make students more influential at the city level by appointing a liason between MSA and the Ann Arbor City Council. The other three parties all have good ideas but lack the experience of Students First. The Bigfoot party candidates, David Newblatt for president and Charles Heckstall for vice presi - dent, want to increase student power. To accomplish this aim, they propose increasing MSA's visibility by eliminating the MSA Campus Report and using other media to inform students of the agenda and issues covered by MSA. The Bigfoot candidates believe that they can improve MSA's image, and therefore its power, by eliminating MSA's involvement in non-campus issues and instead concentrating on local concerns. Heckstall is a particularly im - pressive spokesman for minority issues. His experience in the Black Student Union and in the Black Greek system would make him effective in dealing with the problem of racism, which all the candidates agree is of crucial importance on campus. Newblatt has not been as active a member of the assembly as either Weine or Felton. His position, on the PIRGIM issue has undergone a transformation; he voted against a refundable fee as an assembly member but now claims to support it. Though Newblatt is a member of the University Council which is empowered to write the code, he has a smaller understanding of the issue than Weine. Newblatt also had the tendency to sit mute at council meetings while Weine was outspoken. The Blue party, represented by presidential candidate Seth Klukoff and vice presidential candidate David Vogel, promises to bring MSA back to the students. To do this they plan to hold MSA meetings in the dorms, have issue forums, bring college governments into the MSA process, and have a non-voting student regent. The candidates claim that since they brought back the Michigan Review, they can do the same with MSA. Though Klukoff is very articulate in describing his aims, the Blue candidates have less applicable experience than their opponents. The Blue party's most serious fault is its unwillingness to be confrontational with the regents on the code issue. Though claiming a no code position, the Blue party also stressed a low key approch to the administration. The Flash candidates, like the the other three parties', believe that MSA has to come back to the students. Their candidates David Sternlicht for president and John Villanueva for vice president are energetic researchers and have some good ideas but are too combative to work effectively with the rest of the assembly. All the candidates agree that MSA is most effective and respected by the students when it does things on campus such as lobbying to establish the emer- gency phones and fighting the code. Because of their experience on the Students Rights and Womens Issues committees, Weine and Felton would be the best qualified to continue this work. Past work in the assembly should be the deciding factor, since the basic thrusts of all the campaigns are fundamentally the same. Although Weine and Felton are experienced, it is unfair to refer to them, as their opponents have, as the "establishment." It is Newblatt who represents last year's victorious party. On the other hand, Bigfoot's vice presidential candidate Heckstall was active in the Black Student Union and is one of the strongest candidates in the election. Voters should ask him to join MSA in some capacity. Next year will be one in which the administration has already threatened to make crucial deci - sions regarding issues such as the code. The only candidates qualified to respond to unilateral admin- istrative decisions and to tend to students' needs belong to Students First. Newblatt Heckstall I would like to create a brand issue for tomorrow's election. I r that this is very sudden, but it just] be done. For a moment, I would li turn away from bickering abouti that everyone feels the same way anyway, and give attention to the r of how MSA can become more effe Surprisingly enough, no other part thought about this, and tha frightening. To BIGFOOT, how this is the distinguishing factor makes us the party to vote for. BIGFOOT is the only party tha affect minority issues, despite what parties have said. We were cone about racism on campus, recruitmen retention before it was "vogue" to c BIGFOOT has incorporated the mi movement into this years campaign. If elected, we will conti through the assembly and cano minority problems from an of student representative standpoint. and UCAR can coordinate their effo the 12 UCAR demands, thus m both organizations much more pow It is important to seize the momer, even more important to continue the once the national news coverage h our campus. Institutionally, BIGFOOT has point plan to gain the support of stu for MSA, thus increasing MSA's p It is a combination of initiatives des to give MSA the clout it needs to with the adminstration on its own Broadly, the plan will includ following: 1) focusing MSA on ca. issues rather than international ones rigorous constituent contact program the reorganization of the communics committee 3) a set of contingency to deal with emergency confront with the administration. The idea b this plan is that it proves to the stu that MSA deserves their support. I reverse the vicious circle of representativeness and put the stu behind MSA again. Blue party candidates more students will have an opportunity to witness an MSA meeting. Because MSA has failed to make its constituents aware of the pertinent campus issues, The BLUE PARTY plans to hold a monthly forum on a campus issue. The BLUE PARTY, which is the most diverse party in the election, seeks to establish MSA as an effective, responsible student government, which acts in the interests of all its constituents. To accomplish this, we plan to increase student participation in resolving campus problems and ensure MSA's continual contact with the students. The BLUE PARTY believes that students from the different minority I new groups on campus should have input in ealize resolving the urgent minority recruitment has to and retention problem. We will establish i to a University wide task force comprised of ssues a cross-section of minority groups to about combat this problem. MSA has failed to matter lobby effectively to increase minority ,ctive. recruiment and retention. It is time to let y has the campus resolve this problem. at is The BLUE PARTY staunchly opposes vever, a CODE. We will work in a responsible r that manner to ensure that such a code is not imposed on the campus. Such a code at can infringes upon the rights of all students. other The BLUE PARTY is leadership from iend OUTSIDE MSA. The other parties, do anso. whose leadership is from within MSA, nority claim that their experience on the MSA assembly will ensure that they will do an MS effective job. The question we ask is: ane it WHAT HAS MSA DONE TO MAKE attack MICHIGAN A BETTER PLACE ALL Tficial MSA THE STUDENTS? rts on Vote Blue on March 17 and 18. to stand up for what they believe. Our candidates will take definite stances of such issues as safe and reasonable housing, a representative University, more minority input and no code, while being mature and responsible enough to examine every side of these issues. The key is not to be close-minded. Only then can MSA obtain solutions which are fair and just, while eliciting respect from the University community. FLASH us determined to inform the: student body of what happens in MSA; once we win. We want to be accountable to you. No tricks, no games. FLASH realizes that inoreder for you to respect4 MSA, you must repect those who ruir MSA. FLASH will earn your repect. Vote FLASH: Fighting for Legislation Advocating Student Happiness.. Students First party 'tilq;;.4 speak 4 Weine Felton aking verful. L, and fight as left a 3- idents ower. igned deal level. e the .mpus 2) a iwith ations plans ations ehind dents t will non- dents FLASH party Sternlicht Villanueva We in the FLASH party have been given the opportunity by the Daily to explain to you why you should vote for FLASH in the upcoming MSA election. We believe it is more than our stance on the issues. You should vote for FLASH because of who we are and what we represent. We realize that over 80 percent of the student body is not interested in the dezlings and goings on of MSA. Perhaps this is caused by the feeling that our campus is not adequately represented by MSA. Maybe students are turned off by the childish games and constant bickering played between the representatives during the weekly meetings. Walking out of the chambers and disregard for the rules surely does not help to remove the do-nothing, ineffective stigma which is ever present in the minds of the 80 percent who laugh at MSA. This is not the type of "experienced" people we want in our MSA. Yet this is experience that the Students First and Bigfoot parties bring to MSA. Furthermore, FLASH does not see MSA as a battlegound where each side chooses his position and slings mud, with one side pointing at the consistently ultra-conservatives and the other making faces at the predictable liberals. We in FLASH realize that what MSA needs is a group of representatives who are willing Why vote for Students First? What's the difference? Each party has pledged to improve the lives of students, promising commitment to housing, minority issues, the code and constituent contact. The question for voters is not which party has best identified student concerns. We all have. The question is which party will effectively lead the student government and - actively fulfill these campaign promises. There are five basic differences between Students First and our opponents. 1) We support the efforts of PIRGIM to seek a funding system through MSA. Yes on B and No on C. The other parties favor Yes on C which is a kill PIRGIM proposal! ~ 2) Students First stands firmly against the escalation of weapons research at the University which diverts funding and attention from education and financial aid. 3) Students First calls for 'direct communication between the city of Ann Arbor and MSA in areas including safety and housing. 4) Students First is the only party to insist on a University course for freshpersons which would sensitize them to racism and sexism. The course, which originated in MSA, will be implemented with commitment froip Students First. The course is one of UCAR's twelve demands. Our fifth difference is very clearly ovr experience as student leaders who ha*t been effective in getting things ac- complished. Our opponents can't tell you that they got the Nite Owl expanded, helped got the Party Policy repealed, fought the Burns Park rezoning dr prevented the implementation of the code. Students First tells you that we did these things! Our opponents offer campaign rhetoric. Students First offets experience. Knowing this, students will vote for the candidiates that hale already addressed and affected student concerns. Students will vote fQr Students First. Kluckoff Vogel The Blue party believes that there has beem a breakdown in communications between MSA and its constituitents. As a result, many students do not know when MSA meets, what MSA does, where MSA meets, and view the assembly negatively. The Blue party plans to BRING MSA BACK TO THE STUDENTS. We will hold monthly meetings in a dorm, so For Board of Student Publications: Susan Sherman LETTERS 'U' sho To the Daily: How many times have you been innocently walking to class only to be assaulted by suspiciously happy looking people bearing buckets? On many an occasion I have been bombarded by these bucket people mercilessly trying to milk me of my last dime for some unknown organization. Sure they are full of great uld limit flyerbucketmania .t FOR THE UNDERGRADUATE SEAT on the Board of Student, Publications the Daily endorses Residential College sophomore Susan Sherman. Sherman's active advocacy of student concerns, including her role in the Take Back reports of Sherman both among our own staff members and among students in other groups, including the Michigan Student Assembly. Herz's statements given to the Daily for purposes of this endorsement frequently conflict the pail ,people. As a college student I can't afford to be guilty. I have considered picking up a bucket for my own charity. But what about the poor students who do surrender to the guilt ploy? They are plagued by ridiculous looking tags on their coats which protect from further bucketbearers. So you lose either way as I Along with the bucket people, another Ann Arbor annoyance is the abundance of the infamous flyer distributors. These enlightening informants stand on the bridge, the Diag, in front of the MLB and anywhere else they can pass the word about religion, abortion, sex, or nuclear war. Even more ruthless and disturbing than the oin collectors- going out of your way to find a garbage can. If these peopte want to inform us, why can't they just post signs on kiosks like everyone else? Something must be done t4 restrict these two groups to certain areas. Bucket people can be replaced by collection boxes, saving time and energy for all concerned. The namnhlet nassers should he