The Michigan Daily - Wednesday November 29, 1989 - Page 3
Smaller parties also vie
for
MSA
positions
Abolitionists seek to completely
overhaul assembly's structure
by Christine Kloostra
Daily Staff writer
After failing to win a single seat
in the Michigan Student Assembly's
elections last March, the Abolition-
ist party has returned with a slate of
four candidates who are vying for
positions on the assembly.
Their platform, a radical departure
from the views of other MSA parties
or candidates, consists primarily of
advocating a massive restructuring of
MSA and preserving students' right
to free speech.
In addition, the party opposes
deputization of campus security,
University sponsorship of FBI and
CIA recruiting, weapons research,
and a mandatory class on racism.
"MSA is strictly maintaining its
reputation as a laughingstock," said
party member Bryan Case, an LSA
senior. "We want to abolish (the
assembly) as much as possible and
replace it with a grass-roots organi-
zation."
By creating a government of vol-
unteers organized into committees
and eliminating the elected assem-
bly, the Abolitionists hope to estab-
lish a "voluntaristic" organization,
said party member Jesse Walker, an
LSA sophomore.
The Abolitionists realize that
even if all four candidates win, a
complete overhaul of the 48-member
MSA would be extremely difficult.
Therefore, the Abolitionists also
have an agenda for working within
the current system.
One of their first goals within the
system would be to abolish MSA's
current recognition policy, which
provides funding and office space in
the Union to only those student
groups recognized by MSA.
"There is a difference between
recognizing a group and funding a
group," Walker said. "Any student
group should be able to have an of-
fice in the Union."
If elected, the Abolitionists also
hope to fight tuition hikes by in-
creasing MSA's lobbying efforts and
focusing on soliciting funding from
private sources, such as corporations
and foundations, rather than dealing
solely with the state legislature.
"To my knowledge, no one has
ever done this before," Walker said.
The party is also concerned with
First Amendment freedoms it be-
lieves are endangered at the Univer-
sity. Party members strongly advo-
cate students' rights to freedom of
expression and speech, a stance
which includes opposition to both
the University's anti-harassment pol-
icy and its protest policy.
"We are in support of complete
and absolute free speech," Case said.
Walker said the University's cur-
rent harassment policy "is based on
the silly premise that if you tell
someone not to say something, they
won't think it."
The Abolitionists oppose the
protest policy because they allege it
was formulated without sufficient
student input in addition to believing
that it infringes on students' freedom
of expression.
The parties:here heystd
ABOLuiONIT
Abolish current assembly structure and replace it with a
grassroots structure.
Do away with current MSA recognition policy and give all
groups the right to utilize office space in the Union.
Supports absolute free speech at the University.
Fight tuition hikes by soliciting funds from private sources.
CHOICE
Stresses experience of leadership.
Opposes putting Peace & Justice Commission to student
vote.
Will continue to work on minority, women's, and student
rights issues.
CONSERVATIECOAL1iON
Favors keeping students' money on campus and opposes
funding of observer delegations to foreign countries.
Favors removal of the shanties from the Diag.
Favors putting the Peace & Justice Commission to a
student vote.
Favors tight fiscal policy.
Favors automatic group recognition by MSA.
NEW. ,DIRECON
Favors directing MSA's efforts towards getting information
out to the students about the assembly.
Redirect funds for Peace & Justice Commission towards
campus issues.
By Mark Katz
Daily Staff Writer
While the Conservative Coalition
and the Choice parties will offer 18
and 15 candidates respectively for to-
day's Michigan Student Assembly
election, the smallest official party
running, the New Directions Party,
consists of only three students.
The party - made up of LSA
senior Mike Zitta, LSA junior Tarik
Ajami and engineering junior Anto-
nio Roque - aims to redirect the ef-
forts of the current assembly.
"We'd like to see MSA's efforts
not being put into political games;
it should be directed towards getting
information out to students about
what MSA can do for them," Zitta
said.
The party's entire platform can be
summed up in one word -
"information" - he said. Zitta
wants to concentrate on getting the
word out to students about what is
going on with MSA, so more stu-
dents will get involved.
"It's a matter of utilizing the re-
sources already on campus," Ajami
said. "MSA has to work in coopera-
tion with student organizations to
get the information out."
The party believes funds being
groups that the rules are working
for.
Peace and Justice: One of the few
MSA committees that actually
does anything for students.
General Comments: Use MSA
money to help protect student
rights and fight tuition increase.
Help organize student groups and
establish some kind of parliament
so students could have voice in
where money is being spent at
Michigan.
I. Matthew Miller,
LSA junior
Anti-Harassment Policy: A staunch
"no-code" person. Added that a lib-
eral arts education should try to al-
low as many freedoms for students
as possible, instead of restricting
them.
New Directions hopes to fight
apathy, increase awareness
used br the Peace and Justice Com-
mission and foreign trips should be
redir cced into campus issues, or
programs that directly affect students
in Ann Arbor.
The party said it needs more stu-
dent input before it will feel com-
fortable taking a stance on the anti-
harassment policy, Roque said.
Party members attribute the
small size of the party to late orga-
nization. However, if its candidates
are successful, New Directions plans
on organizing a full slate for MSA's
spring election.
Roque said the small size of the
party will help its chances in the
election. "The idea is that we don't
want to get involved in big party
politics," he said.
"In MSA, student voices can get
lost in big parties," Roque said. "We
have less people, so our party will
be less impersonal."
Ajami said the party will serve as
a buffer between the two bigger par-
ties. "We're not trying to sweep
elections with a party," he said.
Sn far, the candidates have cam-
paigned by posting fliers and
through word of mouth, talking to
people around dorms who "would be
otherwise apathetic," Ajami said.
Peace and Justice: Money that has
been spent to send students on
trips abroad should be used instead
to hire speakers to come to cam-
pus.
General Comments: Responsible
management of student funds is a
primary concern. Would like to
participate on the External Rela-
tions Committee if elected, be-
cause of the influence the commit-
tee could have setting the tuition,
and in protecting students' rights.
See PROFILES, Page 7
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THE LIST
What's happening in Ann Arbor today
Meetings
AIESEC (International Stu-
dents in Business and Eco-
nomics)- ; 6 in Bus. Ad. Bldg.
Rm. 1273
UM Hellenic Students' Orga-
nization - 7 p.m. in Union
1209
Womyn's Rites and Rhythms
- 6-6:30 p.m. in the SAB base-
ment
UM Asian Student Coalition
- 7 p.m. in 2413 Mason
Latin American Solidarity
Committee - 8 in the Union
Mitzvah Project - 6:30 in Hil-
lel's upper lecture hall
Women's Lacrosse - practice
from 9-11 p.m. at Tartan Turf
Women Worshipping in the
Christian Tradition - 7 p.m. at
218 N. Division; sponsored by
Canterbury House Episcopal Stu-
dents
MSA Academic Affairs Com-
mission - 6 p.m. in Union Rm.
3909
UM Shorin-Ryu Karate-do
Club - 8:30-9:30 p.m. in the
CCRB Martial Arts Room; be-
ginners welcome
Science Fiction and Fantasy
Club (Stilyagi Air Corps)- 8
p.m. in the League
Speakers
"Mechanistic Enzymology
Synthesis of New Drugs" -
Prof. James Coward speaks at 4 in
Chem. 1640
"Two Models for Nucleation
and Growth on a Line" - Prof.
Malcolm Quine of Sydney U. and
Florida State U. will speak at 4
p.m. in Mason 451; coffee at 3:30
p.m. in Mason 1443
"Mathematical Art: The Greek
Secret Weapon" - Prof. John
Onians of the U of East Anglia,
Great Britain speaks at 4:30 in the
Rackham Amphitheatre
Furthermore
Central American Beans &
Rice Dinner - a chance to sup-
port groups which do direct aid in
Central America; 6 p.m. at the
Guild House
Northcoast-UM Jazz Ensemble
- Rackham Lecture Hall at 8
n.m.
Northwalk - North campus
night-time walking service, Rm.
2333 Bursley; 8 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.
or call 763-WALK
ECB peer writing tutors -
available at Angell-Haven and 611
Computing Centers from 7 to 11
p.m.; Sunday through Thursday
"Why is the Bedroom So
Crowded?" - the Residence
Hall Repertory Theatre Troupe
presents the performance at South
Quad at 10 p.m.
Proud to be a Zionist Day - all
Israel-supporters are welcome to
visit the Diag and the Fishbowl
Free Tutoring - for all lower-
level math, science and engineer-
ing courses; UGLi Rm. 307 7-11
p.m.; South Quad Dining Hall 8-
10 p.m.; Bursley's East Lounge
8-10 p.m.
La Mitad del Cielo - a part of
the Spanish Film Festival; 7 p.m.
in MLB Lecture Rm. #2
Jewish Identity: Israeli vs.
Americap View - a discussion
facilitated by Joseph Kohane; 7
p.m. at Hillel
Jazz Night - Featuring Joe Ob-
vious; sponsored by the Minority
Affairs Commission; 7:30-9:30
p.m. at Trotter House
English Peer Counseling - 7-9
p.m. in Union 4000 A
Carillion Auditions - must
have good piano background;
1:15-3 at the Burton Bell Tower
Michigan Leadership Confer-
ence Registration - at the Stu-
dent Organization Development in
the 2202 Union; fee is $12
Color National Artists' Book
Project - features artists' books
of more than 200 American
Women of Color; in the Slusser
Gallery; 10a.m.-5 p.m.
Women of Courage: An Exhibi-
tion of Photographs by Judith
Sedwick - portraits of 55 Black
American women; Grad. Library
North Lobby; 8am-5pm
Arpilleras from Peru and Chile
- distinctive fabric wall-hangings
by women from Latin America;
Residential College; 1-5 p.m.
Store Front Churches in De-
troit - Center for Afro-American
and African Studies; 200 W.
Engine.; 8am-5pm
Photo exhibit of racial violence
Indepen
The following candidates are
running as independents for the
Michigan Student Assembly. The
Daily asked them to explain their
views on the University's anti-ha-
rassment policy and the MSA
Peace and Justice Commission.
Karl Anderson,
LSA first-year student
Anti-Harassment Policy: Doesn't
know much about it.
Peace and Justice: Should be there
and should receive same funding,
no more, no less.
General Comments: Favors increased
student participation in MSA; in-
creased MSA visibility among
students.
Dale Carpenter,
LSA junior
Anti-Harassment Policy: Feels it is
an infringement on students' First
Amendment rights.
Peace and Justice Commission:
MSA shouldn't conduct foreign
policy. Favors abolishing com-
mission.
General Comments: Wants to use
money for University students and
represent the majority of students.
Ran independently because he feels
both major parties are corrupt and
MSA is not run well.
Michelle Dallaire,
LSA sophomore
Anti-Harassment Policy: Not very
knowledgeable on subject. Thinks
policy should be based more on
the real world than on the Univer-
sity.
Peace and Justice: No comment.
General Comments: MSA should
focus more on students. Ran as
independent because she did not
like any of the existing parties;
thinks that there should be diver-
sity within MSA, too.
Jason Feingold,
LSA senior
Anti-Harassment Policy: Important
that the University do whatever it
can to protect students and faculty
from discrimination. Likes pol-
icy, but doesn't think it should be
strengthened.
Peace and Justice: Favors it. Thinks
both the University and MSA
: mim
Sdents...
have a definite responsibility to
the community.
General Comments: Would like to
see a progressive assembly aggres-
sively addressing issues like
racism and the student governing
of this campus. Would like a more
aggressive, more outspoken MSA.
Ran as independent because he
thinks candidates must run on
their own stand, and voters must
vote for the individual candidate,
not the political party.
Dennis Feldman,
LSA sophomore
Anti-Harassment Policy: Good pol-
icy for protecting individuals'
rights, but it may appear to over-
step constitutional boundaries.
Favors making it less vague.
Peace and Justice: Let students de-
termine its legitimacy. Personally
feels MSA funds could be put to
better use.
General Comments: Wants to curb
the corruption on the assembly.
Wouldn't rule out dissolving the
MSA if excessive abuse of power
was determined to have occurred.
Ran as an independent because he
didn't want to be tied to any orga-
nization.
Ed Frankfort,
LSA sophomore
Anti-Harassment Policy: Agrees
with the administration on this is-
sue, and therefore favors the pol-
icy.
Peace and Justice: Opposes the exis-
tence of the committee because it
is not a good way to spend stu-
dents' money. The student body
doesn't need to send other students
abroad on MSA funds.
General Comments: Improving
MSA's tarnished image and the
use of tuition money are central
concerns.
Matthew Iskra,
Music School junior
Anti-Harassment Policy: Should be
formulated by people from
UCAR, BSU, and LaGROC and
People Organized for Women
Equality and Rights (POWER) be-
cause they are representing the
Rackham Student
E Government a
URGES ALL GRADUATE STUDENTS TO
VOTE E
HAND ELECT THEIR DIVISION REPRESENTATIVES
IN THE RSG COUNCIL
RSG ELECTIONS ARE HELD CONCURRENTLY
xC7 WITH THE MSA ELECTIONS
El El
ASK FOR THE RSG BALLOT WHEN VOTING
FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL
763-5271
Ql
Have you considered a career which offers:
* job opportunities in every part of the country
" a career which helps others care for themselves
" starting salaries ranging from $25-$30,000
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