The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 28, 1990 - Page 5 Parties discuss campus issues * Abolitionists Li Candidates LSA Junior Jesse Walker spoke on behalf of the party, which is not ,gelding a presidential candidate. T1e Code: "We're totally opposed to the Code...We don't need the University expelling students for serious crimes the police take care of that. A Code would open the door to the University cracking down on victim-ยข less crimes, including student drink- '11g and drug use. Armed Campus Security: "Again, the local police can take care of campus problems... there is ni need for deputized and armed campus security."{ ',"It's also a major unnecessary expense. The administration's efforts on all of these non-academic issues a I ker will require a lot of funding, and will "We're opposed to a mandatory only take away from the Univer- class on ppsed.t's ndato sity 's academic resources." caso racism...it's insulting to Stt Groupdeillro rs.tell students that they are automati- Student Group Bill of cally racist, and they're going to be Rights: taught one opinion on racism. And "We support this legislation. it's annoying to students because We've opposed the de-recognition this only means more requirements, procedure in the past, because it's an and more classes they have to take." attempt to stifle freedom of speech "If it's a mandatory class, stu- And freedom of organization on this dents will feel forced into taking it, campus. While I disagree strongly and nobody will like it, and if it's with the views of some campus not mandatory, the only students groups, all students should be able taking it will be the ones that don't to use all University facilities, be- need it. The idea has several serious cause they pay tuition." flaws." Student Group Funding: Other Party Concerns: "Since the budget disaster under "The abolitionists were founded a the (former MSA President Michael) year ago in response to threats to Phillips Administration, we've ar- freedom of expression on this cam- gued that the assembly should not pus. We feel that MSA, as it is fund events that would be opposed now, is ineffective in dealing with by 50 percent of the student students' concerns, and in protecting body.,.sharply divided issues and students' rights." causes should not be funded by "We want to abolish not the MSA, because students who oppose assembly, but the assembly's current a'cause should not have to support structure, and create one more in ah event with their tuition dollars." tune with students' attitudes and less 'The Proposed Course on apt to interfere with students' free- Race and Ethnicity: doms of expression." Action Student lmpact 20 Candidates Jennifer Van Valey - President Angela Burks - Vice President Van Valey and Burks spoke for the party. The Code: "Students are adults - they can handle themselves as adults. The Code will only strengthen the op- pressing arm of the administra- tion...the only strength the students have is in their numbers." "We will never sit down and ne- gotiate a Code with the administra- tion. We have nothing to lose by not sitting down. If we sit down to talk, we'll have a code in a second." Armed Campus Security: "The idea of the University Re- gents deputizing campus officers is frightening...all the big crimes on this campus are social problems: date rape, racial harassment, vandal- ism. These problems are not going to be solved by giving campus secu- rity guns. Education is the way to stop acquaintance rape, and stop ra- cial harassment." Student Group Bill of Rights: "This is nothing but a bill of abusive rights...The only right this bill will grant to groups is the right to discriminate at will. Racist, sex-I ist, and homophobic groups could walk into MSA and we would haveI to support them." "Any legislation that would for MSA to recognize and fund groups like the Nazis and the KKK isj terribly wrong." Student Group Funding: "As it stands, the Budget Priori- ties Committee, responsible for all student group allocations, is domi-I nated by white males...we want to change that, to make it more di- verse...we also have to stop BPC members allocating funds to organi-< zations they themselves belong to."! Van Valey "Every student group deserves money, but the assembly must also consider what other resources the groups have to draw funds from...some groups ask for large amounts, but their events affect hun- dreds and hundreds of students." The Proposed Course on Race and Ethnicity: Action is in favor of the proposed requirement. "We need to incorporate the classes into existing curricu- lums, so that students would not feel that this class interferes with their other studies...a variety of classes would be the best procedure, because students will want to take a class on racism that is interesting to them, and applies to their field of study." Other Party Concerns: "We want to create an Environ- mental Issues Commission in MSA. It would be a networking commis- sion, to coordinate other campus groups' efforts. We will work for a campus-wide Styrofoam ban, as well as a comprehensive recycling pro- gram for the entire campus." 7 Candidates Bobby Hershfield - Pres. Angi Williams - Vice Pres. Candidates Hershfield and Tony Barkow spoke for the party. The Code: "Students who commit non-aca- demic offenses should be punished with community service and other types of positive reinforcement...we don't believe in academic punish- ment or expulsion for non-academic behavior." Armed Campus Security: "The idea of security guards carry- ing guns around campus scares us tremendously...it would definitely hurt the academic environment." They said unarmed security guards "do their job adequately now...leave the guns in the hands of the Ann Arbor police." Student Group Bill of Rights: They do not support the proposed Bill of Rights referendum on the bal- lot. "Student organizations should be allowed to choose their own mem- bers freely...but groups like ROTC or the CCF that openly discriminate against homosexuals should not be recognized or supported by the assembly. Discriminatory group membership policies defeat the pur- pose of a University organization." Student Group Funding: "We want to improve the aca- demic atmosphere on campus most of all...we would give priority to groups whose events educate stu- dents far beyond their organization. We would definitely support groups working on awareness, whether it be racial, environmental, or campus awareness." The Proposed Course on. Race and Ethnicity: The party supports the proposed class. "We feel that classes to Hershfield broaden students' knowledge of other cultures and races are necessary; However, there should be a variety of classes, within the various con- centrations, so students would not go into it with a negative attitude, and feel they were wasting their time." Other Party Concerns: "We created the Student Impact Party because we felt that MSA is not including, not reaching out to the students on this campus. How can we call this a student governs ment, when only 8-11 percent of the students vote, and even less get in- volved? A lot of students don't know what MSA does, or what MSA is, and we want to change that, through increased campus communication." Presidential candidate Hershfield said the party is also interested in increas' ing campus recycling efforts, work- ing for 24-hour libraries, better lighting around campus, and in- creased North Campus bus service. I Conservative Coalition Student Activities 19 Candidates Aaron Williams - President Christine Chilimigras - Vice Pres- ident Williams and Chilimigras spoke for the party. The Code: "We're against the code...the party is split, however, about what -the assembly should do; some feel we should not sit down with the ad- ministration, and give the code legit- imacy, and some think we should negotiate, to at least know what's going on." "The administration has said that the code is for the students' own benefit. If that was the case, we would have done it ourselves." Armed Campus Security: ' "We're fighting a two-front war on this one, because the administra- tion wants it, and the people in Lansing want it...we have to show the administration that this isn't the way to fight campus crime." 'Student Group Bill of Rights: The party supports the referen- dum. "Recognition should be given to as many groups as possible, within reason. Many students in these groups feel that their needs are not being met. Someone is con- cerned about this, and that's why it's on the ballot." Student Group Funding: "We support the allocation proce- dure as it stands now...the Budget Priorities Committee (BPC) does a good job, and keeps student groups on an equal level." "Our biggest consideration when deciding funding for student groups is 'how many students is this group or event going to reach?' The Proposed Course on Race and Ethnicity: "We're against any mandatory class, because we think that educa- tion is something people have to want...it's only going to make the racists on this campus hate minori- ties more, because they'll be being forced to take a class." "Racists aren't stupid people - they would be able to do well in the class, get the grades, but it wouldn't 6 Candidates Alexander Isaac, Jr. - President Denise Basch - Vice President "Discrimination is wrong in all cases, but I don't see how students and MSA could have a problem with Isaac spoke for the party. these kind of groups getting recogni- The Code: tion." "I think that the concept of a Student Group Funding: Code of Non-Academic Conduct is a The SAC would first change the waste 'of time. This isn't high name of the Budget Priorities Coin- school; we're older, and more mature mittee to the Budget Allocations now." State and local laws have Committee, because "anybody who jurisdiction on campus, they ex- wants money from the assembly plained, and there is no need for should be able to get money." They repetitive legislation. disagree with prioritizing funds for Armed Campus Security: student groups, and will implement "There's absolutely no need for a concrete policy regarding how and any deputization of campus secu- how much the assembly allocates to rity...the University should not allo- student organizations. cate the funds for extra security, The Proposed Course on when the Ann Arbor police can han- Race and Ethnicity: dle it." "At this point, most students on Student Group Bill of this campus have already developed Rights: ideas and values towards other races "There's again no need for this and racism...we don't think a manda- legislation...it's only a repetition of tory course on racism is necessary, the U.S. Constitution." They said because there are enough required they support the recognition of courses already. A mandatory course ROTC groups on campus, because would be beneficial in the long run, "they're federal institutions operating but it should not be the first step." within the law." "The assembly should gauge stu- Williams have any effect on how they feel. The class should be available for students, but not mandatory for all." Other Party Concerns: "The Conservative Coalition has been taking significant steps towards meal credit reform...We made a promise last term to the students, and we're following up on it." Issac dent response to an elective racism course first, to decide what further action should be taken." Other Party Concerns: "We decided to make our own party because we aren't predomi- nantly liberal or conserva- tive...there's too much emphasis on party identification on the assembly: , . Independent candidates vie for MSA positions A =by Ruth Littmann _{wily Staff Writer Ballots for April's Michigan Stu- dent Assembly elections will list -twelve independent candidates along- side candidates running on five party tickets. "If people don't like the parties, IY' encourage them to run as inde- pendents," said third year law student Bruce Frank, former MSA Rules and Elections committee chair. "I hope independent candidates aren't discrim- inated against just because they don't belong to a party." I A" Though party candidates enjoy Ythe benefits of group publicity ef- forts, LSA sophomore and indepen- dent candidate Scott Fisher says he prefers no-strings campaigning. "As an independent candidate, I'm MSA a code is implemented. The five parties running for MSA not tied down by any restraints. [Party loyalty] is a price you've got to pay once you're elected, if you're elected," Fisher said. Believing that "partisan bicker- ing" hinders MSA decision-making, first year law student Mike Troy also chose to run as an independent candi- date. "[Parties in MSA] spend more time bashing each other than accom- plishing anything," he said. Agreeing with Troy, first year MBA student and independent candi- date Matt Benson said, "MSA is a little cliquish and some of the parties contribute to that." Benson hopes his choice of tick- ets will enable him to "get MSA to support more activities and student groups in the Business School. MSA seems to represent a small group of students," he said. "By not holding a party-line point of view, but rather a business student point of view, I think I can best serve the business student." Though exams and term papers preclude extensive self-publicity ef- forts, LSA junior Philip Pavlik doesn't regret his choice to run as an independent. "I don't see any benefits in running with the parties," he said. "Parties seem like they're for people who just want to have an easy way of running for office." Scott Chupack, first year Engi- neering student, considers running as an independent a test of determina- tion. "Running as an independent is a big challenge. Votes I do get will be well worked for." LSA first year students Jason "We're for the greenhouse ef- fect," said Magee. "In the event of an actual greenhouse effect, the state of Michigan will become tropical and 'If people don't like the parties, I'd encourage them to run as independents...) hope independent candidates aren't discriminated against just because they don't belong to a party' -Bruce Frank Former MSA Rules and Elections Chair proposed Non-Academic Code of Conduct, Magee said, "Code? Is that a secret code or something?" Independent candidates, LSA sophomore Mike Gravlin, and Rack- ham graduate student Thomas Poole, were not available for comment. In- dependent candidates running for the Board of Student Publications will be featured in Monday's paper. LSA juniors Jonathan Payne, Rackham graduate student Henry Park, and first year law student Peter Mooney are running for the board positions as independents. MSA Elections will be held on April 4 and 5. Polling locations will be announced in the Daily prior to the election. Magee and David Potes are "pro- greenhouse effect" candidates who in- formally label themselves "The Power Mongers." Though running separately, they have identical agen- das. coastal. Property values will go up." Toward that end, the University can "set aside some cars and let them run day and night," said Potes. Asked for his opinion on the tion every step of the way. Another related issue to students' autonomy is the administration's ef- Michigan House of Representatives would allow the Regents to deputize the officers. for a "Student Group Bill of Rights." This bill would grant student or- tection under the current Constitution. Other parties, how- ever, have called this a "Bill of subject of University debate for sev- eral years.