amof-Oom S
The Michigan Daily -Friday, March 17, 1995 - 3
By Amy Klein
Daily Staff Reporter
Michigan Student Assembly Elections
March 22-23, 1995
The Maize and Blue
MSA: 'On a mission to fight for students
The Wolverine Party
- - ! 1 , I
The Michigan Student Assembly. This
name has grabbed the headlines in recent
weeks and accosted students through the
flier-papered walls of Angell Hall.
So what exactly does the assembly do?
In the most simplified description, the as-
sembly allocates money to student groups. The
assembly touches the lives of students belong-
ing to most groups at the University. In the
1994-95 MSA budget, $66,500 was given to
approximately 150 student groups on campus.
"Anyone who's involved in a student group
should care about us," said MSA President Julie
MSA's most visible action is funding student
groups. How the money was distributed last year:
3.6% 5.8% * Reserve
8.6°/ Budget ® BPC
50.3% ®Capitial Reserve Intemal
316 BudgetM
MSA Committees/Commissions
JONATHAN BERNDT/Daily
Neenan."We provide a funding source for most
groups."
LSA Rep. Joe Cox, the chair of the Commu-
nications Committee, said that aside from dol-
ing out funds, MSA also serves students in a
more abstract manner.
"The issues that come up are generally stu-
dent issues. Things like the safety issue had a
huge impact on the campus, but students may
not see a day-to-day change. In the long run,
though, it greatly impacts their lives," Cox said.
Representatives also serve as the students'
mouthpiece to the administration.
"The things that we put first are student
concerns, like campus safety and student repre-
sentation," Neenan said. "We are the link be-
tween the student body and the administration."
MarK DIera5CK Cnris Hanba
Cut back language requirement to
three terms
Revise math curriculum
Eliminate political parties within
MSA
Mike Christie Brooke Holley
Reform meal plans to include greater
flexibility for students
Work with University Transit to
push for a monorail to North Campus
Work to keep minority students
The code, safety remain key issues
lommognpumm
WaMMMOOLVERI=
"WIM"
11
The Michigan Party
Flint Wainess Sam Goodstein
Adopt a student "Bill of Rights"
0 Put MSA on-line to improve repre-
sentative-constituent contact
Implement programs for more af-
fordable and accessible health care
Replacing the usual ideologi-
cal banter, this year the Michigan
Student Assembly election will be
a battle for innovation.
Generally, candidates agree that
the University's code of non-aca-
demic conduct restricts behavior and
that campus safety needs improve-
ment, but each slate has cleared a
different path to the same ultimate
conclusion.
The varied platforms of each
ticket will likely be the determin-
ing factors next week.
Campus safety
Campus safety, an issue con-
tinually tackled by the present MSA
administration, will probably con-
tinue to draw attention in the up-
coming year.
The Students' Party has an-
swered the call for increased safety
by proposing free self-defense semi-
nars throughout the year.
"Self-defense classes show a
realistic attitude towards Univer-
sity life. It says to freshmen that we
know you are adults, and we're giv-
ing you the tools to deal with cam-
pus safety," said Fiona Rose, the
party's vice presidential candidate.
The Students' Party also plans
to seek additional funding from the
administration to expand the hours
and services of SafewalklNorth-
walk and NiteOwl.
The TEA Party has offered a
similar solution to the Students'
Party in a proposal that extends
Safewalk/Northwalk hours to run
from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m.
"Safety on campus is a big iss-ue
- I think people realize that, and to
that end I don't think it'll be a prob-
lem finding people to work during
those hours," said vice presidential
hopeful Micah Frankel, an LSA
first-year student.
While the Michigan Party also
advocates the extension ofSafewalkl
Northwalk hours, it has proposed
educating incoming students about
campus dangers as well.
"Campus safety is probably the
No. 1 issue. The University should
campus safety
Oct. 27- MSA responds
to safety concerns with a
night-time Campus Safety
Awareness Walk-Through.
. January - MSA members
join a task force to
recommend solutions for 190
identified safety hazards.
the life of the takforce-
until ,einterof 1996.
set up some sort of safety items
rather than pepper spray, along with
some warnings or discussions about
safety for students," said Sam
Goodstein, a vice presidential can-
didate.
The Michigan Party also has en-
dorsed aplan forimproving thelight-
ing on and off campus.
The Maize and Blue party aims
to increase safety by surveying stu-
dent opinion to determine the worst
hazards on campus. "I think one of
the things is to go around asking
student groups, especially women's
groups, what they see as the domi-
nant problems," said Mark Bier-
sack, the party's presidential can-
didate.
In an attempt to keep safety at the
forefront of the MSA agenda, the
Wolverine Party plans to propose an
amendment to the MSA constitution
to make the campus safety task force
a permanent commission.
"Adding it to the constitution
will give the issue of safety a perma-
nence so it doesn't have to keep
coming up forextensions, giving it a
higher priority," said presidential
candidate Mike Christie.
Independent vice presidential
candidate Angie Kelic, a member
of the campus safety task force,
agrees that safety must remain a
key issue for the next administra-
tion. "We have to continue follow-
ing up on campus safety to make
sure all issues are addressed. The
city, DPS, the students and the
University have to continue to work
together," she said.
Jodi Masley, an independent can-
didate for president, said she thinks
the recent MSA walk-through was
nothing more than a photo opportu-
nity and that MSA should organize a
night-time patrol.
"I think MSA's campus safety
task force and their walk was a big
joke and didn't take safety into
account at all. I think DPS should
be disbanded, and we should have
our own patrol," Masley said.
The code
The University's code of non-
academic conduct, the Statement
of Student's Rights and Responsi-
bilities, has elicited criticism from
all the MSA candidates.
Masley pledged to work for an
abolition of the code.
"The whole process of amend-
ments is such crap - it's not going
anywhere. MSA should pass a to-
tal rejection of the code, saying
that they don't recognize it. We're
capable of dealing with these items
without a code," she said.
The Wolverine Party has simi-
larly adopted the position that the
code is unnecessary, claiming it in-
fringes on student rights.
"We plan to take a harder stance
against the administration and pre-
vent the code from becoming a per-
manent policy. We also plan to point
out the flaws of the code by citing
the Jake Baker case and the
University's failure to follow the
code," Christie said.
The Students' Party assumes
an equally staunch position against
all non-academic codes, claiming
the University is acting in loco
parentis - treating students as
children. The party plans to inform
and mobilize the student body
against the code.
"The work that's been done on
MSA so far has gone directly to the
administration, such that students
don't even know what's going on.
To inform students, we should hold
open issue sessions and by doing
education at orientation to talk
The Students' Party
i kt
Brian Elliott Fiona Rose
Cut internal MSA spending to allo-
cate more money to student groups
Require representatives to hold more
office hours at central locations
Give commissions more influence
in student group funding
Deciphering the
code
Nov. 20, 1992 -The
regents approve the code
as an interim policy.
EJan. 1,1993--The code
is implemented. It is
administered by the Office
of Student Affairs.
March 1995 - Student
jurors hear ame
the rcde tn~ n0?tdt
the rt t tmonth.
about campus issues," Rose said.
After rallying against the code
for 2 1/2 years, Vince Keenan, an
independent presidential candidate,
said persistence and tenacity will be
the most effective weapons in tight-
ing the code.
"I'd like to see it rolled back to
just dealing with sexual assault and
alcohol policies, just because of
the federal mandates. I'm not look-
ing for a complete abolition," Kee-
nan said.
The Michigan Party proposes
to fight the University's restric-
tions by proposing additional
amendments to the code and by
limiting the code's jurisdiction to
campus. The party also hopes to
restructure the code amendment
process, saying the administration
has mishandled the code's revi-
sion.
"I think the amendment pro-
cess was a good idea in the begin-
ning but it's worn out its welcome,"
said Flint Wainess, the slate's presi-
dential candidate. "The only pro-
ductive solution at this point is to
bring down the code at the April
regents' meeting."
The TEA Party will also work to
redraw the code, emphasizing the
need for open hearings to inform
students about the judicial process.
"I'm opposed to the sections
of the code that contradict the le-
gal rights students have. The points
on sexual assault, though, need to
be there," said David Valazzi, the
party's presidential candidate.
77"ll
Independent
Vince Keenan Angie Kelic
Revise the code to only include sexual
assault and alcohol policies
Help independent candidates get in-
formation on MSA
Grant more autonomy to committees
r
s
Independent
Jodi Masley Dorma Burnside
Complete rejection of the code
Mass demonstrations to fight rac-
ism, tuition hikes and financial aid cuts
Investigate incidences of racism on
campus
,
;.
Some students put off by MSA;
others mobilized by politicking
Where to vote
FXB
ECS
DOW
UNION
The TEA Party
Voter apathy has plagued the
Michigan Student Assembly for
years, as turnout has traditionally
hovered just below the 10 percent
mark.
Many students say they don't
know enough about the assembly's
responsibilities to cast a vote. LSA
sophomore Julia Dolfin said she
does not plan to vote because MSA
seems far removed from her life at
the University.
"They're not really in touch with
the student body and as a result, we
don't really know what they're all
about. I guess we would know more
if they were more in touch," Dolfin
said.
MSA elections are notorious for low
turnout. The percentage of students
voting in the last four elections:
1or EPresidential Elections
David Valazzi Micah Frankel
Expand Engineering honor code to
entire University
Change pass/fail deadline to coin-
cide with withdraw deadline
Represent the average student
8
6
4
least probably not as much as I
should have," said Cheryl Katub, a
first-year LSA student. "I probably
haven't been as involved as I should
have been.
Dolfin agreed that learning about
MSA appears time-consuming.
"I'm not planning on voting be-
cause I'm just not that involved in
school politics. I would like to know
more about MSA, though, because
it does represent the student body,"
she said.
The recent rise in politicking
among the candidates may prove to
be a successful attempt to drive
voters to the polls.
Light said the fliers around cam-
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