4E - The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - September 3, 1996
Brater links
government,
education
By Laurie Mayk
Daily Staff Reporter
The distance between Ann Arbor and
Lansing -the gap between academia
and the political arena - is a familiar 2 L
one to State Rep. Liz Brater.
Brater (D-Ann Arbor), whose dis-
trict includes all of central and south 'l''-:ge/eg
campus, is charged with the responsi- Ilaior y MA.;
bility of bridging this gap. With the versfty of Pesu
students and parents who foot tuition
bills at the University knocking on her Past 106:%
door, and number crunchers battling 'and Public Pol
ott budgets on the House floor, Editor/freetafl
Brater's advocacy on the House Com-
mittee for Higher Education often Wh t 66 d90
gets caught in the whirlwind of cost- r th r
cutting.
'"There's a limit to how much our Enco
public universities can flourish unless
we supply them with proper u arl1
resources," Brater said. "You tend to
get what you pay for.' rent and Gre
With decreased funding in higher y.. MI
education contributing to the Univer-
sity's status as one of the most expen- Pumny Husb
sive public universities in the country, t Univ
families are forced to pay for the Uni-
versity to play catch-up, Brater said. ,
While students still expect a quality education also
to accompany gold seal and diploma, they no femal
longer assume a good job and secure future Bra
will be part of the package. tion"N
"What kind of job market will there be? Regen
What kind of economic future do they have in a res
store for them? regul
"The quality of our youth is one of the Lansi
major incentives of attracting business to Ex
Michigan - somewhere we've fallen behind," Arbo
Brater said. muni
Many of the issues surrounding tuition "und
hikes and underfunded programs could be did w
solved by revitalizing concern for higher edu- level,
cation at the state level, Brater said. Th
Recent University fundraising initiatives, frustr
such as former University President James betwc
Duderstadt's "Campaign for Michigan," are comm
attempts to maintain the "quality of education spring
that Michigan citizens are accustomed to make
receiving," she said."The amount of money tics, s
the University can count on has dropped." "TI
Although Brater has only one term as a happ(
state representative under her belt, she's a vet- are af
eran on the local side of the fence. InI
A former University lecturer, students on sidesi
campus still recognize the now-campaigning er ed
representative as their former teacher. Brater as fo]
I
POLITICS
Continued from page 1E
of different walks of life:'
Brater said. "It's my hope
that that would be a micro-
cosm of the future."
"It's an active political
community because it's in a
college town; because it's
in an intellectual communi-
ty," said Jonathan Winick, a
Michigan Student Assem-
bly member and a member
of the College Republicans.
"If you add up all the book-
stores and coffee shops
here, there's a lot of places
for people to debate, to talk
- to discuss politics."
While students and com-
munity members still use
the steps of the Hatcher
Graduate Library as a podi-
um and ensure marches
pass by the Fleming
Adminstration Building,
the urgency and extremity
with which they take up
their political arms has
changed in the last few
decades.
Political activity in the
'60s and '70s got a little
out of control, said Ann
Arbor Mayor Ingrid Shel-
don.
"Though there's a
tremendous amount of con-
cern on the campus, it's not
'U' voter trends
The Michigan Daily conduct-
ed exit polls of University
students at campus polling
sites during the 1992 and
1994 elections.
1992 - Presidential
Clinton (D) 48%
Bush (R) 25%
Perot (1) 11%
1994 - Gubernatorial
Engler (R) 38%
Wolpe (D) 61%
1994 - Senate
Abraham (R) 29%
Coon (1) 6%
Carr (D) 66%
1994 - House of Represen-
tatives
Rivers (D) 73%
Schall (R) 26%
1994 - State House
Brater (D) 67%
Birnbaum (R) 32%
1994 - Mayoral
Sheldon (R) 48%
Stead (D) 51%
'that way' anymore," Sheldon
served as Ann Arbor's fi
e mayor.
ater has "steady communi
with the University Boarc
nts, she said. "I try to serve
ource to the University a;
ar representative ini
;ing."
perience in the Ann
r and University com-
ties have helped her to
erstand how what we
would affect the local
" Brater said.
is inevitable and often
ating connection
een state legislation and
unity life is one of the ,
gboards that urged her to
the leap to state poli-
he said.
'here's a lot of things that
en on the local level that
fected by state policy."
the legislature, takingZ
in the battles over high-
ucation isn't as simple
NOPPORN KICHANANTHA/Daily
Michigan State Rep. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor) stands in the University's Law Library. Brater, a former Ann
Arbor mayor and University lecturer, is now on the Committee for Higher Education.
"The equality of
our youth is
one of the
major
incentives of
attracting
biusiness to
Hichigan"
with more than 10 public
colleges and universities,
personal favorites tend to
win votes - and dollars.
"(I try to) help my col-
leagues in the legislature to
understand that even if they
didn't come from the Uni-
versity of Michigan or have
the University of Michigan
in their district, there are
many constituents who go to
the University," Brater said.
Students aren't shy about
making their concerns about
the state's attention to higher
education known, she said.
For those who aren't aware
of the issues or the effect of
legislation on tuition bills
attempts to offer an insight into the mystery of
government and its powers.
"Part of the role of the campaign is to
inform citizens of what is going on in the leg-
islature,"she said. "A lot of young people feel
it doesn't make a difference if they vote or
who they vote for."
Brater said one of her campaign's goals will
be to expose the "agenda" of the Republican-
dominated legislature elected under the party's
"Contract for America" pledge two years ago.
"The activities of this legislature or this
government have gone far beyond what
Michigan residents ever thought when they
sent them there," she said.
"(The Republican legislature has) interfered
with women's choice and environmental pro-
tection laws ... It will take many, many years to
restore some of the damage that's been done,
because it took many years to get them in place
in the first place."
said. "Students have tended to be a little more conservative
than they were 20 years ago, but they're still concerned about
the issues."
Sheldon said party loyalty in Ann Arbor is strengthened
because city elections, unlike many local systems, are parti-
san.
Candidates in the November election already have stude s
manning phones and stuffing envelopes for their pende
campaigns. Campaign work is the traditional political
involvement, Spoon said.
"When you ask a student what being involved in politics is,
it's 'working on a campaign,"' she said.
Traditionally, the Ann Arbor campus is an important stop
for local, state and national candidates on the campaign trail.
Many have said they have plans to come here before the
November elections.
"Historically, students have had an impact in the decision-
making and the outcome of elections," Sheldon said. ,
"The Democratic party will especially target the city -- a
lot of Democratic votes can be (gained here)," she said. "The
Republican party does not fare as well here on the state and
national level."
Students preach their political theory outside the city as
well. With political science one of the most popular majors
at the University, internships in various offices on Capitol Hill
are increasingly common for aspiring lawyers and politicians.
"I asked (former President James) Duderstadt about that
once and he said that U-M has more interns in (Washington),
D.C. than any other university," Winick said.
Political organizations around campus, such as the Coll$
Republicans, the College Democrats and non-partisan
groups, also provide opportunities throughout the year for
students to take part in campaigns or lobby for legislation.
- Liz Brater
(D-Ann Arbor)
State Rep.
4lowing party lines anymore. In a state and student life, Brater's re-election campaign
U U
ace
Ii
i.I
Homeless people affect
students in different ways *
It's not about looking young.
It's about looking good.
Great skin care products for women & men.
Clinique.
We carry a complete line of Clinique
products at our in-store counter.
Michigan Book & Supply.
Good looks as well as books.
* Shelters and a
community meal
service offer help
By Jennifer Harvey
Daily Staff Reporter
University students will inevitably
come into contact with homeless men
and women during their time in Ann
Arbor, either on the street, outside their
residence halls or in a University build-
ing. Some students will become volun-
teers supporting homeless causes, oth-
ers will not appreciate their interaction
with the Ann Arbor homeless commu-
nity, but no student can miss the pres-
ence of the homeless in Ann Arbor.
"I have a choice: I can afford to eat
every day or sleep under a roof. I can't
do both. I choose to sleep outside," said
one homeless man, identified only as
Mott, in an interview with The Michi-
gan Daily.
Ann Arbor does host quite a few ser-
vices for its homeless community. There
are numerous shelters and a communi-
ty meal service.
"We provide a nutritious, well-bal-
anced meal to anyone who does not
have the means to provide it for them-
selves," said Susan King, director of the
Ann Arbor Hunger Coalition, which
provides free community dinners every
weeknight.
Five downtown churches host the
meals each week.
King said 80 percent of the Hunger
Coalition's funding comes from dona-
tions. She said they also receive a small
grant from the City of Ann Arbor.
King said about 100 people attend the
nightly meals and 55-60 percent of
those are staying in a shelter or are oth-
erwise homeless. She said the other 40-
45 percent are poor individuals living
have to sleep with your shoes on and
your eyes open," Mott said.
Mott said the conditions at the shel-
ters spur some men and women to turn
to alternate sources for shelters and aid
- sometimes to University buildings.
In recent years, residents of East
Quad have expressed both concern for
and discontent with about a dozen
homeless men that choose to inhabit a
cement slab outside the residence hall
during much of the year.
Residents have complained about the
men generating noise and cigarette
smoke. Others said the men harassed
them.
"'Pussy, pussy, pussy.'That was what
they would holler as I walked by them,"
said one former female resident of East
Quad who asked not to be identified.
"It wasn't scary. It was just annoying.
I attributed it to their
state of mind. Their com-
ments could have been "s
directed at anyone," she !EE
said. choic4
The men admit they
solicit money from the afford
residents, but deny any
wrongdoing or harass- every
ment of the residents.
"There's good days and leep
there's bad days," MottM
said. a root
"I have to steal just
about every night to get
what I need," said one Hon
member of the group. He
said he shoplifted, but
would not consider stealing from stu-
dents.
A member of the East Quad group
identified as Ronald explained the inci-
dents at East Quad. "There's probably a
hundred guys like us in square mile of
here. Some people are just bogue. We
allowed the homeless men to use the
residence hall's facilities in the past,
such as the showers and bathroom facil-
ities.
Hall said when DPS officers identify
trespassers as homeless individuas,
they offer .them transportation to
shelters.
"We are concerned for everybody's
welfare. We take them somewhere they
can obtain.shelter," Hall said.
"Visitors to residence halls must be
guests of actual residents who both
invite. and accompany them into the
building," said Alan Levy,University
Housing public relations director.
Levy said the University- trie, t
"strongly dissuade" residents f*1
admitting homeless men and women
into residence halls.
"(Students)
think they're doing a
positive, good-spirited
action, but it has the
potential to backfire on
e:
I t
hui
mele
A
themselves or other
can individuals," Levy said.
"They don't know what
o eat they're getting into."
Levy said the Uni -
Sor sity recommends t at
students try to= support
Wider the homeless in other
ways, either by serving
as volunteers or in some
other fashion.
- Mott "We try to practice
ass man what we preach," Levy
said.
Levy said the Univer-
sity offers support to homeless fami
by working with the Washtenaw Coun-
ty Inter-faith Hospitality Network. Levy
said the University participates in IFN's
rotating housing program.
Under the program, the University
houses homeless families in Oxford
i