14 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 14, 1997
FRIDAY: 5
0I
he platforms of seven tickets run-
ning for the Michigan Student
Assembly's top executive offices
attempt to attract the attention of
University students with ideas
ranging from the revision of marijuana fines
to lowering tuition costs.
Six parties' candidates and an independent
team are running for the positions of the
-assembly president and vice president in next
week's election on Wednesday and
Thursday.
Students may vote not only at the tradition-
al paper ballot sites but at campus computer
sites through a new electronic voting system
this year.
Many candidates said they hope the new elec-
tronic voting option will increase voter turnout,
which was less than 15 percent in last year's
presidential elections.
"We tried to eliminate all of the polling sites
that we didn't get a good turnout at," said
MSA Election Director Angie Blake, an LSA
sophomore.
To advertise their platforms, candidates have
been visiting student groups and Greek houses.
Banners and flyers also showcase the candi-
dates' ideas throughout campus buildings.
WCBN, along with WOLV, is sponsoring an
MSA presidential debate for anyone who wants
to hear the views of the candidates. Presidential
candidates will be fielding questions from pan-
elists representing the campus community today
from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Michigan Union's
Anderson Room.
WCBN will air the program from 6 to 8 p.m.
on Tuesday, and WOLV will broadcast the pro-
gram all weekend on channel 70 in the resi-
dence hails.
Michigan Student Assembly Eec*s'9
M Polls will be open next Wednesday and Thursday at various campus
locations. All campus voting sites will use the traditional paperbot
voting system. Students should bring University identification tothe
polls.
New this year, students may also vote online, via the Michigan
Student Assembly's online sites. The new system will allow students
to vote from any campus computer, and polls will be open 24 hours
day on Wednesday and Thursday, starting at 12 a.m. Wednesday.,
To vote online, go to http://www.umIched#/~v Ol
Independents
Independent presidential candidate Jessica Curtin, who originally
carried the Voice of Black Freedom and Student Power party nomina-
tion, said she and running mate Nikita Little, an LSA first-year student
will work to create an active student movement to fight campus prob-
lems if elected.
When a representative candidate dropped out of the race on the Voice
of Black Freedom and Student Power party's slate, the party did not have Jessica Curtin Nikita Little
enough members to constitute an official party for election purposes.
Curtin, an LSA senior, said that if she is elected, students would be able to come to MSA with concerns and then the
assembly would take action on the problem.
"(The current assembly doesn't) take up issues that concern students. We think MSA is corrupt and cynical," Curtin said.
"They're not representative at all."
Curtin said she and Little will work to rid the University of racism and sexism by fighting to lower tuition, expand finan-
cial aid and allow for academic truth to be pursued in classrooms.
"We want to help build that struggle and that social movement," Curtin said. "We need to open (the campus) up. We
need to break down the walls."
Curtin said they will take action on student issues without going through the administration for approval.
"I think it is the only way because our interests are completely opposite," Curtin said. "We think students and faculty
should be in control of the University."
She added that she thinks students will want to join a student movement, if they see the action's potential results.
Curtin said they ultimately want to have an open campus where the only admissions prerequisite is wanting an education.
"It's basically our end goal," Curtin said, adding that she realizes an open campus is a long term goal. However, steps can
be taken in that direction, she said.
Liberty Party presidential candidate Martin Howrylak and vice pres-
idential candidate Liz Keslacy said they have a few major concerns
they will strive to accomplish, if elected. NY
"The two important issues to us are the issue of student fees and our
stance on marijuana," said Howrylak, an LSA junior.
He suggested two possible methods of giving students the option of
paying their MSA fee, including a refund system where students could Martin Howrylak Liz Keslacy
fill out a form and get their money back at any time during the year. The
party's other proposal is to give students the option of funding MSA for an optional range of money on their tuition bill.
"We would like to see some kind of voluntary fee," Howrylak said.
LSA first-year student Keslacy said students should have an option. "People are pretty much forced into paying (the fee),"
Keslacy said, adding that instead students should individually decide how much they want to pay.
Howrylak said the Liberty Party also would work to restructure the Department of Public Safety's marijuana violation.
He said a student found possessing marijuana by DPS is threatened with prison time and has to go through the state judicial
system, whereas a student found by the Ann Arbor Police Department in the same situation is given a $25 fine.
"We'd like to equalize the fine," Howrylak said, adding that they would also create educational campaigns on drugs. "It
a matter of working with (DPS)."
Keslacy said students would support the drug policy change. Howrylak said marijuana possession is a victimless crime.
"This comes up every year, especially duringthe Hash Bash," Howrylak said. "The marijuana issue just hits home real hard
right here."
Keslacy said the assembly lacks direction and should be more accountable to students. Howrylak said they would improve
the organization and responsibility - especially the fiscal responsibility - of MSA."We would start meetings on time,"
Howrylak said. "We would adhere to the rules."
POKE Party
Jim Smith, the Pissed Off with Korrupt Executives Party's presiden-
tial candidate, said his party is carrying a slate in this election because
its members want to reform MSA.
"Beyond that, we'd like to reduce student fees," said Smith, an SNRE
senior. "1'd like to see the majority of the money be put directly back
into the student body."
But Smith added that if students voted in favor of fee increases, Jim Smith Matt Tomback
POKE members would be receptive to their constituents' interests.
POKE Party vice presidential candidate Matt Tomback said students generally don't know how MSA serves students.
"The students don't, as a whole, know what's going on with MSA," said LSA junior Tomback, adding that the ticket
wants to see a more responsible assembly and fewer current bureaucratic practices.
Tomback said the POKE Party knows what issues concern students.
"We're the average student," Tomback said. "We know what the average student wants, I'd like to think."
Smith also said they would increase the useful interaction between MSA and the administration by cleaning up the assem-
bly's image.
"Right now MSA (is) a fiasco," Smith said. "The way it operates right now, the faculty can't take it seriously."
He said increased visibility of MSA on campus will let the University community know that assembly members ar
accessible. V
"I'd like to see MSA more directly involved with the groups they fund," Smith said, suggesting that assembly members
should attend the events they sponsor to introduce themselves and talk with their constituents, depending on the type of event.
"Students should feel comfortable they know someone on MSA," Smith said.
Smith also said the POKE Party has considered the idea of having MSA membeis hold town hall style meetings with
community members.
Probir Mehta, the Michigan Party's presidential candidate, said the
Michigan Party is running on the premise of continuing the party's stu-
dent activism and taking it to the next level.
"Basically, we're working to make concrete differences in students'
lives," said Mehta, an LSA junior.
Mehta, current MSA vice president, said the party has several prima-
ry areas of focus, including improving undergraduate education, lower- Probir Mehta Dan Serota
ing student costs, increasing financial aid, balancing Information
Technology Division resource costs and making the University campus safe.
"We're not talking about the things we want to do, but things we are doing," said vice presidential candidate Dan Serota,
a current MSA representative. "It's about getting things done now."
Mehta also said that under the leadership of the Michigan Party, which has occupied MSA's top two executive offices since the
party was formed four years ago, the assembly has raised the amount of money directed to student groups significantly each year.
"Next year, we will definitely raise (the amount of funds) again," Mehta said. "Student group funding remains one of our
biggest issues."
LSA junior Serota said there are two ways to improve undergraduate education, which include addressing the issues of
teaching and costs. Lowering textbook costs for students is a major goal, Serota said.
Serota added that undergraduate teaching can be improved by the removal of the 10-term resolution that currently pro-
hibits experienced graduate student instructors from teaching for more than 10 terms, even though most graduate students
remain in school for longer than five years.
Mehta said the Michigan Party also has been working to ensure a safer campus.
"We've forged a strong relationship with DPS," Mehta said. "Only through communication can we break down the barriers."
Mehta said a safety survey for students and a campus safety walk have been created with the help of the Michigan Party.
Students' Party
Leading this year's largest slate, presidential candidate Mike Nagrant,
an LSA representative, and his running mate, LSA junior Olga Savic,
will carry the Students' Party on the promise of three key platform points.
"It pretty much comes down to three areas: cutting student costs,
ensuring fiscal and organizational responsibility on the assembly, and
ensuring solid student representation," Nagrant said.
Nagrant said he and Savic, if elected, would design a proposal to Michael Nagrant Olga Savic
take to the University Board of Regents that would hold tuition increas-
es to the rate of inflation.
"Cutting students' cost will be a No. I priority," Nagrant said.
Nagrant said the Students' Party's second proposal to cut costs is to create a non-profit coursepack store that would sell
non-royalty coursepacks at cost.
"It's an issue of making student lives comfortable," Savic said.
Nagrant and Savic said they would guarantee responsibility with MSA funds and organization.
"I came up with roughly $2,000 from the fall term that we can return to student groups from the (MSA) Operations account
alone," Nagrant said, adding that they would open up more sources of money by trimming internal office expenditures.
Savic said current assembly members are not truly representing the student voice to the administration, and are instead
more concerned with maintaining good relations with administrators.
"The executive officers in particular haven't done an adequate job representing student interest," said Savic, a former
MSA representative. "There hasn't been an equal relationship (between MSA and the administration)."
Savic ran for MSA vice president on the Students' Party ticket last winter and has not officially sat on the assembly since.
"I feel like after being away (from the assembly) for a year, I can identify with what's going on campus and what the average
student really wants," Savic said. "Being MSA president and vice president isn't just a line on your resume, it's a job."
Candidates for MSA Repreentative
? "1;
United Rebels Front vice presidential candidate Stuart Krein said the
current assembly makes positive change, but focuses too much atten-
tion on the wrong goals.
"We want to change things in a big way," said Krein, an LSA junior,
adding that the MSA leadership has become stagnant. "We just won't
make as big of a deal out of the smaller issues."
Krein said the smaller issues are still important, but they will work Pak Man Shuen Stuart Krein
for broader changes as well.
Pak Man Shuen, United Rebels Front presidential candidate, said one of the party's key issues would be to lowers
dents' college costs by encouraging the administration to use outside resources for funds.T1
"If the school could embrace the private sector wholeheartedly, these inefficiencies could be reduced," LSA first-year stu-
dent Shuen said.
Shuen said an example of "private sector-like practices" would be for the University to hire an outside company to do the
work of the Registrar's Office at a lower cost than the current one.
"If elected, MSA would become the most powerful lobbying machine that it has ever been," Shuen said. He said MSA
can get its point across to the regents through other channels, such as the media.
Shuen said another main focus of the United Rebels Front party is returning the focus of affirmative action to class
emphasis because "having different races doesn't necessarily mean having diversity."
"I think we should go back to what affirmative action (was) originally intended for," Shuen said.
Krein said admissions advisors should look at the academic opportunities applicants have had, such as how much a schc"
district spends on each student.
"That has a direct influence on how a person is going to perform," Krein said.
Krein said the United Rebels Front also wants to make the assembly more cohesive.
Art and Design
Matt Lafferty Independent
Genna Solomon Michigan Party
Business
(rfan Murfuza
Ryan Kelly
Cynthia Haupt
LSA
Brad Borgia
Aaron Freilich
Faris Hussein
William Nicholson
Lewis Rosenberg
Dale Winling
Amer Zahr
Michelle Williams
Independent
Independent
Independent
Independent
Independent
Independent
Independent
Liberty Party
R. Ryan Hanley
Young Hee Kim
Jay Kwon
Marc Lau
Allison Lane
Steve Waterbrook
Medicine
Karen Fauman
United Rebels Front
United Rebels Front
United Rebels Front
United Rebels Front
United Rebels Front
Victors Party
Michigan Party
Michigan Party
Students' Party
Victors Party
Engineering sophomore Jim Riske, the Victors Party's presidential
candidate, said that if elected, he and vice presidential candidate Craig
Myles, an Engineering senior, will focus on four main platform points.
Riske said the Victors Party would demand an accounting check on
tuition and dorm costs "to make sure money is going to educational
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