didates
ALL PEOPLES'
PARTY
KYM STEWART
BRIAN CHANG
" Simplification and
education ot financial aid process
e Women's coordinator in
r esidence halls
Sdncase programs benefitting
students of color
* Simplify student group funding
process
BLUE PARTY
GLEN ROE
EUSE ERICKSON
* Quality of life consortium
* Academic enhancement
programs
* Teamwork
* Restructuring MSA
* Health Issues
DEFEND
AFFIRMATIVE
ACTION PARTY
ERIKA DOWDELL
JESSICA CURTIN
* Reverse the drop in minority
enrollment
* Defend affirmative action
" Build the emerging mass
1 ; civil rights and student
movement
* Stop tuition increases
FRIENDS
REBELLING
AGAINST
TYRANNY PARTY
GALAXOR NEBULON
SARA SWEAT
* Appoint a monkey regent
* Employ good-looking GSI's
* Impeach two members of
MSA per week
* Put Coke in water fountains
INDEPENDENT
HIDEKI TSUTSUMI
JIM SECRETO
* Lower tuition
* More options in housing and
residence hall food
* Expand online textbook
buyn . s
* Expand bus service
WOLVERINE
PARTY
RORY DIAMOND
MARCY GREENBERGER
* Increased availability of
student facilities
* Tax exemptions on
textbooks
* Better street lighting
* Toilet seat covers and soap
dispensers in all campus
ZA
Is
0
am pus leade of the student body.
Mediator. rtic orof the student voice.
Listener. Lia on e a inistratIon. Speech
maker. Dealing wi a - nt eadache. This is how
soon-to-be lame s describes his job as
Michigan Student Asse president.
When choosing MSA president and vice president, students must
consider not only what they're voting for, but who they're voting for.
This year the six executive slates running for the two top spots on
MSA represent a variety of factions of the University community and
their unique perspectives present the student body with a difficult
choice.
Kym Stewart with the All Peoples' Party, Glen Roe with the Blue
Party, Erika Dowdell with the Defend Affirmative Action Party,
Galaxor Nebulon with the Friends Rebelling Against Tyranny Party,
Hideki Tsutsumi as an independent candidate and Rory Diamond
with the Wolverine Party are all vying for Elias's position.
Candidates are addressing issues this election season that run the
gamut from lowering tuition to having a 24-hour Central Campus
Recreation Building and library, to defending affirmative action to
appointing a monkey to the University Board of Regents.
And although many issues overlap, each candidate has a distinctly
different platform.
Inviting everyone to the party
One of this year's new parties, the All Peoples' Party formed on the
belief that students do not utilize MSA enough and its representatives
are disconnected from the community.
"We don't represent one ideology, one view or one platform,"
Stewart said. "We're all-inclusive of every single person and idea."
Although Stewart said the All Peoples' Party doesn't have a
defined platform, its goals include simplifying the financial aid
process, placing women coordinators in residence halls and making
the student group funding process easier.
"Issues become our platform," Stewart said. "Unless we're getting
it directly from the students, we're not going to tell them what they
need"
Another goal of the All Peoples' Party is to bring MSA closer to
student groups by getting members of student groups elected to the
assembly. In fact, the All Peoples' Party requires its members to be
part of student groups.
"You need people in MSA who are the people who MSA is repre-
senting, Stewart said.
Stewart said her qualifications for president are her experience and
her skills in communication.
"I'm approachable," said Stewart, who has been on MSA for two
years. "Students know me and know to utilize me. I've tried my best
to hear all different angles," she said.
CATCHing the vote
The Blue Party, using the slogan C.A.TC.H., an acronym for Con-
nectivity, Academics, Teamwork, Concepts and
Health, wants to build a greater sense of campus
community, lobbying for reform and enhancing the
University experience.
Connectivity, said Elise Erickson, the party's
vice-presidential candidate, is an attempt to con-
nect all campus groups. Roe and Erickson say
they plan to use a monthly quality of life consor-
tium as a forum for such topics as safety, diversi-
ty, racism, and drug and alcohol use.
"A quality of life consortium would bring stu-
dents together from all different communities. This
is a fantastic way to come together once a month
and propose feasible, proactive changes," she said.
Academically, the candidates want to develop an
online auditing system, which would enable students to see how close
they are to graduation or what classes they need to complete a double
major. Their plan for next year also includes forming an academic
honor code, improving advice online and having mid-term course
evaluations.
Teamwork simply means that the Blue Party will support other
members in the assembly - regardless of party affiliation.
With Concepts, the two want to restructure the way the assembly
works. Finally, the Blue Party believes that Health contributes to the
overall well-being of students at the University, and they want to
improve lighting throughout the campus and implement health infor-
mation centers at both the Michigan Union and Pierpoint Commons.
"I feel as if I can do a lot of good for MSA, the University and stu-
dents," Roe said. "This job involves a lot of time and sacrifice but I'm
willing and I want to do it."
Defending a movement
Dowdell said she and running mate Jessica Curtin are vying for the
executive offices to "represent the minority students and more pro-
gressive students on campus.
"Our number one point is reversing the drop in minority enroll-
ment, which is directly intertwined with affirmative action," Dowdell
said.
"Our university and the country are at a crossroad. The fight to
defend affirmative action is a fight for the integration and equality
won by the Civil Rights movement," Curtin said.
If elected, the two say they hope to build the civil rights and student
movement, defend affirmative action, continue to support lifting the
sanctions against Iraq, abolish the Code of Student Conduct, imple-
ment a nationwide tuition freeze and end police harassment of stu-
dent parties.
"We believe we can successfully defend affirmative action and
reverse the drop in minority enrollment and fight all inequality in
society from K-12 education to the grave,"Curtin said.
Hey MSA, got milk?
In contrast to the goals of the other parties, the Friends Rebelling
Against Tyranny party seeks to lighten the atmosphere of this year's
election season.
Nebulon and his running mate Sara Sweat, said the goal of the
FRAT party "is to put the 'party' back in political party".
Nebulon, also known as LSA sophomore Ryan Hughes, is attempt-
ing to legally change his name. He said at this point, the courts have
told him changing his name for fun is not a valid reason for a new
title.
"I'd like to be known as strong bones and teeth," Nebulon said.
"There's not enough calcium and strong bones in MSA. I'd like to put
the nutrition back into MSA'
Nebulon's main issue is getting Coca-Cola put into the drinking
fountains on campus. He also discussed the options of Diet Coke and
Sprite. "We'll see what happens,"he said.
Another issue of attack on Nebulon's docket is reforming current
MSA practices.
"I think it would be an appropriate policy for MSA to adopt a no-
homework policy" Nebulon said. "We'd also like to establish a com-
mittee where if you 'like-like' someone, they have to 'like-like' you
back. A panel of administrators should plan it because a panel of
administrators can do just about anything"
"Our goal is to promote fun on all college campuses;" Sweat said.
"I have a dream for this nation," Nebulon said. "There's a lot that
needs to be done here. I gotta stay around until my work is done."
Say "Hi"
A familiar face on campus is Tsutsumi, who has flashed his "Hi!"
sign in every window and open door since May 1999.
"This election is different from the rest. Every other year the stu-
dents don't know the candidates. This year, the majority of the stu-
dent body knows me;" Tsutsumi said.
"I have four main goals - cheaper new textbooks, lowering the
tuition rate increase, getting better quality dorm food and improving
the University bus system," he added. "My general theme is saving
money. I'm an economics major - I can do
that"
Tsutsumi said he can lower textbook prices
by encouraging students to purchase their books
online. The lack of business to area bookstores
will force the stores to lower their prices, he
said. He also wants to increase the frequency of
buses to North Campus on the weekends.
Tsutsumi said he feels communication with
students is his strongest asset.
"I have experience with students because I
spent a year speaking with them. I know what
they want. I hope to be the people's president"
Tsutsumi said.
When asked why they didn't run with one of
the five parties, vice presidential candidate Jim Secreto said "parties
are usually a product of the MSA system. Parties are used to get
elected and are a stepping stone for resumes."
The new cubs
The Wolverine Party, a recent addition to MSA elections, has
already left its mark on campus - the trademark wolverine paw.
In a five-point plan to improve MSA, the party seeks to "breathe the
life back into the assembly," according to the official party platform.
The main platform issues include removing party names from the
ballot, encouraging less cooperative interaction with the administra-
tion, and increase the available hours of several student facilities.
They would also like to improve street lighting off-campus, lift
Michigan sales tax on textbooks and install toilet seat covers and soap
dispensers in all campus buildings. "I want to bring MSA back to life.
It's dead in the water," Diamond said.
"There are a million problems and the assembly does next to noth-
ing. It has no respect on campus at all. I want to totally revamp and
reorganize,"he added.
Diamond has served one term on MSA, running with the Students'
Party in Winter 1999.
Diamond claims the Wolverine Party is built on realistic goals.
"We don't want to promise what we can't deliver," Diamond said.
"When I left in the fall, (MSA) was in shambles. I vowed to return
and fix it. I want to give a year to make the University better. This is a
turning point of MSA," Diamond said.
#
By Lisa Koivu and Josie Gingrich m Daily Staff Reporters
Execs get ready to turn over titles
By Lsa Koivu
Daily Staff Reporter
One week from today, the new president and
vice president for the Michigan Student Assem-
bly will be announced and current President
Brain Elias and Vice President Andy Coulouris
are preparing to vacate the positions they've held
for the past year.
Elias said the best thing about his term was
that he "finally got to hook up with Andy.
"Seriously, we came wanting to improve
put more students on administrative committees
than they have in years past.
"Those are two of the least sexy things
done all year, but I think they're two of the
most important functions we've served," he
said.
Elias said he's proudest of the assembly's
work with the Michigan Union's dance policy,
which discriminated against minority stu-
dents.
"It was at an MSA meeting that 100 students
came to tell us how upset they were. Vice Presi-
"Individually, it forced me to check my
premises, and not just Michigamua, but
being in a debate where there are intelligent
voices on all sides," Elias said. "For me, its
been good - both being in Michigamua
and the conflict around it."
"As president, there's no question its been
very difficult. I'm very proud of MSA for
doing the best they could, dealing with a
very difficult situation that I put them in;"
he added.
Coulouris, though, felt Elias' membership put
F a4 w x-