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STUDENT POLITICIANS: DRAWING PARTY LINES

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All Peoples

aims

to include everyone

vi

S

A

Blue Party tries to

C.A.T.C.H.

votes

By Josie Gingrich
IDaily Staff Reporter
One of two new parties to enter the
Michigan Student Assembly arena is
the All Peoples' Party, founded on the
principle of giving a voice to all stu-
dents.
&We needed a different party," said
Shaba Andrich, an LSA junior, co-
founder of the party and an LSA repre-
sentative candidate. "We saw the
University making minority groups
fight for resources."
The main points of the party's
platform include having a women's
coordinator in residence halls, fully
meeting the financial needs of all
dents, simplifying the financial
process and improv-
ing the Office of Multi-
Ethnic Student Affairs.
"We're dealing with
the concerns for stu-
dents of color, student
groups on campus and
getting MSA more
involved," said Monique
Luse, an RC freshman
and LSA representative
,eful.
We want people to
feel more at home here," Andrich
said. "We support the expansion of
programs that keep students here and
bring them here."
Andrich emphasized that the All
Peoples' Party is indeed for all stu-
dents, not just minorities.
Student groups have "been fighting
ad of cooperating," Andrich said.
present all voices."

Another main point of the All
Peoples' Party agenda is having
MSA be more connected to student
groups. "We have people who are
connected to the community,"
Andrich said. "All members are
involved in the community."
The All Peoples' Party is cohesive
because of the fact "we're all in stu-
dent organizations" Luse said.
"What we really want is to make
MSA more representative and more
accessible to students," Luse said.
Some members of the All Peo-
ples' Party are members of the Stu-
dents of Color Coalition and were
involved in the Michigan Union
tower occupation. But their con-
cerns are not the same.

WitrEeto

S

By Lisa Koivu
Daily Staff Reporter
The Blue Party's slogan this year is
"C.A.T.C.H.," standing for Connectivi-
ty, Academics, Teamwork, Concepts
and Health. Each word stands for dif-
ferent areas the party hopes to focus
on while in office.
Shari Katz, an RC sophomore and
current assembly member running for
re-election, said the Blue Party spun off
from the now defunct Stu-.
dents Party. She said the Blue
Party will continue the work
that already done this past
year such as representation at#
the monthly University Board
of Regents meetings.
"We need to continue x
working on constituent out-.
reach. It's a little overwhelming to
remember the constituents sometimes.
We also need to work on bettering the
University. We can't neglect that there
are other students needs as well," Katz
said.
Katz is also the only member of the
assembly running for re-election as an
LSA representative this term. "You
need some old faces," Katz said.

Law student Katie Liming is run-
ning for a representative chair for the
Law school. She said she decided to
join the party because of goals it wants
to accomplish.
"The Blue Party is a great group of
people with good views of how the stu-
dent government should be run. They
are dedicated to the University, she said.
"Personally, I'm very interested in
trying to help Law students see the
broader University. Some students
never see all of the opportu-
nities that are available at the
University, so I want to
t bridge that gap," she added.
Sanjay Khetan, an Engi-
neering senior said he decid-
ed to join the Blue Party for
two reasons.
"Before I decided to join
the party, I talked to many different peo-
ple and found out that the Blue Party is
all encompassing. They have the most
diversity, including different ideas and
agendas to make the University better'
Khetan said. "I want to make MSA
more accessible and friendly. Looking
in-depth, you see the good, but I want
people who aren't involved to know
what MSA has done," Khetan said.

ALL
PEOPL
_PARTY

"I hope to be (the
SCC's) liaison to
MSA," Andrich said.
"I hope to be the liai-
son with all student
groups."
"We have overlap-
ping issues such as
minority recruitment,
retention and matricu-
lation but (the SCC) is

ES'

not an issue on our
platform," he said.
Both Andrich and Luse report
dealing with difficulties during their
campaigns. "We're a new party and
we face things new parties without
financial resources face," Andrich
said.
"It's an arduous process" Luse said.
"But I'm doing it because I really care
about the issues. What I can bring (to
MSA) matters."

March 22-o23
Vote for MSA president and vice president, LSA-SG
president and vice president and representatives for both
student governments this week.
Students will be able to vote online at www.umich.edu/~vote.
There will be no paper ballot polling sites.
FRAT says assembly
needs a good laugh

Wolverines set out"reo m asbl

By Josie Gingrich
Daily Staff Reporter

DAAP to organize
national movement

By Lisa Koivu
* Staff Reporter
The Defend Affirmative Action
Party is built around a platform intent
on reversing the drop in minority

"We must stand
for defense in
affirmative action."

enrollment at the University and
defending affirmative action. The
party, led by LSA sophomore Erika
Dowdell and Rackham student Jessica
Curtin, has been active on the campus representatives.
s ce the Fall semester of 1997. "We must sta
SA junior Aimee Bingham, run- mative action,
ning with the party for a chair on the get on to the a
Michigan Student Assembly, said can better the c
she joined the party because of the dents on issue
difficulties she herself had endured. Aleobua said.
She said that she had learned dur- Aleobua sai
ing high school that
affirmative action was
wrong, and was a form AA P
of legalized racism.
"Then, I grew up in a sense. I and putting pre
b ame a mother' Bingham said. tration to deferi
UIngham said she learned that "we Accordingt
aire all better off when people are given form, "I nit ia
the opportunity to reach their full would make a
potential." lives of studer
LSA freshman Agnes Aleobua said have had any
she joined the party because she feels it political releva
is important for MSA to have minority whelmingly fr

- Agnes Aleobua
DAAP member
and for defense in affir-
The more students we
ssembly, the more we
ampus and inform stu-
s that are important,"
d her personal goals
parallel those of the
party, including
reducing the drop in
minority enrollment
essure on the adminis-
nd affirmative action.
to the party's plat-
tiyes on MSA that
ny difference to the
nts on this campus or
y general social or
ance have come over-
om DAAP."

By Josie Gingrich
Daily Staff Reporter
Amid all the typical party promises to
extend pass/fail deadlines and increase
student government outreach, one group
of students stands out in this election -
the Friends Rebelling Against Tyranny
or the FRAT party.
"FRAT party T
stands for that (the Friends Rebeilin
Michigan Student Port
Assembly) is a joke," K. ' Tk'
said junior LSA rep- F
resentative hopefulP
Dave Guipe. "*p the di
Main platform
points include appointing a monkey
regent, hiring only attractive graduate
student instructors and impeaching at
least two MSA Imembers a week.
"It's very much an independent
thing," said Carolyn Jones, an LSA
sophomore and MSA representative
candidate. We wish that MSA would
have as much fun as we have."
The main concern of the FRAT part

The
ng Against Tyranny
y 'sez:
ream olive!"

seems to be taking the seriousness out
of student government. "It's important
to inject as much humor as possible into
elections," Guipe said
"We want to inject a little levity into
MSA and make it more enjoyable and
less uptight," said Thomas Ambrose, a
sophomore vying for an engineering
seat.


"We'd like to
change MSA's name to
Brothers and Sisters
Thinking About Real
Democracy, or BAS-
TARD;' Jones said.
The FRAT party
seeks to make MSA

The claws chalked across campus
signify the arrival of a new contender
in the Michigan Student Assembly
elections - the Wolverine Party.
"We have a message of change,
reform and optimism," said Doug
Tietz, freshman and LSA representa-
tive candidate. "We want to refocus
MSA back onto student issues."
Reforms embraced by Wolverine
party members are those
of 24-hour campus facili- I
ties including libraries, the
Central Campus Recre-
ation Building and the
Michigan Union.
Tony Roehl, an MSA
law representative candi-
date, said these are the
issues that most affect
students.
"By having (facilities)
open 24 hours, you alleviate crowding,"
Roehl said. "Students have diverse time
schedules"
Wolverine issues are about "improv-
ing the quality of life," Tietz said.
"The Wolverine Party is dedicated to
reforming MSA into the more student-
centered body that it should be, focus-
ing on the issues that are demanded

attention by the students," said Jessica
Cash, a freshman running for a LSA
representative spot on the assembly.
Other issues on the Wolverine's plait-
form include the elimination of state
sales tax on textbooks, meal plan
reform, improvement of street lighting
for fraternities and sororities, and tak-
ing party names off ballots.
Wolverine candidates are also advo-
cating less-friendly ties with the
administration. "A definite problem
with MSA is it's in bed with the,
administration," said
Tietz. "It needs to have
an objective view
point. We don't have to
be the yes-person."
Candidates also cite
a lack of respect for
MSA on campus as a
pressing problem. "If
the student body does
not respect and support
the MSA, it is essen-
tially worthless," Cash said. "I can
honestly say that not one student has
been able to tell me anything" MSA
has done for them.
"MSA is ripe for reform and could
use new ideas," Tietz said. "I can pro-
vide them.
"We're trying to affect students;' he
said.

more accessible to students. "MSA
should focus more on student needs,"
Ambrose said. "My motivation is to
help serve students." Party members
claim they have some interesting cam-
paign tactics that will become apparent
soon. "We still have some surprises
planned," Ambrose said.
"I'll be going around with a guy
in a gorilla suit," Jones said.

Independent candidates vary on issues

By .isa Kovu
Daily Staff Reporter
The independent candidates running for the
Michigan Student Assembly have very different plat-
forms, focusing on topics ranging from affirmative
action to the environment.
Dan Barrera, an LSA freshman running for a repre-
sentative position, said he chose to run alone because
he approaches things differently than the other parties
running. "A lot of the parties have valid points, but I
would go further than some of them. No party repre-
sents what I want to get done," Barrera said.
Barrera's platform includes improving the Central

Campus Recreation Building, protecting affirmative
action, improving security around campus and
reducing the tuition hikes upperclassmen incur.
"I want to go in there and voice my opinions.
MSA has good intentions, but they're not dealing
with the issues. I want to see if I can enforce what
they say," Barrera said.
LSA freshman Edgar Zapata said he didn't join a
party because he likes being able to focus on issues
important to him like his approval of affirmative action
as well as improvement of the University's residence
hall meal options. "All of the parties have one solid
platform. I want to attract students to my own view,"
Zapata said.

As for his platform, Zapata said "I'd like to take a
stand on affirmative action because it's been a hot topic
on campus and I hope it doesn't end. I'd also like to
lobby against tuition increases, increase options for
meal plans and extend the pass/fail, dop/add dead-
lines."
"MSA seems like it's split off into sections. Parties
stick up for each other. It'd be really nice to see a
friendlier and more unified assembly," he added.
LSA sophomore Alicia Johnson said she is run-
ning independently because she is focusing on envi-
ronmental issues, and no other party is. "I want to
work with the dorms on recycling. I also want to
reduce the waste of coursepacks," Johnson said.

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