4 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, March 21, 2006 OPINION be £idttgan tailg DAILY OPINION'S DONN M. FRESARD Editor in Chief EMILY BEAM CHRISTOPHER ZBROZEK Editorial Page Editors ASHLEY DINGES Managing Editor EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SINCE 1890 420 MAYNARD STREET ANN ARBOR, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their author. Editorial Board Members: Amy Anspach, Andrew Bielak, Kevin Bunkley, Gabrielle DAngelo, Whitney Dibo, Milly Dick, Sara Eber, Jesse Forester, Mara Gay, Jared Goldberg, Mark Kuehn, Frank Manley, Kirsty McNamara, Rajiv Prabhakar, Katherine Seid, Ben Taylor, Jessica Teng, Rachel Wagner. FROM THE DAILY:* OUR ENDO-RSE*jMENTS-,- For MSA, vote MPP Fox and Nowinski have new ideas MSA needs S4M best choice for LSA-SG Experience will mean results for LSA students 01 For the last few elections, the Students 4 Mich- igan Party and its predecessor Students First have dominated Michigan Student Assembly elections. But this year, the newly formed Michigan Progressive Party has risen to challenge to the S4M establishment. Leading the MPP ticket are presi- dential candidate and S4M defector Rese Fox and vice presidential candidate Walter Nowinski, an MSA newcomer. While Fox clearly has the experience necessary to run the assembly, Nowinski has yet to prove him- self. But Nowinski's inexperience is not necessarily a handicap; inexperience need not imply ignorance, and the assembly could use an infusion of new blood. Importantly, Nowinski has a firm grasp on pertinent MSA issues and complements Fox's expe- rience with a refreshing outsider perspective. MPP's platform is impressive, encompassing many facets of student life. From outlining specifically how to improve student parking, to taking a stance against MCRI, MPP has taken an issue-oriented approach. Unlike S4M, which presents a grab-bag of ideas and candidates, MPP's candidates present a unified front. Furthermore, even without the bully pulpit of the MSA presidency, MPP has already made impressive strides on issues like off-campus housing, notably starting the group Students Pro- moting Active Neighborhoods. Voting for the MPP executives will help deliver specific results instead of vague promises to improve student life. The political climate created by this year's intense campaign will create a unique challenge for which- ever candidates end up winning the top jobs. Inevi- tably, S4M and MPP will both hold a sizable number of seats. The turbulent relation- ship between the parties, sadly, could handicap either MPP or S4M executives aiming to run4 MSA as a competent governing body. In the end, we feel that Fox and Nowinski will bring the best balance of energy, ideas and criticism. By cam- paigning on specific promises, they have given themselves Fox concrete goals that students will be able to hold them to. Rather than letting each representative fight to control the assembly's agenda, Fox and Nowinski will be able to lead a divided assem- bly toward actual results. MPP's presence on the bal- lot has made this year's MSAA elections the most interesting in recent memory. MPP repre- sents the first party in years with Nowinski a coherent ideology and set of core beliefs that stands a chance at winning the presidential election. For too long, MSA has drifted without direction under S4M. Fox and Nowinski are highly motivated and well- versed candidates who are honest about their goals and politics. Time will tell whether the MPP model builds a better record than its S4M rival; a year from now, MPP may have imploded. But today, we're will- ing to take a chance. We strongly endorse RESE FOX and WALTER NOWINSKI for MSA presi- dent and vice president. Presidential candidate Joanna Slott and her run- ning mate, Justin Benson, offer the best choice for this term's LSA Student Government elec- tion. Their combined experience in student govern- ment and campus affairs, as well as their extensive knowledge of issues affecting the LSA student body, make them strong candidates to follow the success- ful tenure of current LSA-SG President Andrew Yahkind and Vice President Paige Butler. Unlike the Michigan Student Assembly, where the S4M establishment is reeling under accusations of incompetence, the S4M leadership in LSA-SG has scored notable achievements in the past year. Consequently, we believe steady leadership by experienced candidates - not a total overhaul - is the best course for LSA-SG. Slott and Benson present the necessary pack- age. Their academic agenda contains plans to improve the University's study-abroad program, increase student access to classes and narrow the brackets used to determine student registra- tion appointments. They also plan to keep pres- sure on professors to release textbook lists early. We see this platform as realistic: For the most part, it addresses issues relevant to LSA students without making undeliverable promises. Yet Slott and Benson may want to reconsider certain elements of their agenda. With such a broad list of plans for their term, they risk piling too much on their plate. They must make sure they are acting responsibly - and within their bounds. While reform of the race and ethnicity requirement may be long overdue, simply broad- ening it to include any sort of "differences," as Benson suggested, may only weaken the requirement. More importantly, while it is sometimes tempting to blur the line between LSA issues and broader Univer- sity issues, it is outside the scope of LSA-SG to advo- cate for the University-wide student body. In past years, LSA-SG attempted to place Slott median course grades on student transcripts. Because the University issues stan- dard transcripts across all its colleges and LSA-SG only represents one segment of students, the administra- tion was unwilling to follow through. Slott and Benson would be wise to remember that MSA, not LSA-SG, is the correct vehicle for such Benson initiatives - including their plan to provide students with transportation to away games. Ultimately, this S4M pair brings a familiarity with LSA-SG and a knowledge of the issues that make it the best duo in the field. S4M's broad umbrella strategy may be ineffective at MSA, but it has been remarkably successful in LSA- SG. In light of these facts, we endorse JOANNA SLOTT and JUSTIN BENSON for LSA-SG president and vice president. OUR TAKE ON THE OTHER CANDIDATES: Conservative populists SCP wouldn't be able to deliver on Coke pledge Clutching Jesse's coattails S4M lacks clear goals, promises more of the same The tale of the Student Conservative Party is, in a word, tragic. Led by presiden- tial candidate Ryan Fantuzzi and run- ning mate Tommi Turner, the SCP has focused on rhetorical tricks and clever campaigning instead of providing a credible ideological alterative to the Michigan Progressive Party. The party hasn't fully thought out any of its three main planks. Rather, it seems they've taken conservative talking points and half-heartedly modified them to fit a liberal campus atmo- sphere. The promise to cut MSA discretionary spending to free up money for student groups appears noble. But when pressed on the issue, vice presidential candidate Turner couldn't come up with specific examples of waste other than last year's Ludacris concert. Amusingly, the remaining promises - to cut out "political BS" and bring back Coke to restore "student choice" - are mutually exclusive. SCP has reached many students using the tried-and-true tactic of providing free good- ies. For the last few days, SCP candidates have happily handed out free Coke on the Diag. Sadly, this gimmick does little more than exploit students' ignorance on the Coke issue and disguise the biggest problem with SCP's agenda: It is impossible for MSA to return Coke to campus. At most, MSA can pass resolutions encour- aging administrators and the University Board of Regents to take action on the Coke issue. To actual-a ly return Coke to campus, MSA would need to con- vince the administration to scrap, or at least over- haul, the Vendor Code of Conduct - a political and polarizing move that would Fantuzzi redefine this institution's values. The irony is rich: y The SCP honestly prom- ises to return Coke while ' simultaneously stamping out irrelevant MSA resolu- tions and political grand- standing. The SCP could have been a legitimate force in this election. In Turner, SCP has a charismatic, well-spo- Turner ken and intelligent candidate. But half-baked ideas do not make a party. Though the party has wasted much of its potential, the grander tragedy would be if the Coke strategy works and elevates SCP to power. SCP simply does not have the ideas to make MSA an effective body for students. it's no question that Students 4 Michigan presidential candidate Nicole Stallings and her running mate Justin Paul have the experi- ence and confidence to run the Michigan Student Assembly. As the current MSA vice president and chief of staff respectively, Stallings and Paul have been prominent figures in student politics and are knowledgeable on the concerns of the student body and many other campus affairs. But their strength - a familiarity with MSA politics that surpasses the other tickets - may also be their weakness, leaving them complacent with the status quo. MPP has, almost overnight, created a strong party that promises to continue beyond elections.. In contrast, S4M is a party machine that exists only to get candidates elected. Stallings and Paul advocate the S4M method as an assurance that representatives vote their own minds. In practice, this model falls short. Because S4M effectively dissolves after elections, it is difficult to hold the dominant party accountable. With low representative attendance at meetings and the short- comings of last year's Ludacris concert, it seems that S4M has failed to foster the communication MSA needed to run an effective student government. Experience isn't everything, and what is most concerning about Stallings and Paul is their com- placency with S4M's past year. Compared with MPP's clear platform, Stallings and Paul are run- ning on a long list of goals, many of which carry over from last year. A vote for them represents continu- ity with the current state of .2 MSA. Although MSA has had its accomplishments this year - particularly in establishing a strong relationship with City ', .< Council and pushing through the lease-dates ordinance - the fact remains that MSA has Stallings seen a lack of focus and declin- ing interest under umbrella parties such as Students 4 Michigan and the former Stu- dents First party. MSA can only reach its potential with change and new ideas. Despite S4M's claims that what is important is action, not ideology, there is a place for ideology in MSA - not simply to stir partisan debate, Paul but to drive discussions over what constitutes good policy. Any decision MSA makes ultimately reflects ideals of what students' interests are and how student government can further those inter- ests. S4M lacks the dedication to specific aims, commitment to common goals and, yes, the ide- ological foundation needed for effective student government. 0w Stuck on voter fraud DAAP candidates only focus on MCRI Enthusiasm isn't enough MPP candidates for LSA-SG have too much to learn In a crowded field that includes two new parties, the venerable Defend Affirma- tive Action Party is an important part of the Michigan Student Assembly election. Presidential nominee Monica Smith and vice- presidential nominee Kate Stenvig are dedi- cated advocates of affirmative action at the University. Their presence puts the feet of the Michigan Progressive Party and Students 4 Michigan to the fire, ensuring that the larger parties devote attention to diversity and affir- mative action. work in the Assembly and previous presidential cam- paigns, Smith's familiarity with the assembly is less certain. The party's association with BAMN is also trou- bling. Though DAAP has no official ties to BAMN, Smith and Stenvig are two of the radical group's most active members. BAMN's tac- Presidential and vice-presidential candi- dates Joe Golden and Daniel Ray bring with them an enthusiasm for improving LSA Student Government and the backing of the Michigan Progressive Party. But for all of the energy they have, they lack experience. It is difficult to take seriously their complaints about S4M's record this year when neither has been involved with LSA-SG. Golden complained that during one meeting, representatives were too social and crammed actual business into the last few minutes of the ing the website may help LSA-SG to be more rel- evant to students, a lack of Web savvy hardly indicates a need to put trust in inex- perienced leadership. LSA-SG officials need to work with figures within the College's administration to accomplish most of their goals. Far from having built rela- Go tionships with administrators, Smith lden I