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23 WenedyJnury1, 01 / h Saemn
Wednesday, 20117B
the
statement
Magazine Editor:
Carolyn Klarecki
Editor in Chie
Stephanie Steinberg
Managing Editor:
Kyle Swanson
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Stephen Ostrowski
Elyana Twiggs
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Hermes Risien
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Jake Fromm
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Aaron Guggenheim
Hannah Poindexter
The Statement is The Michigan
Daily's news magazine, distributed
every Wednesday during the
academic year
To contact The Statement e-mail
klarecki@michigandaily.com.
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"f........." ................... ! ......." ............!.......... ".."...r..
THEJUNKDRAWER
random student intmerv iew byjordan rachelsan
Welcome to the Random
Student Interview,
where the line between
journalistic integrity and person-
al boundaries becomes blurred.
Hello there! What is your name?
Paige
What year are you, Paige?
I'm a sophomore.
And where are you from?
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia!? What
brings you up to blustery Ann
Arbor?
My dad is from Michigan. I have
family here.
And what are you studying at this
university?
History and Political Science
Oh, cool. Are you a feminist?
Uh, I am not.
OK, because you have a nose ring,
and sometimes if you see a girl
with a nose ring and they study
political science, it means they are
a feminist. Do you think that's a
fair stereotype?
Sure, if you'd like to say that.
And how do you like your studies
so far?
I like them. It's been nice.
What has been your favorite
class?
Hmm ... that's a tough one. I always
liked Poli Sci. I really liked my pro-
fessor.
Was he good looking?
I always hit on him, but he's an old
man.
So you like old guys?
Yeah,I just like old guys.
OK then, I guess I'm striking out.
Did you vote in the past Michigan
Student Assembly election?
I did.
You did?
I did.
I don't believe you.
I did! Don't ask me who I voted for.
That's a different question.
Who did you vote for?
I don't remember.
Did your party win?
No, I don't know.
So you put a lot of thought into
your decision.
Yeah, obviously.
If you could pick your next MSA
president, would you want him or
her to beas controversial as Chris
Armstrong?
I mean, yeah. I think it's interesting
so why not?
Do you think it detracts from his
ability to govern?
No, I don't think so.
If you could change one major
thing about this university, what
would it be?
One thing?
Yes. Nude Tuesdays perhaps?
I've proposed that a few times to
University President Mary Sue
Coleman.
Hmm ... that's a good idea!
Nude Tuesdays?
-Yeah!
Do you think most people would
be unwilling to adhere to that?
Yeah, probably. There are a lot of
uptight people at this school.
Are you aware that Facebook...
Do you know what Facebook is?
No, what is that?
(awkward silence)
You don't know what Facebook is?
No.
It's a social networking system.
Oh, OK. Yeah I think I've heard of
that.
Are you aware that Facebook can
now take your phone number and
give it out to companies?
No, I was not aware of that.
How does that make you feel?
That's kind of uncomfortable.
Why does that make you uncom-
fortable?
Because I don't want random people
having my phone number.
Right, can I have your phone num-
ber?
No.
OK, fair. That was a trick question,
good job. Do you think businesses
should be entitled to look at your
pictures and hire you based on
what they see?
Well, I don't have any of those pic-
tures on Facebook.
Not a single one?
Nah ... definitely not.
If you could go on a date with one
of the following, who would it be:
Justin Bieber, Joe Jonas or a mem-
ber of Hanson?
Definitely Justin Bieber.
You're aware that he is not 18?
Yeah, I know. You didn't say we were
hooking up on the date. But yeah, def-
initely him. I like his music.
How many Justin Bieber albums
do you have on your iPod?
I believe there is only one.
And do you have it?
Yes.
So you have 100 percent of his
music?
Yes.
Why not the other two? Why not
Joe Jonas?
Which one is that?
He's the attractive one.
Oh, I don't know. I'd like to go out
with all of them. That sounds fun.
Have you had any New Year's reso-
lutions recently?
No, I didn't make any!
Maybe your New Year's resolution
should be to be less conceited.
You're so right. I'm going to work on
that.
How do you feel about all the new
stores that are going up on Main
street? 7-Eleven, Five Guys ...
Bust a nut on 7-Eleven and on Five
Guys.
Bust a nut?
Yeah, I'm so excited.
I really hope they let me print that.
That'd be terrific. What if they put
up a McDonald's, you'd be OK with
that?
Are you kidding? The golden arch is
beautiful!
So a 7-Eleven and Five Guys. Do
you think they are catering to a
certain type of people?
Like me? Definitely. .
Anything to say to the student
body at large?
1016 is where its at.
I'm not going to ask you what that
means.
Perfect.
Responsibilities.
Two years ago, Page served as a moderator for the MSA presi-
dential debate. As a faculty member at the University, Page has
continued to follow the trends and variations of student activism
on campus, especially the ebb and flow of issues that spark the
interests of undergraduate students.
One of the key differences in activism on campus since he was
an undergraduate student, Page observed, is the decline in the
number of political rallies held on campus, which were prevalent
during the Reagan administration.
Page said there was a "slightly stronger sense of activism" 25
years ago but students are still getting involved in hot-button
issues like the environment, education and fundraising for disas-
ter relief efforts.
"I don't think that we had the tools at the time ... to do the sort
of things that students do now," Page said. "So in some ways it's
more impressive what happens now."
Page's tenure as president also marked the beginning of the
University's first major capital campaign to raise funds and the
start of student-organized campaigns for emergency phones
around campus.
With help from the Women's Issues Committee and other stu-
dent groups, MSA helped organize a sit-in in the office of the Vice
President for Student Affairs to advocate for the installation of
security phones around campus, which are still in place today.
"I deserve absolutely zero credit for that, but the people in the
government that took ownership on that issue did an amazing job
and pushed that through," Page said.
Matt Nolan, a 29-year-old Bay City, Mich., resident, served as
MSA president from 2001to2002. He strove to increase the level
of professionalism of the assembly, which he said consequently
made MSA more effective.
MSA President Ron Elias's speech at the University's New Stu-
dent Convocation in 1999 influenced Nolan's decision to become
involved with the assembly.
"I became convinced that, while MSA is not always success-
ful at achieving positive change on campus, it's definitely a place
where that's possible," Nolan said. "I dove in with both feet right
off the bat."
Nolan was first elected as a representative in the fall 1999
election and later served as the external relations committee
vice chair and communications committee chair. He was re-
elected to the assembly in fall 2000, and in March, he was elected
MSA President.
Nolan said he and then-MSA Vice President Jessica Cash
focused on "fixing and upgrading" the work of the assembly.
"It was something that I think varies year to year from admin-
istration to administration a lot," Nolan said. "I think it has a
huge impact on the ability of MSA to get anything done."
Some of the changes made by the MSA administration during
Nolan's presidency included setting deadlines for when resolu-
tions needed to be presented to the assembly in order to make
it on the agenda and implementing stricter
enforcement of Robert's Rules of Order.
"It made people realize that if you were
going to come and try to do something"
in MSA, that we were going to make sure
that you took it seriously, and by doing that,
we were able to ... focus more on doing the
JASON MIRONOV
2004
"I became convinced that, while MSA is not always
successful at achieving positive change on campus,
it's definitely a place where that's possible." -'
- Matt Nolan, MSA President from 2001 to 2002
real work of MSA, which I always thought was representing the MSA Today
student body to the administration and trying to make positive
change on campus," Nolan said. The structure of MSA has been changed and adapted since
One of the lasting effects of Nolan's administration is the fall 1976, allowing the assembly to concentrate on the most prevalent
study break that MSA negotiated with the University over a issues at the University.
series of about 70 meetings with professors and administrators. Current MSA President Chris Armstrong said his experiences
"It was something that they had said couldn't happen and that as a member of student government have impacted his time at
the students, I think, thought was a pipe dream ... but to us it was the University, and he has seen the resilience of the University
one of those things that could really make life on campus bet- community.
ter for students and improve the place for everybody involved," "We uphold certain values and we're a big activist campus,
Nolan said. we're the leaders and best," Armstrong said. "I think what I've
According to Nolan, the first fall study break took place in really learned about this campus is that ... no matter what's hap-
2002. The break was intended to give students a four-day week- pening, whether the football team is doing badly or if certain
end to study for midterms. students are being targeted, there's always a reaffirmation and
Jason Mironov, who served as MSA president from 2004 to understanding of what Michigan is and students are willing-to
2005, feels that student government serves as an opportunity to fight for that."
improve the campus for students by giving them a voice at the Armstrong became an active member of student government
University. during his first semester on campus and has spent his time as
"I was inspired by the passion of Michigan's student body president working to ensure that MSA properly represents the
and motivated by the energy and diversity of our community," voice of the student body.
Mironov said. "I think one thing that student government has done is it's
Mironov and then-MSA Vice President Anita Leung faced really tried to channel leadership from around campus ... (MSA)
many significant University matters, including Israeli divestment has started representing more communities, more leaders of
and the University's alleged ties to companies that do business communities and more different student perspectives than-it
with Israel. They also dealt with affirmative action issues and a necessarily did when I was a freshman," Armstrong said.
human rights violation lawsuit brought against Coca-Cola, which Despite shifts in the University's political climate that have
had a contract with the University to sell soft drinks on campus. transpired since 1976, one quality that prevails in the central stu-
Other matters included tenant legal issues with students living dent government is the dedication of members to their role.
off campus and a proposal to begin a University chapter of the "As MSA president, I was lucky enough to engage incredible
Public Interest Research Group. people across campus - from students to faculty, from regents to
For Mironov, the most memorable-of these issues was Israeli coaches," Mironov said. "I was honored to represent the Univer-
divestment, which sparked great interest from the student body sity locally and nationally and have a deep love for Michigan. The
during a time when Israeli-Palestinian relations were a constant University set me on a path that has paid incredible dividends,
topic of debate between student groups on campus. and for that, I will forever be grateful."
According to a March 16, 2005 article in The Michigan Daily,
MSA proposed to create a committee that would investigate the
University's ties to businesses operating in the
Middle East countries, where human rights viola-
tions were allegedly occuring. The proposal cre-
ated a fervent debate between University students
with opposing views of the University's divest-
ments in Israel. The article reported that MSA sur-
prisingly voted against the resolution.
r
CHRIS ARMSTRONG
2010
***** ****O. a.+
..t ....... .......i..............
....................................
i. t............
................... . .......... ,
A Symposium on Successes and
Failures in International
Human T'afficking Law
Featuring
AMBASSADoR Luis CDEBACA,
Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking
in Persons, U.S. State Department
Feb. 4-5
.,. a.i
Submit your original poetry and short
stories for The Statement's annual Literature Issue.
E-mail your submissions to
klarecki@michigandaily.com by
February 25 for consideration.
(r
-Hutchins Hall
University of Michigan Law School
Register by Jan. 21
For more info and to register, visit
http: //students.lawu umich.edu/i/mjil/symposiuim/
COURTESY OF JASON MIRONOV
JED MOCH/Daily