OPINION The Michigan Daily Vol. XCV, No. 13-S 95 Years of Editorial Freedom Managed and Edited by Students at The University of Michigan Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Daily Editorial Board Equal opportunity CURRENTLY, EVERY student pays $4.75 to MSA for Student Legal Services, the Ann Arbor Tenants Association, a Course Evaluation Project (ADVICE), and additional MSA operating expenses, such as the funding of student organizations. None of the elected MSA leaders are paid with this money; they volunteer to serve on student government, *probably inspired by their dedication to the improvement of student life at the University. The inherent problem with this system is that in order to serve the students well, MSA leaders must devote huge blocks of time to MSA, thus in- creasing the difficulty of working at a paying job. To improve the quality and diversity of its leaders, MSA President Paul Josephson has introduced an idea to MSA's ad hoc committee, which was formed to look at ways of improving the assembly. Josephson hopes that offering a $30/week stipend to executive officers and committee chairmen will be an impetus to a more effective and less r upper-middle class body. Clearly, criteria must be established on a work study basis where only financially needy members would be eligible for the stipend or the point of providing salaried work would be defeated. Some assembly members are concerned that the appeal of a salaried position might increase the number of studen- ts running for office who have insincere motives. That's possible. Many students run for resume padding reasons without additional dollar incentive anyway. Josephson has addressed the problem of funding these wages. Instead of depleting the funds from the four ser- vices MSA provides to students, Josephson has said that a five percent increase per student per term could pay for these salaries. Since the amount needed for salaries could change with the number of committee chairs (currently there are ten chairs and three executive officers), this five cent increase might prove to be an unstable figure. Yet, placing a cap on the number of committees could prove politically disasterous, since assembly members might be forced to work on committees they don't care about. Special interest groups not represented by standing committees wouldn't have a vehicle for organization. There are problems that have to be solved with this plan, but then it is just in its earliest stage. The problems can be worked out in order to solve the larger problem of equal opportunity for political participation. The Michigan Daily encourages input from our readers. Letters should be typed, triple spaced, and sent to the Daily Opinion Page, 420 Maynard, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109. Thursday, June 6, 1985 Page 5 Astatic conception of time perceptible, but it is dynamic which makes it impossible By Matthew R. Kerbel to maintain indefinitely the conditions of one's life as they Jnare at any given point. I find this infinitely comforting, not Jenny tells me she wants it all: the right cars, a boat for only because of its upbeat implications for personal and the summer, and a bachelors in business administration to social growth, but because I haven't seen too many bus slip under her marriage license. It is not a new story; stations in which I'd like to linger for too long. Anyone who many of us in Ann Arbor know someone like Jenny. Some has ever experienced the desire for something new or has of us are Jenny. gone Greyhound will know what I mean. Jenny is not a stereotype - she is a real person Jenny will never have it all simply because there is no (although Jenny is not her real name). Her values are such thing. True, she may supply herself with all the what writers point to when they decry the "me goods and services she desires - she may even be generation" of which willingly or not we all are part - the satisfied for a while. But it will never be everything generation which, to some non-participants, will march because everywhere there will be change, for Jenny and society to run down the dark path of conspicuous consum- for us all. ption. This, too, is an old story and it ends with the bonds The implication, of course, is that Jenny will search on which hold individuals together crushed and mangled un- even after she thinks she has it all, confirming that dorm der the weight of collectively selfish social pursuits. My poster platitude about life being a journey. The search purpose is neither to repeat this story nor to endorse Jen- may continue to be material, but this too may change as ny's values. Rather, I'd like to offer the possibility of social conditions change or if selfish fun loses some of its hope. luster. One doesn't have to strain too hard to remember JENNY, LET'S assume that you get it all. You have a the last consumer-dominant me generation yield- pretty good idea of what that means, so I'm sure you'll ing to a group dominated by collective activity and know it when you're there. What happens next? Perhaps non-trivial social pursuits. there'll be a sense of accomplishment or satisfaction, but I agree with those who say that society would be better this will no doubt wear off in time. Then what? off if it didn't place such a strong emphasis on the syllable "Having it all" implies a static conception of time, the ' of collective vanity. But, I am not as skeptical as those idea that time will provide us with a destination, like a who feel we will crumble as a people under the weight of great bus station, still out of sight but somewhere up our own selfishness. The rhythms of change will serve as a ahead, where we can rest indefinitely after a long trek; buffer against having it all. And in change, Jenny, there is like the Greyhound, we will have "arrived". I do not think hope. events work that way, simply because things are always changing around and within us. This change may be im- Kerbel is a doctoral student in polifical science BLOOM COUNTY by Berke Breathed AN PA Of..E77E.f -AII)o Nq AItMOAI5/lR t 1,aS5FNGTS Wfi'UI 1 '/feI71 - - N(15A ~jtt.