The Michigon Daily - Friday, Jun 17, 1988 - Page 3
Bill may MSA
affect 'U' presents
S. Africa n
lawsit request
BY VERONICA WOOLRIDGE
BY PATRICK STAIGER The Michigan Student Assembly
A bill passed by the state legisla- presented its annual budget request
ture this week may effect the Uni- for the fiscal year 1988-89 at the
versity's "token" investments in University's Board of Regents meet-
companies which do business in ing yesterday, but met with sharp
South Africa. criticism from some board members.
The Senate approved two bills MSA Vice President Susan
last week which require the state Overdorf, an LSA senior, outlined
pension fund to sell $1.1 billion in MSA's structure and its role in the
stock in companies that do business University community. One of
in South Africa. The House ap- MSA's foci is to advocate student
proved one bill, and is expected to concerns and another is to provide
approve the other on Monday. . services for students, she explained.
The bills may effect a case cur- MSA is requesting a 5 percent in-
rently before the State Supreme crease in its budget to continue these
Court concerning the University's services.
investments in South Africa. President Mike Phillips, an LSA
senior, described MSA's involve-
UNIVERSITY administrators ment in student concerns from its
have maintained that its investments publication of Advice, a magazine
in South Africa, totaling $500,000, ROIN LOZNAK/DaIy which evaluates student courses
are a token amount to show its au- Tunes at noo based on student polls, to recogniz-
tonomy from state government. A The Paul Vornhagen Band play at the first mid-day, mid-town concert in Liberty Park ing funding for various student
previous state court ruled in favor of Plaza. Bands will play here every Thursday at noon until mid-August. groups.
the University in part because the REGENT NEAL NIELSEN
state had no set policy on companies (R-Brighton) said the services MIA
which have investments in South 1 1 ou t lw in g rent provides do not aid the total student
Africa. body and "MSA represents some
Richard Kennedy, University Vice ~ UL ~u ivery small factions." He said the
Prese fo em e tins Control s e H ou1e five-dollar funding for organizations
said the University will look into such as Student Legal Services and
the effects of the bill on the upcom- BY PATRICK STAIGER restricted Ann Arbor rent increases to 75 percent of the the Ann Arbor Tenants' Union
ing case. The Michigan Legislature passed a bill this week inflation rate, was defeated two-to-one in city elections. should be continued, but that the
Regent Nellie Varner (D-Detroit) outlawing rent-control proposals in city elections. Proponents of the bill, Citizens for Fair Rent, said at remaining $1.83 out of the $6.83
agreed the University's investments The bill, which passed in the Senate by an over- the time they were overwhelmed by over-funded oppo- MSA requested should be funded
are only a token amount to show its whelming margin in December, passed in the Demo- nents, Citizens for Ann Arbor's Future, through a positive check-off fee dur-
autonomy. "As soon as the legal is- cratic-controlled House 75 to 24. Sen. Richard Fessler The bill affects another rent control proposal in De- ing class registration.
sue is resolved, I expect the Univer- (R-West Bloomfield) sponsored the bill. troit, which is slated to be on the ballot Aug. 2. The regents will vote on the
sity to divest," Varner said. Opponents of rent control have said rent control Yesterday, Sen. Lana Pollack (D-Ann Arbor) called funding request at next month's
THE BILLS would also require leads to higher property taxes and conversion of of rent the state bill's passage "unfortunate." Pollack said there meeting.
the state to remove holdings from properties to condominiums or owner-occupied units. were two issues involved: whether rent control was a MSA summer Treasurer Mike
companies which have indirect ties SOURCES SAID proponents of the bill, mostly good policy, and whether the state should pre-empt lo- Wasserman said, "A positive check-
to South African companies. landlords, spent $75,000 for lobbying. cal authority. "The interests of the landlords won out off system invites apathy. To con-
General Motors Corporation, for In April, rent control proposal C, which would have See Rent, Page 4 fuse that with dissatisfaction with
example, though it officially di- d a t r MSA would be a mistake. MSA is a
vested in 1986 and sold its holdings (J bureaucratic stmcture and it is very
to Delta Corp. in Port Elizabeth, efficient," he said.
South Africa, still sells the company BY NOELLE SHADWICK The computerized system tabu- sively better, Schrank said. The team THE ARTICLE said now that
auto parts from its plants in Ger- Who's number one? There's no lates all debate team scores in the now has 10 members, "a fairly good MSA wants funding it approaches
many and Japan. debate, according to the computer country regardless of the tourna- size for a collegiate team," Speta the regents with modesty and
George Schreck, former manager rankings ments each has been involved in. said. moderation, but as soon as it re-
of South African relations for GM, Last month, the University Inter- "Michigan fields five teams, and Each two-person debate team ceives it, it will go back to its pre-
and currently Latin American man- collegiate Debate Team ranked first three of those are probably among must prepare affirmative and nega- vious "radical" behavior. The article
ager, said GM will not break con- in the country after only three years the 10 best in the nation. That's al- tive arguments for each issue. In said the regents should not be fooled
tacts with South Africa in light of in existence, according to a computer most unheard of," said two-year vet- some areas, teams prepare up to 100 by this.
the new bills. "We regret if someone tabulation of scores during the last eran debater Andrew Schrank, an cases. Phillips said MSA critics are
or some agency feels that the stock two years. LSA junior. "RESEARCH is divided venting their frustration over not
is not worth holding because of our "I think we're undeniably the top THE TEAM, which dissolved among the whole team," Speta said, winning the popular student vote and
efforts to be responsible... and pre- team in the nation, and the computer in 1979 because of low student adding that "a lot of time, a lot of arguments made were "not valid."
serve jobs (in South Africa)," scores prove it," said team member interest and money concerns, was research and physical time on the Esther Armstead, who coordinates
Schreck said. Mike Andrews, an LSA junior. revived in 1985 by then-sophomore- road is involved." MSA s administrative operations,
Recent University graduate and "THIS AWARD is especially Jim Speta. He contacted Mancuso The team competed in 13 tour- said she has given MSA a
Free South Africa Coordinating meaningful because it is based on and together they led the small group naments, taking five first and four "professional facelift," giving the
Committee member Kim Smith said objective criteria; it is not an opin- of four through the first year of de- second places. The team of LSA ju- organization credibility. She said she
Schreck's comments are racist. ion poll," said Coach Steve Man- bates. nior Michael Green and Schrank won has hired and trained one of the best
"When the ANC, the voice of the cuso, economics professor and for- "We did pretty well since we were four tournaments and received the office saffs of front-line people.
Black African people, call for sanc- mer college debater. a young team. I think we qualified Herbert L. James Traveling Trophy In her expanded role in MSA,
Dons against the white government, Michigan scored 395 points, 14 for elimination round in two or three for finishing first place at the Dart- Annstead said, she will design an
and people aren't listening to that points ahead of second-place North- tournaments," Speta said. mouth College Tournament. annual evaluation form to solicit
voice, that's racism," Smith said. western. The team has gotten progres- See Debate, Page 4 feedback and enhance MSA'structur.