12 -The Michigan Daily - Orientation Edition
MSA is voice
for campus
groups and
student body
By Toenslav Lalika
Daily Staff Reporter
Students interested in gaining a voice on campus
affairs or those eager to try out something new,
have the chance to take on a greater role through
the Michigan Student Assembly.
MSA is the main student governing body on
campus. Every college and school, including the
Rackham Graduate School and Law School, is rep-
resented proportionally in MSA with at least one
representative. The assembly is led this year by
LSA senior President Sarah Boot and Vice Presi-
dent Dana Glassel, an LSA junior.
MSA meetings are open to the public and con-
vene every Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. on the third
floor of the Michigan Union. The central issues of
most meetings are resolutions usually calling for
either MSA funding to certain student projects or
demanding that the Assembly take an ideological
stance on an issue. Committees also report their
weekly progress, and budget issues or proposed
changes to various MSA procedural rules are often
discussed at every meeting.
MSA serves two main purposes. It creates tangi-
ble results through its large bureaucratic system of
committees and commissions, which consist of
both representatives and regular students who work
on various campus projects during the week. These
committees sponsor forums and programs on
FOOD FRIGHT
T s to surviving the dinig experience
LSA senior Sarah Boot was sworn in as the new
MSA president April 2, 2002.
issues, including campus safety, sexual assault
awareness and diversity. One committee and one
commission also have power to appropriate MSA
funds to various student groups. Groups can apply
to MSA for money and each year the assembly
hands out over $200,000 to various campus groups.
MSA also has the power to lobby the Universi-
ty's administration to make major changes on cam-
pus. Last year, many MSA representatives focused
on several projects, and by the end of the year, the
assembly had created a fall study break, extended
recreational building hours and expanded the avail-
ability of Entrie Plus to Michigan Stadium.
MSA's second role is to act as the voice of the
student body. Through resolutions, the assembly
takes ideological or political stances on issues
important to students, ranging from race as a factor
in admissions to President Bush's war against ter-
rorism to racial slurs written on campus sidewalks.
These resolutions ask the assembly to either sup-
port or condemn these ideas and events.
By KanDelowr
For the Daily
It is the moment all freshmen have come to
dread: Finally experiencing residence hall cafe-
teria food. Having only experienced high school
entrees, most first-years enter college expecting
more of the same monotonous mystery meat
lurking behind steamy glass windows, unfriend-
ly lunch ladies with hair nets and less selection
than the nearest vending machine.
But think again - college cafeteria food
embodies a whole new world of institutionalized
cuisine. LSA junior Amy Jaick said she believes
that with a few simple tips, students can survive
the experience without too much trauma."If it's
not recognizable, then you've probably never
heard of it," she said. "Just stick with what you
know"
LSA senior Nicole Bushhouse also said she
would warn incoming students about exotic
foods found in the cafeteria. She said these were
by far the worst choices for wary cafe patrons.
"Your best bet would be to stick with the pasta,"
she said. "You can't really mess that up."
Other traditional items are also on standby.
Engineering sophomore Johann Dudley said he
usually finds something he likes. "Hamburgers
can't be screwed up," he added.
Jaick said she believed that Bursley Resi-
dence Hall offers the best food. "Bursley has a
wider selection and better food than the other
(residence halls)," she said, adding that she had
"eaten at all of them."
However, she said she usually ate "a salad
and dessert" and added that the residence hall
only offered better food "so everyone wouldn't
revolt," due to the inconvenient location of
North Campus.
Dudley said he also believes the "food was
better" at Bursley, but said it was.a different
component that kept him coming back for more
- "Sexy Grandpa".
"Sexy Grandpa" is a well-known Bursley
server. Popular among students, he earned his 4
nickname because of a hat he wears bearing the
words "sexy grandpa." Jaick named Grandpa the
"highlight of Bursley life."
No matter where it's served, all food, from
yogurt to chicken nuggets, has nutritional infor-
mation posted nearby. The dining halls also offer
daily fresh salad, sandwich ingredients, soup,
pasta and a vegetarian selection.
"There is something for everyone," Jaick said.
Others, including Engineering junior Andrew
Baher, said specialties are the holiday-themed
meals, like the Thanksgiving and holiday din-
ners. "Thanksgiving was great," he said. "They 4
had everything I could want ... I had at least
three helpings!"
For those in need of more familiarity and vari-
ety, the Entree Office offers several plans allow-
ing students to use Entree Plus at Wendy's,
Subway, Villa Pizza, Magic Wok, Cava Java and
Mrs. Fields in the Michigan Union and Wendy's
and Tim Hortons in the Michigan League
Underground, as well as the underground restau-
rants found inside several of the residence halls,
including East and South quads and Pierpont
Commons.
Bushhouse, who opted not to put Entree Plus
dollars on her M-Card, said she regrets her deci-
sion.
"I wish I had Entree Plus," Bushhouse said.
"It's a great deal, but would be even better if
more places accepted it."
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