The second debate featuring parties in next week's Michigan Student Assembly elections saw candidates from the Liberty Party and the United People's Coalition wage a polite verbal war, while members of the Slumber Party and Students' Party were generally agreeable on most issues.
"I'd have to disagree with my colleague from the Liberty Party," UPC candidate Nick Farr said several times.
Farr and Liberty Party candidate Liz Keslacy clashed on affirmative action, MSA's potential to be an effective voice for student concerns and the assembly's funding of student groups, in addition to other issues.
"The UPC wants to have a collective voice on campus but I can't see how they can - they are an all-minority party," Keslacy said. "We don't care who you are - we will fight for all students."
Slumber Party member David Bogue said the five members of his party are fed up with life at the University.
"You may have seen our name and thought we were a joke party - that is not true. For us, students' money is the most important issue," Bogue said. "Where does our name come from? Basically we are tired. We are tired of a lot of things on this campus - it's time for the University to get back to the students."
Students' Party candidate Mallory Floyd said the key to increasing MSA's effectiveness was through greater communication with students.
"I didn't even know that MSA existed until the (the assembly's) affirmative action (meeting) - that should never be allowed to happen," Floyd said. "Students should find out about their government through positive action and should be able to communicate with their government over the web."
Both the Slumber and Liberty parties criticized the University for the number of required and pre-requisite classes.
"The University requires a lot of these things to increase credit hours and to bring more money in," Bogue said. "The University should not be a business."
The Liberty Party and UPC viewed affirmative action as a more important issue than curriculum concerns.
"The Students' Party believes in affirmative action," Floyd said. "The assembly did represent the students when they took a stand in defense of these policies on behalf of the student body."
The parties also disagreed about MSA's status as an effective voice for students.
Keslacy said the assembly was merely an advisory body and was powerless at the hands of the University Board of Regents.
But Bogue said the assembly was in a unique position to make a difference.
"In a few years MSA will probably return to the status quo," Bogue said. "This is our chance to make a difference."
Farr said the assembly was "inherently powerful" but that it was not living up to its potential.
"The UPC believes that too cozy a relationship between the student government and the administration is not leaving room for the extreme changes that need to take place," Farr said.
JONATHAN SUMMER/Daily
MSA representative candidates Nick Farr (right) and Mallory Floyd express their views last night in South Quad.