Schor's legislative priorities are to keep tuition low and student aid high - and he wants to lobby in Washington, D.C. and Lansing. He also places great emphasis on student representation to the board of regents. MSA members must fight for student interests there. "At no point is MSA not responsible to students," Schor told The Michigan Daily. To ensure that representatives understand student interests, he supports a student vote for MSA proposals, and endorses representative office hours.
In stark contrast to Schor, other candidates and parties aim to cram wider political aims into MSA. Nicholas Kirk, who is running with the Victors Party for LSA representative, is also the president of the College Republicans. While he can motivate students, he has proved to be an ineffective spokesperson for the CRs - for example, his handling of the chalking conflict with the Queer Unity Project was less than graceful, and he probably did not represent the views of all Republicans. Nor does he consider any alternatives to the straight Republican party line. Moreover, Kirk cares more about his idea of Republicanism than he does students. Politics of this kind do not belong on the assembly.
In the same vein, the Liberty Party must not gain seats on MSA. The Liberty Party's political goal is to bring the ideology of the national Libertarian Party to the student level. Candidates should not regard MSA as a place to practice national politics at the student level - that should be left behind with the old fact-finding missions. The party's primary platform concern is voluntary student fees - it wants to make all student government fees voluntary. Also, the Liberty Party wants to put all MSA-funded student groups on a ballot so students can select the student groups that receive funds. Operating under the guise of democracy, the Liberty Party plan would actually eliminate many smaller student groups. MSA's Budget Priorities Committee is responsible for appropriating funds to student groups - aside from mathematical debacles last year, it performs its role efficiently.
One seemingly political slate, the Nihilist Party, turns out not to live up to its name - they do not believe in the death of everything. The party first wanted to dissolve the assembly, but then decided that MSA might actually have some use, such as funding student groups. While the attitude is noble, the participants still have very little knowledge about the current government. They think that lobbying has little use; however, they seem a bit confused on which issues MSA lobbies. The Nihilists still crusade to prevent fact-finding missions - something that Michigan Party representatives eliminated when they gained MSA seats. In addition, they want to trim fat in the assembly budget that the Michigan Party leadership has already cut. Starting over again with tired causes is redundant.
However, the party has some good ideas to increase voter turnout, such as absentee ballots and Internet voting, which Michigan State University has implemented. The assembly should consider these options.
The United People's Coalition, an all-people-of-color slate, is back on the ballot for a second election. They are a little more prepared and knowledgeable - their agenda contains specific items, such as reforming the Michigan Union access policy. By the next election, the slate will have a firm base on which to run - some of this year's candidates are weak and inexperienced.
However, they raise issues to which the entire assembly should pay attention. Ozell Hayes, a first-year student running for LSA representative, told the Daily, "People are aware of all concerns of students - except for those (of students) of color." Hayes and the UPC are not far from the truth. They seem to have modified their stance from last year, when they aimed only to take on concerns of a small number of students. Hayes said he hopes that concerns of students of color, such as tuition, financial aid and other issues, "dovetail and become concerns of the rest of the student body."
UPC's Kenneth Jones is chair of the Minority Affairs Commission. For an MSA commission, MAC is rather active, and Jones deserves much of the credit. He makes sure that the University community stays in touch with minority issues through a rigorous letter-writing campaign to the Daily. Students should instate him as a rep.
The Students' Party, however, has not grown. Traditionally based on opposition to the Michigan Party, the platform is no better this year. Its members plan to focus on non-issues, such as eliminating weeder courses and increasing "accountability" of academic counselors. One of their more substantive issues, living-learning programs, is nullified by the actions they took to eliminate it - they contacted lower-level University Housing Division employees; however, the power rests in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. The Students' Party, despite retaining some old members such as Jonathan Freeman and Olga Savic, hasn't even learned how the University works - let alone what students need.
How did they come up with their goals? Savic told the Daily that the candidates, to prepare the platform, had a meeting. "They sat around in a room and they were pissed off." Savic should know better - MSA is student government, not group therapy.
There's no question that the Michigan Party members are the movers and shakers of the assembly. They have an agenda and they get things done. However, the Michigan Party is a little top-heavy, with President Fiona Rose and Vice President Probir Mehta. The Michigan Party's MSA domination has led to overconfidence and a revolutionary view of the assembly. While its quality platform is generally in tune with the best interests of the student population, far too much power lies within the party, which hinders the assembly's democratic functioning. The last couple Michigan Party victories, deserved though they may be, dismantled the other parties' competing mechanisms.
Moreover, Rose made a troubling statement recently when she said she would not support all of the student fee increases, if passed. Later, she backtracked, and now she and Mehta claim they are firmly committed to fighting for them before the regents. Rose's initial statements indicated that she wanted to have more power than she should. Rose must remember that MSA's purpose is to represent students' wishes, not her own.
Michigan Party members Srinu Vourganti and Michael Nagrant deserve to be elected as LSA representatives. These two have been able to keep the ball rolling along from the lower end of the hierarchy. Vourganti has been actively promoting student interests in city council, and Nagrant is a motivated representative.
Another candidate, Dan Serota, is running for an LSA seat, but he is little more than cute posters and the party line. He probably outspent other candidates this year with his Diag boards and his posters of himself as a child with a dog. Serota is an enthusiastic representative - and may have his eye on the presidency - but he shows no ability to communicate with his constituents or take his own initiative. He should remain no more than a representative.
Although the Michigan Party will continue to accomplish its goals, it should return to a more student-based assembly once elections are over. Rose and her party should look to Andy Schor as a model for student representation. It's time to get out the icepack and reduce some of the swelling. In the end, the Michigan Party is still the most effective.