But why stop there? Rose, to be an effective president, must eat. So let's have MSA foot the bill for her food. What about sleep? She's gotta be well-rested to perform her important duties, so MSA should get her a nice apartment, with, of course, c able (gotta watch C-SPAN). She shouldn't be occupied with tuition costs, so the student body should pay for her tuition. Heck, she's got a student council to run, so she can't be bogged down by exams and papers. Let's appoint a committee to do her school work.
MSA is simply student council. We need it, but we also need it to keep everything in perspective. C'mon - partisan politics in student council? Jeepers.
MSA: Do your job, follow the rules, don't buy expensive personal planners when Borders is clearing their 1997 calendars out for a buck each and keep your heads. One person can make a difference, but not because of a fancy MSA title or job.
And Ms. Rose, I expect a thank you card for the planner.
Jimmy Boynton
LSA junior
This past year we worked our hearts out going to Dole/Kemp rallys, working at the Livonia mail center and working phone banks trying to get the GOP message out to voters.
Here in the community, we are currently in the middle of our community service project for Habitat for Humanity, a non-profit organization that builds free houses for low-income families. We also heard some great conservative speakers such as Carl C ohn, a professor of philosophy here at the 'U.' Currently, we are trying to raise money to have Starr Parker (a top African-American conservative) come and speak at the University. None of this could have happened or will happen without the dedicat ion of Nick Kirk. Even the Daily's own Dean Bakopoulos, who doesn't remotely believe in Republican ideals, said that we are one of the hardest working groups on campus.
I would also like remind the campus that Nick was impeached by a 3-1 vote by the CR executive board and not by the general members. Had the vote come down to the general members, Nick Kirk would still have the title, "President, University College Republicans."
Second, I would like respond to what MSA Rep. Andy Schor stated in his letter to the editor ("Kirk's fraud reflects badly on 'U' CRs," 2/21/97) saying how Elias Xenos, CR vice president, is the model leader for Republicans on campus. If Xenos ran th e CR as president like he did as vice-president, we would all be picking our noses every week wondering what to do! Xenos rarely (I mean like one event) has attended any function we do except for our regular Wednesday meetings.
Also, if Elias is such a good leader of the CRs, then why did he drop out of the presidential election? Schor, I'd get your eyes examined because obviously you don't know your friend Elias as well as you think.
I am not condoning the press incident, but exploiting the positive events of Nick Kirk's year as president of the CRs.
As the likely candidate to win the vice presidency of the College Republicans this March, I can only hope that Mark Potts and the new leadership can be as involved as Nick Kirk was as our past president. I also hope students on campus realize that N ick isn't what everyone makes him out to be.
Adam Silver
Engineering first-year student
Two days ago, before coming to this very class, I walked through the Fishbowl and saw a table of students working on the campaign. It was not that they approached me, nor was I accosted with the usual flyers and people asking for a donation to one t hing or another like they do in the Diag. I simply was curious. The message I heard was not one expressing a desire for segregation. In fact, I was told that non-Jews alike have been and are welcomed, to participate in the campaign. They were not se eking to convert anyone to Judaism. They just wanted a small gesture on my part (and hopefully, many others) to take a stand for a humanitarian cause - the United Jewish Appeal.
The Half-Shekel button that I have been wearing for the last two days has made me feel part of something. Yet that something is just doing something good. If I am sticking out like a sore thumb as a Jew, and I am helping other people, then perhaps this is the best way to stick out. For some reason I would feel more sore to not stick out in this case. I hope that fellow Jewish students and non-Jewish students on this campus realize that the Half-Shekel campaign is not about badges for segregat ion or conversion. Rather, it is simply a quiet gesture of humanitarianism in the very loud cacophony of our every day lives.
Havi Wolfson
LSA junior
Although Kirk's actions do show a personal lack of ethics, I believe the larger issue is the structure of the Republican Party. The Democrats have always been inclusive, open to everyone who wanting to join, while Republicans have been the party of the elite, rejecting those who aren't of the same social or economic status.
I applaud the impeachment of Kirk and hope the new College Republican leadership realizes how the mentality of the Republican Party led to his poor decision, and will then work for positive change.
Sara Deneweth
LSA first-year student, Communications director, College Democrats of Michigan