MSA votes to reject divestment proposal

The Michigan Student Assembly voted last night not to support tobacco divestment at the University, but instead passed a resolution to gain more information about University investments.

"Instead of discouraging divestment, we're saying we want more information," MSA Communications Chair Joe Bernstein said.

The creation of the assembly's resolution to support tobacco divestment, which did not pass, followed similar measures by the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs.

"SACUA adopted this and I thought it was something we should look into and support," said Sumeet Karnik, MSA Budget Priorities Committee vice chair. "There's a difference between making money on something you're comfortable with and something you're not ... It's not right to profit off of getting people sick" from a product.

Several assembly members questioned the divestment of University tobacco stock by comparing tobacco to alcohol stocks.

"Because one social condition is not acceptable to us we divest from it," MSA Rackham Rep. Olga Savic said. We are "are singling out tobacco instead of all the other social vices."

MSA Business Rep. Andrew Serowik described the economic considerations involved in selling the tobacco stocks.

"I believe selling the tobacco stocks is just backing away from the problem," Serowik said.

Assembly members also approved a resolution in support of ideological freedom at the University, following the University's decision to revoke a the naming a reading room in honor of RC Prof. Carl Cohen.

The assembly had no discussion before voting 16-9 in favor of the resolution with six abstentions, lambasting the University's decision.

"I think that in the end that probably would have been the outcome," Bernstein said about the lack of debate.

MSA is sponsoring an open forum for students to discuss the Student Code of Conduct tonight at 8:30 in the Michigan Union Pendleton Room.

"We don't have any administration because we really want students to feel comfortable addressing the issues," said Brian Reich, public information director for the Students' Rights Commission.

Reich said he expects about 100 students to attend the forum - the first in a series of discussions about the Code.

Savic said the committee has a list of questions for the audience, including the jurisdiction of the Code, selection of panelists and the definition of community standards.

The results of the forums will be included in a formal report to the University Board of Regents during Code revisions in January, Reich said.

11-11-98