MSA debates party slates

With Michigan Student Assembly elections set to begin exactly one month from today, what would it be like for the student body to vote without influence from candidates' party affiliations?

In a secret ballot vote, the assembly revealed that it didn't want to find out.

Engineering Rep. Dave Burden motioned yesterday to eliminate the possibility of candidates to run with a party listed next to their name on the MSA ballot at elections March 24 and 25.

Last night's issue sparked opinions from several students who attended the meeting to address the assembly.

SNRE senior Kristen Genovese, an MSA member but not an elected representative, said parties are unnecessary. "I've seen you guys do some really great things," Genovese said. "I don't think you need a party to help you with that."

But Art and Design senior David Velar said he thought abolishing parties from elections would be detrimental to the process.

"The Defend Affirmative Action Party is the only party that does stand for real issues here," Velar said. "Ending parties will take that away."

MSA President Trent Thompson passed his gavel to Vice President Sarah Chopp to inform the assembly of his stance and begin the assembly's discussion of Burden's motion. "If this code change occurs, I honestly think this will be more of a popularity contest." Thompson said. "Without parties, a lot of people, including myself, probably wouldn't have been on the assembly."

Rackham Rep. Jessica Curtin said the issue of eliminating parties could be interpreted as an undemocratic motion and a negative reaction toward the Defend Affirmative Action party.

"The perception on the part of minority students is that it is an attack on minority students because of the Defend Affirmative Action Party's election to MSA," Curtin said

But Burden argued that the motion was not an attack on democracy or the Defend Affirmative Action Party.

"I'm afraid that if this assembly becomes a political place, good things like the Coursepack Store would not happen," Burden said, adding that political parties in MSA elections affect the amount of respect the student has for the assembly.

"It's a vice that people go to vote for their friends ... because they don't take us seriously," Burden said.

LSA Rep. Joe Bernstein, who argued in favor of abolishing parties, said members "not only have to do a good job," but have to consider their future as a MSA representative. When thinking ahead to the next election, Bernstein said, members - regardless of personal opinions - may also attempt to prevent representatives from other parties from accomplishing their party objectives.

LSA Rep. Vikram Sarma spoke to the assembly from an independent's point of view.

"As much as I support (Burden's) intent, this resolution does not support the objective," Sarma said, suggesting that passing the motion would increase the amount of time and money spent on campaigns and distract current assembly members from their jobs.

"I'm afraid MSA is at the peak of its influence right now," Burden said in reaction to MSA's vote rejecting the proposal. "Partisan bickering is going to bring it back to where it was in the '80's - a joke."

Last night the assembly also tackled its primary task of allocating money to student groups.

The Community Service Committee recommendations were approved with a majority of the assembly's vote. CSC chair Mike Masters, and an LSA sophomore said the committee was allotted $37,360 to fund 73 student community service organizations.

CSC allotted the most money to the Minority Marrow Donors Coalition, which received $2,200, and the Public Health Students of African Decent, which was given $2,515.

The Budget Priorities Committee recommended allocations for 240 student organizations, using $168,000, were approved with a majority vote.

The only topic debated last night regarding BPC allocations included the appeals Women's Lacrosse and the Fencing Club sports who missed deadlines to apply for funding and to appeal for funding.

Bernstein made a motion to allocate $500 of the BPC's $1500 surplus to each sport.

Certain members said they thought it was not in the assembly's best interest to pass the motion. "I feel precedent is very important to consider," LSA Rep. Ellen Friedman said. "It's not that I didn't want those groups to get money; other groups did not know that was an option for them."

02-24-99