MSA takes to road for weekly meetings

Following its eighth meeting of the semester, the Michigan Student Assembly is launching a campuswide tour, taking its weekly meetings to North Campus, Central Campus and the Hill Area in an attempt to reach constituents who have expressed little interest in student government.

The meetings usually take place in MSA chambers in the Michigan Union, but the assembly met last week in Stockwell Residence Hall, and tonight's meeting is planned for 7:30 in the East Dining Hall of Bursley Residence Hall. MSA will return to its usual chambers two weeks from today, after next week's scheduled meeting in South Quad Residence Hall. A reception precedes each meeting at 7 p.m.

LSA sophomore Shari Katz, co-chair of the MSA communications committee, said the tour is part of the assembly's attempt to reach out to more students and encourage their participation in student government.

"First and foremost, we want to bring MSA to the students," Katz said. "If we bring ourselves to the residence halls, then we're showing that we want to meet everyone."

"We also want to show that we're here to improve the lives of students, and we want to hear what they have to say," she said.

Katz added that the MSA Communications Committee wanted to remind the assembly that it represents all aspects of student life.

MSA President Bram Elias echoed her thoughts.

"The goal of a student government is to represent all students. But the inevitable tendencies of MSA is to wind up talking to the same people over and over. As a result, people who really make an effort to come out to MSA and talk to us might be overrepresented in our decision-making process. This is a way to get some fresh input, some broader perspectives, and it's an opportunity to reconnect MSA with the rest of campus," he said.

Elias added that the residence hall meetings give the assembly an opportunity to let students know what representatives have been doing.

"We really do think MSA has done some great stuff, so it's nice to take our show on the road," he said.

Two weeks ago, MSA representatives attended a conference for student governments of Big Ten schools. At the weekend-long convention in Madison, Wis., student government leaders focused on how to increase diversity - both on student assemblies and on campus in general. MSA members decided to step up efforts to create stronger ties between the assembly and student groups.

"One of the things we talked about at the (Association of Big Ten Students Fall 1999 Conference), is trying to branch out and listen to voices we might otherwise miss," Elias said.

"There's an attitude on some parts of campus - right or wrong - that MSA is a white boys' club. We need to work to prove that's not true ... If we don't do that work, then we're not doing our job. We need to make a genuine commitment to outreach," he said.

The Communications Committee also is sending MSA officers, specifically Elias and Vice President Andy Coulouris, to various student group meetings, including Dance Marathon, the Panhellenic Association and Mentality, a group that educates on mental illnesses. Elias is to attend Environmental Action's meeting tomorrow.

EnAct Facilitator and SNRE junior Brianne Haven said MSA outreach is a step in the right direction. "I think it's cool that they're trying to go to different student groups," she said.

Haven said having assembly representation at the organization's meeting provides EnAct with the opportunity to get Elias' insight and to publicize EnAct activities.

11-09-99