Voting rights still main MSA issue

By Lisa Koivu

Daily Staff Reporter

In the second meeting led by new Michigan Student Assembly President Hideki Tsutsumi, the assembly voted on chairs for committees and commissions, as well as passed a resolution supporting the Annual Take Back the Night March.

The meeting in the Michigan Union started with former Students Rights Commission Chair Abe Rafi calling on the assembly to support the fight against the legislation which limits people to voting at the address listed on their drivers licenses.

"This law disenfranchised students when it went into effect on April 1. MSA is listed as plaintiffs in this lawsuit, we may be able to change the policy," Rafi said.

Joe Reilly, spokesman for the Student of Color Coalition, asked for the new assembly to examine secret societies on campus. The SCC occupied the Michigan Union tower in protest of the senior honor society, Michigamua "New Traditions for a New Millennium."

"Take a strong stand in denouncing secret societies," Reilly told the assembly. "They're flawed with elitism and racism and they shouldn't be incorporated in public institutions."

After constituents time, Tsutsumi then told the assembly to be patient as he and Vice President Jim Secreto learned all of the rules for the assembly.

"I'm less nervous today, but we have many things to do. Please be patient, I'll move very slowly," Tsutsumi said.

Tsutsumi, an LSA senior, emphasized the significance of teamwork.

"During elections there was competition between parties, but now it's important that we all work together. Parties don't exist anymore, we all need to work together," Tsutsumi said. "MSA is too detached, most students don't know who we are. I'm going to make another sign saying who I am so more students will know where to go to."

Secreto then surprised Tsutsumi with a new sign to carry around saying "Hi! Hideki is MSA President Now."

Tsutsumi then gave his recommendations for other members of the executive board.

LSA Rep. Siafa Hage was elected to be the new treasurer for the assembly, and election director Alok Agrawal, an Engineering senior, was elected to be the new Student General Counsel.

"I'm looking forward to working with the assembly," Agrawal said. "We want to be a team-oriented executive board."

After Hage and Agrawal were selected, the assembly voted on representatives to be the chairs and vice chairs of various committees.

Hage was voted to be the chairman of the Budget Priorities Committee, the committee that allocates money to student groups. LSA Rep. Ross Kirschner was chosen to be the Campus Governance Committee chairman, LSA Rep. Matt Nolan was selected to be the Communications chairman and Rackham Rep. Jessica Curtin and LSA Rep. Rodolfo Palma-Lulion were selected to be Peace and Justice commission co-chairs.

Curtin then asked the assembly to pass a resolution calling for MSA to support the Annual Take Back the Night March on April 8. The march is held to support those who have been sexually assaulted, and bring recognition of the crime to the community.

"We need to support the fight against sexism and rape on campus. There is a whole range of issues that need to be addressed and it is important that this is an integrated issue," Curtin said. "Most men target minority women because of the power differential and that's why we want to get everyone involved."

Nolan, though, wanted to take out a clause, which mentioned affirmative action, saying that the assembly should support the march, but not necessarily take a stand on affirmative action.

Rep. Kieu-Anh King said affirmative action affects women also, and should therefore be a part of the resolution.

"We shouldn't be afraid of talking about affirmative action. To not do so would be to deny that affirmative action has made an impact on women," King said.

The assembly voted to pass the resolution, but drop the affirmative action clause.