To win a seat as a Literature, Science and Arts Representative to the Michigan Student Assembly. In doing so, our aim is to mobilize as many voters as possible. LSA voters should not only be aware of our platform, they should find this platform to be both prudent and logical towards reaching their individual goals as a student at the University of Michigan. Accomplishing this task must encompass hard, tireless work and fun for the candidate, campaign team, and, most importantly, the student body.

The Winning Platform

1. More attention to in-classrom issues
2. Foreign Language Reform

A. More options to complete language requirement
- Culture option for fourth term
- More English to help comprehension

B. Free Tutoring Center
- No more $40/ hour language tutors
- University Funded Program like:

Sweetland Writing Center
Math Lab

3. Decentralized Group Funding Process
4. Eliminating trivial MSA Resolutions

I.

The main purpose of my independent campaign is to give Michigan students a choice in the upcoming election. By choice I mean something besides having to choose between the color Blue and Superman. I enjoy what the University offers and want to work with the administration to make this an even better place for students. As an independent candidate, I am committed to improving the school from inside the classroom. I have contacted members of current and past Michigan Student Assembly's about what they are doing to help fix certain problems that pertain directly to the students' life in the classroom. Invariably I have received round about answers ranging from "we are working on other things such as public busing" and, "we get your question a lot." No action is ever taken. I feel the current parties in power are not serious about their positions.

The following line from the Blue Party website was one of the main factors in convincing me that the best thing I could do in order for a responsive student government to exist on campus was to declare myself a candidate. Quoting http://www-personal.umich.edu/~mjnolan/blue.ultimate.power.html, "The purpose
of the Blue Party is to win elections and drink beer." On their website I cannot find any platforms telling potential voters what Blue will do if they do in fact win seats on MSA.

Speaking to candidates from Students First about their platform, I was bludgeoned with vague answers. Most of their candidates said they were committed to representing everyone on campus, and if anyone had a question they could come to them. This is better than the Blue Party's non existent mission, but I quote Walter Mondale in asking "Where's the beef?" No one has any real agenda to fight for if elected.

II.

The first item I am proposing in my quest to improve the University from an academic standpoint is addressing the current state of our foreign language department. As it stands now, in order to get help with your foreign language class, you are sent to a tutor. These tutors charge Michigan students a minimum of $35-$40 an hour. I am proposing a Free, University Funded, tutoring system for foreign language classes. Running for a spot on the Michigan Student Assembly as a representative for LSA students, I feel this is a major issue that needs to be addressed. If the University of Michigan is going to require their students to take four terms of a subject, they should give students the necessary aid to succeed. This service is provided free by the English Department's Sweetland Writing Center and the University only requires a student to take one course in English. A similar service is provided by the Math Department by way of the Math Lab. As such, if elected, I will push strongly for a Free Tutoring Lab in the Foreign Language Department. This tutoring system would also be available to non-LSA students who are taking foreign language classes.

Second, as an LSA representative to the MSA, I would continue the dialogue which I have already started with the administration about reforming their foreign language requirement. The requirement, as it currently stands, forces students in LSA to take, or pass out of, four semesters of a single foreign language to graduate. Not only do some find this excessive, it discriminates against students who are not able to adapt to learning a foreign language as well as others. In turn, these students take on lower grade point averages in their quest to reach this requirement, and face a tougher time getting into the graduate school of their choice. This is true because they are competing against students from other schools who are only required to take one or two semesters of foreign language. At the bare minimum, I will push strongly for allowing students to have the option of taking their fourth semester in English about a certain aspect of that culture of which they are studying. One hour a day, four days a week, of classroom instruction is simply not adequate enough for some students to become proficient at a foreign language.

III.

Another concern of this campaign is the allocation of funds to student groups. I have heard about too many cases where worthy groups on campus have been denied funds from the MSA without valid reason. I am proposing a system where students can chose which group to donate their funds to when they register for classes each semester. Instead of paying the surcharge to the MSA every semester, I feel students should be given a list of groups on campus in which they can directly give their money. This would take out of the hands of the MSA the ability to pick and choose which groups are granted funds and which groups are not. Students would know exactly where their money is going. In turn, groups would then have to prove to the student body why their group deserves to be chosen. Students would still have the option of turning the set surcharge over to the MSA if they wish not to give to any specific group. Voters who I have come in contact with agree that this system would be an improvement, both in terms of fairness and efficiency, over our current method.

IV.

A major concern of the campaign deals with directing a greater amount of the MSA attention towards bettering the classroom. An issue that we feel strongly about addresses the multitude of resolutions the MSA passes. The majority of these resolutions relate to matters the University can have no tangible effect on, or matters that should just be steered away from. Recently, the MSA stayed up late in the night debating a resolution to support the boycott of a campus newspaper. The issue I contest is not whether to agree with the boycott or not, but whether this is the purpose of the MSA. While the issues the MSA passes resolutions on may be important, they are not subjects that the MSA should handle. Instead off focusing its attention on world issues or unnecessary proclamations, our student government should spend its time working to make campus life more efficient and enjoyable. One must remember that the student government has its limitations and, thus, should act under this bounded power. The MSA at all times should remain the voice of the student body as it pertains to relations with the administration. I, without a doubt, am sure that our administration felt remorse and condemnation towards the September 11 attacks and that a resolution to mark this sentiment, and the time spent debating its' language, is unneeded.

Conferring with a member of the Students First Party on this matter, he justified these resolutions by saying, "Congress passes resolutions about naming a street after someone and other things all the time. We can do the same thing." This is simply an unacceptable position to take if the MSA is serious about helping this become a better University. To me, the MSA exists to serve as a liaison between students and the administration. Instead, the MSA has passed resolution after resolution over the past couple of years. These resolutions have no tangible power, and, at times, unnecessarily divide the University's student body. If elected, I would do all I can to put and end to this lack of efficiency and urge the leadership to focus its' time on making this a better University as opposed to taking symbolic stands on controversial issues of both national, and inner campus concerns. If the MSA wants to bring two parties together and help resolve a dispute I would strongly support it. But I would refuse to support the MSA for merely taking a side to garner publicity.

Our final objective of this campaign is to make the student body more informed of its government's actions. As a leader in academia, the University of Michigan can boast a highly informed student body that one day will have an affect on the world's political and economic scene. I believe this global mastery should be brought to our school government as well. I want to see an increased voter participation in the MSA elections. One should not vote as to justify a grand popularity contest. The student body should be informed of each and every candidate that is running for office. I will make it my duty to run a campaign with real issues and full transparency. Our student body demands such quality and I, for one, wouldn't subject them to unintelligent campaigning with mere "who-knows-who" voting.

My hope is to offer voters on campus a choice apart from politics as usual in our student government elections. A University such as this deserves real candidates who push forward real issues. I favor "politics of meaning" and "politics of action" over politics of flare. Getting elected solely on the fact that you wear a certain color and "drink beer", or support Superman is not what the University of Michigan is about. We are students at a respected institution and should have elections based on respected issues. While my campaign team strives to make this campaign as fun as possible (watch for a visit from ALF on campus starting on November 14) we have serious issues and are trying to get elected on them.

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