Michigan Student Assembly representatives will keep busy this
summer working on projects, planning for a concert on campus and
meeting with the administration to plan for the fall term.
Some of the elected representatives who are staying in Ann Arbor
over the summer months said they will continue holding MSA
meetings. The summer assembly only deals with funding student
groups and their projects, because it cannot pass resolutions, MSA
Vice President Jenny Nathan said.
The summer assembly will be allocating up to $37,000 dollars to
student groups, Chief of Staff Elliott Wells-Reid said. Nathan said
the summer assembly has extra money to spend because MSA had
$20,000 left over from winter term.
“We increased funding to summer assembly in order to fund
more student groups and projects that are occurring over the
summer,” Nathan said.
The summer assembly will meet every two weeks until all funding
has been distributed to the student groups, she added.
This academic year the assembly allocated $205,348 to the Budget
Priorities Committee for student groups and $103,674 to the
Community Service Commission for charity groups, Wells-Reid
added.
“I think there are some negative perceptions of the MSA
that can be altered with a greater outreach to the students,”
General Counsel Jesse Levine said. “This administration is
about inclusion and motivation for reps and non-reps to set goals
and accomplish them.”
MSA passed a resolution last night to fund $1,200 to the
University of Michigan Engineering Council for a student 2004-2005
calendar handbook. The assembly also passed a resolution to
allocate $10,000 on the Voice your Vote Commission. The commission
will host Robert Randolph and the Family Band at the Michigan
Theater in the fall.
A representative from LSA Student Government also visited the
assembly to discuss a letter written to the Michigan Daily
regarding MSA and LSA-SG. The letter, written by the LSA-SG
executive board, said LSA-SG was more effective than MSA. LSA-SG
representative Andrew Yahkind said the letter did not represent the
viewpoints of the entire LSA-SG.
“I feel MSA does work hard,” Yahkind said.
“Many of the things (MSA) wants to accomplish needs us, and
vice-versa,” he added.
MSA President Jason Mironov said he was not going to allow
LSA-SG members to use the MSA copier machine for free any longer
because of their unprofessional behavior.
“I extended to them the professional courtesy of using our
copier machine without charge,” Mironov said. “I have
decided to revoke the professional courtesy of allowing them free
copies.”
The assembly will be allocating the funds they save from LSA-SG
not using the copier, which amounts to a couple hundred dollars, to
student groups in the fall, Mironov added.
Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper also
visited the chambers last night to discuss the recent budget cuts
and explain the University’s budget process.