As newly elected president and vice president of the Michigan Student Assembly, Matt Nolan and Jessica Cash are eager to start reforming the assembly.
- Paul Wong
- Matt Nolan and Jessica Cash will assume control of the Michigan Student Assembly when current President Hideki Tsutsumi hands over his gavel tonight.<br><br>ELLIE WHITE/Daily
“We really know how to do the things we”ve talked about doing,” Nolan said. “We can”t wait to get started.”
Many assembly members said Nolan and Cash will be a welcomed change from the previous president, Hideki Tsutsumi.
“We are going to have a much easier time working with this executive than either of the two executives we”ve worked with before,” said Rackham Rep. Jessica Curtin, referring to past MSA presidents Tsutsumi and Bram Elias.
“They are two very qualified candidates and I look forward to working with them,” Student Rights Commission chair Michael Simon said.
Simon, who ran as presidential candidate with the University Democratic Party, plans to continue with is efforts to reform the Code of Student Conduct, now called the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities. Nolan and Cash said they have placed Code revisions high on their agenda.
Tsutsumi and outgoing vice-president Jim Secreto said they are happy that Nolan and Cash will be taking their seats.
“I”m glad to leave,” Secreto said, “And I”m glad that I”m leaving the assembly in experienced and well-intentioned hands.”
“I”d like to offer my most sincere congratulations to Matt and Jessica,” Tsutsumi said. “I”m sure they”re going to do a great job.” Tsutsumi, who ran for re-election, plans to stay involved in MSA as a committee or commission chair.
Though 12 seats in this election went to the Blue Party, Nolan and Cash said they look forward to working with members from all parties.
“Part of the core of the Blue Party philosophy is that party lines dissipate after elections,” Nolan said.
Nolan and Cash, who campaigned on their experience and knowledge of the assembly, said they are eager to start “putting the life back into the assembly.”
“Our role is to help facilitate what the assembly wants to get done,” Nolan said. Already Cash and Nolan have met with Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper about inserting a fall break into the academic calendar by Fall 2002.
Planned assembly reforms start with requiring representatives to hold office hours as stated in the MSA constitution and reforming the way the Steering Committee is run. They also want to improve MSA”s name on campus and increase its visibility to the student body.
“The way things are run is going to change fundamentally,” Cash said.
After three months of planning for three weeks of campaigning, Nolan and Cash have rested little, and don”t plan on doing so any time soon.
“We”re both stunned right now,” Cash said. “We fought a hard campaign, and we”re ready to start.