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From: gt@umich.UUCP (Gus Teschke)
Newsgroups: net.college
Subject: Trash Student Government?
Message-ID: <389@umich.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 9-Jan-86 16:50:29 EST
Article-I.D.: umich.389
Posted: Thu Jan  9 16:50:29 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Jan-86 07:28:00 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: University of Michigan, EECS Dept., Ann Arbor, MI
Lines: 50

> The college was the University of Wisconsin at Madison.  I'm not sure
> of the entire story, but my old roommate (who now attends that school)
> sent a postcard with a picture of the administration building lawn
> covered with pink plastic flamingos.  The caption on back read something
> to the effect that every 97 years, flamingos mysteriously migrate to the
> University of Wisconsin.
...
>                                   -- Mike Christodoulou


The Rackham Student Government at the University of Michigan is the
student government for the graduate students, excluding the law,
business, and medical schools.  Until the last year it was, I think,
rather typical of student governments:  nothing worthwhile happened
there.  No one on campus knew what it was.  Well, a friend of mine got
together a group of us, we asked some of our friends to vote for us,
and poof! we were the majority.

We aren't looking for debates, Robert's Rulers, or spending much
time in meetings.  We just wanted to use what little power RSG has
to do worthwhile things.  The group is admittedly small, about 10 people.

So we have started a speaker series that is bringing speakers to campus
with viewpoints that might not otherwise be heard.  It's not a big
series; so far it's been Paul Sweezy, a radical economist.  
Next semester it's Edward Said and David Levine.  

We also sent $1000.00 to Nicaragua for medical relief.  I'm particularly
proud of this action, though it wasn't my idea.  I only wish we could do
more.

The UW Madison flamingoes were a fantastic idea, but we're too lazy to
do that much real work.  Though not nearly so grand, we seem to have
caused a fairly big stir by passing a resolution banning the appearance
any member of the Reagan Administration unless they appear as part of a
debate.  It was in honor of George Bush's appearance at a Peace Corps
anniversary.  BIG First Amendment confusion.

I offer these examples to show that student government need not be 
caught up in petty political squabbles, and can actually DO something,
although it's still the case that no one on campus knows what RSG is.
It seems like you might be throwing away a perfectly good tool if
you abolish your local student government.

I would also like to trade ideas with other student governments.  
I think we got a good idea from Berkeley a while back; something about 
the Central America sanctuary movement.   Other ideas?

						Gus Teschke
						..!ihnp4!umich!itivax!gus