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MSU SHC Pine Press 26 February 2021

PINE PRESS FEBRUARY 2021 MSU STUDENT HOUSING COOPERATIVE TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover design by anonymous 01 Note from the Editor 02 M SU Student Spartan Housing Cooperative, Inc. 03 The Financial Side of the 131 Whitehills Prospect 05 Haus LUV 05 Sounds of the SHC 06 Skillshare 07 Make Your Legislator your New Penpal 08 Green Team Update 09 Horoscopes 09 I Got Way Too Into the Little Mermaid over Winter Break 11 Submissions 13 Referenda Calls for Comment and Proposed Changes 20 Presidential Letter of Intent

Note from the Editor Hey guys, it’s me again with another Pine Press. I want to thank the education officers who wrote articles, and members who submitted, for making this Pine Press possible. Remember that we’re always looking for member input on content for the PP, whether you have a submission or a topic you’d like to see covered. Reach me at education@msu.coop :) Here’s a quick bulletin of some news relating to the SHC world: ➢ Dan Tooman has been hired as a full-time maintenance coordinator (in addition to Mike McCurdy, who remains at part time), and this was his first week. Welcome back, Dan!

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➢ Marshall Clabeaux, of Rivendell, has just wrapped up his final week of temporary employment with the SHC. Thanks for your great work, Marshall! ➢ There is one candidate for president for the spring 2021 SHC elections, and he is Erik Berg of Orion. The other big news is that S HC voting season is coming! I ncluded in this Pine Press is the single letter of intent for President, as well as a call for comment and views for referenda about changes to the SHC bylaws and an SHC name change. Please read that stuff and vote when the time comes this spring! Our SHC relies on the democratic participation of its members to function in many ways, and this is one of them. Thanks for reading the Pine Press! Yours in cooperation, Emily Tyler, Vice President of Education, Executive Vice President

MSU Student Spartan Housing Cooperative, Inc. By Erik Berg, President, of Orion "Well," I said, "the 'SHC' really stands for the 'MSU Student Housing Cooperative.'" A look of puzzlement came back to me from the crowd of faces. "But don't worry," I hurried on, "the 'student' business doesn't really mean anything — and we're not actually a part of the University at all!" Why should I have to constantly apologize for our name? Since the very beginning of our operations in 1971, controversy surrounding either our name or who we're meant to serve has persisted. I could (and probably will) write an entire essay analyzing this timeline of this phenomenon, but this is the Pine Press — I'll keep things short. I'll start with my point: Our name needs to be changed. Specifically, the "MSU" needs to be dropped, and the "Student" needs to be swapped. The reason we have "MSU" in our name comes from our prehistory, mostly. Just as the League of Nations preceded the United Nations, the MSU Student Housing Cooperative was preceded by the MSU Inter-Cooperative Council, a student governing body like the Interfraternity Council or the Panhellenic Council. Like the League of Nations, it was a failure — and the MSU SHC was incorporated in 1969 to fix its problems. At that time, the plan was for the "MSU SHC" to be a sort-of subsidiary of the ICC, acting as a central holding corporation for the real estate of the ICC co-ops. But the SHC that actually came to fruition in 1971 was its own federation of co-op houses, completely separate from the University. Nevertheless, "MSU" was the name on file with the State. At first it was good for recognition, but you'd be amazed at how many calls the SHC office gets thinking we're a branch of MSU. Onto the "Student" business. I can tell you without any hesitation that this co-op is not, and at no point in its history has ever been, student-only. There were some unsuccessful campaigns to limit

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membership to students in the mid-2000s, but those were based on bad history, and flopped for various legal and economic reasons. From the very beginning, New Community and Eleutheria (burned down in 1972) in particular were broad and deep in their community involvement, and consisted of many graduates or young adult members. According to our November 2020 census, 15% of SHC members are non-students. That's up from 10% in the fall 2018 survey, and this number has remained between 5% and 10% for the past 30 years. So, why does it matter? Well, aside from being inaccurate and confusing, our name's terrible marketing. "MSU" doesn't exactly carry the prestige of the John Hannah days, and "Student" turns away would-be members because they think they might not qualify. In fact, almost all non-student members I've talked to have mentioned this reservation when considering applying. Students are and will continue to constitute a majority of our membership, but we're not the only members of our community who stand to benefit from a cooperative lifestyle at a moderate cost. In recent years, both the SHC and co-ops like ours have expanded to meet the needs of young adults — and sometimes, even families — in our communities. In a world of soaring housing costs and shrinking in-person community, it's no surprise that our model of housing is expanding beyond college students. In order to eliminate this misunderstanding and to emphasize the real nature of the organization, I endorse and support the suggestion to change the name of our co-op to the Spartan Housing Cooperative. The emphasis of SHC has always been on students — and this emphasis is likely to remain for decades to come — but it's senseless marketing to repel would-be members who aren't students. The fact that we've saddled ourselves unnecessarily with this restrictive name for half a century is ridiculous. We'd be lying to ourselves if we claimed to fully reject luxury, but our cooperative lifestyle does require a degree of Spartan discipline, and our tolerance for hardship — especially over the past year — is Spartan in nature. There will be more hardships in our future, just as there have been in our past, and we will endure them just as we are in the now. Do all of us follow a student lifestyle? Most of us do. Do all of us follow a Spartan lifestyle? All of us do. Let's change our name to better reflect who we really are. Then I can stop apologizing.

The Financial Side of the 131 Whitehills Prospect By Emily Tyler from Vesta Most members have probably heard of the potential SHC purchase of the house at 131 Whitehills, AKA “Left Bower”, which will be decided by the members in a referendum vote this spring. However, many members don’t know much about what it means financially for us to be considering buying this property. Here are some questions and answers about the potential purchase to provide members with a better idea of what this means for our co-op.

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Can the SHC afford to buy another property? The answer to this question depends on the property being considered, as well as how much renovation will need to be done, and how many people will eventually occupy the property. In the case of Left Bower, all of these aspects make the purchase look feasible. Right now the building is divided into apartments, so renovations will have to take place in order to convert it into cooperative housing with common spaces. How much it will cost depends on the way we renovate it, so there will be a balance to reach between optimizing the renovation and ensuring it is sustainable financially. The short answer is that yes, the SHC could afford the purchase of this property. Where is the money for the purchase coming from? The purchase of this property will have multiple sources, including cash and loans, if not also borrowing from other co-op funds. The SHC has been saving money for a long time in the development reserve, the purpose of which is to allow us to set aside money to be able to expand our co-op when an opportunity arises. With the other source being borrowed money, the SHC has a long and healthy relationship with the MSU Federal Credit Union, and they would be able to loan us the full amount we’d need. Borrowing from other co-op funds might for example look like from Shared Capital Co-op, which is a national loan fund that provides financing to cooperative businesses and housing throughout the United States. For the purchase of a property, the SHC would pay at least 25% in cash and no more than 75% in loans. In June 2020, the SHC made a deal with Jim Jones, the current owner of 131 Whitehills (the same Jim Jones of SHC founder-hood) whereby we paid him 263,000$ in a fully refundable type of deposit on the house that prevents Jim Jones from selling it to anyone else before the SHC members vote on whether we purchase. If the vote is a negative, we will get all that money back. How much will 131 Whitehills cost? The total cost of this property is 682,418$. That 263,000$ that’s acting as a hold represents 39% of the purchase price, meaning we’d be getting a loan(s) for the remaining 61% of the cost, which is 419,418$. The “it depends” comes back in here with the variable being how we renovate the house, as well as how many people will live there. The house is licensed for an occupancy of 20, so the design of renovation will attempt to maximize that occupancy in order to get the highest possible number of assessments at the house. Will members be financially impacted by the purchase of the property? The short answer: no. The co-op’s philosophy with expansion is to not have it be subsidized by the current members and assessments. The purchase is not touching assessments, but rather coming from the development reserve, a completely separate section of the budget. There will be no direct financial impact on members by the purchase, any more than by any decision made by the SHC. How will the co-op benefit financially from the purchase of 131 Whitehills? As executive director holly jo put it, “a bigger pie means more fruit.” Because the co-op does not revolve around profit, there are just two ways that the co-op could bring in more revenue than it already does: either through raising assessment, or by expanding so that there are more assessments coming in. This means that expansion is favorable to members, as it will bring more money into the SHC which will benefit members (such as allowing for a higher maintenance budget, for example) without doing so by raising the cost of living here.

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At the end of the day, Jim Jones is going to sell 131 Whitehills; what we have to decide together, through exercising our votes, is whether he sells it to us to become more cooperative housing, or to a landlord. The power to decide is in our hands - make sure you vote this spring!

❤❤❤❤HAUS L UV❤❤❤❤ Compiled by Kiran Lantrip from Raft Hill Casey; thanks for always be a supportive, positive force in the house! This year wouldn't be half as good without you - Bower lucas i would be lost without u thank u for always being there for me and being so funny and complimenting me all the time i love that. ur so cute xoxo - Bowie AU where everyone in Ferency loves each other. Wait that's just real life. - Ferency Thanks S ky for hosting an ~amazing~ challenge night❤❤ - Orion Emma, your spirit brings me so much joy. You amaze me everyday! - Orion Dylan, your passion for the house and for life is contagious! Thank you for all that you do. Love you <3 - Orion Shout out to D ylan and Lincoln for tackling dishes around the house and spreading cleanliness and positivity! - Orion Sky, thank you so much for hosting challenge night. It really opened up a lot of vulnerability and empathy in our group. You make a big difference to the lovely house culture that we have!! - Orion Evelyn, your smile and sweetness rubs off on everyone in the room. I admire your exciting creativity. - Orion Happy birthday to da big boyz @ kieran @lincoln !!!! Pour one up for ohaus - Orion Big snaps to Emma f or spreading light and love wherever she goes. - Orion New hausmates Jupiter & Greg, welcome to the shitshow! We’re glad to have you :) - Phoenix Jupiter and Greg, welcome aboard - Phoenix Ghandi, L. Ron Hubbard, Mr. Rogers, Jesus of Nazareth and Sam Peterson <3 - Vesta Emily! Thank you for making the best pot of coffee and for always sharing it with me! I love you and value our friendship <3 - Vesta Best neighbors ever!!!!! From Vesta, to O rion

Sounds of the SHC Compiled by Kiran Lantrip from Raft Hill Another month, another month of tunes, this time juiced up special with a fine selection of memes. The Spotify playlist for this month can be found linked h ere or on the Facebook page. ...Baby One More Time, Cast of Glee; Stronger, Cast of Glee; Toxic, Cast of Glee; Me Against the Music, Cast of Glee; I'm a Slave 4 U, Cast of Glee - Bower

MSU SHC Pine Press 26 February 2021

hollywood forever cemetery sings by father john misty - bowie Red Red Wine by UB40 - Orion Behemoth by SVDDEN DEATH - Orion I Do Coke by Kill the Noise - Orion She Wolf by Shakira - Orion Vengaboys only brah. - Phoenix She left me standing on the mountain by Jim and Jesse, Back to New Orleans by Lightnin' Hopkins, Goodnight Irene by Leadbelly, La danse de Mardi Gras by the Balfa Brothers - Phoenix

Skillshare!! By Mallory Bengry from Orion Do you feel like honing your skills? Do you crave knowledge? Look no further than the MSU Student Housing Cooperative Skillshare 2021! The SHC Skillshare is a free virtual community event where co-opers can teach or demonstrate their skills and knowledge to other co-op members and friends! It will be April 9-11, Friday through Sunday. Use this link to sign up to host a digital zoom workshop/session: https://forms.gle/b7ceERi6c83QEdoc6 The skillshare is an opportunity to share and learn with your community. This year it will be set up like a mini-conference, with multiple different sessions/workshops taking place at different times over the days. The intended audience is anyone who wants to learn, so it's free for your friends, family, housemates, as well as being open to prospective members and potentially SHC alumni and members of other co-ops!

MSU SHC Pine Press 26 February 2021

Make Your Legislator Your New Penpal By Maddie Eliott from Ferency I attended a lunch and learn through my internship at Michigan’s Children, a child welfare policy advocacy group, and here are some insights I gleaned from the panelists, who included a former State of Michigan legislator and several leaders of nonprofit organizations. I strive to become more civically engaged and I have a long way to go, so this is as much for your encouragement as it is for mine! Legislators work for you! - Yes, we could commiserate all day about corruption and dirty money in politics, but at the end of the day, they work for you, so you better tell them what you want them to do! - You should never feel like a burden, or feel unqualified to contact your legislators. They don’t get as much contact with constituents as they should, and your opinions are valid. (Constituents are the people who a legislator represents. You are a constituent of many publicly elected local, state, and federal policymakers) They are not all-knowing experts! - Legislators are not well-versed in every issue that they are expected to vote on, so educating them about an issue that you care about could benefit the decisions they make and, in some cases, lead them to vote in your favor. Emails, phone calls, and letters can make a difference! - Legislative staff keep track of how many contacts they receive from constituents about specific issues, and report the most common topics of the week to the legislator. If they are on the fence about an issue, they may rely on the opinions expressed by their constituents to vote on a bill. You don’t need to write an essay or give a speech! - Legislators and legislative staff are more likely to closely read emails that are short and sweet. Briefly state your argument, give evidence to support it, and hit send! Now is the time! - We are in the second, almost third month of a new legislative cycle for the federal and state governments. This means that there is a great opportunity for policy change. - There are lots of fresh faces in Congress who are hoping to get input from YOU, their constituents. - The State of Michigan and the Federal budgets are being negotiated now, so get your opinions in the mix! Make it cooperative! - Devote time during your house meeting or host a separate house event to talk about issues that you are passionate about, and have a letter or email writing session! Resources to keep you informed: If you are registered to vote in East Lansing, your representatives are:

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US House of Representatives: Elissa Slotkin

US Senate: Debbie Stabenow & Gary Peters

Michigan House of Representatives Julie Brixie

Michigan Senate Curtis Hertel

Did you know that the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem of East Lansing are appointed by Councilmembers? Read about who these people are: https://www.cityofeastlansing.com/996/Meet-the-Council Find federal bills that your representative has sponsored, and their committee assignments: https://www.congress.gov/ (Click the arrow to the left of the search bar and select “members” to search for your representative) See recent federal legislation and who voted for what: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes

Green Team Update

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Horoscopes Submitted anonymously Pisces (Feb. 20-Mar. 20): Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. But just because you shouldn’t, doesn’t mean you don’t want to. Fuck it, do whatever you want. It’s Pisces Season. Aires (Mar. 21-Apr. 20): D o you ever take a day off? Our collective modern-day capitalist nightmare has us all convinced that we need to be productive 24/7, but that’s just not possible or an acceptable ask. Take some time for self-care today and remember: if you don’t choose a time to rest, your body will choose for you. Taurus (Apr. 21-May 20): All pasta salad needs is noodles and Italian dressing, the rest is up to interpretation. Life is much the same way. I know you’re stressed about what you’re doing with your life, dear Taurus, but trust me, you’re doing fine. All you need is noodles and Italian dressing, the rest is solely up to you. Gemini (May 21-June 20): What show are you binge watching right now? For me it’s Twin Peaks. It’s like the writers couldn’t think of a subplot other than everyone is cheating on everyone. Don’t get so caught up in tv shows that you miss out on the theater of life, where the plot line is rarely ever that lazy. Cancer (June 21-July 22): Q is the only letter in the English alphabet that doesn’t appear in any U.S. State’s name. In my opinion, unless you’re playing Scrabble, Q is a useless letter anyway. I think it’s fair to say that if you have 26 of anything you can probably afford to get rid of one. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22): Who doesn’t love a nice, crisp bottle of kombucha on a cold winter’s day? Too bad grocery store kombucha prices are through the roof. Just steal that shit and remember: if it’s a chain, it’s free reign. And for legal reasons, this is a joke. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): I think the pandemic has made us all more nostalgic. Personally, I’ve been listening to my music library from when I was in middle school. Talk about cringe. Take some time to reflect on how much you’ve grown this year, and how happy you are that middle school is but a distant memory. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): When I was at the DC Women’s March after Donald Trump’s inauguration back in 2017, I met a stranger in line at McDonald’s who, unprompted, shared their 4-piece nuggets with me. You’ve never met a stranger, dear Libra; It seems you make friends everywhere you go. It’s because you’re so personable and can anticipate anyone’s needs at a glance. Be someone’s 4-piece nugget friend today. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22): Winter has been happening for about eight years at this point in 2021. It’s time to switch things up and swap the Natty Lites for a more seasonal beverage. Start your weekend right with a Rumple Minze and cocoa. And if you don’t know what Rumple Minze is, it’s about time you learned. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21): Back in the before times, I closed down a bar, and as I was headed to the bathroom one last time before going home, I failed to notice that the toilet seat was up, having recently been cleaned. I almost fell into an East Lansing bar toilet. You frequently act with spontaneity, and while things usually work out, it doesn’t hurt to weigh your outcomes before you make a decision. What I’m trying to say here is, look before you leap. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): I have nothing to say to you this month other than, how does it feel to be everyone’s non-problematic fave? Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19): Do you ever think about how Aquarius, the water bearer, is an air sign? Sometimes you think you know a person and they turn out to be the complete opposite of what you expected. Just remember: it doesn’t matter what expectations others have of you, live by your own standards and make yourself happy.

I Got Way Too Into the Little Mermaid over Winter Break By Danny Olweean from Bowie

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Imagine, for a moment, you are in love with someone. An adoration so strong you desire to devote to them every thought. You write letters, full of midnight memories and poems just as sweet, though not even a novel could contain all the words you have rhymed with their name. They write back too, kindly but passionlessly. They do not return your love. But that is ok, you tell yourself. They will come around, you tell yourself. Then, a letter back. Each envelope received fills your heart with a fantastical “what if!” But this one drains it hollower than ever before. They are to be married. More importantly, they are to be married to someone that is not you. In response, you retreat to an island and write the 1837 fairytale “The Little Mermaid'' (we’ve all been there). I think most are aware that fairytales have been softened for more recent retellings. The Brothers Grimm has a great story about child amputation where the moral is essentially “don’t stick your arms into holes.” However, like the children in this timeless message, cutting fairytales down often leaves them feeling like something is missing. Stripping away ugliness strips away the beauty as well, leaving only a bare husk of Sebastian the Lobster. The Little Mermaid that I and everyone-who-will-likely-die-directly-from-climate-change grew up on has a familiar Disney structure: Hero wants a thing, Villain tries to stop a thing, for a moment things look bad, then they are good again. But the life of a n ineteenth-century bisexual mermaid isn’t so simple. In the original story, the Little Mermaid saves a Prince from a violent storm, carrying him to shore. However, he wakes up to another woman discovering him, leaving the mermaid cloutless. LM is a little miffed by this, and wishes to give up her 300-year (soulless) lifespan for one as a human. The sea witch grants her wish in exchange for her voice, but has… conditions. LM has to win the Prince’s love, and upon death by heartbreak will dissolve into sea foam. And also every step she takes feels like blades digging into her skin. So LM gets on land, and the Prince at that moment is searching for the lady who found him, believing he can only marry his savior. But instead, he finds our heroine! And he really likes her! As a friend! LM can’t explain that it’s really her who did the heavy lifting, but she remains optimistic. One day his parents say “ay princy, marry this lady from another nation for political reasons!” and he says “I could never! I shall reject her in person!” But ah, a twist! The princess from another nation is none other than the lady he thinks saved him! And he immediately proposes! LM goes “siri play Mitski I’m boutta dissolve,” but her sisters come with a message: if she kills the prince and his new wife before sunrise, she can become a mermaid again! She enters the newlywed’s bedroom, dagger in hand, but seeing their nocturnal embrace cannot bring herself to end their happiness. She walks out to face the morning and sinks into the sea. Though fantastical, The Little Mermaid has a potent real-life inspiration. Hans Christen Anderson was in love with Edvard Collin (Edward Cullen???), the son of his patrician. Hans began to develop deep feelings. Edvard, on the other hand, saw them only as close friends. None the matter, Hans would write amorous letters until he came around. “I languish for you as for a pretty Calabrian wench ... my sentiments for you are those of a woman. The femininity of my nature and our friendship must remain a mystery” he said. Edvard responded: “you write too much.” In 1836, Edvard was to marry a woman. When he referred to Hans as his “worthy friend,” the author replied “I don’t want to be worthy….any fool can be called worthy.” Distraught, Hans returned to his home island of Funen to write a story where your prince is blind, where pretending to be something you’re not feels like daggers with every step, and where sometimes things just don’t work out. Though it may be lacking in musical numbers, the original Little Mermaid is more beautiful than the Disney Renaissance interpreted it to be. Villains can be essential for any simple story, but what I believe makes the Little Mermaid so powerful is that there are no villains. The sea-witch is a chaotic neutral. The princess is unaware of the mermaid's existence. The prince may be blindingly

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stupid, but at the same time, nobody is entitled to another’s love. The only malevolent forces one could blame are the tides of the ocean that brought our characters to each other. Despite its tragic events, however, the original Little Mermaid still has a happy ending. After her death, the Little Mermaid is told she may gain a soul and ascend to Heaven if she completes 300 years of good deeds. There is no reason her salvation should depend upon the Prince, Hans explained, both to readers and himself. P.S. One day I sat on the couch and watched nearly every significant Little Mermaid adaptation. The best live action movie is the 1976 Czech Malá Mořská Víla. The best animated movie is the 1968 Russian Rusalochka, which looks amazing but has a terrible English dub (and no subs). Both are on youtube. The Disney one is fine too, Howard Ashman did a great job. P.P.S. T his wasn’t explicit enough, but Hans kinda sucked. This all makes for a good story though.

Submissions!! Poetry Submission by Michael McGibbon from Phoenix My favorite clothes have no origin A t-shirt for a concert I’ve never been to; a baseball cap for a team I’ve never rooted for A worn jacket quietly nested deep in a dark shoe room closet waiting for its bearer, perhaps a distant relative long gone and lying dormant in their own dark corridor, and similarly reticent My favorite clothes have no origin though they shelter me all the same, like a warm embrace from an old friend My thrifted clothes adopt me as I adopt them, and while the gum on the sole of my boot may survive me, I take solace in the possibility that a strange and grateful foot will carry my gait, as if my story never came to an end And just as I carried that mustard stain from the hot dog of the overzealous Yankees fan and sported the autograph of Neil Peart at a family-friend’s baby shower, and wore the creases of my great uncle’s forgotten overcoat like I had myself breathed that golden air which still hides deep in its pockets, A worthy successor will carry my threads, my own small legacy, and think to themselves, “what is your origin?”

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- Anonymous Camping Photos submission by Chad Hildwein from Orion taken while camping at Montreal Falls in the UP summer 2020

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Nature Photos submitted by Kelly MacDonald

Referenda Call for Comment and Views By Jonathan Sheehan from Orion The Board of Directors has convened a committee to propose changes to the Bylaws of the MSU Student Housing Cooperative, Inc. and the Articles of Incorporation of the MSU Student Housing Cooperative, Inc. This notice hereby is considered a call for comment and a request for opposing views to be included in the referendum. Please find these language changes, as well as a relevant background, and pros and cons to each referendum below. Comments submitted may be used to build the pro/cons list for the referenda. Please submit comments h ere (hyperlink embedded), or by scanning the QR code on the next page:

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The full Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws can be viewed at https://wiki.msu.coop/policy_documents/articles_of_incorporation/articles_of_incorporation and https://wiki.msu.coop/policy_documents/bylaws/bylaws Voting will be held alongside VPE/VPM voting, from March 12th to March 26th.

Applying for Tax Exemption Referendum Note: Changes to the SHC Bylaws must be passed by a majority of those voting. Changes to the SHC Articles of Incorporation must be passed by ⅔ of the total membership. Please Return Ballots Electronically by 11:59PM Friday, March 26th, 2021 Background: SHC initially applied for 501(c)(3) federal tax exempt status in 1971. Due to misinformation in the application, it was denied, appealed, and the case was closed in 1973. In the 50 years since this first application, the SHC has multiple times considered, but not attempted to obtain non-profit status. David Sparer, an attorney in Madison, WI has successfully assisted several housing co-ops similar to SHC in obtaining tax-exempt status across the United States. His approach is to apply under the “IRS safe harbor rule.” That rule relies upon claiming that SHC’s corporate purpose is to provide affordable housing. Per his recommendation, the 2015 “‘Making SHC Affordable’ and Applying for Tax Exemption Referendum” changed the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation to enhance our position as an affordable housing provider. Due to additional requirements after the 2015 Referendum, the application to get 501 (c)(3) status has not yet been sent. At the 2020-11-30 BoD meeting, the Board created a referendum committee per Bylaws Article XII, reigniting the push for nonprofit status.

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Our attorney recently reviewed SHC governing documents, which includes the Bylaws. He pointed out a few items that were inconsistent with SHC’s current practices. The proposed amendments will help to clarify the language, and increase our chances of being approved for 501(c)(3) federal tax exempt status by the IRS. It is the hope that if this referendum gets approved by the membership, we will be able submit an application soon after. Considerations: ● Conflicting uses of the word “member households” in our governing documents make it unclear whether we’re considering the income eligibility based on an individual member’s finances or on the entire group of members who happen to be living under the same roof. ● It’s a good idea to be explicit that our board members are also SHC members. Otherwise, a house theoretically could appoint someone who doesn’t live in the co-op. ● It’s also a good idea to be explicit that our Board of Directors and Officers aren’t paying themselves a big salary to do their work. Pros: ● Having data on income levels of members keeps us accountable to our mission of providing affordable housing to those who need it. ● Each change cleans up our governing documents, ensuring that they match up to how we operate ● Obtaining 501(c)(3) status would free up money currently being paid in taxes for maintenance, education, growing the cooperative movement, among other things Cons: ● Applications will require income information from potential members; applicants earning over $44,950/year could be excluded from membership (only if higher-income people would exceed 25 % of the total membership). This is current SHC practice, as it is required under United States Revenue Ruling 96-32 to qualify for 501(c)(3) status, so a yes or no vote in this referendum would not change this.

Underlined language is NEW; Strikethrough is DELETED; All changes are highlighted PROPOSED CHANGES TO BYLAWS OF THE MSU STUDENT HOUSING COOPERATIVE, INC. Article IV.1 Membership:

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An individual Membership in the SHC shall commence upon signing of a membership agreement with the corporation, and payment of both member house loan and SHC dues, amounts of such loan and dues to be set by the Board. Membership shall continue so long as the individual also has a valid occupancy agreement with any of the corporation's member houses. No membership dues shall be charged to any ex-member rejoining SHC who has already paid such dues, regardless of any change in the amount of those dues over time. Article IV.2 Membership: No more than 24% of member individual households shall have incomes greater than 80% of the median income* and no less than 20% of member individual households shall have incomes less than 50% of the median income. *(Median income as defined by HUD standards for Lansing-East Lansing, MI USA). Article IV.7 Membership: An individual Membership in the SHC may become null and void if the collective entity of the Household corporation fails in its responsibilities to the parent corporation of the SHC. These provisions are defined in Article X of the Articles of Incorporation. This would require a two-thirds vote of the entire Board of Directors; any member loans to the SHC shall automatically become forfeit. Article VII.4.A Membership of The Board of Directors: There shall be one representative for every Household AND they must be a member in good standing of the cooperative.

Article VII.4.F Membership of The Board of Directors: Add: B oard members are not paid, except for reimbursement or modest stipends. Article VIII.9 Officers: Add: O fficers are not paid, except for reimbursement or modest stipends. Article VIII.2.A Executive Vice President: The Executive Vice President shall be an individual member of the Cooperative and a member of the Executive Committee who is not the President, and shall serve a one year term beginning in May and ending in April of the following year Article XI.4 Property

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Individual member Households shall be responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing maintenance programs in accordance to the SHC Code of Operations.

Name Change Referendum Note: Changes to the SHC Bylaws must be passed by a majority of those voting. Changes to the SHC Articles of Incorporation must be passed by ⅔ of the total membership. Return Ballots Electronically by 11:59PM Friday, March 26th, 2021 Background: From our first days being incorporated, our co-op was known as the MSU Student Housing Corporation. In the 1990s, a referendum passed to change our name, but with no alternative in mind. No action was taken. We altered our original name in 2002 to make it what we have today: MSU Student Housing Cooperative. Although our ties to the University run deep, we exist as a completely separate entity. This, coupled with the fact that we are not exclusive to students, lead to a renewed push to change our name. After some deliberations the Visionary Committee proposed we change our name to the Spartan Housing Cooperative, a name that emerged years prior. At the 2020-11-30 BoD meeting, the Board created a referendum committee per Bylaws Article XII, to which bringing this name change into fruition was tasked. The proposed amendments to the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation replace every instance of “MSU Student Housing Cooperative” with “Spartan Housing Cooperative” and “MSU-SHC” with “SHC”. Pros: ● Changing our name helps eliminate the misconception that you need to be a student to live in the SHC. By clarifying this, we make our organization more inclusive. ● The name “Spartan Housing Cooperative” still has an association with MSU, without being as explicit. ● Since “Student Housing Cooperative” and “Spartan Housing Cooperative” both are abbreviated as SHC, we minimize impact to our recognizability Cons: ● We would lose some recognition from anyone who knows us as the Student Housing Cooperative, or solely from our name association with MSU. ● Adjusting to a new name may be difficult for individuals who are used to the old one, including for alumni. ● This would require reprinting of signs, merchandise, advertising, or other marketing 17

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media to reflect the name change. ● Our website name will no longer match our name. We will need a new domain name, and likely the old one for site forwarding. Underlined language is NEW; Strikethrough is DELETED; All changes are highlighted

PROPOSED CHANGES TO BYLAWS OF THE MSU STUDENT HOUSING COOPERATIVE, INC. Article I. Name The name of this organization shall be known as the MSU Student Housing Cooperative, Inc. Spartan Housing Cooperative, Inc. henceforth referred to as the SHC. Article III. Supremacy Clause Section 1. All policies and directives established by these By-Laws, the Articles of Incorporation, valid membership referenda, regular all- membership meetings, valid decisions of the MSU- SHC SHC Board of Directors and the Code of Operations shall be binding on the Corporation in the following descending order of supremacy: A. The Articles of Incorporation B. The MSU- SHC SHC By-Laws C. Valid individual membership referenda and regular all-membership meetings. D. Decisions of the MSU- SHC SHC Board of Directors. E. The Code of Operations F. Presidential actions G. Committee actions exercising specifically delegated responsibilities. H. Staff functions as designated by the above Article IV.5 Membership Only members of the MSU- SHC SHC shall reside in properties owned or leased by the corporation, except in the case of a newly acquired property, where State law decrees that any existing leases must be honored by any new owner, until the time when such leases would normally expire. Article IV.8 Membership MSU- SHC SHC promotes the goal of a safe, friendly and comfortable living and working environment, free from mental and physical harassment for all members and employees. This requires maintaining an atmosphere of respect regardless of race, sex, creed, sexual preference, disability, or national origin. MSU- SHC SHC provides a complaint and disciplinary procedure regarding harassment for its members, guests and

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employees. Individuals may utilize any or all of the steps which are outlined in the MSU- SHC SHC harassment policy for reconciling the situation. Article V. Households A household shall consist of all individual members of the MSU- SHC SHC living in a single building or group of buildings functioning as a unit. Article XI. Property The MSU- SHC SHC shall not sell the property without an all membership referendum approving the sale. The MSU- SHC SHC Board of Directors shall have the authority to mortgage MSUSHC SHC real property as deemed necessary for the functioning of SHC. All real estate purchases of MSU- SHC SHC shall be approved by a majority of the membership through a referendum vote. Individual member households shall be responsible for planning, coordinating and implementing maintenance programs in accordance to the SHC Code of Operations. Individual members shall be responsible for the upkeep of the house(s) in which they reside, and shall be required to keep their house up to conditions of sanitation and safety acceptable to all of the following: 1. The City of East Lansing 2. The County of Ingham 3. The State of Michigan 4. The MSU- SHC SHC Board of Directors 5. The majority vote at their house meetings. Conditions which do not meet those minimum standards shall result in necessary corrective action by the SHC Board of Directors . The MSU- SHC SHC shall maintain a level of insurance coverage adequate for replacement costs of physical plant and property of each co-operative household, and providing a degree of coverage for the property of individuals residing in any property owned or leased by the Corporation.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION OF THE MSU STUDENT HOUSING COOPERATIVE, INC. 19

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Article I. Name The name of the corporation is MSU Student Housing Cooperative, Inc. Spartan Housing Cooperative, Inc. Article II.A. Purpose The MSU Student Housing Cooperative, Inc. Spartan Housing Cooperative, Inc. is organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954. No substantial portion of either its funds or activities may be directed at any time to other purposes. Its primary purposes are: Article X (Added by amendment July 19, 1977) The corporation shall not sell, mortgage, or assign any real estate without the prior vote of a majority of the member occupants of the real estate to be sold, mortgaged, or assigned. Further, each house (as defined in the By Laws) has the responsibility to care, manage, and control their property. This authority may be revoked by the MSU Student Housing Corporation Spartan Housing Cooperative, Inc. in the event there occurs waste to the premises or impairment to the capital of the MSU Student Housing Corporation Spartan Housing Cooperative, Inc.

Presidential Letter of Intent By Erik Berg from Orion To the Member-Owners of the MSU SHC: Exactly one year ago, I submitted to you a letter declaring my intent to seek election to the office of President of the MSU SHC for the 2020-2021 term. I took the time to detail my extensive experience in various leadership roles within the SHC, my accomplishments to-date, my ongoing work with the co-op, my motivations for becoming so engaged in helping improve our system, and then squarely addressed the central shortcomings of our modus operandi. One year ago, the SHC was suffering from a common illness found in many cooperative systems: minimal participation of members at the SHC-level, caused by a deficiency in education and communication to the membership from the SHC-level. This leads to dysfunction and inefficiency at the SHC-level, which causes a feedback loop of increased member frustration, alienation, and apathy beyond their primary co-op house. Specific deficiencies in the areas of communication, education, transparency, and accountability were identified, and specific plans to rectify the problems in these four areas were drafted with the assistance of both SHC member workgroups and lessons drawn from the existing research into the sociology of housing co-op federations like SHC. With our

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anniversary fast approaching, we were making preparations to spend the upcoming year developing a strategic plan for the next era of the SHC. One year ago, we lived in a completely different world. At that time, the news spoke of a sudden uptick in pneumonia cases in Hubei, China. Cases of what would later be termed “COVID-19” began appearing worldwide in only a matter of weeks. I remember partaking in a Presidential Town Hall in Orion’s living room at the end of February, in which Emily Tyler and I answered questions from the moderator and audience as the two candidates for SHC President. The turnout was fantastic. We struggled to fit enough seating for all of the attendees, so some co-opers had to stand in the almost 40’ away from the stage. Seeing that number of members invested enough in the functioning of the SHC to turn out for this event was a beautiful sight. A part of me couldn’t wait for the next such event, but a more logical part of me understood what was coming down the pike. March 11th: MSU suspends face-to-face classes, and encourages students to evacuate East Lansing. March 16th: I was elected as the next SHC President. March 23th: Michigan goes into lockdown. The situation was dire. The future was uncertain. Staff and EC began holding joint virtual meetings, and we froze the SHC budget to all non-emergency spending. We also pulled $25,000 from our vacancy reserve to establish a Financial Relief Committee and crisis fund to support those overburdened by the economic fallout. It was at that moment I switched from a reformist president to a “wartime” president. The months to follow featured a relentless bombardment of unique crises, challenges, and complications. Our staff dwindled as our workload increased. Members began buying out of their contracts, which meant increased vacancies, which meant decreased revenue. EC members became pro-bono Office Laborers, since that program had to be suspended. There were periods where I and other Officers worked upwards of 90 hours/week without pay. It was a difficult time, to put it lightly. It didn’t matter that we weren’t finished with our strategic planning process — the next era of the SHC was decidedly here. If I could describe the SHC in one word, it would be “resilient.” I’m unable to list off all of the crises faced over the past year in this document. Instead, I’ll take the opportunity to list off just a few of the things my administration has accomplished, in spite of the overwhelming difficulties and obstacles we’ve faced. Very early in my presidency, the SHC helped make history by loaning GRACC (Grand Rapids Alliance of Cooperative Communities) the funds necessary to purchase one of their four buildings — the first cooperatively-owned house in Grand Rapids. “Death by Landlord” is the #1 killer of co-ops, and so this loan provided GRACC with a very important increase in autonomy and stability. After 50 years of failed attempts, we are now poised to purchase 131 Whitehills, the building next door to Bower, at a bargain of a price, in what would be the first true increase in cooperative membership since the purchase of Phoenix in 1994. Of course, this important purchase and

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expansion requires the approval in an upcoming all-member referendum. The building, currently an apartment complex, is being managed by SHC staff in the meantime, and plans are being drawn up for the structure’s conversion to a co-op house. Although development was stalled by the pandemic, the new and improved SHC website is nearing completion and set to go live in the very near future. The increase in available information and improved features compared to the current website is… remarkable. I just spent two minutes trying to think of a good analogy, but the difference is so staggering that I couldn’t. The new website will serve as a very important conduit for transmission of knowledge, communication, education, and transparency. In the meantime, I’ve been making piecemeal efforts to increase the amount of information available to the general membership, such as adding a Board information hub with unfettered access to the SHC’s governance, past and present. While some adoption and training is still needed for some Education Officers, the Policy Wiki has finally reached a stage that could be called “complete.” At the national level, I’ve been working along with holly jo, Jim Jones (SHC & NASCO founder), and a number of other co-op veterans to develop a new co-op development strategy that would increase the number of housing co-ops nationally, operating via the Campus Cooperative Development Corporation (CCDC). For some more personal accomplishments, I’ve been building and maintaining new and improved contact with significant SHC alumni throughout all periods of our history, and I’ve opened new channels of communication with other co-op leaders for mutual aid and support in these unprecedented times. As the SHC’s resident historian, I’ve begun archiving, digitally preserving, and recording the poorly recorded — and largely forgotten — histories of our houses and the SHC as a whole. We’ve come a long way in just one year, but we still have a long way to go. There’s plenty of additional ongoing work, like finalizing our application for 501(c)(3) federal tax-exempt status, my meetings with the University to ensure second year students may continue living off campus in cooperative houses, the effort to resuscitate ELFCO, and, of course, our looming “vacancy crisis.” Pandemic uncertainty has left us with a remarkable number of open spaces next year, which may or may not be a problem we’ll have to tend to in the coming months. However, I have full confidence this is yet another obstacle that we’ll overcome. I say this because these are all problems we’ve faced and overcome in our past, and that oft-forgotten history is there to provide a roadmap to solving them. Being resilient to hardship helps, but having leadership a strong understanding of SHC history can remove the “hardship” altogether. One year ago, all of our lives were unexpectedly uprooted, and our society changed forever. One year ago, our cooperative community was fragmented as each of our houses were siloed off from each other. One year ago, I never would have guessed that I’d be dubbed “the FDR of the SHC” for my role in navigating us through this period of our history. The past year has been bleak, but the light at the end of the tunnel is visible and getting brighter by the day. Tens of millions of Americans have already been vaccinated, and the vaccination rate continues to increase by the day. The worst of it really is behind us, and the gradual return to normalcy lies in the months ahead.

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Most SHC Presidents are far too burnt out to run for a second term. While I’ve experienced my fair share of burnout over the past year, I’m not letting that dismay me. I still have plenty of work to do fulfilling my pre-COVID campaign promises. Not only that, but if I’m truly meant to be “the FDR of the SHC,” I have an obligation to serve for an unusually long period of time, don’t I? With that said, I have recognized that it is in the best interests of my continued work with the SHC, and of the organization itself, that I seek re-election to the office of President of the MSU SHC for the 2021-2022 term. I can’t promise what exactly the future has in store for us, but I can promise that I will continue to maneuver us through this crisis just as I have, but as a president wiser, more experienced, and with more grey hair. But of course, there’s very little I can do alone. Recently I’ve relied on our Board, EC, COVID-19 Response Team, and Staff for help in my work, but I truthfully rely on all member-owners, not just those who volunteer for these roles, for the continuation of our system and for my own personal success. We’re truthfully all in this together as equals. Our success lies in our ability to work together as equals. Some call this effect "synergy," but a simpler word might be just "cooperation." One year from now, our SHC will be different. Some differences will be more obvious than others, but I’m confident that the changes we have in store will be positive. How do I know this? From studying our history. After every hardship, whether that be a World War, Great Depression, or pandemic, our coops flourish. It’s like clockwork. Hard times force us to learn how to be cooperative, and those of us who stick around for the good times use that important skill to accomplish some great things. Don’t believe me? Well, I hope you’ll stick around and see for yourself. Imagine that, being optimistic about the future… It’s incredible how much of a difference one year can make. In Cooperation,

President, MSU-SHC