NEWS The Michigan Daily - Monday, April 18, 2005 - 3A ON CAMPUS Women play pool for free in Union Pool Hall The Michigan Union is hosting Ladies Day today. From 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., ladies can play pool for free in the Union Pool Hall. Chemistry Prof to speak on oxidation Chemistry Prof. Vincent Pecoraro will lecture today at 4 p.m. in the Vandenberg Room of the Michigan League. The topic of his Margaret and Herman Sokol Faculty Lecture in the * Sciences is "Shedding Light on Pho- tosynthetic Water Oxidation." There will be a reception in the Hussey room after the lecture. Free HIV testing in LGBTA Office The HIV/AIDS Resource Center will offer free and anonymous HIV testing at the Office of LGBT Affairs in 3200 Michigan Union from 6 to 7 p.m. today. Call 800-578-2300 for more information. U Philharmonia Orchestra to play at Hill tonight Andrew George will be conduct- ing the University Philharmonia Orchestra tonight at 8 p.m. in Hill Auditorium. There will be pieces from Glinka, Evan Chambers, Tubin and Borodin. CRIME NOTES Fire causes extensive damage in Chem Building A fire was reported to the Depart- ment of Public Safety Friday. The reported fire was ignited in a gas chromatograph pyrolysis inlet inter- face at the Chemistry Building on April 7, 2005. The fire was extin- guished when it was discovered. There is estimated property damage at $10,000. The fire appeared to be accidental in nature. Subject injures finger playing basketball A caller reported to DPS on Friday a severe finger injury sustained while playing basketball at the Central Cam- pus Recreation Building. The subject was transported to the University Hos- pital Emergency Room. THIS DAY In Daily History MI police dog used in narcotics investigation April 18, 1969 - Police dogs were used for the first time to search for drugs in Michigan. The previ- ous February, a woman returned to Detroit Metro Airport from a trip to California and went to claim her suitcase. Detective Sgt. Frank Van Wolfen of the Wayne County Sheriff's Department and a German Shepard named Bomber searched arriving luggage after receiving a . call from federal authorities in Cali- fornia alerting the police about the woman. Bomber was the first dog to be used in a narcotics investigation in Michigan. The woman challenged her arrest saying that the Fourth Amendment protected her against unreasonable search and seizure, and that an animal cannot establish probable cause. The County Sheriff maintained that Bomber is simply another investigatory tool the police have at their disposal. Women I obby for over-the-counter Plan B By Julia F. Heming Daily Staff Reporter The debate over emergency contraception, a] ko n as the morning after pill, has intensified lately as suppor er tothe di ug are lobbying for it to obtain over-the-counter staus I he disus- sion has prompted both moral and medical debaie (Yei th use of the oral contraceptive that must be taken ithin 7 hours of unprotected sex. Nisha Gulati, a spokeswoman fort he Femin ist Majority Foundation, said American women would greatly benefit from increased access to emergency contraception because it would decrease the number of unintended pregnancies. The FMF has been campaigning for over-the-counter availablity of emergency contraception since the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug for prescription use in 1999. "Emergency contraception is available without a dotor's pre- scription in 26 countries - this is exactly what we're going for here," Gulati said. She cited the availability of emergency con- traception in France, which she said has the lowest number of unintended pregnancies in the world. LSA junior Ashwini Hardikar, a member of Students for Choice, said emergency contraception should be readily available for women. "In the case of a rape victim, it's so impor ant to have the morning after pill," she said. "At least the rape victim won't have to go through the extra pain of unwanted preognancy." In May 2004, the FDA rejected the application1 ot oser-the- counter status for Plan B, a specific brand of emergencN contra- ception. While the FMF said this decision showed the power of "anti-choice congressional pressure" on the FDA, the FDA said the decision was a result of inadequate information on the effect of the drug on women under the age of 16. Plan B was resubmitted in July 2004 with a new clause that required prescriptions for women under the age of 16 and pro- vided over-the-counter access for older women. The FDA has yet to make a decision on the proposal. Meredith Hochman, a doctor at Planned Parenthood in Ann Arbor, said she prescribes Plan B to women who have had unpro- tected sex. She said she supports the movement for over-the- counter status. "There's a time sensitivity - having it available over the coun- ter will really decrease the number of unintended pregnancies and therefore decrease the number of abortions that are performed," she said. Plan B has been shown to reduce the chances of preg- nancy by 89 percent if taken in the first 72 hours after intercourse, Hochman said. Gulati said emergency contraception has the potential to pre- vent 800,000 unwanted pregnancies each year. But others said they feel that changing the status of Plan B would have negative consequences for public health. An article on the website of Concerned Women for America, a national conser- vative women's organization, states that the change to over-the- counter status is not reasonable because of the lack of research on the long-term effects and the effects of repeated usage. Hochman said if a woman takes emergency contraception more than once in her menstrual cycle, she may experience a problem with her next cycle - including heavier menstruation or irregular periods. She encouraged women to use nonemergency contracep- tion to minimize the need for Plan B. Hochman added that she would not advise women to use Plan B as their only method of birth control, even if it were available over-the-counter. "The cost of using emergency contraceptive pills (would discourage them)," she said. "It's expensive in comparison to what you'd pay if you got on some form of birth control." One dose of Plan B costs around $20 without insurance, while one month of an inexpensive oral contraceptive costs around $30 without insurance. The article from Concerned Women for America also cited an increase in sexually transmitted diseases in countries where emergency contraception is widely available. The number of Chlamydia cases in the United Kingdom - where emergency contraception is available without a prescription - rose by 3,000 in three years, according to the article. Hardikar said the danger of increased cases of STDs is a result of abstinence-only sex education, not increased access to Plan B. "With a comprehensive sex education program, the ways to pre- vent pregnancy would be taught along with barrier contraceptive methods," she said. "It's important to educate people on both." There is no definite date for the decision on over-the-counter status for Plan B. President Bush's nominee for new FDA com- missioner, Lester Crawford, was denied confirmation by Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) because Crawford would not provide a date for the Plan B decision. The Senate can overrule this block of a confirmation with a 60-vote majority. The FMF and its 166 affiliated groups are collecting petitions to influence the FDA's decision. Crystal Lander, the director of the FMF's Choices Campus Leadership Program, stressed the importance of the campaign. "It's absolutely essential (emergency contraception) is avail- able and stocked at every pharmacy and campus health cente across the nation," she said in a press release. COOL CITIES Continued from page 1A is currently being designed. The project has the benefit of adaptability - the software can be repro- grammed at any time to change the display according to the operator's wishes. The other proposal was for three lounges in Ihe Michigan Theater that would accommodates - ing and screens for microcinema - low-bude i films shot with digital cameras, edited on comput- ers and distributed digitally. The lounges w ould be located in the main lobby, the screening ro'im lobby and the mezzanine. Michigan Theater CEO Russell Collins proposed that the films would play continuously while the lounges were open. He said the theater may open ear- Iir to make the lounges more available to customers, wio would not have to pay to watch the films for at V ast the first year of the program. a service to the microcinema patrons, the the- ater sould provide free wireless Internet, though concerns were raised Friday that this would attract more users than the theater could accommo- dae -i mny of whom might only visit the theater to Use the Inte net. Wireless Internet is currently offered at 41st a few campus locations - including Espresso Ra le, the Michigan Union and Rendezvous Cafe. Uh films' audio would either be provided through 1h1i n speakers or wireless headphones. Co %ins said the advanced technology involved in miur cinema enhances the viewing experience. "The ni e experience is remarkable" for high-definition dirial hi-m, he said. Collins also said the microcinema lounges would provide an opportunity for local filmmakers to find an audience for their work. "The majority of the product would be produced regionally," he said. Collins said he was undeterred by worries that free movies and the Internet might spur a flood of demand and undermine the theater's revenue from films that require paid admission. "Dealing with excessive success is a problem I hope I have to deal with," he said., The Cool Cities Taskforce, appointed by the Ann Arbor City Council, will be submitting the two proposals to the state at the end of next week. The taskforce is applying for $200,000 in grant money to cover the cost of both projects. Art and Design lecturer Bill Burgard, who taught the class that developed the soundfall, said the State Street Area Association will go forward with the pub- lic art regardless of whether the city receives a grant for the project. The taskforce is soliciting public feedback on the proposals at elbaratta@comcast.net until the April 29 deadline for the submission of the grant applica- tions. The state will announce the recipients of Cool Cities grants on June 24. The taskforce decided on the soundfall and the microcinema lounges after considering about 14 proposals. In the first year of the Cool Cities initiative, Ann Arbor did not submit a grant proposal but supported Ypsilanti's application for a $100,000 grant to expand the Riverside Arts Center, which it received last June. LGBT Continued from page 1A on campus - including a possible addi- tion to the bylaws - explicitly called for adding the phrase. "The change in the bylaws would provide a strong internal protection for transgender people," said Law School Prof. Bruce Frier, who chaired the task- force. "This is a community (that) has had trouble getting protection. They still live in a certain state of fear." Rassi said not adding the phrase cre- ates the impression that the University does not value transgender people. "It tells people that they are not approved of," he said. "It sends this implicit message that, while some people at the University may value you for being yourself, the highest levels do not. That's not a really a message they should want to send." Courant sent an e-mail to the entire campus community on Feb. 23 notify- ing it that "the University will interpret and apply the prohibition against sex dis- crimination in its equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies to include discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression." Frier said that while the gesture was appreciated, an e-mail is not a strong enough signal that the University will not stand for discrimination on the basis of gender identity and expression. "It's not going to be enough just to have this e-mail message," he said. During the public statements portion of last month's regents' meeting, Frier pleaded with the regents to consider the effect of not taking action to add the phrase. He said the lack of a statement in the bylaws leaves transgender people vulnerable to violence and could even indirectly incite potential harassers to take violent action against them. "Those who would harass may be emboldened by knowing that the regents have not put this into the bylaws, and they may view this as a tacit approval of harassment and even violence," Frier said. The University's stance that "gender identity and expression" is already cov- ered is based on a 2004 6th U.S. Circuit court case - Smith v. City of Salem - that says "sex" encompasses "gender identity and expression." Gloria Hage, the lawyer in the Univer- sity general counsel's office who worked on determining the legal implications of adding or not adding the phrase, refused to comment on or explain the Universi- ty's stance. Frier said the interpretation that "gen- der identity ;ad expression" is covered under "sex" is unusual. "I think ty were trying to create this kind of i ;lusion that we were basically going dcwn a pith that was already set, but thlt's just baloney," Frier said. "We can't just live in a universe where we give words strange mea,,nings and then not tell anyone a bot~ lit" Frier suggstedadding "including gender JIni sand expression" in paren- theses to is aer the word "sex" to clear h (n isiun. TIhe '' he no' yet publicly respun I all o add the phrase. "It' e a rsot sue. Regent David Bradon Is \r hori jsaid. referring to the t _ a he a iversity administra- tors Iia not hmu hi up a resolution to the ierts ' chan y the bylaws. "It's somethii; ! n htig' handled in the (entra adu mum trout Rosioer lam'r. ce president of stu- dent a ir a v i of the other seven iretent u a id t '''spond to phone messag- es. Recant 'l it White (D-Ann Arbor) re isedt 1 C iIomnt. Specu ittt n over why the University will not nnd the bylaws centers on the ide' ti th regents, who affiliate as either RxpVhI1ans or Democrats, do not Wn at io ' tp ions in conflict with the stances ) heir political parties. V"sot u c oeted the bylaw change weuk Ibe made because it is a basic civil right, "fI'. rid. "We didn't think it would h s.o politicized that it would be iD emoera' s %ersus Republicans. We thought 'i',hts bridged parties." Cuiem 'ni h'nissed the idea that the ioenis ar m tica fly motivated. rir ad r' nilikely that the regents nouM iiia the iddition down publicly becan; I rs ii'Oer public relations i iss ci m ici c d he political consid- r.t it ,° i ' io ruental decisions. "Y ha I seem to be at the point where s can ' do anything just by estab- lishing that it's the right thing to do," he said. "You have to go through this song and dance with the regents." Frier added that the University's repu- tation for being on the forefront of civil rights is at risk. "We're already behind the curve," he said. "I was hoping that in this case we could get back. By the time you get to that kind of administration, everything is political. You win some and you lose some. We've lost this one." Members of the transgender commu- nity and others who support adding the phrase have spoken during the public comment portions of the February and March regents' meetings. Denise Brogan, a 49-year-old Law student, has spoken at both meetings. Brogan was born a man, but transitioned from male to female 11 years ago. Since then, she told the regents, she was fired from three jobs because of her transgen- der identity but was unable to fight back legally. She said the phrase would reduce similar instances for others. At March's regents' meeting, the Wol- verine Coalition for Human Rights - a group started last February specifically to support the movement to amend the bylaws - presented the regents with 600 signatures of students, faculty and administrators who support the change. At Thursday's regents' meeting, they plan to present about 200 more. The Michigan Student Assembly has also passed a resolution urging the regents to amend the bylaws. Former MSA secretary Brian Hull presented the resolution at March's regents' meeting. "With the sexual orientation part we stand strong," Hull said at the meeting, referring to the campus homosexual community's support for transgender people. "We share their dream; they share our dream. We will continue to fight for them. Every- one here knows what happens when a dream is deferred. It's not going to sag. It's going to explode." MAYOR Continued from page 1A deficit," Mardirosian said. LSA senior Je'nai Talley, who attended the meeting, voiced simi- lar concerns. "It's not that easy to get that much money," she said. Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's office estimates Detroit's deficit at $300 million for the 2005 fiscal year. LSA junior Riana Anderson, presi- dent of the University chapter of the NAACP, said rejuvenation of the city is an important goal and that the program would make the city more attractive to families, but said fund- ing the program would be difficult. "I think that ... because (the Chil- dren's Fund) will bring people back into the schools, we will have even more students to pay for, which will lead to even more funding problems," Anderson said. McPhail said she plans to fund the program by reorganizing Detroit's budgetary priorities. "The money is there. It's what we're spending it on that's the prob- lem," McPhail said. McPhail said that the city gave the Compuware Corporation a 15- year tax break and donated $18 mil- lion worth of land for construction to the company. "That money could have gone towards the program," McPhail said. Another concern some students raised was McPhail's apparent emphasis on her personal'gripes with the mayor's office rather than politi- cal issues. "I would have liked to hear her talk more about the political issues, and less about personal vendettas," Mard- irosian said. MOSES, the DP and the NAACP hope to bring in the third and final candidate, Mayor Kwame Kilpat- rick, in the fall to complete their speaker series. I I Let us help you move home for the summer. We offer: UPS shipping Packaging services Packaging supplies And more... JOBS!!!N pring/Summer Term pply now at the Law Library- non-Law students - T _.._... -_ iI I