For 'M' spr Ig daning Blue sweeps Wildcats in Evanston to start Big Ten season SportsMonday 'Timbaland' Arts, 5A : iC i an at l )Nn N I)P t. f I*.J#.6- .?.*VE..NI LENd bA :)F EDITORIA L\.R EE)OM Ann Arbor, Michigan www.michigandaily.com Monday, April 2, 2007 'makes your name your choice u I PHOTOS BY SH AY SPANIOLA/Daily TOP: DP Day participants clean out an abandoned house in Detroit on Saturday Nearly 1,000 volunteers, including about 700 University students, took part in the day- long event sponsored by the Detroit Project. BOTTOM: DP Day participants look over a charred house in Detroit. Fro-m A2, ahand up Transgender activists hail decision on 'preferred' names By KATHERINE MITCHELL Daily Staff Reporter Sebastian Col6n, a graduate stu- dent in the School of Social Work, knows what's in a name. Col6n, a self-identified transgen- der student, goes by his male name rather than the female title on his Mcard, driver's license and CTools account. Because he couldn't get his name changed legally, Colon has petitioned the University since 2005 to use his preferred name for University business. Col6n is finally getting what he has been asking for. The University announced Thursday that it will adopt a pre- ferred name policy for students and faculty at all three of its cam- puses, allowing individuals to use their preferred name for class ros- ters, CTools accounts, MCards and almost anythingelse. "The University is carrying through something that the com- munity asked fox," Col6n said. The preferred name policy comes in response to an April 2004 report from the provost's office about the acceptance and inclusion of transgender, bisexual, lesbian and gay students, staff and faculty. The report prompted the Provost's office to appoint three subcommit- tees in fall of 2004, including one that examinedname changes. The subcommittee - which included students, staff and faculty - presented its recommendations in June 2005. It asked the Univer- sity to recognize preferred names instead of legal ones in most cir- cumstances. Transgender people on campus were some of the most vocal sup- porters of the recommendation. WANTA NEW NAME? The University is beginninga phased implementation of its preferred tame policy. * April25, 2007: Studentstfrom the Ann Arbor campus and faculty andstaff from all three University campuseswill be able to specify a preferred name throughWolverine Access. This preference will appear on the University's online directory within a week. * Fall2007: Students will be able to request a new Mcard with their preferred name. Pre- ferred names will also be used in the printed staff directory. " Spring 2008: Incoming students will be able to register a preferred name after enroll- ingat the University. SOURCE: AssTANT PROVOST JEFF FRUMKIN Many said they felt the change would help transgender students transition into the University and ease confusion among other stu- dents. "I definitely don't think it would have happened without the work of transgender activists," Colon said. Although the University's Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Affairs did not formally support the recommen- dation, LGBTA Director Jackie Simpson said she is pleased with the outcome. "The University's committed to diversity," Colon said. "And that's one way to include all identities." School of Social Work Prof. Michael Woods said a person's name is closely tied to his or her identity and that the new policy will allow people to define their identities through their names. "It's a welcome change and it's a very progressive type of change," he said. Woods said he didn't know another institution with a similar policy. Rachel Crandall, the executive director of Transgender Michigan, said this policy is not common but is needed by the transgender com- munity. See NAMES, Page 3A Detroit Project participants help struggling city By JESSICA VOSGERCHIAN Daily StaffReporter Jamel Robinson, a sophomore at Southfield High School, has seen a house two blocks down the street from his own in northwest Detroit's Brightmoor neighbor- hood transformed several times. After the house's last resident died, the property fell into disre- pair. The lawn was littered with garbage, and the house became a haven for crack cocaine users. The house was gutted last year by a fire set by a man trying to cover up a murder he had commit- ted there, Robinson said. Before all that, though, Robin- son remembers going to the house in middle school to pick up his close friend so they could play bas- ketball. Robinson teamed up on Satur- day with a group of Detroit Project volunteers from the University to transform the lot once more. The group of volunteers cleared the lawn of trash and removed a part of the house that was collapsing. The lot on which Robinson worked was one of more than 50 work sites that the Detroit Project, a University student group, organized in Detroit's most dilapidated areas for the group's annual DPDay. Nearly 1,000 volunteers - including about 700 University students and 200 Detroit residents - worked on beautification proj- ects that included picking up trash, painting murals and tearing down unsalvageable abandoned homes. The Brightmoor cityscape was strikingly different from normal on DP Day students from all over the country wore colorful T-shirts as they rode in the back of pickup trucks with loads of garbage or took turns swinging an ax into a tree that needed to be cut down. Some Brightmoor residents made a point to thank the volun- teers. Several drivers honked as they passed a site where a mural was being painted. The passenger of one of the cars yelled "thank you," said LSA freshman Ginger Cline, who worked on the mural. other locals said they were pleased with the work they saw volunteers putting into the neigh- borhood. "It makes me want to do it," said Dabius Brown, a 19-year-old Detroit resident. "Next time you might see me helping." LSA senior Cristina Johnson, the executive director of The Detroit Project, said the group placed a greater emphasis on col- laboration with Detroit commu- nity members this year than it did in previous years. "Our presence in the Detroit community is so important because these communities are historically divided," she said. "It's aboutgoing to the community and meeting with the people and learning about See DP DAY, Page 3A MICHIGAN'S ECONOMY Speakers: There is hope for state ANN ARBOR POW WOW A tradition marks its 35th year At forum, experts say grads should stay in Mich. By LISA HAIDOSTIAN Daily StaffReporter Michigan's economic strug- gles don't have to last forever, economists said at a conference on Friday. In an event sponsored by the Michigan Economics Society and Michigan Interactive Invest- ments, experts gathered in the Biomedical Science Research Building Auditorium to answer the question "How Will Michigan Regain Its Competitive Advan- tage?" The forum was hosted by John McElroy, the host of the television talk show "Autoline Detroit." It's no secret that Michigan's economy is lagging behind the rest of the country. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate was 4.5 per- cent in February of 2007. Michi- gan's was 6.6 percent. According to the Michigan Labor Market Information, Michigan has lost 55,000 payroll jobs this year and about 362,000 since the year 2000 - which is bad news for Univer- sity graduates looking for jobs. "Clearly, as indicated at the forum, the Michigan economy is not necessarily performing up to par in comparisontoother states," said Arman Kayupov, president of the Michigan Economics Society. While discussion ranged from international GDP growth rates to the business structure of the Kellogg Company, speakers at the conference agreed on one mes- sage for students: Stay in Michi- gan. Steven Szakaly, an economist at the Center for Automotive Research, said college graduates with high earning potential can stimulate the state's economy and help Michigan rebound by stay- ing in the state after graduation. John Austin, the vice presi- See FORUM, Page 3A D cu Mal emonif bobber battles Arena ful reg and st dress. with it head. The the Ar annive day fe song,d in size early 1 on a f 1972.S in sm until it lusic, dancing a larger site. The event has been held in -enterpieces of Crisler Arena for the last several years. tural celebration Event organizers expected 10,000 people to attend the Pow Wow this weekend. By PAUL BLUMER American Culture lecturer Hap Daily StaffReporter McCue, an elder in the Ojibwa Native American tribe, was there e dancers brandishing cer- to kick it off with an invocation of al weapons stomped and the Great Spirit. d, re-enacting stories of "We ask him to guide us, to be , hunts and spirits at Crisler with us, to help us live right and on Saturday. Their color- straight," he said. ;alia, covered with feathers There was no script - the impro- reamers, represented battle vised prayer came from the heart, One man wore a wolf skin McCue said. ts jaw resting on top of his Pow Wow organizers invite people from all over the country men were there to celebrate to participate in what they call nn Arbor Pow Wow's 35th an intertribal "Dance for Mother -rsary. The Pow Wow, a two- Earth." stival of Native American Most of the dancers participat- dance and dress, has grown ing in the Pow Wow were members since its inception in the of the Ojibwa, Odawa and Potawa- 970s. The first one was held tomi tribes - the three parts of the ield outside Ann Arbor in Three Fires Confederacy - but the ubsequent events were held Pow Wow included dancers from all venues around the city dozens of tribes, said Priyanka is growing size necessitated See POW WOW, Page 3A Darrell Hill dances at the Dance For Mother Earth Pow Wow at Crisler Arena yes- terday. TODAY'S HI: 60 WEATHER LO:43 HAVE A NEWS TIP? Call 734-763-2459 or e-mail news@michgandaily.com and let us know. ON THE DAILY'S BLOGS Free Press: 'M' offers Beilein hoops job MICHIGANDAILY.COM/THEGAME INDEX NEWS................ Vol. CXVII. 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