The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
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New Student Edition -1.1C
8 students pitch mon DP Day
Detroit Partnership Project, the organization decided
to change to The Detroit Partner-
members worked at ship because group leaders said
it better captured the goal of the
fifty Detroit-area sites organization's work.
"We didn't want it to sound like
Detroit would be 'fixed,' " said
By GEOFFREY GAURANO Kathryn Rice, a University alum
and LINDY STEVENS planning team member for The
Daily StaffReporters Petroit Partnership. "It's more
about working with Detroit."
Mar. 31, 2008 - While most stu- LSA senior Michael O'Brien, a
dents were still asleep on Sat- member of the group's planning
urday, more than 800 students committee, said the new name
took part in community service demonstrated the larger purpose
projects through- of the organiza-
out Detroit for tion. The group
the ninth annual « , also organizes
Detroit Partner- It S a way tO weekly projects,
ship Day. . 1 which include
The event, bet- give back ... tutoring students
ter known as "DP in Detroit's public
Day," was hosted both locally schools.
by the service- At first glance,
learning orga- and globally." DP Day volun-
nization The teers could have
Detroit Partner- been confused
ship, which sent for construction
students to over workers, spending
50 sites in the Detroit area. Most the day knocking down walls of a
students worked in the northwest fire-damaged home. Others wore
neighborhoods of the city, help- face masks and gloves while clear-
ing to clean up parks, paint murals ing out debris from inside of the
and clear out abandoned homes for house. Some sorted through stacks
demolition. of books from the house that were
This year's DP Day, which was set aside for donation. Students
the organization's biggest event of demolishing the house partnered
the year, was also the group's first with Motor City Blight Busters, a
major event since it changed its non-profit organization that works
name last month. to rebuild and sell affordable hous-
Formerly called The Detroit ing to Detroit residents.
CAMPUS GROUPS
GBT choose
new, more all-
encompas sing
name for group
John J. George, co-founder and
president of Blight Busters, said
the partnership helps the group
accomplish projects more quickly.
"What the volunteers are doing
today would take a paid crew a
year to dso," George said.
George said that after the stu-
dents finished, a construction
crew will rebuild the home so it
can be sold to a new family.
A few miles away, in downtown
Brightmoor, another group of stu-
dents worked with a local artist to
paint murals in hopes of improv-
ing the community's atmosphere.
"It's a way to give back to the
community, both locally and glob-
ally," said LSA senior Miriam
Schwartz, who helped paint the
murals.
LocalartistCharlesMillerdirect-
ed Schwartz and the other students
who helped paint the murals. Miller
is a founding member of Public Art
Workz, a nonprofit organization
that works with Blight Busters to
improve Detroit by painting murals
throughout the city.
Some students worked alongside
Miller and helped prime city walls
for larger projects, while other
students filled in designs that the
Detroit-native created.
O'Brien said the experience also
helped students break down the ste-
reotypes surrounding Detroit.
"When you can see a tangible dif-
ference, then you can ask yourself,
'What more can I do?' " O'Brien
said.
CHANEL VON H A
Members of Detroit Partnership help out with cormmunity service projects in the inner-city during the ar
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Group now to be-
called 'The
Spectrum Center'
outstanding jot
LSA senior]
she approved o
name because
look at the enti
of just one asp
f'I hated h
By JESSICA BAER myself in a cat
For the Daily fit me," Barka
'Spectrum' wil
Mar. 25,2008 - After collecting little more for
feedback from students, staff and ing my sexuali
alumni in a process that began fall under the
almost three years ago, the office used to stand f
of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Other stud
Transgender Affairs has changed kan's view on t
its name to The Spectrum Cen- "I think it's
ter. said LSA senio
The. center, which officially co-chair of th
announced its new name yester- dent Assembly
day morning, launched the cam- Bisexual and T
paign to find a title that would Commission. "
allow for a broader range of gen- away from s
der identities. typical like the
"The community is more com- and The Spectr
plex than the letters L-G-B-T," more credible.'
said Jackie Simpson, the direc- The Spectru
tor of the center. "We believe the launch a design
name change will allow more hopes of devel
people to see
themselves con-
nected to the
office." "The community
The announce-
ment marks the is more complex
end of an exten-
sive exploratory than the letters
period during
which the office L-G-B-T."
sought opinions
from different
constituencies
from all corners
of the University. After spon- and informatio
soring open forums, brown bag Aug.i.
lunches, surveys and blogs, it Since it was
became clear that people wanted the center has
the center's name to have "vari- name changes
ety, fluidity, multiplicity, and shifting socia
complexity," Simpson said. The office hat
A recent online survey asked the Office of L
open-endedquestionslike,."What 1995.
is the first thing that comes to Simpson sai
mind when you think about the Spectrum Ce
Office of LGBT Affairs?" and will stick for a
yes-or-no questions like, "Are time.
abbreviations okay?"' and "Are Jim Toy, fou
acronyms okay?" Almost 400 nization when
people responded to the survey. Human Sexua
Simpsonsaidthe office decided he was please
to avoid using acronyms because change and the
they seemed too restrictive and ation process
exclusive. Some of the proposed While he said
names included the Center for ed "Rainbow
Gender Identities & Sexual Ori- "Spectrum C
entations, Center for Queer Life, embraces an
Center for Genders & Sexualities, of constituent
Pride Center, Stonewall Center cerns."
and Rainbow Center. Simpson sai
During the name transition, ple might resi
the office worked closely with E. first, the can
Royster Harper, the University's was given amp
vice president for student affairs, weigh in on tht
and Susan Eklund, associate vice "You can't
president for student affairs and cent of the pe
e
dean of students. of the time," S
"I'm so pleased that the LGBT really feel like
office has taken on this impor- space that is m
tant project," Eklund said. "It has through ident
been a multi-year process and and the work
they have done a thorough and new day."
Eb."
Ruth Barkan said
f the center's new
it "requires us to
re picture instead
ect."
saving to define
egory that doesn't
tn said. "I think
I allow me to be a
thright in assert-
ty, which does not
letters the office
or."
ents shared Bar-
he name.
going to work,"
r Amy Dickinson,
he Michigan Stu-
y's Lesbian, Gay,
ransgender Issues
We wanted to get
omething stereo-
Rainbow Center,
rum Center is a lot
mCenterwill also
n contest today in
oping a new logo
- one that could
be displayed for
Lavender Gradu-
ation, an annual
ceremony that
honors graduat-
ing lesbian, gay,
bisexual and
transgender stu-
dents.
The Center
hopes to fin-
ish updating all
administrative
nal directories by
founded in 1971,
undergone three
to accommodate
l constructions.
d been known as
GBT Affairs since
d she hopes The
nter's new name
longer period of
under of the orga-
it was called the
lity office, said
d with the name
e thorough evalu-
that preceded it.
he recommend-
Victors," he said
enter creatively
infinite variety
s and their con-
d that while peo-
st the change at
mpus community
le opportunity to
e decision.
please 100 per-
eople 100 percent
impson said. "We
we have created a
ore inclusive both
ity identification
that we do. It's a
(