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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Monday, February 7, 2011
michigandailycom
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN HEALTH SYSTEM
Gay couples
face no visit
restrictions
atUMHS
Members of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity watch the Super Bowl at Scorekeepers Sports Bar & Grille last night. Green Bay defeated Pittsburgh 31-25.
CAMPUS CRIME
dOxford Rd.area residents
appeal for increased safety
'U' hospitals visitor
policy already
complies with new
health care law
By MARY HANNAHAN
Daily Staff Reporter
Despite a new federal regula-
tion expanding hospital visitation
rights for same-sex couples, the
University Hospital's longstand-
ing non-discrimination policy
will remain the same.
The federal regulation -
which went into effect Jan. 18,
2011 as part of the Affordable
Health Care for America Act -
states that hospitals receiving
government funding may not for-
bid visitation rights on the basis of
a patient's sexual orientation.
But according to Kelly Parent,
the Patient & Family Centered
Care program coordinator at C.S.
Mott Children's Hospital, the fed-
eral regulation has not affected
visitation policies at University
hospitals, since same-sex couples
already have equal visitation
rights.
"U of M has always been very
open and progressive in realizing
thatit's not forustojudge, andit's
not for us to decide who the sup-
port person is," Parent said. "As
long as I've known, there's never
been a limitation saying that, 'No,
it's a same-sex partner, you can't
come in here."'
Cathy Kendrick, clinical nurse
manager for the Cardiac Inten-
sive Care-Unit at the University
Cardiovascular Center, said that
in her 16 years of nursing in the
same two units, the visitation
rules at the University hospital
has been the same regardless of
sexual orientation.
"They are no different from the
rules that govern a heterosexual
couple," Kendricksaid.
She a4ed that sexual orienta-
tion is never a relevant factor in
securing visitation rights.
"It's not something that we
intentionally need to know about
the person," Kendrick said.
"There's not a need to know what
the person's sexual orientation
is unless it's something that they
want to share with us for whatev-
er reason that's personal to them
or unless there is a medical rea-
See VISIT, Page 2A
Greek community
petitions for more
street lighting
By ANT MITCHELL
Daily StaffReporter
Following several recent
crimes in the Oxford Road area
near campus, students feeling
unsafe have decided to take
action.
Because of three robberies
over the course of the past four
months, members of the Greek
community at the University
have developed a petition for
improved street lighting in
the area. At the same time, the
Ann Arbor Police Department
is further investigating the
crimes.
Brian Jatczak, a sergeant in
the AAPD's Detective Bureau,
said the involvement of two
males in multiple robbery cases
in the Oxford Road area may be
related to the Oxford robber-
ies. He added that the bureau is
currently tracking stolen prop-
erty and following up on leads
from the most recent robbery,
which was an armed robbery
early in the morning on Jan. 18.
Prior to this, two male suspects
robbed two females atcgunpoint
late at night in December.
AAPD Sgt. Craig Flocken
said while nothing has been
confirmed in terms of evidence,
AAPD has begun examining
the possible ,link between the
crimes.
LSA senior Katie Rosenberg,
past president of the Panhel-
lenic Association, wrote the
proposal for the Lighting Ini-
tiative, which is a petition to the
city of Ann Arbor for improved
See OXFORD, Page 8A
AROUND ANN ARBOR
A2Dems endorse proposed
ordinance to limit cameras
LEARNING THE TAW
'U' student group
seeks to remove
cameras from
public places
By SABIRA KHAN
Daily StaffReporter
For LSA junior William Leaf,
a year and half of tireless work
may finally be coming to frui-
tion.
Last September, Leaf found-
ed the campus organization,
Students Against Surveillance,
with the intent to pass a city
ordinance that would restrict
the use of government surveil-
lance cameras in public areas.
The Ann Arbor City Democratic
Party officially endorsed the
ordinance on Saturdy.
Leaf said if passed, the ordi-'
nance - which applies only to
government-supervised cam-
eras - would ban cameras from
residential neighborhoods and
outdoor parks in Ann Arbor.
It would also limit the use of
cameras in commercial areas
so cameras are placed only in
zones that fall within the city's
top 10th percentile of crime
occurrences. Under the ordi-
nance, the police would also be
obligated to publish the loca-
tions of all the cameras on the
Ann Arbor police website.
Mary Hall-Thiam, vice chair
for outreach and inclusion for
The Ann Arbor City Democratic
Party, said the group issued a
statement saying though the
proposal isn't "perfect," it sup-
See SURVEILLANCE, Page8A
CAMPUS COMMUNITY
Towsley offers an education
for toddlers and 'U' students
The Michigan Journal of International Law hosts the "Successes & Failures in International Human Trafficking Law"
symposium in Hutchins Hall on Saturday, Feb. 5. Panelists discussed the future of human trafficking law.
UNIVERSITY RESEARCH
Portable solar panel expands electricity use
Psychology majors
conduct research at
children's center
By DAVID BUCCILLI
Daily StaffReporter
"Outside so cold. It's like a
polar bear winter," a preschool-
er says. Two pigtails peek from
beneath her knitted hat as she
shivers her arms playfully,
standing in a warm room sur-
rounded by other children.
In the corner, a teacher con-
sults a crying boy who's strug-
gling to learn the idea of sharing.
Here at Towsley Children's
House, toddlers socialize and
learn preschool education
basics, often with the help of
University students. Towsley,
located on South Forest Ave-
nue, is a University-affiliated,
play-based learning program
for young children, where some
University faculty and students
also pursue research opportuni-
ties.
Language learning is a key
part of the children's education
at Towsley. Beth Blanchard, the
director of Towsley Children's
See TOWSLEY, Page 8A
Device for third-
world countries
created by student
By SARAH ALSADEN
Daily StaffReporter
From the flickering of a can-
dle to the bright lighting of a cell
phone, one University student
created a solar-powered device
that may bring new technology
to the developingworld.
Engineeringgraduate student
Md Shahnoor Amin worked
with Abdrahamane Traore of
Kettering University to create
Emerald - a portable solar panel
system that opens like a book
and serves as a lighting device
and charger for portable elec-
tronics like cell phones.
Traore and Amin, who met
as undergraduates at Kettering
University,- designed the device
for their Ann Arbor-based com-
pany called June Energy. The
book-sized portable solar panel
system they invented is intended
to be used in developing coun-
tries.
Amin and Traor6 know what
it is like to live in a developing
countries. Traore grew up in
Mali and said he experienced
difficulty studying at night
See SOLAR PANEL, Page 8A
WEATHER 1: 17
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