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Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, February 25, 2011
miChigandaily.com
CAMPUS COMMUNITY
Ann Arbor to
host largest
student-run
LGBTQ event
'U' Spectrum
Center also
celebrates 40 years
of advocacy
By BRIENNE PRUSAK
Daily StaffReporter
The University's LGBTQ
community and allies will take
center stage this weekend as
students from across the region
descend upon Ann Arbor to join
in the largest student-orches-
trated LGBTQ conference in the
country.
The Midwest Bisexual Les-
bian Gay Transgender Ally Col-
lege Conference, first held in
1993 at Iowa State University, is
convening at the University of
Michigan for the first time this
year. The conference is being
held in Ann Arbor to match the
timing of the 40th anniversary
of the University's Spectrum
Center.
The Spectrum Center, which
serves as a source of support for
LGBTQ University students and
allies, is the primary host of the
event, but other organizations
like Planned Parenthood and
the American Civil Liberties
Union are also contributing.
Jim Toy - who founded the
University's Spectrum Center,
known at the time as the Human
Sexuality Office, in 1971 - said
he's looking forward to the con-
ference's guest speakers. Mara
Keisling, executive director of
the National Center for Trans-
gender Equality, and Mandy
Carter, founding board member
of the National Black Justice
Coalition, will be delivering
addresses at the event.
"(The conference) recognizes
and highlights Spectrum's his-
tory and achievements since it
was founded 40 years ago as
the first office of its kind in the
United States and in the world,"
Toy said.
The conference will also offer
workshops and film screenings
centered on the event's theme,
"Justice or Just us? Achieving
liberty for all."
Toy, the first person in the
state to openly state his sexual
identity, said events like the
conference are "absolutely"
important in light of the LGBTQ
bullyingthathas occurred with-
in the past year.
"Those of us who diverge
or appear to diverge from the
norms imposed on us by soci-
See CONFERENCE, Page 3
Michigan Student Assembly President Chris Armstrong and Allison Horky, MSA representative and co-founder of the Open Housing Initiative (center), listen to
Royster Harper, the University's vice president for student affairs, during a forum regarding gender-neutral housing in the Michigan Union last night.
H arper talks details of
Isgender-neutral housing
A
Stu
rmstrong says months left to execute a cam-
paign promise to get gender-
plan doesn't neutral housing in campus
residence halls.
fully meet Armstrong and others
involved in the campaign for
idents requests open housing listened and
responded to Royster Harper,
By DYLAN CINTI the University's vice president
Daily News Editor for student affairs, during a
round table discussion yesterday
th his term expiring at in the MSA Chambers. Harper
nd of the semester, Michi- told the group of about 20 Uni-
Student Assembly Presi- versity students and staff mem-
Chris Armstrong has two bers that the administration is
working toward implementing a
policy that would enable openly
transgender students to have
roommates of their identified
gender.
But Armstrong expressed
his dissatisfaction with Harp-
er's announcement, calling the
University's decision "a depar-
ture" from "the comprehensive
gender-neutral housing policy
the Open Housing Initiative
requested. The initiative is a stu-
dent-drafted proposal that seeks.
to implement gender-neutral
housing at the University.
The University's policy is
being drafted by the Univer-
sity's Spectrum Center, an office
devoted to LGBTQ awareness
and advocacy on campus, and
will likely take effect next year,
Harper said.
In an interview after the
meeting, Harper said current
University policy allows for
openly transgender students to
live in single rooms. Under the
new policy, however, transgen-
See OPEN HOUSING, Page 2
Wi
the ei
gan
dent
- STUDENT INVENTIONS
7 'U' engineers to introduce
medical -tooin Guatemala
M-HEAL develops
stethoscope to
detect heart defects
By SABIRA KHAN
Daily StaffReporter
Students in Michigan
Health Engineered for All
Lives (M-HEAL) will be head-
ing south to warmer weather
like many University students
embarking on spring break
trips next week. But rather than
relaxing on the beach, they will
be visiting natives in rural Gua-
temala.
The group of eight under-
graduate and graduate engi-
neering students will be goingto
the Central American country
to do research on their newest
invention, a remote stethoscope,
which has a recorder connected
to it. Once fully developed, the
stethoscope will allow clini-
cians to record patients' heart
sounds and send them via cel-
lular networks to hospitals in
larger cities, like Guatemala
City, where trained physicians
can analyze the sounds.
Rackham student Nathaniel
Skinner, the project manager,
said the remote stethoscope will
help doctors diagnose patients.
"The rural clinics will record
the heart sounds of the babies
that are in that area and then
send them over the network to
city centers," he said. "There,
trained physicians can listen to
See GUATEMALA, Page 3
ERIN KIRKLAND/Daily
Rackham student Grant Mandarino (left) and other members of the Graduate Employees' Organization congregate on the
Diag yesterday to advocate for changes they want to the union's contract, which will be revised next month.
Graduate employees voice
need for child care support
SPRING BREAK 2011
Businesses on campus prepare for
spring break drop-off in customers
GSIs rally to
articulate desired
contract changes
By KAITLIN WILLIAMS
Daily StaffReporter
A 4-year-old girl ran around
* the Cube yesterday as about 80
graduate students employed by
the University held up signs and
the chant, "We are the union.
The mighty, mighty union,"
echoed through a megaphone.
The girl was the daughter of
Federico Pous, a graduate stu-
dent instructor in the Depart-
ment of Romance Languages and
Literatures, and the students
were gathered to express con-
cerns about child care services
for University employees and
other changes to the Graduate
Employees' Organization's con-
tract, which expires next month.
"The priority for us is to pro-
vide access to child care to all the
parents that are working," Pous
said, adding that he has another
child on the way.
Christian Kroll, also a gradu-
ate student instructor in the
Department of Languages and
See GEO, Page 3
Some restaurants,
stores expect
revenue to decline
30 percent
By JEREMY ARMAND
Daily StaffiReporter
With students fleeing the
frigid weather of Ann Arbor for
postcard-like destinations next
week, local businesses hope to
limit their profit losses while
students are away on spring
break.
Local businesses in the South
University Avenue and South
State Street areas are expect-
ing to see a decrease in business,
but have prepared for the week-
long slow down. However, some
establishments like area bars,
are hoping students still in town
will cash in next week.
Hope Mleczko, manager of
Seva Restaurant on East Liberty
Street, said the coincidence of
the Ann Arbor school district
and the University being on
break at the same time is unfor-
tunate for business.
"With the Ann Arbor Pub-
lic School spring break and the
University of Michigan spring
break at the same week, it's very
slow, " Mleczko said.
Despite the potential decline
in customers, Mleczko said the
See SPRING BREAK, Page 3
WEATHER HI: 29
TOMORROW LO: 26
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