* Ann Arbor MihgnFidy6erayF521 ihiadiyo 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 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. 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