en's tennis player Evan King doesn't get the of Denard Robinson or Darius Morris. But it be Michigan's best-kept secret. ( bet ffidlian 0aIlj Ann Arbor, Michigan Monday, April 4, 2011 michigandaily.com PUPPET PARADE CAMPUS COMMUNITY Armstrong gets award for LGBT activism I Students and Ann Arbor residents gather on Main Street to celebrate the fifth annual Festifools parade despite rain showers yesterday. University students created puppets for the parade, which is sponsored by the Loyd Hall Scholars Program. C AM PUS PA R TY CU LT U RE Campus rinking patterns hard to define, officials say Judy Shepard urges campus to support LGBT community By RACHEL BRUSSTAR Daily StaffReporter With inspiring stories, a passionate theatrical perfor- mance and afilm evoking tears from the audience, about 130 people gathered on Saturday evening to hear testimonies about prejudice against the LGBTQ community across the nation. At the presentation in Blau Auditorium, Judy Shepard shared the story of her son Matthew's death that resulted from a hate crime in 1998. MSA President Chris Armstrong and University alum Jim Toy, founder of the University's Spectrum Center, were also honored for their activism on LGBTQ issues. In her presentation, Shepa- rd explained that she became an activist after her son's death when she began the Matthew Shepard Foundation on the anniversary of her son's birthday Dec. 1,;in 1998. Shepard said one of the most integral steps in furthering the rights of the LGBTQ commu- nity is to educate people and bring the issues to the fore- front, emphasizing the crucial role of allies in the fight. Armstrong is the first MSA president in the student gov- ernment's history to be openly gay. At the event he received an award from the Jim Toy Community Center for his composure and resilience when dealing with harassment by former Michigan assis- tant attorney general Andrew Shirvell, who created a blog that targeted Armstrong for his sexual orientation and accused him of having a "radi- cal sexual agenda." In February, Armstrong's attorney Deborah Gordon told The Michigan Daily that she and Armstrong intend to file a civil lawsuit against Shirvell if he does not recant his state- ments. See ARMSTRONG, Page 6A 'U' hosts alcohol- free activities as party alternative By CLAIRE HALL DailyStaffReporter Instead of grabbing a cup of jungle juice on Friday nights, many students choose free food at the Michigan Union, accom- panied by a movie screening or singing karaoke. The free weekend activities are part of UMix, a University- sponsored event that takes place every other week. While it was originally instituted as an alter- native to drinking on Friday nights, University officials say it is unclear whether UMix has had a significantimpact on the rate of underage drinking on campus since it began almost five years ago. Though binge drinking on campus decreased from 2007 to 2009, there has been an increase in the number of stu- dents brought to the University hospital for drinking this year compared to last year. There has also been a rise in the number of violations reported to University offices related to alcohol educa- tion and conflict resolution. But due to several factors, University officials say it is hard to deter- mine the actual patterns of stu- dents' drinking in the last few years. Eric Heilmeier, program adviser for University Unions Arts and Programs who oversees the UMix program, said UMix See DRINKING, Page 5A LOCAL BUSINESSES New SPARK CEO looks to bringhigh-tech companies Paul Krutko makes move from Silicon Valley By ADAM RUBENFIRE Daily StaffReporter Ann Arbor's local business incubator has selected a Sili- con Valley businessman to take charge of the organization. Starting April 18, Paul Krut- ko will be the new CEO and president of Ann Arbor SPARK. Krutko, who recently worked in economic development in Sili- con Valley, was appointed to his forthcoming position last month. In an interview on Friday, Krutko said his focus in leading SPARK will be on bringing high- tech companies to Ann Arbor. "The important thing is to be able to create an environment where companies think they can be successful, where they can find the talent they need to be successful," Krutko said. Co-founded by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder, Ann Arbor SPARK is a non-profit business incubator that serves all areas of Washtenaw County. It works with businesses, government officials and academic institu- tions - like the University - to assist in development and main- tenance. SPARK's previous CEO, See SPARK CEO, Page SA CAMPUS CRIME DPS gives 'all clear' after report of armed man in Chemistry Building Derrick Jensen, an environnental activist, speaks at the third annual Social JusticeConference at the Dana Building yesterday. Students engage in discussion at Social Justice Conference Police: No suspect found fitting reported description By CAITLIN HUSTON Daily News Editor As of 1:15 a.m., University Police have issued an "all clear" notice on a report that a man with a gun was in the Chem- istry Building early Monday morning. An emergency alert was issued at about 1 a.m. by the Department of Public Safety stating that a man was reported with a gun in the Chemistry Building at about midnight. Stu- dents were instructed to avoid the building and to remain at their location if they were in the building. However, since the all clear notice has been issued, f See where CrimeMAP thisincident on i yv was reported University Police say it is safe to resume normal activity. In an interview with DPS spokewoman Diane Brown at 1:30 a.m., Brown said police searched the building located on North University Avenue, but were not able to locate any See DPS, Page SA Environmental activist Derrick Jensen talks issues By BRANDON SHAW Daily StaffReporter Student activists turned out in large numbers this past weekend to engage in an array of activities involving issues ranging from gay and lesbian rights to relations with Israel for the University's third annu- al Social Justice Conference. Public Policy senior Joseph Varilone, the event's principal organizer, said the purpose of the conference was to prove students have a voice in devel- oping social policy by creating a program that emphasizes the freedom of expression and fos- ters discussion about current events related to social justice issues. Coordinated by the Multi- ethnic Student Alliance, Grow- ing Allies and the University's Center for Ethics in Public Life, the event, which was held at the Dana Natural Resources Build- ing, included an open mic night on Saturday and nine hours of panel discussions, film screen- ings and a guest appearance by See CONFERENCE, Page SA WE ATHER Hi 48 TOMORROW L o 36 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.comand let us know. NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Celebs graced campus last week MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS/THE FILTER INDEX AP NEWS..... 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