46F 4ilp (1;4c lli7tc4toan 3 1 Im Ann Arbor, Michigan Thursday, November 3, 2011 michigandailycom CAMPUS COMMUNITY SAPAC looks to future after 25 years at'U' Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center to add programs By SABIRA KHAN Daily StaffReporter In 1986, University students held a sit-in at the Office of the Dean of Students to demand more resources that inform students about sexual assault, intimate partner violence and appropriate preventive measures. The sit-in was the catalyst fsr the creation of the University's Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, which is cel- ebrating its 25th anniversary this year. "SAPAC was actually founded on the power and passion of stu- dent voices ..." SAPAC director Holly Rider-Milkovich said. "And so the University responded to the students' needs and SAPAC was founded." S Now 25 years later, SAPAC is looking ahead to reach more stu- dents, provide more comprehen- sive strategies for educating the campus community on sexual assault and intimate partner vio- lence and better protect the survi- vors of these incidents. Since it began, SAPAC has had a peer education program available for interested University students to participate in. But starting next fall, all incoming freshmen will be required to attend the program. Along with trying to reach a larger audience, SAPAC is attempt- ing to collaborate with diverse communities and groups on cam- pus. For example, Rider-Milkovich pointed out that SAPAC has cre- ated a men's activism program. "We recognize that men have an absolutely critical role to play (and) that we will not eliminate sexual violence until all the members of our community are involved, including men," she said. Through the years, SAPAC has modified its practices in order to meet students' needs, Rider- Milkovich added. She referenced new concerns regarding Inter- net stalking - an issue that was not relevant when the center was founded in 1986. "It is a continual commitment to make sure that as our students' lives change, as the circumstanc- es that they face change, we are remaining relevant and current and can address their needs," Rid- er-Milkovich said. Working to meet these goals, SAPAC has adopted a new client- management database that is simi- lar to the one used in hospitals and See SAPAC, Page 5A LEFT: Electricians Mark Leighton and Rod Udell work on restoring power to East Hall after an unexpected power outage yesterday, TOP RIGHT: A student outside East Hall, where classes were cancelled yesterday due to the power outage. BOTTOM RIGHT: A class relocated to outside after the power outage, Classes cancelled after Central power outage Eight to 10 campus buildings lost electricity By BETHANY BIRON and SUZANNE JACOBS Daily News Editor and Daily StaffReporter LSA senior Katherine Mar- ion was in the middle of a bio- chemistry exam yesterday in the Chemistry Building when the lights suddenly went out. More than 100 students continued taking their exams by emergency lights until the main lights came on 10 min- utes, Marion said. Marion's experience was a result of a power outage on Central Campus yesterday that affected eight to 10 cam- pus buildings and resulted in a number of cancelled class- es. The power outage was caused by a power failure that occurred at about 10:05 a.m., according to Diane Brown, spokeswoman for the Univer- sity's Department of Public Safety. As of 12:30 p.m. yesterday, most of the eight to 10 build- ings had regained power, with the exception of East Hall, which did not have electricity until 7:30 p.m. last night. Due to the lack of power, all classes and exams sched- uled in East Hall were can- celled for the rest of the day. Esrold Nurse, assistant dean of undergraduate education, sent an e-mail to select LSA students announcing the decision. "I amwritingto let youknow due to a major power outage, See OUTAGE, Page SA CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY Students seek funds for projects to green'U' Planet Blue Student * Initiative Fund to award up to $50,000 for proposals By RAYZA GOLDSMITH Daily StaffReporter University students hoping to reduce waste at football games and in the dining halls are taking one more step toward their goals. About 40 students gathered in the Samuel T. Dana Building last night for an information session about the Planet Blue Student Initiative Fund, which is offering between $5,000 and $50,000 to students working on sustainability projects on campus. In President Mary Sue Coleman's announce- ment about the initiative earlier this semester, she guaranteed the Fund a total of $150,000 over three years. LSA junior Abby Krumbein, a member of the PBSIF Review Board, said the initiative's goal is to provide funding for large-scale sustainability projects to promote See PROJECTS, Page 5A A BLUE THUMB UNIVERSITY ACADEMICS MSA commission advocates for dept. of queer studies 'U' officials mull creation of department By KATIE BURKE For the Daily In an effort to broaden the University's educational offer- ings on LGBT culture, students are spearheading an initiative to start a department devoted to queer studies. Students in the Michigan Stu- dent Assembly's LGBT Issues Commission want to create a queer studies department in LSA that would encompass studies on the history, issues and nature of queer culture. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans- gender and Sexuality Studies, also referred to as queer studies, is currently offered as a minor in the Department of Women's Studies. Members of the LGBT Issues Commission have discussed the possibility of creating the department with faculty and See MSA, PageSA University Mike Curley groundskeeper tends to plants by the flagpole near the Diag yesterday. RESIDENT I sAgL CO LLEtGE Students succeed without foreign language tllter grades Most classes in the college use traditional grading By KATIE BURKE For the Daily For LSA students sweat- ing over Spanish vocabulary, the possibility of a grade-free language course may seem like a dream. But for students studying an intensive foreign language in the Residential College, it's a reality. All students in the RC must meet the LSA requirement of two years of a language and then take a foreign language proficiency exam followed by a literature course. Since 2001, all classes students in prepara- tion for foreign language pro- ficiency exams in the RC have been pass/fail. Rather thangive students grades, professors provide students with detailed evaluation sheets documenting their performances. Dominique Butler-Borruat, head of the RC French Depart- ment, said that in addition to language classes, most classes in the RC also followed the same system until LSA man- dated they use a normal grad- ing scale starting in 2001. Though post-proficiency class- es switched to a traditional grading system that year, pre- proficiency classes remained pass/fail. "It's not about getting an A," Murphy said. "It's about get- ting to where you can pass the proficiency test." Despite the changes, Mur- phy said he thought the new grading system was positively received among the RC com- munity. "In the grand scheme of things, students prefer having grades for their classes," Mur- phy said. Because the goal of the pre- proficiency classes is to pre- See LANGUAGE, Page 5A a b~ .. WEATHER HI 53 TOMORROW Lo 33 GOT A NEWS TIP? NEW ON MICHIGANDALY.COM Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail The Complete Spectrum: The S.I.N. Patrol news@michigandaily.comand letus know. MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS/THE PODIUM INDEX AP NEWS .......... 3A SPORTS.. . .A.........6A Vol. CXXII, No.41 OPINION.....................4A ARTS. . .. A....... 8A c2y1 TheMichiganDaily NEWS.............5A THE B-SIDE..................1B michigondailycom