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Wednesday, February 5, 2014
michigandaily.com
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
CSG backs
BSU calls
for campus
inclusion
ALEX GALEL/Daily
Kinesiology senior Fitz Tavernier Jr. facilities a dialogue to engage students in a discussion about the hypersexualization of Black men in the media at the Tell-
ing the Untold Truth meeting Tuesday at the Michigan League.
Talk looks at stereotypes
scussion eXamines ness Center and the LSA Stu- sexual assault and the Coalition stereotypes associated with the
dent Government's Diversity for Queer People of Color will sexuality of Black men and how
yperseXualiZation Affairs Committee to kick off host a panel on institutionalized individuals can diminish these
the first event of the Telling the homophobia in minority com- associations.
of Black men in Untold Truth series Tuesday munities. "Throughout the small dis-
evening. Dozens of students gathered cussions and dialogue, I've seen
modern media Telling the Untold Truth inside the Michigan Room of a lot of faces perk up like, 'Oh, I
consists of a series of three pan- the League to discuss the first never realized that,' and ... even
ByAMIADAVIS els aimed to confront the myths topic of the series: black male when we brought up some of the
Daily StaffReporter of sexual violence. The series hypersexualization, or the por- modern-day examples in the
also hopes to discuss types of trayal of Black men in the media media, even though a lot of these
The Black male student sexual violence that are rarely as sexual aggressors, as well people have seen these pictures
support group Here Earning discussed. as other negative stereotypes before, they never really looked
a Destiny Through Honesty, Along with the panel pre- of Black men related to sexual at the deeper meaning behind
Eagerness and Determina- sented by HEADS, the Spec- assault. them," Kinesiology senior Fitz
tion- partnered with the Sexual trum Center will present an Both SAPAC and HEADS Tavernier, Jr., co-vice chairman
Assault Protection and Aware- event on LGBTQ victims of facilitators discussed negative See STEREOTYPES, Page 3A
New intiative aligns
with the Black
Student Union's
seven demands
By KRISTEN FEDOR
Daily StaffReporter
Central Student Government
Assembly representatives complet-
ed an initial read of a new diversity
initiative at Tuesday night's meet-
ing that is aimed to increase minor-
ity representation on campus.
The proposal includes CSG's
support of the seven demands of the
Black Student Union, an increase
in admissions recruiting among
minorities and the creation of the
Dream Scholarship for undocu-
mented students. Additionally, the
resolution demands that the minor-
ity enrollment for the 2014 to 2015
year doubles.
Disagreement regarding the
resolution arose among representa-
tives and attending members of the
BSU, specifically about the CSG's
formal support of the reversal of
Proposal 2, which banned affirma-
tive action in the college admis-
sions process in Michigan.
Business senior Shayla Scales, a
member of the BSU who attended
the meeting, said she was pleased
with CSG's initiative to support
#BBUM and hopes to see changes
in the wording that align more with
the specified demands of the orga-
nization.
"This is not an affirmative action
model; a lot of people get that mis-
informed," Scales said. "We actu-
ally just want more diversification
in how we recruit undergraduates
and graduates here at the Univer-
sity to increase diversity. And not
only just race, but in thought, socio-
economic status, gender, every-
thing."
Representatives are divided, on
the goals of the proposal. Rackham
student Rae Scevers, co-author of
the resolution, said she is open to
shifting the emphasis away from
affirmative action.
"Being stuck on that one goal
might actually be detrimental to
our larger goal, which is to increase
minority representation," Scevers
See CSG, Page 3A
HOSPITAL
UMHS doctors
implant world's
first bionic eye
GREENING UP
Retina surgeons
use new practice
to develop basic
eyesight for the blind
By AMABEL KAROUB
Daily StaffReporter
Ever thought about what it
might be like to have a bionic
eye? Surgeons at the University
of Michigan Health System have.
On Jan. 16 and 22, UMHS ret-
ina surgeons performed the first-
ever surgeries that implanted
artificial retinas into the eyes of
patients with retinitis pigmen-
tosa, a degenerative eye disease
that eventually causes blindness.
Formally named the Argus II
Retinal Prosthesis System, the
bionic eye device was developed
by California-based Second Sight
Medical Products, Inc. Thiran
Jayasundera and David N. Zacks,
professors of ophthalmology and
visual sciences at the University's
Kellogg Eye Center, are the first
surgeons to implant the device
since it gained approval from the
Food and Drug Administration
last year.
UMHS has been chosen as one
of 12 centers nationally to offer
the retinal prosthesis to patients.
Jayasundera said UMHS contact-
ed Second Sight and requested
access to the product. The com-
pany then visited UMHS to com-
plete a site inspection.
"We wanted to offer this to
our patients because we see a lot
of patients with advanced pig-
mentosa," Jayasundera said. "We
wanted our patients in Michigan
to be able to have access to this
technology."
Retinitis pigmentosa is an
inherited disease that causes
blindness through a gradual loss
of light-sensitive retinal cells.
Jayasunderasaid theretinal pros-
thesis works wirelessly through a
camera connected to electrodes.
The electrodes stimulate remain-
ing retinal nerve fibers, caus-
ing the perception of light in the
brain.
"You're wearing a video cam-
era on your glasses," Jayusundera
See EYE, Page 3A
LILY ANGELL/Daily
Lab manager Aubry Aubain and Rackham student Anita Narwani tend to an algae farm residing in the basement
of the Dana building. They are currently studying the potential of algae as an alternative energy source.
GOVERNMENT
State scholarship grant
funding drops significantly
TRANSPORTATION
M-TRAC
announces
funding for
first studies
In inaugural event,
program awarded as
much as $75,000 for
innovative ideas
By MICHAEL SUGERMAN
Daily StaffReporter
After the University unveiled
a new, transportation-based
branch of the Michigan Trans-
lational Research and Commer-
cialization Program last year,
the program announced its inau-
gural grant winners on Jan. 23.
M-TRAC Transportation
provides University profes-
sors and graduate students the
opportunity to pitch proposals
for prospective innovations in
the transportation industry to a
board of experts. The M-TRAC
Oversight Committee awards
selected projects as much as
$75,000, as well as professional
guidance to phase their research
into the market.
"It provides a direct link for
researchers to industry," said
See M-TRAC, Page 3A
University hopes
to subsidize loss
of need-based aid
By BROOKE PEARCY
Daily StaffReporter
Last year, University stu-
dents receiving the Michigan
Competitive Scholarship, a
need- and merit-based grant
funded through the state, were
awarded about $500 per year.
However, in the 2001-2002
school year, these same stu-
dents would have received a
maximum amount of $1,300
from the scholarship.
This $800 decrease in MCS
funds awarded to students
reflects a larger, growing trend
at the University: a drastic
decline in state-funded finan-
cial aid over the past decade.
In 2001, University stu-
dents received about $11.1 mil-
lion in financial aid from the
state, but by 2012 this figure
had decreased to about $2.3
million, according to Pamela
Fowler, executive director of
financial aid.
Fowler said the Univer-
See AID, Page 3A
Yd o "'i'fi ev r ,?" ro Students are pushing for
g achange in the racial
t VOu dOn't ac iclimate at the 'U.'
d )INSIDE
WEATHER HI 15
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020t4 The Michigan Daily
michigondoilycom
NEW S .........................2A
SUDDKU .....................2A
OPINION.....................4A
CLASSIFIEDS. A..............6A
ARTS .................... 7A
THE STATEMENT..........1B
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