46P 4JW '7 1 46F ic tgan.4, at lij O lIiii \Vi~l Ann Arbor, Michigan 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 TOMORROW LO: -5 GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know. NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM The List: Top five most diverse cities in the U.S. MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS INDEX Vol. CXXIV, No. 61 020t4 The Michigan Daily michigondoilycom NEW S .........................2A SUDDKU .....................2A OPINION.....................4A CLASSIFIEDS. A..............6A ARTS .................... 7A THE STATEMENT..........1B I