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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 24, 2005)
City Council aims to protect old-growth forests I 5 An independent newspaper www. daily emerald, com Since 1900 \ Volume 106, Issue 162 \ Tuesday, May 24, 2005 Committee to finalize ordinance for Council If passed, the change will add transgender identification to the anti-discrimination code BY MEGHANN M. CUNIFF SENIOR NEWS REPORTER The Human Rights Commission’s quest to include gender identity in the city’s anti-dis crimination code faces its final steps this sum mer, with a vote expected in June or July that would send the code change to the Eugene City Council. The commission will hear public comment at its June 21 meeting and City Councilor David Kelly, the acting councilor on the commission, said he expects the council to wait until school begins in September to hold a public hearing to give students equal opportunity to participate. Eugene’s current anti-discrimination code prohibits discrimination in housing, employ ment and work places based on race, age, gender, disability and other personal traits. City officials have discussed including gender identity in the anti-discrimination code for several years — a mayoral veto in 2002 struck down a similar ordinance. The Human Rights Commission formed an ad hoc committee this year to work on drafting a proposed code change and fine-tune the lan guage to make it legally sound. Kelly said the group held its last meeting on May 11 and con cluded that it had done all it could with the spe cific language. He said the commission is sup portive of the ordinance and is optimistic that it will be passed after the appropriate opportu nities for public comment. “Barring any surprises in the testimony, HRC will probably vote to move it onto the council,” Kelly said. A public hearing origi nally scheduled for May 23 was pushed back into what Kelly and oth ers involved said was a rather routine delay to en sure the legal language of the ordinance is flawless. University graduate Toby Hill-Meyer served on the committee and said members worked with a city attorney and a national gay and lesbian transgender task force member who had experience passing sim ilar ordinances in other jurisdictions. “It was a fairly lengthy process to come up with the most comprehensive language we could while, at the same time, being easily communicable and politically viable,” Hill-Meyer said. Kelly^said a tentative timeline was created early on in the process to let everyone know the large amount of time involved in writing and voting on such an ordinance and to “give every one a sense that this is not something that would happen overnight.” Kelly said one of the biggest things looming over the heads of those involved in writing the actual ordinance is the common fear that allowing transgender people and people with differing gender identities equal access to bathrooms will be seen by sexual predators as an invitation to start hanging out in bathrooms looking for victims. “Some of the people who are expressing con cern seriously fear that something will change dramatically, that women in particular will be CODE, page 4 READ MORE ONLINE ^ For more information on the proposed code changes, visit www.ci.eu gene.or.us/hrc-erac/hrc site/code/codedraftl.htm LGBTQA MAKES A SPLASH Lauren Wimer | Senior photographer (Top) Frog climbs out of the dunk tank in the EMU Amphitheater on Monday. The tank was a fundraiser for the LGBTQA Queer Prom, which will be held at the Red Lion Inn at 8 p.m. on June 4 and is open to everyone. (Left) Frog throws a ball toward the LGBTQA dunk tank with Jael Anker-Lagos anticipating the dunk. Forces join to explore how brain develops The Brain Biology and Machine Initiative studies brain function and may soon get new facilities BY EVA SYLWESTER NEWS REPORTER The brain is a topic of interest all year within the University’s Brain Biology and Machine Ini tiative. University Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Rich Linton described the initiative as an interdisciplinary effort that joins work in fields such as cognitive science, neuro science, molecular biology and education. “The focus really is better understanding of how the brain develops and functions,” Linton said. University programs affiliated with the BBMI include the Lewis Center for Neuroimaging, the Mammalian Genetics Center, the Center for Ge nomics and Proteomics, the Neuroinformatics Center, the Institute of Neuroscience and Ze brafish Informatics. BBMI coordinator and psychology professor emeritus Michael Posner said roughly a dozen psychology faculty members are currently BBMI, page 8 ALS rewarded for eco-friendly habits Academic Learning Services won the Earth Week contest aimed to foster alternative transportation BY SHELDON TRAVER NEWS REPORTER After logging more than 728 alternative transportation miles during Earth Week in April, the University’s Academic Learning Ser vices department earned free in-office massages, which will be given on Thursday. ALS took part in the “One Less Car Compe tition,” an inter-department contest to see which could log the most miles without mem bers driving solo. Seventeen departments participated in the competition, sponsored by the Service Learning Program, part of the Environmental Studies Program. Georgeanne Cooper, director of the teaching effectiveness program at ALS, said it was no surprise her department won. “We have a department with a lot of people who use alternative transportation,” Cooper said. “We were a shoo-in.” Cooper said out of 22 people in her depart ment, six ride their bikes daily. Several take the bus and many are car-poolers. “There are very few people who drive alone every day,” Cooper said. She said she made an effort to encourage as many people as possible to use alternative transportation through inter-office notices and office drop-ins. She added that everyone took the campaign seriously and that helped them secure the most miles. “We have a mom with a baby who agreed to take a bus,” Cooper said about ALS Instruc tor Amy Nuetzman. She said Nuetzman could have driven from Leaburg, Ore. in less than 30 minutes but instead took the bus. Nuetzman accumulated 265 miles, bringing in the highest total for the department. She Zane Rut1 Photographer Doug Hintz rides his bike outside of PLC on his way home. The Environmental Studies’ Service Learning Pro gram challenged University departments to use alternative modes of transportation rather than drive. said it took 50 minutes on the bus in addition to walking time, but it was so relaxing for her and her 11-month-old daughter that they con tinue to take the bus. She said her daughter is “mellow and waves to people as they get on and off the bus.” She said it also saves wear and tear on her car. “My car is really old and I question it’s relia bility, ’’Nuetzman said. “The bus is safe and stretching the life of my car.” She said she also enjoys meeting neighbors from Leaburg and the surrounding area on the bus and having conversations with them. ALS Instructor Doug Hintz said he rides a bike to work every day. He said there are many benefits to riding beyond those of Earth Week. “I don’t have to look for parking,” Hintz said. “That’s always beneficial." He added that it gives him a chance to get fresh air and exercise before work. CONTEST, page 4
