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Show A ROCKY N EET w Utah gymnastics gets the win despite not improving on its score from the past meet» CRYING WOLF: Reed Nelson says eliminating all wolves in Utah is nonsensical » 5 6 Monday, February 1, 2010 DAILY ONICLE Gay-rights bill hits legislative hurdle www.dailyutahchronicle.com The Universi Katie Pratt STAFF WRITER A surprising twist of legislation occurred Friday, when the anti-discrimination bill that would protect op • Ms gays and lesbians in housing and the workplace was halted. Although legislators shot down all five of last year's gay-rights bills, this year's bill came in with 201 fdi o stronger support. The Salt Lake City Council passed an ordinance protecting gays and lesbians from being wrongfully fired or evicted because of their sexual orientation—a move egislative The Church of Jesus ession Christ of Latter-day Saints came out in support of. Legislators were going to push the same law on the state level, but instead, they have scrapped the bill to study the issue during Senate passes mentor program Jake Hibbard STAFF WRITER The mentoring program passed the Associated Students of the University of Utah Senate on Thursday, clearing its last major hurdle before approval. The bill, which sends 14 U students to Granite School District middle schools for academic mentoring, passed the Senate by a vote of 12-2—but only after narrowly passing through the ASUU Assembly. Assembly representatives debated the program for two hours Tuesday and even proposed a failed amendment to strip the bill of its $15,000 annual funding, arguing it should model more U programs that already provide similar service on a volunteer basis. Funding for the bill will come out of the ASUU general reserve for the first year and then from the ASUU executive budget for each year thereafter. "I think one of the biggest differences was the Senate didn't get hung up on the volunteering in the same way that the Assembly did," said Tayler Clough, ASUU president. Irving Torres, the College of Social and Behavioral Science senator, said debate on the program during the Senate meeting was limited because most of the senators had already had their questions answered about it. "Tayler gave us months in ahead to look over the bill," Torres said. "I came into the meeting knowing what my constituents wanted, and the majority of them were in favor of the bill." Bryce Williams, the College of Social Work senator, was one of the two senators who voted no on the bill. Echoing many of the same complaints brought up during Tuesday's Assembly dent Sio0ent Voice Since 1890 the corning year. They hope to reach an agreement backed by not only religion but also data, which would appease both parties during future legislative sessions. "There was just not sufficient time to see what happened on the city level," said Rep. Christine Johnson, D-Salt Lake City, the openly gay legislator who proposed the bill. Four bills that pertain to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community were presented to leg- islators a week ago, including Johnson's bill, which mirrored the city ordinance Salt Lake City passed in November 2009. The LDS Church, which has traditionally opposed gay-rights legislation, came out in support of the ordinance and has used it as an example for other states as the possibility of equality within a highly conservative population. The LDS Church's support was a big gain for gay-rights supporters, as most of Utah's lawmak- Vol.119 No.71 I ©2010 ers are Mormon. Still, Utah lawmakers are hesitant about approving a statewide law so quickly. Bills were heavily stacked on both sides, including attempts by Republicans to quash the efforts of Johnson and her colleagues, she said. Republican Sen. Howard Stephenson will partner with Johnson in hopes of bringing forth a future bill See LEGISLATURE Page 3 A touchy subject . iii+Vai ' Ex.IT4 T ■ ,1% — ••• i f, . • v.,. . • . ,, . . • ,4- •-'• • . . -"' • . -. ..," f, ,. t.. elW• 544, .. 4- . ,e , # . i „, '. '...7 r ..- , . .4r P` .. - iitkart't ...C.--- , .■14 4 4, 1. ;0001. / - ‘7-..liiikA •• ■ IN ■ 'II, 1 , .,- I , - AS UU BAH 41) •...,„ \ CA _ , lvf I %IOW RUNIII° 1 i 1 g A , r, ii) . . ., 4.1 , ■■ ,..-.* 7.-.; 0 1 10; . ep vp - 4 , N 1 ■D Muss Illik4 ttl 1 *it, Ai ; . •;, ,,, , - I I \ RICHARD PAYSON/The Daily Utah Chronicle Utah head coach Jim Boylen reaches to pull Marshall Henderson and Luka Drca into a team huddle after a shoving match that started when Henderson hit BYU guard Jackson Emery in the face with his forearm. Henderson was later ejected, and the Utes lost the game 82-69. The Runnin' Utes lost the rivalry game, 82-69 >> 6 See ASUU Page 3 Group brings Hollywood to the U Andreas Rivera STAFF WRITER The Union Common Room transformed Saturday into a setting for a high-class chance of a lifetime for terminally ill children. A student honor society host- ed a Hollywood-themed party for the children with balloons, treats, women dressed in an expensive-looking fashion and waiters in ties serving cupcakes and punch. The festivities for the party included modeling for a photographer and decorating Hollywood pictures. Mortar Board, the honor society for seniors or students with 90 or more credits, collaborated with HopeKids, a national organization that helps kids with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses, to host the event. See SOCIETY Page 3 Genetics website wins science award Deborah Rafferty STAFF WRITER RICHARD PAYSON/The Daily Utah Chronicle Marie Flores, a second-year student at the U's School of Medicine, works with coach Dean Oba on different hitting techniques for wheelchair tennis. Flores is a member of Utah Wheelchair Tennis, a group of paraplegic and quadriplegic tennis players who meet each week to practice. `I can do these things' Wheelchair tennis provides chance for exercise, confidence as popularity grows Andreas Rivera STAFF WRITER A tennis group at the U isn't just hitting slice shots, it's changing lives as well. Marie Flores, a second-year student at the U's School of Medicine, is new to tennis but is already playing against those who have won national titles and compete year-round. A quadriplegic, Flores has no control over her legs and limited control over her arms. Along with her fellow players and coaches, she is part of Utah Wheelchair Tennis, a group of paraplegic and quadriplegic tennis play- The journal Science awarded a U website with the first-ever Science Prize for Online Resources in Education Award for creating a popular tool for exploring the microscopic world. Last October, the U Genetic Science Learning Cen- ter launched its "Cell Size and Scale" interactive animation, allowing anyone to zoom through and compare the size of a coffee bean to the influenza virus to a carbon atom. It quickly became the eighth most popular search on the Internet, said Louisa Stark, director of the Genetic Science Learning Center. It generated 270 hits a second, was linked to more than other websites and, sometime during that day, the animation received more hits than the Facebook homepage, according to a recent U press release. Science is the premier scientific journal in the United States, publishing studies from all areas 20,000 See WEBSITE Page 4 U, neighbors come together for forum Katie Harrington STAFF WRITER ers who get together weekly to practice. The group is made possible by a collaboration of Therapeutic Recreation and Independent Lifestyles, a program through the U's Rehabilitation Center, and the Utah Tennis Association. TRAILS offers a variety of activities for people with spinal cord problems and those who must use a wheelchair. The program's goal is to keep people connected to an active lifestyle, said Trish Jensen, development director at the University Hospital Foundation. Recently, TRAILS was given a $5,000 grant The U had its annual community forum meeting Thursday to discuss the state of current and future construction projects, traffic and transit issues and a comprehensive sustainability action plan. Michele Mattsson, vice chairwoman for the U Board of Trustees, said this is the one mandated meeting by the U every year. It is important to discuss these updates with neighbors and other community members so they See TENNIS Page 4 See FORUM Page 4 TANER PASAMEHMETOGLU/The Daily Utah Chronicle Myron Willson, director of sustainability, talks about the university's consumption of energy and what can be changed to reduce it, during the annual community forum with the public. |
