0 0 0 9 0e SHo EATDRINK Taste of India Earthen Jar subtracts meat, adds authentic taste By Megan Jacobs ;Daily Arts Writer fe intersection of South Fifth Avenue and Liberty Street is the dining equiva- lent of a vegetarian's wet dream; Seva offers a wide variety of typi- cal American fare such as vegan- black-bean-style burgers while Jerusalem Garden produces the undeniably best falafel in the city. Tucked away, nestled between the falafel hot spot and a public park- ing lot, is another gem for the veg- gie-minded, Earthen Jar. India is the inspiration behind this quaint establishment, though Bob Marley posters adorn the walls and reggae wafts softly amidst the scent of curry. Earthen Jar takes a unique approach to its contemporaries; patrons file through a cafeteria- style line, serving themselves from a series of five heated trays, offering over 25 dishes daily. The atmosphere is largely informal - as guests eat off of paper plates or carry-out in Styrofoam trays and eat with disposable silverware. After choosing from a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan dishes, the sole worker and owner, Gurcheren Sethi, weighs the plate; all hot dishes are sold at a flat rate of $4.99 per pound. Patrons may also individually purchase samo- sas, nan (Indian flatbread), and various herbal teas and juices, all reasonably priced - most are under $3; nan is a mere $0.75 per piece and samosas are $1 each. My companion and I made an assorted plate of brown rice and dal moong wash (yellow' lentils sauteed with onion), gobi alu (gin- ger-flavored curried cauliflower and potato deep-fried ball) sarmo- sas (deep-friend pouch of seasoned potato and peas) and soy chunks with peas in a tomato sauce. The experience was remarkably similar to eating in someone's home; patrons serve themselves water from a pitcher in a cooler filled with metal cups - which keeps the water pleasantly chilled - as well as boxes of mango and guava juice and a variety of sodas. Though the owner delivered pip- ing hot nan and freshly warmed samosas to the table, we were responsible for disposing of our own Chinet plates and plasticware. As if to add an even more homey touch to the evening, he told us to kindly place our glasses in the sink in the back room. While some might not appre- ciate this method of service, the Indian fare offered at Earthen Jar makes up for it. Each dish was clearly labeled with its ingredients and degree of spiciness; sauces were flavorful without being over- whelming. The gobi alu was deli- cious, spiced to perfection without inducing tears. This mild vegan dish is substantial enough to be eaten alone, though my compan- ion and I enjoyed it dipped in other sauces as well. Dal moong wash was another tasty, non-spicy option, best when mixed with rice, available in either basmati or brown varieties. Earthen Jar also offers a wide array of salads, including spinach and cucumber combinations and yogurt or lemon-based dressings. Though the restaurant claims to be quick and healthy, it is more the former than the latter; several options are potato filled and deep- fried, and pure vegetarian options are best eaten in a pinchful of nan. Nonetheless, Earthen Jar is perfect for a vegan on the run, with its self-serve format and inexpensive menu. Earthen Jar Where: 311 S. Fifth Ave. Hours: Mon.-Thurs. and Sat. 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Fri. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Closed Sunday MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily The Ypsilanti State Hospital - primarily designed to treat mentally IIl patients - opened in 1931. Opening Its Doors Again While waiting to be demolished, Ypsilanti State Hospital leaves behind a storied past. By Christopher Zbrozek / Daily Staff Writer Ypsilanti resident Julie Herrmann er Jar on South Fifth Avenue. "artisan politics being what they are, the coopera- tion last year between Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the Republican-controlled state Legislature on a plan to bring a Toyota Research & Development facility to York Township says something about how badly Michigan needs new jobs. After a West Bloomfield-based devel- oper intent on building a subdivision outbid Toyota for some state-owned land south of Ann Arbor - the site of an old mental hospital - the state threw out both bids. The Legislature then passed a bill to allow the land's sale directly to Toyota. Though the developer sued the state, it appears construction on the Toy- ota facility will begin as early as this spring. Quietly lying behind the debate and excitement surround- ing the Toyota facility, though, is the history of that land. Ypsilanti State Hospital was practically a small city at its peak in the mid-1950s, with a staff of nearly 1,000, 4,000 mentally ill patients, its own chapel, even a nine-hole golf course. Today the site sits abandoned, its buildings largely gut- ted in preparation for their final demolition. Urban explorers and curious passerby who ignore the "No Trespassing" signs and venture through the open doorways will certainly find peeling paint and leaking roofs, birds flying about indoors and rooms of abandoned filing cabinets and kitchen equip- ment. They might not, however, have a sense for the scale of the human suffering that existed within its walls. The story of Ypsilanti State Hospital mirrors the history of the treatment of the mentally ill during the 20th century. When the hospital was built, effective treatments were few, and mental hospitals were little removed from the insane asylums of the 19th century. The state Legislature authorized construction of "a hos- pital for the human, curative, scientific and economic treat- ment of insane persons to be known as the Ypsilanti State Hospital" in 1931. The buildings were designed by Albert Kahn, the architect of dozens of buildings on campus, including Angell Hall and Hill Auditorium. The first six patients were admitted on June 15, 1931, and by 1932, the hospital vas spending 80 cents a day on each of its more than 900 patients. The diary of Dr. O.R. Yoder, the hospital's longtime med- ical superintendent, shows the effects of the Great Depres- sion that gripped the nation back then. On July 2, 1931, he wrote, "Were constantly stopped by hundreds of people seeking work. Several thousand applications on file." Later that month, the Ypsilanti Savings Bank closed its doors, and the doctor was left with $1.75 in his pocket. In the hospital's early days, there were no anti-depres- sants or anti-psychotics. Psychiatrists generally relied on Freudian talk therapy. The type of patient who wound up in Ypsilanti State Hospital, however, was often too ill to benefit from talking. For these patients, there were a variety of bodily treatments, ranging from the benign to the bizarre. Patients on "hydrotherapy" were given warm baths or wrapped in cold, wet sheets. "Physiotherapy" consisted of exposure to ultraviolet and infrared light. Those patients suffering from psychosis due to the end stages of syphilis were given heavy metals to ingest or deliberately infected with malaria. Before antibiotics, poisoning or life-threaten- ing fever were the only options to kill the microorganism that causes syphilis. Because schizophrenia and epilepsy rarely occur in the same individual, it was reasoned that causing seizures might treat schizophrenia. In 1937, two "shock" therapies, using insulin or a drug called metrazol to induce seizures, were introduced at Ypsilanti State Hospital. Metrazol induced seizures so intense that patients often fractured their spines. Electroshock therapy was introduced around this time as well. These treatments were not particularly effective. In the 10th anniversary issue of Ypsi Slants, the newsletter pub- lished by some of the more able patients as part of their therapy, an article titled "Charter Guests Still Among Us" reported on patients who had been in the hospital since 1931. Of the first six people admitted to the hospital 10 years before, one was still a patient; the other five had died without getting better. Crumbling copies of Ypsi Slants kept in the Bentley Historical Library provide a glimpse into the lives of the more highly functional patients. In addition to listing the scores of intramural softball games and providing compel- ling reporting on the prize cows in the hospital's dairy, the newsletter contained something of a society column about the patients: "Harry Lemmer of Ward B 2-1 is losing his expert touch with cards. He has lost 12 straight games. His friends say he needs a little practice. They are all eager to help him practice." fRA Ts'oiet it the Ai picesare ar ooy Nv, York an paLond~ oon "discounted, Plexibl price are 1out t il. Mi. springbreak &wi Ac"Ia riy aof Los " ~ '' Pbudget hotels & I -rail & bus passes fesa sudats -intl1student iD ca worldwide discour TOMMASO GOMEZ/Daily Earthen Jar allows customers to choose from more than 25 vegan dishes each day. 4B - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 29, 2005 The Michigan Daily -