The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Thursday, March 27, 2014 - 5A

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Thursday, March 27, 2014 - 5A

RACECAR
From Page 1A
about how to design it, how to test
it," said Engineering junior Ben
Wang, the team's electrical lead.
"We learned from mistakes."
Five teams - mechanical, con-
trols, electric, aerodynamics and
business - came together to build
the car from scratch, excluding
a few motors and batteries. The
front wheels are powered by elec-
tric motors, and the back wheels by
a combustion engine.
Engineering senior Connor St.
John, team co-captain, said it's
the first year that the car looks
like they "put thought into it." He
said the last two years were well-
thought out too, but that this car
is better designed - a jump that he
credits to the experience gained in
the last two years.
"We really stepped up our
game. We took a lot more design
considerations," said Engineering

junior Forrest Coghill, the team's
co-mechanical lead. "I would say
the whole vehicle is a little more
streamlined."
Coghill,whowilllead nextyear's
team with Wang, said the future of
the Formula Hybri; competition is
uncertain as industry sustainabil-
ity preferences and standards are
in flux.
"Companies like Testa are push-
ing electric vehicles and I think
that's ultimately where the indus-
try is going to go," he said. "So I
could also see the competition
going in that direction."
That means the team may have
to prepare to adapt to possible
shifts in the competition. Coghill
said he imagines this change could
take the form of a modular base
frame that can support both hybrid
and fully electric systems.
Engineering senior Karan Patal,
team co-captain, added that the
car was complete two-and-a-half
weeks earlier than it was last year,
which the captains credit to amoti-
vated team.

GOALS
From Page 1A
Corps, Hessler-Radelet worked
with Johns Hopkins Univer-
sity to develop Indonesia's first
comprehensive AIDs manage-
ment program. Since taking
the reins at the organization,
Hessler-Radelet has created
advocacy and-support groups
for volunteers who were vic-
tims of violence while abroad.
"The thing that keeps me up
at night is volunteer safety,"
Hessler-Radelet said.
Earlier Wednesday, the
Peace Corps announced a new
partnership program with the
University's School of Infor-
mation. The Peace Corps aims
to tackle problems in public
health, climate change and
entrepreneurship, all while
creating a rewarding experi-
ence for volunteers.
Hessler-Radelet spoke about

improving the diversity of vol-
unteers serving in the Peace
Corps. To achieve diversity,
the organization shortened the
application process from eight
hours to one hour as well as
provided scholarships for vol-
unteers who want to return
to college. Additionally, each
regional recruiting office plans
to hire one diversity recruiter.
The organization is also
working to streamline the
application process, with the
goal of sending applicants
abroad within six to nine
months of their application.
Hessler-Radelet hopes to dou-
ble the number of applicants
with the new process.
Fifty years after the launch
of the Peace Corps on the steps
of the Union, Hessler-Rade-
let believes the organization
is still relevant. She said at
least 12 presidents of African
nations credit the Peace Corps
for providing services that
allowed them to achieve their

current success.
Even though the organi-
zation has been successful,
Hessler-Radelet said there
are issues she still wants to
address, namely continuing to
ensure volunteer safety.
However, she added that
research has found that a Peace
Corps volunteer is at no greater
risk serving abroad than some-
one living in the United States.
Another issue that worries
Hessler-Radelet is funding.
The organization, which draws
funding from the federal gov-
ernment and private dona-
tions, currently receives $1
from every tax-paying Ameri-
can. Despite being constrained
by funding, the Peace Corps
has spread to 139 countries and
trained close to a quarter-mil-
lion volunteers.
Even with the problems
facing the Peace Corps, there
was a strong turnout from for-
mer Peace Corps volunteers at
Wednesday's meeting.

"It looks like there's prog-
ress for the Peace Corps,
whereas before it felt like the
Peace Corps was staying as it
was," Rackham student Ger-
aldine Montesinos, a returned
Peace Corps volunteer, said.
Hessler-Radelet announced
other new ventures including
collaborations between uni-
versities in the United States
and those in host countries,
as well as non-governmental
organizations. She is also
using data to focus on allocat-
ing resources to make the most
meaningful and cost effective
changes to the organization.
At one point in her speech,
Hessler-Radelet asked the
returned volunteers to stand
up. This was her way of dem-
onstrating the tangible impact
the program makes.
"Sometimes it's a mayor,
a minister, a mom," she said.
"All who feel like their life was
transformed by a Peace Corps
volunteer."

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