The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Tuesday, December 9, 2014 - 3 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Tuesday, December 9, 2014 - 3 CHARLIE KOWALEC/Daily Therapy dogs Aussie (top left), Cooper (bottom left), Bailey (top right) and Jazz (bottom right) help students destress at the Shapiro Undergraduate Library on Monday. PUPPIES From Page 1 sorts of sights and sounds," said Sue Zieske, who brought her dog Darla to the UGLi on Monday. Zieske also mentioned the importance of a good fit between the owner and the dog. "You have to have the right dog," she said. "You wait for the right dog to come along, a dog that is cut out for this." Collins and Zieske noted the importance of a source of stress relief during finals week. "They are supposed to dis- tract the students, give them a change of pace, get them away from exams for a little bit," Col- lins said. "A lot of students miss their pets at home so they real- ly appreciate seeing an animal FIRESIDE From Page 1 Director Dave Brandon. Though Schlissel said hiring a new head coach is ultimately up to Hackett, he thanked students for encouraging more female rep- resentation in the athletic staff and said he will discuss ways to improve gender diversity within the program. "I think that's a great question for me to ask and how we think of issues of gender and other issues of equity on staff of the Athletic Department," Schlissel said. Students also discussed the ways in which campus geogra- phy has led to both safety con- here." Event organizer Jerry Nordb- lom, a member of the Therapaws board of directors, said the dogs are not trained but rather exten- sively tested. He said the dogs love assignments like campus visits, as visiting hospitals can be more stressful for the canines. However, he said the dogs vis- ibly appreciate visiting a vibrant college campus and being pet by students. Therapaws also has other assignments in nursing homes, hospitals, children's hospitals and elementary schools. Chil- dren who have difficulty reading also sit down with therapy dogs and read to them as part of a pro- gram hosted b y Therapaws. The dogs will be back on the first floor of the UGLi on Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Therapy dogs Aussie (top left), Cooper (bottom left), Bailey (top right) and Jazz (bottom right) help stodeots destress AFRICA From Page 1 at the University of Witwa- tersrand in South Africa, pre- sented her research on "The Determinants of Youth Health Outcomes in South Africa" and focused specifically on the relationship between second- ary education and the preva- lence of AIDS among youth. DeWet said she hopes her research helps further the existing treatment for AIDS in South Africa. "In the long run, I want it to just build on existing knowledge about AIDS," she said. "The time that we've been given here to build on this existing knowledge is so important. In terms of the long-term impact, I guess it will be a collection of what (I'll) do to promote research in Africa, about research in our countries." DeWet worked at the Popu- lation Studies Center with her faculty mentor, Barbara A. Anderson, to expand her doctoral thesis on adolescent mortality, and will continue to conductresearchatthe Univer- sity for another four months. Kofi Gyan, program manag- er at the International Family Planning Fellowship Program, has been a part of the program since its early years. "The best part was get- ting a different perspective on health, humanities, social sci- ences from an African point of view," Gyan said. "There's not a lot that is known about Africa than there is about this city." cerns and a disconnect between students on North Campus and Central Campus. LSA senior Alex Abdun-Nabi spoke about Ann Arbor's cur- rent moratorium on erecting new streetlights on campus due to cost concerns. He said this poses problems for off-campus students living in areas such as Kerrytown and South Campus. Schlissel said with the recent election of Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor, the Ann Arbor City Council has looked into lifting the moratorium and increasing lighting throughout the city. Schlissel also commented on the amicable relationship he shares with Taylor, noting that both are open to meeting regu- larly to address the concerns of student residents. Students also raised issues related to the seemingly separate nature of North Campus. One student with dual enroll- ment in the Ross School of Busi- ness and the School of Art & Design noted the distinct cul- tures that exist in each school due to their geographical sepa- ration. Others said North Cam- pus tends to get overlooked in discussions of overall University improvement, raising concerns associated with the Bursley Din- ing Hall and the deteriorating infrastructure of the Northwood Apartments. Schlissel said the discussion to improve North Campus is a relatively new one and students might not see changes in the near future. However, he said improvements are in the works. "It'll take a couple of years, but the discussion to improve the campus is happening now," he said. Schlissel asked students for suggestions to help bridge the gap between schools and colleg- es on North Campus and Central Campus. One student suggested creating interdisciplinary pro- grams to facilitate collabora- tions between students in both schools. Another topic of discussion was the improvement of men- tal health services on campus. Because of the stressful nature of final exam period, more students seek psychological help and therapy during the final weeks of school than duringthe rest of the semester- E. Royster Harper, vice presi- dent for student life, who also participated'in the montly chat, said the additional number of students attempting to seek treatment often results in lon- ger wait times at Counseling and Psychological Services. Both Harper and Schlissel noted that in the past the Univer- sity has attempted to hire addi- tional staff during these periods, yet has underestimated the num- ber of students seeking help this season. Both said the University is currently considering increasing the total number of counselors and expanding CAPS as a whole.