Monday, June 6, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
RELIEF EFFORTS
UMHS sends volunteers to aid in Joplin, MO
U' employees assist
victims of tornado
devastation
By CLAIRE HALL
Daily StaffReporter
Following the disastrous tor-
nado that struck Joplin, Missouri
two weeks ago, the University
of Michigan Health System has
answered the national call for
volunteers by the American Red
Cross to assist the victims of the
natural disaster.
Kara Gavin, UMHS director
of public relations, said her office
sent out an e-mail to 25,000 staff
members and students involved in
UMHS, urging individuals to vol-
unteer and assist those affected
by the tornado.
Gavin said the e-mail also
encouraged UMHS employees
with medical training - nurses,
physicians, psychologists and
social workers - to contact the
Red Cross if they were interested
in deploying to Joplin or other
southern states that were affect-
ed.
"The response ... hasbeenvery
gratifying," Gavin said. "Dozens
of our staff have indicated already
that they'd be willing to deploy."
Beginning this week and
running through the end of the
month, the Washtenaw County
chapter will offer two workshops
for UMHS volunteers serving
down south - one for general
health services and the other spe-
cifically for mental health profes-
sionals, Cieslinski said. She added
that the training will be short-
ened from the normal eight-hour
session to a three-hour session.
According to Cieslinski, the
Red Cross may be able to send
UMHS volunteers to Joplin as
early as Friday.
"I think that there are six
or seven people that are already
scheduled to take the health ser-
vices workshop and I have about
five social workers that will be
taking the mental health work-
shop," Cieslinski said.
Sam Warkentien, a UMHS
emergency room nurse, traveled
to Joplin two days after the dead-
ly tornado swept through the city
on May 22. A former intern at St.
John's Regional Medical Center
in Joplin, Warkentien said she
was eager to return to help with
the devastating aftermath of the
natural disaster.
"I went down there as an indi-
vidual," Warkentien said. "I didn't
go down there with the Red Cross
or as a representative from the
University of Michigan. I went
downthere as a person who's from
the area who wanted to help."
Warkentien said she spent
several days walking the streets of
Joplin with a group of fellow vol-
unteers providing medical advice,
food and information about where
to get clean water and other sup-
plies for those in need.
Warkentien added she hopes
to go back to Joplin later in the
month with the Red Cross.
"I prefer to go back with an
organization this time," Warken-
tien said. "I understand they want
organized helpers in the area to
help with disaster relief because
the aid was starting to get to a
point where it was getting a little
bit crazy."
Warkentien and her UMHS
co-workers who plan on deploying
to Joplin will be doing so on their
own vacation time in order to not
deprive UMHS patients of care,
according to Gavin.
"(UMHS is) always willing
to pass along the call for volun-
teers and, as much as we can help,
our staff lend their skills where
they're needed while also mak-
ing sure that our patients here are
served," Gavin said.
94e1Mid igan ai3
420 Maynard St.
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327
www.michigandaily.com
BETHANY BIRON ZACHARYVANCER
7348-4115ext. 25 73-48-s15ext. 124
CONTACT INFORMATION
Newsroom ofcehours:
Sun"" um11 a.am.
News Tips new.@michigandalycom
Corrections correctionsi chigendaily.com
Letterstothe Editor tothedaiyeichigandafycom
PhotoDepartmnt ephot@michigandailcom
ArtsSection arts mchigandaiy.com
EditorialPage opinion@michigandailycom
SportsSection sports@michigandaily.com
Magazine kareckimiciandailycom
Advertisng Phone:734-764-0554
Department disptay@michigandaity.com
tlassifieds Phone:734-764-0557
Department c.assifed@michigandaiy.com
EDITORIAL STAFF
Mark Bams
burmak5.michigandaily.com
Managing Editor
MICHIGAN STUDENT ASSEMBLY
Detroit charter school models government after MSA
BidePrusak MnaginNews Editor
bpruak@.eichigand.ily......
Teddy Papes uEdiorae Editor
tedpaeswichigad..y.c...
StephenJ. Nesbitt Mnagin.gSprts nditor
Julia Alix Smith-Eppsteinr ManginsEditor
trinrirkland Managing Photo Editor
ph...@....higard.ily.c.,.
AngelatChih Ma.ningesign.Editor
Collaboration Universal Academy, wrote in an
e-mail interview the goal of the
exposes students to initiative is to give students a bet-
ter feel for college-level student
college-level student governments.
"We thought the closer our
government structure is to MSA's, the easier
the transition is for students
By ALYSSA ALDER transferring there and the more
Daily StaffReporter encouraging it is to pursue effec-
tive positions in such organiza-
in addition to its other ini- tions," Charafeddine said.
tiatives, the Michigan Student Charafeddine said model-
Assembly has recently begun to ing UA's student government
focus its attention on mentor- after MSA will hopefully expand
ing the student government of the horizons of their students in
the Universal Academy - a K-12 terms of community initiative,
charter public school in metro- academic career goals, extracur-
politan Detroit that uses MSA as ricular activity involvement, pub-
a model for its own student gov- lic work aspirations and effective
ernment. citizenship.
This collaboration was put in "(The University) and its
motion when the school's student students are one of the great
government decided to revise and and proud assets of the state of
expand their structure in order to Michigan, and partnering with
prepare its members for govern- the urban students of Detroit
mental involvement in college. will bring about a revolutionary
In order to do so, they began to outcome that can transform the
research student governments of future of the city," Charafeddine
prominent universities in Michi- said.
gan, including MSA at the Uni- "Students will bridge the dis-
versity. tance between Ann Arbor and
Wissam Charafeddine, the Detroit - two of the greatest cit-
liaison of student affairs for the ies in Michigan," he added.
MSA President DeAndree
Watson wrote in an e-mail inter-
view he was honored and thrilled
to hear about the initiative, espe-
cially after being part of Students
4 Progressive Governance, an
organization that's goal was to
create a government model and
constitution that better serves
the students of the University.
"It makes me proud to see
that other students outside of the
University see value in (MSA's)
new structure," he wrote.
Watson added he believes the
features of MSA - which was
modeled after the U.S. govern-
ment - promotes democratic ide-
als that provide opportunities for
more students to engage in stu-
dent government.
"I think that our government
structure plays a significant role,"
he said. "I believe that we have
the most dynamic and democratic
structure in the area, which is a
great way to uphold our institu-
tional value of being the Leaders
and the Best. It is great to see that
we are setting the example."
In addition to modeling them-
selves after MSA, the UA student
government recently toured the
University's campus, including
the MSA chambers. UA students
met with University student men-
tors and MSA representatives and
were provided with the oppor-
tunity to ask questions about the
inner-workings of MSA.
After meeting with the stu-
dents, Watson wrote that he
noticed they were highly engaged
and enthusiastic.
"I absolutely love seeing stu-
dents begin taking active roles
in their communities at such an
early age," he wrote. "I am certain
that great things are in store for
each of them."
Watson added that creating
a lasting relationship between
MSA and high-achieving schools
like UA is a crucial step forward
in strengthening ties with com-
munities outside of the Univer-
sity, a major initiative of himself
and MSA Vice President Brendan
Campbell.
"Brendan and I had already
planned to use MSA as a means
of strengthening the efforts that
currently exist to reach out to
underrepresented communities,"
he said. "This was a major theme
of our platform as candidates, and
we intend to work diligently on
this issue over the next year."
Haley Goldberg
Copy chief
Sarah Squire Web Developme.,nMaager
squi,,yefcigndaiiy.c,,.
BUSINESS STAFF
Ashley Karadsheh
Alexis Newton
Meghan Rooney
Connor Byrd
Quy Vo
Prdutin.Maager
Cirulain5'Manager
The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is
published Monday through Friday during
the fall and winter terms by students at the
Unisersity ot Michigan. One copy is available
tree of charge ts alt readers. Additisral
copies may be picked up at the Daily's office
for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting
in Septembr, via U.S. nail are $110. Winter
term (Januarythrough April) is$1 ,yearlong
(September through April)is $195. University
affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription
rate. On-canmyus subscriptions ton tall tern
are $35. Subsciptions must be prepaid. The
Michigan Daily is a memberof The Associated
Pressand TheAssociatedCollegiate Press.