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. 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