3-News

Do you

Stutter,

Stammer,

or have a

Speech Disfluency?




Jacob Behrmann
jbehr@umich.edu

Jeremiah Whittington

jjwhit@umich.edu

Jacob, a freshman, and Jeremiah, a senior, are currently organizing
a group of students at the University of Michigan who either have
stuttered, do stutter, or want to learn more about stuttering. Both of

us are stutterers and similar identity.

3A — Thursday, February 19, 2015
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Fisseha, who was born in Ethi-

opia, helped create CIRHT and
was able to do so in part through
an anonymous $25 million grant
to the University’s Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology. The
program, Fisshea said, is needed
in Ethiopia.

“Ethiopia has one of the high-

est maternal mortality ratios in
the world, and one of the con-
tributing factors is the huge
unmet need for comprehensive
reproductive health care servic-
es,” she said.

The CIRHT works to train

health care officials and future
medical professionals, providing
students with hands-on experi-
ence in the profession. The pro-
gram aims to develop new leaders
who will stay on and contribute
to the health care in Ethiopia.

Fisseha
said
the
gradu-

ates’ capabilities have already
increased.
The
demand
for

health care has also increased
as more Ethiopian women seek
help from the new program.

The University’s role in Ethio-

pia will also include the design
and creation of projects intend-
ed to contribute in other ways.
Engineering graduate student
Ibrahim Mohedas has been at the
forefront of one of these projects.

Mohedas has been to Ethiopia

three times with the University,
and has played a role in develop-
ing a prototype to help insert a
long-term contraceptive into the
arms of Ethiopian women, a pro-
cess that generally risks harm-
ing muscle tissue. The prototype
would safely deliver the contra-
ceptive injection and nullify the
risk of muscle damage when
removed.

“The long-term goal of a

device like this would definitely
be to expand access to long-term
contraceptives,” Mohedas said.
“In the bigger picture, we’re
looking at how to design devices
specifically for rural areas of
low resource settings, where so
much of the world’s population
is but so few medical devices
work.”

The program also focuses on

data collection in the country.

Public Health student Belen

Michael spent the last summer in
Ethiopia engaged in data analysis.

While there, Michael and fellow

students were able to interview and
discuss issues of fertility and repro-
duction with men and women in
Ethiopian clinics. The data research
is still ongoing and Michael said the
information has provided insight
into both medical and cultural per-
spectives in Ethiopia.

“What I got was trying to find

this balance of being cultur-
ally sensitive, but still trying to
bring these beneficial methods
to women,” Michael said.

coming in and asking more spe-
cific questions about enrollment
this year,” she said.

Similar to last year, Rhein-

gans said many people have
waited until the last minute to
apply for health insurance. She
attributed the trend to those
with lower incomes commonly
working more than one job and
helping take care of other fam-
ily members. Those factors make
it harder to find the time to go
online and thoroughly consider
the options.

Currently, Michigan is one of

27 states, along with the District
of Columbia, that has chosen to
expand Medicaid through the
Healthy
Michigan
program.

Rheingans said Michigan’s plan
differs somewhat from those
in other states. Unique provi-
sions include asking beneficia-
ries to make contributions to
the program, similar to tradi-
tional health insurance, such as
copays. After four years, benefi-
ciaries earning above 100 per-
cent of the federal poverty line
will be asked to make more con-
tributions.

“I think some things that our

state did in the development of
the Healthy Michigan Plan that
are different from other Med-

icaid programs in the country
will make other states be more
interested in possibly expand-
ing Medicaid,” Rheingans said.

Student volunteers with the

Washtenaw Health Initiative,
like Public Health student Pau-
line Do, disseminated infor-
mation about the ACA as well
as the Healthy Michigan Plan
across the community.

“Since Michigan just expand-

ed its Medicaid program last
year, most people, including
students, do not realize that
they qualify for Healthy Michi-
gan, so that has been my main
focus,” Do said. “Personally, I
have only done one-to-one out-
reach, but I believe it is very

successful.”

Unlike the general insurance

exchange, Healthy Michigan
does not have an enrollment
deadline.

However, Do said individu-

als still may be able to enroll in
the general marketplace beyond
the initial February deadline,
as long as they experienced a
qualifying life event, such as a
change in income or residence.

“The most rewarding thing

about disseminating informa-
tion about health care coverage
is making this process a little bit
easier for individuals, and see-
ing people enroll with the help
of certified enrollment counsel-
ors on the same day,” Do said.

this year its organizers took a dif-
ferent route, opting to let audi-
ence members vote for a winner
via text message. The combined
performance of the men’s and
women’s track and field teams
took second place, with the field
hockey team taking third.

Aaron Ward, who starred for

the Michigan hockey team from
1990 to 1993 before winning three
Stanley Cup trophies in the NHL
— two for the Detroit Red Wings
and another for the Carolina Hur-
ricanes — emceed the event.

Following the men’s rowing

team’s performance, Ward noted
that he would have to break his
promise to his young daughter,
who was expecting to see video
footage of the event afterward.
According to Ward, seeing the
film’s protagonist Ariel with chest
hair and a beard wouldn’t go over
well.

The Michigan baseball team

kicked the night off with an
impressive display of uninten-
tionally improvisational comedy.
Redshirt sophomore right-hander
Cam Wysocki didn’t decide what
his act would entail until the last
possible moment, but he pulled
some last-second strings to make
it work.

“I came up with that about

… this morning,” Wysocki said.
“I’ve done the same kind of thing
the last three years , and it’s more
fun if I come up with it the day (of
the event).

“That’s how you get that kind

of raw emotion that you don’t
really see in other acts, because
we have no idea what we’re doing
until we’re actually on stage.”

Neither did the five fresh-

men Wolverines whom Wysocki
enlisted for his act, which con-

sisted of him calling up an unsus-
pecting female volunteer to sit in
a chair at center stage. Wysocki
serenaded her with a rendition of
Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Love-
ly” before calling out the first-
years to push the boundaries of
what could appropriately be done
in mixed company — all through
song, dance and a selfie.

Though absent due to a home

game against Indiana, the Michi-
gan women’s basketball team
managed to contribute. Junior
guard Halle Wangler starred as
a snack-food thief in a video the
Wolverines filmed beforehand
and showed during the event.
Also playing leading roles were
freshman forward Jillian Dun-
ston, who deceived her team-
mates into believing they had
an upcoming day off, and senior
forward Nicole Elmblad, who,
upon discovering the rest of her
teammates fooling around on the
practice court, kicked off a whole-
squad “twerk” session.

“There were a few takes,” Elm-

blad told the Daily following her
team’s 68-52 victory over Indi-
ana Wednesday night. “There
were a couple of scenes that took
us longer than they should have,
especially when you have a whole
team together trying to do a video
thing. Everybody’s got their opin-
ion and what they want to do, but
it was a lot of fun.”

Not to be left out, the Michigan

marching band also orchestrated
a relatively lengthy act that alter-
nated between sketch comedy and
dance. As with the other groups,
the marching band didn’t miss
out on an opportunity to poke fun
at itself in its depiction of a flirta-
tious interaction at band camp.

“So what?” said one band mem-

ber to another. “People are awk-
ward. Plus, we’re band kids. We’re
all awkward.”

Daily Sports Writer Kelly Hall

contributed reporting.

ROCK
From Page 1A

ACA
From Page 1A

offer an academic perspective on
Israel’s geopolitical and interna-
tional challenges, but one from
the perspective of the Israeli gov-
ernment.

“This is my job and my respon-

sibility,” Gilad said. “The Arab
Spring that started four years
ago created the most geopoliti-
cally challenging situation which
we are facing as a state since our
establishment 60 to 70 years ago.”

Gilad said Israel faces four

forces in the Middle East that
challenge its borders. He said
these forces include the “Shi-
ite Axis” stretching from Iran,
Iraq and Syria; the traditional
moderate Sunni Muslim block
in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan
and the Arab Gulf; as well as the
Hamas and the Islamic State,
also known as ISIS.

“You see how these new geo-

political maps of the Middle East
is being translated into a direct
threat … to Israel,” Gilad said. “I
think it is fair to say that Israel
has too many challenges and
some opportunities.”

He said Iran continues to

threaten and challenge the legiti-
macy of Israel’s statehood and is
currently the country’s biggest
challenge in the Middle East.

“We are at a very sensitive time,”

he said. “We believe that Iran is a
real threat to the state of Israel and
to the region. I think nobody would
like to see a nuclear Iran.”

Gilad also discussed the mili-

tary action in the Gaza Strip
carried out by the Israeli govern-
ment last July. He said the Israeli

government is committed to a
two-state solution to the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict, but said Pal-
estinians should also recognize
Israel as a Jewish state.

“This is an opportunity to

build some kind of partnership
(between Israel) and the Sunni
block,” he said.

Gilad
said
he
approached

I-LEAD because he wanted to
bring the concerns of the Israeli
government and people to the
Jewish community in the Mid-
west.

“All the kinds of concerns that

we have in Israel, sometimes it’s
hard to understand them when
you are so far, at such a distance,”
Gilad said. “If I’ve managed to
express some of the concerns
that we have in Israel from all
this very challenging geopolitical
situation, that’s basically what I
came to do today.”

LSA freshman Emilie Weisberg

said she thought Gilad provided a
balanced perspective while still
maintaining his own opinion.

“I really just found that from

his speech I was educated a bit
more on the issues and it helped
me see things from a calm, ratio-
nal perspective,” Weisberg said.

LSA junior Daniel Pearlman

said he enjoyed how Gilad spoke
from the Israeli government’s
perspective.

“He spoke from the heart and

the government,” Pearlman said.
“Despite everything you see on
the news about war, there’s a
sense of optimism and there’s
huge opportunities to work with
Sunni moderate groups … It’s easy
to forget there are real people liv-
ing in the Middle East and it’s not
just a conflict.”

CONSULATE
From Page 1A

nent role on campus over the last
year. In November 2013, mem-
bers of the University’s Black
Student Union launched the
Being Black at the University of
Michigan campaign — using the
hashtag #BBUM on Twitter — to
draw attention to the experienc-
es of Black students on campus.
The student organizers later
demanded the University make
process around a series of policy
initiatives, including increasing
minority enrollment.

Among initiatives currently in

the works, Schlissel announced
the University has begun a Stra-
tegic Plan for Diversity and said
he plans to gather department
chairs later this semester to
discuss diversity and inclusion.
He also listed plans for a cam-
puswide diversity summit in
the fall, new partnerships with
school districts home to under-
represented populations and a
task force to consider hiring and
promotion of underrepresented
faculty.

In an interview with The

Michigan Daily last month,
Schlissel noted the University’s
long-standing goal to diversify,
but said current strategies must
be improved.

“It really is fair to say that

there has been a long-term com-
mitment to diversity at the Uni-
versity of Michigan, I think the
record is really clear,” he said.
“The problem is, our success

hasn’t matched our aspirations
despite people’s serious efforts
and serious commitments.”

Martha Jones, associate chair

of the Department of Afroameri-
can and African Studies and
associate professor of history
and Afroamerican and African
Studies, attended the event and
said she was excited by Schlis-
sel’s interest in campus-wide
diversity.

“I thought it was a very

bold morning and I was very
impressed as I learned that
our new president was going to
make diversity one of his major
agenda items for the term of his
presidency,” Jones said. “What I
saw on Monday was a president
that seemed poised to lead us on
a new path, and that for me was
new and that for me was why it
was an exciting and important
morning.”

However, Jones said she’s

interested to know more about
initiatives in the works, particu-
larly ongoing strategic planning.

“I’m eager to hear more

details as they develop,” she said.

After
outlining
his
pri-

orities, Schlissel fielded ques-
tions and comments from the
event’s attendees. According to
a University press release, one
attendee asked what takeaways
attendees should communicate
to their colleagues.

“I think it’s fair to tell them

that there’s skepticism in the air
because words are easy, and I
think it’s fair to tell them that the
president and the senior leader-
ship and the regents themselves
are ready to be held to account,”

Schlissel said.

“I not only need your ideas, I

need your criticism,” he said. “I
need you to poke me with a stick.
I need you to hold me and the
leadership team and the regents
to account, so that we have the
conversation again and again.”

Pharmacy
student
Kristye

Russell, who attended the event,
said she is concerned how the
plan would meet the needs of
graduate and professional stu-
dents enrolled in schools out-
side of the Rackham Graduate
School.

“The biggest challenge is

going to be getting an initia-
tive to roll out that is going to be
widely adopted and accepted on
campus by everybody and that
is going to meet everybody’s
needs,” she said.

Jones said Schlissel’s talk

focused primarily on campus cli-
mate issues, which she said are
less quantifiable, but equally as
relevant as admissions and hir-
ing statistics.

“Our climate issues need to

be understood and addressed so
that faculty, students and staff
all feel welcome, safe, encour-
aged and at the center of the life
and learning that goes on here,”
she said.

Esrold Nurse, LSA assistant

dean for undergraduate educa-
tion and executive director of
the Newnan Academic Advising
Center, attended the breakfast
and agreed that changing the
campus climate is important.

“All students need to feel wel-

comed in our community,” Nurse
wrote in an e-mail interview.

“Prospective (underrepresented
minority) students need to see
the University as a place which
acknowledges differences and
embraces it.”

Nurse said Schlissel’s ideas

are key for laying important
groundwork on the issue.

“Yet to ensure progress, the

President’s ideas will require
immediate and specific plans
to take us from ideas to action
and must by necessity involve
all schools and colleges, faculty,
staff and students in the develop-
ment of those plans,” he wrote.

LSA senior Cesar Vargas, who

attended the event, is a first-gen-
eration college student. He said
students need to build a greater
understanding of the socioeco-
nomic diversity at the University.

“In today’s day one of the big-

gest taboos people have a hard
time talking about is social
class,” Vargas said. “One way to
approach that is to inform people
about the disparities that occur
within the educational system.”

Sandra Gregerman, director

of the Undergraduate Research
Opportunity Program, wrote in
an e-mail interview that she felt
Schlissel made his commitment
to diversifying the campus clear.

“The
tenor
and
emotion

shared by President Schlissel
was deeply appreciated by some-
one who has been working on
these issues for a long time, and
his call to ‘nudge’ him and share
concerns, ideas, and critiques
demonstrated his deeply felt and
personal commitment to creat-
ing a more diverse and inclusive
campus community,” she wrote.

DIVERSITY
From Page 1A

ETHIOPIA
From Page 1A

the city acted reasonably in its
defense and that the plaintiffs
did not show sanctions were
warranted.

In an interview with The

Michigan Daily, Elias would
not speak to specific allega-
tions the plaintiffs have made
against the footing drain dis-
connection program, but said,
“We’re confident in the legal-
ity of the program.”

Preluding his ruling, Judge

Timothy Connors, the Washt-
enaw County Circuit judge,
said he respects the parties’
use of the available legal tools
to pursue their goals. Connors

highlighted two fundamental
principles of the court — pro-
tecting witnesses from undue
harassment
or
embarrass-

ment, and ascertaining truth.
Connors said he took those
principles into account, and
exercised judicial restraint in
his decision to deny the plain-
tiffs’ motion for sanctions.

Mermelstein
said
he

believes the circuitous nature
of this case goes against the
principle to ascertain truth.

“The big problem is that

we’re supposed to have all kinds
of protections that we have in
federal court that we don’t have
here,” Mermelstein said.

Mermelstein said deposi-

tions in the case are scheduled
to begin in March.

LAWSUIT
From Page 2A

similar cases.

“Most of the cases get very

little attention,” he said.

LSA
freshman
Sabrina

Zayec, who attended the
screening, said her initial

reaction was disappointment
in the justice system.

“You see a lot of these

problems and reports done
in third-world countries and
Guantanamo Bay but you
don’t see the abuse that was
reported in the Florida State
Prison,” Zayec said.

PRISON
From Page 2A