3-News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Thursday, February 25, 2016 — 3A
Ann Arbor to the Ross Athletic
Campus and Briarwood area.
The
project
will
cost
approximately
$500
million
to $700 million, and add an
additional 8 percent increase in
annual operating costs system-
wide — to both the Ann Arbor area
transit system and the University.
The exact breakdown of funding
and sources has not yet been
determined.
However,
similar
projects in the past have seen a
combination of federal, state and
University funding along with
public and private partnerships.
Currently,
the
University
transportation system and the
AAATA serve over 30,000 daily
passengers.
Compared
to
a
standard bus, the Connector is
estimated to run about 43 percent
faster and increase capacity by
approximately 52 percent.
During
Wednesday’s
press
conference,
Steve
Dolen,
University
executive
director
of parking and transportation
services, highlighted the impact
of forecasted growth in ridership
in the community. The current
high levels of demand means
the established transportation is
already operating at full capacity,
he said.
“Our
current
systems
are
stressed to meet that demand
efficiently,
reliably
and
conveniently,” Dolen said. “This
advanced system will not only help
us with today’s capacity issues, but
it also sets us up for the future.”
Officials also stressed several
other expected benefits of the
proposal, saying riders can expect
greater travel time reliability
because the Connector will not
be at the mercy of traffic, instead
benefiting from a dedicated lane.
Additionally, the project hopes to
use 100 percent alternative and
renewable energy, largely focusing
on local sources of hydroelectric
power.
The project is still in the
early planning stages, and the
implementation
process
could
take anywhere from six to 12
years according to a press release.
Planners described the project
as being in a phase of exploring
alternative
transportation
strategies. Once the project clears
that phase and is approved, it
will then begin with a 24-month
environmental
review
and
preliminary engineering phase,
followed by the final design stage.
The construction and testing will
take about an additional 24 to 36
months.
According
to
Dolen,
the
University is slated to play a large
role in the implementation and
funding of the environmental
review phase. The current phase
is being led by the AAATA.
“The intention is that the
University will lead the next phase
of the project, but it’s still the same
collaborative effort that we’ve had
going forward,” he said.
In 2011, the University and the
city collaborated with AAATA
and the AADA to fund a study
investigating the feasibility of
such a transit system. Eli Cooper,
city
transportation
program
manager, said Wednesday that
the
study
explored
various
available technologies, travel
patterns
and
community
growth, but it did not delve into
the more logistical details, such
as location or technology, which
is what planners are currently
exploring.
He said once the city realized
the system was a feasible concept,
it was no longer just a vision.
The Ride then took over for the
alternative analysis stage because
a transportation agency was best
suited to lead this phase.
“This is nearing the level of
the initial vision statement in the
context of there is and should be a
level of excitement and enthusiasm
that this vision is becoming more
real on a day-to-day basis,” Cooper
said. “This is a moment in time to
reflect on advancing through the
alternatives analysis and having
a recommendation to carry and
allow us to move forward.”
Alternatives
analysis
study
are
considered
best
practice
by
the
U.S.
Department
of
Transportation. Matt Carpenter,
CEO of The Ride, said the study is
the entryway for federal funding
and requires the evaluation of the
technical merits associated with
different routes. In this case, the
light rail option has been deemed
the most cost effective.
“The
alternatives
analysis
confirms the win-win opportunity
for a study like this to create an
asset that can be used by everyone
and anyone in the community,”
Carpenter said. “That helps us
accommodate the growing interest
in this growing community and
provides a faster, more reliable
and more comfortable means of
travel.”
Dolen
noted
that
because
Connector
ridership
numbers
are largely driven by University
activity related to health care,
employment, academics, research
and visitors, the project should be
well poised to compete for federal
funds.
Before
the
lengthy
implementation process can begin,
the proposal must be approved.
In the meantime, the long-term
project is seeking public support
and opinions.
On
March
24,
a
public
engagement event will take place
at the Ann Arbor District Library
or Detroit Public Library Main
Branch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and
another from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the
Traverwood Branch.
University planner Sue Gott
said the goal is to gather feedback
and ideas from the public about
some of the more specific details
associated with the plan.
“Part of what we hope the
community
input
will
help
contribute both in terms of the
refinement of the alignment and
also the design of the product
that’s used,” Gott said. “It’s
important that we remain open-
minded about the possibilities
so that as we continue to move
forward, we’re very inclusive of
good ideas, of the most advanced
technology.”
TRANSIT
From Page 1A
cells have the potential to be useful
in other conditions, especially
conditions where the organs
become damaged by disease or
other conditions and ideally, you
would need to replace the cells in
the damaged organ by new cells.
You can consider using stem cells
as a way to do that in the future.”
Along with helping develop
treatments, stem cells have also
been used to provide information
about human biology and replace
cells in a damaged organ.
There are several different
types of stem cells —adult stem
cells are found in individual
tissues as stem cells that have
already chosen which type of cell
to become. Embryonic stem cells,
on the other hand, are found in
the embryo only at early stages,
when the embryo consists of just
a few cells. Usually, to be used for
research, embryonic stem cells
are kept at this young state to
prevent them from growing into
adult cells, according to MStem
Laboratories, the center for stem
cell research at the University.
Gary Smith, the director of the
MStem Cell Laboratories, said his
lab primarily focuses on making
human embryonic stem cells for
single-gene disorders, such as
muscular dystrophy.
“What we do is make the
embryonic stem cell line from the
embryo, grow it, characterize it,
and then with documentation,
we submit them to the National
Institute
of
Health,”
Smith
said. “They review all of the
documentation and then accept
them — every line we’ve made has
been accepted on the NIH registry
… any researcher in the country
can get the stem cell lines from the
University of Michigan and work
on them with federal funds.”
The cells are typically derived
from fertilized embryos of couples
who created them for reproductive
purposes yet no longer need them.
The embryos are either discarded
as medical waste or donated with
consent for research needs.
Maillard said the potential
to help the patients he interacts
with on a daily basis motivates his
research, which often uses stem
cells for bone marrow transplants
as an effective treatment in many
cases.
“I work with these patients,”
Maillard said. “I see them in the
clinic and I see their problems. I
see the ones that we can help, and I
also see the limitations of the field.
I see the patients that we are not
able to help enough and I want to
be part of the solutions that we’re
going to bring to these patients.”
State proposal on stem cell
research
The
Michigan
Stem
Cell
Amendment,
more
commonly
known as Proposal 2, was passed
by the state’s electorate in 2008. It
expanded use of human embryos
in research so long as the embryos
were created for the purposes of
conceiving children and were not
suitable for implantation or would
be otherwise discarded unless
used for research. The proposal
also required that donations were
made from consenting couples
who
voluntarily
sought
out
fertility treatment.
Following
the
passage
of
this legislation, the University
announced the opening of the
A.
Alfred
Taubman
Medical
Research Institute Consortium for
Stem Cell Therapies in 2009. The
institute was intended to facilitate
the development of new stem cell
lines. At the same time, President
Barack Obama issued an executive
order lifting restrictions placed on
embryonic stem cell research by
former President George Bush.
In 2015 alone, the National
Institutes of Health gave $445
million in grants for human non-
embryonic stem cell research
nationally. The NIH also funded
$180 million in human embryonic
stem cell research last year.
According to the organization’s
spending
report,
nearly
$4.2
million out of that total went to the
University.
The University was able to
develop the state’s first human
embryonic stem cell line, or group
of stem cells cultured in vitro, in
2010 through the Consortium
for Stem Cell Therapies. In
2012, it was announced that
the
University’s
first
human
embryonic stem cell line would be
added to the National Institutes of
Health’s national registry.
Maillard noted that while
he does not directly work with
embryonic stem cells, he thought
2008’s Proposal 2 affected the
stem cell research field as a whole.
“(Proposal 2) has expanded
the potential of researchers at the
University to derive new lines of
embryonic stem cells for research
purposes,”
Maillard
said.
“It
has ensured that this remains
something
that
was
possible
in Michigan in general and at
the University of Michigan in
particular.”
However,
there
is
also
still
significant
controversy
surrounding the research. There
are many groups opposed to stem
cell research, such as Concerned
Women for America, a national
interest group that has decried
federal and state measures to make
the research legal. Because the
group believes that life begins at
conception, they see research like
that performed at the University
destructive to human life.
At the University itself, there
is also dissent from parts of
the student body. LSA junior
Rachel Crawford, vice president
of Students for Life, said the
organization only supports adult
stem cell research.
“We do oppose all embryonic
stem cell research because it
destroys that human embryo,”
Crawford said. “In order to
procure any kind of stem cells
from an embryo you have to
destroy it.”
Crawford said many believe
a moral question remains as to
whether it should be permissible to
create the excess human embryos
to begin with, due to the fact that
genetically
mutated
embryos,
sometimes donated for research,
often have to be discarded.
“In the past years, adult stem
cells have been used to treat
more than 70 conditions but
never had a condition treated by
using embryonic stem cells yet,”
Crawford said. “A lot of the strains
that they create from them often
have to be discarded because of
genetic mutation.”
Maillard said from a scientific
perspective,
the
research
is
justified in using embryos that
otherwise
would
have
been
discarded.
“The reality is that there is not
a single embryo that is used for
research unless it has already been
decided that it would be otherwise
discarded,” Maillard said. “All the
embryos that are used in research
would otherwise be discarded as
medical waste.”
Jason
Spence,
assistant
professor
of
cell
and
developmental
biology,
works
with both embryonic and induced
pluripotent stem cells. Induced
pluripotent stem cells, or IPs, are
grown in a dish and potentially
have the ability to become any
human tissue.
Read more online at
michigandaily.com
at the University, during the event.
Approximately
27.8
percent
of
female undergraduates, 11.8 percent
of male undergraduates, 21.5 percent
of female graduate students and 10.3
percent of male graduate students
who responded to the survey
screened positive for an eating
disorder.
The survey also showed that
treatment levels remain low: 82
percent of women and 96 percent
of men who screened positive did
not seek treatment. As well, even in
the absence of a diagnosable eating
disorder, many respondents suffered
from body image, self-confidence
and self-worth issues.
Along with their presentation,
the group also held an open dialogue
session with three panelists.
In response to a question about
how eating disorders affect different
genders, age groups and identities,
Stephanie
Koenig,
leader
and
founder of Project Heal southeast
Michigan’s
chapter,
affirmed
that anyone can be vulnerable to
suffering an eating disorder.
“Eating disorders can affect
anybody, regardless of age and
gender,” she said. “The fact that
people
have
better
access
to
treatment can skew statistics. Some
are also less likely to seek treatment
because of stigma, shame and
cultural factors.”
On campus, the U-SHAPE survey
noted prevalence of both stigma and
perceived stigma surrounding eating
disorders. More than 60 percent of
students surveyed said they thought
peers would think less of them if
they had an eating disorder; 30
percent said they would think less of
peer with an eating disorder.
Fawcett also pointed to the
potentially devastating effects of an
eating disorder on the body.
“In our center, we teach how
eating disorders affects the three Bs:
brains, bones and baby. Bones: people
with eating disorders are at risk of
low bone density and osteoporosis.
A woman who is malnourished for
a long time might not be able to have
a baby. Finally, the brain shrinks and
loses gray and white matter when
the body is malnourished.”
While these health effects can be
mitigated with early treatment, some
might ultimately be irreversible,
Fawcett added.
All three panelists agreed that
starting a conversation with a friend
whom you suspect has an eating
disorder is difficult but necessary.
Engineering sophomore Maggie
Hafers, a panelist, pointed out
the importance of discerning the
meaning behind each response and
taking follow-up action.
“A super defensive reaction is a
huge red flag. Don’t stop there. Don’t
let the person convince you that
what they do is normal,” Hafers said.
Fawcett suggested a gentle, kind
and direct approach when reaching
out to someone you suspect has an
eating disorder.
Koenig also addressed the need to
be sensitive in choice of comments
and language.
“Saying things like, ‘I ate, then
went home to do crunches so I could
eat more’ — that could set someone
else who already has disordered
thinking off on a slippery slope.”
Hafers
said
supportive
friendships were key to her own
decision to seek treatment and
recover from an eating disorder that
had affected her since sophomore
year of high school.
“As a friend, you can create a
supportive, inclusive and blame-free
environment,” she said. “My best
friend accompanied me to my first
appointment on campus, and came
with me for subsequent therapy
sessions.”
The panel also pointed to available
resources like the online toolkit
provided by the National Eating
Disorder Association. On campus,
students can seek help from the
UM Counseling and Psychological
Services.
Though
acknowledging
the
difficulties inherent in overcoming
eating disorders, the panel stressed
that a complete recovery is possible.
“There is a commonly held belief
that recovery from eating disorders
isn’t possible — once you get it you
are always going to have it. I saw
therapists and doctors who told me
that,” Koenig said. “Project Heal
believes that full recovery, both
physical and mental, is possible.
It is possible, I have reached that
point.”
LSA freshman Emma Kuske
said she decided to attend the panel
because of the many people in her
social circle who suffer from eating
disorders or have family histories of
the disorder.
of the Student Financial Aid
Association, was the main speaker
for the event. Bhaumik is also a
staff member in the University’s
Financial Aid office, and teaches a
class on the topic, UC 170.
Bhaumik started the seminar
with a clarification on the definition
of financial literacy.
“I think financial education is
really about being savvy,” she said.
“You have to be educated but take
it to the next level. Start to become
strategic. Start to become mindful of
the choices you make because that’s
the whole point of being savvy.”
Bhaumik said first steps for
students are organizing the reality
of their spending, their financial
state
and
setting
reasonable
financial goals, reminding students
to organize before budgeting and
saving.
“We usually get this wrong,”
Bhaumik said. “Many of us are
taught: save, save, save. I put 10
percent of my paycheck into my
savings account, every paycheck,
but I take $100 out a week later.
That’s
not
saving,
that’s
bad
budgeting.”
Other topics covered including
knowing the specifics of your
spending and the importance of
renter’s insurance.
The seminar also discussed
credit, which Bhaumik called a
“measure of your trustworthiness.”
“A lot of people are looking at that
credit report,” she said, explaining
that landlords and employers look
at credit to evaluate the timeliness
of one’s payments and financial
awareness. “Take seriously that
payment and debt.”
Bhaumik ended the seminar
with 10 tips, which included: “Be
proactive,
not
reactive,”
“keep
records organized” and put a special
emphasis on “create a budget and
stick with it.”
Strobl said the seminar was
just the beginning of a CSG plan
to increase finance education on
campus.
“We are hoping to have a series
of events like college affordability,
financial literacy,” he said. “We are
hoping to have one on paying your
taxes, and we are hoping to have
a panel with state legislators on
how the state of Michigan is trying
to make college be much more
affordable for students.”
Some of the students who
attended the seminar, such as LSA
senior Michael Garbose, said they
were interested in business as a
career option or wanted to learn
how to support themselves in the
future.
“I have taken some classes
in economics and business in
general, and I just wanted some
better practical knowledge moving
forward,” Garbose said. “I plan to go
to business school and get my MBA
in the future, and I figured that this
could be a good starting point.”
RESEARCH
From Page 1A
PANEL
From Page 1A
FINANCE
From Page 1A