At
the
University
of
Michigan
Alumni
Center
Thursday evening, about 80
students, alumni and members
of the Ann Arbor community
attended the first event of this
year’s LatinX Heritage Month
celebrations.
Sponsored
by
prominent
Latino campus organizations
and alumni, the event featured
speakers
who
outlined
inclusivity goals and stressed
the importance of breaking
down
institutionalized
borders for their on-campus
community.
The
Office
of
Academic
Multicultural Initiatives, along
with the Office of Multi-Ethnic
Student Affairs, the Spectrum
Center
and
the
Alumni
Association are collaborating
for the second time to bring a
month of activities, including
keynote
speakers,
film
screenings, poetry readings
and other events that celebrate
Latino heritage, to campus.
This
year’s
theme
for
LatinX Heritage Month is
“Sin Fronteras,” Spanish for
“Without Borders.” Medical
student
Mayra
Gómez,
a
member
of
the
LatinX
Heritage Month committee,
said artificial borders that
When you walk through some
University of Michigan Health
system facilities, you might meet
Anna and Denver, who arrived
at UMHS this July. They work
full days and make rounds at
the hospital, visiting different
medical centers and meeting new
people.
However, the two are neither
doctors nor patients — they’re
new hospital dogs intended to
provide therapeutic services and
improve the wellbeing of patients
and staff throughout UMHS.
Denver,
a
16-month-old
Labrador-golden retriever mix,
and Anna, an 18-month-old
golden retriever, are trained
service animals cared for by Joel
Maier, Mott-certified child life
specialist and Rev. Lindsay Bona,
manager of the UMHS Spiritual
Care Department.
The dogs were purchased
to
supplement
the
existing
canine
program
at
UMHS,
through which other dogs and
volunteers from Therapaws of
Michigan have visited patients
on a requested basis since
1987. However, because those
resources are somewhat limited
due to a high demand, UMHS
has been working to expand their
canine comfort services over the
last year.
The dogs were purchased for
$30,000 each with a donation
from the Laurence Polatsch
Memorial Fund. Both Anna
and
Denver
also
received
funding from a “puppy shower”
fundraising campaign that was
held when they first arrived
to raise money for their daily
maintenance needs, such as
veterinary services and food.
The dogs received extensive
training prior to starting work
at UMHS, including more than
a year at the Canine Assistants
program
and
a
weeklong
orientation
earlier
in
the
summer with their caretakers.
At training, the dogs were
exposed to different types of
social environments — including
hospitals, grocery stores and
parks — and learned basic day-
to-day behaviors. Maier said the
goal was to teach them how to
interact with various patients and
behave in public transportation
settings.
According to the pet therapy
organization PAWS for People,
service animals and pet therapy
have a number of physical
and mental health benefits for
patients, such as lowering blood
pressure, diminishing physical
pain,
decreasing
feelings
of
alienation and reducing anxiety.
They can also motivate children
and allow them to focus more
effectively.
For similar reasons, other local
volunteers
and
organizations
At the second feedback forum
for LSA’s Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion plan Thursday night,
which focused on how the plan
relates to graduate students,
some
audience
members
expressed concerns about lack of
input students had on the plan.
The
DEI
plan
outlines
prospective
goals
for
LSA
programs over a five-year period,
including the implementation of
a variety of programs including
a diversity component of criteria
for faculty raises, more funds
for application fee waivers and
improvements in recruitment
processes for graduate students.
It is part of a larger campus-wide
effort launched by University
of Michigan President Mark
Schlissel last year.
The forums, which are slated
to address concerns from a
number of different groups in
LSA, aim to allow student input
in the revision process.
The
majority
of
the
audience
members
Thursday
night, however, were faculty
members. Among the students
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Friday, September 23, 2016
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INDEX
Vol. CXXV, No. 140
©2016 The Michigan Daily
NEWS......................... 2A
OPINION.....................4A
C L A S S I F I E D S . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 A
SUDOKU..................... 2A
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 A
FOOTBALL SATURDAY..1B
See LATINX, Page 3A
SINDUJA KILARU/Daily
Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, speaks at the Michigan State University Union in East Lansing Thursday.
Chelsea Clinton, daughter of
Democratic presidential nominee
Hillary
Clinton
and
former
President Bill Clinton, visited
East Lansing Thursday night
to advocate for her mother’s
campaign.
Michigan
State
University’s
chapter of College Democrats
hosted Clinton in the university’s
student union, with 200 people
were in attendance. After speaking
for 15 minutes at the public event,
Clinton
took
questions
from
several attendees.
MSU junior Dan Eggerding,
president
of
MSU
College
Democrats, said Michigan State
was honored to host Clinton. He
noted the important role such
events play in mobilizing voters,
especially at this stage in the
campaign.
“As a student at MSU, I think
it’s important that campaigns
send representatives from their
respective campaigns to get out
the vote — especially now since
the October registration deadline
is approaching,” Eggerding said.
“A huge surrogate, such as the
daughter of the former president
and hopeful next president, is a
really amazing and awesome thing
that MSU was humbled to host.”
See PLAN, Page 2A
PAUL AHNN/Daily
Joel Maier, Mott-certified child life specialist and Rev. Lindsay Bona, manager of the UMHS Spiritual Care Depart-
ment with therapy dogs Denver and Anna speak with a reporter at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital Thursday.
True Blue
Shane Morris came to
Michigan as a prodigy
expected to lead the program
to glory. Instead, he has
found something bigger.
» Page 4B
michigandaily.com
For more stories and coverage, visit
See DOGS, Page 3A
See CLINTON, Page 3A
Dr.
Denis
Mukwege,
a
world-renowned gynecologist
and three-time Nobel Peace
Prize
nominee
from
the
Democratic Republic of the
Congo, spoke Thursday at the
School of Nursing about his
work helping women recover
from violent forms of rape in
his war-torn home country.
Mukwege, who established
the
Panzi
Hospital
and
Foundations
in
1999,
participated
in
a
Q&A
session with filmmaker Mike
Ramsdell, who screened his
recent film about the 20-year
civil war in the Congo, titled
“When
Elephants
Fight.”
The hospital and foundation
work to provide a full range
of health services to women in
the Congo.
Nursing Prof. Janis Miller,
organizer of the event, said she
is involved with a University
of Michigan organization that
is working in partnership with
Mukwege’s
Panzi
Hospital
in
Bukavu.
She
told
the
roughly
200-person
crowd
See SURGEON, Page 3A
LatinX event
commences
month-long
celebrations
In East Lansing, Chelsea Clinton
stresses importance of student vote
CAMPUS LIFE
Speakers discuss goals of inclusivity
and community-building on campus
NEIL SCHWARTZ
Daily Staff Reporter
MATT HARMON
For the Daily
Voter mobilization, higher education and Trump prominent topics at event
CAITLIN REEDY
Daily Staff Reporter
Graduate
students
critical of
DEI plan
ADMIN
Second discussion of
diversity initiative draws
concers about input
EMILY MIILLER
Daily Staff Reporter
University of Michigan Health System
therapy dogs bring joy, health benefits
Program aims to improve mental, physical state of patients and staff
ALEXA ST. JOHN
Daily Staff Reporter
Surgeon
talks work
amid Congo
civil war
HOSPITAL
Dr. Mukwege discusses
experience aiding victims
of sexual violence
TIM COHN
Daily Staff Reporter