North Star Lounge sits on the 

corner of Catherine Street and 

N. 5th Avenue in the heart of 

Kerrytown, Ann Arbor. Having 

opened on Oct. 1, the lounge is the 

third project for Phillis Engelbert, 

the owner and co-founder of the 

Detroit Street Filling Station. 

Engelbert said this project was 

“very collaborative” and credited 

the success of the opening to help 

from friends, Detroit Street Filling 

Station staff and the Ann Arbor 

community. 

“There’s layers of teams and 

managers and everybody has a 

say-so in terms of how things go,” 

Engelbert said. “People’s needs are 

always put first.”

This 
collaborative 
working 

environment seeps through the 

four walls of the North Star Lounge, 

from the locally sourced artwork to 

the cacti room upstairs. The room 

was originally intended to be New 

Orleans-themed, Engelbert said, 

but a happy accident occurred when 

the local builder said he could cut 

out metal sheets of saguaro, a tree-

like cactus species. From there, the 

rest of the space was filled by cacti 

and desert decor.

The rest of the lounge still 

carries some inspiration from New 

Orleans. After going on a research 

trip with artistic director Andrew 

Brown and club manager Ryan 

Shay, Engelbert described what she 

hoped to incorporate in her own 

lounge.

“You’re walking down the street 

— let’s say you’re on Frenchmen 

Street (in New Orleans) — and 

there’s club after club with their 

doors open, and you can hear the 

music coming out,” Engelbert said. 

“You wander in and they have a bar 

and some really good music and it’s 

chill and it’s casual. You don’t need 

a reservation and you don’t need a 

ticket. You just sort of get drawn in 

and you have a good time.”

Live music is a crucial aspect 

of Engelbert’s vision. She said she 

hopes to expose people to new 

music that they otherwise wouldn’t 

have sought out. But at the same, 

she also likes to bring in bands and 

musicians that people know and 

love, such as Jerry Perrine, Sarah 

D’Angelo Trio and the Pheretones. 

Whether it be live or in between 

sets, when customers can pick songs 

on the jukebox, music constantly 

flows out of the open doors and 

windows of the lounge. If a patron 

can’t find a seat upstairs, they can 

find additional seating downstairs 

by the bar and a TV, where they can 

watch a live stream of the music 

playing on the floor above.

If the ambiance of the lounge 

wasn’t 
enough 
to 
convince 

customers of its welcoming vibes, 

the bold words printed at the 

top of their website — “MUSIC. 

COMMUNITY. JOY.” — should 

do the job. Engelbert added that 

the 
lounge 
is 
also 
dedicated 

to supporting members of the 

LGBTQ+ community. 

“Tuesday is LGBTQ+ night,” 

Engelbert 
said. 
“It’s 
fun 
to 

provide a space for the (LGBTQ+) 

community”.

Engelbert 
said 
creating 

community 
is 
an 
important 

part of the work she does. Even 

before she started running her 

own businesses, Engelbert said 

she always considered herself a 

community organizer in respect 

to her work in activism and with 

nonprofits. Now she carries that 

same model into her current 

projects. 

The University Central Student 

Government hosted a cross-cultural 

event Sunday evening to showcase 

performers from various cultural 

organizations on campus. Students 

shared 
personal 
presentations 

representative of their heritage, 

which included dance, poetry and 

instrumental 
performances. 
The 

acts were followed by a potluck 

among the student organizations, 

featuring food from around the 

world. 

Engineering junior Maria Fields, 

organizer of the event, said she hoped 

that the celebration would provide a 

casual platform that would enable 

different student organizations on 

campus to share and celebrate their 

cultures with others.

“I realized that a lot 
of 

the communities are very active 

individually,” Fields said. “But there 

aren’t very many opportunities 

where we’re all coming together.”

The event included performances 

from 
various 
Asian, 
African 

and 
Middle 
Eastern 
cultural 

organizations, 
such 
as: 
rXn, 

Revolution 
Chinese 
Yoyo, 
Moli 

Dance Troupe, African Students 

Association, VeryUs, Iraqi American 

Union and Sinaboro. 

Yousuf 
Altameemi, 
a 
senior 

at 
Wayne 
State 
University, 

attended the event in support of 

the Iraqi American Union, and 

told The Michigan Daily that the 

presentations encouraged him to 

recognize commonalities between 

various cultural groups.

“I think it’s beautiful that we’re 

way far away from where we come 

from, yet we still hold the traditions,” 

Altameemi said. 

Each month, The Michigan Daily 

publishes a compilation of bills in the 

Michigan legislature for students at 

the University of Michigan to be aware 

of. The following article explains five 

bills that have been introduced, passed 

or signed into law by the Michigan 

legislature or Gov. Gretchen Whitmer 

throughout the past month.

1. Creation of a birth doula 

scholarship fund 

Status: 
introduced 
in 
the 

Senate 

First introduced by state Sen. 

Stephanie Chang, D-Detroit, Senate 

Bill 1196 would create a scholarship 

program 
for 
birth 
doulas 
in 

Michigan. Birth doulas are trained 

paraprofessionals 
who 
provide 

emotional support and comfort 

throughout pregnancy, labor and the 

postpartum period.

Eligible individuals for the doula 

scholarship fund could receive up 

to $3,000 to help offset the costs 

of books, workshops, exam fees, 

membership fees and any other cost 

associated with the doula training 

and certification process, which 

can take up to two years. Those 

eligible for the program include 

anyone who would be unable to pay 

for doula training without financial 

assistance. Recipients must provide 

proof that they have completed or 

are working toward certification 

within six months of receiving the 

scholarship. The bill also includes 

a provision that would require the 

state to partner with community 

organizations and universities to 

publicize the program. 

In a previous newsletter, Chang 

described her plan to introduce 

this legislation, which she said was 

conceptualized with the help of 

community partners.

“Over the past few months, I 

have been working with a number 

of mom and doula groups to develop 

legislation that would create a 

scholarship program for aspiring 

doulas,” Chang wrote. “Doulas play 

a critical role for many families — 

before, during, and after birth. I 

look forward to introducing this 

legislation soon.”

Doula care is not currently 

covered under Medicaid, but the 

Michigan Department of Health 

and Human Services (MDHHS) has 

proposed expanding it to reimburse 

Medicaid-eligible 
individuals 
for 

the cost of doula care. This proposal 

has solicited two rounds of public 

feedback and hopes to take effect 

Jan. 1, 2023. S.B. 1196 was referred to 

the Committee on Health Policy and 

Human Services for further review.

2. Creation of the Michigan 

Achievement 
Scholarship 

Program 

Status: signed by Whitmer 

Introduced by state Sen. Kimberly 

LaSata, R-Coloma, in September and 

signed by Whitmer on Oct. 11, House 

Bill 842 aims to lower the cost of 

higher education by providing annual 

scholarships to any student whose 

family demonstrates financial need 

on the Free Application for Federal 

Student Aid (FAFSA). Starting with 

2023 high school graduates, students 

can receive up to $2,750 annually for 

community college, up to $4,000 for 

private university and up to $5,500 

for public university. According to 

a press release from Whitmer, this 

program will provide some level 

of financial assistance to 94% of 

community college students, 79% of 

private university students and 76% 

of public university students.

Whitmer celebrated this bill 

as part of her MI New Economy 

plan, which was announced last 

year and focuses on increasing 

access to postsecondary education 

and housing, decreasing the cost 

of childcare and growing small 

businesses.

“Today, I am proud to sign a 

bipartisan bill to establish the 

Michigan Achievement Scholarship 

and lower the cost of college for 

the vast majority of Michiganders,” 

Whitmer wrote. “Let’s keep working 

together to meet the goals of MI New 

Economy and make Michigan a place 

where everyone can thrive.”

In the press release, LaSata 

praised the program’s focus on 

providing assistance for various 

educational pathways. 

“These scholarships will allow 

more 
Michigan 
families 
and 

students to pay for career training 

at the school that best fits their 

individual career goals — whether 

that’s a trade school, a community 

college or a university,” LaSata 

wrote. “Expanding the eligibility of 

this scholarship to cover traditional 

classroom education, as well as 

hands-on training at a skilled trades 

academy, is a great way to both 

strengthen and diversify Michigan’s 

workforce.”

3. Additional investment in the 

Strategic 
Outreach 
Attraction 

Reserve (SOAR) fund 

Status: signed by Whitmer 

Introduced by state Sen. Jim 

Stamas, 
R-Midland, 
S.B. 
844 

appropriates a portion of the state’s 

$7 billion budget surplus for the 

SOAR fund, as well as additional 

site development projects. Created 

in December 2021, the SOAR fund 

started as a $1 billion economic 

development 
fund 
aimed 
at 

supporting small businesses and 

technology 
development 
and 

adaptation. This act provides an 

additional $846 million for SOAR 

and $873 million for grants for local 

economic 
development 
agencies, 

facilitating site development and 

upgrading 
and 
funding 
future 

investments.

In a press release, Whitmer 

said she believes this investment 

is crucial for Michigan’s economic 

future. 

“The bipartisan legislation will 

help us grow, attract and retain 

businesses in Michigan, ensuring 

we can lead the future of mobility 

and electrification and bring supply 

chains of chips and batteries home 

to Michigan,” Whitmer wrote. “Our 

work on economic development is 

a testament to what we are capable 

of when we work together. Let’s 

keep putting Michiganders first and 

moving our state forward.”

State Rep. Matt Hall, R-Comstock 

Township, praised the creation of 

the SOAR fund in the press release 

and said he looks forward to its 

growth as a result of this funding. 

“Creating the SOAR fund has 

been one of the country’s biggest 

economic success stories,” Hall 

wrote. “Instead of watching jobs 

leave our state, we took action to 

bring good-paying manufacturing 

jobs back to Michigan. The next step 

is developing better sites around the 

state to bring in even more new jobs.”

4. Creation of the Michigan 

Imagination Library 

Status: introduced in the House 

Introduced by state Rep. Bronna 

Kahle, R-Lenawee County, H.B. 

6431 would amend the Library of 

Michigan Act to create a statewide 

branch of singer-songwriter Dolly 

Parton’s Imagination Library, a 

nonprofit initiative launched in 1995 

that provides free books for children 

to promote literacy. It would also 

create a grant program to match 

50% of all funds for existing local 

Imagination Library affiliates.

Under the Michigan Imagination 

Library Program, families who 

register would receive one book a 

month for their child from birth 

through age five at no cost to the 

family. On Oct. 1, California Gov. 

Gavin Newsom passed a similar law 

to create a statewide Imagination 

Library, which is expected to launch 

in 2023.

A 2011 study by the Kellogg 

Foundation examined the impact of 

the Imagination Library program 

on children and families in Battle 

Creek, Mich. The study found that 

the program was successful in 

increasing children’s interest in 

reading, as well as facilitating family 

interaction and collaboration around 

reading. 

The bill was referred to the 

Committee on Families, Children 

and Seniors for further review. 

Dr. Jacob Allgeier, professor of 

Ecology and Evolutionary Biology 

at the University of Michigan, 

employs a unique tool in his 

research on the impacts of climate 

change on coastal ecosystems: fish 

urine. He and the researchers in his 

Coastal Ecology and Conservation 

Lab use fish urine and artificial 

reefs to study aquatic ecosystem 

conservation and food insecurity. 

Allgeier said his research aims 

to lay the groundwork for future 

solutions in conserving coastal 

ecosystems, such as coral reefs 

and seagrass, which are under 

increased 
threat 
from 
factors 

associated with climate change and 

habitat encroachment.

“(Coral reefs, seagrass beds and 

mangroves) are disappearing at 

rates faster than pretty much any 

other system,” Allgeier said. “The 

rates of change are faster than any 

systems except maybe the Arctic, so 

they’re vastly threatened by climate 

change, 
development, 
fishing 

pressure, nutrient pollution.”

Allgeier said his lab focuses on 

methods of introducing necessary 

nutrients 
into 
these 
deficient 

ecosystems, landing on fish urine 

as a solution. Allgeier said fish are 

productive members of nutrient-

poor coastal ecosystems and their 

urine can be used to provide vital 

support to coral and seagrass. 

“In these ecosystems, essentially 

the fish and the other invertebrates, 

they are providing the fertilizer 

through their excretion, through 

their waste products,” Allgeier said. 

“Those waste products, largely 

fish pee, literally fertilize the 

ecosystems and allow them to be as 

productive as they are.”

In addition to researching the 

benefits of fish urine, Allgeier said 

his lab also works on the creation 

and development of artificial reefs.

“We construct the seagrass beds, 

and what happens is fish aggregate 

around the reef in high densities, 

and the pee nutrients really fertilize 

that local area from high density,” 

Allgeier said. “And that in turn 

enhances or jacks up the primary 

production, the seagrass around 

the reef, which provides more food 

and habitat for invertebrates, which 

provides more food for fish.”

The research will further the 

lab’s understanding on how the 

amount of fish in a local area 

affects the primary production 

— the creation of new organic 

matter by living organisms — of 

an ecosystem. Increases in the 

number of fish affect the primary 

production, invertebrates and the 

fish themselves, improving the 

overall health of the ecosystem. 

Allgeier 
said 
coral 
reef 

conservation has positive effects on 

coastal communities which rely on 

the reef ecosystems. One focus of 

the research is using artificial reefs 

as tools to increase the productivity 

of fisheries, which would decrease 

food insecurity within local coastal 

communities. Currently, according 

to Allgeier, the population rates of 

tropical coastal communities which 

rely on fish are growing, leading to 

a decrease in food security due to 

overfishing. By placing artificial 

reefs on beds of seagrass, fish 

will fertilize the seagrass, which 

in turn will provide greater food 

and security to rebuild the fish 

population.

Rackham 
student 
Bridget 

Shayka, who also works in Allgeier’s 

lab, said it’s very important to 

ensure the artificial reefs used by 

the lab are placed in shallow areas 

available to coastal communities for 

two reasons.

“One is that seagrass also needs 

a lot of light, so it grows in shallow 

coastal areas,” Shayka said. “Plus 

we actually want the coastal 

communities to be able to access 

the benefits of these reefs. … We’re 

increasing the fish and invertebrate 

populations near the coast where 

the 
coastal 
communities 
can 

actually take advantage of that.”

News
Wednesday, November 9, 2022 — 3 

A fund for doulas and a new Imagination Library: Five bills to watch this month

GOVERNMENT

State legislature considers legislation funding scholarships, development projects

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

JOSH SINHA/Daily

Design by Melia Kenny

Fish pee to save the reefs? UMich professor 
conserves coral with urine
Researchers examine unconventional strategy to preserve ocean ecosystems

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

EMMA SWANSON
Daily News Contributor

JOSHUA NICHOLSON
Daily News Contributor

RESEARCH

NEWS

CSG hosts cross-cultural event featuring 
performers, cultural presentations

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Performances highlight students’ diverse backgrounds, breadth of ‘U’ 
community

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

North Star Lounge opens music venue, 
vegan bar in Kerrytown

 Detroit Street haunts seeks to offer a haven for creatives, artists in Ann Arbor

SAMANTHA RICH
Daily Staff Reporter

JOSH SINHA
Daily News Contributor

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

alcohol ink painting by teresa kovalak

Come see what we’ve made for you!

handmade

arts & crafts

by local artisans

juried market

Sundays 11am 
-4pm

April ‘til Christmas
Ann Arbor Farmers Market 
Pavilion, 315 Detroit St.

Facebook:
Sunday Artisan Market
Instagram: 
TheSundayArtisanMarket
WebsIte: 
SundayArtisanMarket.org

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

