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