The American Student Dental Association is a national student-run organization that protects and advances the rights, interests

and welfare of dental students. It

introduces students to lifelong involvement in organized dentistry and provides services, information, education, representation and advocacy.

District
The

Articul or

Bringing District 8 together since 2013

Vol . 6: Fall 2014

District 8s Fall Meeting:

ASDAx
A first timers experience
Before the District 8 annual meeting, my
knowledge of ASDA was slim. Other than knowing
that ASDA stood for American Student Dental
Association, I was unsure of ASDAs role in dental
schools. I applied to go to the conference because I
wanted to learn more about the association, network with
peers, and learn how other schools curriculum differed from UMKC.
Upon arrival at the Cornhusker hotel I was met by dental students from Creighton, UNMC,
Minnesota, and A.T. Still. I saw the Bluejays wearing blue and white beads, I saw the Huskers wearing
Go Big Red gear, I loved the Minnesotans spin on the lumberjack attire, and A.T. Stills clever 90s
New Kid on the Block theme. As I was sitting in the lobby wearing a plain UMKC School of Dentistry
shirt, I could only help but laugh knowing in a short hour we would be the most ridiculously dressed
school at the conference. Even though I could not even see my own shoes, I knew people were
looking at us. Who wouldnt look at a group of people wearing Kangaroo masks? As I was blindly
hanging on to the person in front of me and stumbling to my seat, I could feel the energy in the room.
It was this energy that told me it was going to be a great
weekend.

More inside!

District 8 at ADA Annual Session:

Americas Dental Meeting
As a dental student involved in organized
dentistry, there is nothing quite like the ADA Annual
Meeting. I was privileged to be a part of a delegation of
ASDA members that represented each of ASDAs
eleven districts and participate in all that Americas
Dental Meeting had to offer. From the very beginning, I
knew it was going to be a fantastic week, and San
Antonios river walk served as a charming backdrop. In my delegation, old
and new friends, all of whom share my passion for organized dentistry and a strong vision for the
future of our profession, surrounded me, and our incredible ASDA staff, Executive Director Nancy
Honeycutt and Senior Coordinator for Governance and Advocacy Stephanie Follett, provided guidance.
Our week kicked off with a bang with our keynote speaker, President George W. Bush. During a
question and answer session, he provided insight into his life as president, international relations, some of
the tough decisions he had to make during his time in office, and how he has been spending his time since
his terms ended. This question and answer session demonstrated his experience and integrity and
showed a very personable and witty side of President Bush that perhaps isnt so commonly seen.
President Bushs words inspired us to do great work for the association over the week and be
strong representatives of the student population. We spent numerous hours together in our caucus
discussing resolutions covering topics such as student debt, the New Dentist Conference, and voting
requirements for organizations bylaws. We all also spent time in our respective ADA caucuses. I felt
fortunate that I knew many of the members of the ADAs District 10 caucus prior to the Annual Meeting,
and all were welcoming and genuinely interested in the viewpoint of the students. From these caucuses, I
gathered plenty of insight and perspectives on resolutions that I was able to bring back to my own caucus
to help us decide on how we would vote.
After the caucuses were completed, we took all of our hard work to the House floor and spoke on
several issues that we felt strongly about. It was invigorating to see more than 600 delegates and
alternate delegates participate in
this process, a true indication that dentists do care about the
health of our profession. Not infrequently, dentists would
approach us on the House floor or within our caucus and
thank us for being there and speaking up. We definitely
had a voice that the ADA wanted to hear!
Much like ASDA Annual Session, the other main
business conducted during this meeting is the election of
new leaders. In the president-elect race, Dr.
Summerhays of California and Dr. Gounardes of New
York led excellent campaigns that brought them in
front of the entire House and to each individual caucus
to discuss their key issues, ideas, and how they would move the
association forward. Although Dr. Summerhays was elected the ADAs new president-elect, we all
2

Continued on pg. 3

were confident that either candidate

would have served the association
well in this position. Dr. Gamba ran
unopposed for second vice
president.
Beyond conducting the business of the
association, our delegation took part in numerous
receptions hosted by the AAO, AAOMS,
universities, districts, and more. I was able to meet
and mingle with countless dentists, specialists, and
even a few other students from across the country
and gain valuable connections on top of having a
great time. Our entire delegation also was
fortunate to be able to attend the Give Kids a
Smile Gala, a dinner and dance fundraiser for the
foundation. We had a great time meeting new
people over dinner, and we danced the evening
away while looking sharp in our dresses and suits,
all for a wonderful cause.
At the end of the trip, I left exhausted but
excited for the future. It was such an honor to be
able to take part in our professions most
influential meeting as a student, and more than
anything, I hope to be able to return in the
delegate position again. If theres anything that I
learned, its that ASDA fever does not end with
graduation. Hundreds of dentists are still
experiencing the excitement of national meetings
and the power of organized dentistry.
Stephanie Zastrow, Minnesota 15

District 8 :
Continued from pg. 1

The morning began with a key note

speaker, Stacey Flowers. Everything Stacey
said really resonated with me. I felt as
though I truly knew Stacey. She was
energetic, hard-working, and one heck of a
Beyonc concert story teller. You cannot
have a happy ending by means of an
unhappy journey is Staceys life motto. I
love this motto because it could not be truer.
She also described the five people every
person needs in their life: a coach, a mentor,
a friend, a cheerleader, and a peer. I believe
that everyone in the room that morning took
something personal from Staceys speech.
The ASDA District 8 annual meeting
was a huge success. From meeting new
people via the number racing activity and
through working side by side at the Peoples
Center to learning about how our chapter
can benefit from other chapters success
strategies and what life is like after dental
school. I learned so much about the impact
ASDA has in dental schools, networking
opportunities, and even in legislature. I
would definitely recommend everyone
attend an ASDA meeting at least once in
their dental school career.
Julianna Harman, UMKC 18
3

UMKC Welcomes Congressman Cleaver

Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver II, 2 time mayor of Kansas City, is in his 5th term as
Representative of District 5. He has continued the legacy left by late President Harry Truman. Cleaver
came to the UMKC School of Dentistry to speak about the Affordable Care Act and how it would affect
dentistry. His visit was two weeks from Halloween, and he joked that we are a schizophrenic nation: we
are considered mean for giving children apples and oranges instead of candy) you can even lose an
election!)yet we give out candy and expect kids- some without proper access to care- to maintain
health.
Cleavers interest in
dentistry stems from a young
scare suffered in college. He
had never missed a down in
high school football for
injuries. He even had 8 knee
operations! But one thing
lingers in his memory while at
the dorms during his
scholarship years playing
football in collegeone day
he was suffering an
unbearable pain in his head and told his
roommate he was having a stroke and needed to
be rushed to the emergency room. The physician
took a look and
told him he had a massive cavity in a tooth. He had never, not once, been to the dentist. All that pain
he felt: headache, mouth, throat, body on the verge of collapsewas related to a tooth infection.
We need access to care. Cleaver is one of many who have grown up in modest if not
impoverished conditions. He understands that systemic and oral health are interrelated, and there is a
population that goes without dental care. In legislation, dental benefits are similar to commercial
oneswith a $1400 cap for multiple children, where a $150 deductible can still be difficult for families
to afford. Lobbyists are against us getting money for clinics, he says. This was my philosophy as we
sat down to do the ACA, as I realized we have a potential health crisis. Missouri did not approve of the
Medicaid expansion. It would mean that 300,000 more individuals would have access some sort of
dental care. How much would it cost the state of Missouri? $0. Thats right, nothing. And we still
havent approved it. Even after 3 years the cost will remain low. In end, Cleaver supports the ACA and
he opened our eyes to the real issue at hand. Tooth decay is the most common chronic illness among
children, and overall health is connected inexplicably to oral hygiene. Currently less than 1% of health
services are covered by Medicare, and we can provide the ability to improve the health and lives of
those who are underprivileged. A big thank you to Congressman Emmanual Cleaver II for his passion
and persistence in congress to improve the lives of those in his district and state.
Lily Wakim, UMKC 2016

Lily Wakim, UMKC 2016