Page 2 - The Behrend College Collegian Thursday, November 21, 1996 Student activity fee asessed continued from page 1 of the University budget. Because of decreasi-m1 University funding in areas such as student services, several Commonwealth Campuses have to turn to the activity fee for help, Murphy said. "It's important for campuses to help students with their personal counseling issues," he said. "The best way to do it is through the availability of the student activity fee money." J. Thomas Eakin, assistant vice president for student affairs, said from seven to nine campuses are below the counseling standards set by student affairs personnel for the campuses. There is a low allocation Lesbians having children By Molly K. Fellin Collegian Staff Writer In the past few years, a "gayhy oom" has swept the nation. With high-profile personalities Such as singer Melissa Etheridge and her same-sex partner announcing the impending births of children, more and more lesbians have been realizing the possibility of having children does exist, said ary McClanahan, staff •sychologist at the Center for ounseling and Psychological .ervices. "A few years ago, people felt if hey came out they were forfeiting he possibility of being a parent," .he said. "The biggest difference in he past four to five years is they ave been realizing that it's much ore of an option for them." Gay and Lesbian Parents oalition International Women are ypically the primary care-givers for heir children. But when two omen live together as partners and aise a child, some controversy can Susan Byrne, political co-director or the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual student Alliance, said there is a .articular challenge for same-sex banners who decide to become "When your kids come home and • on't understand why they have two oms -- that can be really difficult for them," she said. Many gay people often feel they should not be parents because they fear the social repercussions their children might face, McClanahan said. "More lesbian couples feel their children would have trouble finding friends," she said. "There might be hostility and rejection, and sometimes, the children might feel onfused about their own sexual rientation." Byrne expressed concern for the uture if she decides to become a "It's like anything else, people Amnesty approval by first meetir posted The foci prisoners drained origin, sex , violence. Amnesty ixAtical prr cruel inhur tie, `V- ••••;', Iktc, kik for counseling services at many campuses, but the allocation varies among campuses, he said. Because of the lack of funds, campuses often have faculty and staff playing dual roles, said Dennis Heitzmann, psychologist and director of the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services at University Park. "More commonly at the Commonwealth Campuses, someone is playing various counselor roles counseling, career counseling and adviser," he said. Heitzmann said this duality can take away from the quality of can get upset -- they think that we're breeding queer children. But children are what they are," she said. "What I have to say to them is that we had straight parents." Byrne believes that as long as a person is a good parent, his or her sexual orientation should not matter `More lesbian coup/es feel their children would have trouble finding friends There might be hostility and confusion and sometimes the children might feel confused about their own sexual orientation." 'Motherhood in general is not really easy," she said. "(Being a lesbian and a mother) just adds another facet to it." Prudence Johnson, adviser for Student Parents of Penn State, said being a single parent and a student at the same time is an overwhelming experience. Student parents have many issues to deal with outside the classroom, she said. "As a student parent, you have things you cannot possibly schedule," she said. "Problems happen day in and day out -- the only time they have for studies is during the day. Once they get home, they have to help (their children)." Support networks are necessary for student parents no matter what their sexual orientation, she said. "Every one of them needs support from their own parents and other student parents -- no matter if they're gay, lesbian, bisexual," Johnson added. McClanahan said support from counseling. "Some students may have trouble viewing their academic adviser as someone who can help them with a more serious psychological problem," he said. Eakin said that although the guidelines of the activity fee allow for counseling services to be supported by those dollars, the question of who is responsible for funding psychological services is a fair one. "There is lots of concern that these are things the University ought to provide as one of the basic services," he said. John Mills, director of counseling and student development at Indiana University personal others is helpful for all gay people particularly when it comes t• having children. The increasinl. visibility of lesbian and ga couples who are opting to hay children also helps, she added. "When you have that enhanced visibility, it tends to work for the greater good," she said. "The ingenuity and creativity in th lesbian community with respect t having children has been amazin in the past few years." Courtesy the Digits! Collegian httar/www.collegian.psu.erir anks to cL: sors of ever/day ducts are be:r.a made from the er, plast:c ^etal and glass that vs beer. rec•.c..ng UT TO kee;.• 72cvnr:cr working to 1p protect •re environment. you ed to 'ouv *hose products UY RECYCLED. AND SAVE So look for prcduc:s made from cled vena'a and buy 'hem mid rr.ear. one word :o all of us, receive a free brochure.wnte RecycLed. Envirortrner.tal Hind. 257 Park Ave South. New Yoi NY 10010 or cal: :-800-CALL-EDF. 1111.= . airA of Pennsylvania, said the university's two satellite campuses have comparable psychological services to those at the main campus, but the campuses are not big enough to support a full-time counselor. Services at the main campus of lUP are similar to those at University Park. The services at lUP are partially supported by student health service fees, which are added on to the tuition bill, he said. At Lock Haven University, one psychologist and three counselors make up the psychological services staff, which is paid for largely by university funds and supplemented, by grants, said Dan Tess, psychologist and director of counseling at the university. The school offers individual counseling, psychological testing, couples work, presentations for dorms and a counseling center that is available for the more than 3,400 students, Tess said. Murphy said he is hoping for an increase in the budget at Penn State's Wilkes-Barre Campus next year. The budget figures for each of the Commonwealth Campuses are based on enrollment numbers during a three-year period. Enrollment at the Wilkes-Barre I Campus has increased during the ' past two years, and with increased enrollment this year, he said, the budget for the campus should increase. But with the Plan for the Commonwealth on the horizon for 1997, Eakin does not anticipate an increase in funding. The plan is predicting minimal enrollment increases at the campuses, and Charlie Brown Christmas:• it's that time of the year again. This little tree is bringing bad memories of high credit card bills and good memories of presents and family. NMI Gettin' down: This dancin' girl seems to be enjoying herself at last weekend's Friday Fiesta which was a great success increased funding is not expected. "I'm not optimistic that that's likely to happen," Eakin said. And it is the students who may suffer if low funding continues to create a shortage in staff, Heitzmann said. "There may be students who cannot be served and cannot be served quickly enough because of a shortage of staffing," he said. Courtesy the Digits/ ian http , /www.collegisn.ps Casg u.eck
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