The Capital Times TEAMwork is supporting Middletown High students PSH students are mentors, volunteers by Dani Church Penn State Harrisburg is involved with Middletown High School in a mentoring pro gram for teens. The program, called "To gether Everyone Achieves in Middletown" (TEAM), strives to provide leadership for students who may need a little extra guid ance in their everyday lives. Modeled after the Big Brothers-Big Sisters program, TEAM matches up students be tween the ages of 14 and 18 with adult men tors. The program has been in existence for three years and currently has 18 matches be tween teens and mentors. Penn State became involved through the Secondary Education department, but under graduates and graduates of all majors are encouraged to participate in the TEAM project. There are several different opportu nities for volunteer work. If mentoring is not your thing, there is plenty of organizational work to be done, as well as assistance with various planned events. Expectations of participating mentors in clude a minimum of one verbal contact per week and one physical meeting per month. Middletown High School Principal Dennis lezzi explains, "All you have to do is pick up the phone and ask how things are going. If you know that report cards just came out, then ask how his or her grades are. If their team had a match that week, ask how it turned out. It's that simple." lezzi developed the concept of setting up a mentoring program while he was working in his previous job as coach at the school. "Working with students on a one-to-one ba sis in athletics, I could see the effect that changes in society as a whole were having on the kids," said lezzi. "At one time, unde sirable behavior was restricted to fringe groups of students. With the breakdown of the family unit, this type of behavior was showing up in all types of students through out the school system." lezzi firmly believed that role models are the answer. "Preaching and monitoring only go so far," said lezzi. He felt that it is far more effective for adults to become involved with the students on a one-to-one basis so that they really get to know each other and develop strong communication. Middletown alumni are very active in high Support group formed for studying problems A questionnaire was sent out over the win- a better listener; preparing for the next se ter break to gauge interest in a support group mester; Attention Deficit Disorder; how to for students who have problems studying. talk with teachers; after graduation, how do Enough response was received to form a help- I talk with an employer; time management; ful support group. We normally meet on and dealing with stress. Wednesday from 12:15 to 12:55 in room If anyone may have additional questions, Wl37.Anyone is welcome to join us, regard- please feel free to e-mail Kae at less of the challenges they may face. keblB6@psu.edu or stop in at Donna Topics will include: How to study better; Howard's office at student activities, room how to take tests more effectively; how to be Wll7. school events, and are proving to be the back bone of the TEAM mentoring program. "What better people for role models than the people who have actually walked these halls themselves?" said lezzi. Three times each year, TEAM hosts an ac tivities night for students and all mentoring participants to get to know each other. The next activity night is planned for Mar. 21 at the high school. There are food and games such as volleyball, basketball and paddleball. Local merchants donate the pizzas and snacks. Generous donations from companies such as GPU Nuclear, Family Medicine, and the Hetrick Center, to name a few, keep the or ganization on its feet. The Blue and Gold Club, an alumni athletic booster club, also is a contributor to the TEAM program. The students involved in the TEAM project also feel it is important to give back to their community through service projects. Over the holidays, TEAM member students had a bake-off where they made chocolate chip cookies. The cookies were put in individual bags and given to Santa Claus to give out to the children visiting him in Hoffer Park. Future plans include working in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up streams. Besides the regular activity nights and com munity service projects, special events are interspersed throughout the year. lezzi put his coaching connections to work and set up a Pic-Tel conference with Jerry Sandusky, defensive coordinator for the Nittany Lions football team, for the students in the mentoring program. This teleconference will be held on Feb. 24 at the Capital Campus. Along with Sandusky, several athletes and scholars from University Park will also be involved in the conference. Anyone who would like to become in- volved in the TEAM program is invited to contact lezzi at 948-3333 or show up at the next monthly meeting. Organizers meet on the last Monday of each month at 7 p.m. in the large group instruction room at Middletown High School. Keep in mind, an Act 34 background check on each mentor is required. The motto of Middletown High School is PRIDE - perseverance, respect, integrity, dis cipline, and excellence. With the added as sistance of the TEAM program, they are striv ing to help each and every one of their stu dents achieve these goals. NEWS Students rememb Erin Plummer explains her Penis Ivan' , . • igi • • • Recently, elementary education students from Penn State Harrisburg gathered with the campus community to reflect on an educational excursion to Mexico in December. Students from Penn State Harrisburg and two students from the Penn State Schuylkill spent five days in Pachuca, Mexico. Professors' Col leen Willard-Holt and Ranny Singiser, Schuylkill Campus Execu tive Officer Wayne Lammie, as well as Provost and Dean John Bruhn ac companied the students. The Decem ber trip continued Penn State's par ticipation in the Sister Cities program be tween Pachuca, Hidalgo, and the City of Har risburg, Pa. During the visit the Penn State students the delegation visited a variety of cultural and taught classes and explored the opportunity historic sites in the state of Hidalgo and for future student teaching placements at the Mexico City. At the presentation, students Col egi o Londres or London School of shared projects and experiences from the trip, Pachuca (a private bi-lingual elementary and in addition to showing a short video docu secondary school). The students also visited mentary of their travels. Pre-Law committee formed A new committee, The Prelaw Advisory Committee, has been formed at Penn State Harrisburg. This is a group with student, staff, and faculty representatives working to develop greater support for students inter ested in a legal career—and those who are uncertain about whether or not they are in terested in law. The committee's first event of the year will be a program entitled "So You Want to Go to Law School?" in the Gallery Lounge on Tue., March 3, from 12:15 until 1:30 p.m. Diane Nichols from the Admissions Department at Dickinson Law School will speak about spe cific procedures at Dickinson and law school admissions in general. Dr. Blake Nelson, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, will focus on life in law school and how to pre pare for it. Other activities the committee might in clude are: -Development of a web site to provide Thursday, February 19, 1998 3 Hidalgo University and were presented with the future opportunity, to attend intensive Spanish language courses. On the weekend, information on law school and about the com mittee and its activities. -Development of regular pre-law pro grams, such as bringing speakers to class who illuminate issues regarding the legal profes sion and law school. -Development of brochures and other marketing informing new students about the program and how it can assist them toward a legal career. One of the committee's important tasks is identifying students who may be interested in law school. Any interested student should send their name, mailing address and e-mail address to: Dr. Steven Peterson, School of Public Affairs (e-mail sapl2@psu.edu; phone 948-6154) or Anita Alleman (e-mail alal @psu.edu; phone 948-6042). For further information on "So you want to go to law school," contact Dr. Barbara Sims at her internet address, bas4@psu.edu, or by phone, extension 6044. r Mexico
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