Page 2 _LIONSEYE- February, 1999 MILK Celebration Jump Start Program to Ease College Frustration By Regis Fields Lion's Eye Staff Writer At Penn State Delco many or- ganizations retain many responsibili- ties of conduct to either the campus, an ethnicity, or to the community. The community, the Philadelphia region, and the joining the ranks of existing organizations like C.L.A.S.P and P.E.P.P is known as the Jump Start Program. Much like the orga- nization Head Start, both sharing lat- ter names, Jump Start pushes the emphasis of preparing high school students for college by assisting in tutoring and mentoring. Penn State students, such as first semester stu- dent Jennifer Lewis, now have the chance to share their knowledge and advice with fifteen juniors from lo- cal Chester High School. The pro- gram began on January 18, and will run until May 8, during this time stu- dents from our campus will teach study skills, time management, fi- nancial aid workshops, career plan- ning, post secondary education workshops, and SAT preparation which is of the utmost importance for students heading into their senior year of high school. “We try to educate students on their level, to understand them and so they won’t feel as if they are overwhelmed,” said Melva Shipley, who along with the program is en- joying her first semester here at Delco. “I try to start things off in a group to break the ice a little and ease the students into the tutoring sessions...sometimes the tutoring is one on ore to give special attention to certain areas.” The Chester-Upland school district has one of the lowest college turnout rates in all of Delaware County, many organizations are cur- rently operating in this district in an attempt to remedy this educational problem. Some critics of the school district may say that this problem exists due to the lack of tangible op- portunity for many of the students. That when a sentiment of frustration sets in to an area or individual, that mood usually surfaces as poor aca- demic and behavioral attitudes. Ms. “Dr. King would be very proud.” Shipley described it as, “ It’s like try- ing to climb out of a well when he walls are still wet.” The solution, try to desir the sentiment of frustration. The pro- gram with all its many components basically wants to inform students of their potential in continuing educa- tion facilities such as college or even technical schools. One tactic used in an attempt to educate students is early awareness, the program is only open to High School juniors because at that stage teens are beginning to realize that there is life, although uncertain, after graduation. The program is op- tional and open to those interested in higher education, those willing to participate after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a student of Chester High or Chester Academy. Another requirement for the program is participants must meet OET or the Office of Employment and Training income qualifications. The program did not specify what those qualifications were, but did give a phone number to contact if there are any questions (610) 713- 2200. The OET, located in Upper Darby, Delaware County, purpose is defined as, “...working to expand economic development in Delaware County...concentrating on the local workforce.” In other aspects of OET lies ~ their commitment to education also described in their pledge statement as, “...staff also works with local high school districts and employers to de- velop concrete school to work strat- egies, again with the focus on workforce development.” Although it seems OET is biased with their agendas, emphasiz- ing the importance of education in work than education in self-im- provement, the ends of their efforts remain the same as Jump Start, which is to improve conditions of education and job opportunity. The program is still in its infancy stages so interested students can still join up by calling Mrs. Norma Notzold at (610) 892-4160, volunteers are welcome and even more so, they are needed. Photo by Jenna Montgomery C.L.A.S.P. children, Jahan and Dominique County share crafts with Fair Acres resident Ed Fischer. Photo by Doris Ruiz Students of All Ages Lend Time to Local Fair Acres By Doris Ruiz Lions Eye Staff Writer As in the past, Penn State stu- dents came together to celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. This year our fellow students, fac- ulty and staff joined thousands of other community members for the 4 Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service. The Black Student League, Penn State Service Corps, and Student Life put together a three-day celebration to commemorate the memory of Dr. King. On Monday, January 18%, Students volunteered to help out at the Fair Acres Geriatric Center. The volunteers visited with the local resi- dents and played games. Also, the students set up an ice cream social. At the end of the day, students from the Community Leadership After School Program (C.L.A.S.P.) also stopped by for a visit. The children made crafts for the residents at Fair Acres, and took part in a game of bingo (the most popular game at ihe geriatric center). It was interesting to see how these two different generations mingled with each other. Although some of the residents were not in the mood to receive visitors, most of them were delighted. Betty Luxama (sophomore) was one of the volun- teers throughout the day. “When I first arrived and saw some of the older residents, I wasn’t sure how I would act. But once I spoke to them, and got to know them better I real- ize that their spirits are very much alive.” I also had a chance to speak to one of the residents, Ed Fischer. He in turn gave me some good ad- vice, “Never grow old”. Many of us take our youth for granted, but see- ing the folks at the Geriatric Center made me realize that those people were once our age. We could learn a very valuable lesson from them, and make the most out of each day. Students Participate in Day of Service By Rob Coyle - Editor-in-Chief On Monday, Jan. 18, Penn -State Delco students celebrated the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by participating in the 4% Annual Greater Philadelphia Matin Luther King Day of Service. The Community Leadership After School Program, or CLASP, ran a number of different programs for the visiting Chester students. They included: flowerpot painting, where students painted flower pots that were later given to residents at Fair Acres Geriatric Center; and floor hockey in the gym, which had a huge turn-out of both Chester and PSU students. According to Debbie Ousey, over 80 faculty, staff, and stu- dents participated in the daylong event, which the children really seemed to enjoy. If you are interested in par- ticipating in any of the many differ- ent volunteering programs that this campus offers, such as CLASP, please contact Debbie Ousey at dlo4@psu.edu or Lauren Voshell at lav122@psu.edu, or stop by room 204 Main. “One hundred years from now it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much was in my bank ac- count, nor what my clothes looked like. But the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child.” — CLASP 1998 wR
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers