Thursday, February 21, 1991 Joe Clark decries public education (continued from page 1) to compete at this level," Clark said. "And enrolling them in colleges where they are doomed to fail and drop out is a cruel, vile act." As a result, Clark concluded, "blacks are viewed as intellectually inferior when they are merely ararlemically inferior." Clark also commented on the incorporation of quota systems and Affirmative Action programs. "We must have equal opportunity," he explained. "But hiring on the basis of race causes animosity and defeats the purpose. "You can not end the problem of discrimination by discriminating." Clark's discussion of past discrimination led to several suggestions for today's black youth. "Don't come up bathed in hate," he began. "Be proud of your heritage, but embrace pride based not on color but on achievement. Educational program unites PSU, Erie (continued from page 1) Electric ELFUN Foundation grant program. The Penn State Educational Partnership Program (PEPP) will employ both paid and volunteer tutors from Behrend, Erie high schools and industry sponsors of the program. "At the moment we'll be using both paid and volunteer tutors," said Robert Light, acting associate dean and director of industrial programs at the Continuing Education Center. "But we hope to recruit more volunteers and mentors from both Behrend and our industry sponsors." The program is geared toward "at-risk" students -- those who have shown ability or potential for high achievement but don't do their homework or participate in class. The PEPP Academy will be held after school, where 50 students per school will receive help from their tutors with homework, tests and other academic assignments. "Of course, they'll (the students) need an incentive to make the program work," said Light. "There will be a social period for the students,, as well as a snack -- something to break up the apparent monotony of the academic side," he said. The program lasts for two hours a day, Monday through Thursday. One of those hours is The Collegian is proud to )\-,t - •:00•"'s support the American men \f•' - ‘., O • O °N and women participating in Operation Desert Storm. "Self-responsibility is the brick and mortar of success and power. Take responsibility for the condition of your life, and don't blame anyone but yourself if you end up a nobody." Clark also made suggestions for white students trying to contribute to a free and equal society. "Act not by law, but by what is in your heart. "If you have something to say to me, don't hide behind a smokescreen. Come right out and say what you feel so that our disagreements can be solved." In spite of his criticisms of the public educational system, Clark maintained hope for the future. "I have seen an amazing amount of compassion on the campuses I have spoken at. It is my belief that this compassion will eventually lead to the end of discrimination on the basis of race, sex or handicap. "After all, we are ultimately all brothers and sisters." reserved for academic work, Rodriguez noted. Another 45 minutes is spent on social activities and the last 15 minutes for snack time. The PEPP Academy is based on two other Penn State programs, one in McKeesport and the other in Reading. "The other programs similar to this have been very successful," Light said. "In fact, the students in the McKeesport program eventually did away with most of the social time because they were accomplishing so much academically." Light said he believes the program will be successful in Erie. "Originally we started with less than 50 students and a lot of skepticism at McKeesport. Now there's a long waiting list of students trying to get into the program." Aside from Behrend, high school and industry tutors, students will be working with mentors from GE, GTE, National Fuel Gas and other area organizations. "The idea behind the one-on one mentors," explained Rodriguez, "is to have someone provide an example, a positive influence, for the kids." Students in the PEPP program will also take part in field trips, speaker programs and a one-week summer camp at Behrend or University Park. The Collegian New positon expands college's focus on health and wellness b Andrew Festa The Collegian Two years ago the Department of Education, through the Fund for the Improvement of Post Secondary Education, sponsored grants for programs which would reduce drug and alcohol abuse on college campuses. The grant was arranged through the efforts of Patty McMahon, nurse practicioner, Tod Allen, community service officer, and Chris Reber, dean of Student Services. They envisioned a program that would educate the general student population about the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. Recently, a second grant was allocated. Its purpose was to increase the scope of the Wellness Awareness Program here at Behrend. The design of that increase was to emphasize wellness from a wholistic approach. Cathy Eck, the College's new Wellness Coordinator, defined wholistic health as when individuals are seen as complex wholes made up of interconnected and interrelated parts. The purpose "is to educate people, to explain why people use drugs and to help replace negative influences with positive ones." Ms. Eck pointed out that there are six parts of what she calls the Wellness Wheel: Physical, Emotional, Spiritual, Social, Occupational and Intellectual. The wellness of people is not based on any one of those parts. "Wellness of the individual," Mrs. Eck stated, "is the result of the wellness level of all six, together and in conjunction with each other. To have a sence of being whole (of well being) requires health in all six areas of the wheel, and that requires balance." For example, people who cram for tests right before midterms or finals suffer various consequences: loss of appetite, lack of proper sleep, mood changes, irritability around others and so on. All of these decrease the level of total wellness of the individual. Eck stated that the Office of the Wellness Coordinator is currently releasing a survey to measure attitudes about drugs on campus. The Core Survey, developed by a committee of eight colleges and universities and administered by the University of Minnesota, is being sent to campuses across the country in an effort to measure student attitudes about drugs and alcohol, such as how prevalent students believe it is on their campuses and what they think of the problem. Eck is hoping that students will take this survey seriously. "I'd like to see a response rate of 80%," she said. "A greater response allows for a more accurate analysis." As she pointed out, a low response would not give a true definition of students' feelings. At the local level, the results of the survey will help define the direction of the Jim Pierdomincoffhe Collegian Filling in the blanks: Wellness coordinator Kathy Eck prepares data from a survey exploring drug and alcohol abuse among college students. Wellness Program at Behrend. At the end of the grant period, in two years, another survey will be circulated to see where the situation stands at that point. It's hoped that the goal of increased awareness of potentially harmful physical, psychological and social, effects will have been reached. Eck encourages students to participate in the survey. Individuals might want to tell others about the survey or student groups might want to involve members. One of Eck's goals for next year is to start a series of workshops aimed at transition for I************* Iip:HREND RITILDS_NF.W HOUSING Air Beginning fall semester 1991, Behrend will have a new style of residence hall. '4 l ( 4( The new housing will be a suite design. Different from the apartments and the traditional residence halls, each building will offer a TV lounge, study lounge and individual heating and air conditioning in each bedroom. Each suite will consist of four bedrooms with two students in each bedroom, two bathrooms and two double vanity sinks. Laundry facilities, offices, and common space will be located in the lower level of one building. The buildings are all electric. Each suite will be metered. Residents will be billed for the electricity use in their suite. Students will have the oppurtunity to choose their roomates as they do in the existing halls and apartments. It will be important that students indicate their preference of roomates, non-smoker or smoker. Students in suites will be required to purchase a meal plan. *********.**./r*****-A- Page 3 graduating seniors. The workshops, which are still in the planning/idea stage might be co sponsored by the Career Placement Office. Eck said, "An idea might be 'How Not To Get Fired In The First Year'. People shouldn't go into the workforce with the false assumption that the 'wild life' of college can continue." Eck is a native of Erie. She taught a course at Behrend several years ago in Strategic Planning. She graduated from Penn State in 1975 after earning a BS in Secondary Education and a Masters in International Studies. * *
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