Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Brothers an with underpr By KARIN BURCISTEAD Staff Writer USC students are helping in crime prevention through Brothers and Sisters, a program that provides trained volunteers to work in one-to-one relationships with underprivileged children. About 30 USC students are among the 123 volunteers working with Brothers and Sisters. Clay Normand, who helped organize and now directs the program, said most of the volunteers are students from USC, Benedict College and Allen University. Normand said the program offers children between the ages of 7 and 15 an "exclusive club with membership benefits which in clude activities and a friend for at least nine months." Cam Mazer, a volunteer from USC, has been a part of Brothers and Sisters since December. Her little sister, Joyce, is nine years old. "Joyce is very friendly and she's a kind child, but there are four kids in the family and the parents work," Mazer said. "She just needed some attention." "Sometimes we go to the movies and a lot of times we just come to the dorm and watch TV," she said. "She love the elevators so sometimes we just ride up and Normand down the elevator." Mazer, a sophmore psychology major, said she became involved vouecunind Ndi through the volunteer service andg program at USC. "You have to really be involved in this, because Pre-service classes in you're renting your Saturdays training in drug abuse, cause away." symptoms of juvenile delinq "When I sent to school with and the role of the juvenile Joyce to meet her teacher, all the "Training is a major fac kids kept asking her if I was really screening, since it tests in her sister," she said. "They and dependablity," Normanc couldn't understand that I'm not "We can't afford dropouts. her sister, but I am her sister." Volunteers are required t4 Volunteers are required to at- with the program for at lea tend 12 hours of training every six months. After meeting with weeks for close monitorin of each little brother or sister's teacl "rig isa ajr a OterchlreWgtern' afr routs. 6iSisters vileged c . . . .. . . ... 'Tom Price with small friend iidual school,they spend three hours a mand week together. Normand said the program works primarily with children who olve appear to be headed for trouble. 5and Gary, Normand's "little brother," ency is one such child. ourt. Gary, who is ten years old now, Itr in had never been in trouble, but only erest because he had never been caught. said. "It was just a matter of time before he would have gone to stay juvenile court, Normand said. nine "His main problem was his their temper, but there's no sign of it er at now., Gary, who has been with the program for two years, is "a different child all the way Saround," his grandmother said. "He's not a bad child anymore. He used to hate to go to school and hate to do his lessons," she said. Programs need more volunteers Three volunteers are needed to act a Cub Scout leaders respon sbile for eight boys ages 8 to 10. The committment needed would be once a week for a minimum of one and a half hours. The project would continue for a maximum of six months, but more com mittment would be called for as the troop progressed. Brothers and Sisters program needs more big brothers and sisters. Wheeler Hill Community Center needs two volunteers to work Tuesday and Thrusday between S9a.m. and noon. Anyone interested in any of the Price above projects is asked to contact John Elkins, direcotor of Volup.teer Serivces at 777-3171. work hildren "Now he goes to school everyday and does his homework without~ making trouble." "Gary loves the program," she said. "Sometimes he spends the night with Clay and he gets so excited when Clay calls that he jumps all around." But Brothers and Sisters also helsp children who already been in trouble with the law. A study by the Richland County Family Court showed that of 67 delinquet children involved in a similar program that works with older children, only three returned to court. About 300 children have been involved with Brothers and Sisters since its organization. Asupporter of the program, Family Court Judge J. McNary Spigner, com mented, "The thrust of Brothers and Sisters from my viewpoint is crime prevention" "Clay Normand has enough vision to know that the behavior of young people who evidence being misguided can be changed through the proper attention of older people," Spigner said. "These volunteers work with children such as these so that they learn to fit into the culture instead of ending up in this court." Brothers and Sisters extends further than just working with the children. In a two-story stone house on Lincoln Street lives another aspect of the program. A caid on the torn screen of the door indicates that the house is the headquarters of Brothers and Sisters. In the house live thress families with nine children. The families live there as part of a counseling program of Brothers and Sisters. "These families usually come here when they are about to lose their children to state schools," Normand said. "We counsel them and try to help them adjust to their problems," he said. "They're given a time limit, usually six weeks, to meet us half way."~ It's a one shot deal; one they leave they're not allwed back. But we help them find housing and jobs when they leave," he said. Normand said the families generally pay no rent, but if welfare or another agency refers them, then that agency pays one week's rent. "Brothers and Sisters receives no funds at all," he said. "We depend totally on community support, and we are in financial trouble now."~ STE CANI Vet. to estabMisi purpose In stud.i Vote CANNON/Stud Quorum lacking in Senate By CHRIS SCHWEICKERT Staff Writer Student Senate ended Wednesday after what was perhaps its shortest session ever when Sen. Wayne Hembree called for a count to establish whether a quorum was present. Twenty-nine of the required 30 senators were present, so Vice President Still adjourned the meeting ten minutes after she had called it to order. Before adjournment, however, Sen. Koger Bradford announced he would go to Washington this weekend to talk with representatives of American University to study various schools' concepts regarding a University Senate. 'lm going to attempt to bring some of them down here in April, I think,," Bradford said, "'We're going to hold an open forum." Freshman seeks post of secretary Freshman, Trev Williams, announced her candidacy for student body secretary yestzrday. "In the Constitution, the secretary's duties are defined mostly as clerical, but I think a secretary should represent her school and take part in activities such as attending Senate," Williams said. "I can't make promises as to what I will accomplish because the secretary is not that type office. All I can promise is that I'm trustworthy and reliable and will perform the duties of secretary to the best of my abilities," she continued. Williams has been a represen tative to State Student Legislature and is currently a Student Senate member. A natice of Winnsboro, she Is mojoring in business eudcation. 'Y. ION a edIblIty' and mt govermmemt. ent Body President