Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Students Help Out At h e Hle ii r By Lynne Perri Gamecock Staff Writer Sweat streamed down the cheeks of a young boy as he scrambled for the basketball among the legs of his older companions. "Watch me!" someone yelled. And then cries of "I got it!" continued as the basketball rolled around the rim of the net and bounced down to the gym floor. The defeated and tired youngster strolled over to the sidelines. His friend followed and with a quick slap on the other's back they began to laughingly wrestle. The boy's name is Smokey, and he and his friend Paul are only two of 200 children participating in the Wheeler Hill Activities Project (WHAP). The project involves families from Wheeler Hill, Olympia, Rosewood and Hendley Homes. The children eat breakfast and lunch on the grass at Booker T. Washington (BTW) High School. They swim atMaxcy Gregg pool, and they play basketball and tennis at BTW. And, both boys and girls are learning a sense of competition as they play with children in the city on their respective softball teams. The children are learning how to fingerpaint, administer first aid, as well as take, develop and print pictures. They are also learning about filmmaking,dance and music. Last weekend they saw the movie "A Raisin in the Sun" at BTW. Next weekend the boys are going camping in the mountains of North Carolina. Expedition & Recreational Grade Sleeping Bags Tents - Packs and Frames Climbing Rope and Hardware Dwn Jackets and Vests Dupont's Dacron FiberfIll 11 Clothes and Bags Complete Outdoor Library Freeze-Dried & Dehydrated feeds Stoves - General Supplies Rugby Shirts - USGS Maps Footgear. "COLUMBIA'S ONLY COMPLETE OUTFTTER" Mon. - Fri. 11:00 a.m. -- 7:-30 p. 10:00 a.m. -- 6:00 p.m. Sat. * Ph: .252-8838 92Harden St.A-rus from imrsr Jeff Wallace won't be going camping with the boys, though. He's chaperoning the girls on their camping trip to Lake Murray. Wallace is one of ap proximately 70 USC students who are volunteers for WHAP . Wallace, Paul Livingston, and Randy Gergel, all USC students, founded the project last summer. "I just wanted to work with kids," Wallace said. "There wasn't any other program down there. I got to the point of doing volunteer work and I wanted to do something on my own. Ididn'I want to go into any established program." So Wallace phoned his friend Livingston who was interested in the project because of his own childhood. Livingston said there was no organized recreation of any kind when he was growing up and he felt like other children should have a better chance to learn and still have fun.. "We work with pre-schoolers through adults," Wallace Continued . "and we serve the Sur Si 20' Ever~ Exotic Wooden Items Handwoven Tapestries Exotic Jewelry AJpaca/Lama Sin Rugs See From whole community. The parents are really pleased." The Wheeler Hill Project has received grants from the South Carolina Arts Commission, United Communty Services and Midlands Community Action Agency. They have also received private contributions from banks and businesses in Columbia. "But we had to fight for them," Wallace said. "It's been really difficult getting funds. We're trying to get money for staff positions and the school teachers who help us and make it a more permanent program." Wallace wants to see the project continued throughout the year, but he said students have more time during the summer. Some students are. earning in dependent study credit in psychology, education, health education and physicial education. Others are simply volunteers earning no credit, and still others have been hired by the Youth Opportunity Center. Those hired work 25 hours a week and are members of the Neigh mer Pwhos, us, and akeatmoe Wallac wador see te projectmconinred thiroughBousth, y ar,bu Desdses from hcaoe oet me dringtesumr dependent Dstiny treti eduaton O Hers rsml vouteern aninnocreit,an borhood Youth Corps. The students work in shifts with the children. The program operates from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m. at least six days a week and sometimes seven. Mornings are spent at BTW, afternoons at the Wheeler Hill Community Center and evenings at BTW . The Wheeler Hill Community Center is a low white building on the corner of Rice and Pickens Streets. Children, volunteers and hired young people are painting the small center hoping to im prove the building's appearance. The walls are bright blue, the floors are red and the ceiling for a patriotic touch. The Wheeler Hill Project did JUST Thle Truila's Girl approach ini put Emnily, Jus%t Limi berry, or choose a delec table panl wit/i our wild /i the ''undiscover blouse, in berry combination; Te withi a sweater t thing in. Av'ailai Richland Mall TI~ Ctrawsba have access to Benson Elementary School, but because the program is not University sponsored, the School Board of Richland County District 1 asked that volunteers find other facilities. Since the University's purchase of BTW High School, that location has worked out well, and the University does lend the volunteers equipment. Wallace hopes to continue to use BTW as much as possible due to the greater space and facilities there. "We want to see the school kept open for the community," he said. But the University has reached no definite decision regarding the usage of BTW this fall. takes a freslh I'all togethzers by ly. Here in a wine coffee cremie for ts set, combined :bra blouse for ed" look. 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