Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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_Nation & World _ Former drug addicts given chance to excel ‘You have to help people build something that is worth not destroying.’ Carl Andersen Director, addicts-to-scholars program by Chris Newton Associated Press LUB80CK, Texas — Four years ago, Adrian Corral sat in a dank prison, wracked by convulsions from cocaine withdrawal and filled with thoughts of hanging himself with a bedsheet. He survived his four-year sentence for drug dealing on ly because he lacked the nerve to kill himself. Now Corral, 34, is going to college under a program at Texas Tech Uni versity that gives recovering addicts scholarships for staying clean, getting good grades and attending recovery meetings. It might be the first program of its kind in the nation. The addicts-to-scholars program, started four years ago at the Texas Tech Center for Addiction Studies, rewards participants regardless of their previous academic careers. Corral, who had only a high school education, is getting a bachelor’s degree and hopes to attend medical school and become a pathologist. “I wanted to be a part of law enforcement, and I realize that I can’t do that because of my history,” he said. “But at least this way I can be a part of the process.” Carl Andersen, director of the center and a recovering alcoholic himself, founded the program. “This isn’t a situation where you’ve got someone in charge who doesn’t know what he is dealing with,” said Andersen, who carries in his pocket a golden medallion inscribed “16” for the number of years he has been sober. To get in, participants must show that they have been in drug or alcohol rehab for at least a year. That, a high school diploma or equivalency degree and ^Andersen’s faith are the only requirements for acceptance into the program, which admits around 100 undergraduates each year. The scholarship money comes from private sources, including rehabilitation groups and former students who are in recovery. “I’ve never heard of a program like that, and 1 like the idea,” said Dr. Her bert Klebert, former U.S. deputy drug czar and director of Columbia Universi ty’s Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. Officials at the National Asso ciation of Colleges were also unaware of any similar rehab program. The amount of money a student gets depends on the participant’s grades: A 4.0 grade-point average earns $2,000 per semester, a 3.5 is worth $1,500, a 3.0 gets $ 1,000 and a 2.5 earns $500. Participants have to pay the rest of then expenses. Tuition and fees at Texas Tech are typically $2,500 per semester. Anything less than a 2.5 GPA and students can be kicked out of the pro gram. They also can be removed for poor attendance at class or recovery meetings. “1 have deans sometimes tell me that I’m being too hard on students,” An dersen said. “But one of the first signs of a reversion back to a substance is tar diness or absence from scheduled events.” Andersen said only 5 percent of participants have reverted to drug or alco hol abuse. The National Substance Abuse Institute says 54 percent of all abusers in recovery programs nationwide backslide. Nearly as impressive is the participants’ overall GPA of 3.67, compared with a 3.42 for Tech undergraduates. Bob Weiner, spokesman for White House drug czar Barry McCaffrey, called the program “enlightened.” “The program keeps them out of crime,” Weiner said. “Programs like these are in the public interest. How can anyone be against that?” University officials call Andersen “cutting-edge” and “visionary.” But An dersen said the president of the university at the time laughed when he first pro posed the idea. “He funneled a bunch of people my way that said stuff like, ‘I’ve got a son who has never touched a drug in his life, and he can’t get scholarship money,”’ Andersen recalled. “‘Why should we give it to someone who has been snort ing cocaine? And do we really want people like that on campus?”’ Andersen acknowledged: “I live in horrible fear that one day, one of these students will do something to embarrass or bring down the program.” After all, many of the 600 students who have been in the program have prison records, some for vio lent crimes. But he said the opportunity to give addicts a second chance is worth the risk. “You have to help people build something that is worth not destroying,” Andersen said. Because none of Andersen’s students have gotten into serious trouble — most, in fact, are older than 25 and live off campus, many parents are unaware of the program. Several Tech students said they have no problem with recov ering addicts getting scholarships. “The truth is that at Tech, many students are Christian and believe in giv ing a person another chance,” said Brent Jacobs, 19. “There but for the grace of God go I.” U.N. makes an appeal for Iraqi children by Edith Lederer Associated Press Umted Nations — A senior U.N. official called for a halt Thursday to the use of Iraqi children for “propaganda purposes,” an appeal clearly aimed at Iraq and the United States. Benon Sevan, head of the U.N. humanitarian pro gram in Iraq, issued the call in a closed-door brief ing to the U.N. Security Council after U.S. and Iraqi envoys clashed at an open council meeting Wednes day over who was responsible for the suffering of Iraqi children. The U.S.-Iraqi exchange highlighted the differ ences that must be overcome as the U.N. Security Council debates a new policy toward Iraq and the possible suspension of sanctions. Calling the United States “a bloodsucker of the people,” Iraq’s U.N. Ambassador Saeed Hasan com plained that Iraqi children are dying at an alarming rate because of U.N. sanctions, which the United States supports. He demanded that sanctions be lifted immediately. He cited both a report by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which concluded that the U.N. relief pro gram could not put an end to the deteriorating hu manitarian situation in Iraq, and the first survey of child mortality in Iraq since 1991, released this month by UNICEF. But U.S. diplomat Mark Minton blamed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein for the suffering of thousands of Iraqi youngsters, saying Baghdad has been promoting policies that deny needy children food and medicine. U.S. ending permanent military presence in Haiti by Michael Norton Associated Press Port-Au-Phnce, Haiti — Nearly five years after sending thousands of troops into Haiti to restore democracy, the United States is replacing^its per manent military presence with temporary missions, U.S. officials said Thursday. Washington says the move will allow it to target are® of the impoverished Caribbean nation that need the most support. But some Haitians fear the change, coupled with the impending end of a United Nations mission, could encourage enemies of an already dysfunctional democ racy — even though in recent years, the small U.S. force h® played only a humanitarian role. “International support for our fragile democra cy remains indispensable,” said Jean-Claude Bajeux, a human rights activist. “In the back of every body’s mind is the fear of anarchy.” Those concerns seem to be widely shared. “Any change in U.S. policy to Haiti scares us,” said Jeanine Pierre-Louis, a 20-year-old student in Port-au-Prince. Conservative politician Hubert Dercnceray agreed “No lucid Haitian wants the United States to drop Haiti from its agenda,” he said. In September 1994, President Clinton ordered 20,000 U.S. troops into Haiti to end three years of bloody military-backed rale, restore a democratical ly elected government, and stem the flow of Hait ian boat people to Flojida shores. The United States passed the baton to the Unit ed Nations in March 1995, and the worldbody’smis sion turned to helping train a new Haitian police force that replaced the demobilized Haitian army. Since March 1996, the 450-member U.S. Sup port Group h® had non-combat military personnel drill wells, build bridges, roads and schools, and run a field hospital in Port-au-Prince. Its operations cost $20 million annually. That mission will likely end by January, said Navy Ll Jane Campbell, spokeswoman for the U.S. South ern Command in Miami. - Under a program in effect elsewhere in Latin America, Southern Command will deploy National Guard and reservist units to Haiti on a routine basis. ' White House spokesman Joe Lockhart confirmed .plans to “move from a permanent force that’s there under this configuration and replace it with ro tational assistance teams.” But “the U.S. military is not withdrawing from Haiti,” he stressed. Haiti’s government had no formal reaction to the changeover. But many Haitian politicians have called for the withdrawal of all the U.S. troops, saying their presence is an affront to national sovereignty. The U.S. military presence in Haiti has also drawn fire from Republicans in Congress who claim that the Clinton administration failed to restore democ racy in Haiti and that there is a security threat to the U.S. soldiers. In March. Southern Command chief Gen. Charles Wilhelm recommended the withdrawal of the U.S. Support Group because of increased political turmoil in Haiti. Campbell said die was unaware of any threats directed at the U.S. troops. Paralyzed by political stalemate, Haiti has had no effective government from June 1997, when Pre mier Rosny Smarth resigned to protest rigged elec tions. Campbell Soup revamps classic soup labels by Melanie Burney Associated Press Camden, N.J. — The Campbell Soup Co. has ordered a change for the red and white label so familiar on its cans. The soup labels that have lined grocery shelves for more than a century will begin disappearing by mid-September. The red and white Campbell label made its debut in 1898, a year after the company began producing condensed soups in Camden, New Jersey. Campbell’s is planning what it says is the most significant change in its history. The new label has a photograph-of a bowl of soup at the center, a recipe on the back and a colored banner to distinguish the soup category. “The design is much loved and very familiar to Americans, but we felt there was a wonderful oppor tunity to update it and refresh it,” said Lisa Zakrajsek, vice president of the company’s U.S. Soup divi sion. Since 1898, Campbell has on ly made 14 minor changes to the original soup label. The last change was made for select varieties in 1994 to mark the company’s 125th an niversary. The Camden-based company was to formally unveil die redesigned label Thursday in Pittsburgh. Kaplan can help. 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