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Show i SUSC MUST EXPAND PSYCH PRACTICUM i ? There was a time in our nations history when youthful offenders were treated as harshly as their adult counterparts. By the nineteenth century, however, this rather draconian approach was replaced by an emphasis on reform rather than punishment. Today, this trend toward rehabilitation continues, with juvenile justice experts recognizing that the problem cannot be dismissed conditions are the culprit, simply by claiming that or that all delinquents come from broken homes. The fact is, juvenile delinquency transcends all racial, economic, and educational stereotypes. Recognizing that many delinquents are frequently victims rather than victimizers, Cedar Citys own Youth Corrections Facility has been struggling to turn the lives of juvenile offenders around by instilling positive social skills, and healthy work habits, where humiliation, violence, and sexual exploitation once wreaked havoc. It has not been easy. State Boys School Rampant abuses at the Salt Lake forced officials to close the 450 bed complex in the early 80s. Since then a number of smaller facilities have sprung up to meet the growing need of youthful offenders. Unfortunately, with only 70 beds available statewide, there exists an urgency for projects to fill this gap. However, a deficit closer to home and, perhaps, easier to correct, centers around SUSCs practicum program. One of the factors that played heavily in locating the Youth Corrections facility in Cedar City was SUSC. Not only would an expanded practicum program fill the personnel void left by diminished state allocations, but students would benefit through hands-oexperience. Unfortunately, when the Social Work was cut three years ago, so was the total number of hours program required for the practicum from 480 to 120 hours. As such, we feel that a valuable resource was lost. Granted, the Psychology Department did pick up some of the slack, but most students are unwilling to take more than the required one quarter practicum to fulfill departmental requirements, and so, the facility is not able to give as much as they should to either the youthful offender or the student. The way we see it, the first quarter of practicum in a locked juvenile facility is spent in learning the ropes. By the time a student has progressed to the third quarter, hes acquired the basic knowledge and is not hampered by the many situations that arise since hes already dealt with many of them. Not surprisingly, the student is more marketable and can more readily determine in three quarters whether hes suited for social work. We urge SUSC administrators to reconsider expanding the practicum requirements to three quarters or alternatively, adding the Social Worker program back to SUSCs offerings. With the future of our youth at stake, can we afford not to? I t l socio-econom- t i I i self-estee- ) I i i City-base- d state-funde- n I d Appearance leads to a false conclusion TO THE EDITOR: I am writing to apologize to those little girls I apparently frightened behind the Randall Jones Theatre last Friday. I had just eaten lunch and was carving a toothpick when you egressed the back door.. I dont consider myself and Ive always believed in So you can imagine my surprise when five minutes later, there came bursting through the door every cop in the county (and their dog). scary-lookin- e. TO THE EDITOR: I was glad to see the letters to the conservation (of HUNDERBIRD VOLUME 84, NUMBER 54 Editor Kathleen Midgley Associate Editor Natalie Coombs Opinion Director James Spainhower Photo Editor Jeff Dower Sports &. Outdoors Editor Brent Richey - The Thunderbird is published each Monday and Thursday of the academic year by and for the student body of Southern Utah State College and is not affiliated in any way with the of communication. The views and opinions expressed in The Thunderbird , 'Colleges department 7'are the opinions of the publications individual writers and do not necessarily reflect the views ' of the institution, faculty, staff or student body in general. The unsigned editorial directly ; . above is the opinion of The Thunderbird as a single entity. Letters to the editor must be typed and include the name and phone number. Only the name will be printed. Names will not ' be withheld under any circumstances and the editor reserves editing privileges. Letters must be submitted by noon Fridays for Monday editions; 5 p.m. Tuesdays for Thursday editions. editorial offices in SUSC Library 103; advertising in Library 102. Mail at The Thunder-birdor SUSC Box 9384, Cedar City, UT 84720. Phone (801) two-bloc- a doughnut shop. Think before you fink. Its sad that the Charles Manson types exist, but the clean-cu-t Ted Bundys are far more numerous. Even so, dont they usually need the cover of darkness to ply their crimes? i i j i j Let me assure you that contrary to what you and those cops seem to think, I am a human being. All I can say is, it takes one to know one. i J. M. Putnam Reducing waste should begin at source editor last week concerning 1 Throughout the shakedown, I tried to explain that my scenery class entitled me to be there, but the cops had succumbed to your contagion of hysteria. They handcuffed me behind my back, and threw me in the back of one of their dozen or so patrol cars. Thanks to Roger, who arrived and vouched for me, I was released after a half hours detention. So girls, dont feel threatened by men with long hair who happen to have pocketknives, especially if k radius of youre within a gas in the Student Center fireplace) and garbage selfpatrol (Nan Hurleys pollution awareness). There is no big Mom out there, picking up after us and reminding us to clean our rooms. Ideally, each person in any society must be responsible . for his own waste (infants excepted). Although recycling and are good ways to be responsible, it is increasingly important that we learn to reduce waste at the source. This means all of us. Campaigning to keep Styrofoam cups out of food service is a start why not eliminate the problem and bring your own reusable cup, even utensils? Recycling your aluminum cans is a start why not go further and require that all states have reusable container laws? Using d copies to save paper is a start why not encourage your professors and departments to do so? Why not set up bins around campus for recyclable paper collection, and two-side- require that intra-campu- s communications be on recycled i i' rate that no one can afford to live as though some Mom somewhere will clean up somehow. If you believe that the quality of your life will suffer if you must learn new constraints on consumerism, consider how you will suffer if inundation by garbage, and foul air and water all make contributions to your I 1 welfare. paper? Southern Utah is NOT imadmit to a prejudice against We are fortunate to be those who cannot be bothered to mune. behind the times in terms of change their wasteful ways. Habits diseases, stress, and are learned behavior, and we can fall-oof more populous learn good ones just as well as bad. other up. Since the 1950s, the wealth of this areas but we are catching nation allowed it to become a You CAN do something to disposable society; but this out- help. Start today. dated society is no longer possible. The world is shrinking at such a Julia Shochat I i ( t 1 |