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Show Sees Ge-Edl! to Mwmvi Uy MARK L). MICKELSEN SOUTH WEBER The Weber Basin Job Corp has announced plans to convert their all-male center into a fully operational co-ed facility by the first part of next year. "THE WHOLE world is co-tvl," co-tvl," fed Larsen, center director direc-tor s lid of the changeover, a process nearly one year and $55,000 in the making. Starting Jan. 7, 15 girls between be-tween the ages of 16 and 22 will move into one of the center's dormitories. Every week following, fol-lowing, ten more will be added until the female population reaches 58. TABBING THE conversion as "a very natural situation," Mr. l arsen said last week he believes there will be less problems with the girls on the grounds. He attributed his statement to the fact that some 30 new Job Corp centers have opened in the last year, all of them co-ed. Of those, very few, he said, have experienced any difficulties at all. or too long, Mr. Larsen noted, the Weber center has had to recruit people from out-ol':state. out-ol':state. He believes that with the additional women, the corp can be self-sufficient and allow mostly Utah students to take advantage of the facility. ONE YEAR ago center officials offi-cials requested the change to co-ed and informed their community com-munity relations council of the proposal. Neighbors bordering border-ing the center were grouped together in a committee, in order that they might better undet stand the reasons for the changeover. Mr. Larsen explained that the corp-community meetings were held twice during the year.' to dispell any fears the residents might have. After visiting the center, the residents resi-dents unanimously accepted the' co-ed proposal and gave full support for the conversion. ASIDE FROM the local eitiens. the proposal was sent to the Job Corp's mother agen-c agen-c . the Department of Interior, passed on to the Department of Labor, and finally reaching the National Job Corp headquarters headquar-ters where final approval was gi en. Mr. Larsen said the National Nation-al Job Corp is pushing for the eventual co-ed conversion of all the centers. He indicated that Weber Basin is the first facility sponsored by the Water Wa-ter and Power Bureau to have the distinction of a male-fenuie male-fenuie population. NO MORE male students w ill be accepted after Nov. 15. Larsen said, explaining that the center must reduce its population from 225 to 168 by Jan. 1. None will be "kicked . out." he said, but several are expected to graduate, others to leave, before the 19S1 conversion. conver-sion. Corp planners have received re-ceived $55,000 in conversion money, as requested by Mr. Larsen. The money will be used to add a new womens restroom facility in the educational educa-tional building, purchase business busi-ness machines for classroom i study and make an existing i dormitory liveable while plans are developed for a new dorm I to be constructed for the girls j over the next couple of years. ! ; MR. LARSEN said no new i women-oriented trades will be added to the current curriculum, curricu-lum, only one course about the operation of business machines, to be taught in the educational area. He added that the biggest concern the center operators have about the change is "family planning," a subject thoroughly discussed by the corp staff. Larsen said the center cen-ter will have to get used to the idea and provide education for the problem. OTHER THAN that, Mr. Larsen is fairly confident that the conversion will have more positive, than negative effects. "Eventually all the centers will be co-ed," he said, explaining ex-plaining that at one Oregon facility the center started with only girls and later added men. He said the Department of Interior In-terior and Water and Power Bureaus are responsible for planning and placement and are pushing for the co-ed move in every state. LARSEN SAID the center officials want recruiting authority au-thority in their own state be cause, as he said, "we do a good job and we want our people peo-ple to go out in the community and tell the story." Calling the proposal a public relations effort, Director Larsen believes be-lieves a lot more Utah women will have a chance to stay in the state, rather than be shipped ship-ped to some distant corp elsewhere. else-where. Mr. Larsen said it has been almost impossible to get any good activities going for the men when the weekends come around. Now, with the girls available for dances and social . affairs, the men can stay at the center, rather than travel into town. HE SAID he has held meetings meet-ings with the students about the changeover. Most are excited ex-cited about returning to the center after Christmas, and others, he said, are unhappy because they will have graduated. gradu-ated. "It's going to put everyone every-one on their toes," he said, emphasizing the need for good language and manners. No negative comments have been received in the wake of the conversion, he said, from either bordering neighbors of South Weber citizens. "People "Peo-ple who won't be for it," he added, "probably don't know anything about the center." HE INVITED anyone to visit the facility and see for themselves what goes on during dur-ing the day. He especially urged boys and girls from 16-22 years old to drop in and look over the advantages of the center. Mr. Larsen, himself concerned con-cerned over the change, visited vi-sited one out-of-state co-ed facility recently and found it to have very positive qualities. Other disbelieving staffers will have a chance to take similar trips before the 1981 conversion conver-sion occurs. HE SAID of the Weber Basin people who have gone to the other co-ed centers, most come back thinking positive. When the changeover begins, be-gins, Mr. Larsen said six male and two female students will be accepted at the center each week after the initial group of 58 women is completed. |