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Show Forum Page 2 September 24, 1982 letteRS to the edrtoR t This week I continue with policy statements concerning letters to the editor, and information about the changing face of the student newspaper. First, the Forum is published weekly, scheduled to come out on Friday. Any letters submitted must be received by Wednesday of the week before. This deadline should insure sufficient time for the "right of reply" policy which I stated in last weeks issue. Next, Westminster College is, as last years yearbook stated, "on the road to excellence. One of the reasons we are on this road is because our leaders have not been afraid to make changes necessary to insure our survival as an institution. I do not presume to put myself in the same class as the board members or administrators. However, I am trying with everything I have available to help that survival. I, my staff, and advisors felt a change was necessary. I do not lightly throw out tradition. Tradition is good when it serves a definite purpose. For years Westminster has been trying to gain the support of the entire surrounding community, not just the church community. By maintaining a name with a Protestant connotation, the paper was not helping to show the independent status of the College. Nor does the old name, Parson, reveal the intent of the newspaper to convey information to, and encourage participation from, the student body. I feel our present name effectively does that and many other students have agreed. I want everyone to realize that I take the duty of editor seriously. I fully realize the need to present a quality to the students, the surrounding community, publication and to the board members who choose to read our publication. Consequently, the format for this issue was chosen to increase readability and make the paper more interesting and cleanerlooking. There is a budget consideration in that decision, too. Wider columns cost less and take less time to typeset. Wider columns also allow me to get more information into the paper. Finally, when advertisers in our paper receive their copies, I hope they and their customers read the Forum and say, "That College turns out quality. They must really know what theyre doing. 1 want to send my children there for a quality education. Every tradition begins as some sort of a change. Change need not be a fearful thing, or something which needs to be fought. Please support me in creating a new tradition one of journalistic excellence. Anne Sanders, As the editor of the Etesian, Westminsters yearbook, am responding to Randy Browns recent editorial concerning the E tosian. I agree with Brown that we were unable to produce last years yearbook at the level of excellence that was expected. But he has spoken with the previous editor, and is aware of the difficulties that we had to contend with in the production of last years book. He is also aware that these problems have been I WHAT IS ELLIPSIS? The small literary magazine with the light blue in 1981-198- 2 cover called Ellipsis was by Leslie Helm and Kelly Morrison. The primary purpose of the magazine, according to Helm, is to publish poetry, prose, short stories and plays which are original creations of students, faculty, administration, and anyone involved with Westminster. Although the publication has received more submissions from students, faculty and administration originals have appeared in past publications. Helm described the method by which selections are chosen. She says all selections submitted are retyped without author identification. Then the editor, or editors, and the staff, are each given unidentified copies of all the selections. Each selection is graded by the individual staff members on a scale of one to five, five being at the top. Then the editors, staff, and the faculty advisor read aloud and discuss each selection. Choices co-edit- ed PEERS COUNSEL Editorin'Chief Anne Sanders , Editor Leigh Ann Chapman Business Manager Ruth Coombs Managing Copy Editing Layout Reporters .... Kathleen Hammond, Betty Christensen Anne Sanders, Ann Leigh Chapman, Ruth Coombs Mike Black, McCall Cartensen, Jeff Chase, Betty Christensen, Ron Czajka, John Guthrie, Kathleen Hammond, Marie Hook, Denise Janke, Charles Johnson, Karen Mathot, Paulette Rodriguez, Sue Photographers Advisor Snow, Halisi Vinson Stephanie Stevens, Ron Czajka, Marianne Barber Dr. Gordon Cheesewright are made of those receiving the highest rating. All selections become the final decision of the faculty advisor, who, this coming year, is Steve Baar. Helm added that "consideration is being given to limiting the number of selections published by one single author in the 1982-198- 3 publication. Ellipsis is a tradition at Westminster and anyone having a favorite original poem, bit of prose, short story or play can take the opportunity to share it with the Westminster family through Ellipsis. Watch the Forum for an announcement of the date when the selections will be received by the Ellipsis staff. Marie Hook as a peer. Westminster College- - City, Utah 84105. Sheri L. Dearing E tosian Editor Peterka said she felt "lucky that everyone was so cooperative with her introduction of peer counseling training and practice at Westminster this year. The Helping Skills class will be taught each semester. Peterka will recruit students to enroll in the course and participate in the counseling program upon class completion. Three behavioral science majors are now working as peer counselors: Claudia Vogl and Jim Wolf on the main campus and Bob Await at the city center campus. No student is required to accept peer counseling. Peterka states that "a few students . . . not very many have refused to work with peer counselors. Wolf indicated that students on probation react to "having to be signaled out at all, not to his involvement Editor The Westminster College Forum is published and distributed weekly, except during test week, during the school year by the Associated Students of Westminster College, 1840 South 1300 East, Salt Lake corrected or are in the corrective stages. I realize Brown thinks he is representing the students in the best possible manner. What he is doing, however, is condemning for past problems and failing to recognize change and improvement. If you are new on campus or you are having problems with your academic standing, you may be offered counseling help by a fellow student. If you successfully complete courses PY 105 and PY 125, Helping Skills, you may qualify for a work-stud- y assignment or internship as a peer counselor yourself. According to Cindy Peterka, director of the Counseling Center, responsibilities now assigned to peer counselors include: initiating contact with new students to discuss adjustment problems and offer peer counseling as a resource, initiating contact with students on probation to offer help with improving academic standings, and individuals referred by counseling of walk-in- s Peterka at the Counseling Center, and involvement with programming conferences and workshops. The first conference on the agenda will deal with mens situations similar to the way a recent University of Utah conference dealt with women s issues. Wolf is doing peer counseling as an internship. He had prior counseling experience as a volunteer and staff member for two years with the Salt Lake Rape Crisis Center. He will graduate this spring and then plans to enter graduate school to study psychology or law. When asked how the peer counseling program was benefiting him, Wolf responded, "Its building confidence in myself and my abilities as a counselor. Vogl, who is minoring in art, plans a career in artistic therapy or thanatology. Her prior counseling experience includes work with the dying through the University Hostel program. Vogl said of the peer counseling work, "Its teaching me unbelievable things. Its giving me a strong camaraderie and a very healthy view of the College. I feel useful. Peterka explained that counselors will be given additional responsibilities as they gain experience. Expanded duties may include helping administer CLEP tests, interest inventories, and personality tests with the permission of students taking these tests. Peterka, who has a Masters Degree in School Psychology sees the program as an opportunity for students to get "hands-o- n experience in the field of counseling and social work, not just the theory. Peterka first became involved with peer counseling at the high school level. She said of the program at Granite School District, "It was one of the most exciting programs I had ever been involved with. K. Hammond |