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Show Wednesday April 1996 3 Spiring! AJhLp Ah, Spring! That love01 year that entices time ly Wisterial the senses. whiffs and steaks tantalize the nostrils. Warbling wrens and chirping crickets are music to the ears. Technicolor ardens and babbling rooks enchant the eyes. d Wait a minute! Thats not the picture. Thats just a childhood dream playing head games with memories. Back to reality. of freshly odors Puneent oilea roadways and neighborhood dog dung repulse the nostrils. Booming base music and jackhammers clawing at pavement are vibrating Get ments stand where lush by Susan Stacey Forum staff writer char-broile- Of Interest foliaee once thrived. Vile smelling smog has invaded the airspace that once carried the aroma of freshly mowed lawns. Screeching brakes and blasting horns permeate the sound waves, drowning out the sweet tinkle of the Good Humor mans anticipated approach. Spring may never again be that of the past, but there are some things that can be done to lessen discontent. can surround ourselves with aromatic scents in our own environment. Plant honeysuckle and jasmine. Fire up the barbeque We grills. Simmer pots of potpourri on the stove. When displeasing views block your view, replace with them imaginary waterfalls ana of visions mountains. Gather trash that inconsiderate others through eardrums. Backhoes carving out landscapes and picnickers trash heaps violate the eyesight. The glorious sights, sounds and smells of a spring we used to know are being replaced with mans selfish invasion of sensual pleasure. have so carelessly discarded. Flash a smile at the offender of your eardrums as you cheerfully roll up the car window and crank up the Mozart. Ah, spring! How sweet it is if we make it so. Unsightly billboards screaming their advertise Omt-Li- ne Jaunte by Devra L. Wolke Forum staff writer on-lin- On the afternoon of March 11, Dr. Patricia Truxler Coleman, professor of English, had an inaugural meeting for the Jane Austen Society. The meeting was held at The Kings English Bookstore. The purpose of this gathering was for to get Austenites together and talk about the beloved author and Pride and to encourage each other Persuasion, to join the Jane Austen Prejudice, and Clueless (an adaption of the Society. The society meets to have book dis- novel, Emma). Yes, the Sensibility, fr proud, the volunteers. I chose to devote my time and efforts to Big BrothersBig Sisters (BBBS) of Utah, the nations oldest and most respected mentoring organization. t, charitable organization which BBBS is a no volunteers fees, receiving all its fundits charges sector from contributions, private ing and government and United Way grants. homes are exposed Many children in to gangs, substance abuse and physical danger. BBBS strives to provide these children with an adult friend to help them avoid trouble and to provide them with the means to better themselves as they mature into adulthood. Psychologists have found that divorce is the second most stressful event that can happen to a person. The death of someone close to you tops the fist, but death is a finality, and divorce never ends. Consider the following statistics: One out of two marriages ends in divorce. Utah has a higher divorce rate than the national average. The Division of Family Services reports that 9 out of 10 families receiving aid are single mothers. The median income for a female head of household is $10,000 less than a male head of household. After divorce, a mans income increases 78 percent, while a womans decreases 48 percent. 80 percent of gang members are from single-pa- r ent families. Of the 38,000 families in Utah living in poverty, 31,000 have children. The breakup of a family can have immediate effects on children. Changes as a result of divorce or separation include parental supervision time being reduced by half, family income being greatly reduced, parents dealing with their own feelings and needs and not being as attentive to the childrens non-profi- fund-raiser- s, one-pare- was one of the lucky ones. I grew up in a stahome with love and support from ble, those around me. We never wanted for anything more than a few extra pairs of name-bran- d jeans or the latest CD. But I was not completely unaware of the problems of other kids around me. Most of households, my friends came from single-pareand my own brother experienced problems with d activity. So, feelings of belonging and" .1 two-pare- nt nt gang-relate- includes refreshments at all activities and information that will be sent to members. You can contact her in cussions, talk about Clueless with Alicia Foster Hall room 406, or at extension 181. their feelings and do Silverstone. in November when KUED broadcast its program on adult mentoring for children, I finally decided to take the plunge and become one of the few, the by Melissa Parkinson Forum staff writer Austen Coleman said she The social activities. e was so wonderfully society also gets with the internet to talk and pleasantly surwith other Austenites prised at the turnout There on Saturday. around the world. Coleman, who has were approximately 80 taught at Westminster to 90 people there of since 1969, teaches a which 50 signed up to class for the Eminent become members of the Writers series about Jane Jane Austen Society. Austen, specifically. Coleman also wants to Austen is best known for encourage students and her novels that were faculty to join the socirecently produced for ety. There is a $10.00 and membership fee, which Sense film: at Melissa Parkinson poses with her little, Matthew. Photo provided by Melissa Parkinson. The Forum nt needs, and children feeling guilty, blaming the breakup on themselves. BBBS of Utah provides children from single-parehomes with an adult mentor to act as a positive role model, a friend and a listener, an instructor and a limit setter, and a resource and guide. In the role of adult companion, a Big must be willing to involve himherself totally in the life of a child by being understanding, kind, sincere, patient and by providing affection and security. It is a commitment without condition, accepting the responsibility that a child may be unresponsive. I experienced this with my Little, Matthew, durthe ing beginning stages of our match. He would give d answers to questions, or not me brief, answer at all. He offered no input on desired activities, and would always want to go home as soon as the activity was over. I was convinced that Matthew didnt like me or that he had really wanted a Big Brother instead of a Big Sister. Boys between ages six and eight are often told that if they want to be matched, they may need to accept a Big Sister rather than a Big Brother due to the increased number of boys applying to the program and the decreasing number of male volunteers. just when I was about ready to throw in the towel, I got some good advice from my mother. She explained to me that Matthew was basically testing me to see .if the friendship I was offering was genuine. Often a child who has been abandoned by a parent as Matthew had been will back away from outside attempts to establish relationships. The defense mechanism provides a wall which the child can hide behind and through hiding, avoid being hurt or abandoned again. Once I learned that his behavior was not a resistance to me, but a fear of being rejected, I was nt one-wor- able to get over my own feelings of discouragement and focus on making Matthew realize that I care about him and will not leave him. One of the most exciting roles a Big plays is that Please see Big on pace 8 . . . |