Southern Utah University Student Newspapers | 1989-11-02 | Page 4

We SOUTHERN UTAH STATE COLLEGE, CEDAR CITY. THE THUNDERBIRD THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1989 PAGE 4 CHILD DESERTION NOT A SOLUTION It may be easy to condemn the actions of the woman who, for reasons unknown, opted to leave her newborn infant in a Centrum restroom; after all, Western culture dictates that child abandonment is a heinous crime unpardonable for any reason. With issues of this emotional volatility, however, we believe that calmness of spirit is essential if we are to address the culprit for what it truly is ignorance. Cedar City, although a small town, is fortunate in having several big city programs geared toward addressing problems such as single parent pregnancy. Yet, ignorance of the existence of these programs blights the good they can reap, serving to perpetrate future calamity. Wed like to believe that this was a freak incident at SUSC and will never occur again. Yet, reason dictates that as the population of Cedar City and SUSC grows, we must anticipate unsavory events with the surest weapon in our social arsenal: education. Several programs are offered to students, whether married or not, ranging from contraceptives to prenatal care. The Southwestern District Health Department offers birth control through its Family Planning Program. The Criteria are simple enough, a woman is judged an adult if she is 18 years of age or more, and living on her own. Iron County Nursing Supervisor Kathy MacRae points out that confidentiality is high on the departments code of ethics. She adds that the department has yet to refuse family planning services to an SUSC student because of income considerations since grants, scholarships and summer job wages arent counted. In addition, the health department offers support on a basis should a mother need prenatal care through the Prenatal Initiative providing counseling and needs through pregnancy. nutritional special Should a pregnant woman be uncertain about keeping the child, the health department offers counseling as to alternatives. The Department of Social Services provides much the same support, except contraceptives, through the federally-sponsore- d WIC program, using generally the same criteria for eligibility as the health department. Whats lacking? Its been suggested that Cedar City needs an unwed mother support group. We believe this service is long overdue. The Turning Point Program, championed by Daphne Dailey, director of displaced homemakers at SUSC, addressed this vital need until last year, when the federal government cut funding. Such a program is needed now so that we might cater to women, often alone and frightened, and effectively thwart the crime of ignorance. case-by-ca- Baby-Your-Ba- by The Thunderbird VOLUME 84, NUMBER Editor Rachel Talbot Associate Editor Kathleen Midgley Assistant Editor Lynn Dennett Opinion Director James Spamhower Photo Editor Jeff Dower Copy Editor Greg Prince Arts & Leisure Editor Lisa Keene Sports & Outdoors Editor Brent Richey 12 Almanac Editor Megan Marshall Senior Staff Writers Heather Cox Jodi Remard Photo Technician Jerry Whittemore Production Manager Donn Mason' Ad Manager Michelle Jensen Ad Representative Jennifer Smart Faculty Adviser Larry Baker 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 uith the Colleges department of communication. The views and opinions expressed in The Thunderbird 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. The Thunderbird. editorial offices in SUSC Library 103; advertising in Library 102. Mail at or SUSC Box 9384, Cedar City, UT 84720. Phone [phone]- se Access Semesters would not serve campus Access' is a recurring column through which members of the campus community may address themselves to topics of concern andor interest. Today's column is by Wayne Andrus, a junior physical education major from Spanish Fork, Utah. times a year as we do now. These are definite savings. Still, there are some costs that have not been addressed yet that even an untrained eye like mine can see the semester system has, especially for a school our size having the limitations that we have. These costs, by far, outweigh the savings of administration costs that appear when following the semester system. One of these additional costs would be the additional teachers that would need to be hired just to provide for the fewer classes offered under the semester system. Other supporters of the semester system say that by spending a longer time in the classroom it will lead to a more in depth study of the subject. Again this is true, the more time you spend on a subject the more you will learn in that subject. Im not trying to say that I dont want to learn more while in class, but I There are teachers and students on our campus that support the idea of switching from our current quarter system to a semester system. I am not one of them. I think that the current drive to switch to the semester system is a fad and not in the best interests of SUSC or its students. Supporters of the semester system have pointed out that 75 percent of the colleges throughout the nation have adopted the semester system. This is a fact, but I wonder how many of the colleges and universities who have adopted the semester system have the same problems as SUSC has financially. SUSC is in a small, isolated, economically poor rural 1 fear that the semester system community and is consistently underfunded from the state. The way I look at the current situation, I really is not in the best interest of the wonder how many colleges and universities that use the semester system even come close to having the college or its students same dilemmas that SUSC has. I believe that the quarter system is more adaptable think that a college education should give the students to the situation here at SUSC than the semester 'a wide base of knowledge, this type of education is system could if enacted. One of the biggest problems callwl a liberal arts education, which is the mission that SUSC now has is that we have a limited number of ffUSC as assigned by the State Board of Education. of classes that are offered. This leads to inflexibility With the quarter system we students can take in class selection, which breeds additional problems. additional classes that broaden our educational scope Many SUSC students have to work to pay for school, which is always beneficial. The semester system makes the inflexibility of class schedules limits their it very hard for a student to fit in additional classes opportunities to work and go to school full time. If that will broaden hisher education. the semester system is enacted, it will only compound I would argue that the Institutional Council should the scheduling problem, because it cuts by one-thir- d vote down the idea of changing to the semester. I fear the opportunity to get a class you need during the year that it is not in the best interests of the college or its that will fit into your work schedule. students. If SUSC chooses to switch to the semester The supporters of the semester system say that it system and does it in a way that doesnt answer my will save the college in administration costs. This is concerns, I fear that the college will have to change true, it may even be a convenience to the students, its TV commercial that says four years of quality in a twice to only having register year instead of three ..Cedar City. I hope this never happens.