1993_11 Insight November 1993

              November 17.1993
Insight/California State University, Fresno
Page 3
Taking precautions
«1
DianfTroha/INSIGHT
CSUF maintenance worker Ronny Liggett fixes stainless steel fire
shutters that almost fell oft the wall last week in the New Music Building.
It's the first time they were activated since they were originally installed
one and a half years ago. "I'm just fixing somebody else's mix-up,"
Liggett said.
Check bouncers punished
Continued from page 1
turned checks t
diverse a\ the amounts ihcy were wi
lor. Ram
v.ll.l
"Some had parents eul oil funds lo
iheir son or dauyriier, some losi their jobs,
some were involved in aulo accidents,
some were rubbed and some had io lilc
bankruptcy," Ramirez said.
Another common siory is lhal a roommate writes a check for another irxini-
maie. ihe check bounces and both stu
dents are in trouble. Ramirez said
Shirk) Lindal. accounting technician
lor ihe pasl year, related a similar siory
"Lost year.one siudcni bounced a cheek
on his girlfriend's account," Linda) said.
"She was oul ol the country at the time
and h;nl eixxl credit.
"He wrote an elaborate letter ol a|>>l
ugy.
"Ihe ironic thini: is. now. she has
bounced a couple on her own" Another
The largest checks contributing In
numbers are often Irom miem.iiion.il stu
whose lumon lees bounce
The student who owes more than VI,s
fees is an international student
The Siudcni has withdrawn Irom hisi1
and applied for a refund, she said
The smaller amounts, usually MII. arc
the lines lor relumed cheeks. Luulal sai<
Bm ito matter what ihc reasons.i-c.uk
is that ol ihe siudcni
campus library lees
.hohasS'HX)
But the
turned checks is failure lo balance the
checkbook, luulal said.
Most banks will teach anyone who
doesn't know how, Lindal added
All of ihese circumstances add up to a
great deal ol money lor the accounting
deportment every year.
Last December, the accounting depanmeni had over S90.0000 of outstanding relumed checks at the bank. Linda)
Tutors lead homeless kids to success
Continued from page 1
the welfare office, out looking
for a job or searching for an
aparunent,"shcsaid."Thcydon't
want to drag along ihcir preschoolers.so ihcy'rcgoing to leave
them with their sixth grader."
Lovcjoy said thai because of
their itinerant lifestyle, homeless
children havcdifficulues with trust
and sclf-cstccm.
"Nol all homeless families arc
dysfunciional."shcsaid. '"The parents arc just like you and me. only
lhey"vc run into lough luck.
"For a lot of them though, it's
like their parents have so many
problems to deal with, ihey have-
no lime for ihcir children. They
have no lime to praise or value
their child; so therefore die child
feels he has no value."
Lovcjoy smiled, but the deep
wrinkles of her fate emphasized
ihe sadness in her eyes.
"Til tell you a litlle siory about
one of the boys from Palm Village." she said, her eyes watering.
"This little boy was in trouble a
loi and when Palm Village closed,
ihc little boy's family moved into
an apartment by Jane Addams.
"A few weeks ago I was walking across the school and I saw
him on the other side of the campus. 1 yelled oul his name— il
brings tears to my eyes because il
was so neat — I yelled, and he
lixiked and said. 'Give me a hug.
Give mc a hug.'
"He seemed supnsed and said.
"Wow, you remembered my
name." she said, tears streaming
down her checks.
"Il was like no one remembered his
name."
"The kids are
what makes it
worthwhile.
They're the
reward."
— Teresa
Lovejoy,
director of the
Phoenix Project
Lovcjoy said lhal it is important lor
ihc project to provide a stable learning
environment lor ihc children because
iheir lives so ofien lack consistency
"Maybe il's because they are so
used lodisappomimenior having doors
shut.
"They're jusi so afraid they'll he
hun again."
My Ly. 19, a CSUF liberal studies
siudcni has built tnist with the children
she tutors.
When she's noi around kids come
up to Lovcjoy and ask, "Whcn's she
coming?"
Ly, almost as pcutc as ihc children
she tutors, said that she receives units
for her volunteer work, bul that's noi
why she volunteers.
'"You do it because you like it,"
Ly said.
As Ly played a vocabulary-building game with 10-ycar-old Jordan
Hanncnmann. she patiently encouraged his guesswork.
"Can you spell a word with those
letters?" Ly asked Jordan.
"'1 think I can," he said.
"Let's Kxik really hard,"' she said.
Jordan looked at Ly. He looked
down and back at her. "Oh, I don't
know," JoriLin said from bencaih
his baseball cap.
"Oh, come on." Ly said.
Jordan looked again and pulled
aside ihc B, O. and X. Box.
""I knew you'd see it!" Ly said.
Sharon Morgan, also a CSUF
siudeni volunteer, has been pan ol
the project since u was loculcdui the
Palm Village shelter.
She said being involved has
helped her feel grateful.
"Being down at the shelter and
seeing ihc poverty helps pul things
gan said. "You see how lucky you
arc to go to schixil and have an
education."
The tulors, like Lovcjoy, seem
determined io make a difference.
"The kids are whai makes u
worthwhile," said Lovcjoy.
"They're the reward.''
Those intcrcsicd in volunteering
for the Phoenix Project can contact
Lovcjoy at ihc Fresno Couniy Office of Education, 265-3000.
There is an eight-week comrnii-
mentof one hour a week. All volunteers and any majors arc welcomed.
Frustrations for
homeless students
and their teachers
For Students
• Ashamed of where they
livc(espccialUy ifala shelter)
• Teased by other students
about bocnclcssncss, hygiene,
inabilities
• Often foil misunderstood
by parenLs
• No place to do homework
• Developmental delay
augments feelings of failure.
For Teachers
• Students may have lived
in many places, attending different schooLs with different
methods
• No school records
• Must assess educational
needs without prior record input
• Must do quick assessment of student as formal
measures arc too time-con-
suminn
• Knowledge that student
may move soon
• Student may have difficulty trusting
• Other students may react
negatively
• Inability to contact parents in an emergency
• Parents often unemotional, too caught up in their
own needs
• Homework an issue
{Fn>m Homeksj Students, A Na-
UoniilFducalinnAs»>da<k>B Puh-
licatiun, 19X9)
Drug-addicted mothers seek rehabilitation assistance
Continued from page 1
my plans togetoffdrugs/'Bcnneii Thei
said.
"1 left him in the hospital for
three months; I think I went to sec
him about three limes."
One day when she weni back,
she was told her son was in a fosier
The CPS agents wiih whom she
dealt were stem.
She had to get off drugs or never
see her son again.
ihc mailer of drug
withdraw).
"The symptoms are the same as for
adults,"said Sue Rosenthal, nurse practitioner al VMC's inlani care unit "It's
a lot of com f on ing
II symptoms are severe, we give
them medication and taper it. just like
an adult."
Sue Roihwell. NICL nurse manager
aiVMC.viid
come if ihey go home to good
parcnung.
"I think il's the environment they
go home to that is a factor in the
ouicomc.
"There is a tendency to take a
drug-exposed baby and say he'sdam-
agcd."Rosenihaladdcd."Hc'sreally
noi thai different ihananoihcr baby."
While crack use grabs the head-
Once the accounting depanmeni r
check kick, they place a financial hold on ihc
siudent.
The hold prohibits the siudcni Irom writing
more checks, or receiving main -vrviiv**faun
the campus. Ramirez said
llasiudcn(failstocle;irUicdchi.ihcsii.dcnrs
name will be submitted In the Franchise lax
Board. Ramirez said
CSUF is then able to recover the money
helore any lax refund is given to the siudent.
Ramirez said.
Another way the university c;m recover
money owed by Students isdiscnrolline ihem
if the check was made for tuition
Currently, some students arc being
discnrollcdlornon-paymcniol funds. Ramirez
., The accounting depanmeni can often work
n ith students to avoid such problems il they
come in when they discover a check has been
returned, both agreed.
Accounting officials will try to work oul
soluuons. which will help them pay iheir fees
and the university to receive Us money, both
"I couldn't B S. my way oul
anymore." she sank
She started drug rehab, but
would relapse into use alter periods ol sobriety This went on for
aboul nine months, Inn her son
was eventually returned, and she
moved Kick home with her mother.
heavy cocaine use during pregnancy can de
sVoy    pla-
the King of Kings, a rec
women's home, thai Ben
ivenng    arc  born
eii be-    critical c
.1 hie
iler answered an aiber-
liscmcni that led toher current job.
Now, one year Liter, she's engaged lo he married and is helping
those who do w run she used lo do.
"Il's a great feeling, especially
when you see ihem from the be
ginning lo the end.' Bennett said
oiher counseling, bul her children
were born into a situation thai is
becoming a major health issue.
At Valley Medical Center in
Fresno, a neonatal intensive carc
unit maintains life for infants in
need of 24-hour assistance
This includes babies bom lo
substance abuse mothers
Such newbomsoften can't nurse
or digest, maintain body tempera
lure, or have problems wiih bread)
ing. heart and other organs
1 here
l(>- I
horns in intensive care    ■«
at VCM at
any time. Tiny hum;
of an adult's Uxit e
with lubes running
There is a tendency to
take a drug-exposed
baby and say he's
damaged. He's really
not that different than
another baby."
— Sue Rosenthal,
nurse practitioner
1 u d y
1993 revealed
tobacco
a year and can cosi up to a SI
million, sometimes borne by public
funds.
The hospital's primary concern.
Roihwell said. i.. to save lives, bul
the nurses also leach mothers how
to care for their premature or drug-
exposed inlants and seek help in
kicking ihe habit.
"They're you and mc,"Roth well
said ol ihc mothers. "You can't get
mad at them There is no typical
ethnic description ol the parent.
"Most of ihe people I've dealt,
w uh aren't bad people, they're jusi
in such a need, ihe baby is an innocent bystander."
Bennett's children were more
fortunate than other drug-exposed
babies She said heroWcsi son. now
"He docs wonderlul in school."
en said   He ktves.spons.danc-
Be
ing, i
si in incubators
into their throats
s ui|vd to the ba
ixygcn and pulse
Electro
hies' feci
rates
Rosenthal and Roihwell both dislike the term "crack baby" and say
people should not automatically ihmk
all drug-exposed children will have
menial ami sncial problems.
"'They're labeled as a problem thai
can't be overcome." Rosenthal said.
"To jusi wrile diem off is not fair,
whereas ihey could have a gixxl oui-
607,<XX)
rths in California in I992.6U.(XM)
ere lo mothers usme alcohol or
hacco.
"If Mom smokes four packs a
ilay, it may cause small growth and
could he a problem." Roihwell said,
"and heavy alcohol use can cause
fetal Alcohol Syndrome, which has
mental retardation effects."
"When I was pregnant." Benneil
said, "the dealers used to tell me it
wasOK louse unul aboul six months.
"Nobody sal medownand warned
Rodiw
hospital c
■II said the n
The 4-ycar-old. Bennett said,
seems to lv doing fine as far as
learning, bul his personality is quite
different Irom his older brother.
"He's noi interested in school,"
she said "He gets frustrated and
agitated easily   He needs more
Occasionally. Bennett catches
hcrscll in the vacuum ol past drug
She .said her light w ill never end.
"Sometimes when I've cleaned
the house, my kids are led and things
arc done, I'll sii there." Bcnncu
said.
"Iiseems like something is missing — il's the drugs and alcohol.
"The only difference between
mc and a practicing addict is I
didn't use today.'"
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•Valid at this location only
CSU. FRESNO
0. Vegetable Plate S3.25
1. Almond Chicke.i Rice Plate $3.25
2. 8roccoli Chicken Rice Plate....S3.25
3. Spicy Chicken Rice Plate $3.25
4. Sweet & Sour Pork Rice Plt....$3.25
5. Broccoli Beef Rice Plate $3.50
6. Spicy Beef Plate $3.50
7. Almond Chicken Combo $3.75
8. Broccoli Chicken Combo $3.75
9. Spicy Chicken Combo $3.75
10. Sweet & Sour Pork Combo $3.75
11. Broccoli Beef Combo..- $3.95
. Spicy Beef Combo...... $3.95. IB
A. Combo (1  egg roll,  3 shrimps) $3.25
B. Egg Roll Combo (2 pes) $2.95
C. Sweet & Sour Chicken Wing Combo $3.25
D. Egg Foo Young Combo (2 pes) $2.95
E. Fried Shrimp Combo (6 pes) $3.85
F. Chicken Teriyaki (w/ rice & veg) $2.95
C. Curry Chicken Rice Plate $3.55
Super Combo : $3.95
1 P0 e88 ro"'  2 Pes shrimps, 2 pes chiken wing
2 pes won ton, sweet & sour pork, and chow
mein.