The Clarion Wednesday. Feb. 9. 1994 Page 8
Teacher Feature
Steve Martin enjoys his job with students
by Alex Bedient
Clarion Staff Writer
Steve Martin was bom on Feb. 27,
1946, in Palm Beach, Fla. As Steve
grew up, he lived in Newton, a suburb
of Boston, until he was in ninth grade.
After he moved to Dedham,
Massachusetts for a year, he and his
family moved back to Newton and Steve
finished his high school there.
Steve went to college for a year and
a half in upstate New York at Roberts
NVfesleyan College, for four semesters,
before he stopped going because he did
not like being in college. Once he
stopped school, he worked for a year
before being drafted in January of 1967
into the army and spent 5 years there.
During the time that he was in the
army, he spent a year in Vietnam as a
helicopter pilot in the 1st Air Calvary
Division and met his wife Susan, an
R.N.. After the army, he went to the
University of Georgia and majored in
television and radio. Once he finished up
at the University of Georgia, he and his
wife, Susan, moved to Banner Elk,
N.C. For five years, he lived in Banner
Elk and during this time he received his
masters degree at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He and
his wife have been married for 25 years
and the two of them have moved around
to approximately 17 or 18 different
places.
Although Steve was not a student
here at Brevard, he wanted to come and
live here. Steve Martin has always
wanted to live in Brevard. “To work
somewhere else would have required us
to live somewhere else and not in
Brevard.” Over the course of time that
he spent here at the college, Steve
Martin first taught an advanced
psychology class. During the time that
he was teaching the class, he applied for
the position of College Counselor,
which he did not expect to get but
surprisingly did. Martin ended up
getting the job as the college counselor
which included two classes that were to
be taught each semester.
Out of all of the positions that
Steve Martin has held (factory worker,
military personnel, social service agency
in Virginia, and his current position),
Steve considers Brevard College to be
the best organization that he has worked
for yet. He really enjoys the staff, but
he particularly likes the students. Martin
enjoys the times when the students
come back from breaks due to the
relationships that he has created with
some of the students. The one thing that
he likes the least about being the Dean
for Campus Life is the time consuming
meetings.
At one time or another, he has
taught all of the psychology courses and
sociology courses. Now he teaches only
the Peer Counseling class designed for
the R.A.’s and anyone interested in
becoming some kind of counselor
Through Brevard College’s interim
president Cameron West, president-elect
Thomas Bertrand wanted to see if Martin
would work out on an interim basis for
one year as the Dean for Campus life.
Then future president Bertrand and West
agreed that Steve Martin was the right
person for the job. At the same time, a
committee of students, staff, and faculty
highly recommended Steve Martin and
he was hired at this past fall trustees
meeting. Martin also loves what he did
as the college counselor and as a teacher.
“Yes, it (his job as Dean for
Campus Life) has its bad days, but I
generally like it. The staff is great, and I
am really lucky to have such a good
staff,” said Steve. He stays very busy,
and his job is very demanding.
This year, Martin is designing new
programs. Over the course of this past
summer, he and several students rewrote
the student guidelines. He developed the
Ross Hall Sophomore Fine Arts
Residence with the women on the first
floor and men on the second floor. He is
also looking at developing some new
ideas with housing: to be able to
develop programs to create a better life
on campus with students becoming
more fully developed and to find this a
safe place to develop and become the
person who they are meant to be. Steve
Martin had this to say, “You can nevd
finish what you started, start it ani
when it is time to move on, move
and review what was done at a later daSi
to see if anything needs to be changed."
When asked about how he felt
regards to working closely will
students, he said, “Very much; I wouli
not like to not be be working wiirt
students.” This is one of the reasonj
why he gave up the Executive Direcio
position of a children’s home where h|
was on the road or in the officl
practically all of the time with hardW
any contact with the children who liva
at the home.
As I left Steve Martin, he gave md
this piece of advice for me to pass on ta
the students; “The students who atten|
BC are at, and I say this in all of mi
classes, the students are at a point iri
their life where they’re leaving the iasJ
part of their childhood behindj
chronologically, and moving into
adulthood, and they have a lot of|
discovering to do about who they are|
and who they are to become, and .
never finish that ‘becoming,’ the!
process of becoming who you are. Butll
guess that the best advice to the studentsf
is to be honest to who you are and tol
live consciously, meaning ■'mai(e|
decisions and don’t let things happen byJ
mistake, but then be who you are and||
you’ll be ok.”
STDs a major health problem for college students
by Missy McGill
Clarion Staff Writer
STDs. “No, it couldn’t be” you say.
^11, yes. I’m talking about sexually
transmitted diseases. Although STDs are
an uncommon topic in people’s
everyday life, it sure affects or infects a
large number of the American
population.
In fact, more than 10 million
Americans are infected a year and 85%
of those cases involve people between
the ages of 15 and 30. The
inconceivable part of the situation is
that with a little education and a lot of
prevention, you don’t have to become
one of the statistics and can hopefully
help change the rapid rate in which the
diseases are spreading and eventually
lower the statistics.
Everyone knows the best way to
avoid getting syphilis, AIDS,
gonorrhea, herpes simplex, genital
warts, etc., is to abstain from sexual
activity. When one says to abstain from
sexual activity, that doesn’t mean to
abstain from sexual thoughts or sexual
contact. Fantasy, massage, caress and
mutual masturbation can be enjoyable
substitutes without risking infection.
These and other safe methods
should be used with new partners until
both have been tested for possible
infection and stay in a monogamous
relationship. It is evident that sexual
activity in college students has steadily
increased to the point that prevention no
longer means to abstain but translates to
the use of condoms. Although condoms
are the most effective form of protection
offered, they still are beiow 100%
capability.
Some vaginal spermicides can also
create additional barriers. It would
benefit all to do research regarding the
best products for prevention of the
spreading of diseases first, then comfort
and pleasure second.
Education is essential in avoiding
becoming a victim in a deceiving
pleasure trap of disease in this new year.
Because there are so many types ofl
STDs, it is important to learn the signs
of infection. Unfortunately, not all
diseases can be detected unless obtained |
through professional diagnosis. For in-
depth education on STDs or a specific I
disease, please go to the library or j
infirmary.
Remember the old cliche-Better]
safe than sorry.
Project Inside-Out to travel to Bolivia
by Richard Hartogs
Clarion Staff Writer
Brevard College students have a
chance to earn PIO service hours in
Bolivia.
A team of 15 students, faculty,
staff, and friends of the college will help
remodel a health care clinic in Montero,
Bolivia. The trip will last two weeks,
from May 27 to June 11. The group
will also go with a medical team of
North Carolina physicians.
The trip will cost $1,8(X). The fee
includes round trip airfare, transportation
in Bolivia, room, most of your food'
and health insurance. While in Bolivia,
there will be lours of Montero, Santa
Cruz, La Paz, Brazil, and various
recreational sites in Bolivia.
The trip will fill the 30 hour
requirement needed to graduate. The
deadline to turn in an application is Feb.
10. See Fran Lynch in her office in
Coltrane Commons for more
information.
Conuocation Inuitation to Students
To All Brevard College Students;
On bebedf of the faculty, staff, and administration of Brevard ColUge,
I invite etU Brevard CoUege students to attend the 140th Anniversry Convoca
tion and Installation of the President on Friday morning, February ll,atl 0:30
a.m. .
Dr. Clara C Wood
^ Senior Vice President and Dean of the Facul^