Newspapers / Mars Hill University Student … / Oct. 27, 1978, edition 1 / Page 4
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Page Four, THE HILLTOP, Oct. 27, 1978 Counseling and Enrichment Center: What Goes On? By Sara LeFever I’ve always wondered what went on in the little white house across the street from the science building parking lot. I knew it was the Counseling and Enrichment Center but that is as far as my knowledge stretched. Out of curiosity, and the fact that perhaps other students wonder themselves, I decided to visit the center and talk with Diane Hill, the center’s director. From her friendly revelation I now feel enlightened about what goes on in the cozy building on Marshall highway. For a very condensed history - two years ago the Counseling and Enrichment center did not exist. The white house was used as a men’s residence. A need for the center arose; Diane and her husband Dennis were hired and came here to estab lish the center. “I really like it here.” Diane said to me. I did too. The atmosphere in her office was homey and relaxed. I felt comfortable. “So what goes on here?” I asked. The three main areas the center concentrates on are enrichment, personal counseling, and career development. The two Diane focuses on are personal counseling and enrichment. Counseling - you need help, information, support, a sounding board, a more objective outlook, or someone to help you figure out what’s going on and decide what you want. Depending on the need, aid would come from Ms. Hill, David Math ews (Career Development Counselor) or any one of the several professionals as sociated with the center who are working primarily in other areas of the college. “My goal is to provide the student with as many options as possible. I don’t want to force myself on anyone.” explained Diane. Many faculty members also do a lot of counseling. Counseling can occur in group or on individual basis. In all respects it is totally confidential. “What comes here stops here.” Only in extreme crises when the student could harm himself/herself or another person could this right be revoked. Enrichment - helping healthy people function better. Most students link 3 lege counselor to their former high school guidance counselor. The different vast. High school guidance counselors deal mainly with discipline and aca' del* affairs. “We are very different from that.” Diane pointed out. The center want*^^ ture, responsible students, who know what they want, to come to the center faj . sultation - NOT just crisis problem people. This enrichment program, also in group or individual sessions, can help a person discover potential and plans that will create a more satisfying life style. “It excites me to see students what they want,” says Diane, “and it excites me to know I can help them gat the* IS. Not only is Ms. Hill’s office a warm and comfortable place, but the endre a lo. An open invitation stands for all students to come in and browse. That® , counseling center library with an assortment of books which can be checkaa ?ySara p There is the group room with comfy looking bean bag chairs all around it- hopes that the walls of this room can be soon be decorated with a display ° dent art work. j^|i The center offers a number of group programs such as “Preparation New riage," "Training in the art of Caring,” and “Life and Career Planning.’ shops will be offered next semester. Diane wishes more people would take age of the programs. “I am trying to involve more faculty and staff and sti> ; A lot of people would be happier if they would only take the right steps.” she is, Diane also serves as a consultant for other groups such as C.S.M. and ing. |ji( In a concluding comment - I would like to say that I felt really comfod®^^ Prei tob, At er te bmi at ‘>’ad, vvai at e V ease Roll aft,.I“ '’Vas the center. There was nothing white-walled or uptight about it. I feel this is tant and I urge students to benefit from such a place as the cozy white house corner. oH' pj*'Brent i 5'*"- The Ostrich as Mascot than COURSE 101: PREMATURE PARENTHOOD — Prerequisite: Irresponsible Sex. It's a snap course. Pass or fail. No exams, term papers, not even any classes. All that’s required is complacency about your own sexuality and a basic naivete that's sure to keep you from being in control of your sex life. If your general attitude on the subject of sexual relations is not unlike Scarlet O’Hara’s “I’ll think about that tomorrow”, and if birth control is something you choose to leave up to “him” or “her” or to “fate”, this course is for you. Women will learn to shorten their college years considerably and reduce life time earning power substantially through the birth of an unwanted child or deal with choices, such as abortion or early marriage. Men will explore the joint decision-making process on issues such as abortion, marriage, paternity, etc., perhaps ultimately experiencing the opportunity of learn ing to deal effectively with irate parents, social pressure, fatherhood, divorce, child support and so forth. The foregoing course description is fictitious. It is an attempt to raise the sub rosa issue of premarital sex and to call attention to the fallacy that ostrich-like be havior will eliminate having to deal with the danger of unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. To bury one’s head in the proverbial sand most assuredly will not eliminate that possibility and, with the ostrich as a mascot, one day your luck is apt to fly right out the window. The focus of attention appears to have shifted in recent years from the sexual behavior of college students toward that of teenagers in general and of younger teenagers in particular, thus statistics regarding intercourse on campus (which is notoriously difficult to estimate) are not very current. Nevertheless, in the early part of this decade, it was estimated that on a national average about 65 percent of male college students engage in “coitus” and about 50 percent of college women. In any case, the New York Times points out (as recently, as June, 1978) that “Half of the 11 million sexually active U.S. teens used no contraceptive the last time they had intercourse.” Furthermore, it is believed that one out of every ten teen-age girls aged 15 or over in the U.S. will become pregnant this year; and rough ly 30 percent will bear illegitimate children. Theories are lately being put forth to explain this epidemic of teenage preg nancy: that fear of pregnancy is not as great as it once was and that motherhood is subconciously desirable as a substitute identity and rite of passage into adulthood. One women’s magazine indicates that “many girls think that sex should be spon taneous and that contraception would make it calculated and unromantic.” Richard F. Hettlinger, M.A., author of several books and articles on sex among young adults, particularly college students, writes: “I suspect that sexual behav ior on campus is more often less free of convention than it appears. Rather than be ing based on independent values, it frequently seems to be motivated by a con tinuing need to reject traditional mores, sary adolescent celebration of escape It continues to be an extension of th® from the confines of establishmeo* sexualism, rather than a mature and considered pattern based on reflecti®" critical judgement.” , J A study done by Greer Litton Fox for the Merrill-Palmer Institute, publ^ j) 1977, reports that “patterns of contraceptive use among collegians, takh’Sjf account their increased maturity, education, independence and presumably K er access to contraception ... do not seem to differ very much from teena^® terns.” J Apparently confirming this lack of responsible sexual behavior at the level, Richard Hettlinger points out in his book. Sex Isn’t That Simple, V often assume quite wrongly that any girl who agrees to heavy petting or ^ o( ^ Be '«ne: '''as fal. ®Wea “a. took or th 'flat, . (“W Va’all act has automatically equipped herself for casual sexual activity. Many fail that their partner is protected, and some couldn’t care less whether she is Some men and women assume that because abortion is available as a last there’s no reason to worry about pregnancy, ignoring the fact that abortion ** just a matter of a simple visit to the doctor’s office.” ..5 In defense of collegiate morals, Hettlinger says, “Unwanted pregnant’ i) least among college students) are much more likely to occur if a couple at i struggling to avoid intercourse than if they have accepted it. Babies are ceived because the parents, not wanting to admit their desire or accept respa*|j' ty for their actions, failed ‘on principle’ to take adequate precautions and ried away by passion. It is not the promiscuous who get caught, but the ••'j who discover (too late) that they were not able to control their sexual needs el’ find their marriage starting out with the heavy burden of an unwanted child- We propose that you be the judge. Ask yourself whether the stateia^^ have been made about you are on target. Ask yourself whether you and yo”* jji. are adequately informed and behaving realistically and responsibly toward ® ^ Perhaps you’re right on top of the latest contraceptive developments. likely you’re not thoroughly informed about the various methods, how theVidi how effective they are and how safe they are. Why not find out what you do” ,||( Seek information on campus, if available, or contact a branch of Planned Call or write: Family Planning Information Service, 300 Park Avenue So”’ York, New York 10010 (telephone: 212-677-3040). The Population Institute in Washington, D.C. will assist any college organizing a project to develop or improve campus birth control services i” ^ tion with college health departments. Academic credit may be arranged. jj(' Take the initiative. Act as peer counselor to your fellow students. Stop ” like the campus ostrich. Carelessness and indifference about contraception are never justified, can’t make a problem go away by pretending it isn’t there. Wiif'Odg, !so J'® Waf "8 a s ‘he ?‘^ect
Mars Hill University Student Newspaper
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Oct. 27, 1978, edition 1
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