University of Texas Austin - Cactus Yearbook (Austin, TX)

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RAP SESSION: Colleen Copeland, Anitra Lewis and David Dixon attend a peer advising workshop at the Student Health Center. photo by Francis Teixeira. GOOD ADVICE: Robert Poston, biology junior, instructs al- cohol and drug advisors at the workshop. photo by Francis Teixeira. ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION: James Matthews, English senior, displays the proper and safe way to insert spermicidal foam. photo by Robert Kirkham 30 Peer Instructors

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All Work, Low Pay Until you get into the real world, Terry Nelson, TV production senior, said, you don ' t know what you ' re missing. Unfortunately, what one was usually miss- ing after graduation was the necessary ex- perience needed to get a job. Many students were caught in a vicious cycle: companies wouldn ' t give them a job unless they had experience, but they couldn ' t get experience without a job. Internship programs, how- ever, were one of the most effective ways to break this cycle. Through internship programs, students took jobs with established companies. Some received course credit for working. While the program enabled students to gain ex- perience in their fields and to make valuable contacts, it also provided companies with a reliable source of labor and an opportunity to scout new talent. It ' s the best class they could possibly offer because it ' s the only way to get experience, Jeff Farrell, advertising senior, said. Farrell interned as assistant to the media director at the Robert Miller Advertising Agency. Because of the skills he exhibited as an intern, he was offered a full-time paying position with that company after he com- pleted his degree. Geophysics students were able to substitute a paid internship for a required six-week summer field camp. Most interned with oil companies, but some opted for research lab- oratories. According to Clark Wilson, faculty adviser to the program, students received credit by making a report to their class about their jobs. The most difficult part of most internship programs was finding a job. In most cases, students had to seek out employment on their own and then get their job approved by a faculty member. You have to go out on your own to volunteer at a hospital or clinic, Carl Pittman, pre-med sophomore, said. The College of Engineering ' s Co- Operative Program allowed students to al- ternate semesters of working and going to school. If somebody goes to school part-time and works part-time, something ' s got to give, Dick Jacobs, adviser to the enginering pro- gram, said. Instead, students worked 40 hours a week for a semester, then came back to school for a semester. They alternated semesters until they completed one year of work under the guidance of a professional engineer. Students received three hours of credit for their work and a letter grade, which was based on employer evaluations and written reports from the students. Moreover, unlike many internships in other colleges, jobs with such well-known companies as IBM, Exxon and NASA paid very well. The program was very popular among en- gineering students, and an average of 150 students were accepted into the program each semester. Jacobs believed the students were able to get a more realistic view of their future careers than they could get from a part-time job. This program helps them validate their choice of a career before it ' s too late to change, Jacobs said. It also greatly facil- itates their placement after graduation. Most students recognized the necessity of gaining such experience. Despite the long hours and heavy work loads that accompa- nied many internships, they considered them worthwhile. It ' s not necessarily the degree that ' s im- portant; you need experience, Nelson, an intern with the media department at Micro Computer Corporation, said. School is a great base, but an internship is invaluable. Debbie Wolantejus The job market requires both experience and skills; through the internship program students develop both and earn some extra cash sometimes Internships 29

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The clinical white walls, along with the usual impersonal doctor-patient dialogue, were absent here. The atmosphere in this part of the Student Health Center was friendly and informal. Students were able to talk to counselors about health matters with- out fear of disapproval, because the coun- selors were students themselves. The Student Health Center founded the peer instruction program in 1983. By 1988 it had greatly expanded in both participant levels and subject areas covered. The program allowed students interested in teaching to register for a Health Edu- cation class for which they received two hours of credit. These courses involved ex- tensive training to prepare the students for teaching their own classes. The classes covered three major areas: Sexual Health, Alcohol and Drug Education and Nutrition. They were all offered on an outreach basis, where classes were taught in dorms, fraternities, sororities or any other organization seeking knowledge. The peer instructor program was origi- nally created to teach Methods of Contra- ception classes. Because many students were nervous about coming to the Health Center for birth control information, doctors thought participants would benefit from a more personal, informal session with a trained counselor. Unable to spare actual staff members to conduct the seminars, the Health Center de- cided to recruit and train student volunteers. PLAYING IT SAFE Later, the program was expanded and used lectures, films, and discussions to teach gen- eral sexual health education. They later add- ed programs on substance abuse and nutri- tion. Peer instructor programs are the most effective way to reach students, Sherry Bell, Director of Health Education, said. While gaining valuable experience, the students are also increasing the staff a great deal. A second branch of peer instuction was the Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Pro- gram (CADEP). Volunteers in this area held workshops to teach the dangers and warning signs of substance abuse. The most recent addition to the program was the Student Nutrition Advisor Program (SNAP), which focused on weight manage- ment, eating disorders, and nutrition and stress. These peers are here for anyone who sees the need because students can relate to other students so much better than a 40-year- old person in front of a classroom, Lisa Kessler, nutrition specialist, said. The Fall 1988 students were the first to teach classes in this area. It takes a very special person to be a peer instructor, Cynthia Lanier, coordinator of substance abuse prevention, said. It takes a lot to go out and talk to your peers about such sensitive topics. These students are try- ing to be role models for other students to hopefully result in, not abstinence, but re- sponsible choices. Arpana Sathe At the Student Health Center, the best advice doesn ' t always come from the doctors Peer instructor Merillee Goodwin photo by Robert Kirkham Peer Instructors 31