Indiana State University - Sycamore Yearbook (Terre Haute, IN)

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What I am is only part of who I am There are 90 active files on disabled students or the International and Disabled Students' Center. Comprising such 0 small minority of students, their particular problems and feelings often go unnoticed. ' l'We need to realize that it takes little for us to hop, skip and jump oround the campus. A poroplegic is confined to 0 mobile stool, explained Roger Lehr, international and disabled students' odviser. To help counter some of the problems faced by disabled students in 0 university setting, the center offers reader service to those visuolly handicapped, speech and hearing services to those with speech and hearing defects and odopted physical education courses to those with mobile impairments. These services, coupled with odopted housing facilities and preregistrotion for classes, all fall under the wotchful eye of Lehr. The campus, 05 with any public facility, is also equipped to meet the needs of disabled students with special parking, lowered curbs and key-operoted elevotors. A lock of funding hos prevented lorge-scole chonges, soid Lehr. There are still some buildings without elevators and attendant services are not feasible, he odded. With 0 small budget, we have to think in long-ronge goals and save money to make major changes. We hove, though, come 0 tremendous distance in services, attitudes and accessibility, Lehr said. I can't be all things to all people. I can't solve all their problems. They are individuals with different disabilities. What works for o blind student will have no effect on o paraplegic, Lehr soid. Lehr's goal is to help prepare these students for the outside world. llA disabled student that chooses to come to 0 university knows there will be problems, he sold. They are coddled in o safe home environment with all the insecurities, discomforts ond inconveniences removed. It's 0 big, bod world here in Disabled Students 24 comparison, but they will go out into on even bigger, bodder world, Lehr soid. Lehr believes that one of the major problems 0 disabled student has to overcome is the attitudes of other students. nIt's hard for many of the students to accept 0 disabled student 05 another human being, Lehr said. 'They Cthe disobled studentsl wont to be treated the some 05 on oble- bodied person; to feel human and useful, he added. Lawrence Taylor, Gory junior and president of the Disabled Students Organization, soid, 'lSympothy can be one of the most crucial hindrances to the development of o handicapped student, because it doesn't allow him to relate to people on on equal basis. I wont to be able to sociolize with other students because of who I om, not what I am. What I om is o blind student. Who I om is Lawrence Taylor, he explained. Stereotyping is also 0 major problem. Many people hove never known 0 hondicopped person; Photo by Bob Amen therefore, they have to rely on stereotypes. The majority of these stereotypes ore false and misleading. This sets up 0 barrier between the handicapped student and the particular individual, Taylor said. If you really wont to know about 0 yhondicopped person, you'll investigate. Get to know a handicapped person. Then you'll be able to form 0 more realistic mentol picture. Eventuolly your stereotype will vanish, Toylor odvised. l'My having worked with disabled students hos mode me appreciate my temporary oble-bodiedness more. I realized the chonciness of life and that I can be stricken down onytime, Lehr soid. l'Knowing their gutsiness and their confidence in their capabilities makes my complaints look small in comparison. It sometimes makes me feel smoll, but this feeling disappears when I realize that I can help, Lehr added.- Story by Sharon Bohllng Uslng the library does not present a problem for Bryan Phegley, Sullivan sophomore, because of Its easy accessibility and its helpful staff.

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Freshmen master alien territory Photo by Marcus Snowden When the high school senior's mailbox was flooded with housing information and bureaucratic red tape, freshman year in college was 0 distont vision. Before he knew it, though, he was saying his goodbyes to friends and family, packing his life into boxes and moving into on olien world. In this unexplored frontier, many new challenges owoited his mastery in the academic and social spheres. People attend college for o variety of reosons, but underlying these motivations is the desire to learn. However, before this process begins, one must overcome his first hurdle, registration. Overwhelmed by the variety of courses and unsure of how to fulfill groduotion requirements, the freshman, under the guidance of his b Before new frlends are made, eating in the cafeteria can be a lonely experience. Mt. Vernon freshman Ben Cox finds this to be the case as he eats dinner. adviser, arrived at o 'tentotive schedule, picked up his course cords, and paid his fees. Between form one sheets, closed classes, and reworking his schedule, lurking in the freshmon's mind is the thought that after this is over, he is ready for anything. That is before closses begin, and he is faced with further hassles and challenges. 'Fresh out of high school, one is forced to adjust to the differences in college-level classes. One immediately notices that most of his classes do not meet every day, nor do they, in most cases, follow one ofter another. A student might think he will have plenty of spare time. Little does he know that he is expected to do most of his leorning outside of the classroom. Many new students squirmed through high school doing little or no homework, but they soon discovered that homework is essential in passing 0 class. Although closswork does consume on enormous amount of time, there is another side of this new world to explore, the social scene. Most freshmen find themselves drowning in o multitude of unfomilior faces and soon learn that getting involved is 0 good way to make new friends. There are clubs and activities that cater to virtually any possible interest; however, in their quest to be 0 port of it all, some students find themselves majoring in student activities and not in their intended field of study. All in oil, freshman year proves to be one of the most memorable years of a student's life as he adjusts and moves into the mainstream of campus life. One's stomach becomes immune to the perils of cofeterio food and lore night pizzas. He survives the hazards of shoring 0 room with o stronger. Homesickness begins to recede as cold showers and late night cramming become unovoidoble evils. It is all over almost as quickly as it come, and this olien world becomes 0 new home. I Freshman Frustrations 23

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All photos by Nancy Pelro Disabled students are required to live on the lower floors of residence halls. Karol Osborn, Crawfordsvllle senior, washes her hands. With the aid of a cone, Lawrence Taylor, Garyjunior, As adviser to both the International and rhe disabled is able to move freely obour rhe campus. The snow srudenrs, Roger Lehr handles many problems . however, didpresenr a problem, Taylor said. rhroughour a typical day. Disabled Students 25