Kansas State University - Royal Purple Yearbook (Manhattan, KS)

Page 31 text:

I tm -Moore- 27

Page 30 text:

community service is taken Internationa housing draws attention of volunteers students find opportunities overseas overseas A class. black bead necklace, symbolizing spirits and protection during travel, dangled around Shante Moore ' s neck as he walked to The beads were given to him by a family he met in Paraguay, where he traveled as a team member in the Community Service Program. In summer 1994, Moore, senior in political science, spent eight weeks in Paraguay as an International Service Team member through the Community Service Program. As member of the program, Moore received a scholarship and a living stipend for serving on the teams. Moore joined other team members in organizing a new market for local farmers to sell their goods. The previous market had been closed for 37 years, Moore said. My team got them started again. During summer 1995, he spent seven weeks in Pune, India, carrying out service projects and looking for service opportunities for students overseas. Moore and his partner, Brian Becker, senior in fisheries and wildlife biology, were the first team to go to India. In India, the partners did structural improvements to a low- income housing area and Indian service organizations asked them for help with local projects. Our project was to look at slums and to make suggestions for improvements, Moore said. We were the guinea pig team. He gained a new perspective through the trips. Both of my trips made me open my eyes, Moore said. It was an attitude check for me to get more involved. Now I wonder, why can ' t I get involved in my own community? When his grandmother became ill, Moore had to leave India early. He said he still felt he gained something worthwhile from the experience and time he shared with the people in Paraguay. I have stronger connections to my family now, something that I picked up on in Paraguay, Moore said. Besides, this is the most cost-efficient way to travel. by Linda Harvey Shante Moore, senior in political science, and Brian Becker, senior in fisheries and wildlife biology, were the first members of the Community Service Program International Team to visit India. (Photo by Gary Conover) 26 -Moore

Page 32 text:

working with the abused and neglected v o unteering helps the system work voicing the concerns of children M ittle victims Small voices often had difficulty speaking up for their rights, but students helped those voices be heard. Concerned students became Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASA, a national organization, assigned volunteers to court cases involving neglected, abused or delinquentjuveniles. The volunteers investigated the cases and made recommendations in the child ' s interest. Child abuse is more of a problem than people realize, Karen Ruckert, CASA volunteer and sophomore in pre-law, said. I think I was sheltered from the problem and didn ' t realize how widespread it is. There were no specific qualifications to be a volunteer, but personality characteristics such as sensitivity, awareness, objectivity and cooperation with the court system were important, Melanie Brockington, executive director of CASA, said. According to the 1995 Kansas Kid Count Data Book, there were 438 reported child abuse and neglect cases and 27 confirmed cases in Riley County last year. Children are the littlest victims, Tammy Hoots, CASA volunteer and senior in family life and community services, said. And I ' ve never understood what a child would ever do to cause anyone to hit or abuse them sexually or physically. Of the 50 CASA volunteers, half were students. These volunteers interviewed parents, teachers and siblings. We spend time with them (the children) so they get to trust us, Ruckert said. We want to build a rapport with them so we understand where they are coming from. The most rewarding aspect of volunteering was seeing the family change, Hoots said. After I ' ve worked on a case awhile it ' s nice to walk into a room and have the children run up and give me a hug, and to have the parents accept me and realize that I ' m not trying to separate the family, Hoots said. Seeing the children and parents change makes you feel you ' ve made a difference. by Gina Buster 28 -CASA- ran I .A child ' s voice I XXJKT lAPPOIMH)! SPECIAL