University of Rhode Island - Renaissance / Grist Yearbook (Kingston, RI)

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“No matter what I have to do, there is nothing more special than standing on one of the three steps of the tier at the Olympics.” This special feel- ing is felt by one student at URI, Meg Frost. Most students know Meg as a sophomore management major, but not many know the other side of her. Meg always wanted to be an athlete and would not allow her handicap to keep her from doing so. The sports which she excels at are the shot put, discus, and javelin throw. Although Meg uses hand-crutches, she also competes in the 100-meter crutch run. „ The accomplishments that Meg has accrued are something everyone is proud of. At the 1980 Inter- national Cerebral Palsey Olympics held in Vejle, Denmark, Meg brought home three gold and three bronze medals. Then in the summer of 1981, CIRI hosted the National Cerebral Palsey Olympics. Competing on familiar ground, an outstanding per- formance allowed Meg to earn three gold medals, one silver, and one bronze medal. During the sum- mer of 1982, Meg will once again participate at the International Cerebral Palsey Olympics at Copenhagen, Denmark. She will be one of 59 Cl.S. Athletes chosen to compete. In order to stay in shape and prepare for the Olympics, Meg works out three days a week. The trainer behind the athlete is Paul Lonczak. Paul is very dedicated and “makes me see what I’m out there to do.” The sports program offered by the University gives Meg a feeling of accomplishment. “We work just as hard as the outstanding athletes who want to go to the Olympics.” Meg could not describe the feeling she gets when she thinks about the dedication of the coaches and the people who help her. Asking Meg to sum everything up, she replied, “when I compete I don’t feel like the business major at URI with a handicap, I just feel like Joe Average.” Either student or athlete, Meg Frost is one student we are all proud of. T. J. Paglione Becky Strycharz, a freshman at URI, maneuvers an unpowered wheelchair around the campus. A problem she encounters daily is pushing herself uphill to classes from her room in Tucker. “The sidewalks and roads also have gigantic potholes,” she explains. Elaborating on this problem she says, “The first two weeks of school I was totally sore from pushing myself, but now I’m used to it.” Strycharz and McKenna both had many ' difficulties concerning mud around campus. “You sink in it like quicksand,” says Strycharz. She also adds that many of the pathways are caked with mud and loose gravel. One quadraplegic student, who wishes to remain anonymous, agrees that there is a problem with loose stones and gravel on the sidewalks. “With the renovating of the sidewalks all the way around the quad, loose stones are a problem.” As far as classes are concerned these students haven’t had too many problems. This student (anonymous) states that for the most part “teachers are very good about helping out. They will usually move their classes if possible to the first floor of the buildings, if they had been scheduled for the second or third floors.” He also mentions the fact that there are still bathrooms in certain buildings that “don’t accommodate wheelchairs.” He goes on to say though that “I strive not to be made out special. 1 want to be like everyone else.” Strycharz recounts a different type of problem with cer- tain bathrooms on campus, par- ticularly one in Ballentine. “I’m really short and I have to almost do gym- nastics to get up on it.” She believes that perhaps they should be remodeled. But in conclusion, all three believe that the University has done much in taking care of their basic needs. They all agree that they wish to be treated the same as any other stu- dent. Strycharz wraps it up best by stating, “like every student here, you just have to get used to it.” ' (MS ) Dawn Mirone Handicap • Meg Frost 21

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Students Won’t Allow Handicap to Get in the Way ABecky Strycharz participates at the Valentine ' s Day party sponsored by Little Brother Little Sister. AHandicapped Awareness Week offered the cam pus different opportunities to experience first-hand some of the problems students encounter, by spen- ding a day in a wheelchair. Trapped in the mud. Unable to leave the dormitories during incle- ment weather. Going uphill to your classes. These may not sound like major difficulties to the average stu- dent or faculty member at URI, but to those who are handicapped, these situations are definite problems. Jane Thierfield, coordinator of ser- vices for students, faculty, and staff who are handicapped, says that ac- cessibility is a big problem. Her job includes helping handicapped students settle into their dormitories, assisting in scheduling of classes to aid in convenience, and making sure that the University complies with Federal Law 504, a new law for handicapped people. Jack McKen- na, a quadraplegic who attended URI for a semester but then withdrew because of various difficulties, related his feelings on Miss Thier- field. “Jane sets up everything for us; she arranges for us to have classes and coordinates them. She deserves a medal in my opinion. I also think she deserves a bigger of- fice.” Theirfield’s present closet- sized office is located on the third floor of the Memorial Union, in the student life department. Many of the tribulations that han- dicapped students face each day would not even be considered by the average student, unless he was placed in the same situation. Students on campus did exactly that this year during Handicapped Awareness Week, a program de- signed to acquaint the campus with the problems faced by handicapped students. It involved direct participa- tion, such as trying to maneuver in a wheelchair for a full day. McKenna operates a powered wheelchair around the campus. When asked about snowstorms, he says, “1 still slide when there’s ice on the ground, and they only plow one or two paths, and I have to search for those.” In general though, “I find the University pretty decent (as far as accessibility). There are better and worse places than this,” con- cludes McKenna. 20 Handicap

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▲ ▲Before the melt, the URI campus can be quite tranquil in the ▲ Karen Sheraton stocks up for Secret Santa gifts at the bookstore. ►For many, hanging out on the wall is a common occurance on a nice Spring day like this. 22 Union Activities