University of Maine - Prism Yearbook (Orono, ME)

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the Barriers 1 tor|s, « •st l' «t making changes to make the campus more accessible to persons with disabilities, ” Logue said. Both Adams and Thibodeau agreed, but said more needs to be done. I think the campus is considerate of some things, but not everything,” Thibodeau said. “Something needs to be done about Stevens Hall. “What if a bright young person with a disability comes along and wants to major in history or something else with the department offices in Stevens Hall?” she asked. “Are they going to turn that person away just because the building is inaccessible? Everything should be ac- cessible to anyone who wants it. ”

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The Physically Challenged 17 '•Sts Jk W I I: I f Z : mJf A '■ . y • k m |u ftl MEf mkmk M’Adwl M ilLa 24 Breaking Down by Tammy Hartford Staff Writer Have you ever thought about what it would be like to try to get around the University of Maine if you were in a wheelchair, or had to use crutches or wear a leg brace to help you walk? How would you get to class or work? Where would you park? What if you couldn’t get into the building? What if you couldn’t climb the stairs? What if you couldn’t get into the bathroom, or drink from a water fountain? Nobody thinks about having a disability until it happens to them.” said Claire Thibodeau, a senior com- munications disorders major. Thibodeau wears a leg brace, and her mobility is quite limited. Stairways arc especially difficult for her. she said, because it was because of a fall on a staircase that she shattered her femur, or thighbone. “Stairs arc very painful and uncom- fortable for me.” she said. Getting to the communications disorders department office on the third floor of Stevens Hall is very difficult, she said, because there arc no elevators in the building. The lack of elevators in some buildings poses an even greater problem for Chris Adams, a freshman majoring in English. Adams has muscular dystrophy, a condition which destroys the muscles. He has limited mobility in his arms and uses a wheelchair. This campus is surprisingly accessi- ble compared to other places, ” he said. It is one of the most accessible in the University of Maine system, but there arc things that could be done to make it more accessible. ” Besides stairs, Adams faces another barrier when he tries to get into some buildings. Usually if 1 can’t open a door, I have to ask somebody to do it for me,” he said. Most people are very polite about it. but it bothers me. It aggravates me. but I have to accept it.” Adams lives in Hancock Hall, which has a ramp and an electric door that makes it very accessible, he said. I just have to press a button to open the door,” he said. We need more doors like that on campus. ” Some facilities merely need to be up- dated, Adams said. Some places have the old fashioned lifts for wheelchairs,” he said. They’re getting out dated, and they’re difficult to use.” More handicapped parking spaces arc also needed, Thibodeau said, and peo- ple need to be more understanding about why people with disabilities need special parking places. “It’s awful when you’re getting out of your car and you have an obvious disability and you hear somebody say, It must be nice. Wouldn’t like a custom place to park my car,’” Thibodeau said. I would trade places with them any day. I’d trade my park- ing place any day for two good legs. “Maybe they aren’t aware of what they're saying, but it’s very in- furiating.” she said. Some people think that just because I have some mobility and I’m not in a wheelchair, I shouldn’t have anything to gripe about, but it’s difficult and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.” There are people at UMainc who are trying to make things easier for students like Adams and Thibodeau. One of them is O.J. Loguc. Logue is the counselor coordinator of services for students with disabilities at UMainc. I am legally deaf myself, so I understand many of the issues people with disabilities face,” he said. Part of Logue’s job is to try to make the university more accessible to all students, he said. “For the most part, the university’s reaction has been very positive as far as t. .

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 Religion on Campus Representation of many faiths offers students a choice by Doris Rygalski Staff Writer On Sunday mornings, University of Maine campus life is put on hold while many students sleep off the excesses of previous evenings. But if the squirrels think they’ve got the campus to themselves, they’ve got another thing coming. At 9:30 a.m., the so-called day of rest” introduces the climax of UMaine religious activities, and approximately 670 students can be seen heading to their place of worship. Out of the 11,000 students that com- prise the UMaine population, 600 Catholics will be going to the Newman Center, 10 to the Episcopalian Canter- bury Chapel, and 50 will be enroute to the Maine Christain Association (Pro- testant Student Fellowship) at the Wilson Center. The Jewish B’nai B’rith Hillel Foun- dation at Hancock Hall, the Inter- Varsity Christain Fellowship at 20 Chadbourne Hall, and the UMaine Student Pentecostal at 203 Shibles Hall also provide services for campus students. Brochures at the UMaine religious affairs office also suggest the Newman and Wilson centers for their quiet and comfortable study lounges that are open to all students. Additionally, retreats and social get- togethers are also provided by most groups. “There’s always something going on, and everyone is welcome,” Sister Marilyn Nichols, new minister for the Newman Center, said. “It’s a family community. ” Yet, the attendance remains at a con- stant low, said Rev. Malcolm Burson of the Canterbury Club, with no significant fluctuations. We could always use more, but our participation is good, ” Sister Nichols said, giving the example of student singing group. However, as with every given rule, there always is an exception. The Moslem faith, headed by Mahmoud El-Begearmi, starts by holding its “prayer” on Friday, instead of Sunday, at the Drummond Chapel from 12-2 p.m. The attendance is also comparative- ly high when compared to the small numbers of persons involved. “There arc approximately 15 (Moslems) around campus,” El- Begearmi said, “and, of them, six to eight attend the prayer weekly.” Is the religion worth maintaing? “Sure it is,” he said, “The Moslem faith requires a group par- ticipation.” Hence, El-Begearmi said, the few who do come, keep the religion going. For those students whose religious persuasions are not represented on campus, many churches in Orono and Bangor will accommodate them by providing rides, according to the brochure provided by the religious af- fairs office. Whatever the case, the reasons for attending any religious affair is best said by Sister Nichols: “It’s a placeto grow intellectually, socially, and morally.” Photo by Mark St The Wilson Protestant Center is one of many religious centers ser- ving students at UMaine. 26