Washington State University - Chinook Yearbook (Pullman, WA)

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Above: “Am I captured?” A student glances quickly to see if he has been noticed after experiencing an embarrassing moment with his heavy backpack. Top Right: Individuals are seen wandering around trying to orient themselves to the new surroundings. A common appearance is students holding campus maps with a dazed expression; feeling like a stray is only one of many frustrating moments to encounter. Many more await the college freshman before gradua tion! Right: It may be your first glance at college life , or back for another year, eithe way it is always an adventurous experience. Of course books and pamphlets wi consume your time. 26

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bullshit. I am working hard for them and if they don ' t realize that, then in my book they can leave. You may not like what somebody does in the music world, but you can try to appreciate what people put into it. Chinook: Have you ever had trouble getting your dog into public places? Maher: Yes, occasionally someone will say, I am sorry, but we cannot let your dog in here. Then I have to show them a little card that explains the federal law. Seeing eye dogs can be allowed in any public place, and in any form of public transit. There are some disadvantages to having a dog. The dog doesn ' t do all the heroic things people think. You can ' t just say go to the bank, and the dog will go there. We have to direct him by saying, right, left, forward, and we have to know when to say it. Chinook: What is the working span of a seeing eye dog? Maher: They work about 10 years, and then they will lose something, like part of their sight, or hearing. Then we have to have them put to sleep. Or, as an alternative, they have a retirement ken¬ nel for them in New Jersey where I ac¬ quired the dog. The dogs basically die of broken hearts there. They get the best of feed and the best of care, but you ' re not there anymore, and that kills them. Chinook: Do you feel that because of your impairment, that there is a motiva¬ tion factor in your goals? Maher: You have to think about motiva¬ tion itself. Why are you motivated? Do you push yourself because you want to do it strictly for yourself, or do you want to be competitive like everyone else. It is healthy to be competitive to a point, but it ' s very, very dangerous. A person just has to be who they are, and try to find out what their good at. This whole thing about trying to compete against the en¬ tire world is pure hogwash. The only person we ever have to prove anything to is ourself. Chinook: What do you feel are the be¬ nefits of being blind? Maher: There are benefits to just about everything except being a rock. The be¬ nefits, I feel, are that I get to know the people I am involved with a lot more. There are a lot of things I do not take for granted. For one thing, I think that peo¬ ple take their sense of vision for granted. Stevie Wonder once said a funny thing. He said if he had the chance to regain his vision, that he wouldn ' t do it, which I think is really stupid. Maybe when you ' re rich you can say things like that. I do not have any visual picture of any¬ body I know, but if I ever received that visual picture I would make sure that I would look at it as an enhancement. My vision would be adding to the know¬ ledge I already have about people, rather than allowing it -to change any of the perceptions that I have in terms of who they are. Chinook: So if you had the chance to regain your sight, there would be no doubt in your mind? Maher: I will see before I die, that ' s just like there is a blue sky, that is the reality of it. I will have vision a long time before I die — I think technology is heading in the right direction. But people say, what if you don ' t? I can think about it totally rationally and say well, what if I don ' t. Then something inside says, I will see, thats the way it is, that is the way it is going to be. It ' s just like I know that 1981 comes after 1980. 25

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FRESHMAN FRUSTRATION A great transition period is a part of the lifestyle for a college freshman. Underclassmen ex¬ perience numerous difficulties, often leading to frustration. Many times freshman life is at the mercy of WSU rules, regula¬ tions, and computers. An adviser ' s signature is al¬ ways a must, concerning reg¬ istration for undergraduates. Occasionally adviser approval can be a hassle. For example, one freshman. Bob E. Nelson, had the following experience. He had been assigned a mathematics adviser, however he desired a business degree. In order to gather proper informa¬ tion to change advisers. Nelson experienced the long, dreaded lines at French Administration several times, crossed campus more than once, and had to obtain school records. At last he was placed with a new adviser and had complete records, only to discover the adviser had abso¬ lutely no time to assist him. Nel¬ son ended the day after plead¬ ing with another adviser just to see him and sign his slip. Nelson remarked, It was a disastrous day . The majority of freshman sur¬ vive mass registration with minimum complications . . . assuming they have their advis¬ er ' s signature, master the com¬ puter cards, and validate their identification cards. The frustrating orientation continues the following day if your schedule reveals time con¬ flicts, section changes, or closed out classes. These problems cause additional aggravation. It ' s off to the add and drop lines, French Ad, or back to the advis¬ er once again. The Student Book Store can be an adventure in itself. Purchas¬ ing the correct books always appears to be a mystery to fresh¬ man. They are as lost in the Bookie as they are on campus. If it ' s not one thing, it ' s another. Deceptive parking rules are another problem dis¬ cussed with a new student. Liz Barrett arrived on campus the day dorms opened under the impression a parking flasher in Regents lot would be avail¬ able. Two weeks later she was notified she was to relocate her car in the meat parking lot, which is approximately five blocks away from Regents. This relocation assignment was due to the policy of Regents Hill Consitution, that states priority for parking flashers. As Barrett commented, It should be first come, first serve . Being a college freshman can be frustrating, depressing and difficult at times, but the begin¬ ning of a college education may lead to a new future.