THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 9, 1995 TAG: 9507070061
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 10 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 67 lines
STUDENT COMMUNICATION: Sensing that some students are reluctant to approach faculty or staff to ask questions, the Student Development Center of the Portsmouth Campus of Tidewater Community College plans to rely on student-to-student communication this fall.
The center will provide peer listeners to field queries or gripes.
Six to eight students will be given scholarships of $300 per semester as reward for their listening skills - skills that will be thoroughly honed before the listener takes to the field.
Applicants will be reviewed by a selection committee which will determine who will be granted interviews. In addition to a question-and-answer session, the interview may include role play in which the applicant would be required to demonstrate responses to ``real life'' situations. Background checks also may be involved.
Prior to beginning service, peer listeners will attend a training program, which will focus on rapport building, active listening, primary-level empathy, problem management, referrals and closure.
Peer listeners will not give advice or attempt any kind of therapy. Mostly, they will function as sounding boards for students and sources of information. They will be expected to field such questions as how a student appeals a grade, gets a handicapped parking sticker, or gets rid of a textbook bought for a cancelled class.
If anything more involved comes up, the listener will refer the student to a member of the college staff who may, in turn, refer the student to outside agencies.
The semester scholarships will not be automatically renewed. Each listener must perform well to continue in the program. The listeners will be stationed in the campus Bay 4 area and will be supervised by Debbie Cunningham, a United Campus Ministries representative.
NEW PROGRAM: The Sports and Academic program, a new program for middle school-aged children, is a collaborative effort between citizens, city government and the school administration. The purpose of the program is to provide young people with the opportunity to combine educational and athletic activities.
The program will begin from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through July 28 at Nansemond River High School. Breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m. and lunch at noon. Activities are educational, recreational, athletic and character-building.
Bus pickup sites and times are as follows:
John F. Kennedy Area:
Burnetts Way, 7:30 a.m.; Elephant's Fork Elementary School, 7:40 a.m.; Pitchkettle Road and Garfield Avenue, 7:50 a.m.; Washington Street and the Library, 7:55 a.m.; Truman Road and Sixth Street, 8 a.m.; and John F. Kennedy Middle School, 8:05 a.m.
John Yeates Area:
Oakland Elementary School, 7:30 a.m.; Crittenden Road and Macedonia Avenue, 7:40 a.m.; Brookwood Drive and Maplewood Drive, 7:55 a.m.; Plummer Boulevard and Skinner Boulevard, 8 a.m.; Pughsville Road and Queen Street, 8:05 a.m.
Forest Glen Area:
Southwestern Elementary School, 7:25 a.m.; Ruritan Boulevard and Old Holland Elementary School site, 7:30 a.m.; Forest Glen Middle School, 7:45 a.m.; Nansemond Square Apartments, 7:55 a.m.; and Wellons Street and Saratoga Street, 8:05 a.m.
For information, call 925-5500. by CNB