Language Frustrating SFAC Vice Chair Resigns
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Pi g I P r^ ff • Dear John: — Chancellor John H, Schroeder addresses the delicate tenure issue. (Page 3) • Women's Soccer — Panthers go 1-2 over busy weekend, but play well (Page- 5) • Jimmy Breslin — Pulitzer prize winning jour nalist Jimmy Breslin talks about the 90s. (Page 9) Thursday, October 10, 1991 In The Public Interest Since 1956 Volume 36, Number 11 Milwaukee Public Schools Program helps students Dancing by Rebecca Burke tepping into the real world is a scary prospect for anyone, but for exceptional education students it could also be difficult. A new Sprogram with Milwaukee Public Schools helps students build con fidence and gain job skills. Community Assessment Training Program (CATP) brings exceptional education students out of the classroom and into the workplace so they can learn a-skill. Students are placed in businesses and programs throughout the city and gain hands-on experience. Some students are learning construction by working with Habitat for Humanity or some work with patients at the Milwau- kee County Medical Complex. At the University of Wisconsin- Mil "A lot of students look up to waukee, students are learning the workers and the workers how to work in food service, jani can pass skills on. We couldn't torial and clerical fields. give role models before." CATP is an offshoot of another Pat Diener program that taught students job skills but inside a simulated class- ••^•^••^^•••'•••^"iii-*^"""""" room situation. Until this year, students were taught at Lincoln High School and never worked in the real world. The program was dropped from the high school's curriculum, according to Pat Diener, MPS ex ceptional education teacher and coordinator for the food service prog ram at UWM. "We were basically kicked out of the building [Lincoln High School] and were forced to go out in the community," Diener said. Diener said working in the field has enhanced the program. —Post photo by Jim Slosiarek "A lot of students look up to the workers and the workers can pass Members of the Professional Theater Training Program perform a scene from the skills on. We couldn't give role models before," Diener said. production "Grapes of Wrath." The show will run Oct. 9-19 in the Fine Arts auditorium. One possible role model is Mildred Johnson, lead worker for the sal ad department at the Sandburg Halls Cafeteria. She teaches the stu dents how to prep fo©d4or salads by showing them what instruments to use and the difference between dicing and chopping, among other tricks of the trade. She said she has few problems with the students. "The attitude is very good which makes it a nice working situation. Language frustrating The students participate to the best of their ability," Johnson said. At Sandburg, the students rotate jobs every two to three weeks. The first major hurdle en route ginning that he would be our They can spend a couple weeks prepping food and then another two by Peter Whalen to accomplishing my goals would emotional and spiritual leader. weeks serving food to the Sandburg Hall residents or do other jobs. be to revive a Spanish language He was the head catechist in the The students work for two-and-one-half-hours a day. They work for Part Three of a Series that I had not practiced in four village of Ramos outside of Hui credit and don't get paid. After one semester, the students can get years. I found that I was always tiupan. Earlier that week, Emil- hired if they show promise, according Diener. fter the fourth day in Chia one or two words short of an in iano's mother had died but he left After working a shift, the students go back to their high schools for pas, I wrote in my journal, telligent sentence; one or two his family to spend time with the school. They are between the ages of 15 and 21 and are able to pick A "The language gap is very sentences shoit of a good con North Americans, feeling there was what they would like to do. frustrating. I wish I could hold a versation. No matter how far I some value to the experiences he Student Danielle McPike chose to work in Enderis Hall to gain cleri basic conversation but it is diffi progressed over the course of my would share with us. cal experience. She is learning how to file, how to work copying ma cult. Six years of Spanish and I'm travels, I would often feel de A very simple man filled with chines and how to sort mail. A freshman at Custer High School, she not even up to small talk yet. I jected, wanting more words to the wisdom of experience and said the job is very helpful to her. badly want to speak with the share with the people. tradition, Emiliano shed light on "Actually, I want to be a secretary, and this really helps me out — people but the ability to converse With this handicap, you begin the truths of life in the indige like sorting the files," McPike said. is not there. to appreciate and respect the nous world. This diligent farmer The students at UWM work in Enderis Hall, Sandbury Hall or the "Language appears now to be power of language. You feel that works from 3:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Student Union. At Sandburg, the students work in food service. In the as essential as food and water. there is no greater gift than the in his fields then dedicates much Union, the students are responsible to clean one section of the build Obviously, it is one of the basic, if power to communicate. The si of his free time to organizing and ing. Students working in Enderis Hall work in the clerical field. not brilliant gifts we have devel- lence that exists between two empowering his community. A Diener said he has received nothing but positive feedback from co . oped into necessity. Without the parties wanting to share common mission that does not come with workers and bosses alike. ability to converse with one an good will is very defeating. out danger in Central America. Rand Schmidt, MPS teacher and coordinator for clerical work in other, the vacuum is exhausting To overcome language barri A father of six children, Emil Enderis, agreed. and demoralizing ... I have never ers requires a great deal of pa iano soon became the father fig ure for our group. He urged us to "A faculty member told me the work basket has never been done felt so frustrated by silence in all tience, effort and creative imagi try and communicate with each faster," he said. my life." nation. You become a painter without a palette, a poet without other little by little. He realized a page. Your entire body becomes how difficult conversation was an instrument in such a situation. without our translators, Mary Pat Body language is called upon as of Clausen and Melissa Hogan, a SFAC vice chair resigns ten as word of mouth. You begin to teacher for the Milwaukee Public respect the art of mime. Schools' Spanish immersion pro The main problem with the resignations is that gram. These two women went to by Kimberly Wilmot these positions cannot be replaced. In the midst of this challenge, the group of missionaries from sleep every night exhausted from According to a referendum to the Student Asso acting as the voices for an entire he vice chair of the Segregated Fees Alloca Milwaukee nurtured friendships ciation 1991- 92 Constitution, passed by the Sen group of gringos. tion Committee has resigned, leaving the or with three indigenous men from ate, members who resign this semester can't be re "Learning a new language, we ganization with less than half of its intended the mountains and tropics near T placed. are all like children," Emiliano members. San Cristobal. The friendly con "Unfortunately [resignations] are a natural sort of fines of a language immersion said. "We try to make contact, Yolanda Rosales officially resigned Sept. 24, but we are scared without our dropping SFAC's member count to only three of it's function in an academic environment. Yet, every class conducted by Mary Pat other system provides for replacements." said Of Clausen of the University of Wis translators, who are now like our original seven. mothers. Without them we may The committee is intended to allocate segregated fice of Student Life Director Kathleen Moylan. consin-Milwaukee's Second Lan The Senate has left SFAC with no option but at guage Department would prove run and hide, or we can try and fees, which come out of every student's tuition, to come out of the cradle." The various student organizations. SFAC has been tempt to function without proper representation for to be a place of great emotion, in students. spiration and often sheer humili thought ran through every per plagued by problems since early last summer. son's head, but Emiliano was After three resignations, two unsuccessful im The current SFAC bylaws state that the organiza ation, yet in the end always an uplifting exchange. unashamed to share his humble peachments, a removal and a reappointment, tion should "represent the diverse composition of reasoning, eventually breaking SFAC is functioning with only one generally-elected the student body." Two of our three visitors were the ice. His gentle hand always member. This means that three members are representing from the town of Huitiupan. An kept the group striving forward. SFAC now consists of one presidential appoint the diversity of a over 25,000 student campus.