LehighWeek Volume 12, Issue 27

              A labor of stars
Ten-year-old Academy
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Volume 12, Issue 27
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April 21,1999
A new approach at
Centennial
His ideas for teaching students
with severe emotional problems
might seem unorthodox. Some
might even call them
radical. But Michael
George's approach has
drawn praise from educators.
George's ideas have
been put to use at Centennial School since September, when he was appointed director. One of
his priorities is to end
the use of physical restraint by teachers dealing with troublesome
students - a move that initially
surprised many on his 63-person
staff.
"We had 1,064 physical restraints at Centennial last year,"
George says. "I want to see that
number reduced to zero." So far
the results are encouraging at
the school, which enrolls about
100. There were seven physical
restraints during the 20-day reporting period that ended March
17 — compared to 115 and 121
restraints during two previous
20-day reporting periods.
"There is very little learning
going on in an environment that
uses physical restraint," George
says. He wants teachers to acknowledge good behavior and to
ignore bad behavior, as much as
possible. He has also moved to
make the curriculum more interesting, improve the teaching of
social skills, and give teachers
more time to prepare lessons.
George's larger goal is to move
Centennial students into mainstream education classes as
quickly as possible and to give
them the social skills they will
need to succeed.
Before joining Lehigh, George
served as director at Lane School
in Eugene, Ore. Lane, which enrolls about 25 students, was cited
in a U.S. Department of Education report on innovative special-
education programs. George
would like to make Centennial a
nationwide model for large
schools that educate students
with behavioral problems.
Centennial teachers
Harrison Bailey and Christine Dziedzic-Piripavel visited Lane School in February to
see how non-restraint works.
They saw "positive intervention
programs" at a middle school in
Eugene and talked to experts at
the University of Oregon.
The trip, Dziedzic-Piripavel
says, taught her new ways to
help students deal with conflict
and manage their anger. Says
Bailey, "We learned a lot about
the thought process involved in
helping these students be placed
in their home districts as quickly
as possible. There is a definite
link between special education
and regular education, and it's
important to keep that connection as strong as possible."
- Rich Harry
Working to build pride
Cleaning up discarded soda cans, clothing, packs
of cigarettes, and even a few dead birds. Not exactly the kind of stuff to inspire poetry or pride of
species, yet this is the way more than 300 Lehigh
students spent last Saturday (April 17) as part of
the South Side Clean-Up.
The Clean-Up, sponsored by Alpha Phi Omega,
a national service fraternity, and the South Side
Task Force, was part of APOs 15* annual community Interaction Day. Lehigh, the South Side Task
Force, and Bethlehem residents, almost 450 people
altogether, pitched in.
"I think it has worked out fantastically. The
weather has been, great to us, and the turn-out
has been wonderful from both Lehigh and the
Bethlehem community," said Bob Thompson, chairman of the South Side Taskforce.
"I feel there is a kind of division between the
South Side and the school. It is really important
that we do something to interact with the community to try and change that," said Jonathan
Prager '01, a computer science major and APO
member.
Volunteers worked at 18 community sites, including Yosko Park, East Third Street, Madison
Park, Columbia Street and beneath the Fahy
Bridge.
"The people in the community have told us they
really appreciate what we've been doing. It's really been a positive experience all-around," said
Andrea Bamber '00, an industrial engineering
major.
"If more people were involved, it would be even
better," said Marty McGann '01, a business information systems major. .
Rob Upton
APO members Dan Langevin '99, Desong Yu
'02 and Heather Krey '98 haul trash during
South Side Cleanup Day
Courtesy of David Anastasio
Lehigh students climb a sand dune during a recent trip to Death Valley in California.
Death Valley days
What do you think of when you
hear the words "Death Valley" -
desolation, sand, wind, heat?
When a group of 25 earth and
environmental science majors
visited the national monument
from March 31 to April 5, however, they saw snow and rain,
and unseasonable temperatures
that failed to rise above 65.
Led by David Anastasio and
Anne Meltzer, associate professors of EES, the students, who
ranged from freshmen to grad
students, went to Death Valley
to study its geology and ecology.
The group flew to Las Vegas
and rented a van for the 90-
minute drive to the park, which
is the size of Delaware and averages 2 inches of rainfall per year.
Meltzer called the trip "a
great opportunity for the students to see in person what they
learn about in class."
The lowest point in North
America at 283 feet below sea
level, Death Valley formed as a
result of tectonic motion between
the North American and Pacific
Plates. Its fault scars attest to
the earthquakes that continue to
rupture the earth's surface.
Anastasio says the valley reveals the influence of geological
forces on the development of life
forms. It contains a variety of
structures and rock types, as
well as saltwater lakes that are
home to aquatic life such as the
pupfish. Thousands of years ago,
the lakes were much larger. Over
time, they shrank and separated,
developing distinct ecosystems
with different species of pupfish.
The "active faulting" of the
crust beneath the valley,
Anastasio said, has localized the
flow of groundwater, causing
plants to grow in lines above
water sources. Sand blown by
the wind is trapped by these
plants and forms dunes, some of
which are hundreds of feet tall.
"Death Valley definitely
sealed my fate as a geologist,"
said Michelle Stopper '99. "So
many colossal structures popped
out before my eyes. It was better than any textbook."
"The trip made classroom
slide shows and lectures a reality. I saw things I'd never seen
before," said Nate Gardner '99.
"It was an amazing experience," said Tim Johnson '99,
"that was both interesting and
enlightening."
-Jeff Bachman
A "better, safer campus"
Project IMPACT has helped
make Lehigh a better place for
students, President Gregory
Farrington said at a
reception for IMPACT
volunteers April 14 at
the President's House.
The event featured
the unveiling of the
group's new website,
www.playsmart.org,
which includes lists of
things to do, places to
eat, a bulletin board for
students to post comments, and an "Ask Big
Lu" section for questions on relationships
and other issues.
IMPACT, Farrington
said, has given Lehigh a
"safer campus and a better living and learning
environment. I believe in this
because I'm a father (of a college
student). I want (Lehigh to be) a
campus where I would be comfortable having my son."
Bethlehem Mayor Don
Cunningham said, "Project IMPACT is easy for us to embrace
and endorse. The business of
higher education is very competitive, and it's not easy" to publicly admit a problem. "This is an
important effort.
"Project IMPACT is strengthening the bonds among the community, city and Lehigh,"
Cunningham added.
Among IMPACT volunteers
recognized were City Council-
woman Magdalena Szabo,
Bethlehem Police Commissioner
Eugene Learn, and community
activist Anne Evans. Sarah
Barton, interim director of residence life, was recognized for her
work to support the substance-
free housing option on campus
for students. The number of
upperclass students choosing
substance-free housing quadrupled this year to next year.
Tanya Barone '99 and
Michelle Pealer '99 were cited
for helping develop the "Hard
Bodies, Soft Drinks" homecoming formal party for athletes.
Ryan Scanlon '99 also received
an award. Scanlon, who is "very
committed to Lehigh and preserving the Greek system," was
also "largely responsible for mobilizing the student body to respond to the 'Call to Action'," said
Maddy Eadline, program manager of Project IMPACT.
Also cited were executive secretary Ann Schadler, and
Becky Navedo, Amy Grim,
and Sally Schray of student affairs. Project IMPACT task force
co-chairs thanked for their work
include: Mark Erickson, dean
of students; Carl DiCello, director of Community and Economic
Development for the City of
Bethlehem; Chaplain Lloyd
Steffen; Rita Malone-
Sorensen, director of university
communications; Amy Walts '00
and Szabo, Scanlon, and Barton.
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