www.theloquitur.com
4 | NEWS
Friday, April 28, 2005
Students mentor juvenile inmates SHARON M. KOLANKIEWICZ STAFF WRITER SMK724@CABRINI.EDU Imagine entering a detention center that was surrounded with 20-feet-high gates, security cameras, security guards and juvenile inmates. Two of Cabrini College’s students, juniors Jen Brown and Deidre Beadle, have been doing just that throughout this past year. Both girls have been reaching out to female juvenile delinquents. They started a program that would require them to interact with the female inmates at the Delaware County Juvenile Detention Center. They ran the program through the Pierce Scholarship Program. Guiding the process was Professor Natacha BoulferLaurentie, Dr. Mary Laver, Dr. Kathleen McKinley and Dave Rogers, the director of the detention center. Beadle and Brown are pleased with the program and look forward to continuing it. They hope their experiences will help shed a new light on a topic that most people do not understand. According to Beadle, Boulfer-Laurentie had suggested the program at the detention center to her. Beadle became very
enthusiastic about the idea and learned a lot about judging peo- who signed up for the program. suggested the idea to Brown. ple. They both hope that the program Both Brown and Beadle decided “At first you are bombarded will grow and people will underto start the program that was with these images that these are stand this area a little bit more. guided by the Pierce Scholar- violent and uncivilized people. Although they did not work ship, a new scholarship at Cabri- Once I started taking sociology with the males, they found that ni. The experience, especially courses, you think differently the males were still more intimithe first time visitdating every time ing the detention they walked by. “The center, was very girls are more verbal, nerve-racking. the guys seem more “For Cabrini students going might help intimidating because “The very first time we arrived, I they don’t talk Brown with the girls accepting people like us. said. was nervous. We also didn’t know The two admit that We may get misconceptions of them, but they are more comthat we would be only working with fortable visiting the they may have misconceptions about detention center. the girls,” Beadle said. They are hoping to us.” Brown was promote the program equally as nervous even more next year. -Jen Brown Some of the issues of when the time approached to topic are the girls’ begin interacting family, the crimes with the girls. “I was actually when you consider all of the psy- they committed and what lies in nervous before we interacted. chological factors. You have their future. Also, the appearance is very more of an understanding,” BeaThey highly encourage the intimidating with the 20 –feet- dle said. Brown agrees with Bea- other Cabrini students to become high gates and security,” Brown dle and admits that she underesti- proactive and see these misunsaid. mated the girls’ abilities and tal- derstood people in a different and Although the first few visits ents. more positive light. They were tense, after several visits, “It is hard to find the good encourage everyone to get Beadle and Brown were invited qualities that may not be obvi- involved, not just sociology by the female inmates to join ous: I didn’t realize their amount majors. them in various card games. The of talent and strength that I see in One of the main points that age range of the girls are 13- 17- the girls there,” Brown said. Brown and Beadle emphasize in year-olds. Through this experi- Throughout the year, Beadle and their program is the humanity of ence, Beadle and Brown have Brown have recruited 12 students these people. Brown suggests
NEED A JOB????
that people should never assume anything about anybody, even with people who are in a juvenile detention center. Brown and Beadle understand these people are kids who have made bad choices and taken wrong turns. However, they realize that they are still humans. They take the family lifestyle and psychological factors into consideration instead of immediately placing judgment. “I know a lot of people are interested out of curiosity, and you will get to see the humanness of people,” Brown said. Both girls also point out that the misconceptions can go both ways. “For Cabrini students going might help with the girls accepting people like us. We may get misconceptions of them, but they may have misconceptions about us,” Brown said. Brown and Beadle say it is a learning experience. Both will continue to recruit, and they especially encourage the male students to sign up.
For more information on becoming involved email: mentoringprogram@ hotmail.com
II as
Essential
to MakeYour llillllllilailil.aill
as CanBe
PART TIME JOBS FULL TIME JOBS CHILD CARE JOBS CO-OP JOBS
Lee'sCloset 6 SouthLynnBlvd. HighlandPark,PA 19082 (610)789-2716 fax: (610)789-7012
COME TO
THE OFFICE OF COOPERATIVE EDUCATION & CAREER SERVICES ROOM160
www.leescloset.com
•
GRACE HALL
HP FeaturedCollection Checkout moreonline!