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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 6, 2003)
Aggielife just loti :e t no mai; Hicks sai; said tick H in Ten 1 quote b y expect t "ig for I ■ they iii lc al forme 1 ; The Battalion Page 3A • Thursday, November 6, 2003 Learning to cope Students deal with learning disabilities with the help of campus organizations Iticles con Woodwatl tte a certa;; to keep tit 'ant tokee said. “Ta :ttine rid and a his tat the aco we wort ti of accidei' Jward sanl itersectiti pie that in inual bast, s occur." i Collet; d citation! 1 grants rott to 5,1 fiscal yen tots. Tk aions shot s for suet ering if accideits of specitii statistical!) severity#' ege Stall hews.'% ;ely to k iT wearing ing or liar- ough inter- vhich basr 'oung dm- :xas A&E rets over; vith Bryl ,pal coc 1,000 c» nsliandles 20,000. By Jimmy Hissong THE BATTALION Taylor Gilley, a junior marketing major, gets up in the morning ltd proceeds with the daily juggle of professors, exams, work, bills, ectures, extracurricular activities, friends and family like any other ollege student. Every now and then, however, Taylor Gilley is moneyriforced to balance one more ball in the hectic collegiate circus equa te abir ion: a learning disability. Ninety-five percent of Aggies registered with Student Disability Services are affected by a learning disability. The exterior invisibil- ty of Attention Deficit Disorder and other learning impairments increases the likelihood that students come into contact with stu dents with disabilities regularly without any knowledge of having done so. Gilley, who was diagnosed with ADD her freshman year at Texas A&M, said everyday classes can be a struggle. “Sometimes I’ll have trouble taking notes during lecture,” she aid. “In situations where there are no slides or outlines to follow, I may have difficulty determining what is important or writing things down while the professor is still talking.” Approximately 550 students register with SDS each semester, aid David Sweeney, an adviser for students with disabilities and the jrogram director for A&M’s adaptive technology services. While tils number accounts for only one percent of the Student body, it is stimated that 8 percent of the general population is afflicted with a mental or physical impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. Students who register with Student Disability Services do so under their own discretion. Students are not sought out by SDS, and therefore an inconsistency arises between the percentage of students registered with SDS and the percentage of students who are eligible to register with SDS. The reasons students do not register vary. Some students sim ply do not know about the services SDS provides. Others, howev- fear unwanted attention from professors or classmates, Sweeney said. “It is always difficult to ask the professor for another favor, or be the one missing student in a classroom of 20 on test day,” said a stu dent with a learning disability who asked not to be identified. De-emphasizing the existence of an impairment is a common means of permitting a student to be identified by his personality rather than his disability. “The goal of Student Disability Services is to make student dis- abillks as transparent as possible across campus,” Sweeney said. The labs that accommodate students with disabilities are open- access labs and are available for use by the entire student body. SDS and its advisers generally encourage students to work with Paul Wilson • THE BATTALION their professors to establish an accommodating environment in the classroom.Some students have developed the false notion that students who take advantage of the services SDS provides, specifi cally the test- taking services, receive excessive benefits not avail able to students, Sweeney said. “There is no modification of the curriculum,” Sweeney said. “Student Disability Services simply provide an opportunity to learn and level the playing field.” SDS testing facilities help provide recognized students with a less distracting environment and extended time. The exams are pre pared by the professor, and are generally the same test administered to the rest of the class. The disadvantage of this system is that these students lose the opportunity to test with the professor and ask ques tions during the exam. The exams given, though, are the same, as are the expectations of the professor. “All my tests are exactly the same (as other student’s tests),” Gilley said. “They have the same questions and the same answers. There is no gliding through. The testing services just give me the opportunity to think about an answer or a question a little longer. I may learn a little differently, but I am not any less smart.” Aggie Networks, an organization open to all students, seeks to correct any false stereotypes regarding students with disabilities and to educate the general public about them. “Our goal is to provide disability awareness on campus and in the community,” said Jessica Frasier, secretary of Aggie Networks and a senior special education major. Aggie Networks organizes a series of discussion panels each semester for various classes that address topics about disabilities. One week might be concerned with sports and disabilities, and another week might focus on classroom education and disabilities. The classroom discussion panels put on by Aggie Networks are the most personal means of connecting with students, said Tim Obenhaus, president of Aggie Networks and a senior psychol ogy major. “Many students are not aware of the organization, and these pan els provide us with a unique opportunity to establish one-on-one contact. The panels are how I learned about Aggie Networks,” Obenhaus said. Aggie Networks also tries to increase disability awareness through hands-on activities on campus and in the Bryan-College Station community. Recently, the organization visited the Mosaic house, a local assisted-living home. Group members were able to interact with mentally challenged adults. “Mosaics was a fun, firsthand experience. We got to do arts and crafts with them during the day and then wait with them until their parents came and picked them up in the afternoon,” Frasier said. “Most of the people we visited with were 30 or 40 years old. I got a little emotional, but I was glad we were able to be there,” Frasier said. Opportunities such as Mosaics provide members with a chance for direct exposure to people with disabilities and the ability to gain knowledge from their interactions. “We are all aware of disabilities, but we really don’t understand them until we get the opportunity to get one-on-one with them,” said Luis Elizondo, the intermediary for Student Disability Services and a junior biomedical science major. “It’s a great eye-opener,” Elizondo said, “and just one more rea son why A&M is the friendliest campus around.” For more information, students can contact Aggie Networks at networks@stuorg.tamu.edu or through the SDS office. I springs* (am periods)! sionoiSluW :ing.Ne*sii talion.net ■ax:J single ««< d, Discoveii! Corps needs Americans with skills in Environment Education Health Afjric Peace Corps needs 5,500 graduates with skills in agriculture, business, education, environment, health and information technology. All majors are welcome. Benefits include medical, dental and housing, as well as a monthly stipend and 24 vacation days a year. Graduates can defer student loans while serving. Visit the TAMU Career Center 209 Koldus Building to pick up a Peace Corps Catalog. TEXAS A&M i u golf course For November: FREE GOLF WITH MEMBERSHIP Play golf the inexpensive way, with a Texas A&M Golf Course Annual Membership and the monthly draft system. Sip up at the Pro Shop and get one month of pif FREE. Pa/ to n tnmtts get 13th month Ins. For more information or tee times: 845.1723 | take my contact lenses off every ■ night, but I always cheat.” | Ag E. Fann: “My doctor said with ■ the latest technology I can sleep m * my lenses for up to one month” Once Again: Aggies Know Best | Matthew T. Greene, O.D. TAMO ‘94 (979) 693-9501 *♦ Student Specials ** Most insurance accepted ** Scott and White Provider ** Free LASIK consults “I I I I I I I I I I I I I J 12 Months Free Financing on Purchases Made During the Event THE BRIDAL EVENT This Friday and Saturday November 7 and 8 OAVld QARcInER’S Jewelers ♦ Gemologists widest selection * original designs • exceptional service 522 University Drive E. | 979-764-8786 Between the Suit Club and Audio Video Riviera Day Spa Now selling NEW Louis Vuitton Monogram Canvas handbags and purses at lower than retail prices! Hurry In! Limited supply available! 695-0327 • 1800 Brothers Blvd., College Station Reed Arena November 19, 2003 9:00 pvn-l:00 am Black Tie Optional Pick up your FREE ticket Nov. 3-15 At the MSC and Rood Arena Box Offices *AII A&M students are invited*