Building Blocks helps children
me program shows at
risk students the benefits
of continuing education
By Erin Snelgrove
Oregon Daily Emerald
Soft serve ice cream and higher
education may not be the most
likely pair, but for participants in
the Building Blocks Program it can
be what makes the sale.
The program pairs University stu
dents with fifth-graders who have
been identified as at-risk for drop
ping out of the education process.
The University students work with
children from three local elemen
tary schools to encourage continu
ing education beyond high school.
The climax of the program is
when the children go on a field
trip to the University. The kids
tour campus to see what college
life is like.
“We find that the kids love eat
ing in the dorms, they think it's the
coolest thing in the whole wide
world,” said Clair Clark, a GTF
and coordinator for the course.
“They get as many ice cream cones
as they can. Regularly, we have
one or two of them who puke, but
that’s par for the course.”
The seven-week program is of
fered each spring and students can
earn two credits for participating.
students taking the course attend
meetings and give presentations at
local elementary schools. By using
games and skits, the students inform
fifth-graders about financial aid, stu
dent life, housing and various forms
of post-high school education.
The three-year-old program was
previously named College Bound
but underwent a name change and
format adaptations for this spring
term.
“Hopefully, with some of the in
formation we’re providing, the
kids won’t make some of the mis
takes that will get them into trou
ble,” Clark said.
Primarily, education majors
participate in the program; how
ever, many people who enjoy
working with kids register as well.
Erika Guiney, a University stu
dent, has been involved with the
program since its inception.
Guiney said she joined Building
Blocks because of the importance
it has had in children’s lives.
"We’re helping the kids make
thoughtful decisions about their fu
ture,” Guiney said. “They’re learn
ing college is an option for them. ”
Jill McCarthy, another participant
in the program, became involved to
improve her instructional ability.
“The experience with the chil
dren is great,” McCarthy said. “If
you want to be a teacher, this pro
gram is for you. It helps you realize
if teaching is what you want to do
for the rest of your life. ”
The effects of the course on kids
is felt by students and instructors
alike. Anita Gray, a teacher at
Howard Elementary, is grateful for
the hard work and determination
the volunteers are demonstrating.
“The college students are won
derful,” Gray said. "They really
take their job seriously, and the
kids look up to them. I look for
ward to having the program of
fered to my students in the spring. ”
Students interested in partici
pating in Building Blocks must
stop by the GP office to preregister
for the course. Only six of the 18
openings have been filled.
“I believe Building Blocks is
serving the community,” Clark
said. “We’re planting a seed, al
lowing the children to get their
first impression of college. I’ve
found that with the kids, if you’ve
planted in their minds that they
can go to college, they start to
think about that. They look for
ward to succeeding instead of
dropping out.”
Erin Snelgrove covers multicultural
student groups and student activi
tiesfor the Emerald. She can be
reached via e-mail at
esnelgro@gladstone. uoregon edu.
Speakers encourage
environmental activism
Annual law conference
attracts activists from
all over the world
By Mark Freed
lor the Emerald
A collective effort is needed
to raise environmental aware
ness, said Lee Lew-Lee, a hu
man-right’s filmmaker and one
of three keynote speakers Fri
day night in the EMU Ballroom
at the Public Interest Environ
mental Law Conference.
“We all have to work togeth
er,” Lew-Lee said. “None of the
parts of this movement will
work without the other.
The conference, which has
received international atten
tion, was sponsored by Land
Air Water and Friends of Land
Air Water.
Unity was the message of the
evening and theme of the 17th
annual conference. Environ
mental leaders, activists, politi
cians, lawyers, students and
concerned citizens from all over
the world came together over the
weekend to share ideas.
The conference combined
environmental, social justice
and labor advocates from more
than 40 countries. It attracted
more than 3,000 participants
this year, and is considered the
biggest gathering for environ
mentalists.
Lew-Lee reminded the audi
ence about the current momen
tum toward "biocide,” an envi
ronmental crisis that is killing
all life. He said people can pro
mote and make change.
Julia Butterfly Hill, an ac
tivist protesting the destruction
of old-growth forests, has been
living on a platform in an an
cient redwood tree for almost
15 months in Stafford, Calif.
Hill, speaking via telephone
from the tree, said environmen
tal goals must focus not on
what society must take, but
what it should leave behind.
Friday’s final speaker, John
Trudell, a Santee Sioux poet
and musician, suggested that
life is not only about freedom
but responsibility. Trudell stud
society must take responsibili
ty for its actions.
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