Pg. 6 The Clackamas Print
Features
Wednesday. June 2, 1993
LOOP provides helping hand, 'support system' for students
Program helps students focus on future
by Tina McFarland
Staff Writer
The program started 10 years
ago in a house on Beavercreek
Road. Two years later, the pro­
gram, then known as Displaced
Homemakers, integrated into the
college program and the name
was changed to Life and Career
Options Program. Today LCOP
can be found in the Family Re­
source Center. However, regard­
less of the name or location, the
program’s purpose remains the
same. That purpose is to help
people.
“We’re here to help people
who are stuck,” LCOP Instructor
Anne Pardington stated.
LCOP is one of 17 in a state­
wide displaced homemakers net­
work. Most of the other pro­
grams are found in community
colleges as well.
According to Pardington, an
LCOP student may be “stuck” for
any number of reasons, ranging
from divorce to unemployment
to depression. And according to
Pardington, the program is de­
signed to help those students decide
where to go next in the process of
improving their situations.
“(LCOP) starts people from
square one with what they want
to do for themselves to get back
into the job market. We help
them understand their own self
worth. Whatever happened to
get them stuck - emotional abuse,
fear, we help them build up their
sense of their own possibilities,”
Pardington said.
LCOP curriculum consists of
a day class which receives seven
credit hours upon completion, and
an evening class which receives
six credit hours. Day time sup­
port groups are also available for
students who seek additional
support outside of the normal class
time.
In class, students take place­
ment tests to help determine at
what level their skills are, and
what jobs they are most qualified
for. They work on making con­
tacts and interviewing so they
will become more comfortable in
those situations.
Students also work on a de­
tailed action plan which helps
Photo by Heidi Branstator
The Life and Career Options Program opened 10 years ago in a small house on Beavercreek Road. Today LCOP can be
found in the Family Resource Center. The program is designed to help people who are "stuck" and need a support
system.
tors. Then, if a time comes when students are self-motivated; they
they need more assistance, they just need a little direction.
“They need direction, encour­
will feel comfortable returning
agement. They have met incred­
to LCOP for support.
“This is a support system ible obstacles, and overcome them,
when they get finished. It’s the and done it as a matter of course.
best deal around. There are not We help them acknowledge all
many places you can go where they’ve done, all they’ve accom­
someone meets your needs. We plished. They don’t think they
may not do it ourselves, but we are exceptional,” she said.
“A lot of the students come
help,” Pardington said.
Part of the program involves back later (after they complete
a follow-up after the first six the program) with jobs and say
months and then every year after they love it. They are doing a lot
that. A letter is sent to each better than when they started the
student which they must fill out program. They come back feel­
and return. Then if the letter is ing comfortable, feeling like they
not returned, a call is made to the have succeeded,” Pardington said.
After the program is com­
student. This is to determine
how the student is pursuing and pleted, studies are taken to deter­
achieving his goals.
mine the success of the program,
There have been more than and the students involved. Ac­
2,000 students in LCOP. The age cording to statistics cited by
range of students is 17 to 84. Maloney, the most common
Over half of the students are be­ improvement in the students’
tween the ages of 30 and 50. The conditions was a new job or a
average age is 41, and according wage increase.
to Maloney, the age statistics are
Maloney said that the pro­
“always the same.”
gram is not only exceptional, but
Fifty-four percent of the class that the students are as well.
“There is an absolute world
is made up of displaced home­
makers. Fourty-three percent are of opportunity out there, and they
single parents, and three percent don’t know it. There are so many
fell into the other category. possibilities open to middle age
and older workers. We develop
some wonderful qualities as we
get older,” she said.
Not only is LCOP a college
"(LCOP) starts people from square one
credit class, but it also helps stu­
with what they want to do for themselves dents to gain confidence in them­
to get back into the market. We help
selves and their abilities. That is
part of what makes it such a unique
them understand their own seif worth."
program, that and the support
which is so freely given.
“LCOP is opening doors that
• Anne Pardington
I hadn’t realized were even there.
They are giving me and linking
LCOP instructor
me up with resources I need. I
think it is great,” Liz Beckman,
them plot a course of action to Twenty-five percent of the stu­ an LCOP student stated.
Delinda Rockford shared
take once they have decided on dents are married, 19 percent are
what their goals are. The stu­ single, and 56 percent are either Beckman’s views. “LCOP is very
dents use that plan throughout the divorced, separated, or widowed. eager to reach out, to please. They
course, and also when they finish
Maloney said that the pre­ sincerely care and make them­
the class so they have in writing dominant feeling when the class selves available for you,” she said.
According to Pardington and
their aspirations. Pardington said starts is fear, but that the instruc­
the action plan gives students tors address that early on. She Lynne Maloney, also an LCOP
something solid to work for.
said that when the program gets instructor, there are very few drop­
Once the- class is finished, going, the class atmosphere pro­ outs, because the students are
involved because they want to
students are encouraged to keep vides security for students.
According to Maloney, the be. “We keep supporting them
in touch with the LCOP instruc­
until they are doing what they
want to do,” Pardington said.
Liz Cunningham, an LCOP
student said the class was worth­
while. “It is a life-changing
experience that I’ll always treas­
ure,” she said.
The support plays a key role
in the success of the program and
the students, because many of
the students do not receive the
support they need from outside
of LCOP.
In a survey conducted with
43 LCOP students, 20 said they
received adequate support out­
side of the LCOP program.
However, 23 felt the program
was their only means of support.
Many of the students said that the
support they get outside of the
program is either insincere or
inadequately meets the partici­
pant’s needs.
“I still look for support and
validation. I can’t even define a
clear ’this is it’ goal, but thanks
to this class, I am more clear on
what I can and can’t do,” Joan
Lindner, an LCOP student said.
Another student said that she
received some support from her
family, however, she said they
did not understand her need for
being in the program, and that
they did not believe her goals
were important.
Interestingly, the majority of
the students who filled out the
survey stated LCOP as their major
supporter. Friends ranked next
highest on the list of supporters
with family and church coming
in on the lower end of the scale.
Deborah Pedersen said she
gets plenty of support.
“If I don’t get enough (sup­
port) outside of class, I get all I
need from the instructors and
fellow LCOP classmates,” she
said.
“It (LCOP) is a wonderful
resource for anyone who wants to
go back to work or change ca­
reers, no matter what circum­
stances you have in your life,”
she added.
Finals = stress
Expert offers solutions ,
by Tracey Roozenboom
Staff Writer ;
Webster’s Dictionary de­
fines stress as physrcal, mentai
Or emotional strain or tension.
Stress ts a good word to de-
scribefinals week, where head-
aches soem fo i» a ,co»stafrt
problem*
Before heading for the as*'
think about. 'Ttoctors say it’s
not theactuai events themselves
that make »s uptight«- it’s the
way’ we handle them/* writes
Nancy Monson in an article cm
stressm’Tirsi” magazine,
h:. The bad news about stress
is that “0 p^^tfofadulis^r
;stiesSi*:^^fidues::i:^^nronj
“SU^-Onkedfo ti^six lead*
mgeausesW-.d^ih:-'heart <0’^
caa^er^ Jung^dfeordetns,
accidents, cirrhosis of the liver
aadmmde*"' /
': - J The good news about stress
i& that there are ways to reduce
it* "Try toget plenty of sleep;
this will relieve tension and make
you foel more relaxed,"said
PaylessPharmactstBillDupris.
::$peakmg of relaxing, Duprts
also recommends taking deep
breaths and going for walks to
alleviate tension.' When asked
what type of a vitamin students
should take fot stress Dupris
suggested aBcomplex vitamin
because “itwiU give ycm en­
ergy"
'
’
nate stress is to "stay awayfrom
caffeine because it speeds up
making you more restless,”
Dupris concluded.:; t;