Lending a helping hand…

Wednesday, May 15, 1996

By Jennifer Louie

Daily Bruin Contributor

Developmentally disabled high school students are teaching UCLA
students a valuable lesson in life.

About 40 UCLA students made a year-long commitment to Best
Buddies, a program designed to help mildly to moderately
developmentally disabled Santa Monica High School students
integrate into society.

But while lending a hand, many of these students said they found
eye-opening realizations about their "buddies" that they had not
anticipated.

"Best Buddies is a learning experience for both college and high
school volunteers," said Carla Carrillo, a second-year
physiological sciences student and the program’s membership
director.

"The college volunteers realize that they actually have a lot
more in common with their buddies than they had expected. The high
school volunteers, who are sheltered by their parents, home and
classmates, learn a way to go out into mainstream society,"
Carrillo explained.

Because of the similarities volunteers share with their buddies,
Carrillo said the term "differently abled" is more appropriate than
mentally disabled people.

The buddies get to share their similarities in organized group
activities in public places. Programs include "adopt a beach," in
which buddies help clean up a beach, and a trip to Disneyland.

"Disneyland has people from the most diverse backgrounds and
people from all around the world. What better activity to prevent
stereotypes?" asked Sandy Cox, a second-year psychology student and
director of the program.

The heart-crushing stares and laughs the students received at
Disneyland illustrated the pressing need to improve community
awareness, Cox said.

"It’s important that the community sees that they are not poor,
pathetic people. They can be functional in society and the
community," said Mike Warren, a third-year history student and
volunteer for the program.

Because the program aims to reduce ignorance toward
developmentally disabled people, organizers said they try to cast
their net as widely as possible in the search for volunteers.

"We want to educate as many people as possible," Cox explained,
adding that a greater number of volunteers will more efficiently
help promote community awareness. Though any UCLA student is
eligible to join, some volunteers said the responsibility that
comes with the position is difficult for some people.

"Best Buddies is not for everyone. To be a good buddy, you must
be patient ­ some students are either very extroverted and
talkative or introverted and don’t talk much at all. You must have
an interest in working with people, not just for your resumé.
You also have to be committed," Carrillo said.

Many volunteers said the program’s only drawback is fellow
volunteers’ failure to commitment to their buddies. Lack of
responsibility on the college volunteers’ behalf results in
distress for their high school buddies, members said.

"The teens don’t understand why the students sometimes drop out
(of the program) and this affects their physical well-being," Cox
said.

Cox explained that a student once became sick with
disappointment and vomited after his buddy was unable to pick him
up for an activity.

But she added that faithful commitment to a buddy more often
than not proves effective in helping them to "come out of their
shell." Cox said that a high school buddy, who was initially not
talkative or participative, began laughing and screaming when she
saw other buddies having fun at a beach activity.

Though bonding may be difficult at first, becoming friends is
more natural for volunteers and their respective buddies because
they don’t judge each other by their appearance, said Michael Hann,
a third-year psychobiology student and the program’s
coordinator.

Hann added that the program made him realize the importance of
having a friend, no matter who the friend is.

"(The buddies) feel great that they have somebody who doesn’t
judge them and will be there for them. It builds their
self-confidence to succeed in society," Hann said.