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• What may be a simple annoyance formost peopleis an obstacle for others. Tracey Furr, a graduate student with cerebralpalsy, uses herwheelchair when carryingthings ormoving long distances. This makes gettingto many placesan extreme challenge physically-challenged students

• Physicallychallenged students cheered when the new wheelchair ramps were installed invariouslocations around campus. Aftera longwait, the eightnew ramps constructed made campus buildings more accessible.

• A familiarsight on campus — seminary student Paul Ross,his seeing-eye dog, Pierre, and fellow studentRobertAllen escorteach otherto classes Pierre provides"eyes" for Paul,enabling him toenjoythe independence he desires.

Christiansburg Roanoke Lynchburg

Her alarm clockbuzzes, and her armsflail wildly, grasping forthe snoozebutton took him todrive here,and then turns aroundand startsthe driveback home tohiswife and twochildren.

She forcesher eyes open,blinking furiously inanattempt tokeep them thatway.

The numbers on her clock slowly beginto emerge from thered blur infrontof her 3:10.

Dr. David Ehrman, professor of Keyboard Pedagogy,commutes from hisfar-off home inMissis sippi.

No, It can't be . . . wait, maybe it can. Oh no . . . please tell me I don't have school today.

She struggles out from under the covers and hitstheicyfloorwith her bare feet.

It's a good thing I managed to get only Tuesday! Thursday classes. This commuting stuff may be okay ifyou live in Lynchburg, but Virginia Beach? . . .

He kisses his wife good-bye and begins his longdrive.

The moon is high overhead and still he drives.

He stops foracup ofcoffee, struggling to keep hiseyes from closing onthefamiliarroad.

He doesn'thave much company inhis nocturnaljourney, but he keeps hismind occupied tostay awake

He watches abeautiful sunrise ashe nears the end ofhisjourney.

Injustafew shorthours,he is busy with his students

He spends justover twice aslong oncampus as it

By road,thetripis about 13hours, butflying makes thingsalittle easieron hisschedule.

When he flies, he leaveshishouse at4:00 a.m., drivestoMemphis,Tenn., andcatches a6:40 flight to Lynchburg.

Ehrman has taught at LU for 16 years and just recently moved toMississippi, where hiswife'sfamily lives.

"We thought it would be bestforour kids to be around thefamily asthey aregrowing up Asfar as teaching here, wejustthought it seemed rightforme tocontinue."

We may think they're crazy, but they're simply commuters.Not your ordinary Old Millresidentswho wake up20 minutes before classstarts, take a shower and still make it toclassontime (depending onyour definitionof"on time"), but thepeople whogo to extremes toavoid dorm life, curfew, orrelocation.

Coming from asfaraway asAppomattox, Danville, Roanoke andVirginia Beach,they stretchthe definition of"commute" tonew dimensions

• Raising phone bills to phenomenal heights, junior Gerri Jtultz lamentsthe 11-month separation from boyfriend Roy Evans