• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1987-04-10_Vol52_No23_02

Perspectives enri——i !■ iuwimmmmmmmmmmmmmMmim^^Kmmmmmmmmmmmmmm The Western C^olinian_2_ April 10.1087 Editor's Notebook Andrew Dawkins Editor in Chief Diplomats In Our Backyard ■ The following is an article that appeared in Newsweek of Feb. 16 by Mark D. Rentz. Rentz teaches English in the department of international studies at Arizona State University. It is reproduced here because I feel its message is pertinent also to the Cullowhee experience. Last year, after we invited my foreign students to dinner, my wife and I were astonished to learn that we were in all likelihood breaking bread with future world leaders. One of my students, Khaled, in replying to another student's question, mentioned that his father had been president for five years. "Of what company?" I asked. "Of my country," he replied. His wife nodded, adding, "President Abdullah al- Salial. Khaled's father, is commonly referred to as having given birth to North Yemen." From across the table came other foreshadowings of greatness: architects from Thailand and Mexico pursuing postgraduate degrees; the fifth- and 57tii-ranked undergraduate students in all of Tunisia; a Japanese educator; a brilliant and highly awarded Korean opera singer; the daughter of an Egyptian national assemblyman. That night I realized the possibilities of international diplomacy and envisioned a blockbuster sequel to Dale Carnegie's best seller—"How to Win Friends and Influence Nations." According to Lawson Lau, author of "The World at Your Doorstep," one-third to one-half of the world's top positions in politics, business, education, and the military will be filled in the next 25 years by foreign students attending colleges and universities in the United States. Some of the puzzled and bewildered and sometimes unimpressive-looking sojourners in our dorms, cafeterias and classrooms may one day assume national responsibities in their countries. How we treat them now could have lasting global consequences. The next time you see a friendless foreign student, just remember that the presidents, prime ministers and princes of the following countries studied in our own backyard: El Salvador (Jose Napoleon Duarte at Notre Dame); Phillipines (Corazon Aquino at College of Mount St. Vincent, New York); Mexico (Miguel de la Madrid at Harvard); Zimbabwe (the Rev. Canaan Sodindo Banana at Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington D.C); Malawi (Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda at Universityof Chicago and Meharry Medical College in Tennessee); Sweden (Ingvar Carlsson at Northwestern); Greece (Andreas G. Papandreou at Harvard); Jamaica (Edward Philip George Seaga at Harvard); Belize (Manuel Esquivel at Loyola); Iceland (Steingrimur Hermannsson at Illinois aril California Institutes of Technology), and King Birendra Bir Bikram Shad Dev of Nepal(Harvard). Although most foreign students are satisfied with their academic experience in the United States, many also have said that they hate America because they feel that Americans published in 1976, 40 percent of the 247 foreign students surveyed at 38 Southern universities felt "unwelcome, lonely and isolated," and the situation is not much different in the North. One of my foreign students, representing the view of many, made this damning observation:"Americans are very friendly, but they don't make good friends." Since a number of foreign students had asked me for advice on how to make friends with Americans, I helped develop a program in the English language and culture division which seeks to pair foreign and American students for an hour or so a week of friendly conversation. The first time we tried to run "Conversation Partners," we were inundated with requests from foreign students who were willing and wanting—but mostly had to wait because we couldn't attract enough American students. We finally contacted church groups and community-service organizations so our students could meet face to face and on a regular basis with average Americans. ^ Peace Corps; Making a foreign friend is really one of the easiest things in the world to do. They don't necessarily need us to do things for them, they just need us to do things with them. They are, by and large, courteous, ambitious, bright and sociable. According to the Institute of International Education, they are unmarried (80 percent), male (70.7 percent) and supported by personal or family funds (67.1 percent). Almost one out of five is working toward a master's degree; one in 10 is enrolled in a doctoral program. They come from 187 different countries and all 343,777 of them are spread across the United States. Alaska has 234 international students. See DIPLOMATS Page Six The Trouble Shooter Have you run up against a bureaucratic brick-wall'.' Have you been involved in u summon which has let' you battled.' Or Arc vou just curious and want to findout the facts about campus scuiilchut.' Let The Western Carolinian's Trouble Shooting Department gel the low-down on what's going on - for you and the rest of die student body. More than likely die problems you've encountered have beenfaced by mani of your fellow students. The Western Carolinian is willing to undertake the steps necessary lo help, aid or inform you about those situations vou want to know more about. Contact our offices al 22~'-'/'267 or drop by and see us in the Old Student I inon budding. The \ eslern t arolinian is published wcek/i by the Publication board (>/ Western Carolima I niwrsfty. Ii is an independent student publication that relieves u. funding through student activities fees and advertising. Subscriptions arc available al $16.01) per year ($10.fK) Canada/. Ihe Western (arolinian is primed m the Waynesville Mountaineer in Waynesville. S.C. Sex, Drugs and Violence! Reading the various and sundry news publications this week was better than reading a Harold Robbins novel and it cost a lot less. No, I didn't have to turn on the tube or be advised that the movie I was about to watch required parental discretion. Nothing had to be carried home in plain brown wrappers, and should my parents call and ask what I was watching, all I had to say was "The six o'clock news." Yes, sex was everywhere. Drugs were everywhere. And, talk about violence But first lets talk about sex. Now for the last few weeks, I kept saying to myself that I was not going to use the continuing saga of Jim and Tammy as column material. After all, what more could be said - it is your basic story of greed, lust, and deception. But I could not resist the temptation any longer. Especially after seeing Tammy sprawled on the cover of the National Enquirer imitating a brazen hussy. I know that originally there must have been some truly humanitarian and charitable reason for this seductive pose, but unfortunately it had been lost under the sheets that Jim and Jessica shared. Perhaps Tammy was in the grips of a Dristan overdose at the time this picture was taken and didn't know what she was doing. (I do suggest that if you are the type to buy the National Enquirer, don't miss this one. It is sure to be a collector's item.) Now back to Bob, Carol, Ted, and Alice, or better known as Jim, Jessica, Gary, Karen, and Tammy with an extra player (I will assume you know all these people and will not bore you with introductions). Well the latest titillating reports have it, that Jim was not led down the path of wickedness by evil and deceptive friends, a backrub, and a woman who amazed him with her seductive prowess. No, Jim turns out to be a leacherous, middle-aged-crazed man, who in virgin Jessica's words, and this has to be the quote of the decade, "couldn't get enough!" The reason Jim "couldn't get enough" is that Tammy was lusting (in her heart of course) for Gary, the husband of her best friend, Karen. Karen, who claims she lost Gary because of Tammy, now promises "to reveal to all" Tammy's most innermost confidences. In the meantime, Jessica herself has promised to unravel her side of this doomed tryst. Believe me folks, the best is yet to come. (This is definitely the time to buy that subscription to "USA Today".) wM«M»«aiaMti:>fi,"Mi ;;i;Mij Moving to the foreign front, sex could also be found in Moscow. Not to diminish the seriousness of the situation regarding the compromising of the security in the new US embassy in Moscow, but the mentality of the administrators responsible, needs to be examined. While this column was not directed towards the subjects of niavete and ignorance, one can wonder why our illustrious officials are so surprised to find out that there have been security compromises made by the Soviet contractors that they themselves hired. (I gtiess these bureaucrats were too busy thinking up ways to keep the Soviets at bay in Nicaragua and with SDI's to think about steel girders in Moscow.) This is the same mentallify that is aghast that young, single, hot-blooded American boys would be desirous of female companionship, even if that female companionship is Russian. -Well on to drugs and violence. I am afraid that the final two subjects of this week's column will have to be brief and to the point. I am running out of room, and I refuse to be continued on the back of page ten. But back to the point - Does the story of the CIA enlisting the aid of known drug traffickers to finance the herioc battles of the Contras in Nicaragua sound like a spy thriller novel to you. Well, the "57th Street" news show an in depth expose on how the CIA did just that. Reports have it that not only were profits from drug dealers themselves were allowed to land at an Air Force base in Florida and these drug dealers were provided with a cab to get them home safely. —And who said Amy Carter didn't know what she was protesting. As for violence, Republican Congressman Jack Kemp of New Yorkannounced his candidacy for the 1988 Presidential elections. In an interview Kemp said, in essence, that he was in favor of promoting guerilla warfare in third world countries for the name of freedom (of course). I ask you — Would you vote for this man? Well they always said truth is stranger than fiction. Hollywood — "Eat your heart out." Erin Millner is News and Entertainment Editor for The Western Carolinian. Man, That Was Too Close For Comfort Well, the Cullowhee terrorist is no longer on the loose, having been surrounded by more lawmen and firepower than Custer saw at the Little Bighorn. The fellow is known as Bill the Bomber, secret agent for hire. He's fought in more wars than the average couple right before their divorce. We had an opportunity to go live with the Cullowhee terrorist a few days ago. Here is some of what the big guy said. WCU Reporter: Well Bill why did you shoot everybody in the house? Cullowhee Terrorist: They was home! WCU Reporter: Didn't you have any deeper reason behind what you did to that police officer? Cullowhee Terrorist: Yeah, I was trying to make contact with moderate elements in the White House. WCU Reporter: You mean you wanted to attract the attention of Oliver North, Ronald Reagan and the CIA? Cullowhee Terrorist: No, no Chancellor Coulterand Dr. Stillion!! WCU Reporter: Oh, you mean that White House. At that point the interview was interrupted. Aircraft flew in overhead, dropping 500 pound bombs, napalm and a tunafish sandwich. Tanks rolled in and began shelling. Flame throwers started torching everything flamable. I and the rest of the press asked what was going on. The chief big/bad hombre for the Metro-Cullowhee security forces said, "It's our insertion and removal team getting warmed up and ready to go in and take out the Communist guerilla." A member of a television crew said, "I didn't see no thar gorilla. And I shore didn't see no common mess." Someone from Atlanta jumped in, "What's this about a mess hall? We've been out here all night! I'm starved!" All of a sudden sirens wailed, bullets flew, women and small children began to cry as fhe leader of the good guys said, "All right, pinko punk, you've got five minutes to come out or we send in ♦he Contras!" No reponse from Bill the Bomber except for a rock at the fellow from Atlanta (he ducked). The chief big/bad hombre got on his $12 million satellite-laser-tracking-starbug radio and called for the Contras. A voice replied, "Weeeeelll, Nancy and I ...." static for a moment, then "This is General Beauregard Brutus Bodillicious speaking for this here U.S. Army Commander-in-Chief. May I help you." "We need the Contras. The Cullowhee terrorist is on the loose. He's raped the cattle and driven off the women. We've tried everything except the Contras and a nuclear strike." "Well, no the Contras are mighty busy but we could probably use Bill in our forces. Send him down." "No, no we want the Contras to fight Bill the Bomber and allow Cullowhee the right to have free and open elections." "Now, hold on there, boy. The Contras are a peaceloving force. They don't do that kind of thing." "What about their current assignment?" Static, no more communications were possible. The Metro-Cullowhee security forces unfortunately did not have an atomic bomb. But they did have one thing that that nasty terrorist Bill could not get access to: a steady supply of umbrellas. With no way to get this vital product Bill is sure to fall. The house where See BILL THE BOMBER Page Three Satan: I've called all of you here to Pandemonium to bend our glorious minds to the ever going problem of destroying earth, and especially its inhabitants. Ever since we won the war, we've been besieged by the angels on earth. We've tried every trick we know to abolish the human race the Monarch started, and the pests are still alive. What has the royal committee come up with this week? Moloch: I still think we should kill them outright, Satan: We should use the bomb knowledge that we gave them. Just blam!, there goes the whole meaningless species. Then we could make a whole new creation, with animals we could love. (Kind of like me, I suspect.) Satan: Moloch, you know the rules. We can't kill them, because we would kill an angel, and then we would lose all that we've gained all these years. The rules of this game say that we HAVE to let them destroy themselves. Just a few more brilliant plans Hell Regained on our part and we'll have pushed the final button anyway. We're so close, and we do have until the end of this century anyway. •Mammon: I think we should step up Business' plans. He seems to be doing well with the younger generations this year. They're screaming "Profits, Profits, we'll do ANYTHING to be rich," (atleastsome of them are.) I do have some bad news to report, sir, well, (Lightning, Thunder), some of the humans have found out about the electricity throwback sir. Well, it must have been an angel somewhere who started the research on Electro-Magnetic radiation. Somehow the press got a hold of it. But, sir, I'm working on it...the American government has pulled all the funds for researching it further. And the electric companies are all researching it you know what that means, sir. I also am keeping tabs on the Tropical Rain Forest, sir. They are still chopping it down. Maybe eventually they'll lose their breath before they realize what has happened. Satan: Mammon, you have GOT to be more careful with your divulsions to the humans. Remember that there are some out there who care, and if enough of them care, we might LOSE. And you know what I think of LOSERS...(Crash, Shatter, Boom). Belial: Sir, I have a report that is a little more encouraging. There seems to be a rise in the suicide rate of young people all over the world. They don't seem to be able to handle all the Dressures that society throws at them. The people seem to be losing their young to apathy, drugs, and cars. The people are increasing their interest in themselves again, (which, of course, is the best thing to be interested in). This self-interest is reflected by the leaders of the countries, and tensions continue to build within their word-play. Beelzebub: It's really only a matter of time now Satan. All of these great works and ideas we have planted down there will eventually add up to destruction. Most people don't even know what to believe, or who to believe in. Just recently, in America, one of their preachers took a step down for the sake of "justice." Someofthehumanswere inan uproar. We make a difference in our little ways. Satan: Well, things may turn our way after all. All we need is a little more time. We can still turn this thing decidedly in our favor if we can come up with a few new ideas. Hmm... chemicals, money, war, crime, population, pollution Amika Amerson is a special contributor to Perspectives. The Student Voice... Edwin Carlton Photos This week Edwin Carlton approached members of the WCU faculty and staff to get their responses to the following questions: (1) Do you think student evaluations provide helpful feedback on teaching performance? (2) Do you think students take these evaluations seriously? Maxie Beaver Acting Head, Music Department 1. Student evaluations can be useful to both the faculty' member In evaluating his/her classroom performance and to the students. It allows them an opportunity to reflect upon what they have learned in the class and how the professor has communicated with the students. 2. Some do, some don't. Charlotte Holmes'Prof. English 1. Yes. it's very helpful to learn where one should have placed more emphasis - where the student felt he or she needed more information or encouragement. It's also helpful to find out where the student thinks you're coming through most effectively. 2. They seem to take it seriously. There are always the silly responses, but most students seem to really think about what they write. Jim Smith Professor of Fine Arts 1. Yes. I feel students are able to observe certain characteristics otherwise not seen by myself or the staff. 2. I hope so.... Yes, if the student is serious about what he/she is doing. Ann Chambers Instructor, Special Services 1. Yes. I thing they are very helpful. Students often give helpful suggestions for changes I might make. 2. I believe most students take It seriously. bod Sawyer -English Instructor 1. Yes. It Is especially important for the younger, inexperienced instructors. 2. Yes, if they are presented in a serious manner by the student.

The Western Carolinian is Western Carolina University's student-run newspaper. The paper was published as the Cullowhee Yodel from 1924 to 1931 before changing its name to The Western Carolinian in 1933.

• Creator
  • Western Carolina University
• Format
  • Publications (documents)
• Type
  • Text
• Date
  • Date original: 1987-04-10
  • Date digitized: 2019-04-09
• Extent
  • Dimension: 22.75" x 15"
  • Pages: 14 pages
• Subject - Topic
  • College student newspapers and periodicals
  • Cullowhee (N.C.) -- Newspapers
  • Universities and colleges -- North Carolina -- Cullowhee -- Newspapers
• Location
  • Jackson County (N.C.)
  • Cullowhee (N.C.)
• Source institution
  • Western Carolina University
• Source Collection
  • WCU Students Newspapers Collection
• Identifier
  • HL_WesternCarolinian_1987-04-10_Vol52_No23
• Repository
  • Western Carolina University Hunter Library