Foreign students bridge culture gap
By Margaret Maloney
Staff Reporter
Last semester, more than 1,000
students traveled from other countries
to attend the University of Nebraska
Lincoln, giving students a chance to
learn about other countries.
During the spring semester of
1987, international students repre
sented 92 countries. Among them
were 240 students from Malaysia, 83
from the Republic of Korea and 81
from China.
Judy Wendorff, foreign student
adviser of International Educational
Services, said international students
come to UNL because their own coun
tries do not have the facilities to edu
cate them at this level.
Osman Suleiman, treasurer of the
Malaysian Student Association, said
most colleges in Malaysia teach lib
eral arts but do not offer many studies
in technical fields.
Suleiman said most international
students are here on government
scholarships. Twenty percent of
Malaysia’s national budget is for
education. To prepare for education in
me united Mates, Malaysian students
attend a six- to 12-month program to
learn English. Although UNL does
not recruit students from foreign
countries, catalog information about
UNL is available for them.
Soong-Hwan Chung, president of
the Korean Student Association, said
some students come to UNL to study
under a nationally known professor.
Chung said many Korean students
come to UNL because it is more af
fordable. Chung also said he believes
that the conservative Midwestern life
style is similar to Korea’s.
Jorge Villar, a graduate student in
agronomy from Argentina and presi
dent of the Latin American Student
Association, came to UNL to study
with an agriculture professor. Last
semester, six students from Argentina
attended UNL.
Villar said that on the average it’s
uncommon for Latin American stu
dents to attend school in the United
States. Most undergraduates study in
their own country. Villar said Latin
American students attending UNL are
graduate students, and most of them
study agronomy.
Suleiman, a senior architecture
major, said he is happy with UNL.
Although international students are
here for an education, Suleiman said,
they also need to interact with Ameri
cans and learn more about their cul
ture.
However, most UNL and foreign
students do not interact with each
other unless they are in a special
interest program. Suleiman said he
believes part of the reason may be
Malaysian custom.
“It is part of our culture to be
humble or shy,” Suleiman said. “We
treat someone as a guest. Usually we
would not come up and talk to a stu
i
parents or teachers. Suleiman recalled
his first few months in Lincoln when
he would not look into his professor’s
eyes and had to explain why when his
teacher asked him what was wrong. It
also surprised Suleiman when stu
dents would question the knowledge
of their teacher.
Attending UNL has given
Suleiman the opportunity to get to
know Americans. He describes
Americans as honest, open- minded
and humorous.
“Americans have the ability to
laugh at themselves,” Suleiman said.
“I wish Malaysians would not be so
serious. When the Malaysian students
study, they study right through, and
even when they party, they party right
through. But American students can
by learning to be patient.
“Americans are always rushing,”
he said. “They are very competitive.
They need to slow down and be them
selves.”
Most international students don’t
slow down when it comes to their
studies. Suleiman said he averages 17
credit hours per semester. His deter
mination for good grades is just an
other part of his culture.
“There is much pressure from
home for good grades. It is a part of the
family name.”
Suleiman said he wants to go home
to Malaysia after graduation. Nation
ally, about 80 percent of international
students return to their countries.
Malaysia, an independent nation, is a
member of the British Common
years.
Although Suleiman has a positive
attitude toward Americans, he would
like to see American students under
stand other countries better.
“I would hope Americans have a
better awareness of the world. Most
American students just think of the
U.S. They should learn more about
other countries,” he said.
Students can learn about other
cultures through programs offered by
international student organizations.
Malaysian students organize Malay
sian Night, featuring Malaysian food
and displaying their culture and cus
toms. International students also or
ganize an International Banquet with
food and customs from their home
countries.
Rod Merta, program coordinator
for International Educational Serv
ices, sets up programs to encourage
interaction between American and
foreign students.
The English Conversation Pro
gram matches American and foreign
students who want to gain a better
understandine of each other’s culture
and language. About 50 American
students usually participate, but this
year IES increased publicity for the
program and already 45 Americans
have signed up. Every year about 80
foreign students apply.
When students are matched, IES
sends each student a packet of infor
mation on each person’s culture. The
students meet on their own to get to
know each other. At the end of the
year, IES asks participants for feed
back.
“Some have a great time,” Merta
said. “Some just don’t click. It’s hard
to quantify. But even five or 10 meet
ings is a good experience — or even
those who meet once.”
The International Student Athletic
Committee also provides interaction
among foreign students. Through Oct.
11, American and foreign students
will compete in 13 different sports
events, from basketball to table ten
nis. Last year 540 participants repre
sented 13 international groups, one
independent group and one American
group.
English seldom heard on Raymond 2
By Darcie Weigert
Staff Reporter
Listening to speakers, watching
films or attending dinner tables are
common activities that occur on
Raymond 2 in Neihardt Residence
Hall, but with one difference: they
don’t occur in English.
Residents of Raymond 2, the
Modem Language Floor, and any
one with an interest in a foreign
language may attend activities or
use the language lab facilities lo
cated there.
Spanish, German and French
language assistants live on the
Modem Language Floor. They
help language students with their
studies, run a language lab and
provide weekly activities for stu
dents, said Kelly Anders, French
language assistant.
In return for their time spent
working on the floor, assistants
receive a free room in the residence
hall.
The assistants agreed that learn
ing a language shouldn’t be a
chore, but that active use of the
language is a definite asset to learn
ing.
“Language learning is a lot
more than classroom work. It re
quires active work,” said Chris
Smith, director of the Modem
Language Floor.
Residents of the language floor,
Smith said, want to have activities
where language is not a prerequi
site but will possibly cultivate
interest for other students, since the
iloor is not entirely made up of
language majors.
“I would influence someone to
live here because of the people,”
German language student Marian
Aufdcmberge said. “There is so
much more that you can get out of
this floor that just wouldn’t exist in
other dorms.”
The floor has 16 French-, 14
Spanish- and 18 German- speaking
residents. Chinese, Japanese,
Greek, Danish, Italian, Russian
and African languages also are
spoken.
“The people on the floor are a lot
closer because of the common
interest,” said Wendy Winslow, a
Chinese language student.
Smith said that through an
nouncements and a weekly floor
newsletter, the Modem Language
Fair, the floor hopes to increase the
number of language students.
Sonna Voss, German language
assistant, said they just need time to
improve activities and gain resi
dents.
“Any foreign language requires
practice and this floor offers stu
dents the chance to speak it,” said
Tim Erickson, a German language
student.
dent unless we were addressed first.”
Respect for authority is also a part
of Malaysian culture. In Malaysia
children do not raise their eyes to their
study and then go parly. They have a
better balance.”
Suleiman said he believes Ameri
cans could benefit from Malaysians
wealth. Because it is a developing
country, Suleiman said he wants to
help his people by teaching and work
ing for the government for a couple of
Air traffic controlling
Women adapt to jobs in ‘men’s’ field
By Chris Tipton
Staff Reporter
Two University of Ncbraska-Lincoln stu
dents spend their time away from classes keep
ing Lincoln’s skies safe for air travel.
Cecilia Burgman and Theresa Haccker work
as air traffic controllers at the Lincoln Munici
pal Airport.
Burgman and Haccker became employed at
the airport through the UNL’s Inlcmship/Co
opcralivc Education Program. Burgman, 21, a
senior meteorology major, works full-time at
the airport. She said she became interested in
air traffic controlling because she knew of
another student who was involved in the pro
gram last year.
Burgman began working at the airport May
18 and will continue through the end of Decem
ber. She works at the flight service station,
where she prepares daily weather maps, takes
flight plans and briefs the pilots on the weather.
, The flight service station also performs these
duties for the Nebraska Air Guard, she said.
Next May, Burgman will go back to the
airport to work in the lower. When she finishes
her second 15 weeks, she will be offered a
permanent job at the airport, she said.
Burgman said she had no previous air traffic
controlling experience and learned everything
at the airport. ^’Meteorology was a good back
ground, though,” she said.
Haccker, a senior math major with minors in
computer science and geography, began work
ing at the airport in June. Now she attends
school full-time. Haccker, 21, works in the
tower, where she has learned to identify air
craft, and issue clearances and hourly weather
forecasts.
Haccker said she became interested in air
traffic controlling after talking to Millie Katz,
coordinator of the Internship and Cooperative
Education Office.
Although air traffic controlling in the past
has been predominantly a man’s field, more
women arc becoming involved. Only one other
female air traffic controller now works at the
Lincoln airport besides Burgman. Being em
ployed in a predominantly male field is an
advantage, Burgman said.
“You are guaranteed a job because they have
to hire a certain number of women,” she said.
“Also, all of the other controllers are really
friendly. There was already a woman working
here, so they’re used to her.”
Haccker agreed with Burgman’s assess
ment. *
“Although it’s more or less a man’s field,
there are more women in it now. The other
controllers accepted me really well because
another female co-op student had worked there
previously.”
“I play softball with them,” she added.
Air traffic controlling can be a highly stress
ful job. However, both women said they don’t
think their jobs include unbearable tension.
“I tend not to worry too much (about the
responsibility) because if you really think about
all of the people in the airplane, it just causes
more stress,” Haccker said. Also, the media
creates stress, because there is so much tension
on the Federal Aviation Administration, she
said.
“Besides, I think every job is stressful at
times; it all depends on how well you adapt.”
Burgman agreed.
“Lincoln isn’t that busy,”she said. “It would
be a lot more stressful in a larger airport like
Chicago, for example.”
As for the danger attached to air traffic
controlling, Burgman said, “I haven’t seen a
crash yet.”
Katz said students apply for the jobs through
the internship and co-op program. They then
must take an aptitude test and pass a physical
examination.
Applicants are screened by the regional
office of the Federal Aviation Administration.
Students who are accepted into the program
alternate between full study and full working
periods of about 15 weeks.
Eric Gregory/Daily Nebraskan
Cecilia Burgman works at the radio desk in the Lincoln Municipal Airport’s
flight service station Friday.
Teachers must
stress values,
Griesen says
Increased interaction between
students and profs essential
By Bob Nelson
Staff Reporter
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln needs
to stress values in undergraduate classes, said
James Griesen, UNL vice chancellor for stu
dent affairs. .
Griesen, who spoke Monday in the East
Union, said class si/.cs, testing methods and
faculty detachment make students more likely
to cheat or not take a sincere interest in a
subject.
Cheating isrampantin many of UNL’s large
classes, Griesen said. He said he has heard
students say they cheat because they need to
“get by” since everyone else is cheating.
Undergraduate classes should be structured
more like graduate classes, with more interac
tion between instructor and students, he said.
The relationship between students and profes
sors is more constructive in graduate courses,
he said, because in smallerclasses the professor
is more in touch with the students.
Griesen praised the colleges of Journalism
and Law for exemplifying the ideal relation
ship between students and professors in and out
of the classroom.
Humanities courses arc important, he said,
because knowledge of the great written works
of mankind is essential to good values and
ethics.
Griesen cited a recent survey to prove the
lack of humanities in today’s schooling.
“The survey asked juniors in high school if
they knew when the Civil War took place,” he
said. “Two-thirds of them couldn’t place it
within a half century of the actual date.”
Griesen said he saw similar historical igno
rance when he taught a University Foundations
course at UNL.
Humanities courses need to be stressed at all
levels of education, Griesen said, but he found
it disheartening to sec U NL students ’ ignorance
of humanities.