Memphis State University - DeSoto Yearbook (Memphis, TN)

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V. y P ' f Chakraborty from India, or Chuck as his American friends now call hhmJ him, tells the story of a certain oriental gentleman ' s arrival in Memphis for the start of his first semester at an American university. Stepping down eagerly from the bus which had brought him direct from New York, he decided to look for accommodations and recover from his traveling ordeal. On the far side of the street he noticed a welcome- looking establishment, calling itself The Pizza Inn. With great relief the student entered and, using much sign language, made it clear he needed a room. Chuck never did discover what came of the oriental gentleman that night. Such are the hazards of being an international student at Memphis State University. It ' s fortunate that interna- tionals have an effective support group which resides in the University Center. Dean Holmon and his assistants, Meg Ingles and Linda Overton, form the nucleus of International Student Associa- tion (ISA) activity on campus. The Dean takes care of the immigration and finan- cial wrangles which confront students, while Ingles and Overton concentrate on the cultural problems which inevitably follow a change of environment. Students will drift in and out of Ingle ' s office, using it as a base, peering at notice boards and leaving messages for friends. Through long experience of teaching internationals, Ingles now has an in- depth knowledge of a wide range of subjects. She not only has to know where the cheapest and most reliable cars can be bought but also at which restaurants students can find that particular diet to which they ' re accustomed. It ' s not always easy to contain such questions, especially when one ' s dealing with a multi-national group. Although Memphis State University doesn ' t actively recruit foreign students there is no shortage of numbers. There are 300 students all told, of which the largest contingent, 108, is from Malaysia. The Malaysians, due to the lack of university places in their home country, flock to Memphis for its low tuition fees. A Nike Olubadewo feels right at home as she takes advantage of International Night to show off her Nigerian costume. T Sam outfit. Adim shows off his Nigerian 22 Student Life

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Martha W. Foster, Supervisor at the Tennessee Job Services (located in Room 112 in the Health Center), said students come in daily seeking employment with Federal Express. There are currently 100-200 students on file. Foster said the students have an 85 percent chance of working there when they apply in the Job Service Office. Working part-time at Federal Express is not a stepping stone to a permanent position, said Foster. The student works there a couple of years and moves on, she added. According to Foster students have no qualms with the corporation. They ' re all excited about working for them. Nine Months of working at Federal Express from midnight to 4 a.m. isn ' t hard for junior Karl Rusterhotz. Al- though he likes working at Federal, Karl says, The hours make school very diffi- cult. Despite the hours, when asked about the pay at Federal Express, Karl answered, I love it! j JL: J.S. Vanzandt k Planes with the familiar purple logo on the sides are being loaded and unloaded at their terminals. Students quickly learn their way around the Old Hub and the newer Super Hub which are part of the Horseshoe. J.S. Vanzandt Working until 2: 30 am makes it hard to get up for a 9 o ' clock class, but most schedules can be 9 9 arranged around those classes. — David Moss, Senior Federal Express JHB

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All the World ' s a Stage Smaller groups come from India, Taiwan, Iran, Nigeria and Jordan, and there are many more. During an orientation week just prior to the start of the fall semester a sociology lecturer described foreign students as Risk Takers. This is a fitting descrip- tion of the students as a group because this is what they really are. With the support of their families they travel thousands of miles to gain an education. Some students remain in Memphis for the duration of the degree as flying home proves to be too expensive. At the same time they are gathering their credits, they also have to arrive at some tough conclusions as to whether they will remain in this country or return home with the skills they have acquired. Local Memphis families play a large part in the cultural exchange by intro- ducing students to Memphis through the Host Family Program. Most students are assigned to a host family and they continue to meet with them while they remain in the Memphis area. Many students encountered their first American Thanksgiving in this way. With support like this the ISA should continue in fine fettle, especially as Thomas Carpenter, MSU president, is convinced of the benefits of having international students on campus. J - Felix Wong, Vigneswara, Mohammed Zaki proudly display their flag. k International Night gives foreign students a chance to return Southern Hos- pitality. It is the one night they act and feel as if the UC ballroom was their own individual countries. ► The Malaysian students entertain the audience with their traditional Fentomen dance. aL International Students!