Mercer University - Cauldron Yearbook (Macon, GA)

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Mercer Means More sn 19

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Marius Steen Foreign Exchange Student September 7, 1978, Marius Steen stepped off a plane in Boston, Mass. and no more than an hour later did he encounter his first real scare in the United States. In the crowded and confusing Boston airport, Marius ' objective was to get from one terminal to the next to change airlines for the flight to Atlanta. The second terminal was adjacent to the one he was in, but he had limited time to get there. And — as luck had it — the passenger cars were going one-way — the opposite way. Frustrated and frightened already, he boarded the cart, hoping said cart had been inspired by the Boston Marathon. Luck works in both ways. Said cart, after having gone completely around the airport, reached Marius ' second terminal on time. He boarded his Atlanta-bound plane literally seconds before the steps were taken away and the door closed. This story is representative of Marius Steen ' s ups and downs in America. In alternating years with Wesleyan College of Macon, Mercer University takes an exchange student from another country sponsored by Macon ' s Rotary Club. Marius, a native of Oslo, Nor- way, was this year ' s representative. At this time he began a living and learning experience which will affect him for the rest of his life. In the summer of 78 Marius was looking forward to his trip not only for its valuable learning experiences, but because he was going through a difficult period at home. To put it lightly, Marius has a heart . Upon meeting him, one can see that he is a concerned and sensitive person. This is evident in his attitude towards friends and acquaintances, and humanity as a whole. One group in which he was involved at Mercer is the Student World Hunger Committee. He believes people must become more aware of and concerned about world hunger. Once informed, Mar- ius feels immediate action should be taken by individuals in sacrific- ing meals in their homes, hoping that the ideal of sacrifice will spread throughout the earth. And Marius is one who practices what le preaches, stating that on only 3 days of the year did he throw way any waste food. I felt terrible about even that, he said. Academically, Marius is a serious student who enjoys History and Political Science courses. Because his knowledge of the English language is not perfect, he spends more time than the average student in preparing for classes. As he has a strong interest in politics, he hopes to enter Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in the fall to further pursue studies in this subject. But Marius is not completely serious. Young Mr. Steen has a great sense of humor and is involved in many activities. Twice weekly he went with Dr. McManus of the Christianity Dept. to the YMCA to swim. Marius made one of the trips to Beech Mountain, N.C. in January to snow ski, and naturally felt right at home. Snow skiing and sailing are two of his favorites in Norway. He enjoys reading and listening to music, not only Bob Dylan, Dan Fogelburg, and Supertramp, but Bach and Beethoven as well. Lastly he enjoys traveling, spending time in Washington and Florida during Christ- mas break. Spring break took him to Colorado for ten days of skiing and mixing with fellow Norwegians in the mountains. Before return- ing to Norway in July, his schedule included a bus trip through the Eastern U.S. His tour included stops in New Orleans and Nashville, and then up to Washington, Philadelphia, and New York. Marius has learned a great deal through his experiences at Mer- cer and in America. In his nine months, the young Norwegian has gained confidence in himself and come to realize that his values and standards are equal to or higher than that of the average person. Through his friendships and acquaintances in America, he has been fortunate enough to broaden his ideas about humanity and its differ- ing lifestyles. Mercer was fortunate in that Marius Steen walked this way , if but once. 20