Truman State University - Echo Yearbook (Kirksville, MO)

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Educational goals brought us to the University where we discovered that it also served as our first unifying factor. In the academics area, the input of students, faculty and administration energized our interdependence. The value-added concept continued its influence as we searched for academic excellence, evaluated our programs and investigated the possibility of becoming the state’s liberal arts university. Divisions tightened stand- ards to upgrade the quality of education, which was seen in the revamping of the math general education require- ment. The state legislature changed secondary educa- tion criteria to provide better- prepared teachers. Our educational methods kept learning innovative with travel workshops, unusual and diversified majors and the improvement of facilities. Our continued growth in the educational process focused our attention on the combined efforts of shared strength. In focus — Television broadcasting students. Helmut Dumfahrt. fr.. and Shelby Burgett. jr.. put together a music video for their class project. They were required to create their own versions of the trendy art form. See page 22 Academics Division

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On the boards — Members of the House Higher Education Committee Winnie Weber, secretary Jo Ann Hibson and Everett Brown attend an informa- tional meeting held in the Student Union Building. Sec page 20 On film — In pro lab. Amy George, graduate student, assists Susie Zwicki. fr.. with the autoload film projector. Education majors had to take the course to learn to use various media. See page 34 mti Demolition team — Campus renovators Herbert Truce and Dan Szabados. jr.. pry apart fixtures on the green house that was once located near Science Hall. Renovations began in the fall. See page 12

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Workshops pack credit into Suitcase full of culture I was on a subway and a drunk Japanese businessman came up to me and tried to prac- tice his karate and English on me. Needless to say, his karate was much better than my English, said Terry Dunseith, senior. Dunseith added that it was by far one of the most in- teresting things to happen to him while visiting japan. He was one of 20 students who were part of a travel workshop to that country. But it Japan would not have interested you. you could have had the choice of going to Costa Rica or the Soutneastern United States. Of course, anybody could go on vacation, but the students on these three trips gained a little something extra — col- lege credits. Six students paved the way for future summer exchange programs to Costa Rica by spending eight weeks travel- ing the country and living with Spanish-speaking host families. After discovering student interest in the pro- gram, Vera Piper, Spanish in- structor and native of Costa Rica, made arrangements through her family in Costa Rica for possinle host families. The only prere- quisite for participation was completion of Intermediate Spanish I. Although the students spent a majority of the trip with their host families, the group also made several overnight trips to various cities, spent a week on the Pacific Coast and took a five-day excursion to Panama. In Panama City, the students watched ships from all over the world pass in and out of the canal and the enor- mous lock fill up with water to allow ocean-liners through the passageway. Because im- ports were easily accessible, the group did a great deal of shopping due to extremely low prices in the city. The trip, plus air fare, housing and six college credit hours cost the student about $1,450. which Piper con- sidered very economical. For eight weeks and all those things included, you couldn’t find a better price.” Piper said. The reasonable rice was partially due to the ospita lity of the host families and their willingness to provide housing for the students. Carol Trampe, senior Eng- lish education major who was considering a second major in Spanish, said the trip had been affordable, beneficial and enjoyable. Every day was a learning experience. There was no sit- ting in class with pencil and paper. If you wanted to com- municate you had to speak Spanish because the majority of the host families didn't speak English. she said. Trampe found her lang- uage skills put to the test dur- ing her last day in Costa Rica. Faced with having to find her way back to the home of her host family, she could not find the bus stop. It took me one hour and a half. I asked 30 people direc- tions. and finally I found it. It was scarv. but I was so proud when I climbed onto that bus and I knew I'd made it on my own.” she said. During the excursion, the group attended a festival in the small town of Tilaran, where the people were celebrating the town's patron saint day. Tilaran was very similar to a small town that might have been found in Iowa or northeastern Missouri except that a large Catholic church instead of a courthouse dominated the middle of the square. The festival, called a tur- ni” in Spanish, was very typical of Costa Rica. Children were dressed in the bright traditional town costumes and vendors sold various Spanish pastries like orejas, melcochon and candy-coated peanuts called mani’gadapinadas. The high- point of tne festival for the students came at a dance on Friday nivht when Lionel Richie’s “Hello. a not-so- traditional Spanish song, was a favorite. Visiting Costa Rica gave some students a different view of their own country. It tave me a lot of pride, ecause they (Costa Ricans) idolize the United States. said Jerelyn Potts, senior in- terpersonal communication major. I also realized that we don't have it so bad here. We take a lot of things for granted.” While Piper pioneered a trip to Costa Rica. A1 Srnka. faculty adviser of the Japanese Language and Culture Studies Program, ac- companied another group of students to Japan. It was part of the exchange program with Hosei University. Students earned 12 college credit hours by attending classes in Japanese history and language for eight weeks. The group then spent the following tnree weeks traveling throughout the country. Students were selected according to their grade point average and an essay concerning interest in the program. Interest in the program has grown so much that students were turned away for the first time. said Srnka. Srnka said that interest in the program had continued to expand. In Spring 1984. courses in the Japanese language were added to the curriculum which eventually enabled students to spend an entire academic year study- ing in the country. That’s something we wanted to work on.” Srnka said. Although the program was in its fourth year, it was not without new experiences. For the first time, the group traveled to Taipei. Taiwan during the last leg of their journey. The people of Taipei were wonderful to us. The Ministry of Education made arrangements for us to go to the national museum and the university at their ex- pense, said. Srnka. The trip, which included transportation to and within Japan, plus housing and tui- tion. cost $2300. Srnka urged students not to let finances hold them back.” Students with a G.P.A. above 3.0 usually got a loan from the University that they could partially pay back through work programs, said Srnka. Piper said that she had made f'romo One: Impromptu classroom for visiting students rises from the steps of the ticket outlet of Meiji Miura. a village that visually depicts the history of |apan through its buildings, costumes and artifacts. Frame Ttva In order to depict traditional (apanese housing, two men build a section of a park dedicated to housing in Yokohama, japan Frame Three: Cross-legged artist uses intense concentration when painting intricate designs on (apanese teacups in his family-operated shop. Frame Four: A burst of insanity seizes Mary Beth Nowlan. jr.. an intern with the summer (apanese program, to join a group of lapanese students posing for a formal class picture. — Photos by Al Srnka Academics = 8 = Travel Workshops