University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

Page 19 text:

c olor, illumination, and motion are three essential characteris- ti( s of the Michigan mos.iu . Among the liveliest and most color- ful personages on the campus are those who each year leave behind their homes in other lands and conic to .1 far-off place called Michigan to study. Bringing with them a wealth of na- tional and cultural heritage, they move quietly among us, in- quiring, listening, exchanging ideas and views. Their ways are not our ways. There are many adjustments to be made, many new customs to learn, many strange enigmas to contemplate. American students seem constantly in a rush; they can be very brash, very loud, and at times unkind. Ameri- can ways are streamlined, designed for .1 fast pace; they can seem confusing and cold to newcomers. But the international student quickly discovers that although many do ignore him, there are still some who care there are those who will help him find a room, who will chat with him, who will be his friend. A chance encounter sometimes leads to a warm association, a friendship based on rapport which spans the cultural gulf. This, after all, is the purpose of coming to an American school: to learn to understand people, people whose background is differ- ent from one ' s own. Coming t study in a foreign land requires great strength of purpose, determination, and even courage. It is a turning point in anyone ' s life. It means stepping out of familiar and comfort- able habits, and opening one ' s mind to new views, some of which may be extremely disturbing. It means learning to give and to rctcive, both in a new and unfamiliar idiom. Coming to the University to study means self-insight plus the ability to relate to others. It means assuming one ' s own, individual place in the vast multi-colored mosaic of Michigan.

Page 18 text:

Color and contrast on the American scene International students at the Union demonstrate conclusively that other cultures and customs have their role, not only within the liberal arts classroom of the University, but in the social life of all her students. Friendships first formed during freshman dorm days are preserved by a weekly get-together over a snack. Contrast in cultures is typical of the Michigan scene. But the attraction of window-shopping is world-wide, and understood by women everywhere. 14

Page 20 text:

% A round the periphery of the Michigan mosaic, giv ing it a flavor and a tone, are certain elements of college culture. College culture means simply the composite of everything nobody studies but everybody knows about. It grows up insidiously, out of catchy phrases, out of being together, out of the many interests that somehow only students share. It is the product of many hours of incidental learning, all of which is mysteriously so much easier than the other kind. College culture shows up best in the ways we spend our leisure time and the things we do to- gether, just for fun. Each student has his own fa- vorite way of losing himself. A movie at the Campus, complete with Mr. Magoo cartoon; read- ing Peanuts over coffee; a Bohemian apartment party; a date for the Eddie Hey wood jazz concert these are elements of college culture. There are the intellectual pursuits: browsing at Bob Marshall ' s or listening to high-brow hi-fi ' s at the Music Center. There are the afternoon activ- ities: coffee at the Betsy Ross, shopping at the Collins Shop, the frisbee game at the house, or just plain chatting on the stone benches in Mason Hall. And of course, there is evening fun : two tickets for the Musket or G. S. show, bowling at the Union or ice skating at the Coliseum, the pledge formal, the house party, or perhaps a study date. The many elements that make up the unique culture of college days arise from the reality of be- ing with others. Each student at Michigan learns, somewhere along the way, to relate himself to those around him, to shape and adjust and orient his life so that it makes sense, so that it fits into the pattern of the real world. Just being together is not quite enough; being together must extend to inter-relat- ing before that pattern emerges.