University of Northern Iowa - Old Gold Yearbook (Cedar Falls, IA)

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Living American Style UNI Foreign Students are Challenged to Learn and Achieve Konnichiwa, bonjour, mar- haba, hola, guten morgen. These are just a few hello's extended to the student body from the foreign students studying at UNI. There were 131 foreign students enrolled for the 1985 86 academic year. The majority of these students were from Malaysia, but other countries in- cluded Japan, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Taiwan, South Africa, Korea, China, France, Austria and various nations of Central and South America. Linda Jemigan, program assistant (while advisor Germana Nijim was in China), stated, Usually foreign students come to the college for four years or until their major is completed. They're usually around age 20, but there are students enrolled from ages 17 to 56. A prospective student can discover UNI in many different ways. Educa- tional Services such as LASPAU (Latin American Scholastic Program of American Universities) provide catalogs of colleges and universities in the United States. Counselors and advisors in the students' home countries circulate recruitment letters and correspondences with schools. Shin Chin Lee, of Malaysia, explained that she found out about UNI through the Malaysian- American Commission on Educational Exchange Agency. I contacted them, stated Lee, and my referral advisor helped me choose ten schools. I sent for brochures, then decided on UNI. As part of UNI's application pro- cedure, Jernigan noted, All past academic records and any diplomas earned to attest to their education must be sent to the university. They must also take the Test of English as a Foreign Language exam if their native language isn't English. Undergraduate foreign students are not granted financial aid by the Univer- sity of Northern Iowa. Graduate foreign students may compete with U.S. students for graduate assistantships. Among the governments represented on our campus by foreign students, the Malaysian government expends the greatest amount towards student educa- tion. A student may apply to the In- stitute for International Education to be granted partial or full tuition waivers. These students are required to maintain a 3.0 GPA or above. The challenge of UNI's academic pro- gram varies. Wendy Tsang, of Hong Kong, stated, General education is not hard and the professors demand very lit- tle. The major courses elaborate into specifics and put an individual on trial to learn as much as possible. A variety of programs are available to foreign students studying at UNI. Inter- national Student Association holds discussions on American culture, recrea- tion and socializing, American holidays, and programs about living off-campus. Orientation is held one week prior to the fall session. Topics covered include such areas as campus and community tours, registration procedures, U.S. law, in- surance and social security, housing, American holidays, and taxation, remarked Jemigan. Marcella Quan, of Honduras, declared, I like and am very surprised at the individual freedom and non- restraint of opinions. People are so friendly and the professors are nice. I like UNI and I like America — you can do and achieve what you want in life. -Kim Hein H C umtxrliivd Practicing her hacky sack, Marci Quan of Honduras takes a break from her studies. Forrtgn Student»

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Speaking to UNI students and faculty, Sello Rasethaba of South Africa talks of apartheid at the anti-apartheid rally between the Union and the Library. 30

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From Mother's Aid Child to University Professor By Ruth Bluford Anderson The plight of the poverty stricken, their fight for financial and social independence and how it is hampered by the welfare system is the emphasis of A Factual Autobiography The human creature is a being of dignity entitled to infinite respect, stated Ruth Anderson. The welfare system will never work in terms of making a person feel wor- thy and respected. It has a long way to go. There is a maximum above which no one can rise. There are people working in the system who are good people but not good social workers. Anderson is an associate professor of social work at UNI. She is a dynamic woman who has come far in life and wants to tell about it. Anderson grew up the oldest of five children in Sioux City, Iowa. Her father was a sharecropper who found it hard to support his family with his income, so they had to rely on AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children). Anderson recently published her autobiography. From Mother's Aid Child to University Professor. Anderson explained why she wrote the book: Primarily the in- spiration was from the students at UNI. I wanted to tell a story, and what better way than to tell my own. The students nurtured this. She was also inspired by a statistic in the textbook. Introduction to Social Work, which she uses in her class. It states that 1.2 million children who grew up in the 1930's on welfare have now taken their place in society. One day while I was in class it struck me that I was one of those 1.2 million and I realized that I wanted to tell my story. Five dollars from every book sale (the original cost is ten dollars) will go toward a scholarship for a minority student wishing to do graduate assistant work in social work. I want people to have the same chance I did. I didn't do it for the money.' In her autobiography, Anderson dispels the myth that a family once on welfare continues to depend on welfare support into the second and third generations. None of my brothers or sisters is on welfare now, she pointed out. She first thought about writing her book in 1976, but didn't begin actual research until 1981. She took a semester of professional development leave and returned to Sioux City where she grew up. There she began research on facts about floods, her baptismal records, the welfare system, and the social worker who worked with her family. The experiences involved in publishing a book were new to Anderson. I didn't even know you had to apply for a copyright. I merely wrote a letter saying I'd written my auto- biography and that I wanted it copyrighted. I didn't even send a transcript, she commented. Anderson said she found it hard to write about herself. People's lives are not all happiness. There were times when I would have to walk away for two or three months. It was most difficult to write about my family. I feel my book shows the importance of the family support system. B. KfJ Hoping her story will be an inspiration to children, Ruth Anderson discusses her recently published autobiography. All one's history isn't good. Sometimes I became introspective. I began to question why I did things and what my motivations were. There were things I would've liked to have changed, she noted. Overall, Anderson is pleased with the final results. The initial impacts are more pleasing than I ever thought they'd be, she commented. People can draw inner strength from a success story and I feel that it will be an inspiration to children. Looking toward the future, Anderson remarked, I want to do more volunteer work. ... I don't want a wage. My rewards don't come in money; but I can say that what I'm doing counts because I'm investing in the lives of people. I'm fortunate enough to have received all my flowers while I'm living. -Monica Mugan There were times when I would have to walk away from writing for two or three months. It was most difficult to write about my family. 32 Ruth Andcraon