University of Southern Mississippi - Southerner Yearbook (Hattiesburg, MS)

Page 26 text:

WK E ,ff 2 1 1 if ,pair -4 it . g'7'M' 2. .0 , I WJ v hw.- N ,5 A I - X, W 71 I --91 In K ' 2:65135 ., JA V L I ru-'D ugh! . 0 an .xL.,, L. - 55 ,ff Ju , Ln.. im... W:-'P' J TFA-.. :nun than wa 'X 4' 4 a .. 'G w

Page 28 text:

For most of USM's 10,000 stu- dents, Mississippi is home, but for 1,500 Hattiesburg is more than a few miles from home. Almost all of the 50 states are represented at the Hattiesburg campus from the 1,000 out-of- state students. Another 500 stu- dents come from about 40 countries scattered across the globe making USM a truly cos- mopolitan university. In addi- tion to academic students, USM hosts more than 300 for- eigners who come to the U.S. to learn to speak our language at the English Language Institute. The influx of Northerners and foreigners has left its mark on the school and the Hattiesburg community. The University's curriculum and the city's view of the world have been adapted to this uncommon mixture of people in a deep South city. What brings such a diverse group to Hattiesburg? For most it's the course offer- ings that are the attraction but for others, it's relatives, friends or a wanting for a warmer climate. Becky Brown, a senior journal- ism major from Elizabethtown, N.C., came to USM to stud music at the urging of a higli school music teacher. He had done graduate work at South- ern and suggested that I come here since was then planning to major in music. After two changes of majors, she still hapdpy with her decision to at- ten USM and intendsto re- turn for graduate school next fall. A Northern transplant to USM, Ron Longsdorf, a construction technology major from Rock- ford, Ill., came to USM because of the reputation of the school's construction tech- nology program. Southern's got one of the two best con- struction technology programs in the country, he explained. The other one's in New Mex- ico or Arizona. USM is closer and not as expensive, so I came South. Chuck Pardee, a freshman, came to USM from St. Peters- burg, Fla., on the recommenda- tion of his brother who had at- tended USM earlier. Ray Pitt, a sophomore from Chicago, Ill., decided on USM for pursuing his education be- cause of friends already at Southern. After I visited friends down here, I went back home and decided I wanted to go to school here where it's warmer, he explained. The climate's a lot better and the people are friendlier. Another student from Palan- tine, a suburb of Chicago, Cathy Chambers, came to Southern because her sister at- tended USM. School's less ex- pensive here than it was in Illi- nois and my sister liked it. Cathy came to USM as a fresh- man, left for a semester, but re- turned because she missed Southern and her friends here. t'My brother decided to go to school here when we lived at McComb, so he came back here to school when we moved to California, explained Russ Cloy, a sophomore from Rich- mond, Va. He invited me down one weekend and I liked it so much I decided to come, too. I always liked Mississi pi anyway and my grandmotlier lives in Summit. Family tradition played a part in jimmy Payne's decision to attend USM. jimmy, a fresh- man from Pensacola, Fla., came to his father's alma mater this year. He also attributed his choosing Southern to a strong recruiting program in Florida, as evidenced by the 200 Florid- ians attending USM. A sophomore from Tokyo, Ia- pan, Yumi Nagai, said, The only thing about studying in the United States is not being able to go home for the holidays. As for foreign students, USM's main attraction is the En lish Language Institute, one of the few such school's where for- eigners learn to speak English in an intensive study course. So, many ELI students con- tinue their education at USM as an academic student after completion of 'ELI studies. The University's nearness for Latin American students wish- ing to stud in the U.S. also is a factor in tlie school's drawing power from foreign countries. Through its diverse student body, USM is doing it part in creating a bond o universal understanding for the future. 24 Out of State and Foreign Students