Page 6
The Lance
S.A. Students Journey to Vietnam
By Nathan Ellis
The political walls are com
ing down a bit in Vietnam, at least
for tourists, and students of St.
Andrews Presbyterian College will
be among the first to take advantage
of the country’s recent slackening
of travel restrictions. On January 7
seven students will accompany St.
Andrews history professor Dr. Tom
Williams for a three week visit to
Vietnam. The trip is an extension of
a course focusing on the US and the
Viemam War, which is taught by
Dr. Williams.
The students will be visiting
specific sites and areas that were
relevant to the Viemam conflict,
starting in Saigon and finishing in
Hanoi. These destinations include
the former US embassy, the presi
dential palace, the Catholic Cathe
dral (all in Saigon) as well as Cu
Chi, where the students will get a
firsthand view of the Viet Cong’s
elaborate tunnel systems. As the
students make their way north to
Hanoi, they will also encounter Tay
Ninh, a province on the Cambodian
Dr.Tom Williams, Professor of History at St. Andrews, poses for a
picture on the Red River Delta during the groups 1991 trip to Vietnam.
Border that was a center of fighting
throughout the war. Also located in
the province is the very ornate and
beautiful Cao Dai temple which, ac
cording to Dr. Williams, will be one
of the highlights of the trip. This visit
will be augmented by the fact that,
until recently, outsiders had been
barred from viewing the temple. They
will conclude their visit in Hanoi, a
Switzerland to Host Students in Winter
by Laurie Warbrick
St. Andrews might be a small
liberal arts college, but through its inter
national programs it offers students the
world. This winter term, St. Andrews
students can take advantage of one of
^these programs by joining Dr. Carl
Walters on a trip to Switzerland.
The group will leave from At
lanta ^d arrive in Geneva on January 4,
1993, where they will take a train to the
Chateau de Bossey. Bossey is an ecu
menical institute lo9ated in a Swiss vil
lage between the Jura Mountains and
Lake Geneva. The Chateau hosts gradu
ate students from over 40 counuies, but
also invites St. Andrcws«tudents to par-
ticipateinsomeoftheirseminars. These
seminars range in topic from global jus
tice to philosophical, political, economic,
religious, ecological, and ethical isSues.
There is also the opporuinity for inter
esting discussions with other guests.
The curriculum for the temi
varies for each individual. After the
students arrive and overcome their jet
lag, they will meet with Dr. Walters to
plan how and what they will study. The
students may invite others from the in
stitute to share something about their
culture or participate in class discus
sions.
To further the international ex
perience, each country hosts a cultural
evening where they display their nation’s
flair through custom dress, food, and
festivities. This promotes a better under
standing of other cultures in a fun_and
unique way, the essential aim of Bossey.
When the students are not busy
with classes, maintaining their required
journal or doing research in the Chateau’s
library, ttiey may take advantage of the
splendor of the Swiss countryside by
hiking in the mountains or sampling what
the tocal village offers. There will be
time on the weekends and one full week
at the close of the term for adventures in
Prance, Germany, or any of the other
surrounding European countries. The
students will take two short excursions
within Switzerland guided by Dr. and
Mrs. Walters. They will also tourseveral
museums; John Calvin’s church, The
Red Cross, and The World Council of
Churches, the World Health Organiza
tion and the United Nations.
‘This will be a wonderful op
portunity for the students,” says Dr.
Walters. “This program is like no other
offered. We are the only undergraduate
school invited to participate. It is indeed
an honor.” He added, ‘The possibilites
are endless for individual and spiritual
growth. It is alsoa wonderful opportu
nity to worship and learn with others
from various cultures.”
ject matter of the course. TTte students
can really see the aftermath of the
war.” Dr. Williams says. “Also, Viet
nam is a third world country, one of
the poorest in the world. Seeing it
firsthand will be a good experience
for the students.” he adds.
The chance for international
travel to Viemam that is related to a
course of study is rare for a college
student, and S t. Andrews is one of few
colleges tiiat offers it to students. “The
program is very unique”, Dr. Will
iams says. “Only a handful of U.S.
colleges have sent groups to Viet
nam since the fall of Saigon in 1975,”
city where the war still keeps quite a
high profile. Dr. Williams says “There
are monuments to the war everywhere
- the war is still very visible in Hanoi.”
Dr. Williams has travelled to
the east on several occasions, includ
ing a visit to China in spring of1989,
to Vietnam in the winter ofl991, and
Korea in the winter of 1992. “Being
on location really reinforces the sub-
Airband tradition
Continued from p. 5
to the Lovely tTadifeS C^ord for
their performance of the GoGo’s.
Second place finishers were Brad
Pederson, Lee Golgol, Mark
Hammond, and Dan Chlebas of the
Hair Lords Revisited, all of whom
are seniors. Finally with the music
off, the crowd grew silent, dust could
be heard falling from the rafters as
the first place winners. The Acid
Cowboys, were announced as the
1992 Airband champs. The mem
bers of the group include: Todd
Kassel, Tyler Coming, Nate Frazee,
David Gigandet, and Craig Zedallas.
The Grand Prize for these fellas is
three large pizzas from Dominoes
Pizza and a keg (just kidding fellas).
The baseball team hopes that
next year’s Airband will be even
more exciting and fun!
Friendship stands unshoken
over time and distorice.
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