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Vol. LXIII No. 13
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Parents/Alumni weekend set for this weekend
Foreign students enlighten
By Caroline Coles
"We figure the benefit to
Guilford's entire community in
obtaining international cultural
experience through our Interna
tional Students is akin to what
the foreign students themselves
gain," says Director of Admis
sions Herb Poole.
Indeed Cuilford has much to
learn from and about the fifty
one international students from
thirty-three nations attending
the college. Dr. Floyd Moore,
head of the International Stu
dent Committee, adds that Cuil
ford as a Quaker institution has
worldwide contacts and is at
tempting to make our exper
ience here as international as
possible.
There are three programs
designed to broaden Guilford's
sphere. The first is the bringing
in of international students, in
many cases to give them ano
ther cultural dimension and
improve their use of the English
Language.
The second is Guilford's sem
inars abroad program and the
third, Non-Western studies, or
courses that are not dominated
by European and American
ideas. Yet, the very name
Non-Western betrays a Wes
tern bias. Why, one wonders,
are other courses not labeled
non-eastern instead? Moore
says he dislikes the term Non-
Western studies.
Naturally, the problems of
international students differ
greatly from those of American
students. On the face of it most
of them blend in so well at
Guilford that we do not recog-
nize some of their needs that
perhaps the college should deal
with more fully.
Paula Swonguer, counselor
for foreign students says, "The
adjustment for most foreign
students is much, much more
difficult than it would appear."
She adds, "There is a lot more
that should be done for them."
For instance: they have ex
tension of stays that need to be
dealt with, there are three
different levels of English profi
ciency contained in their work,
and moreover, foreign students
generally have to work harder
than Americans at adapting to
three realms of college life --
academic, social and cultural.
"American Students," says
Paula, "May be working on
only one of those areas."
Another real problem in quite
a few cases is the re-entry, of
international students into their
own culture. After a year or
more of life in America, the
student is the one who has
changed. He/she is now inte
rested in America as well as his
own culture.
The gap between the two for
African and Asian students may
be immense. Perhaps he/she
will not want to return to live in
his/her country at all, realizing
that life in America may be
financially easier.
So, looking towards the fu
ture, what is being done for
international students at Guil
ford?
First of all, Dr. Moore says
that he believes the faculty is
finally beginning to realize the
importance of international stu-
Guilford College Greensboro,N.C. 27410
What does the name Herb
Ragan mean to the average
Guilford College student?
To the 13 who have received
full scholarships through the
Herbert T. and Elizabeth H.
Ragan Scholarship Fund, it
means a lot.
To all students eagerly awai
ting "the hole" to be filled with
the new Physical Education
Center, it should mean a lot,
too.
The same Herb Ragan is one
of the major contributors to the
Center's building fund.
Ragan has maintained close
ties with Cuilford since he
graduated with a bachelor's
degree in chemistry in 1937.
During his three years at Cuil
ford (he took his freshman year
at High Point College) he
earned letters in nine sports and
was president of his senior
dents. Dr. Moore's graph depic
ting the number of foreign
students here shows a rise from
4 or 5 students in 1948 to 18 in
1970 and then a straight uphill
climb from 22 students in 1977
to the present 51. But the
scholastic and athletic accom
plishments of these students as
well as their lasting personal
contact with individuals is a
more meaningful measure of
their contributions to Guilford.
Secondly the International
Student Committee hopes to
obtain a full or part-time advi
sor/counselor for these stu
dents. Presently Paula Swon
guer can devote two or three
hours a week to them but she
says more time would be need
ed to know them all.
Herb Poole, speaking for the
Admissions Office, says they
are working on devising a plan
in which comparisons can be
made between what the office
knew about foreign students
before they came, in relations to
T.O.E.F.L. (Test of English as a
Foreign Language) scores and
academic classwork and how
the student succeeds after arri
val at Guilford.
Another prospect that he
feels needs attention is having a
special kind of initial semester
for international students with
courses in American Culture
and English as a foreign lan
guage to make their lives some
what less complicated.
Along these lines, the Inter
national Student Committee is
also applying for two days of
orientation for all incoming
Continued on page'eight
class.
Since his graduation he has
served the college as a member
of its Board of Visitors, chair
man of the Loyalty Fund Drive
and president of the Alumni
Association. Currently he
serves as a member of the
Board of Trustees, working on
the Budget and Audit Commit
tee, the Athletic Committee and
the Finance Committee.
Ragan has been honored as a
life member of the Quaker Club
and is an inductee into the
Guilford College Hall of Fame.
Establishment of the Ragan
Scholarship Fund was an ex
pression of his interest in the
college and as a token of his
appreciation for the values and
direction which his Guilford
years gave to his life.
Those are some of the rea
sons Herbert Tomlinson Ragan,
founder of Ragan Hardware Co.
in High Point, will be a very
special visitor to the campus
this weekend.
The Alumni Association has
named him Distinguished
Alumnus for 1979 and will
honor him at a luncheon at
11:45 a.m. Saturday as part of
Alumni/Parents Weekend.
Saturday will be filled with
activities, all of which the
Alumni Association wishes to
share with the students. (There
is one catch, however. The
Saturday luncheon is $5 per
person. . . )
Otherwise, the doors are
open to all for free.
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Foreign students broaden Guilford horizons
see page 2
March 28,1979
"Old grads" will be arriving
on campus around 10:30 a.m.
There will be a reception in
Dana Lounge at the same hour
(lasting until noon) at which the
history department will honor
retired and retiring faculty --
Algie Newlin, Josephine
Moore, Ed Burrows and E.
Kidd Lockard.
At the luncheon, just before
Herb Ragan is honored, mem
bers of the Class of 1929 (it
should happen to YOU. . . ) will
be inducted into Guilford's Gol
den Circle.
Two events will go on from
1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Alumni and
students are invited to hear
Cyril Harvey give his favorite
lecture, while parents and stu
dents may hear a "state of the
college" report by President
Grimsley Hobbs and remarks by
Sheridan Simon, typifying the
interesting young generation of
professors their sons and
daughters have at Cuilford.
Please check at the reception
desk which the Alumni Associa
tion will have in Founders lobby
for locations of the two sessions.
Beginning at 3:30 p.m. a
reunion tea will be held in Rags
dale House to honor the faculty
members who will retire in June
-- Ed Burrows, E.Kidd Lockard,
Mildred Marlette, John Pipkin
and Eugene Thompson.
All during the day, the sixth
annual Arts and Crafts Fair will
be in progress on the lawn
outside Founders.