September 3,1993
Dessislava benefits at Guilford
Christian Scanniello
Staff Writer
Guilford receives transfer stu
dents from many places, but few
have traveled farther than
Dessislava Nintcheva to reap our
school's educational harvest A
transfer senior from Sofia Univer
sity in Bulgaria, Dessislava, as she
is known to her friends, is in pur
suit of an American law degree.
Having only been in the county for
two short weeks, Dessy is
understandibly experiencing cul
ture shock.
"The so-called cultural shock
has two sides," said the 23-year
old from the north central city of
Pleven. "Of course, America is
more economically developed that
Bulgaria, not only because Bul
garia was Communist, but also
because America is a powerful and
big country. It can allow itself to
make decisions for other countries.
The other side is that it is not
really what people imagine it to be.
The myth of America is not true."
Stressing tht she did not come
abroad to escape any type of op
pressive situation in Bulgaria,
Dessy says she is here to experi
ence Amencan culture and to study
areas of interest in the law that are
not available at home.
"[lt is] a chance for me to see a
different society and try to com
pare it and try to evaluate posi
tives and negatives," Dessy said.
Dessislava takes particular inter
est in the dynamics of a democratic
society because ho* own country
is in a process of political reform.
Since the crumbling of Commu
nism in 1989, Bulgaria has been
trying to democratically reinvent
itself. Not only has there been a
major influx of new democratic
ideals, but many members of the
Dean Olds stays busy; gets involved
Christina Ha worth
Staff Writer
Mona Olds, dean of student life,
is a woman always on the go, and
always ready to meet new people
with a smile and a friendly hand
shake.
"I want to be as accessible as
possible to students, whether they
have a problem or a new idea. I'm
always open to new ideas, and if
someone has a good one I'd like to
be able to make it a reality."
Olds is still adjusting to Guilford
College and getting her perspec
tive on it When asked what one
of the things she would like to im
prove upon is, Olds said, "The
foundation that Guilford pride
former Communist party are em
bracing more progressive ideas.
"It's very difficult to say if
they've changed because many
people say 'How have they
changed in one week or one
month?'" said Dessislava. "The
answer is they haven't changed;
rather, they have grown in their
thoughts."
The democratic voices in Bul
garia struggled to be heard
Point of Interest
Forty-one foreign countries are currently represented
at Guilford College by international students.
Those countries are:
Australia Kenya
Belgium Korea
Bermuda Liberia
Brazil Mexico
Bulgaria Nicaragua
Canada Peru
China Puerto Rico
Costa Rica Russia
Croatia Ukraine
Czechoslovakia Scotland
Denmark Singapore
England South Africa
France Spain
Guatemala Switzerland
Iceland Taiwan
India Thailand
Indonesia Turkey
Iran Venezuela
Italy Vietnam
Japan Yugoslavia
Kashmir Zimbabwe
For more information, contact Paula Swonguer,
International Student Advisor
[
—WMMHIW— I I 111
Olds
stands upon. This is a place where
the basic ingredients are here, in
place, and are working well and
this allows for improvements to
make it the best it can be."
Olds feels the top five things that
Guilford has to offer are: one, its
jFeatnre*
throughout the 'Bos, but have only
recently begun to take prominence
in political reforms.
"What was violated was their
ability to talk, but their ability to
think couldn't be violated," said
Dessy of the Communists' domi
nation of power, which began af
ter World War 11.
In addition to coming from a dif
ferent political climate, Dessislava
comes from a very distinct educa
physical beauty; two, its Quaker
philosophy that resonates through
out the campus; three, the hard
work ethic of the administration,
faculty and staff; four, the inclu
sive decision-making process; and
five, the great teaching commit
ment
Olds sees Guilford as a college
that breeds "openness, tolerance,
friendship and trust" She believes
that Guilford can spread these val
ues over the surrounding commu
nity. Td like to see a commitment
from students to work with the
outside community even more
tnan tney do now. 1
. While Olds learns ner way
around the school, she is also run
ning into obstacles. "MY biggest
challenge so far has been me over-
Photo by Krysta Banke
tional background. In the Bulgar
ian school system, after the 7th
grade, students choose a special
ized area of concentration, such as
math, language, or music. After
her elementary school years,
Dessislava went to English Lan
guage School.
Five years later, at age 19, she
graduated and moved on to Sofia
University, Bulgaria's most pres
tigious school. Since 1990, the
Bulgarian government has begun
a program in which they pay for a
limited number of students' tuition.
This is an effort to encourage the
specialized educational fields
which may serve as an aid in the
process of reform.
Dessislava was among the few
chosen in the competitive process.
She says that Guilford is the first
school for which she has had to
pay.
In her first year at Sofia Univer
sity, Dessy studied history but
switched to law in her last two
years. While studying law at Sofia,
Dissislava met Morton Sklar, an
American professor on loan from
Washington, D.C.'s Catholic Uni
versity. In her classes with Sklar,
she did an intensive study compar
ing international law standards and
Bulgaria's own domestic laws.
Sklar, who helped Dessislava with
much of the literature used in her
study, recommended that she pur
sue her law interests abroad.
Dessislava applied and was ac
cepted to Catholic, the City Uni
versity erf New Yoik, and Guilford.
She chose Guilford because of its
smaller size and setting.
"This place is very nice-na
tured," said of Dessislava of her
new home-away-from-home.
"The campus is very green and
very quiet."
Immersing herself in Guilford's
political science department,
whelming learning process.
Learning new things has been my
biggest frustration, challenge and
reward, all roiled into one. The
sensation of learning is a very posi
tive one, but the frustration comes
in when you wish you could learn
things instantly. It's sort of like
being a first-year student; you're
just learning the ropes and trying
to figure out how things work. But
everybody is so patient here, the
atmosphere is very tolerant," said
Olds.
Olds' schedule is and will be
very busy. One minute she's cash
ing off to a lunch meeung with
James Green, president of Senate,
then perhaps next to a Budget
Commitee meeting Olds was also
spotted at the Dillon Fence coneer:
gfr SutttorMan
Dessislava is taking American Po
litical Systems and Fall of Rome.
Though she comes from a thor
ough law background, she is find
ing that she must adjust to the
American college classroom.
The difficulties are because of
the different educational ap
proaches, not because of the level
of scientific knowledge," said
Dessy. "Many of the subjects of
our high schools cover the extent
of the knowledge of a college stu
dent here. If an American came to
Bulgaria it would be much more
difficult."
Dessislava is particularly inter
ested in examining the foundations
of American government and our
perceptions of democracy because
they offer insight concerning
Bulgaria's own newly adopted
constitution, which had imposed
new democratic ideals since its
passage in 1990. She has, how
ever, found sane Americans to be
very insular in their political ideas.
"We always compare the consti
tutional law of Bulgaria with that
of France, Britain, Germany, Italy,
and America and I can't see it
here," Dessy. She added that many
of her Bulgarian classmates are
multi-lingual and eager to learn
about different countries.
Later this year Dessislava plans
on joining the masses of American
legal hopefuls who will take the
notorious LSATs. Though she is
not certain where she wants to at
tend law school, she has definite
ideas about her future.
Dessislava said, "I would like to
be a kind of expert in the law
sphere so I can shorten the bridges
between Bulgaria and America and
Western Europe, so that Bulgaria
can be observed [internationally]
in the best way that it really de
serves."
in Dana.
Although very busy, she has
made meeting individual students
one of her top priorities, so mak
ing an appointment with her is al
ways possible. "Just the other day
I went to an International Tea
which was a great opportunity to
meet individual students."
Olds came 10 Guilford during
mid-summer when most students
were enjoying their summer
breaks elsewhere. "When all the
students came in it sort o rounded
out my knowledge base iefore I
could see everything on paper, but
now it's alive and reai I'm excited
about working wiiu every rxxry tnii,
year, and i encourage siuoeni to
c >me talk with me about any
cerns."
9