University Daily Kansan
Thursday, April 22, 1971
Adjustment Is Hard
man
Foreigners Face Conflict
BY MOHAMED BUMEIS Kanson Staff Weier
Foreign students at the University of Kansas face a wide range of social and psychological difficulties in understanding the feelings of loneliness, alienation, rejection and fear of being misunderstood and of empathy. These feelings are only a few examples.
In recent interviews, some of the people whom these difficulties touch directly or inquire about their attitudes toward the difficulties.
Clark Coan, dean of foreign students, put foreign students' problems into personal and social categories.
"The personal ones vary. Some of them are minor and some require long periods of counseling and help." Coa said. He added that, fortunately, most of the personal problems are minor, including prepaid services, renewal of passports and school difficulties.
THE SOCIAL problems, Coan said, manifest themselves through such issues as dating, immigration to America homes and living in residence homes.
"These problems." Coan said optimistically, "can possibly be handled on an individual basis.
'My big problem is that I don't know exactly how to approach Americans.'
But one also has to rely on group participation such as belonging to different organizations on campus."
Participation lessens the feeling of loneliness and rejection, he said.
Coan said he would like Intercultural communication workshops, which are designated to explore and lessen the barriers of communication, to be involved and coached. He referred to these workshops that kind that were conducted this semester at KU.
COANMENTIONED the new created graduate students' wings in the residence halls as another opportunity for graduate foreign students to get more involved in campus life. In those wings, he is a member of the college colleges are given to students and more interaction is possible.
Coan said he also believed that the Intensive English Center (IEC) helped foreign students get used to the main stream of campus life.
Ahmed Hanesh, Libya, graduate student, is a full-time student in the JEC. He came to the United States three months ago and is now the main problem that faces every new foreign student, he said, is
how to adjust to a completely different way of life.
ADJUSTMENT CREATES
social and ethical value systems.
In trying to adjust, Haneh said,
the foreign student must en-
sure that he is ready.
"My big problem is that I don't know exactly how to approach Americans. I can't figure out how they feel about certain things and the way they think," he said. "I can't tell when the American is being funny or when the foreign student and when he is simply pretending to listen."
This state of confusion, Hanehse creates a multi-tasking hesitation between students and the part of the foreign student to try to involve himself and be a part of their studies.
ANOTHER THING that both American and foreign students to make generalizations to and stick to
“Things should be looked at as relative to each other. I blame the American foreworders for this. The American students because they are big misunderstandings too hard to lessen, he said. “In order to solve this problem, we need a way to solve this problem.”
But to interact, Hanaish said,
one has to know the language.
Here is where the foreign student
lives and studies during his
first few months.
"It is the most frustrating thing when you sit with a group of people not knowing what they are thinking and trying to simply can't express yourself and that terrible. The only way to communicate is by smiling and gesturing but you'll still feel the barrier between human beings."
ONE UNFORTUNATE thing that relates to language is that some Americans think foreigners use them to learn and practice English, always the case. Hassel bases this experience on mutual gain.
"It is true that foreign students need help in English and in learning a great deal about their cultures. We will teach the American student will also expand his knowledge about political, social and cultural situations in other countries. He will gain and experience."
There are quite a few Americans who are eager to get to know foreign students, Mettie Whipple, Lawrence senior, said in a recent interview. Miss Whipple had a wide background with foreign students even before she transferred to KU.
While talking about foreign students' obstacles and problems she emphasized the importance of social problems such as dating and the way the foreign student can overcome them toward the American female.
"THE AMERICAN woman behaves toward her friends
HOSPITAL
FREDERICK WISEMAN (Director of HIGH SCHOOL)
by
Thursday, April 22
At Dyche
ammen men in a casual and
talky, talks and jokes with them
as friends. The foreign student
finds it hard to understand that
"It is hard for him to treat the
7:30 & 9:00 Admission-75$^t$
KU Film Society
who can share their feelings.
Their sense of belonging and attachment to another person or group becomes less felt.
'It is the most frustrating thing when you sit with a group of people not knowing what they are talking about.'
All these feelings manifest themselves in dating, tutoring English and other activities.
“IN THE TUTORING program sponsored by the People-to-People club,” Miss Whipple said, “American girls are the ones that most foreign girls to sign up to tutor. Most foreigners in the program are males.
American woman as a friend." She attributed this attitude to women's status in foreign countries, the different role that men play.
Such an attitude, Miss Whipple said, creates barriers to effective interaction and understanding. They don't want us from "us," she said, "Smiles, gestures and words are misinterpreted by them. I can't blame them for it." They want from being lonely and alienated. They want to be close to someone
"The girl just can't act norually and casually. She has to be cautious, otherwise feelings would be hurt."
What is basically needed and urgently wanted, Miss Whipple said, is more and more understanding.
WASHINGTON (UP1) - The first dollar bills bearing the signature of Treasury Secretary Jeff Sessions roll off the government printing presses Tuesday and will begin next month. Texas will begin next month.
Conally is a former Texas senator. The county distributed by the Dallas Federal Reserve District and then will filter through in the other reserve districts.
William Kunstler and Robert Martin
"Law and Dissent"
April 22
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