8A • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2002
Classes explain culture
Hiromi Murakami, Lawrence resident, center, listens as a member of her Small World group shares her experiences about life in the United States. The group, led by Kathy Mulinazzi, Lawrence resident, right, has been meeting since August in order to better learn the English language and assimilate into the United States.
By Leah Shaffer
Kansan staff writer
Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, 25 volunteers work to make Lawrence a little less scary to women who are new to the country.
The volunteers are a part of Small World, a nonprofit organization that teaches women from other nations about American culture and helps improve their English skills.
Pallavi Desai, from Bombay, India, came to the United States in 1988 to be with her husband who is a student at the University of Kansas. At first, she was lonely, depressed and could not relate to the new culture.
"The first year I went back twice to my country," she said.
After learning about Small World, Desai began to regularly attend the classes.
"Initially I met new friends and new people," she said.
"I could come out of home and do something."
Desai now volunteers at the day care, which is run by Small World. For a fee of $10 a semester, students can attend classes, which run from 9:15 to 11 Tuesday and Thursday mornings. For an additional $5, students can place their children in day care during the classes if necessary.
Pam Wyssenbach, Wichita senior, also volunteers at the day care center.
"I've met a lot of interesting women," she said. "We've talked about arranged marriages and the new situation for moms here. Its just fun to talk to them."
Kathy Mulinazzi, director of Small World, said the organization was started in 1968 by five spouses of KU faculty. The women had gone with their husbands to Venezuela on sabbatical and they experienced first hand what it was like to be in a new country with little knowledge of the language or culture. On their return to the United States, they decided to start an organization that would help women from
other countries adapt to U.S. culture. Mulinazzi said that in recent years, Small world has grown from a cultural club to focus on teaching language to new women. Mulinazzi said there are 100 students in the school and 30 children in daycare.
She said it was remarkable to see the friendships forged at Small World between people from such countries as Iran and Russia.
"Many have deep depression because of culture shock," she said. "Coming to Small World changes that."
Small World is held at First Presbyterian Church, 2415 Clinton Parkway. For more information, call Kathy Mulinazzi at 841-3645, or look online at community.lawrence.com/small world.
Contact Shaffer at lshaffer@kansan.com. This story was edited by Justin Henning.
Contact Shaffer at
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