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University Daily Kansan Thursday, Oct. 17, 1963
Foreign Journalism Student Finds Language No Barrier
By Tom Coffman
A news writer working in a foreign language? Not unheard of. There is one at KU.
He is Vinay Kothari of Bombay, India. A year ago he began a journalism major and plans to be graduated in January. His native language is Gujerati, one of India's 33 major languages.
In addition to Gujerati and English, Vinay speaks and writes Marathi and Hindi, both languages of India, and "a little French."
HE ADMITS that when he started studying journalism he felt unsure of himself. "I was too slow and I had trouble with correct usage," he said.
Comparing his present work to that of other Kansan staff members Vinay said, "I don't see any difference now. I might spend five minutes extra writing a story, but I can write as well as some of the Kansan staff."
Relaxing on a couch in his three-room basement apartment at 1231 Louisiana, Vinay talked rapidly, much of the time with a wide grin splitting his brown face.
A map of the United States, a world map, a picture of the Taj Mahal and several prints of Indian art decorate his living room wall.
He said he began studying English nine years ago in India, but it was always a minor subject. He originally learned British-style English, but picked up American pronunciation watching American movies in Bombay.
INCIDENTALLY, Kothari believes that Bombay gets most good movies before the Midwest does. "I saw 'Ben Hur' in Bombay and saw it a year and a half later in Lawrence," he said.
In addition to being a member of the Kansan staff, Vinay works at the Topeka Daily Capital every Monday night as part of an advanced reporting class.
The 21-year-old Indian originally came to this country three years ago to study engineering. His criticism of engineering? "It wasn't challenging. It was monotonous. In journalism I can get out and meet people and do something different every day," he said.
He could not have gotten into the United States if he had originally intended to study journalism, he said. The Indian government gives exchange permits only to students studying science and technology, he explained.
KOTHARI FEELS that he has been treated well in the United States. "I can't expect everybody to treat me like a king," he added with a grin.
Asked if he had been discriminated against at times, he answered quickly. "Who isn't—tell me that."
Kothari criticized his fellow foreign students for not mixing enough with Americans. "Too many of us stay in our own groups. If they don't learn anything about America, then it is their own fault."
He plans to travel through the South before leaving the U.S. to see "how I am treated—because of my skin color—and how I will react."
HIS WALL MAP of the U.S. is marked with dark pencil, outlining his travel in the West, Northwest, and East. Two years ago, Kothari worked as a counselor in a private camp in northern California. He found that most of the children of the extremely wealthy were "emotionally disturbed."
"Some of them had their own cooks and their own chauffeurs, but no parental love," he said. In general, American children have too much independence, he believes. Indian families are more close-knit, he said.
Kothari criticized Americans for considering marriage a "game," and blamed the high U.S. divorce rate on marriage partners not trying to resolve conflicts.
MOST INDIAN marriages are arranged by parents, and they work out about as well." he said.
Vinay is one of three Kothari brothers on campus. The other two —Pravin and Lalit— are both engineering students. Lalit Kothari, 23, is a senior and works on weekends as a draftman for Midwest Conveyor Co. in Kansas City. Pravin, a junior, works in the Kansas Union bowling alley, as does Vinay.
"The bowling alley job has provided him the best opportunity for observing Americans, because there they are relaxed and free. They expose themselves," he said.
He said the financial prospects for his brothers as engineers are far better in India than for a journalist.
"But I'm not particularly interested in money."
HE HOPES TO work in public relations for an Indian industry, thus utilizing his knowledge of science. He plans to do post-graduate study in advertising as preparation for public relations work.
In addition to his studies, Kothari is a cricket player and an amateur actor. In Bombay he played the lead role in a college play, he said, smiling in apparent amusement at the idea of himself on stage.
International Club activities have
been his only outlet for the greasepaint urge in this country. Last year he played the lead in an Indian play at the foreign student festival. The year before he was a part of what he called an "Indian stick dance team," which performed at the foreign festival and a People-to-People festival in Wichita.
With all of his activities, Kothari suffers from a common student problem—lack of sleep. "No kidding, I don't realize when the day begins and when it ends," he says.
KOTHARI PLANS to run on the University Party ticket as a candidate for representative of students not in organized housing.
He is a member of the brother and sister program committee in People-to-People, past secretary of the India Club, and a member of the International Club.
Two years ago Kothari was program director of the foreign student festival.
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