International Students View Holiday Tradition
By Judy McGhee
Close to the Kansas Flint Hills, and surrounded by farm land and oil fields, Burns, Kansas, is what "Saturday Evening Post" called an "international country town."
Burns, located 50 miles northeast of Wichita with a population of 294, has hosted international students from KU every Thanksgiving since 1954.
THE TRADITION was originated by Mrs. Betty Grimwood, a Burns resident, who suggested students be invited under the sponsorship of the Methodist Church.
Each year six to 18 students participate in the program. Burns residents receive the student's names from Clark Coan, foreign student advisor and assistant dean of men, and write personal letters inviting the students to stay in their homes.
This year seven KU students participated in the program. They are Kyu Dong Choi, Korean graduate student; Cheng-Tao Ho, Formosa graduate student; Hans-Joachim Kann, German graduate student; Kwon Su Kim, Korean graduate student; Isidore Nyaboya from Burundi; Haryk Sakki, Greek freshman; and Alex Thomopolos, Nigerian freshman.
"I ENJOYED my visit very much and think the program is constructive." Kann said.
"It gave me a chance to see American family life and farm life," he said.
"The children were very friendly and interested in us and we called our hostess our American mother. We now have relatives in America," he said.
Kim said in addition to the Thanksgiving dinner he enjoyed a trip to the Skelly Oil Refinery in El Dorado and visits to a farm and two lakes.
"Sunday we attended church and were then driven back to KU by Mr. Grimwood after lunch," he said.
THE PURPOSE of the Burns program is to show the students typical small town family life and to provide a "home away from home." The students are not treated as guests requiring extra attention and service, but are accepted as members of the family.
Meenakshi Tyagarajan of India, a past Burns visitor, said, "You people were not trying to sell us the American way of life. You were just our friends and families. Nationality means little in real friendship."
"We don't have any high-powered, concentrated program." Mrs. Grimwood said. "We just try to show the students small town life as it is."
In 1959 the people of Burns received the Institute of Interna-
Daily Kansan
Tuesday, November 30,1965
uonal Education achievement award for distinguished service
She wrote: "Today peace is only a symbol, and in the hateful atmosphere tha t envelops the press of this country we could not imagine a truly peaceful place. But this place exists. It is called Burns, Kansas."
SINCE THEN, the program has expanded. International students from other campuses, farm youth exchanges and former guests and their friends visit Burns during Christmas, Easter, and summer vacation.
Among the guests have been the Justice of the Supreme Court
of the Republic of Korea and the deputy speaker of the Indian parliament.
"This is no small scale undertaking when you consider the size of Burns," Dean Coan said. "The host families often invite students back on an individual basis for week-ends."
Felina Ferragut, KU instructor
in Romance Languages from Cuba, expressed her feelings about Burns in an earlier issue of the Kansan.
Tickets Still Available for Mexico Trip
Students who prefer sun to snow, and surfboards to tobogans or skis can still sign up for the International Club's "Christmas in Mexico" trip.
A few places on the buses still remain unfilled, John Dallal, Beirut, Lebanon, sophomore and club
treasurer, reported. Interested students may contact the club advisor, Clark Coan, in 228 Strong.
The group will leave KU at 8 a.m. December 18, and will return to KU at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 2. Tour stops will include San Miguel, one of the most important art
centers of Mexico; Acapulco, with its surfing, swimming, deep sea fishing and scuba diving; and Monterrey with its famed market place.
Total cost for the round trip will be $115.
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