—

’On the Hi//'

by Elaine Ashliaugh

Along with students from ap-
proximately 135 other United
States colleges, Grinnell students
have the opportunity to enroll in
the Washington Semester
Program. run by the American
University in Washington D.C,
Basically intended for junior and
senior students of relatively small
liberal arts colleges like Grinnell,
the program gives participants a
chance to observe governmental
processes on a first hand basis.

The Washington Semester
consists of five subdivisions.
Students may enroll in the National
(Domestic) Policy, Foreign
Policy, International Policy (with
a focus on foreign aid and
development of other countries),
Economic Policy (national), or
Washington Urban Semester.

All together sixteen credits may
be earned Eight of these come
from the basic classroom-seminar
work. Completion of a special
project, usually including a major
paper, earns the student four more
credits, while remaining credits
come from student internships in
such places as the Treasury
Department or Congressional
offices.

Members of the American
University faculty conduct the
seminars and act as advisors for
student projects and Internships,
ln addition, many outside speakers
from governmental dcpartments
deliver lectures for the benefit of
the seminar study.

The approximately 125 studetns
enrolled in the program this
semester reside, as usual, in an
American University dormitory.
Fees amount to essentially the
same as those for Grinnell. Within
the University, the program
students are rather separated from
others, both socially and
academically. This year’s par
ticipants have commented that it
took a long time to form friends
ships, even among program
participants. 0n the outskirts of
the city, American University is
quite far from the downtown area,
and Some extra expense is his

curred through the necessary use
of Washington’s mass transit
system.

Grinnell College allows five or
six students to attend each
Washington Semester. Although
American University does not have
prerequisites for the program, the
Grinnell Off-Campus Study Board
does, Applicants must have had
some study oi governmental
history. Enrollment in the
Economic Policy subdivision
requires at least some background
in economics. Students applying
for the Urban Semester should
have some degree of familiarity
with the area of urban study, The
requirements that the Board
imposes, however, are flexible in
that no specific courses are
definite prerequisites. As part of
the application. students are ex-
pected to present a research design
for their proposed project, and a
plan for their internship. ,

l-l, Wayne Moyer, professor of
political science and advisor for
thc Washington Semester. points
out both its advantages and
disadvantages. A disadvantage
seems to be that American
University is not particularly
strong academically. Professors
reportedly spend less time than is
desired with students ill the
program. Each year some phase of
the program appears weak; this
year it is the section dealing with
domestic policy, Particular ad-
vantages oi the program are being
on the scene of political action and
having the wealth of Washington
D.C.’s human and library
resources so easily available.

After considering the program's
pros and cons, however, Moyer did
speak positively about the
program. He commented, “It's
worth the scmester away from
Grinnell certainly, but one has to
recognize that there are
deficiencies on the part of the
American University faculty.”
Others agree Ono previous pars
ticipant said that the program is
”worthwhile educationally, but not
academically "

Boga ta explored

by Terry Quain

Grinnell students interested in
Latin American studies can take
advantage of the Centro de
Estudios ColomborAmericano in
Bogota, Columbia. Karen Shashok,
a particpant in the program first
semester last year, was very
happy with it. She found the
professors. all Colombians, to be
excellent, and she was impressed
with the flexibility of the
organization—no red tape from the
administrative staff over course
changes or housing,

Students are placed with
families in Bogota, and the staff
makes an effort to ensure that
student and family are compatible,
Most students found that living
with a Columbian family forced
them to become familiar with the
Spanish language and the
Columbian culture, which is the
main goal of the program, Students

often solicited the help of members
of the family with their work, and
by the end oi the semester they had
become very close to the family,

Karen iound Bogota, built half»
way up a slope of the Andes,a
beautiful city, despite its inevitable
big-city problems. Bogota has an
especially high incidence of pick-
pocketing, and few students
escaped the disturbing
phenomenon of the gamines, ore
phans living off the streets.

The program is based at Antioch
Collegc in Ohio it is mainly for
colleges in the Great Lakes
Association. but 85 students from
colleges all over America par-
ticipated There are over a hunr
dred students in the Bogota
program this semester. Interested
Grinnell students should contact
the director, Mr. Parle, a Grinncll
College Spanish instructor,

POYNTER'S

4th Avenue Fashions

Wish You A Happy Holiday
See You In January!

London: learn/n

by T. Elaine Carey

Grinnell-in London, probably the
most popular off-campus program,
is now in its second year of
existence. Though still an infant
program, it is operating more
smoothly than other, more
established programs in London,

Written objectives of the
program boil down to obtaining
exposure to and knowledge oi other
cultures and nations through direct
experience. The academic format
is ilexible from year to year.
Courses relevant to Great Britain
are created in accordance with the
faculty and student interest.

Two Grinnell professors direct
the program and teach with staff
residing in Great Britain. The
emphasis of the program changes
yearly according to the specialties
of the Grinnell professors.

History and classical arts are the
loci for the 1975 program, with
David Jordan, proiessor of history
and Gerald Lalonde, professor of
classics. serving as directors from
the home campus Next year,
Peter Connolly, professor of
English, and Robert Grey,
professor of political sciencc, will
participate in the program.
Selections for the 1976 semester
were made recently and students
were notified on Tuesday. Between
forty and fifty students usually end
up participating in the program.

The semester is structured in

The Scarlet and Black, December 5, 197%.). A

Oii- -campus pr

One of the major attractions of a Grinnell education is the opportunity 0 I
program. Varied descriptions of a few possibilities of study away from G§nne

two phases. Phase one, lasting
approXimately ten weeks, offers a
variety of two and four credit
courses, Courses are planned to
incorporate particularly the city of
London as a teaching tool,
whenever possible, through field
work in museums, art galleries,
and historic sites, as well as other
places in Great Britain. For
example, in an eighteenth century
history class, students studied
portraits at the National Portrait
Gallery to get a sense of life during
that time,

During the four Weeks of the
second phase, students undertake
one [our credit coursc for intensive
study, independent research, and
iicld work. Part oi the group
spends phase two in another
country This year Mr Lalande
and thirteen students are in
Athens, Greece to study the an-
cicnt Greek city. y

Throughout the semester,
students are cncouraged to take
advantage oi the abundance of
extracurricular opportunities
available. London offers a wealth
of theatre, cinema, exhibitions,
concerts, lectures, etc. to satisfy
personal as well as academic inr
terests. Travel outside of London is
encouraged by three day weekends
and group field tlips to major
points of interest. On vIcekends
many travcl to various places in

gbyo

Engl’and, Wales, Scotland,
even Ireland and Paris.
The teaching site for the
program is the community room 9}
a church, which doubles as a
cafeteria at lunch. Several
students employed by the program
prepare lunch daily to he,
students cut the cost oi eating.
Students are on their own to find
living accomodatlons, The first
week of orientation allows time ft“
students to look for flats, i,
apartments. Most students group
to share a flat with two to five .
people. Although the lack of per-
manent teaching and housing
facilities has some inconveniences, ‘
students gain freedom and British
contact through the loose, iniormal
set up _
Generally, people chose the
program as an opportunity for
extensive travel in Europe wlii
studying subjects particularly
relevant to them For instance, if a
studenthas no interest' in history or
art, the lure of London would he
to be immensely strong to unr
dcrtake the typc of Intense
specialized courses offered
London's appeal as a city of vast
possibilities can’t be underplay ~
As Jordan quoted Dr. Johnson in
the program’s first Newsletter,
“When a man is tired of London, he
is tired of life, for there is in
London all that life can afford. "

and

Costa Rica plan varies

by Elaine Aslibaugh

Initiated ten years ago by
Grinnell professor Robert F.
Voertman with the help of a
National Science Foundation
grant, the Costa Rica Program
gives students of the Associated
Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) a
chance to study off-campus during
either the first or second semester
of each year. Both semester’s
studies are based in San Jose. with
the amount of time spent away
from this base dependent on the
particular semester and the area
of student interest.

The first semester‘s study,
running from the first part oi
September to just before Christ
mas, focuses on a Costa Rican
Latin American Studies Program.
Basically, it consists of four
components, the iirst being
classroom work on Latin American
civilization. In conjunction with
such study, experts from the
community often present lectures.
Central American geography, with
emphasis on Costa Rican
geography, appears as another
aspect of the program along with
study oi Latin American language
and literature. An area of in-
dependent study, designcd by
students to correspond to a special
area of their interest, rounds out
the first Semester program.

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on sale at the
College Bookstore &
Slewan Lilimly

$1.5

Considered to be much more of a
classl‘oomrbound program, par-
tially due to the wetness of Costa
Rica" weather at that time of the
year, it usually attracts fewer
students. It does oifcr, however, a
two week stay with a farm family
on the outskirts of San Jose,

Second semester’s study, Eur
titled “Costa Rican Development
Program,” deals mainly with the
social sciences and biology on an
independent project basis. Only
during the first six weeks, the
orientation period, are there
structured language classes and
guest lecturers. Even then,
students make forays into the
countryside on field trips, at.
tempting to define their fields of
interest. Most students plan
projects which will take them out
into less frequented areas of the

(country.

Areas of independent study vary
greatly. According to Grinnell’s
Costa Rica Program advisor,
Dennis R Pcrri, “the sky's the
limit” for study ideas. Ar-
chaeology, biology, and botany
make up the general areas under
which next semester's speclfic
study will be conducted.
Grinnellians Rick Novak lived in a
primitive shack at the top of a
volcano in order to study more
closely a particular specics of toad
which lives there

Everyday, students of the
program come into contact with
the natlvc culture, especially since
many live with Costa Rican

families. Those hoping to ex!
perience an exclusively Spanish
culture, however, have be»
disappointed by the Sears stores in
the country and the relatively
common use of English, Other,
aspects impressed them, thou h

Academically, Grinnell studen
Lucy Moran found ‘ that
she dldn‘t feel that she was‘goofing
off, but that she still “didn't feel
overburdened” with work. Student
initiative and input is highly
stressed, especially in the in-
dependent projects. Many of the
papers stemming from such
projects have been found
authorative enough for printing in
numerous scientific publication;
Data from other projects has b
used in some on going studies of
Costa Rican problems and other
situations. ‘

The cost of a semester in the
program, including travel ex
penses, is comparable to that of a
Grinnell semester.

Feelings about the program
though mixed, are basically:
positive. Although some first
semester proglam students were
disappointed with the lack of iii-
depcndence, Novak, who went the
second semester, really enjoyed
the independence of his biologyr
related project. He says that he
“recommends the program to
other Grinnell students.” Mon,
seemingly most struck by the
cultural experience, says of her
Costa Rican sclncster, “I liked it a
lot‘”

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