Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 1963)
PEACE CORPS NEWS VOL. 1 NO. 1 A Special College Supplement WINTER, 1962 Peace Corps Plans to Double in’63 PEACE CORPS TEACHER Kenneth Baer of Beverly Hills, Calif., instructs a class of Ghanaian students in Accra Baer received a Master's degree in American history from the University of California in 1961. He now teachers general arts subjects at the Ebeneezer Secondary School in Accra. Tribal Dances, Chants Spark Ghanaian Nights (Editor'* not*: Newell Flat her of Lowell, Mas*., i* a Peace Oorp* Volunteer teacher in Winneha, Ghana. The following i* from a letter he wrote.) Six months ago my future seemed settled and secure. Fresh out of college I had been accepted by the University of Virginia Law School, and except for a superficial spring course, I hardly knew where (ihana was. A late June telegram from Colleges Give Academic Credit Ohio University will award academic credit to Peace Corps Volunteers, announced Dr. Rog ers Finch, Chief of the Division of University Relations for the Peace Corps. “This is an unprecedented move which we expect will be followed by other universities," Dr. Finch said. The program applies specifically to a teaching project in the West Cameroons, sponsored by the Peace Corps and administered by the Uni versity of Ohio. Currently, three types of ac tivities for which academic credit may be sought on an individual basis by a Volunteer are: I) The Peace Corps training program for which full or partial equivalency to regularly estab lished academic courses may be given by some institutions. Plans are now underway at Columbia Teachers College, the University of Pittsburgh, Syracuse Univer sity and New Paltz State Teach ers College to give credit for the training program. 2) Some colleges will give course credit for the cultural, job and language experience gained abroad. 3) A third potential area of academic credit exists in indi vidual study, provided it does not detract from the basic pur poses for which the Volunteer is serving overseas. the Peace Corps, two months training at Berkeley, two weeks indoctrination at the University of Ghana, Legon, and three and one half months of residence in Winncba have considerably al tered this circumstance. I find my school, my town, and my job all very interest ing. The school is deep-seated and saturated with Ghanaian revolutionary tradition. As His tory Department Chairman, I have been asked by the head master to write a history of the school, a fascinating undertak ing with which I am currently occupied. Here a beautiful hospital func tions side by side with active fetish priests and powerful Afri can Jaju. My house is within hearing distance of the cere monial grounds, and I can catch (See Tribalpage 4 ) Corps Allotted $59 Million Congress has voted a $59 mil lion Peace Corps appropriation for fiscal 1963. The appropria tion, supported by both parties in Congress, almost doubled last year’s funds. Sargent Shriver, director of the Peace Corps, said the second year goal was to increase the number of Volunteers overseas to 10,000. Praise for the Peace Corps has come from all sides of Congress including some of the more con servative members. College Grads Best Qualified All college students are urged to complete their de gree requirements before entering the Peace Corps. Although a degree is not a prerequisite for all proj ects, the possession of a degree is definitely consid ered an asset by Peace Corps officials. Liaisons Serve 2,000 Campuses More than 2,000 Peace Corps liaison officers are assisting the Peace Corps on as many cam puses across the nation. Ap pointed by the university presi dent, these faculty or administra tive officers are the direct link between the Peace Corps and the colleges. Serving as advisors and pub licists, the liaison is usually in contact with Volunteer alumni serving overseas. Interested stu dents who do not know the local liaison officer may find his identity by calling the college president’s office. Student-faculty or all-student Peace Corps committees have been organized on many cam puses to nelp the liaison otticer. The committees promote special Peace Corp events, disseminate information and support alumni Volunteers in the field. Further information about such support work can be obtained by writing Public Affairs, Peace Corps, Washington 25, D. C. Overseas, too, college profes sors are making their contribu tion. In addition to the teachers serving with the 12 university administered projects, there are (See ‘Liaisons,’ page 3 ) Mounting Requests Follow Volunteer Achievements Amid conflicting views of optimism and skepticism, the Peace Corps launched a scant 18 months ago a new experiment in United States aid to developing nations. “A boondoggle," some cried. “Overseas junkets for beatniks,” said others. “A noble undertaking,” countered the optimists. While the debate continued, thousands of young Americans, (and some not so young) quietly volunteered their services to Thailand Bout Ends in Draw For Volunteer For the first time in known history, an American fighter re cently came out of the ring right side up after a match with a Thai. The American fighter was Bob Pitts, a Peace Corps Volun teer, from Redbank, N.J. Pitts, who teaches physics at Chulalongkorn University, did not go into the ring unprepared. He had been a boxer at Yale University where he received his B.A. degree. He had trained for three weeks under a former Thai champion, studying the vagaries of Thai boxing which permits kicking, kneeing, elbowing and gouging. I ne rans appiauueu gieeruiiy as Pitts performed the pre-bout ritual of drawing symbols and making incantations to down the spirit of his opponent, Wooth Barbos. Although the incanta tions didn’t completely succeed in downing Barbos’ spirit, they at least subdued it. The match was a draw. Athletic training ranks high in the needs of developing nations, in part because it helps develop health and physical fitness. But even more important in the minds of country leaders is the feeling of national pride and unity that comes from creditable performance of their teams at Olympic or regional games. help people in need around the world. Nearly 5,(XX) Volunteers are already at work in more than 42 countries. By the begin ning of the next school year, 9,(XX) Volunteers will be on the job. How are they doing? One measure is the response of the nations where they have gone. Every country has asked for double, triple or quadruple the number of Volunteers already at work. Said Colombia’s President Valencia in his inaugural ad dress: "The mission which they (the Volunteers) are furthering is truly extraordinary and meri torious, worthy of Colombia’s gratitude. They make direct contact with our most humble people in our towns and vil lages; they hear their complaints, understand their anguish and stimulate their hopes. "There is no other action more effective to the service of continental integration than this Peace Corps which allows a young man from Chicago to know the thoughts of a man from Sabanalarga or Firavi toba.” President Valencia has scored part of the Peace Corps’ basic objectives—human understand ing. Congress defined for the Peace Corps these primary aims: 1. To help developing nations meet their needs for trained manpower. ( See ‘Mounting,' page 4) Nancy Tanner, 22, a Peace Corps Volunteer from Henderson, Ky., cavorts with some of her Chilean friends. She is teaching pre school children in San Gregorio, a low-income housing develop ment in Santiago. Miss Tanner attended Hollins College in Virginia.
