LIFE
AND
ART
Column
Growing
up with
Ihavotta
By Laurel Wissinger
• The Breeze
James Madison U.
I was in fourth grade in 1978 I
wore pigtails and striped knee
socks, and my favorite possession
was a vinyl Holly Hobby lunchbox.
"Going out” meant riding my
banana-seat bike up and down the
street.
It was the year that I, like the
entire nine-year-old and above pop
ulation of North America, fell in
love with John Travolta.
Suddenly, suburban shopping
malls were sponsoring Travolta
look-alike contests, retailers had a
hard time keeping white polyester
suits in stock, and everywhere you
went someone was humming a Bee
Gees tune.
“Saturday Night Fever was the
first R-rated movie 1 saw.
My friends and I bought tickets
for the Disney cartoon showing at
the same complex and then
walked into the theater where
Tony and Stephanie made cine
matic history.
Never mind that some of the
movie’s subtle messages went right
over my pre-pubescent head — I
was hooked
My friends and I spent three
weeks memorizing the soundtrack
— and then we sang it in exagger
ated falsettos everywhere we went
One of my friends had to stay after
school because she carved “Barry
Gibb” on her desk.
“Saturday Night Fever,” with its
glamorization of casual sex, recre
ational drug use and the sometimes
seedy side of life, spawned an era.
And it was over by the time 1
turned 11. Polyester became a dirty
word, John TVavolta pluinmetted
from the rank of hunk to wind up
somewhere around cheesy, and sex
ually transmitted diseases killed
promiscuity.
We all joke about the whole
“Saturday Night Fever” era now,
but a quick survey of my friends
reveals practically all of them
owned the album.
And when the university showed
the movie here last semester, hun
dreds of students showed up to pay
homage to — or laugh at — a part
of our life we all remember
MUSIC
Outspoken
Yes member and soloist Trevor
Rabin talks about his homeland
South Africa
Page 10
MUSIC
Opposites attract
Indigo Girls Kmily Suliers and Ann
Ray are great friends who achieved
critical success
Page 10
LIFESTYLES
Elderly and students
A program offers inexpensive I urns
mg for students and companionship
for the elderk
Page 11
Language isolates international students
By Cindy Stevenson
■ College Heights Herald
Western Kentucky U.
Tamie Nishihara confessed that she
couldn't stop crying when she realized
she was trapped at Western Kentucky l
“I was crying morning to night, 2-1
hours a day," the exchange student from
Japan said. “Especially the first week 1
was very sad because 1 was so homesick
and I didn't try to understand people."
"Most students are nice to me.” she
said, but to make friends, the ability to
speak fluent English and carry on con
versations is essential “1 didn’t expect to
have a good close American friend "
But after her first week here she met
a student who grew to be a terrific friend
— although Nishihara said she thinks
it’s a "really rare case.”
Close friendships between interna
tional students and Americans really
are the exception here, said Ronald
Eckard, interim international student
adviser
'‘The rule is international students
have difficulty meeting with and open
mg up with Americans," he said “It’s not
all the Americans’ fault. It's a combma
turn of all those cultural tilings” — espe
cially language.
“International students look for the
same goals — friendship, understand
ing communication, said Kristine
Bernhard, a sophomore from
Guatemala "We re not only homesick,
we’re country sick.
“We can understand the English," she
said, "but sometimes it’s hard with
Americans when they lock their ears"
and don't try to understand mternation
al students
"It’s easier to make friends with other
internationals because they’re all going
MWf TECUAMOtN .HT - - hN Vi
Tamie Nishihara has made a close American friend, something most foreign students don t do
through the same adjustment prob
lems," Eckard said
Joan Lindsey, international programs
and projects administrative secretary,
agreed 'They’re in the same boat in the
sense that they come from another coun
try," she said.
"Lots of students say there's no way
they can translate what they're think
mg. 1 think it all gears to the language
more than anything."
However, "there have been excep
tions,” Eckard said "It depends on the
individual"
Nishihara and Michelle Ward are one
exception. They said they notice their
differences but have enjoyed learning
from them at school and in Ward’s
hometown most weekends.
“I'm learning American culture -
especially the English," Nishihara
said laughing “She's always correct
ing my English "
Ward said, "1 learn so much about
Japan How they express their feelings
within the family And we talk about the
boyfriend-girlfriend situation."
"Me and Michelle is really close
friends," Nishihara said '1 always say
everything to her and she always says
everything to me "
Nishihara and her roommate
Stephanie (layer have had fun getting
to know each other, too "1 had to get used,
to her accent," the Henderson junior
said “Sometimes she might say a word
with an accent different than we do So
I’d say, 'Write it down ' Now, it's no prob
lem hardly ever We’ve stayed up many
nights talking."
(layer said she plans to travel to Japan
this summer, to visit her friend and learn
a new way of life.
See INTERNATIONAL, Page 10
Preacher prays for flock — and good grades
By Shetron Monson
■ The Daily Helmsman
Memphis State l).
The new pastor of St. Paul’s Baptist
Church pushed the floor waxer along a
church corridor. One of the church mem
bers turned and said with a chuckle. “You
wouldn’t think that was our pastor, now
would you?"
And he’s right, especially considering
the Rev Rickey Harvey is only 25-years
old and is a full-time student at Memphis
State U.
“Times have changed,” Harvey said.
“Used to be a time when 25-year-old min
isters couldn't get a church You had to
be 45 with a big stomach and all that."
Harvey said he felt his calling to the
| ministry at age 12, and he has been a
I pastor since he w as 22.'it was my per
j sonal goal to wait until 1 was 30 to
I become a pastor, but the Lord would
i have it that I'm a successful pastor at
; 25.” Harvey said
Harvey said he feels proud to be pas
tonngSt Paul’s because large, historical
churches usually reach out to pastors
from other parts of the country
Harvev was elected pastor of the
I-JHI--—
HIKf MURRAY *Hf » ■ Rf USMAN UFMPr.S STATF ,
The Rev Rickey Harvey balances his church
duties with school.
church last fall and has found that being
a student, gospel singer, pastor and
father has been difficult "I go to school,
1 leave school, 1 come flying here to
church." he "aid. "Many time- in m>
office I'm doing school work, and at school
I’m reading my Bible Being a pastor, a
student at MSU and a gospel singer has
taken a lot of time away from my family,
but it will get better.”
However, Harvey, a junior psychology
and sociology major, does derive some
rest and relaxation on Saturdays, not
Sundays from his office television set
"1 look forward to sitting here on
Saturday and watching the wrestling
match. 1 guess it’s my hobby.”
One of the most rewarding tilings
about being a pastor is ministering to
people he knows, Harvey said "Its
amazing. I'm pasturing my sixth grade
teacher,” he said “I’m pasturing people I
knew when I was a little child.”
"This is my calling It's all I want to do
1 like the fact that I'm helping people
Charles Simms, a church member,
said. “Harvey is much older than his age
He’s not your typical 25- or 26-year-old
Kven though he has a baby face. (lod has
given him wisdom beyond his years 1 Ie's
a good (lod fearing pastor
"One advantage of his age is that he
attracts voting people, and young people
are the future of our church But be also
relates really well to the older people "