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Show CltRONicU JUvitvUy, January Paqe Eiqhi ACCENT has U aefovist group ff oil Many students enjoy political activity By Loreen Erickson and Grant Sperry Chronicle staff writers Activists. You've seen them Students Against Apartheid, Young Socialist Alliance, Students Against Nuclear Destruction, peace "marchers going to and coming from Russia, Janitors for a Cleaner America. The list continues, but who are these people? What are their opinions? Do you care? One University of Utah employee thinks toojew students care but believes that may be changing. Shelley White is a veteran peace marcher. She has participated in both the Great American Peace Walk and the Peace Walk in Russia. She has also been involved in numerous protests, including a recent one at the Nevada nuclear test site. The word activist sometimes labels a person as a fanatic or rebel, White said, something she considers untrue and unfortunate. Regardless of their common dedication, even the most committed activists differ in the degrees and avenues of their protests. Some never commit civil disobedience, she said, others may. Activists come from occupations that range from doctors and farmers to movie idols such as Barbra Streisand and Martin Sheen. But whatever their occupations, activists need to become informed for themselves and come to their own conclusions, White said. In short, the word activist should simply mean "one who is active," she said. The U. has groups for all degrees of activists. For instance, Amnesty International believes in working against worldwide political injustice and is especially'committed to freeing political prisoners, members Christian Johnson and Gregg Turner non-viole- '... fr lif'ff V : Chronicle photo by Sievcn C Wilson Dave Crowder, president of College Republicans, views his group members not so much as activists, but as people organized to work and campaign for their political ideals. wtmml. . J ; if i t) I V The organization stresses the need to fight for human rights in all countries, ranging from South Africa to the United States in fact, especially in the United States. Americans have more power to fight human injustices through their right to vote, Turner explained. He thinks Americans should take more advantage of the opportunities available to them. Even writing letters to elected officials can make a difference, he said. Another activist group is the Young Socialist Alliance. Members Lydia Hoyle and Brian St. Clair think the group approaches issues from a global perspective. At the same time, however, YSA advocates against many of the same issues as other activist groups, such as South African apartheid and nuclear testing in Nevada. Another group on campus calls itself "politically active" not activists. The difference between the two hinges on the group's philosophy, said Dave Crowder, president of College Republicans. The group is "just conservative conservative on economic and moral issues. We would never hold a rally for Contra aid," he said. College Republicans is a national organization based in Washington, D.C. Business junior Crowder joined the campus chapter after he returned from an LDS mission. Before his mission, he was involved with Young Republicans, a local conservative group. On his return, he found that most of his friends from the Sigma Chi fraternity house were involved with College Republicans, so he switched. And now he's president. "Our membership is loosely organized, and we meet once vWik VjrL Chronicle photo by Marc Birkdull Veteran peace marcher Shelley White has participated in numerous protests against such issues as nuclear testing. She hopes to spark political activism among university students. a month," Crowder said. His organization issues-oriente- is not instead, it recruits students to work on local d; and national campaigns. The opportunity to work closely on candidates' campaigns is an education in itself, Crowder said. "It's great to see see them talking with voters, candidates answering questions at press conferences and realizing money can make or break a campaign." It's just nice to know politicians are people, Crowder said. Actually, Crowder has known the personal side of politicians for many years. His father was former Rep. Dave Monson's campaign manager. Former Mayor Ted Wilson used to be his church Sunday School teacher. And Brian Moss, son of former Sen. Frank Moss, is his next-doneighbor. In sum, U. students can become actively involved with politics on campus, whether in rallies or in a candidate's office. Political activity, not necessarily activism, is the common denominator that links these groups together as students willing and desirous to make a change or have their voices heard. up-clo- se or Prof enjoys student's friendship By Kelly Hindley Chronicle staff writer Don't call him Dr. Zhou. That's one of the first things Nan Zhou tells students in his Principles of Marketing class. The title is rightfully his he earned his doctorate in marketing from the University of Utah. But Zhou dislikes the lofty sound of "doctor." He prefers colleagues and students to call him Joe. "I like teaching. I like to make friends with my students," Zhou said. Good teachers don't let fancy titles stand between them and their pupils, he believes. And being a good teacher is one of his top priorities. "Students represent the future," he said. "It's my responsibility to help them. I try to do everything I can to help them." But Zhou wan't always planning to be a marketing professor. His first college degree, earned at Fuzhou University in the People's Republic of China, was in civil engineering. Because he wanted to bolster his engineering training with managerial skills, he moved to the United States in 1982 to work for a master's of business administration at Idaho State University. But when he began his studies, Zhou found his interest in engineering being replaced by a fascination for business. "I fell in love with marketing," Zhou said. His new interest rearranged his career goals. After completing his master's degree, Zhou scrapped his engineering plans and moved to Salt Lake City to earn a marketing doctorate from the graduation, he became a visiting assistant in the U.'s marketing department. professor makes the perfect subject for people who like to Marketing jtiavc fun, Zhou said. And keeping track of the chaotic business world is, for Zhou, a great way to have a good time. "In marketing, we deal with ideas between people. We do our best to satisfy people's needs," he explained. Marketing is the matchmaker between buyer and seller, the link between different sides of the economic spectrum, he U.-Aft- , - nt said. if -- dlpirs (fi- continued. Zhou enjoys monitoring the fluctuating marketing business. And he enjoys sharing this information with his students. "Students want to know what is happening. It's my responsibility to keep them current," Zhou said. Working hard to remain knowledgeable and current in his field is one of the best ways he can help his students, Zhou explained. But he also thinks good teachers work to become friends with their students. Friendship forms the basis of an effective educational process, Zhou believes. For important ideas and values to be exhanged in the classroom, teachers and students must feel comfortable with each other. The best part of teaching, he added, is getting to know his students. Whether to concentrate on research or on teaching is a difficult decision all professors must make, he said. But for Zhou, students are the most important part of a university. Zhou doesn't keep set office hours he prefers inviting students to drop by as often as they'd like according to their own schedules. He gives students his home telephone number, and he's even happy to answer questions from inquisitive students at 10 or 11 p.m. But Zhou says he learns as much from his students as they learn from him. He likes students to talk in class because it helps keep his English current and energetic. The warmth and generosity of both his professors and his students have made the transition between Chinese and American culture an enjoyable one, he said. After this school year, Zhou, his wife and his daughter will move back to China. He plans to teach marketing at a Chinese university. "The country is opening up," Zhou said. "We can do many things we couldn't do a year ago. The changes have been significant." In China, teachers are like mothers or fathers who try to stuff their students with information, Zhou said. He thinks Chinese marketing students will like a professor who wants them to do their own thinking and who wants to be their friend. -- 'w- iiS Chronicle photo by Steven C. Wilson Name: Nan Zhou Position: Visiting assistant professor of marketing Education: Civil engineering degree, Fuzhou University, People's Republic of China; master's degree in business administration, Idaho State University; doctoral degree in marketing, University of Utah Thoughts on U.: "The university is suffering from the funding problem. If the situation continues, we may lose many good faculty. As an alumnus, I hate to see that happen." |
