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Show fcyiifii iyi ynri. Thus far, only a handful of Vietnamese are able to make themselves satisfactorily understood to Americans. For the vast majority, any spoken exchange hodge-podg- e of is a key word, facial expression and body English. Vietnam is the only country in which Its language is spoken and most Americans are here for too brief a period to learn enough of the difficult tongue to make it worthwhile. It is usually considered sufficient to grasp just enough Vietnamese to greet someone, hail a taxi, or order a meal. Thus, it is tacitly conceded that the obligation of learning the other fellows language falls more to the Vietnamese. There is certainly the likelihood of some permanent American presence here with whom future generations will have to deal. Moreover, most of the machinery, weapons and other materials lying about arrive from U.S. sources with instruction manuals Drinted in English. There wont a .ways be an American around to walk the Vietnamese mechanic, farmer or soldier through the com; lex directions. The ad hoc schoolrooms being tossed up on military bases are probably doing as much to cement relations as improve The Vietnamese stucommunications. dents are aware that their American instructors are donating what precious free time they have and seem genuinely grateful for the gesture. Frequently, the classes are held in inadequate buildings in which the air is too close and breathing becomes a kind of nasal art form. The best the bleak overhead lights can usually do is attract flying things, but only an outsider would notice. Those inside, students and faculty alike, are far too preoccupied with the opportunity at immediate hand to take even cursory note of things they are without. The unstated promise that some as yet undefined personal growth might come of this seems sufficient inspiration of Vietnamese for the thousands enthusiastically attending nightly English language lessons. Among the newest and largest of these language schools is the one found usually-misleadin- e. g V'" Jr $ v&V' K vX'S' v M 1 EH ' ' ? I; Mil TSgt. Thomas Brown, checkered shirt, of Lander, Wyo., looks on as Capt. Robert Richman leads class in English for South Vietnamese soldiers. The American instructors donate their time. ed by Air Force Technical Sgt. Thomas Brown at Da Nang, Vietnams second largest city. Brown, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y ments and persuasions; some are soldiers who arrive straight from the field of battle. Saints, from Lander, Wyoming, doesnt deny that the long, bungalow in which the sessions are held has gone much too long without human activity and is beginning to crumble. And he frankly acknowledges any number of other disturbances with which his students must contend, not the least of which is the shrieking, head splitting noises originating from the huge air base less than a hundred yards away. Despite such hazards to concentration, a virtual fleet of Hondas, Suzukis and other modes of transportation faithfully putters onto the schoolgrounds each night and unloads riders into the classrooms for another step in learning to speak it and read it and English write it. They learn quickly, for to do so is expedient To do less is to fail. force low-slun- g two-whe- They are all ages, genders, employ- - Catain Robert S. Richman, 27, an air information officer from Miami, Florida, comes to the school from work still dressed in military fatigues. There is usually no time for food or a shower. Richman presides over Room 4, a 10 by 25 foot accommodations witn freshly-painte- d green window frames and doors. An overhead fan hangs from the ceiling and slowly orbits above the students in an altogether unsuccessful effort to circulate the stale air. The walls in the room are completely bare. Meager lighting is provided by a quartet cf flickering bulbs. 100-wa- tt As Richman and his class struggle to make themselves understood, one to the other, the curious faces of children appear in the window to take in the sight of their parents laboring to say words they have not said before. Behind Richman as he faces the class is a blackboard and the chalk and eras- ers he and Sgt. Brown have scrounged from obscure sources. Above the black- board is a sign familiar to most Americans: "I shall pass this way but once. Any good therefore that I can do, to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not neglect nor defer it for I shall not pass this way again. The words are repeated in Vietnamese. ... The students in Richmans class; Phuoc, Troang, Hue, Gat, Nghi, others, lean intently forward, grasping for every nuance in every word Richman carefully pronounces. His students are drawing their lessons from one of three texts available to the school; Book Three, the most advanced. The books cost the U.S. a hundred piasters each, the equivalent of $1.18. Each student pays sixty piasters, the sole fiscal obligation he encounter? in the course. Midway during the class, Richman puts his students through a brief moment he of truth; "Phi, go to the blackboard, By LAVOR K. CHAFFIN Deseret News Education Editor THEY'RE YOUR SCHOOLS Subject by subject, probably no area of Instruction in the schools certainly none at the high school and college levels causes so many headaches for as interscholastic athletics. And there is no area in which the public becomes so Interexercised. scholastic athletics truly is the hot potato which high . "r. Cnaiun school principals and college presidents would like to toss if only the public back in the bag would get them to do so. A high school can go on for years with a poor English, math or science teacher and the public will tolerate the shortcoming with hardly a murmur cf protest. Let the school have a losing football team several years in a row and the public will fire the coach. College presidents face a similar sit-- uation. If the team doesnt win the coach is out and probably his whole staff with him. 'typically, colleges and universities make a bigger fuss over hiring a new coach and sometimes pay him more than they do over the selection of a new president. The public often pretends and that is exactly the right word to use amusement and derision over the antics of the administrators regarding athletics. This is a cruel delusion its cruel to the administrators because the simple truth is that it is the public which permits and promotes the athletic actions. Newspapers, magazines and the electronic media are caught in the same web. Like the school administrators, the newspaper editors are at the public mercy. Leave the score of a high school basketball game out of the paper and therell be a flock of calls protesting the omission. Fail to report a school board meeting and virtually no one notices. Sounds Of Glory By HARRY JONES The sound of rifles rang out yesterday as an Air Force Guard of honor paid a last tribute to Leo G. Stones, an Army veteran of World War II. figure would be for all seven collegiate institutions.) On this point, two men associated with Utah State University have an interesting proposal. They are Richard J. Maughan, chairman of the USU Board of Trustees, and Conley Watts, a former trustee who now is a member of the state-support- The public wants athletics, so both the schools and the press oblige. Dr. Arthur C. Wiscombe, deputy superintendent of Salt Lake City Schools, told the city board of education recently that the schools would like to put more emphasis on Intramural sports (within schools), but that the public wont allow it. The discussion arose when it was noted that it takes quite a little cash to outfit a football team from $135 to $150 per boy, not counting shoes. ' Perhaps if educators would make English and math as exciting as athletics thered be less fuss over school finance. The expense of athletics is a never-endin-g concern at the college level also. The Utah Coordinating Council of Higher Education currently is investigating the costs of intercollegiate sports. Some estimate that the state subsidizes intercollegiate athletics as much as $1 million per from tax funds. This is to say year that gate receipts fall that far short of paying the cost of fielding teams. (The Council of Higher The Educa- Coordinating tion. Both suggest that Utahs four-yeschools USU, the University of Utah and Weber State College (ideally Brigham Young University also) would realize higher gate receipts if they scheduled more games with each other. Mr. Watts e footeven suggests that a ball schedule might be profitable. At such contests, a good crowd of the opposing student body would make the short trip to cheer for their teams and fatten gate receipts, he believes. The general public also might find greater interest and attend in larger numbers. Perhaps the very vocal public which demaiids continued emphasis on this expensive subject should have more opportunity to pay the bill at the turnstiles, instead of asking all citizens to pay part of it at the tax collectors window. home-and-hom- -- John Butler's Brilliant 'Initiate' 'Memory Pill' Not Ready Yet By HAROLD LUNDSTROM Deseret News Music Editor Dear Dr. Molner: I understand there is a "memory pill being perfected. Is it for people over 60? I am 66 and my sister is 75 and our memories are not as good as they used to be. Mrs. M.B. Answer: Saying that such a pill is being "perfected" is a great overstatement. Some intei 'sting experimental work Is in progress, but there is no way of predicting when, if ever, it will be ready for use, and how much, if any, good it may do. All I can say is to wait and see whether Anything comes of this work. -- Dear Dr. Molner: My fiances mother has diabetes, but only a mild case. My fiance does not have it. Can he get it frQm his mother, and can I get it from him? E.W. Whether choreographers chose ideas or ideas chose choreographers, the principal ideas of the opening concert of the Repertory Dance Theater (RDT) were all of the same bolt of cloth. And together these ideas scorching bitter overwhelming grief had a single result; i.e., they sent the pitifully small Kingsbury Hall audience home depressed. In a very real sense, the six dances of the Thursday performance are the of the individual choreograextern-alizatio- viewpoint and reflection of our times. Each dance was the solo art of the Individual choreographer. If phers personal these choreographers correctly reflect our times, then we must live in the worst of all possible worlds, and little wonder that brows were furrowed and faces Answer: Since there is a hereditary .were long in what must be this or any tendency in diabetes, he has a greater chance of developing the disease because other seasons most depressing evening his mother has it. The inheritance factor in the theater. depends on how frequently the t ail has This is not 10 suggest that the dancing appeared in the family tree. But he con-nitself was, in any sense, depressing or give it to you. inferior. It was, in fact, excitingly superb Never take a chance on diabetes! For better understanding of thi disease, write to Dr. Molner in that the dancers projected the choreIn care of the Deseret Newt, P 0. Box 1257, Salt Lake City, Utah IMHO, for a copy of the booklet, ographers melancholic messages of des"Diabetes The Sneaky Disease Please enclose a lone, pondency and despair with utter convicenvelope stamped ot and 35c handling. In coin to cover cost of printing and Because of tht tremendous volume of melt re calved daily, Dr. Moiner regrets that he cannot answer individual letters, but whenever possible he usee readers' evestlon in his column. tion. The dancers, with deft techniques, successfully bridged the difficult area of joint creativity with the choreographers of a dance previously presented here, MUSICAL WHIRL and made this communication of lessness with scaring intensity. hope- The long applause, accompanied with many shouts of "Bravo!, must have been enormously heartening to John Butler for the premiere of his "The Initiate, easily one of the most gr.pping contemporary ballets ever presented here. The entire RDT cast supported Mr. Butlers choreographic imagination. Every viewer will add his own interpretation as to what the Initiate is being initiated into (unless Mr. Butler has or does some day disclose exactly what he had in mind). It could be the vilest sin, moral degradation, or a loss of identification, integrity, virtue, or what you choose. As the Initiate, Tim Wengerd was wonderfully convincing in his projection of the desolate undertow. His use of arms was almost one of choreographic there were little oriental handflicks with the wrists, taut fingers groping in the air, holding one leg out in front, leaps that suddenly into splits in the air, legs shot out in front kicks. His was, indeed, a fantastic performance. jack-knife- d In fact, I think it would not be amiss to label this the first of three different performances as "Tim Wengerd Night. Mr. Wengerd was the choreographer a (perhaps?) "Chant. He was also the choreographer for the pas de deux "Night Scene," in which he shared honors with Linda Smith. "Night Scene" was another convincing portrait of hour and far too with Jose Limons long program, began With a nod toward Concerto Grosso. The lf classical ballet, it frequently drops the elegance but not the disciplines of formal ballet. Because it does not carry the even flow and line of ballet, it has always had, for one viewer, many annoying awkward transitions. It was, of course, well danced, and James Prig-mor- e made a very impressive debut as the music director of the RDT (whatever happened to Norma Dalby?) with a compit orchestra. petent chamber-size- d For the record, it needs to be reported that two other dances were presented. Even if they would have had more to recommend them, they were at a distinct disadvantage following John Butlers brilliant, "The Initiate," which was the climax of the evening. One of these items was Richard Row-sel"The Watchers, a long drawn out display of unattractive contortions. The other was Bill Evans "Interim," that is in two parts. I have no idea what the point is in either part, but the first part was a fine exhibition of athletic ls ij Leo had been as close as a sound and its echo to his son, Gary. The son had done his bit In Vietnam and was home. Then Leo and his wife' Lillies didnt worry quite so much. announced to his faculty that a definite program for the school has at last been established in which two semesters will be devoted to each of the thrpe books and that final promotions will be marked by certificates of graduation. They arc on their way. Sgt. Brown Last week, Gary was killed in an auto accident near Williams, Ariz. His car collided with a truck. at a loss to explain why he huiries to these nightly classes rather tnan rest or seek out entertainment. It is the first time he has been asked. It occurs to him that the sign above Captain Richmans blackboard might best describe his feelings and he starts to swing toward it by way of explanation. But, then he sees something drawn on the blackboard, something that hadnt been there before. It says it better than words ever could. There, outlined in chalk by one of Lis human fist students is a tightly-closewith the thumb extended skyward. The gesture is familiar throughout South Vietnam. It means, "We are together, d friend. , Gary was buried last Saturday in the beautiful southeast part of our Valley of Salt. And because so many men were in the hills on the deer hunt, no rifle honor guard could be found. So Gary was buried without that part! of military honors. Leo had adopted Gary when he married the boys mother, Lillias, back in 1947. Cary wasn't quite two at the time. Leo was a quiet man. He didn't talk too much. But there was a great under- -' standing between him and Gary. Leo and Lillias wanted an honor, guard last Saturday. It was then that Leo had told Lillias that he would like an honor guard some- -' day, if it were at all possible. No one knew the grief of this man. It was so deep that just a few hours after' Garys funeral, Leo died, too. Our Children Are Smarter Than We Think The doctor said it was his heart . . and it was. It was a heart grief-stneke- n In World War II, Leo had fought his way across the muddy fields of France. He had almost frozen to death that win- -' ter in the Battle of the Bulge. A few years ago, my old friend, Charles W. Ferguson, the author and editor, brought out the "Abecedarian Book, which was an attempt to introduce children to big words by way of a conventional ABC book. Instead of the customary A is for Apple and "B is for Bear, he used "A is for Antediluvian and "B is for Biolumi-roseen- t, and so forth through the alphabet. Then, one day, a German bullet cut Leo down, and the war was over for him.' He recovered from his wounds and returned home to our valley to marry his' pretty Lillias. Like many veterans who saw the hor-rible part of war the killing . . . maiming, Leo didnt like to talk about it- - ... Lillias turned to Newell Knight, who serves with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, when Leo died. Before you laugh or sneer at this unusual venture, let me try to anticipate your two main objections to such a book first, that children simply cant mouth or remember such long words, and second, they cant grasp the meanings of them. The first objection is based on a vast of childrens ability. Let me remind you that the recent Random House Dictionary has added Mary Poppins "supercalifragilisticexpi-alodociouwhich my little girl could trip off the tongue without stumbling when she was five years old. If a small child can easily master a tongue-twiste- r such as that, it seems absurd to keep giving them nothing but Apples and Bears and Cats and Dells, which are so boring and unmemorable after a while. Children have far greater capacities both physically and verbally than we permit or encourage. The second objection, namely that children couldnt grasp the meaning of such words as "antediluvian" is also a gross fallacy. Any child can be taught that the prefix "ante means "before, and that diluvian pertains to the deluge or flood that Noah and his ark survived. So that "antidiluvian simply means "way, way back in history or "before the flood and Noahs Ark." The reason Mr. Ferguson devised this book was to demonstrate that if a child learned a big word (no harder to learn than a small one), he also learned about a half dozen other words along with it and at the same time learned the structure of language, which is the art of combining different In "bioluminescent" we have "bio" meaning life and "lumin meaning "light, and the "escent ending, meaning of the nature of. There isnt an intelligent third-gradchild (or younger) who couldnt understand and remember this. And not for the sake of using big words, of course, which is a reprehensible habit in itself but for the sake of later being able to decipher almost any specialized word that comes along. Children are much brighter than we let them be, and can go far faster than we permit them to. The great lag in our society is in language and communication, but the lag is our fault, not theirs. under-evaluatio- n s, YOUR HEALTH shots echoed against the rugged mountains that form an eastern backdrop for the Memorial Gar1 dens of the Valley ' I V in Sandy. And the echo, that was loud and Mr. Jones clear, served as a tribute to Gary L. Stones, a veteran of Vietnam. Garys grave was alongside the open grave of Leos, the flowers still unwilted. SYDNEY J. HARRIS Interscholastic Athletics: A Real Hot Potato A 19 For Them , Later, the class is guided through sizes and before the students close their books to leave, they nave learned tne meanings of "wide," "narrow," "empty," "full," "short" and other words relating to dimension and volume. Elsewhere in the school, Captain Malcolm J. Ballard, Jr., 29, a finance officer from Washington, D C., and Chief Master Sgt. Forrest L. Tackett, 43, of Caldwell, Kansas, drill their students in words describing objects and colors. Ballard is impeccably dressed for this place; he d wears a tie, dress shirt and slacks. He is all business, slighta Southern gentleman. ly mannered Tackett is older; he is trim and gentle with a kind of Sunday School kindliness. He probes, doesnt correct, lets his students advance at their own level. Meanwhile, the schools founder and chief administrator, Sgt. Brown, wanders in and out of classrooms silently monitoring individual progresses. Later, after the students have drifted out of the classes and sped away, Sgt. Brown explains that the major problem for the Vietnamese is phonics, correct pronunciation. Tonight, "repeat" and "word" hopelessly became "press-feat- " and wood. But a few words and their meanings have been captured, and a handful of Vietnamese have moved a step closer to He is wwy OUR MAN JONES neatly-presse- 25C ,'ig Friday, October 25, 1968 socommands, and a thin, ldier cautiously reacts, Richman acknowledges This correct response with an approving nod and the young student smiles back happily. Others; P)iua, Thu, Gien, are instructed to "Open your books," "point at the window on the left," "erasp the blackboard and write your name there. It goes well and Rich-ma- n is satisfied. 'The schoolrooms being tossed up on military bases are probably doing as much to cement relations as improve communications . . The transition will require at least a generation, but English Is certain to eventually replace French as this countrys second language. Most Vietnamese schools have already incorporated English into their curriculums, and makeshift language schools are springing up at military bases around the country in isolated efforts to break down the impeding language barriers suffered by American GI's and their Vietnamese counterparts. NANG DA a D2SERET NEWS, English Becomes Second Language To Viefs By TOD FAULKNER Deseret News Special iy "Could Newell get her an honor guard for Leo? In a last desperate effort, Newell called Hill Air Force Base. "Could you possibly furnish a guard of honor for an Army veteran?" Newell asked of the captain who answered the phone. There are regulations that the various services take care of their own. "All you have to say, said the officer, is that Leo was in the Air Force., Newell told a little white lie. The captain knew it, but gladly accepted it. And honor guards are volunteer, duties. That is why an Air Force Guard of, Honor paid tribute yesterday to an Army and the echo for his son! buddy uiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiMiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii BIG TALK root-word- e $ jginijpffw ji ... "I just got wind of a deer hunter who got skunked!" From photos taken by Lionel V. Me Neely for tha Deseret News popular dally Baby Birthday feature. Ulllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllimilllia wig |