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Show THE THUNDERBIRDDSOUTHERN Center boosts English skills Language barriers can make it difficult for even the brightest foreign student to attend college in the United States, but SUUs new English Language Study Center offers an effective way to make the transition. The new center is actually a part of an independent corporation and is contracted to bring the English language skills of foreign students up to a level where they can comfortably e enroll as college or university students. Similar centers are in operation at a number of colleges and universities in the United States. The center is under the direction of Spence Hill, who made the transfer on short notice, and in a cross country drive that sounds something like National Lampoons Vacation, complete with getting stuck on a lawn and several wrong turns The program Hill directs gives foreign students much of the feeling of American campus life, while attending their own curriculum. They live in the dorms and eat with other students in the cafeteria. However, their curriculum is five intensive hours a day of reading, writing, grammar, conversation and TOEFL TOEFL stands for Test of English as a Foreign Language and is the ultimate test in determining if a student is ready for regular class work, said Hill. When a student gets close to a 500 TOEFL score, Hill said, the student is ready to start taking a few regular university classes. Once a student has passed the he is ready to as a student. register regular The work load of center students here lightens a bit on Fridays, when they have living lab, a recreationalcultural orientation activity. The living lab agenda includes such events as visits to the Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery, attendance at theatre department productions, trips to area parks and even an overnight trip to Las Vegas. Six students are currently enrolled in the center: Alicia Borrego, from Madrid, Spain; Noriko Kaneko and Yuko Tanaka, of Kyoto, Japan; Ikuko Yamada, Kobe, Japan; Kayoko Namba, Nagoya, Japan; and Walter Rivera, from Managua, Nicaragua. Some, like Tanaka and Kaneko transferred to SUU from other centers, while others like Borrego and Yamada, came directly to the campus from their native countries. However, all have one thing in common they already studied English before coming to America, and were at what Hill calls the intermediate level in their language skills. Most of the students at the SUU center have studied English for nearly eight years. Hill said he expects the program to" draw an increasing number of students, particularly from Russia now that President Gerald R. Sherratt chairs a consortium of U.S. and Russian universities. ''&! v- r T' V -- V' sF . - ,. 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UTAH UNIVERSITYDTHURSDAY DECEMBER 5 1991DPAGE '3r V Vjt CAD-CAmajor from Fremont, Calif , junior major Gary Erukson from Beaver and freshman automotive major Rustm Jacobson Jrom Cedar City gel into the Christmas spirit during SUs Fantasy m Frost The trees, decorated by individuals and organizations, will be on display in the Harris Pavilion tonight and tomorrow V1CA members Nathan Champion, a senior CAD-CA- 500-mar- Alta receives funds for tapes, books BY JENNIFER MORLEY Thundcrbird Staff Writer Project Alta will now be able to provide tapes and textbooks for six learning disabled students at SUU, with the $2,850 allocated by the SUUSA Senate during its meeting Tuesday. Most of the students I serve are just now learning about their disabilities. .1 need your senators help so I can help these students, said Project Alta Director Pamela France. Sen. Dennis Sponer said, Im strongly in support of this bill but in the future I think the institution SUU should fund it. According to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, students with documented disabilities may request aid from the institution they are attending which will enable them to participate in and benefit from all postsecondary educational programs and activities. Postsecondary institutions must make any changes necessary to ensure that the programs are accessible, according to the act. According to Sen. Cook, in the past the senate has helped to fund Project Alta. She said, however, that in the future SUU should be responsible for funding it. The bill was amended to say that the SUUSA Senate will not . be responsible for future funding, and that a senate committee will request that the Deans Council fund it. In new requests, Sen. Kendall Krause asked the senators to give him $1,235.50 to fund his special project, which consists of purchasing and installing six electronic marquees. The marquees will be put up at various locations on the SUU campus to keep students informed of what activities are offered each day. Other senators also discussed their special projects for school year. Sen. Dave Heaton plans to the 1991-9- 2 organize a committee to provide information about and how to fight date rape. Cook is working with Peter Johnson, a former SUUSA Senator, to set up a career fair. Sponer is working on student internships in Washington D.C. Other projects include installing clocks in the student center living room and reading rooms, an SUUSA courtesy phone in Old Main, better lighting on the upper part of campus, a recycling program, handrails by the d students. Science Building, and a handbook for pre-me- Also during the meeting, senators approved Shawn Marchants appointment as Publications Council chair, and Brad Bishops appointment as SUUSA activities vice president. Bishop will replace Sharwan Smith, who is leaving to serve an LDS mission. SUs mock legislators do well in college congress BY AMANDA PODMORE Thunderbird Staff Writer Southern Utah University students made a strong impact at a recent meeting of the Utah Intercollegiate Assembly in Stilt Lake City. One'of the eight bills presented by SUU was selected to be presented to the Utah State Legislature. UIA is a mock legislature with student delegates from nine colleges and universities throughout Utah taking part. Around 150 students participate in the three day conference held at the Utah State Capitol. Ten students, mainly from student government, represented SUU with senior Jake Shewmake as the appointed delegate chair. He served as the Speaker of the House throughout the session, and was later honored by being voted the Most Valuable of the assembly. Representative It was a great experience, It said Shewmake. was also an excellent opportunity to learn about the workings of our government, and how we can make a change in government. All higher education institutions may present a number of bills for consideration within the mock legislature, but only the top five bills are forwarded to the Utah Council of Student Body Presidents for further consideration. This council then gives the bills to the Utah State Legislature for consideration. SUUs bill which was selected. The Centennial Bond, requests the state to bond for money to build a It would also library on every campus Utah-widprovide new equipment and updating to existing e. libraries. In 1988, a study of state libraries established what facilities were needed, and initial planning was carried out. The bill asks the Utah State Legislature to foot the $65 million this project would cost. If implemented, each campus would have working libraries by 1996 when Utah celebrates its 100th anniversary. Shewmake said that currently very little is known about the UIA (among students), and we need the Funds have been allocated support of the students. recently by SUUs senate for an awareness campaign which should take place early next quarter. Although many of the delegates who traveled to Salt Lake were involved with student government, it is not a prerequisite. |