Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Speaks 4 Languages Vietnam Studied j BY' FEATURE WRITER Nguyen Thuc Bao, a native of North Vietnam uil the Com munists Invaded it in 1946, fore Ing his family to flee to wiat is now neighboring South Vietnam, Is probably one of the best-educated students at Carolina. His credentials include an LLD degree from the University of Paris in France, the ability to speak three widely dismilar lan guages besides his own, the ex perience of living and studying in 17 different countries and an as sistanceship in Business Admini stration from the University. Bao is more fortunate than the numerous exchange students in that his family is well-to-do and and he can afford to maintain him self at the various schools he has attended with his own money. Ac cording to Bao his parents live in "A very beautiful small city in the mountains," where the richer peo ple of the country come to spend their vacations. The climate of this area he described as being WOOD LAA 1134 Bull St. Across from * Air Invisibi puff for Salem r paper ti than ey ese Studei Fn 17 Nat spring-like the entire year, vir tually without summer or winter, Nyguyen 'ine Bo except during the occassional day long monsoon rains. U. S. Best for Comfort Among the countries Bao has HAVE YOUR TAI(EN NOW /N STUDIO AL0')06 WIS-TV Tower lem'Js 'Softens porous openings blend fresh air a-milder, cooler, more refreshing ssearch creates a revolutionary ne ~at makes Salem taste more Spring r ! Richer, too. Smoke ref reshed...ar Crted by R. 3.Rei e*meni NOW MORN flNAN EM~ at Has rons lived in, which include Denmark, Iceland, and a number of areas of Europe, Asia, and Africa, he finds the United States the best as far as comfort Is concerned but is not sure which place he enjoyed living in most. As far as he knows, he is the only Vietnamese student in the South. Upon being asked wat sur prised him most about American Universities he replied: "What surprises me about American uni versity life is that American stu dents study so much harder than people abroad think. The ones I know study very hard." Bao ob served in regard to shortcomings of American educational methods: "I think American students don't have enough general education outside of their major field of study compared to those of other countries. An Engineering student may know little about literature for example." Having mastered Danish, French, and English and earned his law degree, Bao is now work ing for an M.S. in Business Ad ministration at the University, and was busy typing a term paper at the time of the interview. Future Plans Speaking nearly flawless Eng lish, Bao said: "I think the Ameri can people are very friendly with me, and sometimes, if I don't go to class, I miss them," addng that he enjoyed attending the Universi ty very much. Bao is uncertain about his future plans except that he definitely in. tends to return to Vietnam upon completion of his studies. He ex plained that this may not be for some time, as he is considering whether or not to try for a Ph.D. and beginning the study of the German language. As of t h e moment he has not decided what his future profession will be. One thing seems certain how ever, and that is the fact that Nyguyen Thuc Bao is not only a student, but a scholar and he en joys being one. The fact that he has already acquired sufficient education to be a practicing law yer, but perfers to continue his travels a n d studies indefinitely shows this to be true. Food Complaints USC Tradition Complaints about the quality of the food served them seems to have been a favorite gripe of Caro lina students for over 100 years according to Prof. Daniel W. Hol lis's history of the University. This issue resulted in a student riot in the early 1850's known as the "Biscuit Rebellion." In 1897 a student writer complained in verse of "petrified doughnuts" and "vulcanized cake." )eciaI High Porositi 'every with each smoke. w cigarette stime-fresh noke Salem. thol fresh .*rich tot Slemi Seewn. Heur. Spoeh ON CAMPUS After passing out tests, pro fessor explaining that it was a "do it yourself quiz." Male students spending half the night chasing a mouse ,around their room. Coed asking where she could obtain a Persian cat and getting the reply, "There's a dead one on Hardin Street." e * e Student trying to borrow a lawni mower from maintenance man in order to reach class in style. Coed signing out of dorm un til 12-for supper. Male student so involved in admiring attractive coede he walked into an unseen tree. Calls to girls' dorm at 9 p.m. to find out if anyone was with out a date, and available for one. 0 0 0 New student overheard trying to obtain a beer in the "Game cock Room." Coed seen carrying boy friend's books to class. Student getting soaked by water thrown from a window, while he was "unsteadily" reach ing for the door. Freshman day' student claim ing that he was taking a week off from school, and camping by his nail bo.r until his grades came. "The grades were so bad in our class, the professor had to give us 30 points for our names." Student saying he was think ing of re-doing his room in cheiry wood, since it would prob ably he his permanent lodging. Episcopal Center Visited By Bishop Gifts presented to the Canter hury Chapel on the second floor of the Episcopal Center at 1518 Di vine Street since his last visit were blessed at a brief service of consecration by the Rt. Rev. Alfred C. Cole, Bishop of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina, recently. A b o u t 25 Canterburians and Episcopal friends of Canterbury attended the 15 minute service. Among the gifts consecrated were an organ, newv altar,, altar rail, chalice, paten, lay vestments, cross and candlesticks. The Rev. Armand T. Eyler assisted the hishop in conducting the service. Refreshments consisting of hot chocolate and cookies wvere served after the service. paper acco taste - modern rfreshe01B yoi Blocked Abolition Ph Charles I USC Froi Charles H. Simonton is a man few if any of the students at this University have heard of; no building on campus bears his name and no statue of him has ever been erected, but if it had not been for his efforts there might be no University here today. Simonton was for many years a representative from Charleston County in the General Assembly during the latter part of the 19th century when the fortunes of this University were at their lowest ebb. lie had a life-long interest in all things educational, but was particularly devoted to the welfare of the then South Carolina College as an alumnus and trustee. Professor Daniel W. Hollis's history of the University in volume two describes Simon ton's efforts on its behalf. As early as 1865 Simonton had begun actively working for the betterment of t h e institution from which he had graduated in 1849 with a law degree. At this time there was little opposi tion to his proposal to change it from a college emphasizing classical subjects in its curricu lum to a University which would provide practical courses in such subjects as agriculture and engi neeri ng. Hard Times The situation by 1868 was en tirely different however. This was the beginning of the period of Radical Reconstruction, which had a profound and unfavorable effect on the university. Simon ton and most of the other state leaders in the Assembly were turned out of office and a carpet bagger and scalawag General Assembly replaced them. A new board of trustees loyal to the Republican party was created. Fearing immediate integra tion of the University, the white professors and students left it in favor of pursuing their jobs or studies elsewhere. Surprisingly, no negro students were admitted until five years later and the radicals gave the University gen erous financial support until the end of their rule in 1877. All the s a mi e the student body dwindled and the quality of the faculty declined sharply (luring this period. When th-e conservative whites under Wade Hampton came to power after the withdrawal of federal troops from the state in 1877, the University was im mediately closed although Hamp ton declared his intention to re open it as soon as it could be re-organized. Simonton's Efforts Simonton, once more back in Columbia as a state legislator, outlined ambitious plans for re opening the University and mak ia filter, too itaste 1ns I. Simont< n Obilivio 40 CHARLES H. SIMONTON, Charb trustee of the South Carolina South Carolina) saved the Univ by its enemies in 1878. lie was the lJiversity in 1880 after it hi ing it one of the outstanding in stitutions in the south. He ex pected some opposition to the re-opening of the University be cause many of the citizens of the up-country regarded it as aristo cratic, expensive, and atheistic. These people, mostly f r o m Greenville, Abbeville and Spart anburg counties, w e r e most 1) r in i n e n t I y represented by State Senator Mart Gary of Edgefield c o u n t y and State Representatives R. R. Hemphill and F. H. Conner of Abbeville County. When Governor Hamp ton and Simonton sponsored a bill to re-open the University it immediately ran into a storm of opposition much more violent than its supporters had expected. It was at this juncture that Simonton's efforts to get the bill through the General Assem bly took on the aspect of a strug gle to save the University. He argued that the Constitution of 1868, Article X, made support of the University by the legislature mandatory and that 400 students were being forced to attend out of state schools because they couldn't get an adequate educa tion in their home state. The opposition refused to be per suaded and continued to contest the bill bitterly. January 26, 1878 the house debated the bill all day. Bill Is Passed In the Senate the debate on the bill, which provided only for opening the University as an agricultural and mechanical col lege was equally heated a n d prolonged. Senator Thomas B. Jeter of Union ,an ally of Simon ton's, led the fight for passage of the bill. The vote at one point was 16-16 on a motion to strike out the enacting clause. Lt.. Gov ernor W. D. Simpson, alumnus of 1843, voted in favor of the bill and broke a tie. OPponents of the bill in the House and Senate then sought to cripple it by elimination of certain sections, failing- by only one vote in the Senate. This bill finally passed the Senate by a 14-12 vote March 2, 1878. In the meantime, Simonton had success fully g ui d ed it through the House where it survived extine tion by a narrow margin of 55-54. The continued existence of the University, although not in its old form, was authorized but no provision was made for open ing it. Governor Haygood duly See Russia Iin 1980 Eoememy Stmdent/Teacher summer term, American conducted, from $495. * Rued by Mokoreoach. 17-days benm Warsaw or Helsinki. Visit rural bewas plus major cities. * Diesonisd Cr-and Tour. Russia, Poland, Cseboelovakia, Scandinavia. Weesee Europe highlight. * ColIegi.g. Cire,e Black Sea 'minRsi, Poland, Cuechoslo. Takia =Mania,Beneluz, W. Europe. *Mieter.nurp Adenmure. First abasavaskbe ?~Roumania., Pelsad, vakia, Wees ten suoeemnde seo*e. * See year Travel Agent er write Maupintour>( lESS G St., eN.W a*Is0- D.C )n Saved n In 1878 ,ston attorney, state legislator, and College (now the University of ersity from permanent extinction chiefly responsible for re-opening td been closed for three years. signed the bill into law. University Re-opens Aware of the need for money to operate the University before it could be re-opened Simonton had included a clause in the bill authorizing it which provided that it would have an Agricul tural Department. This made it eligible for federal 'funds under the Morrow Land Grant Act, and Simonton, as a University trus tee, was able to obtain these funds by November, 1879. Following a conference be tween the University trustees and the Presidents of all the men's colleges in the state ex cept Wofford and Furman. it Was decided that an Agricultural and Mechanical College should be opened in Columbia as soon as possible. The Assembly, asked for $10,000 to equip and support this institution, granted it a mis erly $2,100. When the former University re-opened as a mere Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1880, it was a far cry from the glori ous institution Simonton h a d envisioned in 1877, but it had survived the worst period of its .history. It was still to face many times of trial during the Tillman era and later, but it has suc ceeded in keeping its doors open ever since 1880, and since the World War has experienced un precedented growth and pros perity. Simonton's Later Life His fight for the University won, Simonton was able to fin ish his life in comparative peace and comfort. He was appointed a U. S. Circuit Judge, Fourth Circuit in 1893 and served until - his death in 1904, handing down several important decisions deal ing with the activities of Tillman and his followers, w h o m he strongly opposed. He was both speaker of the house and chairman of the judic iary committee during this long period of service. The methods by which he saved the University were not exciting or spect,acular, but according to Professor Hol lis he had more to do with this accomplishment than any other man, despite the support of IHampton and other able men. Without his effective interven tion on this institution's behalf in the legislature and as a trus tee todays students might have no beautiful campus, no modern physical plant, and no state Uni versity. SHIRTS FOR THE YOUNG LADY By GANT of New Hevoe COMING SOON - DRESSES, SKIRTS AND WALK SNORTS IN MADRAS, POPLIN ANO OTHE FA3RlCS. DIAL TREADAWAY