University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1913-03-27
STUDENTS FROM OTHER LANDS
Why Some Men Come Thousands of Miles
to Attend School Here Around the
World in Lowry Hall.

1t was the early part of September
and the warm air and cinders, also
warm and very black, poured into the
open windows. The train was crowd
lumbia to enter the University for the
fall term. 1t had been a gay crowd
that left the Union Station at ST. Louis
earlier in the afternoon, but their
spiris, like their collars. had melted
as the heat of the afternoon wore
away. Some attempted to read; some
gazed out of the windows at the land
scape; others slept.
Near the front of the car sat four
fellows who had become tired of play
ing cards on suit case. One of the
party was talkative youngster- in a
| light Norfolk suit who was entering
the University for his first time. He
had come long distance to study
public speaking He was a stranger
in strange land, and he had endeav-
ored to let his companions know it.
This young man was from the East
and he wanted to tell the others just
how far he had come. "Oh, l am so
awfully tired of riding on trains" he
said. Il have been on the cars now
for two whole days. OF course, /
don't mind il in the East where we
have fine trains. But l do detest to
end up my trip in this manner. It's
all right with you fellows who only
come a hundred miles. 80" and he
went on and on. After some moments
he turned to the man next to him
and asked, Where do you come
from?'
A Surprise From the "Trayeler.-
The one addressed by the travel
er" was a quiet sort of fellow who
kept his eyes wide open and his mouth
tightly closed. There was a twinkle
in his eye as he answered, Pretty far.
I'm from the East"
AS the freshman questioner started
to say something he hastily added,
Probably might say from the West"
The inquirer's eyes were wide open,
and he wondered if he was being made
fun of. So he asked his seat-mate to
explain.
"One usually speaks of it as the
East" said the quiet man, but it is
just as truly West. You see, l live
in Australia" The freshman found
another seat, but he did not again tell
anyone that he was from the East,
or that he was bored by his long
travel.
Australia is not the only far-off
country that is represented here.
China, Korea, Mexico, Japan, Italy,
Germany, ROumania and Canada have
students in the University of Mis-
souri,. There are eighteen or twenty
students from other LANDS who go
hurrying across the campus 10 an IS
wonders how these men happened to
come thousands of miles to attend
school here. Why did they not at
tend schools in their own countries?
Or why did they not go TO Yale, to
Harvard. to the larger schools? And
finally, what kind of men are these
people from the lands over the seas?
At the "Melting Pot"
At Lowry Hall, which has been call
ed the Melting Pot" visitor seeking
the answer to these questions found
those for whom he searched. He had
the idea that he would find an odd
sort of human beings, that they were
and cared little for the as
sociation of Americans. He believed
that they were men who grinned, said
no or yes to questions, and went on
their way.
But in this he was mistaken. For
during the chats. he had with these
men he found them to be as sociable
as any of his countrymen. He found
that their conversation varied but lit
lie from that of the general run of
college men. They were bit more
serious-minded, but they talked of
frivolous things as well as serious
They discussed athletics, student life
and the girls of the University. And
the American found that in regard
TO the latter, as most other things,
men are the same the world over.
The foreigner, especially the man from
a Latin country, is likely to express
himself in more elegant language. in
better figures, than the blunt Ameri-
can, but the talk is all to the same
purpose.