PAGE : EIGHT Swahili: The Culture Of Man Through Language University Park, Pa. The course may be Swahili,. but don't be surprised if the final exam comes out. in Chinese, Arabic or Serbo Croatian. That's how it is with the fas cinating new linguistics program now being offered as part of the anthropology curriculum at The Pennsylvania State University. Using Swahili as their base, the students focus not so much on the idea of learning. to speak a language, but rather determin ing what language has to say about the culture which speaks "What \ we're really trying to do is dissect language like a bio logist dissects a frog," explains Dr. Ann Browning, assistant pro fessor of linguistics with the De partment of Anthropology and di rector of the new course. "By examining the structure of the Swahili language and see ing its similarities and differenc es with English we hope to teach our students to learn any lang- Silage" To find out how successful she's been, Dr. Browning gives her final exam in anything but Swahili. For one student it may be Chinese, for another Serbo- Croatian, for yet another Arabic, just so long as it is not a lang uage they already know. "The test determines if their study of Swahili has given them any insight into the similarities and peculiarities of various lang-, uages that they can apply in analyzing the structure of other languages." As an example, Dr. Browning points to the sentence: "I have five toes on my foot." In Swahili such a sentence is ambiguous because they use the same word for both leg and foot and the translation could also mean "I have five toes on my leg." Yet, in other areas, Swahili is more precise than English. "Take the verb `is,' " says Dr. Browning. "In the English lang uage there is only one is,' while in Swahili there are two. `Aka' is the word used when 'is' refers to location like `John is in the house.' But the word `ni' repre- gents the 'is' in the sentence `John is a boy.' Ideally, information such as this will help anthropology stud ents no matter where they go. "Suppose a' student finds him self on a project in Peru," theor tizes Dr. Browning. "If he's tak en our course in Swahili, he'll be aware that the language there may also have more than one word for what we know as a verb 'is' and be on the look out for it. The theories and analyses he develops from his studies of Swahili can be tried out on any language in the hope of gaining a better knowledge of the cul ture of the people who speak that language." According to Dr. Browning, Swahili was selected for two rea sons one, because Africa, so much in the news these days, is one of the major archaeological and anthropological centers of the world, and two, because a graduate instructor who speaks the language of Swahili, was available to help teach the course. As an offshoot of the new ling uistics course, the graduate in structor, John Murungi, is plan ning another program for the Spring Term dealing with the philosophical aspects of the Swahili culture. Next year, Dr. Browning hop es to do the same with another language; perhaps Quechua, the language of the Indians in the highlands of Peru. LOOK FOR APRIL 11-12 Eastern Intercampus Lea gue competition at Berks Campus. APRIL 13 Mother-Daughter Tea APRIL 15 S. G. A. Elections. The most likely place to find a helping hand is at the end of your own arm. THE HIGHACRES COLLEGIAN He. was asked to write an ar ticle and seeking a topic, asked God's chosen representative-one. earth, Mr. Aurand. The prof, checking through his huge inven tory of four topics, suggested he could write about , the university or specifically, Highacres. He knew that it's rehashing the same worn-out topic and that one shouldn't knock a good thing, the good thing being VA benefits and the money-saving character istics of this , campus. And, any way life in a daycamp isn't bad. No, really it isn't. But when he finished his ser vice to God and country, after three years..with his mind lying dormant under a one each, olive green, utility cap, size 7 1 / 4 , he decided to make an attempt ,to resuscitate his inactive brain. And in this society, college, is where this feat can be undertak en. F the kid enrolls in the great Penn State, in an attempt to. learn, to find something to fill the convolutions in his virgin brain. But after a „. year he's learned to be a great (maybe not very great) mechanic with words and letters, yet he feels he's gained nothing. Perhaps he hasn't worked hard enough, but working hard is against his reli gion (i. e., Slothism). The daycampers come every day and trudge through the campus playing their games and following orders, down to the let ter. They seemed concerned with some silly two or three digit num ber but not with what IT'S all about. The kid is disillusioned, his idealistic foresight saw a uni versity as the coffee house crowd talking concepts and abstracts; politics, war, and peace; God, life, and death; and possibly ev en Dylan vs. Donovan vs. Ochs. But the daycampers talk straight reality, and the kid knows that reality is only sometimes good for kicks, but you -shouldn't let it get you down. After the above incomprehen sible paragraphs, he finally com es to point and asks and answers DAYCAMP LIFE By. John Eonwh the immaterial qdestion, "Why is Ilighacres a daycamp?" To use the words of that great pro fessor, Erwin Corey, "That is a two-part, question. The first ques tion, "Why?,' has plagued phil osophers and intellectuals throughout the ages and I neither have the intelligence nor the time to effect an answer." And the second part, "Is Highacres a daycamp?" Yes, and you'd bet.- ter believe it, Baby. (This is not an attempt to com municate, but an attempt to ir ritate. Under irritation, apathy cannot exist). INSIGHT By Neil Savitch TEMPORARY INSANITY (Part 1 of a 5 part selection) From social drinking To intoxication You prove the actions As indications. -- Take your bottle Say a cupful. To set your mind As loosely ruled. Drink it down Do not tarry Take a refill So you won't w(wrs?' Take another Just to be safe In escape from reality You must cut red tape You know the limit Which you must pass You can't be excluded So you must work fast. Drink to' psychosis Though temporary You have to escape From life's reality. AMU 1969
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers