PEACE CORPS NEWS VOL. 2 NO. 2 A Special College Supplement SPRING, 1964 Corps Seeks June Grads But Myths Still Persist "Wafting for the college gradu- "We have 75 different programs "Too many students think that ations in June is like waiting for scheduled to begin right after all we need are people who know the kick-off in the Rose Bowl graduation," he said. "The slots for how to drive tractors, grow rice or Game," according to one Peace the 3,000 Volunteers returning this prune trees. This is false. Liberal Corps official. "When the whistle year will have to be refilled in addi- arts graduates, no matter what their blows it really breaks loose." tion to the 3,000 new jobs being major, are constantly needed. The official, Jules Pagano, Dep- created. All we have to do is get "It's the liberal arts graduates," \ | uty Director of Training for the people to apply." he said, "who fill the bulk of teach- Peace Corps, explained that the The biggest problem, according ing assignments and who will be Corps expects to recruit the bulk to Pagano, is dispelling some of needed to help fill the backlog of of the 6,000 Volunteers needed by the myths that have grown up about requests for educational assistance September from the June gradu- what the Corps looks for in Volun- in Latin America and other areas. ating classes. teers. Many of our community develop- ment workers are graduates with liberal arts backgrounds. "The weird part about it," said Peace Corps Initiates Pagano, "is the fantastic oppor- tunities being offered to some of the Volunteers overseas. Many Senior Year Program Volunteers with only bachelors' de- grees are being assigned as univer- A strong dose of hard work for exotic languages not ordinarily taught in American colleges sity faculty members. The demand little pay is being offered to 800 for anybody who can teach the college juniors this summer by the Each of the six training programs English language is terrific. Where Volunteer Beverly Fogg Heegaard, a graduate of the University of Peace Corps. will also include courses in physi- else can anybody with a B.A. get a New Hampshire, teaches art, English and home economics in Nepal. The newly-established program cal education, health education, chance to teach at this level? Here she fords a river with her bike on the way to school. As usual; will provide six to eight weeks of American studies and Peace Corps "Naturally most of the Volun- she got her feet wet. intensive summer training for col- orientation. teers assigned to teaching jobs work lege juniors who are planning to The students' home colleges will at the secondary level, but even join the Corps after graduation. Six be asked to evaluate the summer this is unbeatable for giving the Scholarships Available, Too individual study areas have been program with a view toward grant- feeling that you are actually ac- arranged at six American universi- jng credit for participants. complishing something." ties for the summer project. The Juniors selected for the summer Educational programs will be ex- programs will emphasize language program will receive allowances to panding in Latin America, a region Returned Volunteers training and the development of cover transportation. At the uni- which previously requested mostly skills which will be needed in versity training site, they will re- community development workers. projected overseas Peace Corps ceive room and board, and a Another misconception held by Flooded With Offers projects. modest living allowance. many college students is that an The six plans will provide train- In the spring of 1965, those who applicant must be proficient in a When the first wave of Peace tion. There are never enough people ing for: have undertaken—and survived— foreign language. Corps Volunteers was channeled of this kind available in any enter- • Secondary school teachers for the summer training will be noti- "Many overseas assignments re- into several developing countries prise." English-speaking Africa fied as to which project they will quire only English," according to in 1961, service in the Corps was The response to Peace Corps • Secondary school teachers for be assigned. Pagano. "In some countries, Eng- a risky business. Volunteers, according to Dr. Robert French-speaking Africa A brief training period and final lish is the official language and There was no assurance that a Calvert, director of the Career In- Peace Corps selection will follow • Urban community develop- much of our classroom teaching is two-year stint in the Peace Corps formation Service, "has been ex- the Volunteer's graduation. A suc- ment workers for Spanish-speaking done in English." would be anything but a liability cellent. Colleges and business firms cessful applicant can expect to be Latin America If a foreign language is needed, to one's career. The organization have been enthusiastic." overseas about 60 days after re- the Peace Corps will teach it to was operating as a temporary agency Over 40 colleges have earmarked • Rural community develop- ceiving his diploma. ment workers for Spanish-speaking the Volunteer. "It is pretty ridicu- under an executive order. Many 200 scholarships and fellowships Applicants for whom there is no lous to expect the normal college Latin America , Congressmen were skeptical about for returning Volunteers. Social room in the summer program will graduate to know any Bengali, the program, thinking that it might welfare agencies, youth organiza- • Teachers of English as a be processed in the regular manner Arabic or Swahili," Pagano said. become a haven for wild-eyed ex- tions and service projects have ex- foreign language for programs starting after their (Continued on page 2) tremists and draft-dodgers. (Continued on page 2) • Volunteers who must learn graduation date. Last year when the first Peace Corps Volunteers returned to the United States, their gamble paid The Editors off. Job offers as well as grant and fellowship opportunities poured in. This special Peace Corps college Major industries made it clear that supplement—distributed by the na- they want returning Peace Corps tion's college newspapers to nearly Volunteers to consider the business a million college students—was world before formulating plans for written and edited for the Peace their life's work. Corps by four college editors. Reaction to the Peace Corps was The four who spent a week at almost universally favorable. The the Peace Corps Washington head- administration was pleased, mem- quarters preparing this supplement bers of Congress pledged full sup- were: port and educators shouted praise. Tom DeVries, editor emeritus of John Monro, dean of Harvard the Roosevelt Torch (Roosevelt College, said that "two years with University, Chicago); Everette Den- the Peace Corps today can be as nis, editor of the Oregon Daily significant as a Rhodes Scholar- Emerald (University of Oregon); ship." Tom Donoghue, editor of the BU The President of IBM said it was News (Boston University); and clear to him "that members of the Dave McNeely, editor of the Daily Peace Corps will be particularly em- Texan (University of Texas). ployable when they complete their The supplement, a Peace Corps tours of duty. They will have publication, is being distributed to demonstrated their ability to take college newspapers in cooperation on tough jobs under extremely Mary Jo Weeks, a graduate of Southern Methodist University, has organized her pupils into a Girl Guide with the newspapers, the U.S. Stu- difficult circumstances and to fol- unit in North Borneo. She and her husband live at Mile Ten, a remote village under the shoulder of spec- dent Press Association and the low them through to their comple- tacular 13,000 foot Mt. Kinabalu. Associated Collegiate Press. Origins of the Peace Corps Idea First Proposed To Michigan Students It was just past midnight on a been allocated for the study, Sena- director of the Corps, was a mem- chilly October morning in 1960 tor Humphrey proposed that a ber of Johnson's staff at that time. when the young Senator from youth corps be set up. His legisla- The early, derisive comments Massachusetts mounted the steps of tion was the first calling for more about the "Kiddie Corps" and the Michigan Union in Ann Arbor than a study of the feasibility of "Disturbing-the-Peace Corps" have and asked a group of University the idea. been replaced by such universal of Michigan students if they were The Colorado group had just ac- backing that the Peace Corps gets willing to go overseas to help their cepted the contract when Kennedy 94 to 96 percent of its annual ap- country. mentioned the idea at San Fran- propriation request, which is much "There was a hush," one ob- cisco. After he was elected, he better than the average for other server said, "and the mood of the established the Corps on a pilot agencies. Peace Corps matters are crowd seemed to change." basis by an executive order on usually passed by voice vote; a roll Drawing by W. Miller; ©1963. The New Yorker Magazine, INC. That was the first time that March 1, 1961. Congress answered call vote has never been necessary. "It's ironical. Our Peace Corps built their brickyard." John F. Kennedy publicly men- his request to set up the Corps on The success of the Peace Corps tioned the Peace Corps. He did so a permanent basis with a bill that has been attributed to two things: again in a nationally televised President Kennedy signed into law the fact that it is apparently a good speech a month later at the Cow on Sept. 22, 1961. force for peace in the world, and No Guarantee, But..