A group of students advocating the teaching of Chinese at Mississippi State University petitioned outside Allen Hall Thursday.
Four students stood in front of Allen carrying signs with pro-Chinese language messages. A red sign carried by sophomore communication major Kitton Epps said, “We offer the food but not the language??!! CHINESE NOW!!”
“20 percent of the world speaks Chinese, and with the growing industry stuff in China, it’s getting really big,” Epps said.
Senior construction and land development major Brad Arinder had a personal reason for making a stand.
“I’m a business major, and it’s big in the business industry,” he said.
Journalism majors, education majors and other students would benefit from learning Chinese, as well as business majors, Epps said.
“It’s not just about us, too,” she said. “It’s about the future students here.”
The students’ geography instructor, Stephen Cottrell, gave them the idea to petition the university to teach Chinese.
Cottrell said teaching Chinese at MSU would help the university fulfill its mission statement, which includes promises to “improve the lives and opportunities of the citizens of the state, region and world,” to promote leadership in students, to foster appreciation of history and culture and promote tolerance of opposing points of view.
“To be a member of the dominant culture, it is impossible to be openminded,” Cottrell said.
He cited the economic importance of China as another reason to teach the language at MSU.
“This is not a protest,” he said. “This is a, ‘We love you, and we want to assist you, administration. We want to assist you by assisting us.'”
Foreign languages department head Edmond Emplaincourt said he was not caught by surprise when students came to his office Thursday with a petition signed by 90 students to have Chinese taught at the university.
The department has been aware for years of a desire among some to have Chinese taught, he said.
“We’re not talking one year, two years. We’re talking seven to nine years,” he said.
Emplaincourt said he agrees that Chinese should be taught at MSU.
“China used to be known for the Great Wall of China,” he said. “Read business magazines, read Time magazine. There is a new expression that is used for China: the Great Mall of China.”
This name, he said, reflects China’s status as a new supereconomic power.
The businesses community at MSU would be particularly welcoming of Chinese courses, Emplaincourt added.
MSU offers an international business program that combines a degree from the college of business and industry with a language degree.
MSU taught Chinese about 10 years ago, Emplaincourt said, but enrollment was extremely low. “In a time of budget constraints, you do not have the luxury to offer a course for three or four students,” he said.
He said he would be willing to talk to the dean of arts and sciences. If all 90 students who signed the petition signed up for a Chinese course, the university would be able to teach it.
“If I were to put Chinese I on the fall schedule for 2006, I would hope to see 30 students in that class,” he said.
“My policy is this: If I have the students, I will fight to have the instructor,” Emplaincourt said.