'Igo Twelve ' SCARLET AND BLACK Friday. December 6, I951 Bardole: liberia Changing, Full of Contrasts Liberia is a changing nation full of contrasts, 'ome violent, some strange, and always exciting. In the capital, Monrovia, you can see the Ducor Palace, which ranks with the best international hotels, and file new presidential mansion, surely as beautiful and modern as any executive mansion in the world. But only a few blocks away is a residential area where the crowded homes are mud huts with thatched roofs, » In the streets of Monrovia one can see the big American cars and the small European cars moving quickly past women balancing their baskets on their heads, and as you travel uprcountry, the large trucks roar by natives carrying heavy logs on their heads, or buckets of latex rubber hanging from yokes, As one moves from the city to the hinterlands, .nything that is common to the Western World is in 'harp contrast to the native customs, Here on Cuttlngton campus the girls walking to class in heels and in Western clothes pass native women barefooted, wearing only a lappa, and perhaps with a baby bound to her back. .When the soccer team, which is as fine as those In many American schools, wait in the locker room before a game, their pro-game preparation Is not a speech by the coach to “psych out“ his players; but rather the application of “bush medicine" to the game ball. This is “plenty strong medicine" and will help them win the game. My houseboy is most interested in‘getting a pair of long pants from America, but at the time of the devil moon, he must finish work so that he can be home before dark - otherwise the “black boys" will get him and carry him off to the bush as human sacrifice for the Leopard Society. These boys live in 'constant fear of this society, now outlawed, though by no means nonexistent, It is strange to hear an albhfrican congregation singing traditional Chris- tian hymns, and at the same time watch others whose belief is in the bush devil and his occult pow- ers. One of the important accomplishments of the missionaries has been to erase the many fears that surround these people in practicing their pagan faiths. There is a great deal of criticism of the Liberian government, Upon my arrival I was told of all the corruption found in all branches. After a full day of red tape at immigration which cost me $25 for the "correct” visa, I was in full agreement with all that I had heard. Now after a closer examination of the circumstances, I think my judgment was too harsh. While Liberia has been a free country for 116 years, it was only 20 years ago that it could really start its growth. The first century was spent iight< ing the warlike coastal tribes. Then it was the French and English colonialists who threatened to take her lands, pressing over Liberia’s boundaries, shrinking the original size of the country by over one-third, If We probe the early history of the United States, we find that before controls were estab- lished, corruption was every bit as bad as that found in Liberia today. It must be realized that Liberia has never had the advantages of imper< ialism. All of her neighbors have enjoyed help from other countries in establishing a relatively stable and advanced government. Liberia has had no help. Only hindrance! What about industry that is so important to a country's economy? Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and omer neighbors have all had help for fifty years or more. Liberia has had to try to establish her own industry, but it takes money to start, and there are industrial revolutions that must be dealt with, The industrial changes that took one hundred years in the United States are taking only about twenty in Liberia: Is there any wonder that there are prob- lems? Edmund Burke would turn over in his grave. The answer to Liberia's problem is the same as it was in the United States -— education. But there are problems in bringing the Liberians education because their culture is so different from ours, and because ”my already have an educational system called the bush school. A tribal endeavor, often of four year’s duration, that is offered in great secrecy and designed to make the youngster a weliradjusted member of the tribe. The Western style grade school run by the government is available through high school, but actually in many villages it doesn’t extend beyond fifth or sixth grade, Other than in Mons rovia and a few large towns, all other education is obtained in church mission schools. The grade school offers little more than literacy education; still this puts the school boys in a position far above the masses of the people. Although they feel themselves too good to do manual labor, still they are really not qualified to hold any other position. More education is needed, but how should we give it to them, or can we give it to them? As the white man brings his schools, he will not allow many practices of the bush schools, some- times called “devil bush,” to continue. The whit. man does not understand the importance of the bush school, and after he destroys it, he offers nothing to replace it. True, we teach reading and writing. but very little about living in a culture, especially the Liberian bush culture where most of these Stu- dents will spend a large part of their lives. 0n the other hand, the bush school, PORO for boys and SANDE roi- girls, educates th- child how to live in his culture. For instance there is a thorough sex education that far sur- passes that offered by most Western societies. It has been found in many areas of Africa that the rate of illegitimate births is much higher among the youth who have had no bush training. If someone wishes to govern a people, how bet- ter can he understand them than by having a similar education? If Liberians are going to communicate and trade with the world, however, they must also have a western education. The white man will never be an entirely successful educator of the Liberian, He cannot understand their culture. We can only send our best educators to educate the Liberian edu- cators who can then relate the best we have to offer to the best of their own culture. It may be difficult for the tribal people to learn Western ways and to think in Western modes of thought, but it is impossible for the Western man to gain a full enough insight into the Liberian culture so that the educators can identify with the Liberian culture, The Liberian culture is beyond the white man’s reach mostly because the people will not com- municate their culture willingly. Cuttington students strive in every way to be non-tribal. The dressy clothes that they wear to class separates them from the tribal people. The men wouldn’t think of going out to play soccer without a shirt. Nudity/is associated with tribal life. Menial labor is also avoided at all costs. The freshmen re- fuse to wash their oWn glassware in the chemistry lab. This is a job for a l‘small boy." A recent “hardtimes dance” was a failure, Girls attended in heels, and the fellows in ties, Wearing clothes that might indicate hard times was not novel to them — only a few years ago it was probably a reality! Jay Bardolo Ed. note: This article is the first of a two part series written by Travel Scholar, Jay Bar- dole. Bardole is currently teaching at Cuttington College in Monrovia, Liberia. Squire's Home Specialty Party Supplies and Favors Gifts for All Occasions » Candles Books FREE GIFT WRAPPING! WE WRAP FOR MAILING Guillermo Mendoza (biology) will take part in the northwest- ern regiOnal meeting of the Division of Comparative En- docrinology, American Society Mendoza, of Zoologlsts, to be held today and tomorrow at the University of Oregon, Eugene, from Grinnell this semester for Mendoza Gives Paper in Oregon; work at the University of Cali- fornia (Berkeley), will present a paper entitled ”Sexual dimofi phism in Skiffia lermae, a vivi« parous cyprinodont teleost from Mexico.” who is on leave AI your campus laundry agency — Don't Say I Don't Care Soy SEND MINE T0 SWEDE'S HAVE A COOL YULE hrvano's Pizza FREE DELIVERY 6-1230 Located in Bowlololrome 236-6222 (Look for the Bonus Coupon] On Jan, 10 he will give the weekly seminar talk for the entire zoology department at the Berkeley campus, speak< ing on “Problems of reproduc- tion in Uhe Goodeidae, cyprino- dont Leleosts from Mexico," Recently he took part in a two- hour Fisheries Seminar ses< sion. 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