Viking_Yearbook_64

middle east center Students and faculty point with pride to the Middle East Stud ies Center established at PSC in 1959. The pro– gram is the only federally-sponsored undergraduate Center in Arabic lan– guage studies in the United States . It affords interested students an oppor– tunity to train as Middle East area specialists by combining a series of prescribed language and area courses with the major of their choice . Most helpful in the language training-which is the core of the program-is the eighty-five booth language laboratory, perhaps the finest in the Northwest. Much of the respons ibility of keeping the program attuned to ever-changing world conditions and demands lies with Center Director Frederick J. Cox, pro– fessor of history. More than 300 stu– dents have studied at the Center since 1959. In that time a total of $95,874 in scholarships and grants, earmarked for study in Lebanon , Israel , and Egypt as well as in the U. S ., has been awarded to outstanding trainees. On the strength of MESC, two Peace Corps contingents bound for Middle East duties were graduated from PSC this year. And there are more to come! New this year was the Middle East Festival , sponsored by the Center and exposing the school at large to the warmth and charm of old-world cul– ture . There were exhibits of arts and crafts , including rich jewel-toned rugs steeped in tradition. Turkish coffee and Middle East pastries were there for the sampling. The windup " AI-Ihtifal " (cele– bration) in the Ballroom featured Israeli and Arab dances by Reed and PSC.