[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 102 (Wednesday, July 21, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1441]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE SCHOOL FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDIES AT ST. MICHAEL'S 
                                COLLEGE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 21, 2004

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, every day the media bombards us with 
stories about how dangerous the world is. War and terrorism are, 
tragically, a part of our modern condition. Yet this picture of 
international antagonism is so incomplete as to give us a false picture 
of the globe we inhabit. Fortunately, there are continual efforts, 
heroic efforts, to bring people together.
  In fact, though often unrecognized by the mass media, international 
cooperation and efforts at mutual understanding take place every day. 
It is important that we recognize those who do the essential and heroic 
work of building the bridges that unite the international community.
  Today I want to recognize the fine work of the School for 
International Studies at St. Michael's College, a private liberal-arts 
college in Colchester, VT, as the school celebrates its 50th 
anniversary. During the past five decades, over 15,000 international 
students have studied English at the St. Michael's campus in 
Colchester.
  Founded in 1954 with a small program that taught four students from 
Puerto Rico, Quebec and Colombia, the program quickly grew to include 
students from 20 countries.
  In 1957 the program welcomed 100 Hungarian refugees, known as Freedom 
Fighters for their 1956 uprising against Soviet troops, to the campus 
to learn English. The program was so successful that in 1962 a master's 
degree in Teaching English as a Second Language (MATESL) was 
established. Today, the School for International Studies has a 
worldwide reputation as a leader in language teaching pedagogy.
  By the 1970s the program was teaching language students from over 40 
countries around the world.
  Nor has the growth and scope of the program slackened in current 
years. Recently the program has welcomed its first students from 
Vietnam and Egypt, and has developed partnerships with institutions in 
Poland, Thailand, Greece, and Colombia. Students from more than 65 
countries have studied in the Saint Michael's School of International 
Studies.
  This week Saint Michael's College President Marc vanderHeyden 
presided over a celebration of this 50th anniversary, joined by 
speakers from some of Saint Michael's partner schools, Kanazawa 
Technical College of Japan, the Hellenic-American Union of Athens, both 
the International Christian University and Surugadai University of 
Tokyo, and the Gimnasio Vermont of Bogota.
  To St. Michael's College, and to its School for International Studies 
in particular, a proud state and proud Nation say: Congratulations on 
working for half a century to bring people together and to build better 
communication between nations. We wish you well for the next half-
century as you continue this vital work.

                          ____________________