A Gentle Clash of Cultures: Filipino Students and Colleagues, Martial Law and Civet Cats
When the Claytons accepted the mission of teaching at a small college in the Philippines in the late 1970s, they had no idea how much their lives would change. Dale Clayton taught science; his wife, Karen, worked and took classes; and their young children, Kimberly and Jeff, attended a one-room, multigrade school. But this simple summary doesn’t come close to encompassing the thrill and shock of becoming embedded in an entirely different culture. Martial law, academic politics, homesickness, and ruthlessly hot weather presented many challenges, but through it all, the Claytons inevitably learned that people are more alike than different-yet the differences make life more vibrant.
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Dale is a professor of biology who has focused his research on circadian rhythms. He has been published in Science, Journal of Lepidoptera, and the Journal of Animal Behavior. He was awarded a grant for marine biology research while at the Walla Walla University Marine Biology Station. He has led field biology programs to Honduras, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Florida. Dale is also a skilled writer and wood-craftsman. His memoir, Killmaster Kids, is in its final draft.