Manoocher Aryanpur interview (Buena Vista College professor) conducted by Sue Brinkman

Manoocher Aryanpur interview (Buena Vista College professor) conducted by Sue Brinkman

Buena Vista College -- Oral histories

Oral histories -- Iowa -- Storm Lake

College students -- Iowa -- Storm Lake

College teachers -- Iowa -- Storm Lake

Buena Vista College student Sue Brinkman interviewed Dr. Manoocher Aryanpur on April 17, 1986. Dr. Aryanpur first came to BV in 1961 and left in 1964. A few years later, he returned and taught in the English department until his retirement in 1994 . In the interview, he speaks at length about the value of a liberal arts education and remembers some fellow faculty members. He also reflects on how his teaching style has changed and laments the loss of campus togetherness.

Notes:
Scroll down to see the transcript. Numbers that appear in brackets show the timestamp of the conversation. To access the audio recording, click the arrow under the photograph to start.

To the best of the transcriptionist’s ability, this is a faithful rendition of the conversation. If inaccuracies are detected, please contact the BVU Archives by emailing archives@bvu.edu.

Buena Vista University

April 6, 1986

Manoocher Aryanpur

audio/mpeg

English

Sound

http://bvuarchives.bvu.edu/Audio/OralHistories/ManoocherAryanpur.mp3

Sue Brinkman

Manoocher Aryanpur

SB=Sue Brinkman
MA=Manoocher Aryanpur

SB: [00:00:02] This interview is conducted on April 17th 1986 with Doctor Aryanpur, associate professor of English at Buena Vista College. When did you first come to Buena Vista?

MA: [00:00:13] The first time I came to Buena Vista, it was in 1961, and I stayed for three years until 1964.

SB: [00:00:24] What brought you here?

MA: [00:00:26] I came from Iran, and I was looking for a job, and I had three job offers. One of them was Storm Lake, Iowa. And since I already knew Storm Lake--Iowa, rather--I decided to take my chance on Storm Lake, and I liked it very much, and I'm glad I chose it. My other job offers-- one was in New Mexico, the other one was in Kentucky, and I was more impressed with Buena Vista. And--

SB: [00:00:58] Did you go away for more schooling?

MA: [00:01:01] No. I had-- I had my Ph.D., and I had gone to Iran for two years, and then I didn't like it there, came back looking for a job, and found it here.

SB: [00:01:12] What were-- what were the students like in the '60s?

MA: [00:01:16] -- by and large, the students were about the same. Any change between the student body of that time and this time is merely reflective of the changes that have taken place in the world, in general, and the Midwest-- I think-- what is true of our students today was true at that time too, that is our students are basically-- relatively homogeneous. They are basically decent types-- They are easy to get along with.

MA: [00:02:01] They don't usually come from a very culturally sophisticated background. They usually come from smaller, rural settings. I think it's-- this hasn't changed. There is only one change-- that I notice now. In the '60s, we had a lot of students also coming from New York and Chicago, because it was hard for them to get admitted, I guess. Or maybe their parents wanted them to have a different experience. Now, we don't have that. Aside from a few foreign students that we have, the percentage of out-of-state students is smaller than it used to be in those days.

SB: [00:02:50] Is that-- Do you see that as a benefit, having a little mix?

MA: [00:02:53] I think it'd be good if it could attract students from other areas, too, because [clears throat], I think the college would be better served if we had a kind of unmelting pot in which students would come together for four years and then go their different ways. --our students would have a chance to be together with students from Texas and New York and Oregon. I think that'd be very nice.

SB: [00:03:23] Do you see that there's-- less interest in literature and English? Are the humanities losing out to business and the sciences?

MA: [00:03:32] Yes. I think that is [clears throat] that's something I notice tremendously. In the '60s, our English department was much larger, partly because the school required students to take more courses in the English department. I remember, you-- You were supposed to take six hours of a foreign language. Or six hours of English, you know, if you didn't want to take a foreign language. And so we had lot of-- lots of students who took, you know, English literature classes because they were required to take it, but also a lot of students really believed in the importance of literature, of correct and graceful expression, both in writing and speaking, so they would take literature courses. And one other thing also was true, in those days, if you wanted to go into journalism or mass media, you know, television and radio, the best route would be to major in English. Or at least one of your major options was to major in English. But now I think these have all been channeled from the beginning. Our students, if they want to become a TV announcer, they go into to Mass Comm department. They may take it--one or two English courses--but they are not really humanized in the sense that I consider-- necessary. Well, I think we now branch them off too quickly. You know, as soon as they're freshmen, some of them, decide they want to be in accounting or in mass comm and then, goodbye, general, liberal arts. We have a minimum requirement, what is it, 24 hours now, which is much less than we required in the '60s. I think in the '60s, we required about twice as many courses and-- [clears throat] so, in effect, you could now graduate to be a journalist or a radio or television announcer without having had a course in philosophy or in literature or in history. I can't see how you could be a good announcer and not have that knowledge, because announcing isn't just reading a text. You have to compose the text-- ask leading questions when you interview people. And I think it would be a disservice to produce kids that know nothing but the technical aspects. That'd be a little more difficult than plumbing, I think.

SB: [00:06:16] What do you think this is going to lead to? Just the-- people with technical backgrounds--

MA: [00:06:21] I-- I think it's not good for the country, that it is a quick fix. You know, students think that they should be prepared so by the schools, that if they graduate on Friday, they could start a job on Monday and know all about it. I don't think that's our job. The function of the college is to educate kids-- so that they are educated for life. But not overly educated for any particular job, narrow job. We educate them broadly, and then when they graduate on Friday, when they go to the job on Monday, they would have to spend the first three months learning that job, that particular job. They'd be given enough tools. It's like, I always say, it's-- if you give a fish to a person, you have value for one day, you know, and giving them technical training is like that, giving them a fish for a day because science and technology change. But if you teach them how to fish, then you have fed them for a lifetime. And I think what liberal arts do--it's why they're important--they teach people how to solve problems, how to update themselves, how to be creative.

MA: [00:07:46] The-- these-- If we don't teach these and teach them just how to stand in front of a microphone, I don't know, maybe, in 15 years from now, there won't be any microphones, you know? So, I think that's the essence of education that is being sacrificed. The students are not at fault because that's the misconception they have. They want to get jobs, and that's understandable. I think colleges should not encourage that, however.

SB: [00:08:13] How do we get the interest back into the humanities?

MA: [00:08:17] I think that one way is what we already have, and I hope we'll have more of that by-- [knock on the door] Come in. [Recorder turns off, then turns back on.]

MA: [00:08:26] I think part of it is being done, the media are becoming concerned about it. If we are to-- rival this country's competitors, you know, in the field of industry and commerce and things like that, we simply have to produce better-educated people-- So we need-- They are becoming aware of this shortcoming. American students don't have as much science and technology courses as European and Japanese students have, and that is a part of liberal arts pure sciences. Yeah, we-- we are all for that. I think students should take more courses in mathematics, chemistry, and physics, than in, you know, applied things like how to fix a typewriter or how to set a computer working. You know that's-- that's a secretarial job. And harming themselves from inside. We have to stop being defensive about what you're teaching. If we believe in what we are doing, we should not be ashamed of it.

MA: [00:09:39] I think this happened in the '70s, you know, because of the protest movement and the questions of relevancy, and people wanted to know exactly what the good of a given thing is in terms of money or food, you know. Yeah-- [seems to be a gap in the conversation here] If you learn accounting you can become an accountant. It's tangible. And so I-- I think we should start reforming our requirements, our curriculum, our process(?) (precis?) is given.

SB: [00:10:09] Do you think there's a difference--

MA: [00:10:12] They're about the same. If anything, I think some students are more intense the last three, four years than before, because, you know, this country's job situation has never been as challenging as it is now. Youngsters are worried about whether they'll get a job or not. And there-- it is a competitive world out there, and they know it. And by the time they are, you know, in the second semester of their sophomore year, many of them--not all--many of them--wise up and start working, because they know well that if you're not ready, they won't do the job. I think what we are remiss in doing is to direct the students so that they study the right things. Because sometimes we don't do our job right, I think.

SB: [00:11:04] Is there any student or faculty member who sticks out in your mind, for any reason? Very outstanding or humorous?

MA: [00:11:13] Yes, many, many. I think [of] the faculty members that I've liked, in addition to my friend, Bill Cumberland. Over the years here, I can look back. We-- we had Dr. Hirsch, who was a German immigrant, German Jew and I-- I liked him very much. He was witty, scholarly, and a very-kindhearted, good, human being. Then we had George Reynolds, who was a history teacher. Then we had Professor Green, who was our band director for many years. He was an interesting man. And amongst our contemporary college professors, I have a whole list of favorites, so I won't go into it. But there-- there are a number of people that I think are great, and I like them very much.

MA: [00:12:12] Amongst students, I-- Every year, I have a list of favorite students. I-- I guess it's just like anything else. It's a matter, also, of chemistry, because there could be very good students who-- who'd get an A from me, but I'm not as impressed with them as another student who may get a B plus. But-- but I have those students, and it's delightful to meet them after a few years and see, you know, what they are doing, and-- yeah, I probably have had, all these years of teaching, several thousand students. I wish I could find out what they are doing, especially the first few years of teaching. I started about 25 years ago. So, some of those guys are in their late 40s now.

SB: [00:13:09] Have you changed your instructional methods at all?

MA: [00:13:12] Yes, I have. I used to rely a lot more on lectures than I do now. I have-- I changed from lecturing to relying on question-and-answer kind of teaching I've experimented with. Now, the last two or three years, I've changed yet again. And I, kind of, in several classes where this is feasible, I like to act as an intermediary and have the students present and talk and teach and-- and then, in cases like that, I just become the bookkeeper and score them, you know, and keep the records. And I think it works a lot nicer. Students-- modern students don't have the attention span and-- because the patience that older students have with for lectures. You talk to them, they can listen to you for about 15 minutes. Beyond that, unless you're extremely good and unless they're extremely interested in the topic, I don't think they'll listen. They lose their attention span. But if you resort to things like videotapes or tapes, question-and-answers, students talking and presenting certain things, then you can retain the attention for a longer period of time.

SB: [00:14:41] Has the relationship between a professor and students relaxed over the years?

MA: [00:14:46] No, it's about the same, as far as I'm concerned, it's about the same. I think students were pretty relaxed then. I guess in the' 70s they became a little more relaxed but outwardly not inwardly, you know, they-- But it's the same, I think. [Recording stops and starts.]

MA: [00:15:08] There was one difference which I liked over what we have now. We had a better sense of community. You know, we used to get together on various occasions as a family. We don't really have that. I think that-- No, no-- What brings us together? In the fall we have, what is it, the recognition? No.

SB: [00:15:30] Dedication. Homecoming.

MA: [00:15:32] Well-- no, there is that. As the school begins, you know, freshmen go into that hall, it's called-- Founders' Day. Yeah, I see. Well, that is-- not all the students are there. All the faculty are there, but only freshmen are there. Then we have a Homecoming, but many students don't stay for Homecoming. It's-- we get together for games, and there is a dance. Some students go to that, but-- And then we have nothing really until graduation. And for graduation, graduating students are there. Some of the students stay. Many of them leave. We don't really have reunions.

MA: [00:16:12] In the old days, we got together every week. I think it was Tuesday, I'm not sure. And we had what we call, I think, we called it convocation. It was not always religious. We would have a speaker, the whole college would be there. The faculty, the staff, everyone would be there. All of the students. It was good. You could make, you know-- some days we wouldn't have a speaker, and we would just discuss issues, you know, our own campus issues or whatever. And we did it every week, and it was very good. Now we don't have that, you know, something that could bring us all together. Students, faculty and some of the staff, you know, sharing some experience. I wish we could have it. I'm not proposing necessarily that we go back to that. You know you can't turn the history back, but we should have some kind of an event or excuse so we can all get together, you know. Maybe it could be a huge meal that we could have, you know, on the lawn sometime. That would be good. But I would like us to get together so that there would be somebody who would, you know-- we could address issues together and talk and things like that. We don't have that.

SB: [00:17:29] That's a good idea.

MA: [00:17:29] Yeah.

SB: [00:17:29] Thank you.

audio cassette

0:17:35

80 kbps

00:01:12 - Students in the 1960s ;
00:03:23 - Interest in the humanities and its value ;
00:06:16 - Technical education ;
00:11:04 - Remember past faculty and students ;
00:13:09 - Change in teaching methods ;
00:15:08 - Loss of community feeling on campus