I was a student at Campbell College (now University) when the Iranian Revolution began. This was my first experience of feeling like world events were rocking my world, to use a modern day term. The student population at Campbell was about 3000 students, including the graduate programs. The percentage of Iranian and Jordanian students at Campbell was significant. At a larger school, I doubt I would have noticed them, but Campbell had an amazingly large Middle Eastern student population while I was there, partially due to the fact that they could get into a private school fairly easily and the cost of tuition was insignificant. Being an English major, one of the requirements for my teaching degree was that I tutor some of these students. They were very intelligent, very polite and respectful, and very rich. They drove Corvettes and Trans Ams, dressed to the nines, and frequently drove to NY City to shop over the weekend. I was told that most of them (if not all) received $2000 a month spending money from their families. All of them were physically beautiful people and I don’t remember a single instance in which they acted unlike any other college students.
While watching the video about the American Embassy being taken by Muslim students in Tehran, I was reminded of the unrest I felt for my fellow students when the Shah of Iran was given refuge in the US. I’d graduated by then, but I wondered what impact this act of terror would have on the ME students at Campbell, would they be in danger in any way, or would they revolt or retaliate. From what I was told, nothing changed at Campbell, and over the next two years, most ME students had graduated, most of them returning to their counties of origin. I only know this because two years ago, I moved into a condominium next to one of those former Iranian students. One day while seeing me struggle with a large box, he offered to carry it into my condo. While inside, he noticed a Campbell yearbook and said he’d graduated from there in 1980. I graduated in 1979. He is from Tehran and never returned there to live. Small world.
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4 comments:
Thanks, Teresa, for your comment to my post on the Group Discussion Board. I enjoyed reading your blog about the students. My neighbors met while both were students here in the United States and on many occasions, they would tell us how they would love to go home, but that there was nothing to go home for. They were very concerned that their children grow up to have the advantages of US citizenship. It made them sad, but it was their reality. Another situation in which I was very minutely involved was that I worked for the law firm in Texas that represented Electronic Data Systems and Ross Perot in the early 80s. When EDS employees were taken hostage in Iran, Ross Perot hired his own rescuers for his employees. Two of our attorneys were in that group, and one of them wrote a book about the experience. Very interesting read that was later turned into a TV movie.
What an amazing story...thanks for sharing.
Good learning experience, I can imagine how students all over the world like to come to the US to fulfill their education. There is a chance for everybody to learn. What a great education opportunities we have.
Teresa - what a personal experience and certainly a life lesson. Thanks for sharing. Typically an emotional connection or personal experience, such as the one you had, takes us down the path of truth. Like you said, they were like any other students. Often we are impressed by the media and other viewpoints...only when we experience something for ourselves are we able to see the real story. It's nice that you connected with one of the students later in life - such a small world!
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