Testimonials by the Students for the Middle East

Testimonials by the Students for the Middle East, Islam, and Arab World Class

My years of Conservative-backed education had always taught me that Islam was a religion of hateful, evil people out to slaughter innocent little Anglo children much like myself because we believed in capitalism, Christianity, and sometimes a little bit of women’s liberation talk – within reason.

Dr. K, I want to thank you for challenging me to not sit on my couch and blindly listen to the report on my television, but to get out into the world and see for myself. After all, one’s personal growth is not through watching talking heads on a screen, but from experiencing life herself.

Dr. K

I need to tell you about a man who is very kind and helpful.

His name is Manoucher Khosrowshahi. (I know that it’s a mouthful!)

He teaches at the community college. He teaches at the university.

He teaches students about political science and he encourages diversity.

He gives his students many chances throughout the semester to succeed.

He wants everyone to learn as much as they can, and so his advice we heed.

We learn about our own government. We learn about others too.

We learn that we have a lot in common. We are held together by this glue.

The people in the Middle East are just like you and me.

They have jobs and homes. They raise their families.

They may think a little different and wear different clothes than us,

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t nice. They’re not all terrorists!

Our differences make us interesting to learn about each other.

Our similarities bind us together with our sisters and our brothers.

The Earth will still continue to go on if today was his last day.

But many of us are so much better off for having known Dr. K.

Shanah Hill 2009

Attending the Middle East Seminar was just for the one hundred points in the beginning. I wanted to come in and do a couple of Sudoku puzzles until it was over with. I had never been in attendance to one of Dr. K’s seminars and did not know what to expect. Usually, going to workshops and things of that sort, are on-going and rather sluggish. However, Dr. K’s seminar was interesting, kept my attention, and a great learning experience.

Amber Freeman, 2009

There are a million things I would rather do than give up my Saturday. I would rather be stung by a bee, get my eyebrows tweezed, eat a raw egg, be half buried in sand, or be shot at close range with a paintball gun than give up my lone day of freedom. But when I heard of the extra credit seminar, I thought I might want to snatch the opportunity. I figured I could either spend a Saturday in the seminar or spend a Saturday studying for the final. So after weighing my options, I decided to attend the Middle Eastern seminar. That early morning after a strong cup of coffee and some comfy sweatpants I was ready to go. I came prepared for boredom. I brought a book to read, a notepad to doodle on, and made sure my cell phone was on vibrate, allowing me to text discreetly. But when the seminar started I did not once reach into my bag for my book or other form of distraction. I found the seminar to be interesting.

Sydney McFerron, 2009

I am not a religious person and living in East Texas forces one to often accommodate folks of the Christian faith and listen patiently to their opinions. It was a very pleasant experience to watch these same good people have to listen patiently to another perspective, presented respectfully and pleasantly. It was an excellent lesson for everyone attending the seminar.

Pattie William, 2009

The stereotyping of Muslims as radical terrorists reminded me of the stereotyping of my pit bulls. I raise pit bulls, and they have such a bad reputation. There are a few dangerous pit bulls out there, and the whole breed now suffers from that stereotype. Like my dogs, Muslims are all seen as radical terrorists just because there have been a few terrorists who happened to be Muslim. I think it is a sad world that we live in when people refuse to see the good in others.

Jessica Rowan, 2009

I thank you for not just making US government possible but opening my eyes to both ends of the world spectrum and taking the black veil from my eyes so I won’t be darkened by the biased media.

Brad Stienberg , 2009

I give kudos to you for a job well done in teaching and motivating every class of biased little brats who think that their poop does not stink.

(Michelle Wallace)2009

Honestly, I was not looking forward to the seminar. I thought that I would be bored and have trouble to even stay awake, but I was completely wrong. The seminar was kept up beat and never had a dull moment. In the process of learning about a new topic, I had fun and was thoroughly entertained.

(Lana McKinney) 2009

I hope that this review will be as helpful to you as your lecture was to me. Your enthusiasm for your subject matter is contagious. You obviously enjoy your work, and it shows. You managed to turn what I’m sure many feared would be a boring two evenings into a social event. Kudos on the presentation as a whole, if I were grading you, I would give you an “A”.

(Elizabeth Sanders) 2009

Your teaching style kept us involved and made us laugh, and with these two components I learned, and I thank you for all of this new knowledge.

(Anne Coawn) 2009

Dr. K. did an outstanding job of briefing over all the major topics and correcting most people’s misconceptions on life in the Middle East. He performed well beyond the bounds of my expectations and really made me thirst for more knowledge. There were times of laughter; times of learning, but both were great times of enjoyment and fun. The seminars seemed to fly by as a total of six hours seemed to only have lasted twenty minutes. Without a doubt it was the most I have ever felt encouraged to learn and felt motivated to go out and do more research on my own to get a better understanding of life in Middle Eastern cultures.

Austin Hackbarth (2009_

I admire the way in which Dr. K welcomes the challenge of teaching such a difficult subject to so many students who are somewhat misguided or partially informed concerning the Middle East, Islam, Muslims, etc. He demonstrates a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the history, traditions, politics, and religions of the Middle East, and is eager to share with all who wish to learn. Although his personal beliefs differ from those of many of his students, Dr. K does not bash or condemn a student for his or her beliefs, but acknowledges each with respect and understanding. This goes to show that besides being very knowledgeable, he is also very wise.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. K's seminar on the Midd1e East. I left inspired to learn more, which is one of the greatest successes a professor can hope for his students. I will recommend this class and this seminar to all my friends. I hope that I will be able to attend the class on the Middle East at UT Tyler in the near future to answer the many questions that resulted from
attending this wonderful seminar. Until then, I will be soaking up as much information and knowledge on the diverse culture, politics, and religions of the Middle East as I can. No longer will I take for granted this great learning opportunity.

Flanders, Jonathan

07/06/2009

To be honest I was dreading having to go to the seminars. I thought it would be a waste of my time and that I couldn’t possibly walk away with any valuable information on the dreaded Middle East and the ridiculous Islamic religion. However, my mind was changed by the end of the second night. I walked away with some different ideas that I believe can be put to practice in my everyday life. The elements I enjoyed about the seminar was that it was well put together, comical, interesting, and thought provoking. The elements I disliked about the seminar was the length, the slightly biased view, and pro-Islamic beliefs. And the things I learned from the seminar was the importance of education on governmental issues, learning about controversial issues from a non-judgmental point of view, and forming my own intellectual opinion by getting multiple opinions while standing my ground.

As Dr. K carries on with his seminar over the Middle East, he is clueless as to how intriguing his words are to the listening students. He unmistakably gets his main point across of how the whole world is affected by the Middle East, and stereotypes are addressed without a doubt. The students who attended the seminar learned a lot more then they bargained for and the professor kept the six hours incredibly interesting with important issues, short breaks, games, handouts, and creative visuals. Dr. K made sure that his seminar was extremely enlightening of the Middle East and well presented at the same time.

The Middle East seminar was very informative and well presented. Issues which impact all of society were clarified with straightforward facts. The misconceptions and the sources of those misconceptions were brought to light through the comparison of several media forms. The basis for certain biased opinions in the media were compared and contrasted to help develop an open mind set. The information in the seminar was clear and concise which lead to a positive learning environment.

Randall, 2009

I think there were a couple of things that could have improvement to seminar to it fullness. The chairs in the seminar were not too comfortable, but were good for numbing your bottom. Also, I would of loved to learn more of the culture such as: hearing music, traditions, values, clothing, and live style.

Many of us make snap judgments on the area and the religion, based on silly things like blindly believing whatever slander the Fox News pundits are throwing around or the sensationalized and one-sided stories that our publications are all too willing to print.

So many teachers do the bare minimum for their students just to get by, your passion for your students and your work shows through in what you do and how you do it, I find that very respectable.

I want to thank you for going above and beyond your call of duty as an educator to take the time to put together and present the seminar. You kept my attention by changing up the way you presented the material and I left wiser, but also knowing that I still only know a fraction of what there is to know about the Middle East. Tyler Junior College is definitely VERY lucky to have you.

Before attending this seminar I had absolutely no idea what to expect. The three questions that I asked myself before the seminar were as follows: Is this going to be another boring lecture? Should I study for my test? Will he let us out earlier than nine?
But shortly after the lecture started my perspective changed completely. I was honestly deeply intrigued by the things that I was learning.
Madison, 2008

My best impression of the seminar overall was that I was listening to someone who had truly been there, and studied the subject very well. ... It demonstrated the amount of passion the speaker had for the subject. It showed me that a great deal of passion and research had gone into this presentation.
Bethany, 2008

The most important impression I got from the seminar didn’t stem from any piece of information that you gave us. It didn’t come from the fascinating facts about the differences of culture. It also didn’t come from the questions that kept the class constantly on their toes. No, the most important impression, and one that will stick with me, came from you, and the tone and perspective in which you relayed information. It was both refreshing and relieving.

You showed me that your main task was to test your students; to ask them to open their minds to something entirely different and new. This is a difficult task for teachers to do in any environment, but doing it in the one in which you are striving to, is an increasingly tricky undertaking.

What I enjoyed most about your seminar was the way you presented it. There was never a dull moment through the entirety of your presentation. Let me just say, that is a hard task to do. I’ve had to sit through many presentations in my life, and had yet to find one that was tolerable. You have perfected the impossible, despite the fact that the technology tried to throw you for a loop.
Basically, if I had to grade you Dr. K, on every aspect of your seminar, you would easily get an A+. You projected well, your power points weren’t too wordy, it had very important information, the games were great, the prizes were excellent, (by the way, thanks for the coupons and book), and your personality and humor are out of this world.
Brittney, 2008

I was most impressed by the professionalism and manner of the speaker. Dr. K is very familiar with both the U.S. and Middle East, so he is a very good authority when it comes to understanding one or the other. I liked the pace of the seminar the most.

Brad H. 2007

My most important impression on the seminar was the instructor’s ability to introduce the three religions in a way that didn’t cause a debate on who’s religion was right or wrong.

I did want to thank you for offering this course and especially for providing us with great global/cultural information at the seminar on Saturday. Thank you for being passionate about what you do because our area certainly needs you and the few others that persist to educate about politics, religion, sociology, and economics with a global perspective.
Your seminars do just scratch the surface and "start the conversation," but I think that is good because we as scholars and citizens have the responsibility to become globally aware.
In conclusion, your seminar encouraged me to pursue thinking about peace. I will take the things I have learned from your presentation with me to my church, school, and work. I would like to suggest to you a book that I have started reading called Eternity in Their Hearts by Don Richardson. The book is "startling evidence of belief in the one True God in hundreds of cultures throughout the world."

The presentation was well planned and it covered many items of interest and all of which answered my questions. Unfortunately, my family does not seek what is true in the news so I get very biased opinions about the war and Islam. This of course accounts for my confusion because I had friends from Pakistan and the Middle East. When I walked in I was not sure what to expect, but I would walk in with an open mind.

I can honestly say that I have trouble coming up with something that I disliked about the seminar. I want to learn more about the women, men, family values, dress/clothing/covers, and traditions of the Middle East. Hopefully I will be able to attend another seminar covering those topics. The presentation of the program, the format, material, scheduling, and even the location of the seminar were all positive. I feel that an attitude of understanding and openness was stressed, and this was probably the most important and positive virtue of the day. As far as I am concerned, the knowledge and personal experience that you bring to the discussion after living in both places was a priceless exception that is not easy to find.

If there is another seminar before the end of the semester I will definitely give up another Saturday to be there.
Josephine W. 2007

When I awoke Saturday morning and told myself I am about to go attend an approximately six hour seminar, I can honestly say I thought twice about getting ready. Now that I have attended the seminar and made the most of the experience thus far, I’d have to say I am extremely thankful for being there. It is quite hysterical because I was just being the average American, and thinking how boring and insignificant this seminar was going to be to me. It was very ironic as I read the main topic of the seminar, “Misconceptions and Misunderstandings”, and then I realized this was actually the most fitting seminar I have ever attended. I honestly believe that you could not pick any other topic, then the one you have chosen to relate better to college students here in the United States.

I enjoyed the section on September 11 the most, because it is an interest to me. I was impressed with the way you were able to get your points across dealing with both policies, and at the same time not offend anyone.

Thank you for helping educate us Americans, we all tend to be hard headed every once in a while.
Thomas H. 2007

As far as what I liked and what I didn’t like about the seminar, I was really impressed by the presentation and the material and the presenter’s lack of biases. I basically enjoyed all of it and there isn’t anything I didn’t enjoy about the seminar, I would definitely recommend this to anyone whether they were taking the class or not, if nothing more than to see things with a fresh point of view. It definitely helped me to look at things a little differently and I am so thankful for that.

Through this seminar a door was unlocked to a whole new world and way of thinking that expressed to me a reality. I may be just a small pixel in the picture of life or a grain of sand in the seashore of existence, but with the right programming I could actually be a part of the solution than the problem.

I never felt like Islam was being glorified or pushed upon me, but more as I was just receiving the facts about the religion and its people.

I woke up at 5:45 a.m., Saturday morning, and hit snooze on my alarm clock for the fourth time. I laid in bed thinking a “C” isn’t that bad….right?...it’s passing… I did not want to go to this seminar and I did not feel like driving for an hour to get there. I struggled to get out of bed and the thought of going back home stayed in my mind until I actually sat in that seat in the board room. My husband came along with me so I felt it wouldn’t be that bad. From the time you started the seminar until it was time to go I can honestly say I had a good time. You kept my attention; my mind didn’t wonder once. I really enjoyed the games we played and the prizes! The game was a very unique way of keeping our attention. You did a great job keeping us focused and awake! I also think you know how to appeal to your audience and what they like.

This seminar has really left me with more questions than answers. I have enjoyed your class, as well as the seminar. I thank you for everything that you have provided to all the students. I only hope that one day I can make the same difference in a students’ life as you have made with so many of your students.

Dr. K I believe your probably a crusader for our times. I hope you never doubt what you do in educating people on these subjects. I believe the knowledge you share helps to broaden and open peoples minds to the ignorance breed into the views most Americans hold as true. It only takes a spark to ignite a match, a match to light kindling, and kindling to start a forest fire.

I want to thank you for an enjoyable seminar. To be honest I am a conservative and was dreading hearing a liberal professor do nothing but bash the Republicans and the president. You surprised me and even though your true feelings shown through you were fair and I really appreciated the balance. Liberals and Conservatives both lose people when they begin tearing on the other side. It helps no one and only divides us that much more.

Tina H.

The most important impression of the seminar is the fact that you Dr. Manoucher Khosrowshahi have spent half of your life in the Middle East and half of your life in the United States. That fact enables you to present the information from a different light – not just gathered information or opinion, but life experiences. You have walked in both shoes and desire to educate us regarding how important it is not to form quick opinions, but to dig deeper and further to get the truth and accurate information. I appreciate your desire to hold the seminar and present the information. The format you utilize is most effective. It keeps the class attentive. The breaks are great in regard that we do not get overloaded or lose interest.

Attending this seminar was like a breath of fresh air. I knew that I had very little knowledge on the Middle East but I didn’t realize how little it was. My brother and I attended this seminar with the intention to learn more about foreign lands for we are both interested in the world abroad. I also in particular wanted an unbiased source about America’s made-to-be adversaries so I would not be caught up in the river of misunderstanding and propaganda that courses through this nation about the Middle East and her people. We both received what we were looking for plus so much more.

Sharn de W.

To conclude, I would like to say that you did a wonderful job on your presentation. I had a lot of fun and that you were able to keep my attention the whole time with the information that you were presenting. Thank you for teaching us about a country I wish I could say I had known more about before your seminar. I would have to say that I think about all of this differently now within the aspect that I understand the importance of learning about other people that can impact my life from so far away. Thank you for sharing your vast knowledge that you have about the Middle East. I think that it was wonderful to be able to present so much material in your seminar. I’ll be sure to tell others about your seminar so they can learn as much as I did and even more.

The second important impression I received from this seminar was the speaker. WOW!! He was wonderful. I only wish he had more time to speak with the class. You can show students slides and educate students on the culture, but the big difference came for me with the speaker. A real life Muslim! You gave me the ability to put a face with a culture. He is no different than me and you. He lives for the same reasons I do, for the same reasons all of us do. He goes to Church, works hard at his job as well as loves and protects his family. What is the difference between Americans & Middle Eastern? Nothing! We are all human beings trying to make a difference in the world. There was a question raised about why some Muslims blow themselves up and why some kill innocent people. I loved the speaker’s response. He stated that it’s no different than what happened with David Keresh. The killings that go on there everyday are no different than the senseless killings we have here everyday in America. We have gangs, they have radical Muslims.

The Middle East seminar turned out to be a great “one of a kind” experience. When I thought of my Saturday being spent listening to some one talk to me for hours on hours about stuff I really didn’t have any interest in. It turned out to be quite short and extremely interesting. It was all about the way it was taught that made it catch your interest. The “who wants to be a millionaire?” questions every few minutes is a genius. It was a very smart way to keep students attention. If anyone just walked by the seminar room and heard all the laughter, they would never have guessed a government seminar was taking place.

At the seminar I was very much looking forward to the fun I had found at the Turkey seminar. The fact that you don’t push your opinion on the class made me have so much more respect for you. You have the factual part then you have your opinion which you told us was just your opinion. That is just something most teachers don’t usually do they think since they are the professor that they get to say whatever they want however they want.

As I may have said in my previous paper about being a little skeptic or wary of the people of the middle east. You have brought about in both of your seminars the good and it has made me realize there is no need for prejudice towards people who didn’t do anything to me. My favorite part of the seminar though had to be when you got the Muslim guy to come and speak and answer questions for us. I also have so much respect for people who aren’t scared to come answer questions when its not an comfortable subject to subject yourself to. I’ve learned a lot from your seminars which I am glad because if I hadn’t of gone to this last one on the middle east I would have probably never known how much Muslim and Christianity are alike. I didn’t know they even originated from pretty much the same place. Another favorite part of the Middle East Seminar was the little sayings at the end that are they same in a lot of languages or cultures. Your pretty fun, I am glad that you through humor in there to keep us entertained. The booklet was also a good idea to do for this workshop since it was a bit more serious then the Turkey seminar.

The seminars make me feel like I am broadening my intelligence. One thing I have kind of wondered since the Middle East Seminar was why you didn’t have any cultural things out on display. I know its not your job to entirely entertain us the whole time but I think it would be awesome to actually be able to see a turban, or some sort of cultural things. The name writing in Arabic looks so cool by the way, I didn’t have you do my name but I looked at a lot of other peoples that was pretty neat. I mean hey you know if I ever have enough time maybe now I will be interested enough to learn more about the Middle East and where my Christian background has come.

Another thing I enjoyed about the seminar was how it was taught. The games at random we played is a really good way to learn. I liked being quizzed! I think that style of learning is very helpful. I loved the slide shows with funny pictures. I think putting some humor into learning is a great way for students of all ages to remember things. The environment of the “class room” was comfortable and calm. I felt it was easy to ask questions and open to talk about our opinions. I got a lot from this seminar that will help me for the rest of my life, and it makes me more interested in learning about different cultures all over the world!

In conclusion, I want to thank you for one of the best spent Saturdays of my life. I learned more about the Middle East, their culture, the similarities in religion, and many truths that the media does not cover. The teaching style of the seminar was wonderful; the mix of lecture, quiz game, and guest speaker kept my attention and allowed me to walk away with actual knowledge that will help me think critically as a student and as an American. I will never watch the news or read the newspaper the same way again, in relation to the War in Iraq. Thank you for imparting your insight to your students.

When you walk into a room with your ears open and an open mind, you might just be surprised at what you might find out about the people that surround you at all times. This lesson was learned for many the Saturday that everyone came to Dr. K’s seminar about the Middle East. Most came for extra credit, but left with the sense of difference from learning more about a culture that is completely different from everything that has been taught. The things that are to follow touched me so much that I even brought it forward to my Sunday school class.

I truly enjoyed the seminar. I came for extra credit and left with a lot of knowledge about several countries I knew nothing about. The best thing for me was the thought that, if we serve the same God, then there are a lot of us that need to learn from each other. I just hope that one day we will live in a society that can communicate with all people, no matter where you come from.

The guest speaker was also able to bring a new perspective on this religion. Having Anwar come in to answer any questions was really nice. Having questions answered that many people had, made us all a little more informed. He did a great job. It is hard to try to educate people and sometimes defend your beliefs.

Dr. K is a very intelligent, articulate person. The seminar was enlightening and entertaining at the same time. He is able to stimulate minds and keep everyone awake, by using games making jokes and even gave time for questions and debates.

I came away from the seminar with more questions and feeling as if I know more about this religion. I really liked having a seminar that took away some of the false views of the Islam religion and gave people more understanding of the people and their beliefs. If more classes could be held on things that are misunderstood, fears could be eased. I only hope that people of the Middle East come to learn and understand some of our beliefs, just as we were able to do.

In conclusion, from this seminar I have realized we should not be so hostile towards each other. If only we could look at similarities and not differences we could see that we really are quite a bit alike. We all want our families to be safe and happy, and to practice our beliefs without fear of persecution from those who don’t understand. I only wish more students at my school could have attended this seminar or could be better informed so that someday we could drop knowledge on others instead of bombs.

As you told us in the beginning of your seminar, you aren't trying to teach us everything and all the facts. You are simply trying to get a spark to start a flame that will burn to explore more of what you opened our eyes to during the seminar.

It became obvious after just a few minutes of your seminar that you were not trying to convince anybody of anything, or impose views. You simply wanted to open eyes to the reality of things rather than let us go on blindly.

Ryan S.

You are a great teacher, not too hard but not too easy. What sets you apart from mediocre teachers is you have a desire to see your students learn and that is very obvious through your seminars. You have a very caring heart to want to bring two cultures together with understanding. Thanks so much for the knowledge and the better understanding of the Middle East and Islam. I wish you great success and a long career.

Waking up at 7 o'clock on a Saturday morning is far from my ideal way to start off the weekend. I went into the class thinking that if I could just manage to stay awake I would be doing pretty well. As I walked into the White Administrative building I sighed at the thought that I would have to be looked indoors all day in a boring seminar. Little did I know that by the end of the seminar I would be laughing and would actually come out of it knowing more about the Middle East, Islam, and the Arab World.

Once again I was left in awe of another extraordinarily delivered seminar. The content was well delivered and very knowledge based. I have never experienced such an enlightening journey outside of worship on Sunday morning at my church. This seminar gave a new meaning to “knowledge is power” through the importance of global education. I learned from this seminar about the similarities between the three major religions and the importance of global education.

I admire Dr. K for his willingness to try and educate people about Islam and the Middle Eastern culture. It had to be a difficult subject to present because it seemed that there were many highly religious people in the audience at this seminar who were more interested in arguing with him than they were in learning and trying to understand the Middle Eastern culture. It seems that most Americans who are very religious stick to their own beliefs and think everyone else is wrong for the way they believe. Dr. K was not saying that one or the other was right, he was just trying to present both sides in an effort to educate people and allow them to draw their own conclusions.

I thought the best part of the seminar was that Dr. K made it fun. We got to play the millionaire game so we could interact and not get bored. I also thought the PowerPoint presentation was presented very well with all the animation. This seminar not only presented a lot of interesting facts that I didn’t know, but also had a lot of humor. You can’t go to one of Dr. K’s seminars and not laugh and have a great time. I learned a lot about the Middle Easterner’s religious activities and our similarities to them. I would encourage everyone to attend this seminar. Not only to get your points for going, but you will come out with so much more knowledge than you had before.

Since the seminar, I no longer think of the Middle East as a hostile battlefield in the desert some where. My “eyes” have been opened to the fact that the people who dwell in this region are very similar to ourselves here in the states. I had no idea that we had so many things in common. Everything from our views on life, to our family beliefs, and even our religious points of view are far more similar than I ever knew. I would have never guessed or investigated the views that are portrayed about these people through our news programming. After thinking about it, I have realized that there really is only one side being told to this story. I have found myself guilty of believing the stories being reported to us. I have also found myself now questioning most of the alleged happenings in the Middle East. Before the seminar, I did not think that I could stomach much more of the stories about the war in the Middle East, but now find myself very interested in really knowing what the facts may or may not be.
Anonymous Student

As far as the presentation goes, it was top notch! You were able to capture and hold my attention for the entire day. I especially appreciated the way you incorporated humor into the overall gamut of a very sensitive issue. You were able to keep things in proper perspective and truly did not try to “convert” anyone to your way of thinking. I really appreciate that! When you announced at the beginning of the seminar that you were neither a politician nor a preacher, I had my doubts because most people with the kind of passion that you displayed would usually have a hard time keeping their bias out of the discussion. You, on the other hand, kept things neutral and free of bias. It was very interesting to see you lead a group discussion about a very touchy subject, and keep things directed appropriately.

Thank you for taking time to put together a presentation that was not only informative and entertaining, but for some a life-changing experience.

You are excellent at presenting a large amount of information in such a short amount of time. I know that there is so much more you could cover in more time. I think the seminar hits the key points, which is probably the main thing you want to cover in any seminar. The quick pace and energy that you put into your presentation, along with a sense of humor helps to keep the audience’s attention, while at the same time making the seminar seem a lot shorter than six hours.

I recommend your class to all my friends, and I strongly suggest that they attended your seminars. I think anyone who has an open mind can enjoy the seminars. They are well worth the time and money. It is obvious that you put a lot of time and effort into your presentation. I think everyone would enjoy the chance to win prizes, and it is a nice touch to your presentation. I would like to thank you for sharing your wisdom of the Islamic culture with me. I also appreciated the time you took to help make me and others understand the Islamic culture.

. It seems like you always have every ones undivided attention at all times. No one is ever messing around or talking all eyes are on you and wanting to listen to hear what you have to say. I just think it is a wonderful thing that you do, to help most of us Americans understand other cultures.

The first thing I received from the seminar on the Middle East was a higher respect and admiration toward you. It could not have been easy to stand in front of a post 9/11, predominately white audience, not knowing how heated the discussion may get, and educate them on a touchy subject that perhaps they fear or even hate. I admire your passion to educate and desire to end the confusion we Americans have on the Middle East. To end this hatred and confusion it all begins with loving educators like you. As I sat there listening to your presentation I, felt you display of material was psychologically brilliant.

I must admit I was not happy about having to go to the seminar, especially on a Saturday. It seemed like it was going to be a long and boring day at Tyler Junior College, and I was not happy about spending twenty dollars to go somewhere I did not even want to be. The night before the seminar, I went to your web site and noticed some comments that students had left about your seminars. Most of the students, at least all of the comments I read, left positive remarks and seemed to enjoy the seminar. I thought that maybe they were just writing nice things, because who would write an essay and write negative things about the seminar, not anyone who wanted an “A”; however, I still thought maybe the comments were sincere, and I began to hope that the seminar might be not as boring as I had previously thought. I am somewhat of a realist, I have attended a few seminars, and most seminars are boring so I prepared for a long boring day.
Dr. Khosrowshahi, I must say that you surprised me. The seminar was entertaining, and it made me wish I had attended the previous seminar this semester. I thought it was amusing and interesting, but at the same time, I could really see the amount of time that you put into the presentation and appreciated your professionalism when presenting to the audience. I actually tried to make a Power Point Presentation, and after about five hours and only six slides, I decided that maybe the Photo Gallery was the way to go. The sad thing is my presentation would have taken me over twenty long hard hours of work and still not have been half as good as the presentation that you gave at the seminar. My own personal experience with preparing a presentation really helped me appreciate the time and effort it took you to prepare for the seminar. I really felt like I got more than my money’s worth, and would gladly attend another seminar.
Michael B.

Having never really been to any seminars before, this experience was a good one not just because of learning, but also because of the humor. Dr K, you were hilarious with the “Who Wants to Be Me?” game. The questions were great and thought provoking, the prices a great tool…what a great way to teach. I think that people responded in a way that normally they would not have if the humor and games had known been part of the seminar. Hearing other people’s thoughts and theories was a great part of the seminar as well. People were not afraid to ask questions or to give their opinions, and this was a major key to the day. There were a couple of moments that people’s frustration seemed to get the best of them, but a little arguing here and there will never hurt someone.

From the introduction he let us know that he knew peoples attention spans could only handle so much and he compensated with frequent breaks and interactivity to keep people interested. We started by making a list of topics that we wanted to discuss, this impressed me because it showed me that Dr. Khosrowshahi had comprehensive knowledge of this topic. Instead of adhering to a script and not allow unplanned topics to arise he was able to adjust and speak knowledgably about any topic someone brought up. In my experience listening to a speaker who was well prepared and very well informed of his topic has always been able to hold my attention much longer than one who in unprepared. Dr. Khosrowshahi was able to hold my attention throughout the entire seminar and using my experience as a rule I was very impressed.

Dr. Khosrowshahi encouraged audience participation and questions. He answered every question to the best of his ability and made it clear that no question was dumb. He made it clear that everyone was entitled to their opinion and he was just displaying the facts so we could form our own opinion.

I found this seminar to be entertaining as well as informative. I do think I learned a great deal about the Middle East and the Islamic culture. I learned about the family structures, the belief system, and the misconceptions related with Muslims.

My most important impression of the Middle East, Islam, and the Arab World seminar was the large number of people in attendance. The Board Room was filled to capacity--there were approximately 104 attendees. The audience consisted of students, teachers, senior citizens, couples, and the “average Joe”. As I glanced around the room and noted the different ethnic and age groups. The seminar was an excellent opportunity to gain insight on the Middle East, of which I am totally ignorant and uninformed. As an added bonus, it allowed me the rare opportunity to observe first-hand how the various attendees reacted to the lecture content. From an educational perspective, I learned about the Middle Eastern diet, new words and terms, and the loss of rights by Muslims.

Overall I had a great time at the Middle Eastern and Islam seminar. The class was presented in a fun manner but was very informative. It gave me a real first hand view of what Islam and Middle Eastern culture are really like. I think if the world was ordered to take courses on different cultures and religions there would be a lot less hate and war.

I would just like to start out by saying, the seminar was great and well worth the twenty dollars. I figured it was going to be all lecture, thus being very boring. But you did a great job keeping my attention, entertaining, and educating me. So I would like to thank you for doing such a good job. I think you did a great job of giving us a fair view of both sides: America and The Middle East.

I had a great time in our seminar and you did a good job. You keep me on the edge of my seat and had me laughing most all day.

To me, this seminar was more than just a project to fulfill a 200-point requirement. This seminar was a part of a training school for a cultural preparatory class.

The seminar on The Middle East, Islam, and the Arab World was captivating. Many Americans have a misconception of Middle East people and also about the Islam religion. I thought the quizzes were extremely beneficial, because they showed us just how similar we all are in terms or religion, values, lifestyle and attitudes. Americans have so many misconceptions about the Middle East, but many of us don’t realize that the Middle East have just as many misconceptions about the United States also.

I wish that Muslims and Americans would both attend your class on a regular basis, because I think we could learn the truth about each other and realize that we are all just human beings trying to live our life.

I enjoyed the lecture Saturday on the Middle East, Islam and the Arab World. I learned a lot and hope to share some of what I learned with my family and friends. Many of my questions were answered about the lifestyle of those who live in the Middle East.

Overall, I enjoyed the lecture. I learned a lot. I wish to thank you for putting so much time and effort into helping us learn about the Middle Eastern culture.

I applaud Dr. Khosrowshahi for having the courage to try to break down misconceptions about Islam and Middle Eastern cultures in a place where 90% of the audience are ultra-conservative and highly religious. Most people in this part of America are very set into their religious and belief systems, it would probably even be safe to assume that some members of the audience considered Islam to be a cult because Muslims do not believe that Christ is the Son of God, and any information contrary to what the Bible says is heresy to non-progressive Christians. So, Dr. Khosrowshahi was playing to a difficult crowd to say the least. It was encouraging to witness people listening, learning, sharing experiences, laughing, and hopefully discovering that we are all fundamentally the same. It was also encouraging and interesting that Dr. Khosrowshahi listened to people, always trying to learn more and to understand us as well.

Attending the Middle East seminar was both an educationally and an emotionally enlightening experience. I enjoyed the presentation style and appreciated your obvious respect for each student in attendance. I left with not only a much deeper understanding of the Islamic religion but also a foundation of respect for the Muslim people. I am a Christian and have been raised my whole life to be very non-judgmental. Without the seminar, though, I may have been persuaded to believe some of the fallacies portrayed mostly by the media and even some reverenced Christian leaders.

I envy your experiences abroad and appreciate your passion to promote education. As I endeavor to form my own opinions with the upcoming national decisions being made I will certainly consider the information I received at the seminar as an invaluable focal point. Overall, I absorbed many facts ranging from geography, important people in the media, religious similarities and differences, and cultural enrichment. But I am most appreciative of the humanistic angle in which it was presented.

Thank you for sharing your culmination of experience and cultural exposure along with the desire to educate and promote acceptance of those who differ from one another.

Khosrowshahi’s seminar on the Middle East, Islam and the Arab World. When I woke up at eight o’clock, I was thinking, do I really have to go to school and this is not how I want to spend my Saturday and one of only two days I get to stay in bed. I rolled out of bed because I realized that if I did not go I would not meet the requirements of the course. I am now so glad that I did roll out of bed, and not just because I met the course requirements. I had a really fun time all day and I was actually in a way disappointed when it came to an end. It was not only fun, but it was very interesting and I walked away from the seminar with a great deal more knowledge than I walked in with. I learnt so much stuff that I didnÆt know.

I thought I had a fair idea about the Middle East and their culture, but I hardly knew anything compared to what I now know. The seminar made me open my eyes and realize a lot of things that I should be so grateful for.

I am so glad I went on Saturday and I would recommend the seminar to anyone for when it will go on again. I was kept entertained all day and I wish I could pay attention in all my classes like I did on Saturday. I wish there was a whole class on the Middle-East so I could learn more, but there is not so I will have to be contempt with what I learnt on Saturday, which was a lot considering Dr. K only had a day. Thank you Dr. K, I had a great day and I don’t know what else I would rather of done on Saturday.

When I was told that I had to go to learn about the Middle East I first thought of terroist and the world trade center. To me I knew all I needed to know about these people and their religion. When the presentation began I realized that I knew very little or almost nothing of these people. I began to listen about the religion and began to see the similarities between what I believed and what the Islamic people believed. I had no idea that they also believed in one god just as me, just by the name Allah. I also thought that most Muslims lived in the Middle East, and come to find out they do not.

I really enjoyed the seminar. I attended the seminar on Turkey as well. In this seminar, I found it quite disturbing that we as Americans have so many misconceptions of the Middle East. I believe I am somewhat familiar with the Islam faith but I appreciated hearing the doctrinal facts about it. I found it interesting that there are some many similarities between the 3 major faiths yet they differ on the most important item, Jesus. A huge misconception that most Americans carry that you addressed in your lecture was the fact that not all Muslims are Arabs and live in the Middle East.

First of all, I would just like to say that I thought the seminar was wonderful. I learned much more than I thought I would have learned. To be honest, I thought I would not like the seminar at all and that I would be so bored with it. I was wrong. Not only did I learn so much, I also found it very entertaining.

Overall, I thought the seminar was very insightful. It opened to me up to many new cultures and now I have a new way of thinking, an educated way. I learned that Middle Eastern people are just like we are with their own cultures, values and religions. I really enjoyed the seminar and learned more in that one day than I have by watching the news almost every night.

Honestly, Saturday morning I woke up with the biggest grudge on my shoulder about going to the seminar. The night before, I describe to my friends that what I was going to the next day had to be worse than defensive driving. When you started the day with a smile on your face and said, “I’ll try to make this as painless as possible. This will be fun and you will want to do another.” I seriously doubted that statement, but I slapped a smile on my face and told myself to grin and bear it. Little did I know what I was going to take away with me after that day.

Ever since 9-11, I have held a grudge towards the Middle East. It puzzled me how such horrible people could attack an innocent nation. I began discriminating against any person of Middle Eastern descent. Whether it was because I was feeling confused like the rest of my nation, I do not know, but I now feel ashamed of myself for the thoughts I had against Middle Easterners. After the seminar, I realized that most people overseas acted just the same as Americans. I never realized how alike Christians and Muslims are alike. It was actually a shock to me that Muslims and Christians shared more similarities than Jews did.

As I entered the classroom, I thought I was going to be wasting away a beautiful day, instead I left a classroom that resembled a comedy club. The variation of seriousness and humor seemed to make the day go by with ease. I also enjoyed seeing the slide show of Middle Easterners carry about their normal day; it made geography come alive more than any textbook ever had.

I learned much more in the small peak into the life of Muslim men, women, and children. Hopefully, by taking the chance to clear up my misconceptions about a sometimes mysterious and ancient religious background, I can help others understand as well. This has been a great opportunity for me to formulate logical explanations to set my husband’s family at ease as well.

I am really going to continue to educate myself more about the Muslim religion and also about the different parts of the Middle East. I found that what I learned was really interesting and I hope to learn much more. The seminar was well worth the money and I am sure that everyone that attended felt the same way that I do. It was very educational and also very entertaining. I think that there needs to more education about the Middle East offered so that the American people will maybe develop a better attitude about the people from the Middle East.

As I came to the seminar I knew that it would be something that I would remember and be able to get a lot out of. After being at the last seminar over Turkey I knew that this one would be a treat. The Turkey seminar basically just focused on Turkey, but this focused a little bit about Turkey and other countries. Most of the time when you are in a meeting, seminar, and just in an everyday classroom you become bored. As you said, “most of the time in the first twenty minutes”. You made it very interesting. You have graphs, pictures, and Who Wants to Be A Millionaire. You did everything you could do to make the seminar as interesting as possible.

In all it was a great seminar and you should be congratulated for a job well done. You put everything that you had into that seminar. I’m glad that I had the opportunity to go to both seminars. I learned a lot of things that I did not know.

Your seminar was very fulfilling and engaging. I had been apprehensive about going to it, because most events can be very boring and lacking in any creativity whatsoever. I thought you did an excellent job in your presentation of this information and also in keeping everyone’s attention. I am really glad that I attended and I feel like the day spent there was definitely worth it. I learned more about the Middle East than I could have ever thought possible, in one days time. I feel like I am much more informed about this part of the world than before I attended this seminar. I believe that now I would not shy away from a conversation about the Middle East, where-as before I would have definitely stayed away from it. I feel that I am much more educated about the Middle East, than before I came to your seminar.

I attended the Middle East, Islam, and the Arab World seminar on Saturday April 5^th. When I first heard the word seminar, I thought to myself how boring to spend a whole Saturday listening to a lecture. However, by around 10 or 11 I realized this was not a seminar, but a day of learning and opening your mind to a culture that many of us have closed out minds to in recent months. I felt that the seminar was very entertaining. I learned many things I never knew, but I also laughed and had fun in the process.

I really enjoyed the photos that were presented at the end of the seminar. These provided a face, life style, and the human aspect to the people of the Middle East. Before, they were just news.

I really enjoyed this seminar not only because it not only gave me a better understanding about the Middle East but it also opened up my eyes and made me realize that it was more to the story than what is being told. I encourage anyone who can to go and hear this seminar some day and for Dr.K to keep having it because believe it or not he is really making a difference and sometimes all it takes is one person to stand up for what is right.

After attending the Middle Eastern seminar I found out how much I didn’t know about the middle east. Though I pride myself on my knowledge I found that I knew more wrong about the middle east than I knew right. I learned a little about geography, religion, and most importantly our similarities.

Although I dreaded going to the seminar, after I went I felt good about it. There was a lot of humor involved, which livened things up. I loved the millionaire game that was played throughout the day because it allowed us to interact with the professor and I also learned quite a few facts that I had not known. The power point was very presented very well with the animation to prevent boredom. I never knew what the next slide would have on it, whether it be interesting facts, a joke or information that I was unaware of. It was apparent that a lot of thought and creativity was put into the slide presentation. The slides were well put together and very interesting. I loved how the jokes were added to the presentation slides, because they were very humorous. The seminar was enjoyable and overall I had a great learning experience.

I learned so much from the Middle Eastern seminar. I never doubted that I wouldn't learn anything, I just wasn't crazy about getting up early on a Saturday morning and driving an hour to sit in a seminar all day. However, I talked my mom and neighbor, who is a college Chemistry instructor, into going with me. We had so much fun and learned lots of interesting facts about the Middle East.
The presentation was incredible and very interesting. For an eight hour period of time, it felt like one class period.
I think this seminar should be a requirement for everyone who takes Dr. K because you really learn more that you expected and have a great time learning.
I found this seminar to be a turning point in my education. Being able to open up to new topics and learn about things you don’t know anything about.

After the seminar I walked out with a different perspective of the Middle East, I left feeling quite good knowing that I knew the facts and I was very eager to learn more about the Middle East. I hurried home to call my mother and family to spread the news of how the Middle Eastern people are not the way we view them.

There are so many things that I learned and that interested me during your presentation. Thank you again for the knowledge about Middle Eastern countries and their religious beliefs as well as my own country and my religion. You have inspired me to continue learning more.

The seminar taught me a lot about myself. It encouraged me to learn more about the world around me, my own culture and religion, and the lives of others. I realized knowing more about politics will allow me to make better voting choices in the future, which is very important. I really believe that the more we learn, the happier and more peaceful the world will be.
If I had no other reason to be interested in this topic then I would still be interested as a student. I am always thrilled by the pursuit of knowledge. I dream of learning many, many languages and traveling to other countries to continue my education. I would love to be a citizen of the world as well as a citizen of the United States. I think this presentation has given me a good jumping off point to begin my studies.

Overall I think the seminar was educational, interesting, and fun. Now the only other problems is to get some of the decision makers of this country to educate themselves on the subject to end the war that our fathers, mother, brothers, sisters, cousins, and all the others we love are fighting. I don’t want the country that we are all so proud to be a part of to be viewed as a bunch of know nothings and do nothings and through the seminar we now know a little bit more to better ourselves and hopefully can pass it on to the next person and so on.

I only wish that other professors were as dedicated to their job as you are. This is my second class that I have taken from you and both of them have proven to be interesting and educational. This seminar was my first one to attend but I plan on attending several in the future just for the education and the humor that you add to the class. You are a neat guy. (I’m not just trying to get extra points). I really appreciate you taking the time on a Saturday and teaching us about the misconceptions in the Middle East.

I had missed the first seminar and much to my dismay the second one was soon approaching. I was unable to talk to anyone that had been to one of the seminars before. I had the same first impression as anyone, I guess. I figured that I would be sitting in a room for countless hours listening to a lecture. No offense to the speaker, I assure you. It is just hard to imagine a seminar of that length and magnitude that would keep someone interested for so long; even if the speaker is the President of the United States. I got to the White’s Administration building and I couldn’t find a place to park. I figured that was just the beginning of my “awful” day. Much to my surprise the seminar was absolutely wonderful. I found the seminar to be very interesting and informative. I don’t recall being bored at all. I had no idea that the Middle East had such an impact on me. I didn’t realize how much of what goes on over there affects the United States. I too had the same impression of Middle Eastern people as everyone else, just stereotyping the people. They are much like us in many ways. I had no idea that the religions were so close to each other. I did not know that the Christian religion and the Islamic religions studied some of the same stories in the Bible. You definitely much have a great passion for teaching to bring so many people together to inform them about things that they are not aware of. I know that there are many, many people taking this class and I was amazed at your ability to keep their interest. My major is Early Childhood Education and I will be happy if I can only keep their attention half as well if you do. I thoroughly enjoyed the seminar and am sorry that I missed the first one. It was very interesting and kept my total attention. I liked the “Who wants to be a Millionaire” game that was played in the seminar. I looked forward to each new question to see if I knew the answer. The little prizes were very nice too. I found out that I did not know as much as I thought that I did about the Middle East. After the first half of the seminar I found out that I had already learned quite a bit. I went to have lunch with my sister and she told me that I must have liked the seminar because that was all that I was talking about. After lunch I was kind of tired and wasn’t sure that I could endure the second half of the seminar. I walked through the doors and back to my seat and before I knew it, it was already time for the first ten minute break. After we came back from break time was flying, I couldn’t believe it when you announced that there was only fifteen more minutes left in the seminar. I wasn’t ready for it to be over. I had learned so much in what seemed to be such a short time. I was also pleased that you had given web addresses on your handout for future research. I drove home eager to tell my husband what I had learned. I went to my parent’s house for dinner and I asked them about the proverbs. They knew most of them and we had fun talking about the details of the seminar. They also commented that I must have enjoyed the seminar because I was talking about it so much. I did enjoy the seminar and feel that my impression of the Middle East has greatly changed. I now see that I have much more to learn about the Middle East and that I am eager to learn more about it. I also learned that I too did not know the correct pronunciation of Iraq and Iran. I feel that my life has been greatly enriched by going to the seminar. I look forward to Government 2306 and the seminars that I will attend. Thank you for the opportunity that you have given the students, myself included, to learn more about a place that we didn’t know much about.