A dozen Southern Utah University students have joined 100 others from colleges nationwide this week in New York City to meet Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian Parliament members, the Nepalese Prime Minister and academic scholars on Middle East studies while international leaders meet for the U.N. General Assembly.
The trip came about with the help of SUU Provost Bradley Cook and Doug Larson, executive director of the Leavitt Center for Politics and Public Service, after connecting with New York academics to plan a week’s worth of events.
Cook worked with New York academic Parviz Morewedge while at Utah Valley University on co-publications several years ago, and called Morewedge recently to set up with officials an education-based visit between students and Ahmadinejad, among others.
As a result, 30 students from Utah universities have been in New York since Tuesday, not only soaking in the most well-known city in the world but seeing how their studies in politics play out.
“We want SUU students to recognize they’re part of the citizenry of the world,” Cook said, not only of the trip but his proposed plan for SUU’s future. “It is important being engaged with our local community as well as globally. SUU has a unique opportunity in that aspect to distinguish itself.”
The students met and asked questions of the Iranian president Wednesday night during a banquet, commenting later on his true-to-politics nature and general answers to pointed questioning.
“I understand this is a controversial figure, especially outside of Iran and in the West, but we were sitting in a small room and he honestly answered no holds barred,” said senior SUU political science major Russell Kennedy of Ahmadinejad. “He’s an adept, shrewd politician Ð about as good as I’ve ever seen É A total failure to give specific answers, which happens with politicians even in this country.”
Student Director for the Leavitt Center Alex Francis, also a senior in political science, shook hands with Ahmadinejad and thought it interesting that the president refused to answer specific questions about Iranian atrocities directly.
“He’d say he’s not part of that branch of government and doesn’t make the arrests,” Francis said.
He added that the students were able to hear all sides of the story by meeting experts who are part of the opposition, such as their session with Hadi Ghaemi, director of the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran.
SUU graduate student Gage Hansen was disappointed that not everyone could ask questions, but noted that his group is meeting with Iranian Parliament members and will be able to ask more during that session.
“One of the things I thought was most interesting about Ahmadinejad’s speech was he used the phrase ‘right to self-determination’ when speaking about Iran’s rights,” Hansen said. “But speaking about such rights, Iran doesn’t allow those rights to minorities inside its own country ... I thought it was very ironic.”
Hansen added, “He also said he would never wish even to hurt a fly.”
The students are also looking forward to seeing the sights and taking in as much as possible in New York before they head back Saturday.
This includes a tour with Morewedge of the Islamic section in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as well as entertainment and dining of their choice during free times.
For someone raised in Delta, Kennedy said the opportunity for him was a remarkable one, talking from his cell phone on his way to see a Broadway play and excited about a Yankees-Red Sox game at Yankee Stadium the next afternoon.
“I’m looking forward to taking advantage of the art and entertainment capital of the world,” Kennedy said. “I’m a long way from Delta. There are more people on one city block here than I grew up with.”
