Staff photos by Duffy Coffman
terror and Triumph9 teacher eyes future
B Thomas-A. Rhodes
I Of the Print
| Joe Uris is a 41 -year-old sociology instruc
tor on campus. He received his Ph. D. in
Bciology last summer from Portland State
Wniversity and has also attended Reed and Col-
umbia University in New York.
I Uris teaches the Introduction to Sociology
and U. S. History courses on campus. But what
■red us to his doorstep for an interview was his
■f-de fined pop culture class, “Future: Terror or
■iumph.”
I Uris granted PRINT reporters Duffy Coff
I
man and Thomas A. Rhodes an interview con-
ceming the future, education and the future of
education. The following is an edited excerpt
from the interview.
PRINT: You’re known throughout campus as an
instructor of rather off-beat classes such as ‘The
^ture: Terror or Triumph.”
URIS: I simply disguise common place material
unde: an off-beat tide. The popular culture se-
quence, if it were allowable, would be an inter-
disciplinary course and it’s a euphemism for
what most people are concerned with in their
lives. For example, popular music, social
history, stuff like that.
PRINT: Many instructors seem to be trying to
popularize standard courses such as history and
the humanities because the requirements aren’t
as strict as they used to be. In order to gain in
terest in their specific department, they seem to
try Ito lower subject requirements and ap-
proaches to fit everyone’s taste.
URIS: Is there a question there?
PRINT: I guess there is, will the college have to
try Ito popularize course such as history or
7 Ministry in order to fill enrollment quotas?
URIS: First of all, I don’t think anyone is lower
ing standards or bringing things down on any
level. Many schools use popular culture artifacts
J such as movies, records, or whatever to try to
make the students understand the relevance of
their course of study. Unfortunately, being an
n |Vectual ’n America is considered an unwor
thy activity. More so, being an intellectual in
( Clackamas County is considered very suspect.
For those reasons, many of us here try
« various approaches to social science or science
issues. But, I don’t think we’re lowering
anything. If students were adequately presented
with the choice between hard work and real
discovery, and wading through a lot of fluff,
they’d choose hard work. Unfortunately, that
choice doesn’t exist At community colleges, j
students and teachers suffer somewhat from an/
inferiority complex, which is not warranted.
/
We have some of the best facilties—that I’ve
encountered anyway-and I think we have some
very good students. But, because of this com-
plex, which is a self-inflicted prophecy, they
(faculty and students) end up doing what is ex
pected of them rather than their full potential.
But when a student or faculty member decides to
/ednesday, October 21,1981
work to their full potential, we get work that
rivals all other institutions.
Fve had students here who could move
over to Reed College comfortably.. As to what’s
happening at PSU, I just think that education
isn’t *in’ anymore.
PRINT: What brought this about? Is it that may
people feel that the liberals and intellectuals
caused inflation with their social programs?
URIS: Well, everyone causes inflation. ft’s an
economic question, not an intellectual Ohe.
We’ve had war-time economic program since
World War II and we’ve attemped to keep both
guns and butter. Comparing social programs to
military equipment, the social programs are
cheap and generate economic growth« But,
everyone is angry, and in America, we tend to
blame the victim.
PRINT: Do you think the college will cut the ex
tra services such as the Focus on Women pro
gram in order to save more classes?
URIS: I hope not, it seems unlikely.
PRINT: Are you in favor of stricter requirements
in classes?
URIS: Fm all in favor of stricter requirements in
and for classes. We need to increase our
academic standards. One of the biggest mistakes
made in the 60’s was to equate easiness with vir
tue. We should be academically tough. Fm not
in the pop culture courses, largely because Fm
trying to get the students to understand and ap
preciate their own culture and the objective is not
so much an academic one but a cultural one.
If I ran the zoo-which I don’t-! would create
an honor college within the college, ft would be a
very rigorous part of the institution. The pop
culture courses would involve more serious
work.
PRINT: Speaking of history, have you taught
any other history courses other than U.S.
History?
URIS: Fve taught U.S. History, some pop
history courses. I haven t taught Western Civiliza
tion, nor have I taught any specialized history
courses such as the history of the Bohemian
culture.
CCOSAC
Community Colleges of
Oregon Student Association
and Commissions met at Mt.
Hood Community College
Oct 17 and 18 to discuss the
Summer President Workshop,
approve the budget, evaluate
CCOSAC constitution and by
laws, and elect a, CCOSAC
representative to the state
legislature.
Because of a budget carry
over from last year, the
membership costs for each col
lege was dropped down to
PRINT: Would you like to have a chance to
teach a course in Western Civilization?
URIS: Yes, but in order to do that, I would have
to prepare for many months. I wouldn’t mind
doing it, though.
PRINT: Any way you’d approach it differently
than the way it’s currently being approached?
URIS: I took a course of Western Civilization at
Reed College and the course was seven hours a
week (Three lectures and four conferences). The
reading was incredibly intensive. We began by
writing 500-700 page papers a week, then
1,500-word papers once every two weeks, ft
was a very powerful experience. If I were to
redesign a curriculum, I would try some of that
material.
PRINT: I remember flipping through the 1980
voter’s pamphlet and I noticed that Ronald
Reagan had the least amount of college educa
tion. A fellow journalist told me that just because
you have a college education doesn’t mean that
you know doodly squat.
URIS: I agree with your friend. To evaluate peo
ple on the tjasi? of their formal education is silly.
Fve known sofne Ph.D.’s who were absolute
clowns, and Fve known some really brilliant peo
ple who*ve never had a formal education. But,
people who read a lot and comprehend what
they’re reading are worthy of being paid atten
tion to on some level.
PRINT: How tough are your courses grade
wise?
URIS: Well, it’s pretty easy to get a C from me,
but I don’t give a lot of A’s.
PRINT: The G.P.A. at the college is 3.1. Why?
URIS: A lot of the students are getting B’s. ft’s
either that or students áre taking a lot of easy
courses. I don’t think grades should be used to
punish students. Teachers have a gate-keeper
function, but it isn’t important in the first two
years. We, as teachers, have more power to
punish students than reward. That’s why I
wanted an honor’s college, where students can
really earn a grade by working hard.
first meeting
$63.53 from $263.53. The
money is divided into two sec
tions: “housekeeping” (opera
tion costs of CCOSAC) and-
decision-making, traveling and
accommodation expenses. The
total CCOSAC budget of
$1,870 for housekeeping and
$1,816 for operations is divid
ed equally among the 13
member colleges.
The major goals of each
school were discussed at the
meeting. CCC’s main goal is to
facilitate better student involve
ment on campus.
T encourage people to at
tend 'ASG meetings”, ASG
President Sam Crosby said, T
ask that if people come with a
problem, they have a
reasonable solution for it.” The
ASG meets every Thursday at
noon.
CCOSAC hires a lobbiest,
paid out óf college funds, to
take ideas to the state
legislators. Any money granted
from the state government is
alotted for different programs
on the community college cam
puses.
*’,<.•
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