Skip to main content

Tales of a Good Man

"Sometime in the midst of all this, we became friends.
And his story, and all its vast world passed into mine."  
--From the Introduction of Blood & Oil by Roxane Farmanfarmaian.


"Stories are so important; they become traditions that tell about the good that often comes out of bad experiences..." So began Roxane Farmanfarmaian's fascinating talk Monday night at Saint David's Seventh Grade Father-Son Dinner.

Dr. Farmanfarmaian, Affiliated Lecturer of Modern Middle East Studies at the Political and International Studies Department at Cambridge University, was introduced by her nephew, Saint David's seventh grader Cyrus '17. She spoke to the seventh grade boys and their fathers about what makes a "Good Man" through the prism of her book Blood & Oil: A Prince's Memoir of Iran from the Shah to the Ayatollah (Random House 2005), which she co-authored with her late father, Prince Manucher Farmanfarmaian.

The memoir is a collection of tales told by her father about his and his father's trials, tribulations, and triumph as they lived through turbulent times in Iran, including periods of exile and return to their native country.

Prince Manucher Farmanfarmaian was director of an Iranian oil company and one of the founders of OPEC, and served as the Shah's oil adviser. When the Revolution of 1979 hit, he had to leave everything behind--his home, all of his possessions. Despite this adversity, Dr. Farmanfarmaian observed that her father remained always "the perennial optimist."

"My father had learned grit, imagination and, most critically, faith in humanity" which, she said, led him to be a good man.



"He stuck with his principles and core values, beliefs." So that when he returned home and began a potato chip factory, "He was very happy; he lived simply, stayed optimistic."

In reflecting upon the evening's theme of A Good Man, Dr. Farmanfarmaian noted, "My father's optimism, his belief in humanity, and ability to face adversity with grace and deliberate moral introspection, are what I would say made him a good man."

Following her talk, Dr. Farmanfarmaian took questions from the boys and fathers in attendance. The queries were thoughtful and related to the current situation in the Middle East. Dr. Farmanfarmaian's responses were thought provoking and reflective of the complex social-politcal-economic forces at play; and a call for deliberate moral introspection.

It was a wonderful talk and dinner. Boys and their dads left the event with a copy of Blood & Oil signed by the author, and much to discuss on the way home.

Our deep appreciation to Dr. Farmanfarmaian and the Farman-Farmaian family at Saint David's for enabling us to experience such a special evening that celebrates the bond between father and son.




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NE Patriot Tom Brady at Saint David’s

Last night, Saint David’s was honored to have one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, four time Superbowl champion and three-time MVP winner Tom Brady, as the guest speaker for our Alumni Parents Council Lecture Series. Tom, who is the father of one of our Saint David's boys, addressed a standing-room-only audience in Hyman Hall comprised of our eighth graders, alumni, alumni parents and faculty. Friendly, introspective, witty, and wise, he directed his talk to the delighted eighth graders in the front of the room, and focused on the topic of leadership. “You are the young men and leaders of Saint David’s,” he noted. Tom debunked the perception that leaders are born not made, and credited his leadership abilities to “standing up to and facing fears” and to “cultivating a mental strength,” which he cited as “more important than being physically strong.” He also stressed the importance of working hard, honoring teamwork, believing in oneself and being a good lis
Post a Comment
Read more

Surf's Up for Horizons at Saint David's

Little can top catching a wave to beat the heat on an exceptionally hot summer's day. Yesterday, as the temperatures soared into the nineties, the Horizons at Saint David's Eighth Grade class traveled to Rockaway Beach with their teachers for surf lessons with New York's premiere surf school, Locals Surf School. The boys have been taking swimming lessons through our program since their first summer with us in 2012.  At that time, they were were rising first graders, and our inaugural cohort of Horizons students. Yesterday, they were ready to go, and, as these pictures show, they had a blast while learning a new skill. This is the eighth year of Horizons at Saint David's, a six-week multi-faceted academic and cultural summer experience whose mission is to prevent summer slide in elementary school boys from low-income families. We began the program in conjunction with Saint David's 60th anniversary in 2011, as one way that Saint David's as an ins
Post a Comment
Read more

"Lord of the Flies" Survival Game

Seventh graders are immersed in an "island survival" adventure related to their study of William Golding's 1954 classic Lord of the Flies . The novel tells the story of a group of school-age boys marooned on an uninhabited island, where they struggle to survive without a government or rules. In this creative, unique activity that spans 10 class sessions, our boys are assigned to belong to one of two "tribes." Using knowledge gained from history classes in the fall, they first determine what type of government system to adopt. During the simulations, they strategize methods to overcome obstacles and acquire resources such as wood, food, shelter, and water. The simulation requires the boys to negotiate, debate, and reflect critically on their decisions as they face challenges to their survival. In journals, they regularly write about their thinking, their decisions and consequences. Writing skills are further developed and honed. In addition to analy
Post a Comment
Read more