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Tuesday, November 20, 1990/ University Daily Kansan
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Contoski discusses poetry by Walt Whitman with a literature class.
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Professor teaches literature for life
Contoski shares wisdom of writers, encourages student ideas
By Amy Zamierowski
Kansan staff writer
Victor Contoski, professor of English, adjusts his thick, black-rimmed glasses and runs his hand over a large piece of paper. He prepares to address his class.
He reads a passage of poetry and pauses. He then substitutes a word of his choice for a word in the poem.
"Some symbols are better than others," he said. "Tell me why this version by Victor Contokski is not better." By William Cullens Bryant?"
The class offers many suggestions. Jeanneette Bonjour, second-year graduate student, said Contoski, 54, a graduate of the English literature than other professors.
"He doesn't let us take ourselves too seriously," she said. "It not as it is he says. 'Here is what I know. I am going to tell you what you should think.' It's more him getting us excited about the material."
"I had to go to the library and do research to find out what other people thought," he said. "A lot of education is making you conform to the norms of the class, to be negative if you always have to conform to this opinion or that opinion."
Contesi said he encouraged class participation and new ideas about the readings because when he was in graduate school professors were not interested in his thoughts about the material.
For a final essay in his American Literature I class, Coskowski has students explain how several authors contribute to the student's philosophy.
"I choose authors simply because they have something to say to me or my students," he said. "Writers give us wisdom about how we can lead our
Contoski describes himself as a homeboy who enjoys spending time reading and writing with his wife, Wieslaan.
His rule of thumb is that if he is spending more than three nights a week away from home, he is too busy.
Contosi and his wife met in 1961 in Poland where he was teaching on an English fellowship. They married in 1962 and came to the United States two years later. She is from Poland, and he was born Minneapolis.
He earned a bachelor's degree in Greek from the University of Minnesota in 1959 and a master's degree in
English from the same school in 1961.
He earned a doctorate in American literature in 1969 from the University of Wisconsin.
"My goals for the future, which may seem unambitious but are very ambitious for me, are to be a good husband, a good cat companion and to try to understand life while I am living it." he said.
Contiaski's friends describe him as having many interests. He won an international award in a postal chest and wrote Contiaski also writes and translates poetry.
"Chess keeps me out of mischief," he said. "My writing is a way to understand the world."
Classroom at home
Before Contosci met his wife, he thought he would never get married. He wanted to be a poet, and the ones who were more miserable and sodmied marriage
"Also, when I decided to be a poet, it did not occur to me that I would have to work for a living," he said.
Contoski invites students to his house twice during the semester for three-hour class sessions. During the first visit this semester, which was in about 30 students sat in Contoski's literature and discussed literature.
“
— Victor Contoski professor of English
Also, when I decided to be a poet, it did not occur to me that I would have to work for a living
Another meeting takes place at his house at the end of the semester. At this meeting, members of the class give presentations.
" "
Contoski does not review the project ideas before they are presented.
One memorable project was completed by a group of students prepared an entire Puritan Thanksgiving dinner for the class.
A life-sized wooden coffin with poetry by Emily Dickinson carved onto its sides has also been carried into Contoski's home.
Another student, after reading Mark Twain's "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calavera County," brought frogs into Contoski's house. The frogs did not get along well with his six cats.
"The students thought her poems were morbid," he said. "I can just
imagine what the neighbors were thinking."
Katy Rice, Lawrence senior, said Contoski kept the atmosphere in class light by using anecdotes.
"When I think of Vic, I think of the face of a capricious elf," she said. "He always has a mischievous smile on his face. It makes class more attentive, and you can tell when he is talking about something he really likes."
But he has a passion for the worst jokes on earth, she said.
"The class usually groans and then he laughs."
Students and friends
Contsiok conducts class similar to the way he did when he began teaching at KU more than 20 years ago. He corresponds with many former students, including three from his first year at KU in 1969
"It seems to me that if someone is a good teacher or a good student, they can be friends for the rest of their lives." he said.
An ideal examination for Contoski would be if he could ask a students on their deathbeds if the class they took from him helped them lead their lives.
"They would have the chance to grade me but not me them," he said "Giving grades is the part of teaching I hate."
Dana McMurray, a student from Contoski's 1969 class who corresponds with Contoski, said, "He writes incredible letters and passes on his experiences to know. He also tells jokes, comments on operas and we trade poetry."
McMurray said that while at KU, he took about 10 English classes from Cantoski.
"I had a poetry writing class and the class got along so well that after the semester was over we continued to write poems in houses for another year," he said.
Contoski later wrote a poem about the groun
Rice said that Contoski made literature come alive because he allowed for growth and changes.
"He likes to discover new ways of looking at literature," she said. "I want to be a teacher, and if my students could give as good a report of me as I can give of Vic, I would be happy."
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