Introduction

Facing history in short is a very different class.  Though there are preconceived notions about the curriculum and the teacher alike, like all things one must experience this course to truly understand and appreciate it. People take this course for a multitude of reasons,” it’s an easy A”, “Having heard Mr. Gallagher’s the man”, etcetera. For whatever the reason may be, just know that it will change. The class is an opportunity for individuals to learn of the past via the analytical break down of the Civil Rights movement and the Holocaust. Then using those same lessons, we then interpret the mentality and/or life lessons to be learned and apply them to the modern era.  We are exposed to a surplus of film and primary sources. In those very films we see just how evil or misguided people can be. Overtime, the people in the pictures and films evolve to our senses and become real people. No longer are they just memories of the deceased it’s almost like close family.  This is not to say we don’t learn the conflicting mentality.  Although students do not  typically agree with the ideals and practices or the Nazi’s sinister methods, we do comprehend it. We understand just why and how genocide can occur. We also learn a means of combating it. In this class we are given the ability to fully express our right of free speech.  That is, we are not censored in the same way we would be in another class. So long as we don’t interrupt each other we were more than welcome to use, “sentence enhancers”. For those who are willing and able I highly recommend you take this class.