Introduction

                The course Facing History and Ourselves is a course I will never forget and highly recommend to other students. It’s such an eye opening class which leaves you with a whole new perspective. It’s a course unlike many others where you don’t feel like a student taking a normal class, but more like a person discovering the harsh realities of history and finding who you really are. One thing I really liked about this class was walking into a room and feeling equal and free to share my thoughts and express myself. The main point of this class was to figure out who you are and as Mr. Gallagher would say "it’s not what you do in school that matters but what you do out there". The course consists of heart wrenching films, articles, activities and conversations about moral conflicts, racism, prejudices, genocides and the Holocaust. The course does NOT sugar coat anything. It gives you the truth about what actually happened during the Holocaust and how someone like Hitler was able to come into power which is a question I often wondered- now I know. I knew this course was going to be tough- not necessarily academically but emotionally and morally. Originally, I took this course because I had only heard good things about it and luckily it fit into my schedule. I also have always wanted to learn more about the Holocaust because no other history class goes into such depth about the matter. I also heard there would be no homework or tests during this course. That right there took such a stress and pressure off the class. I was able to indulge myself in learning for learning’s sake and not to do well on a test. I was so happy when I found out I was able to take this course even though I was a little afraid of what was to come. Facing History and Ourselves changes your thinking about human nature, why people do what they do and why it’s NECESSARY to make a difference when you can. By connecting historical event like the Holocaust and racism to your own life, you begin to look at the moral choices you are faced with every day in a different light. You will jump from being a bystander when issues arrive, to someone willing to take stand and make a difference. This course certainly changed me and will definitely change you too.