Purple Haze
An appreciation of history
By Elizabeth Thomas

September 30, 2010

This week, one of my friends asked me which class I had next, and I replied, “Government”, which brought a grimace to her face and a few groans beside me as they informed me they were going to the same one. Although I myself complain about history classes from time to time, it crossed my mind how students are blindly unaware of how important history is. Most think it of it as cramming masses of information right before a test and then regurgitating it on paper. When the year is over, that information becomes lost as they never wish to think about it again. What they fail to grasp is that history affects all of our lives and makes up the world’s past, present, and future.

Last year, I had the privilege of having Mr. Anderson as my American Studies teacher, and I won’t forget what he told us on the first day of class, that “every second is history.” As of this second, we are part of the next generation that will soon define our country. Our history classes are the steps to learning how to develop opinions, communicate them effectively and possibly change the world. Through studies of the past, we will know what to do differently in the future.

Some students have taken an interest in history by joining clubs such as Model UN and Mock Trial, which give them a taste of diplomacy, current conflicts, and the behaviors of society in general. Model UN focuses more on the world’s affairs and how to negotiate issues and resolve conflicts. Mock Trial provides students with an understanding of the legal system and how society solves its disputes. Both have proven to be very engaging and enriching activities that students enjoy because it is fun to debate opinions and because they deal with real problems.

The most important reason why students should care about their history classes is because they will establish a sense of appreciation for our country. It doesn’t take hours of studying to discover that our nation has done some pretty terrific deeds, and students should feel pride and respect for the past people who made them happen.