Introduction

         Facing History and Ourselves is a half-year elective course given at Westborough High School. When choose my course a senior I thought that this elective would be a good fit into my schedule. A history course is not required to be taken by seniors, and I thought that seeing as I had always loved history that this class would be a good choice. I had heard great things from kids that had taken the course, but I did not know any of the specifics to the curriculum and basically decided to go into the class with an open mind. From day one Mr. Gallagher showed us how passionate that he was about the course. The emotion with which he talked about the material we were covering made the experience all the more meaningful. Through discussions, readings, and films the class uses historical events and situations to teach students about civil responsibility and how everyone can make a difference. How willing a student is to let down their guard and open themselves up to class, determines whether or not the class succeeds in its mission. The course forces its students to take a step away from everything and view themselves in a way that most people have never done. It asks you too take a look yourselves and question the morals and values that you live your life with. The final step is to find out how you will react if you are ever faced with adversity. Will you just stand back and be a bystander or will you take action and stand up for someone who is being victimized. After taking this course senior year I believe that its material and elective opportunities should be spread out past the senior grade to younger students. The class can be life altering and everyone should have the chance to experience it. 

What Facing History and Ourselves Meant to Me

The Facing History and Ourselves course has been everything and more that I could have ever expected. To me personally this class has not been like another class I have ever taken. In most of the course that I have taken throughout my life, information and knowledge has been presented to me, but I always saw it as just school work. This course gave meaning to the information and the principles that was being taught. It forced me to take a look at myself and find out the person that I truly am. No sugarcoating or lies, the cold hard facts on the morals and values of my life. The reading, discussion, and films set the guidelines for the course. But I believe that if you are unable to let down your guard and find the bigger picture, this course would have been just like any other. For me that was different. Mr. Gallagher has a very good way are slowly proving his point and message to his students. He showed us example after example of people being bystanders and watching victims be harassed. Slow these images became imprinted in my mind and I felt more a personal connection to the events. From this course I now know that when faced against oppression or seeing it occur I will NOT be a bystander and instead I will take action. Ever person no matter how insignificant they may feel can make a difference.

There were a few things that specifically stood out in my mind when thinking back on the course. The first is the movie “Freedom Writers” which we watched over a few class periods. I had heard of the movie, but I had only seen small segments of it from time to time. When I watched the movie before having taken the course to me it was just another movie. A movie with a famous actress, that was just Hollywood’s way of displaying the intercity school systems. Facing History had given me a more open mind to view the movie with. I appreciated the message that it was trying to portray to its audience. MTV had directed it toward a younger audience who could relate to it. I saw the determination that the teacher had who at the beginning of the movie could have been the least important person in the world to her students. With her persistence she got through to her students. It was a perfect example that backed up what Mr. Gallagher had been telling us. Another film that was very meaningful to me was the movie the Grey Zone. I have always believed that documentaries can spit out the information, but pictures cannot provide the emotion aspect to what is being told. The Grey Zone was able to connect the emotion aspect of the holocaust death camps with solid truth. The movie left me feeling upset and shocked, but I feel that is what makes it so good. The holocaust did not have a happy ending so why should a movie about it have a feel-good ending. The Nazi’s worked so hard to cover up their atrocities, and I thought that this movie gave justice to where it was due. Lastly the final film that was especially meaningful to me was The Wave. This movie put the audience in the shoes of the Germany people during Hitler’s reign. It is very easy to say that you would never have stood back and watched as millions of people we killed. But to say that is ignorant, no one can actually understand what the Germany people were up against. It showed exactly the nature of humans and how they will always be willing to follow the group. Learning from the past is the only way to not make the same mistakes in the future.   

This class has benefitted me in more ways than I could have ever imagined. One major thing that course brought to my attention was the impact that words can have a person or a group of people. In high school it is very easy to fall in with the crowd and use common stereotypes and language that can belittle someone. The main word or phrase that this course has shown me is not appropriate is “Gay” or “That’s so gay”. Most time when people you this phrase the term Gay does not even apply. It has just become so common in their vocabulary that they don’t even stop to think about who they are victimizing when they are saying it. After taking the course I have made a conscience effort to avoid using those terms and even discourage others who do not realize the magnitude of their language. Another way the course has benefitted me is that it has taught me to never be bystander. This is probably the most difficult thing that course attempts to accomplish. One day Mr. Gallagher asked us if we were put in the shoes of the Germany at the time of Hitler’s reign, would we have reaction the same way they did or would we have fought against him. With the background knowledge that we have been provided with, it would have been ignorant to say that we would have reacted any different. In times of struggle it is human nature to look out for your own welling first. What the course showed me was that once you have taken a good look at yourself and your morals, if a situation ever arises where they are being threatened you can’t be a bystander. I know now that when faced in a situation where someone is being harassed or belittle will not be bystander. My morals and overall seen of civil responsibility are too meaningful to me.

Facing History and Ourselves has been a course that has meant so much to me. I can honesty say that FACING OURSELVES hold true throughout the course. I was forced to take a step back and determine who I truly am as a person. No other class has ever done this before. And for that I will forever be grateful that I had the opportunity to take this course.  

Works Cited

"Nazi Germany." Top News. Web. 13 Jan 2011.

"Nazi Germany Leaves League of Nations." footnote. Web. 13 Jan 2011.

"Nazi-Dominated Europe, 1942 ." History 10. Web. 13 Jan 2011.

"The Island on Bird Street." CVMC. Web. 13 Jan 2011.

"Freedom Writers ." Amazon.com. Web. 13 Jan 2011