“As a historian, I try to get students to use primary sources. I encourage discussion and debate in the classroom, but I also try to keep it lighthearted and make students feel comfortable in discussing issues.”
“I want students to realize the importance of history in understanding the contemporary world. All too often, we see things as isolated temporally and it’s really important to see how these things are connected to historical processes that have been going on for decades if not centuries. I also want to help students see how complex things are and to get away from looking at things dogmatically in black and white. There are multiple sides to every story and the more we can recognize that complexity, the better off students are in having an enlightened view of the world.”
“Musicians have a mouthpiece to articulate ideas about how the world functions, so it’s really important for students and musicians to pay attention to what’s going on. The big thing I want for my students is to not be apathetic and to see that they are a part of history like everyone else.”
