WORTHINGTON — Too many people think history is just a list of names and dates to memorize. Just “one damn thing after another,” as British historian Arnold Toynbee (allegedly) said.
History at Minnesota West is not an endless list of names, dates and facts. Here, history is a story, but it is not one grand narrative. Rather, it is a collection of many stories — all of our stories — which together make up the history of the United States and the world, much like a patchwork quilt is created from many different pieces of fabric. Stories of laborers who fought for better working conditions and farmers who fought for a more responsive federal government. Stories of immigrants who sought better lives and opportunities. Stories of writers, musicians and artists who created cultural treasures.
Sometimes we learn about these stories firsthand when guest speakers visit a class. Examples include a member of the Upper Sioux Community who talked about his ancestors’ experiences in the Dakota War of 1862; a young woman from Worthington who shared her immigrant story; and the first African American to hold statewide office in Minnesota, Keith Ellison, who explained what he does as Attorney General.
History is also more than wars, politics or economics. It is all the facets of human experience, many of which are brought into the classroom.
History is art and architecture. We consider classic paintings such as “Washington Crossing the Delaware” and discuss what message the artist was trying to convey in the piece. We go on virtual reality tours of the Great Pyramids of Egypt, the cathedrals of Europe and the Parthenon in Greece.
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History is food. Occasionally, we sample foods from the cultures and places we study: cheese and salami from Italy, olives from Greece, SPAM from Minnesota. In World History class, we learned about the Columbian Exchange by eating a fruit salad and determining if a particular piece of fruit originated in the “Old World” or the “New World.” As student Angel Flores remarked: “All the food and virtual tours just made you feel like you were there, and it just brought a different perspective on history.”
History is music and poetry. We listen to period music in order to understand how music — like everything else — has changed over time. Some of it sounds unusual to our modern ears, such as troubadour music from Medieval Europe or Turkish folk songs from the Ottoman Empire. Some music has a more familiar sound such as ragtime, jazz or rock ‘n roll. Poetry also helps us better understand the times and places we study. The voice of Langston Hughes reading “I, Too, Sing America” or Allen Ginsberg reading his poem “Howl” provide new insights into the experiences of everyday Americans living in the past.
History is fashion. Occasionally, I dress in period costume to demonstrate what women living in a particular time in history would have worn: a Southern belle, a suffragette, a flapper or a hippie.
Art, architecture, food, music, poetry and fashion make history come alive. “Western Civilization was such a fun class to be in,” said Hope Stanton, a recent Minnesota West graduate. Another student, Morgan Powers, added: “Class was exciting and entertaining. You never know what you get each day when you walk into the classroom, but it is guaranteed to be lively and interesting."
A lively and interesting patchwork quilt of stories. That’s history. And that’s what history classes are at Minnesota West.
Anita Gaul is a member of the history faculty at Minnesota West.