fandomhigh | US History (Monday, January 9, 7th period)

Josh put down his copy of the Washington Post when students began arriving.

"Welcome to US history. I'm Josh Lyman and up until a few weeks ago I was the deputy chief of staff for President Josiah Bartlet. You may all be suitably impressed now." He looked around the room. "Good."

"A few quick things. First of all, this won't be like most history classes you've had. Um, if you're from the United States and this part of the timeline, in any case. And can I say upfront that even having to modify my statement like that is still a bit on the weird side for my taste?

"Moving on. I'm not going to be teaching this class as a series of dates that you'll memorize for tests and then forget. Dates don't matter. Events matter. Broad themes matter." He raised his eyebrows. "There'll still be tests, though, but don't stress yourselves out trying to remember the exact date that the Northwest Territories opened to white settlement or the day Chief Joseph surrendered.

"I'm also not going to waste time explaining that the United States is the best country in the history of history, which was pretty much the overarching theme of my high school history classes. America has made some tremendous achievements and some huge strides towards freedom for all--but we're not there yet, and we've certainly had some colossal screw-ups. If you don't think so, I invite you to pay a visit to Pine Ridge reservation out in South Dakota, or to read the Dred Scot decision.

"History isn't static, and there isn't just one interpretation of any event. This class will be about discussing this fact." He looked around the room. "Which means if you don't open your mouth, you're not going to do very well. I'm not huge on paperwork, so most of your grade will be based on class participation."

He picked up a sign-up sheet from his desk. "Please be sure to sign in every class. If you're not here, you can't participate. If you can't participate, you can't pass. Also, you get detention, which I'm led to believe isn't your standard 'sit in a musty classroom with the health teacher' deal."

He smiled and pointed at the board, where he had scrawled a quote. Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. "George Santayana wasn't talking about summer school. After you've signed in, please introduce yourself to the class and tell us what you think he meant."

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Blair bounced happily. "I'm Blair Sandburg, freshman." He waved cheerfully.

"I think that history is quite possibly the most important thing that we can learn. The history of our surroundings, our family and ourselves is what makes us who we are. But I'm not sure about the quote. I think history is cycical. We do repeat it, on a basic level all the time. And aren't there parts that we want to repeat? Like exploration and discovery and advancing human rights?"

"I agree that history isn't quite the straight line towards progress that the textbooks would like it to be." Josh smiled. "And the excitement of exploration and discovery, to be the first to know something, has been a driving force in humanity for millennia, regardless of the cycle. I think it helps balance out the truly boneheaded mistakes we also seem to repeat."

Blair nodded and bounced. "Totally, man. Humans are humans, no matter where in the world you go. And everybody makes mistakes...but I guess this is more about the ones made here in the US, right?" Blair bounced a bit and waved his hands. "Oh! Like slavery and nuclear testing and the faked moon landing!"

Josh was nodding along until the last item on Blair's list. "Right, right...huh?"

"You know, man." Blair bounced and waved his hands. "When the government broadcasted a fake moon landing in order to pacify the public's need for discovery and as a way to take tons of taxpayers money and blow it on who-knows-what." He bounced.

"Huh. I know a few people over in NASA would disagree with you about that." Josh smirked. "And the government has found plenty of ways to blow taxpayers' money while they were watching--just read any of the annual appropriations bills."

Blair thought for a second, "I'm sure they would, but they work for the man, so I don't know if they can be trusted."

"Trust me. They're too boring to have made anything up."

"Hmm" Blair didn't want to argue with his teacher on the very first day of class...but he was pretty sure that 'working for the man=untrustworthy'.

Josh gave Blair a smile, then turned his attention to the answer another student was giving to the question.

US History (Monday, January 9, 7th period)

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