Introduction

Facing History and Ourselves is a course that helps you develop and understand yourself by putting yourself in the shoes of people who had to live through extreme situations. It helps students to comprehend what is moral and what their true identity is. The course explores many topics including racism, tolerance, and power through historical events. Students view a variety of films and documentaries encompassing these topics. The main historical event that students learn about is the Holocaust. They are shown the development of Nazi Germany and how the hatred for the Jewish people began. The course then follows the Holocaust as it progresses into the genocide. The reason I chose to take the course was because of advice from people who have taken the course before. They said it impacts you and changes the way you view issues. I wasn’t completely sure what the course focused on but after the first day of class I realized that the environment of the class differs from a normal high school classroom. We are free to discuss our opinions on the film we watch which allows students to understand and develop new perspectives.  There are many different aspects of me that make up who I am as a person. . I participate in taekwondo and have achieved my second degree black belt. I work at Kumon, which is a math and reading tutoring center. I think an important part of my life was impacted from moving various times during my childhood. I was born in New York but moved to Los Angeles and then San Francisco and then finally to Westborough. Being exposed to the different environments really influenced my perspectives on different issues. This course was able to allow me to expand my views even more.