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Why Study History?

History? Isn't history the study of dates, facts, and dead people? No one wants to memorize dates, how boring! Anyone who holds this opinion couldn't be further from the truth. Not only is history not boring, it can actually be fun!

Studying history shows us how society from the past helped shape the society we live in now, plus it gives us an understanding of people and human behaviors. Through analyzing interpretive studies, accounts by witnesses to past events, and historical records, students come to appreciate more fully the complexity of the human experience. By examining changes in the past, students develop a broad perspective and the ability to weigh evidence and argument.

If this isn't interesting enough and gossip is more up your alley, history is full of scandals. Forget about reading the Star or The Enquirer, take a history class. Learn about the divorce scandal that caused England to convert to Protestantism. Did the Gulf of Tonkin Affair really happen? How about the scandal that rocked the U.S. in the 1970s, Watergate. For more stimulating subjects, contact the History Department in room 275 McKenzie Hall, 346-4802.