sample student feedback

“TAKE THIS CLASS! Emily is an incredible instructor and mentor, and you will be challenged to think in new and insightful ways.”

“This is a brilliant course, and I wish that Emily could teach it every year so that more students could learn about this fascinating topic. Understanding how memory has been used throughout American history requires understanding both the event being commemorated and the historical moment(s) in which people choose to commemorate it, and the course consequently required us to go beyond the bounds of traditional history. By combining the works of historians alongside those of scholars from different disciplines, the syllabus is challenging but insightful. The coursework is quite reasonable, with the readings never being overwhelming and the assignments well spaced. Above all, Emily is a sharp historian with a knack for sharing the subject with others; as an instructor, she is meticulous and thoughtful and cares deeply about her students. I would recommend this course to anyone who is interested in a fresh view of American history.”

“Hands down one of the best classes I've taken since arriving at Stanford. Every aspect of the learning environment seemed to fall into perfect place. The readings were not overbearing, the assignments were fun, and Professor Gienapp and Emily are national treasures. It was almost like each class harbored a new revelatory discovery that kept you excited to come back.”

“Both professors of this course are amazing. They know you by name from the minute you walk in on the first day and they challenge you and stretch you in class while validating your arguments and seeing how you can think even further. They make what may seem as a daunting history subject very enjoyable and engaging and I could not think of two better people to teach this course.”

“Emily's edits on my assignments were thoughtful, actionable, and thorough, and included ideas that I have used in work for other courses as well. Emily's lessons and discussion questions throughout the quarter were also the most engaging and most thought-provoking that we had: her lecture on the inner workings of news television and issue selection was a particular favorite of mine (and is now making me consider getting a masters' degree in Communications). I owe Emily a great deal for imbuing the course content with new life, and for encouraging me to not doubt myself or my ideas.”