By: Owen Fugit

Editor-in-Chief

By the time a Wildcat graduates, he or she will have taken a minimum of two history courses at LGHS: At least one covering world history and one covering US history. Even with some of the best history teachers in the Bay Area, the subject still falls by the wayside for many students at LGHS, who see it as a class based solely on rote memorization of facts and dates that have no tangible impact on the world in which we live. However, this could not be further from the truth as the study of history is vital to understanding our world.

It is no secret that the history courses are some of the best in the bay, with world-class teachers dedicated to imbuing students with deep historical knowledge. According to 32-year veteran social studies teacher Thomas Hughes, history is important because “there’s so much that goes on presently that you have to understand…and you gotta know the background.” In an ever-changing world, it is becoming increasingly beneficial to understand the background of current events, something people often overlook when learning about new developments. “So I don’t care what subject you’re talking about,” Hughes said. “It’s all built upon the past, so you have to understand that past and understand what’s going on right now.” 

To better understand the past, as Mr. Hughes made clear, students must pay more attention to their history teachers. AP United States History teacher Tyler McGlashan explained that “learning history is really about learning about the world that you’re going into as a young person,” which is why it is imperative that we take our history teachers seriously. Widely known is the fact that students will often take shortcuts or cheat outright to pass a history class. Still, as Mr. McGlashan noted, “You can say you don’t want to understand history, but do you really not want to understand how government and economics and college and jobs and all the things in your life, how and why they take place?” History is far more than the study of dates and names. It is time for students at LGHS to respect history and historians. 

As the United States enters the controversial presidency of Donald Trump, student activists are left wondering how they can make their voices heard. Mr. Hughes advised students to question the history of events. “Why is that going on?” Mr. Hughes suggested asking. “Well, there’s some history to it…I’m not sure everyone always sees that.” Mr. McGlashan recommended that students “don’t just think of the history, but what do you think about it?” While student activists may be eager to decry Trump for his actions in the present, activists must examine similar instances in the past and the ways in which people dealt with them in order to find the best course of action for their own problems today. 

As students proceed through their second semester, they must remember to use history as a tool and analyze events to understand the world we live in, and the world we may be heading towards. Mr. McGlashan summarized the importance of listening to history teachers, saying, “I also believe that we allow students to figure out who they are as human beings in this world, and I think that’s probably the most important thing, because as they learn about history, they learn about the world, and then they start to develop their own opinions…people’s opinions and thoughts about history and current events define who they are as a human.” We must respect the study of the past in order to better understand our present world today, and the first step in this process is to listen to our history teachers.