Immigration Debates in America (video)

Talk by Will Katerberg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lB1j09GNSWY "Immigration Debates in America" (Talk by Prof. William Katerberg, Calvin University, February 21, 2022) Calvin Academy for Lifelong Learning (CALL) Lecture American immigration policies have changed significantly over the past 200 years, but debates over more restrictive versus more open policies have recurring themes. Should the U.S. restrict immigration to …

Continue reading Immigration Debates in America (video)

Vigilante Justice: From the Old West to Washington DC (Video Recording)

Video panel discussion: Videos of rioters storming the Capitol building on January 6, 2021 to prevent Congress from certifying Joseph Biden as the 46th president stunned people across the United States and around the world. But vigilante violence in the name of justice or law and order has a long history in the United States. This panel discussion will explore how the mythology and culture of the American West, from the deep past to recent history, play into the “current weirdness” in American politics.

What to binge watch over break

Whether you are a student relaxing after exams, a professor done with grading, or just someone with time off for the holidays, the end of the year can be a great time for binge watching television. Here's some recommendations from the History Department for great shows to add to your streaming video queue: Will Katerberg: …

Continue reading What to binge watch over break

The Liberal Arts—Present, Past, and Future

by Will Katerberg. The liberal arts and their fate are a central issue in higher education today. Pundits and politicians, and some parents, students, and graduates, are questioning the value of a university degree, some of them saying that students and taxpayers should not waste money on “useless” areas of study. Students seem to be …

Continue reading The Liberal Arts—Present, Past, and Future

What’s in a Picture?

I sometimes use this image of “Geronimo in a Cadillac” in my history courses. It appears to be a relic from a racist time gone by. But it’s more than that. The photograph was taken in 1905 at the "Oklahoma's Gala Day" exhibition hosted by the Miller brothers' 101 Ranch, located southwest of Ponca City, …

Continue reading What’s in a Picture?

Summer Reading: On Education and Encounters

The blog has been on hiatus for the summer. Most of the department faculty have been away on research trips or vacation, or buried deep in research. Summer is also a good time to catch up on reading, though; over the next few weeks, we'll be featuring brief recommendations on great books and articles that …

Continue reading Summer Reading: On Education and Encounters