In last Wednesday’s meeting for HISTORY 422 – Post-Historical Studies: Origins to Early Civilization and Pre-Modern Machinery, several historical artifacts were seen being passed around class under the assumption that students wanted a closer look.
89-year-old Professor Rodney Bomber reportedly began passing out a hand-forged blacksmith nail from the late 18th century on one side of the room, while handing out an old calendar on the other.
“It looked like a really old nail,” said LSA senior Mohammed Jones. “It felt sorta like a modern nail, but heavier and more old.”
“That nail was old as hell,” said another senior, Gage Hightower. “I looked at it for a second from a few different angles and then passed it along being very careful not to damage it. It’s days like these you’re extra thankful that in-person learning is back.”
Other students shared Hightwower’s sentiments about the value of hands-on learning. However, students on the other side of the room, who only had time to view the calendar, had contrasting opinions.
“I thought it was gonna be like an ancient calendar or something—considering this class is about history,” said junior Sergei Cherub. “It was just Prof. Bomber’s planner from like five years ago.”
Denying accusations that he forgot a preserved limestone block from the Egyptian Pyramids, Professor Bomber maintained that the calendar reinforces the driving theme of the class that anything can be considered history.
Published in the March 2023 edition of The Every Three Weekly
Dan Gutenberg 