Advice from the Heroines Behind History at Havergal

Writer: Shirley Ren
Editor: Zhifan Ye
Photographer: Shirley Ren

After the mandatory Canadian History course in Grade 10, it’s all up to you what history courses to continue taking. Especially since enrollment in the humanities has gone down 16% in the last decade, it is crucial to keep the history conversation alive! Luckily, we have Ms. Croft and Ms. Szekely, two of our amazing history teachers here at Havergal who transform bland history textbooks into page-turners you won’t be able to put down. Through this article, you will be taken through various pieces of guidance— from the use of history in our day-to-day lives to how we can prevent another Roman Empire collapse.

What courses do they teach?

At the Grade 11 and 12 levels, Ms. Croft currently teaches both World History courses, including ‘to the End of the Fifteenth Century’ and ‘Since the Fifteenth Century’. If you’re more interested in our neighbors down south, then Grade 11 American History taught by Ms. Szekely may be the one for you. Although the courses carry different content, they all share common guideposts and lenses which open a window into our expansive past.

How do you find studying history useful in your everyday life?

Ms. Szekely: Studying history and working with history students can make you more empathetic. Empathy is created through understanding people in the past with limited information, and having to allow for multiple possibilities, as well as suspending judgement and paying closer attention to detail. History can also be very comforting, especially when you see the grievous errors people have made in the past which have cost tens of thousands of lives and ruined entire nations. And yet, we still manage to persevere through war, combat natural disasters, and keep these nations running!

Ms. Croft: Historical thinking skills aid greatly in human endeavors, especially when dealing with difficult situations doesn’t come naturally for me. When I find it difficult to come up with a response, historical thinking concepts, such as perspective or cause and consequence, help me to identify lots of different causes for what's going on and what’s triggering this issue. I also become more skeptical of the media I consume. When reading an article or watching TV, I am more willing to beware of the bias and question the source’s intentions. In my personal life, history has made for more interesting and meaningful conversations with my husband.

If you could go on a date with any historical figure, who would it be?

Ms. Szekely: My dream date would be with Teddy Roosevelt. Although he was pretty sexist and racist by presentist standards, his character was so complex that he’d be interesting the whole time. I admire his outdoorsy and environmentalist side, given him being a rough and tumble kind of guy. On a date, I would expect him to say something sexist then go, ‘we must preserve the environment’, and a bunch of out-of-pocket anecdotes. However, in terms of looks, Teddy isn’t the best choice, and I would opt instead for a young Wilfrid Laurier. Ms. Croft is on my side for that one.

Ms. Croft: I would pick the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten (who changed the Ancient Egyptian religion from being polytheistic to monotheistic). I am intrigued by his mystery, particularly all the different theories surrounding how and why artifacts of his life were destroyed in the Egyptian capital after his death. Having his wife, Nefertiti, tag along wouldn’t be a bad idea either, since their artwork was one of the first depictions of families. Liu Bang from the Han Dynasty would be another solid choice due to how he managed with the wild time period of constant war in ancient China.

What should we do in case of another fall of the Roman Empire?

Ms. Croft: Major causes of the Roman Empire’s decline were: fragmentation, diversification, expansion, bad leadership, inflation, unhappiness. So in order to prevent another empire’s fall, we should try to avoid all of those. 

Ms. Szekely: It seems like a lot of these things are happening in the United States today. Maybe, another ‘fall of the Roman Empire’ is just inevitable…

On a brighter note, this question reminded Ms. Croft and Ms. Szekely of how there used to be a project between the Ancient and American history classes. Ancient students studied the rise and fall of empires, when American history students correlated them to current events in the US. Then, they would try to decide together if the US could be considered the rise and decline of an empire. They would do this joint project again if they could!

What are some takeaways we should have after our upcoming history trip to Washington DC?

Ms. Szekely: I find it important to point out that this trip is centered around public history and narrative, considering most of our activities are museum visits. We get to see how stories are constructed by institutions and organizations. I personally love the museum of African American history and the Presidents Hall in the National Portrait Gallery, and I’m most excited for this amazing group of historians to see them. 

Ms Croft: For the same reasons as Ms. Szekely, I am looking forward to the fruitful discussions that take place after our museum visits. It is equally important to hear the students’ opinions on what we find significant.

And lastly… What is something Havergal students need to hear more?

Both Ms. Szekely and Ms. Croft believe that every single student should take the Grade 12 World History course. 

Ms Szekely: There are a lot of things you can’t understand unless you take it. History is one of those things that gives back a little bit later. 

Ms. Croft: I agree. Considering that there is a lot of talk at the school about current events in the world. It is required to have a depth of understanding and ability to analyze multiple perspectives to fully grasp them.

It is crystal clear from all this handy advice that history teachers are wise in many ways. Through interviewing my two favourite historians, I even learned that putting lotion on your legs can prevent the issue of staticky skirts sticking to them. With all that has been said, I hope you were able to take a golden nugget of information away and develop a newfound love for the subject. See you in History!