Sybil Alexandrov, Spanish and Portuguese, Fall 2020

Courses in History

It was a privilege and a pleasure to audit Prof. Edward Rugemer’s course The Rise and Fall of Atlantic Slavery, a subject far from my field of expertise (Spanish language) and more complex than I had realized. The lectures and readings provided a framework for understanding the development of attitudes and practices relevant to current events. In addition to the knowledge I gained, I was reminded of the impact of a carefully crafted  and skillfully delivered lecture, which contrasted in tone -but not substance -with Prof. Rugemer’s highly approachable manner in the weekly, synchronous question and answer sessions via Zoom. I enjoyed sharing the experience with Yale’s bright undergraduates and listened carefully  to their thoughtful questions and insightful comments. The Teaching Relief for Learning is a wonderful opportunity to explore new topics and to get to know colleagues outside one’s own field.

I plan to incorporate information from this course in my own classes in modules dealing with slavery in Latin America and Afro-Latino culture.