As the U.S. Supreme Court convenes this week to hear oral arguments on a number of important issues, the History Department launched a new elective course titled “Decisive Moments in United States History.” The course is modeled after the popular Science and Society course offered in the Winter Trimester. It is being team taught by members of the department and a few faculty members from other departments. Each week, a teacher explores a significant topic of U.S. history that is of interest to them. Students engage in the class as participants in activities, as discussion leaders, and through readings. Topics are arranged by chronological order and we’ve kicked off the course with analyses of the Battle of Gettysburg and the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. The first ten days of the course have gone smoothly and students are excited about the format and content. There are numerous topics that are not being addressed this time around and we look forward to offering this class in the future as well as one with a global perspective.