This was one of the first classes that I took at The University of Florida. As a freshman, most of my classes were large, lecture hall style classes, filled with hundreds of other freshman, however, this was a small class, maybe 15 students, mainly older upperclassmen.

 

In high school history classes I had learned "the history of Europe" - the key movements, groups, events, etc. But Professor Romeyn's class was focused on the groups that were generally left out of those history classes. The main focus of our study involved minority groups in Europe, such as Jews, Muslims, and Africans, as well as Colonial Europe and the native peoples that the Europeans exerted their control over. 

​

Much of what I learned can be applied to the wave of nationalism and populism that is currently sweeping through the United States and many European countries. The historically powerful groups are attempting to re-exert their control and marginalise the minority groups, like they did in the past. 

​

The Other Europe was an eye opening course, especially for me to have taken it as a freshman alongside my Chemistry and Calculus lecture-hall courses. Having taken this class, I feel I gained an understanding of some of the darker side of European history and also the importance of preventing it from reoccurring.