Early on a spring Tuesday morning, an Old Main classroom is equipped with pastries, coffee, a computer, and a large projector screen. Fifteen students take their seats, clustered front and center. The logistics are crafted with a guest speaker in mind, but he won’t be walking into the classroom anytime soon—he’s joining the discussion from Palestine.

It’s the second Skype discussion of the semester in classics professor Andrew Overman’s Conflict in the Middle East seminar, following an earlier Skype meeting with UNICEF Syria representative Youssouf Abdel-Jelil. Conversations with experts in the region—facilitated through Overman’s networks—are a key component of the syllabus. The 8 a.m. start time is geared intentionally to work around the time difference between Minnesota and the Middle East.

Today’s guest speaker is Palestinian physician and activist Mustafa Barghouti. With an Information Technology Services staff member ensuring a good Skype connection in Overman’s classroom, Barghouti begins with an overview of his own background: he grew up in Palestine and studied medicine in the USSR with the goal of returning home to work with Palestinians, which he’s done by forming a nonprofit organization. Then Overman opens up the discussion for questions, starting by asking Barghouti what the prospects for peace in Palestine look like today. The Mac students have prepared for the conversation with several readings to help inform their own questions. “You can speak in Arabic if you want,” Overman tells the first student to raise a hand.

The students in this small class represent Syria, Lebanon, and Palestine, in addition to hometowns closer to St. Paul. As Ben Shields ’17 (Manhattan, Kansas) explains, that diversity is a big reason why discussions work so well. “There are people like me who have an investment in these issues but are a long way away from them,” says Shields, a classics major. “But I can’t imagine what the class would be like without people from Damascus and the West Bank. We’re all learning a lot from students who have firsthand experience with what we’re talking about—and they’re learning from people like me how people removed from the situation see the politics and issues.”

The hourlong conversation with Barghouti includes the recent Israeli elections, the two-state solution, and women in politics. As the class wraps up, Overman thanks Barghouti for his time: “You’ve helped us get a better understanding of the situation on the ground.” In this modern classroom, that’s a recurring experience.

July 13 2015

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