Dark fog hangs low over the flattened landscape. An eerie silence settles, broken only by the faint buzzing of radiation. Dust and ash – remnants of a civilization – wander aimlessly past ghosts scorched into the walls, etching the legacy of a merciless attack—this landscape is what the world expected might happen as a result of the Cold War. Luckily, it was all just a close call.
In US Social Studies Department Chair and GSI Director Kayla Brazee’s new honors elective, students will take a deep dive into this era of history, looking thoughtfully at the nuances of the Cold War and nuclear weaponry as well as examining their effects on the world today.
Brazee has shared her deep appreciation for history with students since 2013, but the Cold War has always held a special place in her heart. She received her B.A. in History from USF with a focus on Russian/Soviet studies and her M.A. from Brooklyn College, focusing on the Cold War and nuclear politics.
“I have a really great job in that I get to come to work and talk about the things that I really, really love,” she said.
Brazee taught similar electives at Saint Ann’s School in Brooklyn Heights, including classes on social policies in the Soviet Union and the history of nuclear politics. For her new elective, she fused these classes into one comprehensive course on all things Cold War.
“I want students to understand that history can be fun, and it can be accessible, and that it impacts literally every element of our life in a way that I don’t think a lot of subjects do,” Brazee said.
The in-depth course doesn’t simply tell students about the war, but shows them its continuing impact by connecting it to current global issues.
“My hope is that after students take this class, they can say, ‘Oh, wow, [Russia and Ukraine] do have a complicated history, and here’s why, here’s how ideology tied into it, and here’s how history ties into that current issue,” Brazee said. “If you don’t have an understanding of that really long-standing, complex history, you’re only going to understand the current conflict on a shallow level.”
Through her lessons, Brazee encourages her students to look even deeper into the Cold War’s enduring presence, showing its prevalence beyond political conflicts and into unexpected facets of daily life.
“I don’t know how many people understand the impact of the bomb, not just in terms of political strategy and military superiority…but the impact it had on popular culture,” she said. “The music, the cocktails, the tourism…forms of furniture, architecture, design. Things we don’t really consider.”
Because the course is an entire semester dedicated only to the Cold War, students can linger on important subjects that broader history classes rush through. Brazee can also structure the class however she desires, a luxury AP classes don’t offer.
“Pretty much everything that [students] do is created by me…so I really put a lot of thought into what will make learning about this fun,” Brazee said. “It’s not a ‘Mickey Mouse class;’ it’s rigorous, but it’s nothing compared to the AP level.”
Unlike AP classes, the relaxed structure of the honors elective allows more time for creativity to thrive through unique projects, such as creating their own propaganda posters.
“I think the best part is the discussions,” said senior Sabrina Everhart, who also took Brazee’s 1960s course last semester. “They’re very student-led…so it’s a very good way to talk about the nuances of the conflict.”
“It’s just a really fun class, and there are great people in it,” senior Julianne Lurie said. “I’ve already been recommending it to juniors.”
The elective also utilizes resources straight from the source, including a firsthand account entitled “Voices from Chernobyl” detailing oral histories of people who survived the 1986 Chernobyl disaster in present-day Ukraine, where the Chernobyl power plant exploded and leaked lethal radiation into the surrounding atmosphere.
“We know that there’s a problem with the heroes writing history, but with primary sources, you have the ability to understand that that’s not entirely accurate,” said Brazee. “I think it gives a real-world, relatable understanding of events and how they unfolded.”
“It’s interesting to hear the [different] perspectives versus the somewhat tainted version of America,” said Lurie.
Everhart said, “If you think that past history courses – all the rigor, all the studying, all the tests – have put a damper on your interest, I think taking an honors elective, especially the Cold War, is a great way to explore your interest more.”
