Yesterday I had an amazing political science class. It was probably one of the best classes I have ever had at Wellesley. In my Nuclear Politics class (Pol 338) we did a class simulation based on discussions had during the Carter administration regarding nuclear strategy. We were each assigned a specific member of President Carter’s cabinet. I was assigned Secretary of State Cyrus Vance who resigned mid talks and was replaced by Ed Muskie. Using recently declassified documents we had to argue what position the United States should take regarding nuclear war, specifically in dealing the with the then Soviet Union.
I think the reason I liked the class so much was that we, as individuals, were the only ones who could defend our opinions. We didn’t have a group to rely on or to back us up– we just had to go in and debate. My professor, Professor Goddard, also left everything up to us. She played the role of President Carter who wasn’t present at the meeting we were recreating. Meaning we set our own agenda and had to follow our own instinct mixed with what we thought our character would have fought for. While it is always hard to defend a position you don’t necessarily believe in or want to take, it, in the end, helps to solidify our own opinions and position.
It’s these exercises and in-class activities that make Wellesley special. We are able, as students, to use the abstract knowledge we gain in the classroom in real ways– through the expression of opinions and debates with those who either disagree or agree with us. While this simulation didn’t bring us, or the United States, any closer to deciding what the ideal nuclear strategy looks like, it allowed us to grapple with what the actual magnitude of making a decision like this is. While I left more unsure of where I personally stand on the issue, I do feel as though I learned more about the reality of and need for nuclear strategy.
xoxo,
caroline
p.s. we present to the “president” on Monday. I’ll let you know how it goes.