Today was a good start to what I hope will be a stimulating, informative, and memorable US history class for Will. We spent some time getting to know each other, and developed a basis for mutual respect and trust. Part of the session was devoted to a discussion of history as a continuing debate, or contest of views, not merely as an accumulation of facts. I emphasized that many historical facts are controverted, and even uncontroverted facts are often subject to conflicting interpretations. This is certainly true of US history, as Alan Brinkley, an esteemed professor at Columbia University and the author of our textbook, makes clear in the book's early pages. I also expressed enthusiasm for the selection of this textbook, as I am not aware of a better US history high-school-level text at present. Of course, I went over the usual topics (quizzes, tests, research paper, class participation, grading, etc.) Throughout, I sought to make Will feel comfortable in questioning me, challenging my assertions (as well as those in the book), and stating his views. Will answered questions well and made a number of intelligent contributions to discussion.