HILA 3111

Tico is a great professor, but very different than what I think most people are used to at UVA. He doesn't have structured lectures but rather everyone is expected to come to class prepared to comment on the readings and bring up themes. You are expected to keep a journal throughout the semester and it should end up being well over 20 pages. Although there are no midterms or finals, the reading is excessive and it's hard to do well without doing the readings. You HAVE to come to class.. so if you think you're going to skip the 8am a lot, don't take it.

Tico is an amazing professor. He challenges your way of viewing history; instead of looking down on historical figures and judging their actions, he encourages you to get on their level and understand WHY they did what they did. His key phrase is: "I don't expect you to like everyone we read about. I expect you to understand them." Don't take his course if you're easily offended. He doesn't care about your opinion. He just wants you to know history, know what happened, know how to explain. Incredible professor. I'm a double major in biology and physics, and he's STILL my favorite professor I've come across at UVA.

I loved this class! There's a lot of reading, but I found most of the books to be really interesting. The journal can also be time-consuming but not super painful if you do the readings and go to class. Tico is one of the best professors I've had a UVA, and I'd definitely recommend the class if you have any interest in Latin America. I enjoyed going class even though it was at 8am.

Tico is the most engaging professor I have encountered at UVa- he challenges you to think differently that you may have been thinking in other classes, and while the 8 am can be a bit rough, his enthusiasm makes the early rise worthwhile. Be prepared for lots of reading, though all the selections are really interesting if you're into Latin American History.

This class is absolutely awesome. Take this class with Braun he has been teaching at uva for 35 years and he is the best. This class teaches you how to think in a new way and really opens your eyes both in terms of the subject but also in life in general. It is not too history heavy, there is a lot of sociology and learning new ways to thinks. There is a lot of reading but you can skim it and pick out a few quotes to bring to class. There is a two-part journal that ends up being pretty long. There is also a final paper that is 20 pages but it is not a hard paper to write since you get a lot of information from writing your notes and journal. Though it is at 8am it is so worthwhile, it is one of the classes you come to college hoping to take. TAKE THIS CLASS!

Unfortunately, I have to disagree with a lot of the previous reviews. While I loved some of the readings for this course (particularly In the Time of the Butterflies and Latin America at the End of Politics), Braun's teaching style just wasn't for me. He seems like a very likable guy but his lectures were next to useless, almost always rambling, philosophical, and vague. He'd often (multiple times a class) tell us "write that down!" as if he'd just said something brilliant, when really he'd just said one word like "agency" or "class" and made an emphatic noise. Seems like he would be a lovely guy to talk to at a dinner party, but certainly not an effective teacher as far as giving clear, direct lectures on tangible points goes. I'd tell anyone who likes more traditional lecture styles to avoid, avoid, avoid.