HIAF 2002

It was really interesting material because I love the region, but I really do not like Mason. I got an A, but I found him pretentious and really biased, and IMPOSSIBLE to approach out of class.

The material is incredibly easy to understand. I understand people are at different levels, but I honestly have a difficult time understanding how anyone can fail to grasp it. The material is really straightforward and the readings are really easy. To be frank, it is so easy it is dry. Mason can be pretty tough to follow when he goes off on what seem like tangents. The subject matter is informative though, and given the work I had to put it, I'd say it was a good value of a course.

Can't say enough about how much Mason has earned his reputation as a condescending, pompous ass. Would not encourage anyone to take this class. Weekly reading quizzes, after which a dozen or more students would leave the small lecture. The readings are mostly memoirs or novels, which is a matter of taste I guess but not for me. Cody Perkins was an EXCELLENT TA, however, and made the class tolerable.

This class is incredibly boring, and that's coming from someone who is minoring/is very interested in African History. Mason will drone on and on about a particular subject (usually photography) for 45 minutes and get completely off topic. There were also reading quizzes every Tuesday, which was a drag. That being said, the midterm/final are not that demanding and as long as you do the readings you should be able to pull off at least a B.

Professor Mason is one of the meanest professors I've experienced at UVA thus far. He lacks the warmth and genuine care for students that I would use to distinguish between a good professor and a bad one. He will NOT be learning your name, letting you eat in class, or listening to an opinion that counteracts his own. As well, his lectures go on and on about the same things over and over again. You will feel like you haven't learned anything of value most of the time and attendance is a waste. Just read the textbook to make sure you're actually learning the correct material for the 2 exams and weekly quiz. Do not take this class unless you have a passion for history because you will soon regret it.

As people have been saying, the class is indeed extremely boring just as the Professor is impersonal(he looks as bored as we are and I'd like to see anyone find him outside of class - Ill wait). I wouldn't even say Modern African History is being taught unless you consider slavery and the Berlin Conference to be all there is to offer in terms of the continent's rich history, advances, and culture. Even towards the end of the class, which would chronologically be some of the most recent events, there was nothing modern about it. I found it to be extremely negative but more importantly distorted and a clever omission of other history that is more "Modern African History". I learned more from lighting browsing the Modern African Art Museum in DC lol. The curators there would laugh at this course. To be completely honest, I am not surprised coming from a southern college like UVa, they usually don't have up-to-date or even reputable scholars teaching this information. Like their "Media Department". I also don't see anyone coming at their review from this perspective, but of course....I know whyte. P.S. this is also coming from an actual American born from a country within the continent.