Coursera / Kennedy Half Century – Week 1 Reflection – How much TV I missed!

The Kennedy Half Century – JFK’s Rise to Power

I am really enjoying the video clips inserted in the lectures and realizing how much of the TV coverage that I missed the first time around. We had only a couple of TVs on campus, and most students were not near them very often. These days everything is archived and easily available at any time, but in the early 60s, if you missed something, you missed it. We kept up with the news by scanning the headlines on the daily stack of copies of the Washington Post that arrived (for the most part) for our political science majors.

Politics was a constant topic of lively conversation, however, for all of us.  Poli Sci was a popular department with our college located just a couple of miles north of the US Capitol, and indeed, our student body always included family members of current and former political figures.  We cheered and celebrated his victory, and for the class of ’64, JFK was OUR president. We all asked what WE could do for our country.

Thanks, Professor Sabato, for dedicating your book to all of us who have responded to the call!