Originally published 1998.
With sodas in hand and snacks at their side, students in Dennis Toll’s Conflict and War class experience incredibly valuable history lessons, despite a very laid-back atmosphere.
“He’s one of the few teachers at WHS who makes class fun,” Dan Schmidt, junior, said.
In addition to the entertainment provided within the walls of room 235, Conflict and War helps students understand the atrocities of war through the history of war itself, followed by an in-depth re-creation of the Nuremberg Trials of WWII.
Mr. Toll started his teaching career in 1968, and shortly thereafter, in 1972, when war was raging in Vietnam, he decided to create a class that would make students aware of how harmful war really is, because of his strong opposition to American troops in Vietnam. “I explain why man fights war and its benefits, but I also tell them why it is so bad,” Mr. Toll said.
The majority of Mr. Toll’s Conflict and War class is spent in the mock Nuremberg Trials in which students are divided into witnesses, and prosecution and defense teams. Their job is to prove the innocence or guilt of Adolf Hitler and six high-ranking Nazi officials.
In order to fulfill their roles in the trial, each student has to research to prepare for the debates and cross examinations that make up the event.
In past years, Mr. Toll has simply been a bailiff, not actively participating in the trial. This year, he decided to get in on in the action, as a lead defense attorney. This in-class trial is far from a typical real world courtroom situation. Although cases are presented and clear arguments are made, there is no standard procedure for the trial in class.
But Mr. Toll prefers it that way, as do his stu- dents He gives his students more liberties than most teachers, allowing the members of each team in the trial to shout out arguments at one another
“Non-structured learning is great for the kids and myself. Everyone enjoys the laid- back environment, and the interaction between students is helpful in the learning process,” Mr. Toll said.
Mr. Toll does maintain control over the class, though. If it gets too noisy, or if students are being disrespectful, he never hesitates to tell them to quiet down. Even with the freedom students have in his class, they rarely are rude or out of control.
“My favorite thing to do in class is watch the debates that are going on,” Carol Lin, senior, said.
An observer of Mr. Toll’s Conflict and War classes would quickly notice the mutual respect between students and teacher.
This, in addition to Mr. Toll’s love of history and uncanny ability to relate to students, makes Conflict and War a class that will never be the same after he retires this year. “We will lose one of the greatest teachers in our school who really cares about what he does,” Pat McCarte, senior, said.
After 31 years of teaching, Mr. Toll has decided to leave. The future of Conflict and War is uncertain, whether or not it will even exist is questionable, and according to Mr. Toll’s students, WHS will not be the same after he retires
