Samuel Williams Blog Reflection for Dr Stephen Stern

 Blog Reflection for Dr Stephen Stern: November 14th, 2022

If the decision for the head of the Jewish department at Christopher Newport University were between Dr Samuel Kesser and Dr Stephen Stern, I would pick Dr Stephen Stern. Today, I listened to a man named Dr Stephen Stern speak to both my sacred class with Dr Redick and several other professors. Like Dr Samuel Kesser, Dr Stephen Stern is also being considered for the position as the head of the jewish department at CNU. However, while I did like Dr Kesser, I would prefer Dr Stephen Stern for several reasons. Even though they both have their ups and downs, I would prefer to be taught by Dr Stern because of a couple of major factors. To start with the positives, I preferred the subject that Dr Stern discussed today. He discussed the political aspect and conflict of the sacred pilgrimage to Jerusalem. I was extremely engaged with the topic as prior to this, my dad had told me about the whole political conflict with Jerusalem many years ago. Hearing the side of the story from someone who is jewish was extremely fascinating. Personally, I would much rather listen to that conversation over the conversation about Hebrew words and bible verses. Also, much like Dr Kesser, he was very engaging with the class and he even called some of us “homies”, which I found very funny. He also spoke clearly and articulated his ideas very well with both stories from his life and stories from people he knew. I can say that throughout the entire time he was talking, I was engaged the whole time. I listened, was not afraid to ask questions, and actually learned some very fascinating things. While he was very good, I do have to say that there were a few downsides. First off, he was not as engaging as the first professor we heard from. They both were engaging, but I found that Dr Kesser had the energy that made me pay attention more. Second, Dr Kesser has his comedic moments that did make me chuckle. And yes, while Dr Stern did have some funny moments, it was much more entertaining to watch Dr Kesser over Dr Stern. But Dr Stern did keep me engaged the entire time. As a student, I would love to have Dr Stern as my teacher. He was the best all around awesome professor I could have, and I would be thrilled if he taught one of my classes in the future. In conclusion, I really did like Dr Stern and I would love to have him in the future.