{"id":7793,"date":"2026-05-21T11:35:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/?p=7793"},"modified":"2026-05-21T11:39:35","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T16:39:35","slug":"a-morning-detour-to-europe-best-class-trip-in-grace-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/a-morning-detour-to-europe-best-class-trip-in-grace-history\/","title":{"rendered":"A Morning Detour to Europe: Best Class Trip in Grace History?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Klebnikov\u2019s <em>Postwar Europe<\/em> and Its Modern Relevance\u00a0<br><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On April 28, a group of Grace juniors and seniors spent an hour being European diplomats. The two sections of Mr. Klebnikov&#8217;s Post-War Europe and the Birth of the European Union visited the<em> <\/em>European Union mission to the United Nations in Midtown Manhattan to meet with representatives from the EU mission to the UN. Students asked questions about the possibility of the EU moving away from American military reliance, the ethics of drone warfare, EU aid to the Gaza Strip, and the future of European security in an increasingly unstable world. The conversation gave students a rare opportunity to discuss current international issues directly with diplomats working at the center of global politics.\u00a0For many students, the experience reflected the type of discussions they had been having all semester in class. Adrien K. \u201826 described the visit as a \u201cgreat way to cap off my senior year,\u201d adding that it \u201cso perfectly paralleled Tony Judt\u2019s book that we read (<em>Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945<\/em>).\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similarly, Jack C. \u201826 called the visit a rewarding experience. He explained that \u201cMr. Klebnikov has taught us how to think critically and ask challenging questions,\u201d something he felt students were able to apply directly during their discussion with the diplomats. Jack asked questions \u201cregarding the hypocrisies of the European Union,\u201d and appreciated that \u201cin their responses, they were very self-critical and open to those questions without deflecting.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On the trip, students met with Ewout Stoefs and Amelie Lohmann. Stoefs is the First Secretary at the EU Delegation to the UN, and he represents the Ambassador when needed. Lohmann, as the Senior Humanitarian Officer at the EU Delegation to the UN, focuses primarily on humanitarian crises in Asia and Africa.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">One major topic of discussion centered on the future of the relationship between the United States and Europe. Responding to concerns about growing political divisions and shifts to the right in American politics, Lohmann explained that \u201cit all comes down to history,\u201d arguing that the deep historical ties between the United States and Europe are too significant to be abandoned because of an administration change. At the same time, she acknowledged that Europe increasingly recognizes that \u201cEurope has to be standing alone on an international stage,\u201d though she emphasized that this process is \u201cmore incremental than immediate.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students also raised concerns about Russia\u2019s role in European security. The diplomats discussed growing concerns of drone attacks and anonymous fly-overs by drones, particularly in the Baltics, where the insecurity of Russian involvement remains high. They noted that European defense ministries are increasing military budgets in response to these threats. However, the conversation also highlighted lingering anxieties about Germany rebuilding a larger military presence in Europe. When students asked more specific questions regarding military spending and investment, the diplomats avoided directly answering.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The possibility of future cooperation between Russia and Europe was also discussed. Stoefs expressed cautious optimism that future cooperation between Russia and Europe could eventually be possible despite current tensions, emphasizing their shared border. \u201cYou can change the government,\u201d he said, \u201cbut not the geographical location.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students also raised questions surrounding the war in Gaza and genocide in the Middle East; the diplomats often redirected. Lohmann pointed out that countries such as Ireland and Spain have supported humanitarian efforts towards Gaza. A student challenged the diplomats on Europe\u2019s broader responsibility in the conflict, pointing out that the EU is Israel\u2019s single-largest trading partner. Stoef said this relationship gives the EU leverage, but has been disappointed by the extent to which they\u2019ve used this leverage.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This tense exchange showed how Mr. Klebnikov\u2019s instruction has taught Grace students how to ask, rather than avoid, the harder questions. During Klebnikov&#8217;s time at Grace, his classes have often been praised for their relevance. Last semester, The New Czar in the Kremlin: Putin\u2019s Russia connected the fall of the Soviet Union and Cold War era politics to the modern war in Ukraine, showing students how history continues to shape today\u2019s global conflicts. Students appreciate his classes for their ability to connect the past to the present, making the classroom feel connected to the real world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This semester, Postwar Europe continues that approach, blending the continent\u2019s reconstruction after World War II with current debates about the United States\u2019 role in Europe. For example, in class, parallels are drawn between the Marshall Plan and Trump\u2019s \u201cDonroe\u201d Doctrine. Discussions have ranged from the devastation of postwar Europe to whether or not Europe should increase its nuclear capabilities. Through these discussions, Klebnikov\u2019s class helps ignite students&#8217; passion for politics and global affairs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Students consistently describe his classes as both demanding and relevant. Micah W. \u201826 said, perhaps hyperbolically, that \u201cI have learned more from a Klebnikov class in one single semester than I will in my entire high school and college experience combined.\u201d Reflecting on <em>Postwar Europe<\/em>, he noted that the class examines \u201chow the fault lines of Europe were drawn after WWII, and we\u2019re seeing the implications of that today,\u201d particularly through discussions of the Marshall Plan and the changing role of the United States.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Micah also recalled a recent class discussion centered around speeches delivered by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference. \u201cWe were discussing whether or not we\u2019re witnessing the destruction of the West as we know it.\u201d Conversations like this demonstrate how Klebnikov\u2019s classes encourage students to actively engage with contemporary political developments and their consequences.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Emma A. \u201826 similarly described Klebnikov\u2019s courses as transformative. \u201cI took Mr. Klebnikov for two semesters junior year, and he was a whole different kind of teacher than I\u2019ve ever had before,\u201d she said. According to Emma, one of the defining strengths of the course is how Klebnikov \u201cinstills the idea that history repeats itself.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The visit to the European Union mission reflected the larger goal of Klebnikov\u2019s classes: pushing students to see history as something actively shaping the modern world. By connecting postwar Europe to contemporary debates over global power, the course forces students to think about the governments and leaders shaping their future.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>Antonia A. \u201827 is a staff writer for <\/em>The Grace Gazette<em>.<\/em>&nbsp;<em>Zarina M. \u201826 is a senior columnist for <\/em>The Grace Gazette<em>.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Klebnikov\u2019s Postwar Europe and Its Modern Relevance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":7796,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[2,200],"tags":[180],"appful":[],"class_list":["post-7793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-recent","tag-featured"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9uEnr-21H","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Screenshot-2026-05-21-at-12.37.11-PM.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7793","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7793"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7793\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7798,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7793\/revisions\/7798"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7793"},{"taxonomy":"appful","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gracegazette.org\/wordpress1\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/appful?post=7793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}