Dear History Majors, All QC history majors are required to take HIST 392W before they graduate. It isn’t too late to sign up now for the Spring 2016 semester. If you stop by or call the History Office—(718) 997-5350—our wonderful administrative assistants can help you to register. There are spots available in a couple of amazing classes. Please consider taking one of them. Here are the details: 1. HIST 392W: History of Gypsies in the Middle East and Europe, Prof. Richardson, Monday, 1:40-4:30pm This course traces the history of Gypsies from their medieval origins in northwest and central India to their present-day settlements in the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. Gypsy tribes, traveling north and west from India, entered Arab and Persian lands no later than the 7th century and only emerged in European sources in the 14th century. Their sojourn in the Middle East has been murkily understood, but we will examine new evidence​ that sheds​ light on their history in these lands. Course themes will include: Indo-Aryan languages; persecutions and expulsions in the medieval and modern Middle East and Europe; anti-Roma Nazi rhetoric and the Holocaust; lack of Holocaust reparations for families of Roma victims; poverty; stereotypes and fears; Gypsy law and ritual; and historical relations between Indo-Aryan Gypsies (Roma, Lom and Dom) and Gypsy-like groups, such as the Irish Travellers. We will also visit QCC's Kupferberg Holocaust Research Center and Archives to explore their holdings related to European Roma. 2. HIST 392W: Russian Rulers in History and Myth: From Ivan the Terrible to Stalin, Prof. Antonov, Tuesday, 3:10-5:50pm To this day, the power of Russia’s rulers often appears to be uncommonly expansive and even consecrated by its centuries-old tradition of monarchical government. This course will focus on the emergence and development of unlimited monarchy as a key political institution in Russia, discussing the ways in which rulers structured their power and presented it to their subjects, as well as the ways in which ordinary individuals – rich and poor – responded to these presentations. We will consider several of Russia’s most prominent historical figures as case studies, including Ivan the Terrible, Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Nicholas II, as well as Stalin, described by one recent biographer as the “red tsar.” Please let me know if you have any questions. Best, Prof. Celello