Over my time at Cornell, I have had the opportunity to take classes from a wide array of professors. Some were good, some were bad and others were plain awful.

What follows is my list of the five best professors at Cornell. A more accurate title may be "The Five Best Professors Mainly in the History and Government Departments that Jamie Weinstein has had the Pleasure of Learning From During his Brief Tenure at Cornell University." Even understanding the limits of any such list, I give you five Professors that you must take before you graduate (in alphabetical order).

Professor Ross Brann

Professor Ross Brann is the chair of the Near Eastern Studies department. I initially encountered him during first semester Freshman year when I took his course on the Arab/Israeli conflict. Teaching such a course without being an activist and an advocate (for either side) can be daunting. There have been several nationally publicized instances of such courses getting out of hand. Yet, Professor Brann earned the respect, I believe, of all those in the class as he steadfastly sought to teach the course in an impartial manner. Even more, Brann's lectures were engaging and thoughtful.

In addition to all his duties in the Near Eastern Studies department, Prof. Brann is also the dean of the Alice Cook House. You don't have to look at too many campus billboards to find out that his "house" is host to some of the most diverse and interesting events and forums on campus. I would without reservation recommend his classes to any student at Cornell. We should treasure his presence at this University.

Professor Isaac Kramnick

During the last 15 minutes of the final lecture of Prof. Kramnick's American Political Thought course I took during my sophomore year, Kramnick indulged some students in the class by giving his opinion on some issues of the day. I can tell you that there was nearly nothing that he said which I agreed with. For the most part, however, his political bias was largely untraceable throughout the course - with the exception of a small joke or two. A mark of a good professor.

But what makes Kramnick a great professor is his captivating lecture style. Dynamic and full of energy, he enthralls his audience. During my time at Cornell, I took a total of two courses with Professor Kramnick, and he is without a doubt one of the campus' most charismatic professors.

More than just teach, Kramnick is also one of the most approachable professors on campus. He loves to teach and he loves to meet students. Without him, my Cornell experience would have been lesser.

Professor Walter LaFeber

Ask almost any former Cornell Arts and Sciences student, and they will likely ask you if you have had the pleasure of taking a course by Professor Walter LaFeber. I am not exaggerating - this has happened to me everywhere, from Capitol Hill to the Bahamas.

I took only one course from Prof. LaFeber during my time at Cornell (Not by choice. I tried to get into his American Foreign Policy seminar too late.) LaFeber's lectures are a work of art. Leaning on a table, without a single note in front of him, he tells the story of America. His lectures were some of the most insightful and fulfilling that I have heard during my time at Cornell. They always seemed to begin and end on a perfect note.

LaFeber is someone who wholeheartedly cares for his students. In a class of probably a couple hundred students, he took the time to learn my name. And I have heard many stories of the like. It is truly a loss for Cornell and its students that he is finally retiring to bigger and better things. He will be sorely missed.

Professor Richard Polenberg

During my time at Cornell, I have taken two courses with Professor Polenberg. Like the other professors on this list, he personifies what it is to be a great professor.

What is so great about a Polenberg class is his story-like approach. It is as if he has invited you over to his house, lit up the fire place, sat down in his rocking chair and begun to tell you a story about Franklin Roosevelt or Louis Brandeis.

Now, like most of the Professors on this list, I probably agree with Professor Polenberg very little (his sympathetic lecture of the Rosenbergs didn't strike any chords with me). But even with our completely different world views, I wholeheartedly recommend his courses - which may do as much to hurt them as help them. Truth is, he doesn't need any help. His lectures are always packed to capacity, as they should be.

One more things: Polenberg actually assigns conservative authors - from Robert Bork to Dinesh D'Souza. Imagine that.

Professor Jeremy Rabkin

And last, but certainly not least, is Professor Rabkin. There is no professor as engaging and interesting that I have had during my time at Cornell than him. He can make even dense subjects like International Law interesting.

While you won't get an easy A in Rabkin's course, you will get something better: an education. I have taken four courses with him during my time at Cornell and my only regret is that I didn't take more. Do yourself a favor and take as many courses as you can from him. At the end of four years, you will be happy that you did.

Jamie Weinstein is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be contacted at jsw46@cornell.edu. Time Out appears Fridays.

Archived article by Jamie Weinstein