Put down your phone. Pick up a real book and give yourself time to think deeply.

That’s the message of this episode’s guest, my Amherst College classmate Hector Garcia. Don’t mistake his perspective for a desperate clinging to a fading past, though. This guy loves to teach young minds at Loyola University Chicago, and he never stops innovating through course design. Along the way, he reminds his students – and us – that there’s a great big world to explore. We can’t engage it meaningfully if we subject ourselves to always-on digital stimuli.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The patterns Hector sees in the last 60 years of social unrest, including protest at Amherst College in the early 1990s
• How he innovates through course design and instruction
• The balance he strikes between the timeless and the contemporary in the classroom and beyond
• His unlikely journey from Chicago to Amherst
• The Amherst classmates Hector would like to hear from next

So take a break from non-stop election coverage, pop in a cassette, or better yet, catch up with Hector in this episode. He’ll make you feel better about the world.

To get in touch with Hector or learn more about his work:

• LinkedIn
• Email: hgarci1@luc.edu
• Taller de Jose, an organization that delivers companionship and personal attention to people who have difficulty finding their way in a complex social services system
• Follow Makelit on X