Katherine Kasdorf does a good job of trying to condense 5000 years of art into one semester. Sometimes it feels like a whirlwind because there is so much to get through, but she is always clear and well informed in her lectures. If there’s anything she doesn’t know (a rarity given how well prepared she always is), even the most trivial minutia about a work, she find the answer and email it to you or bring it up next class. The first few weeks of class were a little stale, but once we got past the initial introduction the class and her lectures were fascinating. She actively encouraged class participation. If you were dead wrong about something she never cut you off at the knees like some professors, but you learned quickly to interpret her “That’s interesting,†or even worse “Hmmm†as quiet negations. Sometimes it is a little difficult to remember all of the many Indian names, places, and dynasties but she is generally forgiving in her grading. If there is ever anything you don’t understand she will spend as long as you need helping you to understand. She answers emails almost instantaneously, which is actually kind of spooky. Do all of the readings. She doesn’t really cover them in class, but they will help you understand the material better and give you some great points for the midterm and final. There is a fair bit of memorization of names, dates, and places, but that is pretty much par for the course for Ahum classes. Ahum is often one of those dreaded core requirements, but Professor Kasdorf makes this class something you will look forward to attending twice a week and at the end of the semester you will feel a little disappointed that it has to end.