When Francisco Menéndez ’85 was a young boy, his aunt took him to see his first film in a theater: The Wizard of Oz.

Things started out well enough: He was already accustomed to watching television programs, like Batman and The Avengers, in black and white. But by the time a tornado hit Dorothy’s house and knocked her unconscious, he began to grow anxious. All bets were off when the screen suddenly bloomed into Technicolor.

Envy is a powerful emotion, condemned across cultures and religions, and accused of rooting the most horrific crimes, from Cain’s fratricide against Abel to the Jewish genocide. Malicious envy motivates people to plot and scheme, to steal and sabotage. Despite envy’s dark and dangerous side, however, it can be an emotion whose power can be harnessed for self-improvement.

While growing up near Seattle, Adam Sowards ’95 wasn’t exactly a lover of the outdoors. In fact, when he enrolled in an environmental history course during his junior year at Puget Sound, he was driven more by the insistence of his advisor, Bill Breitenbach, that he diversify his coursework as a history major than by the prospect of actually learning about the subject. And then, in about week three, inspiration struck. “All of a sudden,” Sowards says, “all the history I thought I knew looked different when I looked at it from this different angle.”

Professor of Russian and European History Ben Tromly helps to make sense of the ongoing conflict.

Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a special edition of Arches magazine that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Watson Fellowship, in which we explore the travels, stories, and reflections of Puget Sound’s fellows. For the best viewing experience, download the autumn Arches PDF.