CSS current page nav bar color change

Question

I'm working on an assignment that has a page with a vertical nav bar in which each of the links are enclosed in a box. The assignment requires that the current link's box be changed to red. I have tried several different methods but none of them seem to work. This is what I have:

   /* the styles for the elements */
* {
	margin: 0;
	padding: 0;
}
html {
	background-color: white;
}
body {
	font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
    font-size: 100%;
    width: 850px;
    margin: 0 auto;
    border: 3px solid #931420;
    background-color: #fffded;
}
a:focus, a:hover {
	font-style: italic;
}
/* the styles for the header */
header {
	padding: 1.5em 0 2em 0;
	border-bottom: 3px solid #931420;
		background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(
	    30deg, #f6bb73 0%, #f6bb73 30%, white 50%, #f6bb73 80%, #f6bb73 100%);
	background-image: -webkit-linear-gradient(
	    30deg, #f6bb73 0%, #fffded 30%, white 50%, #fffded 80%, #f6bb73 100%);
	background-image: -o-linear-gradient(
	    30deg, #f6bb73 0%, #fffded 30%, white 50%, #fffded 80%, #f6bb73 100%);
	background-image: linear-gradient(
	    30deg, #f6bb73 0%, #fffded 30%, white 50%, #fffded 80%, #f6bb73 100%);
}
header h2 {
	font-size: 175%;
	color: #800000;
}
header h3 {
	font-size: 130%;
	font-style: italic;
}
header img {
	float: left;
	padding: 0 30px;
}
.shadow {
	text-shadow: 2px 2px 2px #800000;
}
/* the styles for the main content */
main {
	clear: left;
}

/* the styles for the section */
section {
	width: 575px;
	float: right;
	padding: 0 20px 20px 20px;
}
section h1 {
	color: #800000;
	font-size: 150%;
	padding-top: .5em;
	margin: 0;
}
section p {
	padding-bottom: .5em;
}

#boldp{
	font-weight: bold;
}
#navlist .current{
	background-color: #800000;
}
#navlist ul li{
	margin: 5px;
	background-image: url("../images/right.jpg");
	background-repeat: no-repeat;
	background-position: 95%;
	border: 2px solid black;
	border-radius:25px;
	padding: 10px;
	width: 175px;
	height: 35px;
	box-shadow: 5px 5px 2px #800000;

}

#navlist ul{
	list-style-type: none;
	padding: 10px;
}

/* the styles for the article */
article {
	padding: .5em 0;
}
article h2 {
	font-size: 115%;
	padding: 0 0 .25em 0;
}
article img {
	float: right;
	margin: .5em 0 1em 1em;
	border: 1px solid black;
}

/* the styles for the aside */
aside {
	width: 215px;
	float: right;
	padding: 0 0 20px 20px;
}
aside h2 {
	color: #800000;
	font-size: 130%;
	padding: .6em 0 .25em 0;
}

aside h3 {
	font-size: 105%;
	padding-bottom: .25em;
}
aside img {
	padding-bottom: 1em;
}

/* the styles for the footer */
footer {
	background-color: #931420;
	clear: both;

}
footer p {
	text-align: center;
	color: white;
	padding: 1em 0;
}

<aside>
			<h2>Guest speakers</h2>
			<nav id ="navlist">
				<ul>
					<li><h3><a href="c06x_toobin.html">October<br>Jeffrey Toobin</a></h3></li>
					<li><h3><a href="#">November<br>Andrew Ross Sorkin</a></h3></li>	
					<li><h3><a href="#">January<br>Amy Chua</a></h3></li>		
					<li class ="current"><h3><a href="c07x_sampson.html">February<br>Scott Sampson</a></h3></li>
				</ul>
			<h3><a href="../index.html">Return to Home page</a></h3>
				
			</nav>
		</aside>

Answer 1

Hey if i'm understanding your right I think you just need to add a background for the current class

.current {
  background-color:red;
}

Answer 2

#navlist .current will target the .current class, and you can apply a background or whatever it is to that class.

#navlist .current {
  background: red;
}
#navlist ul li{
	margin: 5px;
	background-image: url("../images/right.jpg");
	background-repeat: no-repeat;
	background-position: 95%;
	border: 2px solid black;
	border-radius:25px;
	padding: 10px;
	width: 175px;
	height: 35px;
	box-shadow: 5px 5px 2px #800000;

}

#navlist ul li.sam {
	background-color: #800000;
	}

#navlist ul{
	list-style-type: none;
	padding: 10px;
}

<aside>
			<h2>Guest speakers</h2>
			<nav id ="navlist">
				<ul>
					<li><h3><a href="c06x_toobin.html">October<br>Jeffrey Toobin</a></h3></li>
					<li><h3><a href="#">November<br>Andrew Ross Sorkin</a></h3></li>	
					<li><h3><a href="#">January<br>Amy Chua</a></h3></li>		
					<li class ="current"><h3><a href="c07x_sampson.html">February<br>Scott Sampson</a></h3></li>
				</ul>
			<h3><a href="../index.html">Return to Home page</a></h3>
				
			</nav>
		</aside>