In the Facing History course one of
the first things we get asked who are you? You never really think about this
question until you get asked, but by the end of the course you kind of start to
get an idea of whom you are. In this course we learned about the Holocaust in
detail we watched several deep films and saw pictures related to it. I chose to
take this class because I had heard nothing but good things about it, and I was
told to definitely take it, and I’m glad I did. I definitely recommend this
course because I learned things and saw things about the Holocaust that I had
absolutely no idea about. The films and pictures can be really hard to watch
and look at but I think its something everyone should see, and see exactly what
those people went through. We also
talked about bullying and standing up against it, which I thought was really
interesting. I also liked that we could share our own thoughts without being
judged and we were able to give our opinions. Me being in peer mediation I really
liked that we had a chance to talk about bullying because I deal with cases all
the time about cyber bullying. I am glad I had the opportunity to take this
class it touched me very deeply and if you have the opportunity to take it I
definitely would, it will definitely make a difference on how you feel towards
certain situations, such as bullying and racial slurs.
Marina Lucas- Santos's Blog
Friday, January 13, 2012
Essay
I
really enjoyed taking the Facing History course it was really touching and
benefited me as a student and as a person in many ways. It was something I’m
glad I got to see because I learned so many things about the Holocaust that I
had absolutely no idea about, and I think its something everyone should see for
themselves.
In
one of the classes we talked about bullying and knowing when to stop it and say
something. This week I actually witnessed someone call a girl on my
cheerleading team “chubby” on Facebook and laugh about it and everyone else
started commenting on the picture being mean to the girl who called the girl on
my team chubby. I thought it was wrong that she called her chubby but I also
thought it was wrong that everyone was bashing the girl who said it and I couldn’t
let it go. I commented on the picture myself saying what she said wasn’t right
but by them bashing the girl who said they’re also being bullies and after that
nothing else was said. I think I did a good thing because in the end I stuck up
for my teammate and I stopped them from yelling at the other girl who said it
in the first place. I think this course helped me make the decision to say
something because before taking this course I honestly probably wouldn’t have
said anything at all and just let them all argue, as wrong as I know that is.
One
thing I enjoyed about the class is that its not a typical class, we didn’t get
lectured and have to take notes which I think made it easier to understand
everything that was going on in depth without having to worry about writing stuff
down at the same time. Although I wish it was a full year course so that we
could learn about other things such as skin heads and watch movies like American History X, maybe even Hotel Rwanda so we could get an idea of
other things going on besides the Holocaust but are just as important, but
difficult to watch and deal with.
I’m
also glad I had the opportunity to see the films you showed it class because I
got a better idea of what was going on even though I know it was nothing
compared to what actually happened, but it gave me a good idea. I also liked
that we got a chance to see actually pictures and footage of the camps, it was
really hard to see and watch but in the end it made a huge impact. This course
taught me that it’s not right to use racial slurs and you never know when it
could actually really be upsetting someone. I started to watch The Boy in the Striped Pajamas in class
and I really enjoyed it but I never got to finish it because I was absent, but
it’s definitely a movie I would like to finish watching because I like that you
get the perspective of a German and a Jew at the same time. I really liked
watching The Grey Zone I think it
gave a really good idea of what happened such as the gas chambers, how people
were tortured and put to work.
I
could never imagine going through what all those people went through, just the
thought of it scares me and I hope something like the Holocaust never happens
again. It’s crazy how one person took over a whole country and how so many
people listened to him and did what they were told because it was “right”. I
think its ridiculous how so many people got away with these horrific murders
and were okay doing it. I would feel so much guilt and I wouldn’t be able to
live with my self, but I think that if your told to do something and you know
that if you don’t you could get killed you’d be in the same position to kill as
horrendous as that sounds. I just don’t understand how someone could be so
cruel to wipe out a whole race because they didn’t believe they were normal. I
thought it was interesting how in the movie Uprising
the Jews from the ghetto actually rebelled and fought for their lives and some
actually survived. That must have taken a lot of courage; they built a whole
underground system and had people helping them get riffles and other things
they needed in order to fight back. I think its amazing how they were able to
get away with it for so long and that one group of people decided to do this
because they thought it was the only way they would stop. I didn’t know that
the United States was the one who put a stop to all of the murders, and I think
its amazing how there’s people who still haven’t left Germany because they
don’t want another tragedy such as this to happen again. Once again I am very
glad that Westborough High School offers this close and I think everyone should
have to take it before graduating and other schools should have it as well
because it’s a course that sticks to you and lets you think about other people
but your self, and that theirs such tragedies as this one going on all over the
world. In this course you learn that the smallest thing can make a huge
difference, one person can stop someone from being bullied, one person can take
over a whole country, and take many lives. I’d like to thank you for sharing
your pictures and films with the class I know it touched us all very deeply and
meant a lot to all of us, especially me. I know walk away from this class with
a better understanding of what happened and most of all I am able to understand
a little better who I am.
Works Cited
The Boy in the
Striped Pajamas. Google Images.
Image. 12 January 2012.
Concentration
Camp Survivors. Google Images. Image.
12 January 2012.
German Boy and
Jewish Boy. Google Images. Image. 12
January 2012.
Hitler. Google Images. Image. 12 January 2012.
Holocaust. Google Images. Image. 12 January 2012.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
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