M-A Commemorates Historic Tragedy

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Written by Michael Abramson

M-A sophomores enrolled in Western Civilization recently put on the first annual Holocaust Museum as a powerful memorial for one of the most tragic events in history.

Organized and hosted by Western Civ teachers Dana Pattison and Linda Ryne, students “were required to make a primary source artifact ranging from 1933 to 1950,” according to Ms. Pattison, and “were supposed to zoom in on one particular aspect, a certain detail, rather than talk about the entire Holocaust.”

On May 4^th, students’ artifacts were put on display in Ms. Pattison’s room for other classes to view and admire.

“It was very informative,” said sophomore Brady Coggins, “the artifacts

[which the students made themselves] actually looked really realistic.”

And everyone else seemed to agree. “All the teachers would bring back multiple classes just because they loved it so much,” said sophomore Zach Klein.

It was so popular, Ms. Pattison said, that she “had to turn away teachers who wanted to bring their classes because all the slots were full.”

Students participating seemed to all appreciate the creativity of the assignment. “I thought it was a good way to understand the holocaust,” said Sarah Hoffman, one of Ms. Pattison’s students, “We had to do our research to understand the artifacts and make them look realistic.” Hoffman then added that she was glad they were able to share their work with other students. “I think it puts just how devastating the Holocaust was into perspective.”

In the end, The Holocaust Museum had none of the hitches one might expect for a project that has never been tried before and required such complete student participation. According to Ms. Pattison, “The students really rose to the challenge and created meaningful, poignant artifacts covering many aspects of the Holocaust.”

With the success of this years Holocaust Museum, it seems that an annual event has begun to both honor those lost in the Holocaust and to educate students on one of history’s darkest times.

Although Pattison has no personal connection to the Holocaust, she still believes it “must never be forgotten.”  She advises that not only must we “honor the memory of those who lost their lives,” but also educate ourselves.  “The Holocaust may be over,” says Pattison, “But persecution and discrimination remain.  By educating ourselves about the past, we can change the future.”

Ms. Pattison is looking forward to doing the project again next year and appreciates the worth of the project, saying, “The only way to tell the story of the Holocaust is through the voices of those who lived it. A museum brings to life what is a very meaningful human event.”