Written by Emily Stutzman ’17
When faced with the task to pick my social action sight for the 2016-17 school year, I immediately knew where I wanted to go: the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. I have been interested in learning about the Holocaust for many years and after taking the Holocaust and Contemporary Genocide Class my junior year; I knew I wanted to share my passion with others. One of the most important ways to help prevent genocides in the future is through knowledge and taking action. Through assisting Mr. McCluskey with tours, I am able to share my passion with others in the hope that they too will have an increased interest in not just the Holocaust, but genocides. Teaching the sophomores about the upstanders during the Holocaust will be an important task because they will be able to learn that the smallest action can save many lives. I hope that they will feel intrigued and have a peaked interest in genocides that have occurred in the past as well as ongoing genocides and speak up, let the government know that what is happening is not right and some sort of action needs to be taken. It may seem like a daunting task trying to stand up for the vulnerable and voiceless, but I want them to know that the simplest task such as writing a letter to the government on the issue or writing a letter to a victim and letting them know that there are people who are fighting for them and supporting them can make a huge difference. I know that this will be an incredibly rewarding experience and I hope that it will encourage others to become more interested in the prevention of genocides.
