Landscapes of memory, routes of hope
Auschwitz Birkenau extermination and work camp.
The victims got off the trains and were pointed to the
left (work) or right (death) by Dr. Mengele
(where people are standing in the far distance of the photo).
It was blistery cold on the days students in the course "Landscapes of Memory, Routes of Hope" visited concentration camps in Poland. "Seeing the size of these camps, you could see just how cruel human beings can be to each other," says Michael Habegger '08. "These camps were built to kill people. That was their only purpose."
Sixteen students, led by Manny Goldman, president of the Interpreter's Forum, traveled to Poland and Israel to learn firsthand about the Holocaust.
"This trip changed my life," says Sarah Grosh '07. "You hear McDaniel College changing lives and I always thought it was kind of corny but this trip and what I saw did change my life. I thought I was going to be a Biology major, but now I want to go to law school or do human rights work."
"It was such an overwhelming experience," Goldman says. "Our students showed great dignity and respect." |
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The western wall in Israel.
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Students also explored Israel; they toured the bustling city of Jerusalem, the Catholic holy sites of the Stations of the Cross, and even the Dead Sea.
"Floating in the Dead Sea is a totally unique experience," says Eric Freeman '06. "You're extremely buoyant. You can't sink if you tried."
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From the famed fortress of Masada, students could see the Dead Sea and the Yehuda desert. |
Hopeful
Blessed are those who stand for a cause
Who do the right thing, yet expect no applause
Who see that ignorance is really just a wolf in disguise
Refuse to let wool be pulled over their eyes
Who seek out the truth in dark, dangerous places
Haunted by unknown names, unknown faces
The path may be lonely, and rocky to tread
But surely someone must speak on behalf of the dead
It is the responsibility of the future to uncover
The sins of the past
For it is only in accepting human nature
That we stand a chance.
By Sarah Grosh
Majdanek concentration camp
January, 2006
Contact Michele Cohen Leiberman, associate director of media relations, at 410-857-2294 or mleiberman@mcdaniel.edu.
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