Holocaust Memorial Day Marked

Staff and students at The Sixth Form College, Solihull marked International Holocaust Memorial Day today, with an event aimed at considering the way the Holocaust has been depicted in our society.

Students were asked the question, "How do we see the Holocaust?" and considered how the subject is taught in schools, as well as how it is portrayed in books, films and plays.

Several students had prepared reviews of Holocaust-related pieces. Alice Cook had reviewed the film "Sophie’s Choice", while Rachael Howes-Tonks reviewed the book "The Auschwitz Kommandant". Staff and students also watched a film and discussed what the Holocaust means to them.

A presentation put together by the students focussed on the word "Hope", examining the idea that despite the Holocaust being one of the bloodiest events in human history there will always be people who are prepared to stand up to oppression and that we can all learn from the past.

At the same time, two history students are preparing for a trip to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum and Memorial in Poland, which was their prize for winning a Holocaust Memorial competition last year.

Amelia Ebdon and Joseph D’Urso were among many students who entered the competition, which was run by the Holocaust Educational Trust to mark Holocaust Memorial Day. Students were invited to write an essay entitled, "Man is inherently evil, as shown by the recurrence of genocide in our world. Discuss."

The topic of the essay did not limit students to writing solely about the Holocaust and all students approached the task from a different perspective. Joseph D’Urso (aged 18, from Kings Norton) based his entry on the conflict and genocide in Rwanda, while Amelia Ebdon (aged 17 from Hillfield) compared the Holocaust to William Golding’s novel Lord of the Flies.

As well as travelling to Poland, Amelia and Joseph will be attending seminars both before and after the trip. The first half-day seminar takes places on Sunday 14 February at the Lakeside Conference Centre at Aston University. Those attending will be examining pre-war Jewish life and will have the opportunity to hear from a Holocaust survivor, who will give them a unique perspective on the atrocities.

The visit to Auschwitz takes place on Wednesday 24th February and then there will be another half-day seminar at Aston University on Thursday 4th March when Amelia, Joseph and the other participants will be able to reflect on what they have learned. It is hoped that the students will be able to convey their experiences to fellow students at the College later in the year.

History teacher Lisa Hardy commented, "Amelia and Joseph wrote thoughtful and inspiring essays and fully deserved their prize. I know they will really benefit from their trip to Poland and attending these seminars and we look forward to hearing all about it."