In the Fall of 2024, I had the pleasure of enrolling in Dr. Zalar’s Global History of World War II class, in which we spent the semester learning about the war, including the European and Pacific arenas, and then went on a trip to London, Paris, and Normandy to see the various sites and memorials dedicated to the war. The class was very difficult to get through, both academically and emotionally. We regularly had between 50 and 100 pages of reading to do before each class, on top of the regular class assignments, which included essays and paragraph responses. Emotionally, the content of the course was very heavy. Each class we read and discussed horrific accounts of genocide, unfounded cruelty, and sexual assault. The course forced us to confront some of the darkest moments of our personal and more general human history. For me specifically, I had to learn of the crimes that the German people committed. My grandmother was born in Germany, and her father served in the German Army on the Eastern front. A portion of the war that isn’t discussed as often, the Eastern front was just as horrific, if not more so, than the West. I had to learn to accept the possibility that those crimes may be a part of my family’s history, even if we have no way of confirming it.
The trip itself was a joy to go on. I was very nervous beforehand, as traveling has often been a genuine struggle for most of my life. I took the steps necessary beforehand to feel prepared and ready to head to the airport. I enjoyed getting to know my classmates and professor, and had a few solo adventures to really solidify my confidence in my newfound independence. Some days were harder than others – Normandy in particular took a toll on all of us. But I am beyond grateful that I had the opportunity to go on this trip and be around so many incredible people and stand at the sites where our world was shaped.
My view of this class will probably change as I gain more distance from it, but I will never forget the challenge that Dr. Zalar posed to us after a class: when we see or witness something that we know isn’t right, will we have the courage to go against the grain, potentially endangering ourselves and our reputation and refuse? Especially in light of recent events, I have no tolerance or space for anything akin to the level of hatred that I read about. The crimes of these individuals were, and still are, unforgivable. And yet some have found the ability to do so. I will never understand how they did it, but I am grateful for those moments of humanity and kindness that prevailed through the horrors of the Second World War.
