Professors Carla Damiano and Marty Shichtman hosted the program “Representing the Holocaust: An EMU Study Abroad Opportunity” Tuesday evening in the Downing Hall lounge, which gives students the opportunity to visit a number of European cities.
The cities featured were each somehow involved with the Nazi plan, going in chronological order from Berlin to Welmar, Prague, Krakow and ending in Warsaw.
Damiano, a professor in the world languages department, and Shichtman, a professor in the English language and literature department, both visited Berlin as well as surrounding cities for two weeks last summer to research and organize for future students planning to attend.
Damiano was already working in Germany when Shichtman met her there to start the process of making this into a study abroad trip.
“And also this happened in a modern civilization so you also have to ask the question, ‘How do you prevent it from happening again?’ ” Damiano added.
During the program, Damiano and Shichtman showed slides of pictures taken at various places from the Berlin Wall to museums, restaurants and synagogues in downtown Prague, giving explanations and brief history lessons along with the pictures.
They also showed sobering pictures of concentration camps, along with barracks and gas chambers in Auschwitz.
After the presentation, students asked questions about the Holocaust as well as about the requirements of going on the trip.
Rachel Burford, a sophomore, attended the program and really enjoyed it.
“I have always been interested in study abroad programs and the Holocaust and my roommates told me about it, and I heard that there would be pictures and real stories so I decided to check it out,” she said.
The trip will take place in spring semester 2011 from May 16-29. In order to participate in the study abroad program, EMU students must enroll in one of the courses that go along with the trip, which includes English, literature and German courses. Between 10-20 students are expected to attend this trip.
The program fee has yet to be announced, but it will include things such as rooms, breakfasts, transportation and entrance tickets to museums and other sites and events. The fee will not include EMU tuition and fees, round-trip air transportation, passports, textbooks, personal items, etc.
The application deadline is between Jan. 10 and Feb. 15, 2011 and applications can be found at www.emich.edu/abroad.
