Holocaust class touches the heart of MHS students

The following stories were written about a final project that was on display in the second floor hall. Mr. Reeser’s Holocaust class was assigned to make tiles that helped express something that they learned or felt during the class. The Bobcat Beat staff each chose one of the tiles and talked to the student that created it.

Our Days Were Numbered

By: Shaylee Severn

Senior Shayla Babcock created artwork of the striped pajamas worn by the Jews in concentration camps. The picture showed a number printed on the boy’s arm, and the star of David pinned to his shirt. The words “Our Days Were Numbered” were printed on the picture.

“I was inspired by the young children and teenagers in the holocaust. I added the numbers on the arm because I wanted to show how the people were treated like animals who were days away from being slaughtered,” Babcock said.

Mr. Reeser’s holocaust class has educated and inspired many students, including Babcock. She said that she learned many things from the holocaust class, and she encourages everyone to take the class as well.

“Some of the stuff was really hard to talk about, but it was such a great class. It really opened my eyes,” Babcock said. 

Their end of tri art project was displayed in the hallways and shared a powerful message of the Holocaust. Babcock enjoyed sharing her feelings of the Holocaust through art.

“I really liked being creative and showing part of the holocaust through a picture. I think the pictures we made really speak to people,” said Babcock.

Story by: Sam Goff

For Mr. Reesers holocaust class the students have to make a tile the portrays the holocaust in some way. Shayla Babcock, a senior, made a tile that had a prisoner of one of the camps on it with his sleeve rolled up and on his arm were numbers that had been tattooed on to their skin.

There are written across the tile that said “our days were numbered.” Babcock had the background splattered with black paint to create an eerie feeling. Reeser does this every year with his holocaust classes.

“The point he wants us to do it if mostly for reflection for the whole class and ourselves.” says Babcock.

She didn’t do this just so she could get a good grade, this actually meant something more to her. I asked her what she wants people to take away from her tile and she said, “To not be bystanders and just let it escalate and get out of control.”

Sam Lauritsen Creates Artwork in Honor of Holocaust Victims

Story by: Kaden Severn

Students in Mr. Reeser’s Holocaust class created a tile in remembrance of victims in the Holocaust. They all had a unique take and were beautifully decorated. Many students felt deeply moved by this class. Senior Sam Lauritsen was one of those that was touched by the stories of Holocaust. He created this artwork to tell the story of 7 year old Tomas Kulka.

“I heard the story about Tomas and it had an impact on me because I just thought it was really sad to hear about how little children died,” said Lauritsen

Sam got some of the ideas for his design from his dad. The words on the chalkboard were the exact words from Kulka’s obituary. Lauritsen and the rest of the student’s work is displayed in the halls in the display case.

Story by: Brielle Hammond

Every student in Mr. Reesers Holocaust class makes a tile to present to the school. Junior Mikayla Lords took this class and made a tile.

“I want people to remember exactly what was going on during the Holocaust,”  Lords said

She learned lots of life lessons from this class and will always remember them.

“The reason I chose to do the barbed wire is because the people were behind fences and caged in just because of their race,” said Lords

She put Juden in the middle because they were caged in the fence.

It was definitely a good class for Lords and she learned many things from Mr. Reeser.

“The Holocaust was not as simple as I thought. It was more large scale,” Lords said.

“Never Again?” is Happening Again

Story by: Savannah Lucero

Mr. Reeser assigns Holocaust Remembrance Tiles as his final assignment of the year. Senior Hannah Liddiard  explained that this was her favorite assignment in the class.

“My favorite part of the class was learning how the Holocaust impacts our lives even though it happened in 1940’s which we can express in the tiles,” Liddiard said.

Liddiard’s tile was titled “Never Again?” The tile had two photos. One was with the little drowned Syrian boy from a Refugee boat heading to Turkey. The other picture was a little Jewish boy dying of starvation in the streets of the Warsaw Ghetto during  the Holocaust.

Liddiard wants people to see this tile and ask themselves if humanity really has stopped doing awful things to each other?  She explained how we’ve learned that violence is never the answer and that killing is wrong. We know that the Holocaust was despicable, but then we look in the news and it turns out that we’re still doing awful things to each other.

“I choose to do the picture of the two little boys because it shows that there’s a huge similarity between the two even though one was years ago. We judge and look down upon the bystanders years ago, when here we are, doing the exact same thing,” Liddiard said.

Lives Were Cut Too Short

Story by: Brayden Johnston

As we all know, one of the worst man caused tragedies in history was the Holocaust, A Nazi genocide of the Jews. Mr. Reeser’s holocaust class is required every year to make a tile of something that portrays the horrors of the holocaust. Elise Walker, a top-tier student made a tile showing a heart monitor being cut by scissors with photos of victims in the background.

“I was really focusing on how people in the holocaust, their lives were cut short and were robbed of experiences such as marriage, family, jobs,” Walker said, “and that’s why I put that design, to show all the things they would never experience,” 

The Holocaust can be a very depressing class to some, but if you open your eyes and see the real message being taught, it can be a real life-changing class.

“I honestly believe everyone should take that class because it’s taught me so much and I feel like I’ve grown up over these last three months. I just realized things that I didn’t even know before outside my little world,” Walker said.

Six Million Voices, Thoughts, and Ideas Silenced

Story by: Branden Edelmayer

The Holocaust and Human Rights class made remembrance tiles. Grant Christopherson made a tile that catches the viewer’s eye. He made a guilt statement that connects to the reader.

“Six million voices, thoughts, and ideas silenced… Speak out for those who can’t.” Christopherson said.

Grant enjoyed his time in Holocaust class.

“Mr. Reeser is such an amazing teacher who really know what he is teaching, he is on top of his facts and is very knowledgeable with the holocaust,” Christopherson said.