Holocaust and Genocide Studies – Emma Hicks
Holocaust and Genocide Studies – Emma Hicks
During the spring of 2013 College Scholar Emma Hicks studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark through the Danish Institute for Study Abroad (DIS) in pursuit of her major in Holocaust and Genocide Studies. Emma was able to take many of DIS’s unique classes concerning the history of Jewish life in Europe, the history of the Holocaust, and the widespread impact that such history has made on the memories and cultural identities of different European nations post-WWII. Another unique aspect of the DIS program in which Emma was able to participate were the Study Tours which allowed students to approach their area of study in a hands-on and experiential manner, combining theory with real life experience and cultural perspective. This active learning approach facilitated an education on the Holocaust from the perspective of current residents from cities like Berlin where layers of victimization and scarring are deeply embedded in the culture. A visit to Auschwitz in April was perhaps the most defining moment of the semester and inspired Emma to use the complexity of memory in places such as this infamous concentration camp as the basis for her senior thesis project to be completed next spring. The project will be a narrative historical exhibit containing pictures and memories from her trip along with research which looks at the controversy of Holocaust recollection and its importance in our modern world.