When I first came to this school, I was very honored to take a class that informed their students about what really happened during the time period that the Holocaust occurred. Before signing up for this class, I had a very basic idea of what had happened in the Holocaust, but not enough so that I could have a 1-on-1 conversation with another person with. Through this entire semester there were parts that we learned that were uplifting and there were other parts that were beyond disturbing and very difficult to put into words. I can honestly say that when I leave this class, I will have a different look at the world. I can thank Mr. Gallagher and the Facing History class for broadening my horizons and allowing me to experience something that everyone, not just me, should have to.
The first day that I switched into Facing History, I thought that the class was going to be just another history class that I would just pass through with ease. I figured it would be a class that I would never give a second thought about, because history has never been one of my strong suits. Mr. Gallagher got up in front of the class and told everyone that it is unacceptable on our part for not taking the time to go out and learn about what the Holocaust was. He told the class that many of the things that we would see in the class the majority of the United States, and even the world, haven’t seen yet. He informed us that we would be reading many excerpts and watching films that accurately depicted specific parts of the Holocaust that we were concentrating on at the time. As previously mentioned, history is not my strong suit, but after one day I was interested in what the Holocaust really was.
The biggest part of the class was the films. We watched films that showed events that were indescribable with words, films that showed pictures that would turn anyone’s stomach, and also events that would want us to jump for joy because justice had finally been served. The last film that the class viewed was one that described the concentration camps that the Nazis forced the Jewish people to live in. After watching the film, I knew that the images shown would be in my mind for years to come. The tragedies, the horrific events that happened to these innocent people is unbearable to see because no one could imagine being in their shoes. The class saw the film Freedom Writers. What that film does is allows people to see how tragic moments in history begin, and what one person is able to do when their back is against the wall and they are fighting the odds.
Another big part of the class was group readings. On multiple occasions we were given papers to read that weren’t just based on the Holocaust. The class is called Facing History and Ourselves, and it allows us to not only see what true monsters can do to innocent people, but it also allows us to see what type of person each of us are. We did group readings to allow us to meet new people and see the type of people that we are learning with. Mr. Gallagher allowed us to communicate with one another and learn from each other, and he allowed us to be the types of people that we all try and aim to be. In his class I didn’t have to worry about being quiet, or talking too much on a certain subject because he allowed all different opinions on certain topics and events, and he welcomed different opinions. I can guarantee there wasn’t a single day I walked into the class and see what we were going to do in class, and be disappointed. The final aspect of the class that benefited me the most was the way Mr. Gallagher interacted with his students. There are teachers who just make power points and read them off the board, and don’t care one way or another if their students pass or fail. All Semester we have been warned that the final exam for this class was going to be brutal for the sheer fact that taking the final shouldn’t be an option. Blogging was a big part of the class. Every time we watched something in class, or had a serious class discussion, for a homework assignment students would go home and they would blog. Mr. Gallagher would talk to his students about his day and then about the topic at hand. He wouldn’t just say what he needed to and just hand out meaningless worksheets. He would start up conversations that made us think about ourselves and think about what happened to the Jewish community. Almost everything said from Mr. Gallagher this semester was important and necessary to our everyday lives.
When I walk out of Westborough High School for the last time and I walk down the street and look back, there will be a wave of many different emotions. I had teachers here that I didn’t like and I had classes here that I didn’t like. I also had classes that I loved, and I had teachers that I have more than respect for. Mr. Gallagher is one of those teachers. He taught me to be conscientious about myself, who I am, and the world around me. He allowed me to connect with people with whom without him I would have never talked to in my lifetime. He broadened the world that I live in and allowed me to learn more about things that I already thought I knew. To many, the Holocaust just brings up the number 6 million. After going through Facing History and Ourselves, I now know that it wasn’t just the killing of innocent people, it was a merciless slaughter of almost an entire race of people that should have never happened. There was so much that I didn’t know about the Holocaust and about myself. Mr. Gallagher opened the door for me and allowed me to learn more than I could have possibly imagined. When I take that final walk and look back at Westborough High School, the biggest feeling that I will feel is gratitude. Without this high school making this class available and without Mr. Gallagher I would be just another miserable student looking forward to my final summer vacation. I am now an aware citizen, and I look at my world in an entirely different way. Facing History and Ourselves made everything possible, and I will be forever grateful.
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