Brayan Ruiz-Caballero, Arts and Entertainment Editor
On April 8th, 2021, Daytona State College honored Yom HaShoah by having a moment of reflection at the clock tower plaza on the Daytona campus and an online presentation via Teams.
Yom HaShoah is also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day; the date is set in accordance with the 27th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar and marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
Holocaust Remembrance, April 8th, photo taken by Toni Duncan
DSC professors Samantha Stern and Frank Gunshanan were motivated to have this event take place due to concerns of students lacking an understanding of what the Holocaust was and its ongoing effects.
As Professor Gunshanan explains, “All credible scholars acknowledge that the Holocaust was one of–if not the— most horrific examples of genocide and crimes against humanity. There is no debate (among viable sources) about whether or not the Holocaust is worth remembering, or of its political, social, religious, and even artistic, impact on subsequent generations, including this one.”
For communities across the world who pause and reflect on the victims of the Holocaust, the moment of silence starts with a blaring siren—DSC instead choose to play a short musical piece during that time.
Holocaust Remembrance, April 8th, photo taken by Toni Duncan
Students and faculty gathered around the clock tower at 10:00 am on April 8th to hear Evan Martinez from the DSC Symphonic Band play his cello to mark the beginning of the two minutes of reflection.
Martinez said that the song he performed was “Remembrances” by John Williams. “It is played in the film Schindler’s List,” he said.
Timothy Bell, an attendant who was there recording the event, commented that the music was “A somber yet reflective piece.”
According to Professor Gunshanan, “This was the first time Yom HaShoah was officially commemorated at DSC; we hope it will become a tradition.”
For the online presentation that began at 3:00 pm, a pair of guest speakers named Julie Barrow from the Multiagency Network for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities (SEDNET), and Christy Gillis from the Florida Department of Children & Families spoke about ongoing issues involving human trafficking.
Gunshanan went on to explain that “The data we featured in the presentation indicates that fewer and fewer people know much about the seminal event of the twentieth century, which necessitated both the Yom HaShoah event and the discussion we hope will continue after it.”
When asked what the purpose of remembering and understanding the Holocaust, Gunshanan said that “As Professor Stern and I repeated in the Teams meeting, if we relegate the Holocaust to just a piece of history, we might forget the terrible lessons it offers us, namely to never again allow such genocide and breach of human rights to be allowed among this and future generations.” For students and faculty who want to learn more about the Holocaust, the Daytona State College library has a digital info guide called “Holocaust, Genocide, and Crimes Against Humanity.” It has in-depth details that provide readers with peer-reviewed resources for classwork, but also hopes to inform DSC members of societal problems. Starting a conversation with friends and family is a great first step towards preventing pain and suffering for marginalized communities.
Professor Richard Vollaro, looking on, photo taken by Toni Duncan