Campus Events

The event was a presentation by Dr. Bernice Lerner on her mother's experiences at Bergen-Belsen during the Holocaust, and the international race against time to liberate the concentration camps. This event was organized by UF Hillel in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which is designated by the UN as January 27, the day of Auschwitz' liberation. It was interesting (to say the least) to learn about the logistics of treating tens of thousands of displaced persons, which is what the British army designated the survivors at Bergen-Belsen. The speaker emphasized that the Jewish people at the camp came from all across Europe: Lithuania, Germany, France, Hungary. She noted how astonished the British army was at the scale of the forced relocation under Nazism, and the fact that after the horrors of the Holocaust, many of the survivors did not have a home to go back to. This event left me with new insights on the direct relevance of the Holocaust to modern-day refugee crises. 

This conversation was organized by the American Indian and Indigenous Studies Program, the Department of Anthropology, and Imagining Climate Change. From this event, I learned about how strong partnerships can be built between Western researchers and indigenous peoples while still maintaining respect. The speakers emphasized that collaborations between people of different backgrounds are very possible if both parties are willing to listen. While this conversation focused primarily on the threat of climate change and how international collaboration can combat it, I also gained insight on how modern technology can coexist with traditional culture. Chief Afukaka noted that the exchange of technology goes in both directions: in one example, his ancestors constructed firebreaks 800 years ago that modern firefighters took inspiration from. I found the conversation engaging, especially as the words were sometimes being translated from English to Portuguese to a Xingu native language and back; I felt very fortunate to be able to hear from people who I would not have been able to speak to on my own. 

This event was sponsored by the Harn Museum. The speaker, Dr. Julia Andrews, spoke about both the participation of women in art and women as subjects of art throughout the twentieth century in China. It was interesting to learn that before World War II, women artists enjoyed a rich participation in the Chinese art scene that diminished sharply during the Cultural Revolution. Today, international support is helping Chinese women artists regain representation because international art shows are viewed as legitimization, and these shows are often required to include women. I thought this presentation showcased how international support (even that which is not directly monetary) can translate to economic gains for women in less supportive spaces. 

This event recognized the one year anniversary of war in Ukraine. The Ukrainian Student Association at UF worked with 60 other cities across the US to display photos from each day of the war. The photos were displayed in Plaza of the Americas at UF, a central location on campus. Students, faculty, and other members of the university community were able to view the photos and read about their backstory. Photos were sourced from many Ukrainian cities, and it was enlightening to see how many people had personal connections to particular cities. This event served as an important and sobering reminder of the need to persevere in supporting countries torn by war. In the year since Russia invaded Ukraine, much of the initial attention from American news outlets and social media has dropped off; however, many Americans have close ties to Ukraine and benefit from continued support. Additionally, bringing attention to international issues is an effective way to give aid.