What's Happening in Cougar Country

Sometimes a lesson in one of your high school classes was just that, a lesson - something you needed to learn and know, something you had to study for a test, something you would use in future lessons.

Sometimes, though, a lesson is much, much more than that.

Miss Tabitha Halcomb’s freshmen English classes each read Night by Elie Wiesel. The 1960 memoir is based on Wiesel’s Holocaust experiences with his father in the Nazi German concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald in 1944–1945, toward the end of the Second World War in Europe. 

According to Halcomb, the text heavily addresses indirect and direct characterizations, symbolism, and themes. So, that might be enough for a freshman English class, especially considering the subject matter itself. 

But there’s more to it for these two sections of English 9.

“I also use this memoir to discuss central connections between literature and history through exploring the Holocaust and aftermath through Elie Wiesel’s perspective/life story,” Halcomb said. “Also, this text is central in teaching and discussing Catholic social justice principles and their connections to Elie Wiesel’s life experiences and story throughout his time in Auschwitz as a Holocaust survivor.”

This year, however, Halcomb has added even more to the lesson plan. She has partnered with Visual Arts Department Chair Kelly Wolf and brought her two classes to Wolf’s art room so they could work on their very own Butterfly Projects. 

“I truly enjoy doing cross-department collaboration throughout the school year,” Halcomb said. “I think it’s important for the students to learn from me and so many other teachers throughout the school. It really helps all of us build and maintain good relationships with others across campus and connect as the Lake Catholic family. Also, I really love the combination of teaching art and literature together. Anytime I can make that happen, I think it brings my students joy and really makes the content come alive in a meaningful, memorable, and real way for them.”

Wolf said this is not the first time she’s been involved with cross-department collaboration. She’s worked with several teachers from the English, social studies, and science departments in the past. 

According to its website, The Butterfly Project is a call to action through education, the arts, and memorial making. They teach social justice through lessons of the Holocaust, educating participants about the dangers of hatred and bigotry to cultivate empathy and social responsibility. By painting ceramic butterflies, which are displayed as symbols of resilience and hope, participants remember the 1.5 million children killed during the Holocaust.

The students have sketched and designed their butterflies, built them with clay, painted them, designed their butterfly boards, and will eventually display them once their projects are completed. 

“I thought the project was worthwhile,” Wolf said. “The students had fun creating their butterflies. It was apparent that many of them had never worked with clay before though. They spent a lot of time working on their background and how they were going to incorporate a quote from the story. Many of the students really tried to make their butterflies look real. Others were just having fun experimenting with color.”

The final Butterfly Projects were put out in Main Hall this week, where they will stay as a silent reminder of the project and its larger meaning.

“The students have asked so many questions about this unit and have shown real passion for it,” Halcomb said. “They have been most surprised about the reality of anti-semitism, how it led to the Holocaust, and the outcome of it for the Holocaust survivors’ lives.

“Elie ends up in Auschwitz at the age of 15, so the students connected strongly with many of the questions that he has about his relationship with God, his family, friends, himself, and life. Many of the students shared that they couldn't believe he could “find joy after so much pain and hatred that Elie experienced in his life. We have had good conversations about how to deal with major problems in the world and the importance of our words and sharing our stories.”

The lesson was to include another piece as well – a trip to the Maltz Museum. The goal of experiencing the Maltz Museum was to participate in the “Stop the Hate” writing workshop, discuss and reflect on Jewish influence on social, historical, religious, and economic growth in Cleveland, and hear another story from a Holocaust survivor. 

Because of the calamity days in late January, though, the trip was canceled. Halcomb said she would want to incorporate the field trip into next year’s lesson.