A student symposium was held yesterday in conclusion of the three-day Tufts symposium on nuclear issues entitled 'Hiroshima/Nagasaki 2005: Memories and Visions.'
The symposium was an outgrowth of an Interdisciplinary studies class last semester, entitled 'The Cultural Legacy of the Atomic Bomb.'
The symposium began with a presentation of images from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, as well as other notable places and people from World War II. A discussion about U.S. motives for dropping an atomic bomb followed.
Whether or not the use of the bomb saved lives, U.S. aversion to conquering Japan with the help of Russia, and America's desire to use nuclear technology as a tool in post-war politics were all discussed.
Two of the final class projects from The Cultural Legacy of the Atomic Bomb were also presented.
One of these projects was sophomore Rachel Olanoff's account of an interview with a Japanese woman named Akiko Seitlebach. Seitlebach is a 'hibakusha,' the Japanese word for a survivor of the atomic bomb attacks.
Seitlebach said in the interviews that she feels no bitterness toward America. She said that she realizes the atomic bomb was just another weapon in a terrible war. "I'm not mad at America for dropping the bomb, it was war, that's what you get," Seitlebach said.
The second project presented was poetry read by senior Juliette Lizeray. Her poems dealt with the impermanence of history and the legacy of the nuclear attacks in Japan.
Reiko Maeda from University of Massachusetts (UMass) at Boston spoke about a project she recently became involved with that is attempting to gather pictures, belongings, and accounts of prisoners of war in Japan during World War II.
In addition to Tufts students and guests from UMass Boston, a bus from Hamilton College in New York brought students to the event as well.
Aletha Asay, a graduate student from Hamilton College, spoke about a project she has been working on which is about bearing witness in literature. Asay said she describes the act of bearing witness as "making the personal political."
An entire genre of literature exists in Japan dealing with reactions and consequences of the atomic bombs, a reflection of the profound impact the use of nuclear weapons has.
