WHAT DOES 6 MILLION LOOK LIKE?

 

 

 

 

 

Doing this paperclip project has really changed my perspective on the Holocaust. The reason it did was because you don’t realize how many people actually died. But when you see all the paperclips you have to think that each paperclip basically represents a Jewish person that died  in the Holocaust. Its hard to believe that somebody would kill that many people just because they did not like them. It was very emotional the day a Holocaust survivor came to speak at our school to speak. I couldn’t imagine being there at the time that they did that to those people. Doing the paperclip project has made me aware of what happened in the Holocaust. I also think it is good that we are using this as a silent protest against inequality, injustice, and any form of bias in society.

- Jamari S.

 

 

 

 

 

The paper clip project made an impact because it gave me the interest to actually focus on history that really didn’t mean much to me.The Holocaust was just a common lesson that we had to study in school every year. Its a sad moment to realize how much people have died during the Holocaust. To see an representation of the people that died during this time, represents something that should impact everybody because it was a huge tragedy to society. To just think about the people that lost their families and have an to encounter a lost is a huge impact on a person’s life. This is how the project impacts my life.

- Kemonte J.

 

 

 

Before I took part in this starting out as an assignment, I didn’t have much prior knowledge about the holocaust. During the assignment, I have learned much more. From the large event of Abe, the holocaust survivor coming to visit, to the start of our large goal of collecting 6 Million paper clips. These paper clips represent the lives lost during the Holocaust. But my opinion, we should also include the other millions of lives lost that were gays, flawful people, the old, weak, and Hindus that were also killed. This has been a memorable experience from the beginning. But the most heart-felt was when Abe, the Holocaust survivor visited our school. He told us the struggles and events that he tanked. My overall opinion of this project is that it is meaningful, but we need to include the lives of many other groups of people in our project, more than jews died.~~

- Jacob Z.

 

At the beginning of the project we had a visitor come to our school, He was in a nazi concentration camp when he was my age. Some workers would sneak him food while he was working in german factories. He was forced to work until he either starved or was gassed. Later in the war the camp was liberated. This really got to me because I never had to go through such an experience. It was hard to comprehend that someone my age had to go through all that. I am glad that we are collecting these paper clips to honor those who did not survive the horrors of concentration camps.

- Ian B.

 

 

 

 I feel so bad for those who lost their life during the Holocaust. They did absolutely nothing wrong and i believe that they were misjudged.  They were treated bad just because of their religion. Napoleon found some people to blame and tried to ruin the whole population. When Abe, the Holocaust surviver came to our school to talk to us about the troubles he had went through, the circumstances he was in, and the family members that he lost and never saw again. I saw the Holocaust from another perspective and it was truly astonishing, heartbreaking unbelievable. I feel bad for all the victims who were forced away to the concentration camps and then gased. It is truly horrifying. At first when i heard of the Holocaust i had thought that it was only a legend or story but shortly after i found out that this wasnt made up and it really happened. The Jews were misjudged, mistreated, and millions lost their lifes. My prayer goes out to all the lifes lost and all the survivors who lost someone that was really important to them.

- Liya Z.

 

 

Before the paperclip project, I did’nt really fully understand the Holocaust until I actually spoke to a Holocaust survivor. When he shared his story, he really opened up to my emotions. He was able to share his emotions with a number of people. I can’t imagine having to live through those horrors that millions of people had to face. As we work through this project, I pledge to stand against inequality, injustice, prejudice, and any form of bias in society.

~Dana O.

 

 

 

Before I felt like this was going to be boring. I learned about the holocaust many times before. I thought it was just going to be the same thing as before. Then we started to do it. I was thinking I’d have to listen to the same thing over and over. I was wrong. We started doing stuff with it (talking to a survivor, watching videos on it, and we started talking about it more and more). When we started the paperclip project it became much more interesting. We are still continuing to do more and more interesting new stuff. It just keeps getting more and more fun to do.

- Nelson W.

 

 

 

I really like this paperclip project. When I first heard about the project i was like i mean okay, it’s whatever, I already know its 6 million blah blah blah but now that we’ve actually done it has really opened my eyes how big of a tragedy it really was. It’s crazy to see all these paper clips , and think they’re people who have lost their lives. After everyone sees how many paper clips it should really hit you like it hit me. Now that we’re actually doing the project it shows me how tragic it REALLY was. We really need to put that message out there to show how terrible it was, because i’m sure everyone doesn’t understand

- Cheyenne W.

 

 

 

 

The paper clip project changed my perspective greatly on the holocaust. Seeing and feeling 6 million actually hits me. All the lives lost really opened my eyes about the tragedy. Collecting paper clips can really raise awareness for this project. Our goal is 6 million paper clips and i bet we can achieve that goal. We are gonna make a monument to represent our hard work. We are also making a website for this project thats gonna be great for donations.  

- Jasper A.

 

 

 

 

The paperclips represent the lives lost during the Holocaust. Six million Jewish lives were lost. Trying to collect the equivalent of the amount of Jewish Holocaust victims is very hard. The amount we are collecting isn’t even as many people that died. About eleven million died in all.
We had a visit earlier in  the school year from a Holocaust survivor and he told us his story. He had lost most of his family in the concentration camp he was in. The amount of lives are hard to picture in your mind so we (as have other schools) are collecting these paperclips to show our silent protest against mistreatment, biased judgements, and prejudice against others. :)

- Josie M.

 

 

 

 

When we started this project i had an understanding of the holocaust. I am not the most naive person in the world,but some of the horrors still surprised me. The Holocaust survivor shed more light on the topic as well. More people need to be familiar with this topic,to open their eyes. To hear this mans struggle to survive was amazing. Its great that he came out okay physically. Many people do not believe that this stuff could ever happen. I dont know how they could believe this,but its relevant. Hopefully this project assists in opening eyes…

- Jeffrey S.

 

 

 

When we started this project I knew about the Holocaust but the full effect of it never hit me until we got deeper into the project. When the Holocaust survivor came it made me realize just how horrible it really was. It really touched me how fortunate this man was to survive what happened to him.This project really touched me because i am strongly against inequality and injustice to anyone. More people need to learn about it because believe  it or not some people think that this atrocity didn’t happen. This project is to make people aware of what happned,

- Andrea B.

 

 

 

 

 

This project has been a great experience for me to realize better the effect the Holocaust had on the world.  It was good to learn more in depth about the Holocaust and its history.  The most interesting part was meeting a Holocaust survivor for the first time.  Actually getting a first-person account of how it was to be there during World War 2 was amazing.  Even more amazing is how they survived their ordeal.

- Dyson M.

 

 

 

 

This project was something i thought was never gonna take off. We'll i was wrong its been increasingly popular even getting into the newspaper. This is a very exciting project to do and have fun with it, this was a great project to be a part of and im glad to do it. with the holocaust survivor coming in and giving us his incredible story which was one of the best experiences in a while it was amazing. This entire project was something i loved too do the survivor was a wonderful man too meet and he was really cool. The holocaust was a terrible moment in human history and a terrible waste of human life. It was something that was so saddening to listen and learn about it was a lot worse told By someone who was there.

- Roman 

 

 

 

 

 

 

       When we started this project I didn’t know much about the Holocaust. But i’m so glad that we started this project because I really wanted to learn about it and it would be a great learning experience.  When the Holocaust survivor came and visited the school it was very fun and very interesting to learn about the experience he had during the Holocaust. As he told us his story I finally realized how bad it actually was for all of the Germans. The main causes of death was the freezing cold conditions at the concentration camps and starvation.

- Collin R.

 

 

 

 

When we began learning about the Holocaust, I was very excited to learn more about it, because the Holocaust touches me in a special way. It’s hard to believe that every single paperclip represents one lost life. Everytime you look inside the boxes you think about all the misery that has been thrown into one person’s life, and you also think about how horrible someone must’ve been to think that so many people didn’t matter! A person, a human, one of you, just doesn’t matter. Why? How? I just can’t seem to comprehend it all. I currently dance at Terpsichore in downtown Southern Pines, NC and for my contemporary dance we are doing it to the song, ‘When the Tigers Broke Free’ by Pink Floyd. Every time I hear this song it hits me, it’s so powerful and deeply sad. You can feel the pain in his voice, when he sings, and I feel so grateful to be able to express his emotions into my dance. It will truly be a masterpiece!

- Hannah F.

 

 

 

 

When we first Started this project, I honestly thought it was a good idea. Students need to know that this event really happened. At First, I was thinking, “why paper clips?” but When I found out why we’re using paper clips, I Learned even more. Those paper clips represent many lives that were lost. When the holocaust survivor came and talked to us, I so shocked about what he was telling us about the camps. He told us about how he survived and how people helped him. I think this project will inspire people and teach people to treat people the right way and that everyone is different.

- Nastasia S.

 

 

 

 

So for the starting of this project to be honest i thought it was gonna turn up as another everyday project in which we are given in our class, because thats what all our projects have meant to me. Until now. I thought that our donations would be from people like our parents and principal, but we have gotten some from schools in which started the project back in the 90s I think it was. They had very close campaign for their project only thing thats different is we arent just gonna store them away somewhere we are going to be creative with them. I was also shocked to see that we actually made a news article  too. and now we have a website in which people like you are reading it right now. Now i wanna see us hit 6,000,000 more than ever! so please send some on in if you get the chance I’m sure our info was put somewhere in our website. Thank you

Ethan H.

 

 

 

When I first heard that we were going to collect 6 million paper clips I thought that we were going to get no where with this.  That we were never going to get recognized from other places or even here in North Carolina. At first we knew that yes the Holocaust but we didn't ever really knew that much about  it. Then we had Mr.  Abe Piaseck come to speak to us , he was actually a holocaust survivor and told us his real life story. I think that that was when I realized that for every paperclip that was a person that died.  We started getting emails and paper clips sent from everywhere. Now we have 100,000 paper clips and still going for our goal of 6 million. Now that I see all of these paper clips it really means a lot to me and all of us.

- Caitlin G.

 

 

 

 

This is a very unique project with an extraordinary meaning. I never thought this project would take off this far, especially if it was our first time going this far. But this project has exceded that expectation. Although we our the AIG team is still working, the the number of paperclips we have is great. I had an emotional moment, where my teacher explained when you see those 6 million paper clips. Before and previously, I saw then as just paperclips, but now, that they explained the meaning, when I do see 6 million + paper clips, I will think even more lives were lost. I now view one of those paper clips as not just a symbol of rebellion during the Holocaust, but as a life lost during the Holocaust. And when a Holocaust survivor came in to share his experiences, it was heartbreaking, the suffering he went through, and tons more did, it made me realize how important this project is to the many contributors. I hope this project succeds.

- Will H.

 

 

 

Before I knew what the holocaust was I was confused what it was and what it ment.Now I kinda have a good idea what the holocaust is it was when 6 million lives were taken.Currently we have around 100 thousand paper clips.One paper click represents 1 life that was taken.There are atleast 200 thousand people that are mentally or physically patients.In 1933, the jewish population of europe stood at over nine million.Now I know more about the holocaust and how many lives were lost.Also I now know that holocaust is a greek word that means “sacrifice by fire.”

- Ehvan R.

 

 

 

I am very proud to be a part of our SMS Paperclip project. While being a part of this journey, I have been able to truly realize the enormity of what we have been doing. As I have been collecting and counting these paper clips, I have truly felt like I can visualize these people who have lost their lives.  The lives of these people were taken during the Holocaust for an unimaginable reason. I have never thought of six-million as a special number, but it represents the number of lives lost during the Holocaust. When we began this project, I was unsure if we would finish, but have begun to believe that we can really do this and achieve our goal. We are becoming closer every day, and will eventually have all six-million. Paper clips were an important symbol during the holocaust, and were a representation of freedom to all that were being punished.  

- Will C.

 

 

 

When Mrs.Rawls first told us about the Holocaust project I honestly did not think it was possible. But, I was wrong… We have been collecting for a few months and we already have a 100,000 paerclips. That number increases everyday! When I come through the AIG room door and see all these paperclips I cant help but feel a wave of emotions come over me. Hapiness because we have really done something amazing, sadness because its weird to think that 1 paper clip is a life that we have lost. I am so amazed that we got to be on the Fayetteville Observer!! I cannot wait until we have collected our 6 million and build our monument so we can show all youth that we CAN do things and we CAN show what we are against, and that we need to respect the few Holocaust survivors that are left and really understand and know there stories because we are the probably the last generation to know true accounts from real people that had to live in this terrible tragedy.

- Leah P.

 

 

It all started when we watched a video about the holocaust and how many lives were lost in the concentration camps. So one day we came in class and our teacher Mrs. Rawls  showed us a video about a class in Tennessee collecting paper clips to represent how many jews died during the holocaust. And we thought why not just recreate the project in 2014 since the last paperclip project happened in 1998. At first I thought it was impossible because we set out to collect 6 million paper clips! But then we started to get a lot of support and the paper clips came pouring in. We even got to be on our local newspaper! After that we sent emails to Abc and various other news networks to get our word out there. When we get 6 million paperclips we plan to make a monument out of it.

-Kolbe T. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Holocaust experience was a very memorable time for me and my peers. We had a guest speaker come in to talk to us about how it was being in the Holocaust, his name is Abe Piaseck. Our AIG program wants to try and collect 6 million paper clips representing the 6 million lives lost during the Holocaust. So far we have collected about 100,000 paper clips. Whenever I come in the AIG room I think it is just so cool that we have gotten this far in our job to collect this much. We are looking forward to collecting more and more each and every day. When I am here counting these paper clips it gives me mixed emotions. Just thinking about all these people that lost their lives it makes me so sad. It also makes me feel so proud of us for ongoing this task to collect this abundant amount of paper clips. I hope we can reach our goal to collect 6 million paper clips.

- Jordyn D.

 

 

 

This is a great project to be involved in.  When I heard the number 6 million I thought it was a lot, now that I see how much we have now its a lot more than I thought it would be.  It has changed how I looked at it, one paper clip is one persons life.  We also had an amazing experience when Mr. Abe Piaseck, a holocaust survivor, spoke to us about the holocaust.  His stories were so sad, I can’t believe that he and many more survivors had to go through this.  AIG is trying to collect 6 million paper clips to support every jew’s life lost.  It is terrible that this has happened to many people.  So far the AIG program has collected 100,000 paper clips.  After we’re done collected the paper clips we’re going to create a monument.  I think we can do it!!!

- Jaclyn K.

 

 

 

Before we started talking about the holocaust, I thought it was a small thing. I thought it was a little part of WW2. I thought about 100,000 or so died. When I heard 6 million people died, I was very shocked. This project has really educated me about the Holocaust. When I learned that most kids my age wouldn’t survive the concentration camps, I thought of those kids never getting to see their parents again. This moved me very much. I really love how much support we have gotten from people all around the world.

- Karl A.

 

 

 

When I first heard about the holocaust I didn’t think much of it. It was like another thing that happen. But when the class started talking about it and the teacher telling us and showing us thing that happen to the people that was there and show us some survivors that had got me thinking about all the people that died during this.We stated this project November 14th. We are collecting paper clips to represent the all the people that went through this.We have an estimate of 100,000 paper clips right now but we are trying to get to 6 million paper clips to finish our project.

- CeAnna T.

 

 

 

The paperclip project started out as something small, I didn’t think we would get into newspapers and have responses from celebrities like we do. We also have gotten paper clips and various emails from students who participated in the original paperclip project in Tennessee. The students in Tennessee most likely also thought that way at first, but they ended up getting about 11 million paper clips. We are aiming to get our 6 million by April. It took the students in Whittwell a few years to collect 11 million. We AIG students would like to get national attention from celebrities, newspapers, and other forms of social media. When Mr. Abe Piasek came in and spoke it was a life changing experience that our children will never get. I’m so grateful that I’ve had the experiences that I’ve had with this project, it has been a great experience.

- Ashley L.

 

 

 

When we first started learning about the Holocaust, I was so excited. This experience has been so memorable for me and my friends. We had a survivor come in and speak to us and his name was Abe Piaseck. He talked to us about how life was. Listening to this, made me sad. It makes me realize that my life is bad at all. I hope that something like this never happens again. It is just sad and disappointing that something like this occurred.

- Madison J.

 

 

 

 

When I first started the paperclip project I thought that it was going to take us a long time to collect 6 million paperclips, but as it turned out it didn’t take as long as I thought it would. We worked everything out pretty quick. We got many emails to and from people. We had many stores helping and we had other schools helping us with our project. In my opinion, I think we can get more than 6 million paperclips by April. I would love it if we can get more people to help us collect 6 million paperclips or more.

- Melissa C.

 

 

It’s amazing being able to be involved in this wonderful project! When my teacher told us that we would be collecting 6 million paper clips I didn’t think we could do it. When I walked into class one day, my thought changed. I had seen, by the looks, 1,000 paper clips! Ever since we started collecting them we kept increasing in numbers. Then a thought blew by my mind. Each paper clip we get is just like bringing one life back from the Holocaust tragedy. If we can really collect 6 million it will be like we never lost the people. Right now the AIG program has collected 100,000!! Hopefully we will reach our goal.

- Sariah T.

 

 

 

I am able to connect this project by how people are judged and how people abuse authority.To me one paperclip is one person obtaining their life back from torment. One memorable experience was when Abe Piasek came to talk to us about what he remembered about that time. I was very excited when Ms.Rawls told us we were doing this project because we aren’t talking about it we are doing something.

- Paris J.

 

 

Dying. People dying. All over the world. I will not look look at death the same as I did one year ago. Every single paper clip sitting on the table in front of me, is a life that was lost during a tragic time. The Holocaust. I take this very seriously. Its like we are dealing with people’s lives.

Except we are making the memorials. Remembering the victims of the Holocaust.

- Anya Sturdivant 

 

 

 

During the Halocaust project in AIG, I have learned a lot of things which I would have never realized the importance of. Before starting this, I thought nothing of the Halocaust. I had’nt even heard of what this was, led alone the fact that 11 million people died because of it. Now that we have learned so much about it, I can hardly believe it! The paper clips we’ve been collecting each stand for one of the people who died, and I find it amazing that the amount of people that died is nearly 60 times how many we’ve collected! Anyways, I think its great that our teacher has taught us all this. It makes me actually realize how lucky I am right now with my life. Thinking of what the 11 million people, including children, had to go through. Now that I have learned so much about what happened and how many it has happened to, It helps me be more thankful for what I do have, and I honor those who did have to go through this. I want people to join me in honoring and remembering the men and women who have gone through this. Nobody in the world should have to go through things like this, and I hope it doesn’t happen again.

- Nathan E.

 

 

 

 

when we started our endeavour to collect 6 million paper clips to honor the lives of the jews lost in the Holocaust it was extremely overwhelming. Now we are growing towards our goal, and

I am very glad we started paperclips2014! When we started collecting paper clips we watched the documentary about the original paper clip project that happened in Whitwell, Tennessee over twenty years ago. The class got very excited when we received paper clips and a letter from the principal from the original creator of the paper clip project. A few weeks ago we had a Holocaust survivor, Abe Piasek, it was very interesting listening to his Holocaust experience. Listening to Mr. Piasek was very enriching, and helpful to realize the magnitude of the Holocaust. By collecting paper clips, we are not just remembering the Lives lost in the Holocaust.

- Sarah C.

 

 

Before we started the holocaust project, I didn’t know anything about what the holocaust was and what happened. Ms. Rawls had told us that we were going to start collecting paper clips in remembrance of the people who lost their lives in the holocaust. Towards the middle of the project, I really wanted to contribute. During the project, We had a holocaust survivor actually come to SMS and tell us about his story experience and how he survived it. I feel like this project has gave everyone an idea to what the holocaust was.

- Nicholas H. 

 

 

 

 

On November 19th 2014, Mr. Abe Piasek came to our school to share his story.  Mr. Abe lived through the Holocaust, he is one of the 300,000 survivors  of this terrible event. I bet you’re saying  “300,000? That seems like a lot!”Well it’s NOT!  Compared to the 11,000,000 people that during Hitler’s reign died in those 8 years. Just let that sink in…

                                11,000,000

 

Mr. Abe lost both his parents, 2 sisters, and an uncle during the Holocaust. Most of us know what it like to lose a loved one, maybe even 2, or 3. Those of us who don’t, imagine, well, losing a loved one. Nothing really compares to the pain and sadness. Now everyone imagine having 5 loved ones being ripped away from you, you don’t know what’s going on, you never have a chance to say goodbye, and you’ll probably never see them again. Then, instead of offering you a shoulder to lean on, these people, take you, and mistreat you, and starve you, and you still don’t know what’s going on! This is how many people, like Mr. Abe, were treated. The victims (Jewish, or otherwise) were treated like this because they weren't part of Hitler’s “perfect race”.Once they outgrew their usefulness (farming, building, moving heavy objects, and more backbreaking jobs) by becoming old, weak, or physically disabled, they were killed in terrible ways. They were gassed, burned alive, shot, and used for medical experiments. Also, when they were gassed, they were tricked into it by the Natzi’s saying that they were getting their fist shower in months, or years. Any babies that were born in concentration camps were killed on sight. In front of their parents!!!!!!!!   Honestly, I believe that these were the worst years in our history.

 

At SMS middle school, we are trying to make a change. The way people treat eachother is horrendous! We are collecting paperclips in a silent protest against all bias in society. We are creating a mounument to honor everyone who has been mistreated, Holocaust, or otherwise. We hope to collect at least 11,000,000 paperclips. Each student is asked to collect at least 100,000 paperclips. Our project ends in April, so help while you can! Please! We need all the help we can get! My peers at SMS all are very proud of the work weve done so far! We hope to make an impact on the world, like the kids from Tennesee, who we got idea from.

 

Overall, our world has been a terrible place for mistreatment, and we hope to change that.                                                            

- Emily R.

 

 

 

The holocaust. The terrible time in history where Adolf Hitler set out to wipeout the jews. I was shocked when I was told that we were studying an time in history when millions of people died. At first I thought it was irrelevant to our daily lives but then it got suddenly real. Around 11 million people died in concentration camps. They had done nothing wrong but be alive. That was enough to make Hitler kill them. I remember going to our theater room and eating a small snack. We were waiting for an holocaust survivor. When he walked in and sat down I could tell that he had been though a lot. He pulled out an book with pictures in black and white. As we all passed around the binder I saw a picture of a man without a shirt on and I could see his ribs poking out. from that day on I have taken our paperclip project very seriously. A paperclip on one of our tables represents a life lost in the holocaust.

- Colin B.

 

 

 

  The Holocaust. To some people that might just be a random word with no meaning. To all of the six million people who died in the concentration camps, that word means a lot. I want you to take a minute and try to imagine six million… paper clips. Oh, I forgot… you can’t. Now try imagining six million people. Exactly. Six million innocent, beautiful lives, gone. I can’t imagine how someone could murder so many lives, and then live with yourself. To not die from the guilt. I look up to the survivors, and even more to the ones that share their story after what they’ve been through. Some even go back to their concentration camps. One example, Elie Wiesel. He is a survivor. I give a shoutout to all the people who survived, for all the people who watched their loved ones get dragged away from them, and for all the people who died, that they be cherished and remembered.

- Madison K.

 

 

I didnt feel sad before because i didnt know any of them at first. After the holocaust survivor came in it made me sad. Ms,rawls said we were going to collect 6 million paper clips. So i went home and got 300 paper clips. Now we have like 100,000 paper clips and there all over the place. when the holocaust. Towards the middle i really wanted to contribute. What does 6 million look like. Theres alot of paper clips on these tables and each one represents a live lost.

- Declan R.

 

 

 

 I have had amazing experiences doing the paperclip project. One thing that I really took to heart was when we had Mr. Abe come to my school. That was really when I started feeling the reality of what happened. It just hit me like lightning how many people were lost. That was really when I started being determined to get 6 million paper clips. Whenever I got discouraged about how hard it would be to get 6 million paper clips, I just think about how many people died and how I am working to honor them. And I have to admit, at the beginning of this project, I took it very lightly. I was just thinking it was another AIG project. Now, I am working so hard to get 6 million paper clips. One thing that touches my heart is that we have enough paper clips to cover four tables, and we are not even at 1% of our goal yet. That is why we keep fighting. That is why we are conducting a silent protest against all prejudice. We are fighting against bullying, racism, everything. To make sure that nothing like the Holocaust never happens again.

- Keegan F.

 

 

 

 

This experience in my 8th grade year at SMS has really opened my eyes towards the sickening amount of souls lost to the Holocaust. 11 million total, 6 million because of their religion, 5 million because of who they were. This project all because someone asked a question “What does 6 million look like?” It really was a good question, wondering how to comprehend the amount of Jews killed. 6 million paper clips is an incredible amount of anything to collect, let alone imagine that it represents the souls lost during the holocaust.

- Joseph C.

 

 

6 Million. It seems hard to comprehend. So many lives lost that it sounds impossible. But I feel that something even harder to comprehend is how just one life could be lost.

When I pick up a paper clip I don’t think of the paper clip as just a number or a goal to be reached. I think of who this paper clip represented.

“Who was this person?” I think “Was this person a boy or a girl? Were they poor or rich? Young or old?” This paperclip is more than just a small piece of metal, it was a person, and now their life is lost, identity forgotten and reduced to a paper clip in a sea of 6 million.

So when I think of how the 6 million paper clip project has affected me I don’t think of how 6 million people and how huge and incomprehensible of a number it is.

I think of the lone paperclip, the one person, the silent protest, strong enough to reverberate around the world without making a sound.

- John-Kyle

 

 

 

When I first got involved into the SMS Paperclip Project, I was not confident in the success of this project. When the Holocaust survivor came to the school, I knew the significance of this project and I knew it could happen if everyone contributed. Now, I have gone to my neighbors, family members, classmates, and friends to donate or promote the cause. I never thought that we might reach our goal, but now I have confidence in the fact that we might actually get 6 million paper clips. I have always been against injustices so I am willing to help out with any silent protesting.

- Cat S.

 

 

We are very dedicated to this paper clip project. We started it because we knew we could achieve the goal a lot easier and faster than the people in Tennessee because we had social media and advanced technology to use. Also, this experience has really shown me how tragice the Holocaust was. Espicially with Abe Piaseck coming to our school and sharing is horrible experience with us. Its insane that this happened to millions of people. After that experience it opened our eyes. We were hooked to this project. The 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are all excited with this project.

- Noah M.

 

 

At first, when I heard about this project “6 million? That might as well be dropped eventually, with the time that would take!” so I personally figured it would wither away to a dusty pet project on the shelf with the others. But the followed through, so one day i decided what to think about it. So I dived in, and now I’m the manager for the online records, and I created documents and spreadsheets. Then, the holocaust survivor came , and talked to us, and he seemed to have a guardian angel watching over him throughout the event. I was amazed of what he went through, and where help came from. I was amazed at some of the cruelty that I had heard about and I vowed never to let it happen again. Then Mrs. Rawls told us to get 100,000 each. I’ve been working with my brother, sending emails, and working hard towards my goal. My brother and I have made a website, and we are working to talk the campus of LMU (California) to help us towards our goal. We have also been contacting our friends and family, so our goal will be achieved soon, I hope!

- Ian F.

 

 

 

It all started with a yearly Holocaust unit. And a movie.  Then it grew into a project.  Then a movement. A small paperclip with a world of meaning.  This project opened my heart and my mind.  

So far, after four months, we have collected 100,000 souls.  When you look at the collection, you think it is a more than possible.   Then you get the overwhelming sense, thinking about how we have only have less than 2% of our goal.  At that time, I got stressed out and felt overstretched at the thought of having to get soooo many more.  After my dramatic moment, I took a step back and realised, this project was not about the numbers.  This project was about honoring and loving the souls that were discriminated against.  This project was about standing up against the wrongs of this world and making a bond between all men and women.

This project also struck home, because my great-great uncle Luka was lost in Poland during that time.  We never found him. That is why I support this silent protest.  No family should have to deal with the pain of loving a loved one or being bullied against for who they are.  I hope you will find a voice in this protest and join.  Thank you and I am praying for you!

- Sarah D.

 

 

My experience with the paper clips project has been wonderful. At first I didn’t really think this project would work, but now so many people have been turning in paper clips. I really liked it when Mr. Abe came and spoke because I have never heard a survivor speak about the Holocaust. I have always only read about the Holocaust so it never really felt real to me. Now, that I have heard his story I think we can really get 6 million paper clips. Everyone has been working hard to reach our goal of 6 million, we have been contacting newspapers, making flyers, contacting lots of people and so much more. For people who don’t know what we are doing, we are making a silent protest against injustice like how so many people were wrongfully killed during the Holocaust. I really like this project because it is showing how so many people are standing against injustice today. This project is showing how we all stand against bullying, racism, hate, etc. We all really love this project.

- Elaina B.

 

 

 

I have not been dealing with the Paperclip Campaign for long .Before I joined I would see these posters around the school . I had no clue what it meant and to be honest they to me were just posters on the school wall . Then it all hit me when I joined AIG and started learning and getting involved in the Paperclip Campaign . It made a connection with me . I first got involved when a special visitor came and had been through the Holocaust . He spoke about what had went on in the camps and hearing all of what he said made me have sympathy for the ones who are deceased . Especially the ones who survived through the Holocaust and have flashbacks and dreams about it . I feel so sorry and for them. I also will help with the Silent Protest by standing against name-calling and anything else that i see around the school because you may never know what other kids may be going through at home or period. So now I’m helping and getting involved with the Paperclip Campaign for all those who have passed away and survived in honor of them.

-Shu’Diamond U.

 

 

I remember when the holocaust survivor came to our school. I thought it was gonna just a small gathering i never thought it would be broadcasted over different counties and would be so big! It also was very emotional hearing a first person account of someone who survived. Hearing the evils and crimes they committed touched my heart. I loved watching our project take off! At first it was very slow and i kinda gave up hope cause we barely got any the first couple weeks. Then the school helped us take then we started getting donations and counting a lot more. This got everyone so hyped because it was finally taking off and now we finally getting somewhere! I cant wait to reach 6 million but we can’t lose sight what each and every one symbolize a life lose in the holocaust.Thank you for everyone who donated and thanks for all the support!

- James B.

 

 

I was surprised at the sheer amount of paper clips that were donated in such a period of time. in general, this project hasn’t been going on for that long in comparison to some of these other projects that have been going on. we’ve raised about 100,000 paper clips, which doesn’t sound like a lot. but, when you see all of them spread out on a table, the enormity of the lives lost hits you. we had three long tables covered in paper clips, and we’re quite aways away from our goal(6 mil.) we’re trying to construct a monument using all of the paper clips, but I’m not sure that it would be able to fit in the building. each paper clip represents represents a human life, and when you’re handling the paper clips (we’re making the branches for the tree that we’re going to build out of them) its quite frightening and incredibly depressing. and this is only the jews who died in the holocaust. this isn’t including the 5 mil. gays, gypsies, and anyone else who just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. I sincerely hope that that something like this will never happen again, and that their deaths will not be forgotten.  we’re taking a silent protest against all injustice, which the holocaust contains almost every type injustice and atrocity that humanity has ever known. I’m also jewish, at least by heratige, so this unit is somewhat personal. I can frankly say that I am absolutly horrified by what has happened. some contries are completely dening that the holocaust even happend, just as an excuse to attack isreal. If we don’t learn from the mistakes of our past, then we are bound to repeat it.

- Ben L.

 

 

My experience during the paperclip project has been very interesting. When the idea was first introduced, I was really excited and I thought the project would be a good way for our AIG class to help people understand the magnitude of the devastation that occurred during the Holocaust. As the project progressed however, to be honest I began to lose hope in us reaching our goal of 6 million paper clips. We really weren’t getting anywhere and we didn’t have much of a plan. But now, we all have a plan and I think with our new technology, we can really throw all of this into overdrive and be able to reach our goal.

But I have learned something recently that I hadn’t paid much attention to before. This campaign isn’t about the paper clips. This project is about all the lives that were taken. Snatched right out from under people who had families and loved ones and full lives to live. It is because of the hate and prejudice that people in this society continue to overlook. That is what the project is about and that is the message I think we should be expressing more heavily but I do think that at the rate we are going some people are in for an interesting wake up call of sorts and I feel like that is what we need with this project right now.

- Nyair L.

 

 

 

 

I walked passed the big sign in the hallway that said 6 million paper clips almost everyday. I also saw people posting pictures on social medias occasionally. Some of my friends, including my brother, were in AIG before me and i had heard alot about it. Within my first two days of joining the class, I have been surprised with how the project is coming along. For the project we are collecting paper clips and our goal is 6 million. Each paper clip represents one life lost in the holocaust. It is very emotional project, just knowing how many people died.

I really like this project because it has a very good purpose. People are getting involved not only in school, but also in the community. We had an add in the newspaper and we might be featured on channel one. One very nice couple donated one hundred dollars for us to buy paper clips. In conclusion, I am very impressed by how the project is coming out.

-Daphne R.

 

 

 

When we began this project I was excited but wasn’t really expecting people to actually get involved.  I was wrong.  I started out with just a simple plan of attack on the project, and handed out flyers to my neighborhood.  I got 11 thousand paper clips from this idea.  In total we have received roughly 100 thousand paper clips.  Along with these there are more on the way.  Not only this but we even had a holocaust survivor come in and speak to us about his experience.  Never would i have expected to have anything come close to this from just a simple middle school project.  Once we get to around 6 million we are going to start building a sculpture.  I dont think that there is a complete design yet that was decided on.  Either that or it is a tree with butterflies coming off of it.  Even though i may have been skeptical earlier in the year, its kinda worn off since all of this happened.

- Adam C.

 

 

When I first started this project I did not think of the scale it would turn out to be. It started out with just a idea but evolved into something way more. We watched a video of the first time students did this and it made us want to do it. We started spreading the word about it then we started collecting. We then started receiving  contributions and it went upward from there. We got letters from people expressing their likeness for the project.We then got a letter from the principle of the first school that did this project. She told us about how she enjoyed that we were doing this project.A little while later we got the honor of having a holocaust survivor come to our school and tell his story to us. After that we started counting, collecting, emailing and more involved in the project. We valued the paperclips more than when we started collecting. Each of the paperclips was a life and we wanted to respect that person. When we finish with it we will make a giant tree with butterflies. The butterflies represent the children that died in the death camps. I have faith that we can collect 6 million paperclips to fulfill our goal.

-Nicholas Y.

 

 

 

When I first heard about this project all I could think is that this is plagiarism, we’re just copying someone elses accomplishment. Then when the Holocaust survivor came in and said how happy he was to speak to us and help inspire us to do such a large task, the thought that came through was that they never copyrighted or trademarked this project so we will get away with it.

 To tell the truth, when we started I had no idea what the Holocaust was. When I found out I was just stunned at Hitler’s ideas and was glad to hear he was dead. This cruel man was so racist he wanted everyone that wasn’t blond haired and blue eyed dead! I’m a brunette with brown eyes, so he’d be happy to have me dead. I could have cried right then and there.

 The thought of all this dead just made me want to travel back in time and assassinate anyone who agreed to be apart of these wretched ideas. I really just want to against racism is my inspiration to do this project. I have a mixed sister and soon a mixed brother so any racism just kills me.

- Micaela B.

 

 

 

I was inspired by the paperclip project because i felt sad for the all the people that died in the holocaust. One minute they are inside their homes and living a normal life and the next they next they are in a foreign place they do not know of. Then they family members and friends die. The ones that died i feel very sad because it was just plain murder. And the that didn’t i feel even more sad for because of the torture and what they went through. The people that died didn’t have a grave, their surviving family members can go to the horrible camp. I think that the paperclips that we are collecting are like their souls and remembrance. Then the memorial that we make the family members don’t have to go back and remember their hard times. I feel that the people wanted a normal life and but could because of one person. Now I realize that one person can change the world. Now I think that if we pull together we can change the world to a better place. We also have to always remember that there will still be evil in the world and cannot stop it but get rid of most of it.  That is what i think of our paperclip project.

- Jason K.     

 

 

 

I’ll be honest when we first started this project I thought it was just another assignment. More work I thought. But then as we started to get deeper and deeper into this horrible event I realized how important this it is and how people should know about it to a stronger degree. By watching videos and especially through the amazing speech giving by Abe Piasak I realized the pain and sorrow of the holocaust. While learning about the agony that these innocent people went through on a daily bases I realized the events power. It horrifies me that people would want to do this to a person for their religion or otherwise. It shows that there is evil in the world. I now realize the power of our project. I feel that through our project we are honoring those who went through this terrible event. I hope that others will be able to see this event the way I now see it.

-Jacob L.

 

 

 

With this project I have liked learning about the Jewish people and how some of them survived through the holocaust. My favorite part was hearing a holocaust survivor tell us his story from surviving in different concentration camps. So far we have collected a little over 100,000 thousand but that is nothing in the big picture. We are trying to collect more than 6,000,000 paper clips to represent the lives that were lost in the holocaust time period. We have been reaching out to celebrities, news stations, and local business and organizations to help reach our goal of 6 million. But that is not it along with any paper clips we ask them what they stand against(bullying,animal abuse, inequality,etc,). In our class we have have written down what we stand against. I stand against animal abuse because it’s not fair to treat a living animal like its a piece of trash. The amount of inequality in this world isn’t right because to many people are bullied or hurt from all of the stuff.

- Nolan D.  

 

 

I've been doing the paperclip project for my A.I.G class for about one or two months.I've gathered thousands of paper clips .I've made links of paper clips with twenty on one clip.I've heard the story of a survivor of the holocaust.The first day a lot of people including myself that this project wouldn't take off, but now we have hundreds upon thousands of paper clips.Now i've started to place myself in the project.Now i'm trying to gather more paper clips.I’m contacting business such as advance auto,and H&R block.But our cause of show people the magnitude of the amount of life’s lost during the holocaust still needs more support from others.We the students of Southern middles A.I.G program are close to reaching our goal but we need help.

- Evan B.

 

 

 

 

In my experience in this paper clip project nothing really made sense or connected as to why we are doing this. My teacher mrs. Rawls did say that we were collecting paper clips to represent the lives lost in the holocaust. Even though she explained it the best she could, I still never really understood why this was going to impact us. There was a holocaust survivor that came in and told stories that students understood and was able to connect with . Sadly though I was sick the day he came in and never got to meet him in person. I think it was sad I missed that opportunity ,but i’m glad because I came and worked with the paper clips and understood them in a new way that most kids might not have. I looked at the paper clips and saw that they were all pretty different and saw their uniqueness and saw how it related to someones life. I noticed flaws in the paper clip and just like a person, they werent perfect. It was almost like looking at the mistakes and failures of a person. And from that I grew a new respect for the lives that I saw when I looked down at the different paperclips. I no longer saw them as a chore or as work, but as a honor and a responsibility to keep the memory of  their lives known for the people today to look back at and never forget.

-Gabe H.

 

 

 

I didn’t expect that this would be such a big project but after hearing and seeing a holocaust survivor’s story, I realized that I would remember this my whole life. After that I started trying to bring in more paperclips. I wanted to reach six million and go above and beyond the six million mark. I know that on the first day me and a few other kids were thinking this was going to be easy but this has been harder than expected but hey I like a bit of a challenge. Soon I see us getting a giant package full of paper clips. I feel that we will be able to reach our goal of six million. i know that I’m still expecting some from Norway from a friend. The amount we have is large but still not close to our goal.

- Caleb N.

 

 

 

 

 

To me a paperclip represents something more than an object that holds paper together. It means a person’s life , a beautiful soul ,equality in each state , and a chance to be free. I think that every paperclip should be handled with care and not left off the ground if dropped. When i say that i mean that i’m comparing a life that was in the holocaust with a paperclip. So, when i think of a paperclip dropped i think of a life that was left in concentration camp to die. God bless the beautiful souls that died during the Holocaust. This project represents Awareness for inequality and that is also what I think a paperclip means.

- Liliana G.

 

 

 

The paperclip project has inspired me to realize that everyone has a purpose. each one of these paper clips represents a person. This project has made me realize that I have a purpose and that everyone one else does too. Every last paperclip represents a person who had a meaning and belief. Every paperclip had a right to be themselves and to believe in the things that they wanted to. 6 million is a lot of paper clips, but I know we can do it for the sake of every person who had a meaning. When I look at these paper clips I see a purpose. Whether that was a doctor, a lawyer, a dancer, a teacher,etc. These paper clips have helped me know that I have a purpose just like every paper clip out there. This Paperclip project is a big deal, because we need to honor every story behind the paperclip.

- Abby O.

 

 

 

During this project I have learned so much and at times felt very emotional because of how sad the events that took place are. Its amazing to me that we have already got so much support from so many people and that we have got so many paper clips already! I have really enjoyed doing this project for so many reasons. Mainly the learning experience and getting to meet a Holocaust survivor. When the Holocaust survivor came to our school and spoke to us I was very excited but when he got here it really sunk in that he had gone through all of the stuff that I read and watched videos on and studied about. I personally hope that nothing like that ever happens again. I stand against inequality, injustice and bullying and so much more! I loved having this experience and I’ve had so much fun with it!  

- Jada H.

 

 

           What I think about  this paperclip project is that is I think it is a good thing to do this for the holocaust. And that it wasn't right what the nazis did to the Jews. And it doesn't make any sense why they were against jews and other people. And it wasn't good how they determined if you were a jew or not. And how could they kill 6 million jews. And 11 million people altogether.

- Kevin J.

 

 

 

 

What i think about this that its horrible and sad. If i was god i would give back there lives. This event that happend was terrifying.This shouldnt never happened even most of the were jew. It dont matter if your a jew or not, you should be treated right . They shouldnt have concentration camps becuse its bad.They killed 6 million jews. In all they killed 11 million people.

- Marcelo

 

 

 

 

I am going to be honest with you about this project,about my feelings about what happened, etc.

In the beginning we worked really hard on this project. We were trying really hard to get people to know about us. Luckily we have social media to help us. We created many social media accounts on many pages such as Instagram, Facebook, Gmail, Twitter, Reddit, Tumblr, Pintrest, and Padler. Throughout the whole process we have contacted many businesses nationwide. Im not gonna lie some of them have been rude to us but we keep going through through all of the good comments people give us. I am so glad i can be a part in this project and can be in the next 3 years i take part in Southern Middle School.Thank you all for reading my passage maybe u can donate paperclips to our cause!!

- Lexi A.

 

 

 

At the beginning of our paperclip project, Mr. Abe Piasek, a Holocaust survivor, came to share his story with us.  He told about his experience before, during, and after his interment in the Auschwitz concentration camp.  I had read about the Holocaust before, but it had never seemed so real.  It made me sad that people were cruel enough to do this to people.  It made me think about how, when my children are old enough to understand, there will probably not be any survivors left.  I think this project will make other people remember the horror, and they will tell their children.  I will be able to tell my children about this project, and what happened.  My generation, and the generation after me needs to remember.  I understand that it is hard to remember the great cruelty of people, but it is necessary.  If we do not remember these things, than they will happen again.  If we take a stand against things like injustice, prejudice, and cruelty, then we can prevent things like the Holocaust.

- Hannah M.

 

 

What I  remember most about this unit is when Mr.Abe came and told us his story.

It was very interesting what he said. It really woke me up about what we were doing. After that I started to actually collect paperclips. The thing that stuck with me was when he told me his friend was shot in the head while they were playing. Another thing that stuck was when he said another prisoner told him to stand right under the faucet that would kill them quicker but it turned out to be cold water. Another thing I remember is when I  asked for donations from

staples and they gave me 5,000 paperclips. I was really glad when that happened. I was glad when Dicks sporting goods gave me some and the country bookshop gave me some. I think this is a really good project to do and I hope we achieve our goal.

- Cooper M.

 

 

 

 

When we first started this unit I thought it would just be a project where we count paper clips and remember those who passed. But as we gradually went on it became more interesting by the day. Through the first few weeks I will admit that this wasn’t a very interesting topic, but then a real survivor from the holocaust came in and it really opened up my mind. A lot of people were killed just because they were different, and it made me think it was unfortunate that they died and how we are alive just because of new rules and laws. Why couldn’t we have laws back then that would prevent that. Anyways, when Mr. Abe Piasek came I saw a great effect in not just myself but everyone in my A.I.G class. As we progressed as to where we are now we are making a tree covered in 6 million paper clips. I’m going to be honest it has taken a long while just to make about 50 tree hangers. And thats only a fourth of what we have now and we don’t even have 6 million yet! As we keep progressing we will get 6 million, I strongly believe, and I can’t wait till we get the tree covered in paper clips from those who passed.

- Emma H.

 

 

 

 

 

I never realized how scary the holocaust was until I started this project. I had heard stories before, but i never really understood it. I used to feel as if that could never happen and was impossible. But when I listened to Abe Piasek’s story, I was shocked! I never realized how harsh, how inhumane it was. I couldn’t understand why anybody would do such a thing to a human,  lifeful being. But now that we started this project I understood why. I sure didn’t agree to it, but I figured out why. I am now enjoying this paperclip project! I love listening to what people stand against! I hope that this project will help students and adults in the future with understanding the holocaust!

- Ariana J.

 

 

 

 

What I recall about this project at first was buying paperclips and counting them. To me it seemed like a dull project of counting and buying paper clips. But as I learned what the paperclips stood for my mindset changed to one of understanding. Mr.Abe a holocaust survivor visited my school and told us his story. It mellowed me in such a way that I was frozen still. How could someone survive such a thing and still live a normal live? Yet Mr.Abe lives a normal live. Mr. Abe taught me that no matter what happens

- Charles R.

 

 

 

 

When we first started this project, I didn’t really know what to expect. I definitely didn’t think that we would be collecting paper-clips for our project.  When we first started researching the holocaust my reaction was complete horror, I was thinking how could someone do something so terrible? We watched a video of Oprah Winfrey and Elie Wiesel, who were talking about Elie’s experience at the Auschwitz Concentration Camp, in Poland. He even wrote a book about his experience called “Night”. When we watched this video I understood what people actually went through in the holocaust. I had known about the holocaust before we did this lesson, but I didn’t truly understand what happened. We also had a survivor of the holocaust come to our school, but I wasn’t able to attend his speech. We are collecting paper-clips because of people who were against the holocaust would wear paper-clips on their clothes.

- Morgan J.

 

 

 

 

        When we first started I thought it was just a normal project but when we got deep into it i realized we are doing a big thing. When the holocaust survivor it had a big impact on what I was doing.  When we started gathering paperclips I was just so happy I could help. I even contributed 100 paper clips I even asked my mom to help and she did. When we watched videos on the holocaust I was just was torn apart. It is just inhumane to do that to people where all the same and that was a big mistake. Now we have started to progress a lot over the past few weeks. This has been a very good experience for me and it has had a good influence on me. The holocaust will have an impact on me in the future because I want to be a teacher and I want to teach it to my students. That is what the paperclip project is to me and how it has an impact on my life.

- Jack C.