Grand View University is a liberal arts college in Des Moines, Iowa, with a student body of about 2,000. At such a small school, said its student body president Kendall Antle, it’s true: everybody seems to know everybody. But the small-town feel does come with its disadvantages. “One major issue we face is apathy,” Antle said. “You have cliques. People have a tendency to stay with whom they know and work with whom they know.”

Street will lead presentations and workshops throughout the week-long event, which this year is centered on the post-Holocaust period and the specific events, or “pivotal moments,” that have shaped our understanding of the Holocaust.

Liberator Thomas D'Aquino describes in this clip his impressions upon entering Dachau. Watch his full-length testimony at vhaonline.usc.edu

World War II veteran Brendon Phibbs recounts liberating French dignitaries, including the premier, held captive by the Nazi's. He also mentions some infamous characters he and his troops rounded up around the same time. Watch his full-length testimony at vhaonline.usc.edu

In this short clip, World War II veteran David Pollock talks about the impact that the devastation of the war had on what he wanted to do with his life as a post-war civilian. Watch his full-length testimony on vhaonline.usc.edu

Liberator Ernest James offers a word of advice to future generations about the importance of personal responsibility, especially the charge of democratic participation. Watch his full-length testimony at vhaonline.usc.edu