My peers and I have been creating a digital exhibit about the Cambodian Refugee Crisis. It is a sad topic which required us to read individual stories of the tragedy. I have taken a lot away from this experience. I have learned that everyone has their own past. Many people have had unimaginable tragedy in their lives. Greed for power often causes others a great deal of harm. Pol Pot’s government killed indiscriminately which destroyed many families. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Reading about refugee experiences has given me a new perspective. We often hear about changing governments and revolutions, but we don’t hear how it affects those who live there. I want others to know how these changes we hear about on the news will help or hurt those living in that area. 

One big realization I came to was about how war affects those around it. We read a book describing how bomb creators could be used by children as swimming pools. This image struck me as creative in a disturbing way. Growing up in war changes your perspective. You think about things according to your survival. Children will find things to play with regardless where they are. This morbid way of playing lets me know how differently they might think having grown up in war. It makes one feel lucky to have grown up in a peaceful time and country. The stories we read about the experience of being in a revolution were all so different from one another. It taught me that even when the same disaster befalls people, they have such different experiences. People should know that everyone experiences things differently. 

We never seem to get out of our own heads and compare ourselves to others. When reading narratives, whether true or false, we place ourselves in that situation. We can never know what we would do or how a person felt. We have to be okay with knowing that we will never truly understand the hardships of others. This project was interesting in the way it forced its creators to digitize everything and to create a coherent exhibit online. All the research, writing, and exhibit itself are all digital. The journal we transcribed was from a physical book. I had never transcribed before. Putting someone's exact words, and even their mistakes, into a document made me feel as if I did justice to its author. I was able to see the author's handwriting, mistakes, scribbles, and crossouts. It felt much closer to see their handwriting than reading anything typed out. I am glad I was able to transcribe their words, and I hope they can get the satisfaction of having their words carefully looked over and their story heard.