What’s New at RiverWoods

Bucknell University Students Interact with RiverWoods World War II Veterans

November 16, 2006

World War II Veterands of RiverWoods Senior Living Community are educating students in David Del Testes history class about WWII from their first hand experiences.  A meet and greet luncheon was held in the RidgeCrest Restaurant located on the RiverWoods Senior Living Campus on Tuesday, November 14 with the 39 members of Bucknell University’s History 100 class and World War II veterans from RiverWoods and other local facilities.  Their History class is working to complete an oral history involving the second World War.

Professor Del Testa’s History 100 class introduces students to major themes and a narrative of World War II from primary sources and helps them to think critically about that narrative and those sources.  The main objective of his class, however, is to make better historians out of his students by presenting them with the skills, methodologies, and historiography they may find useful in the future – even if they aren’t history majors.

The students must complete two standard synthetic/analytical writing projects and two team-based projects.  In their teams, they are to report and analyze WWII-era posters in the Bucknell University archives and fulfill an oral history project – which is why they are currently involved with RiverWoods.  The students must efficiently prepare a guiding questionnaire, introduce a release form, plan and submit a transcription of the interview to the interviewee, and discuss what they learned about World War II following their interviews.

The luncheon at RiverWoods on November 14 was an opportunity for the students to meet their interviewee, get to know them a little better, and to deliver their interview questions so the residents knew ahead of time what they would be asked.  Most questions are believed to focus on attitudes or emotions connected to the war or specific elaboration on involvement with the war.

This is the first year any History class at Bucknell has traveled to RiverWoods to conduct such an assignment.  The proximity between the University and RiverWoods was the first consideration in making their decision. 

“The helpful attitude of the staff and the positive response of RiverWoods residents, however, made our involvement certain,” reflected Dr. Del Testa on how the final choice was made.

The Professor’s own work involves collecting oral histories, so he was comfortable with the process and was able to easily show his students how to perform such a task in a professional manner.

“Collecting my own father’s story was a stimulus for the project.  I know many of the kids have grandparents his age and might have wanted to learn how do it themselves,” said Professor Del Testa.