UNA had the opportunity to hear from Holocaust survivor Inge Auerbacher Sept. 15 at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. in Norton Auditorium. The speaker was a part of the UNA Distinguished Event Series.

The UNA Collegiate Singers performed a song Auerbacher wrote, titled “Who Am I.”

Auerbacher said the arrangement was “wonderful.”

During the event, Auerbacher talked about the Holocaust, but she focused more on her personal relationship with this time period.

“My favorite part was when she talked about her family,” said sophomore Brittany Cagle. “It showed a strong bond between them and how they were able to stay strong during these times.”

Auerbacher talks about her time during the Holocaust to keep the memory alive.

“I speak for the 1 1/2 million kids because their struggle was mine and my struggle was theirs,” she said. “Those 3 million eyes still haunt me, and that’s why I speak about that time. I also want to show how it wasn’t always fine after the Holocaust.”

Auerbacher’s “fireside chat” would sometimes focus on the bystanders who did nothing to stop or help the Nazis. She said parents should teach their children at an early age to not be a bystander.

“Bystanders do as much damage as those who participate,” she said. “I will never forget the Christian lady who left a bag of food next to me on the bus. She wasn’t going to be a bystander.”

Cagle said Auerbacher focused on the bystander effect to show people that bystanders can make a difference.

Auerbacher read a poem from her book “I Am a Star” to end the night.

“The poem really captured the true amount of emotion and fear that people felt before they died,” said freshman Alisha Lee.