Unpacking the war experience

Project Unpack: Telling Stories, Creating Community, is a one-year program funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to initiate dialogues in the Fargo-Moorhead and North Dakota communities about the legacies of American wars.

According to Dr. Christine D. Weber, Associate Professor of Sociology at NDSU, Project Unpack plans to “create space for veterans, their family members, and the larger community, to unpack, or in other words, talk freely, about complex topics such as life in the military, experiences of war, the return home, and readjusting to life as a civilian.”

Weber elaborates: “We hope that such programs allow the community to better understand what war veterans face upon their return home and the challenges that families face upon their veteran’s return home. ‘Unpacking’ our internal baggage gives us time to reflect and consider the circumstances of our lives more fully. It gives us the opportunity to listen more thoughtfully and to develop compassion for those around us.”

A set of community events takes place this month focusing on fostering multidimensional approaches to storytelling. These events include book discussions, artistic outlets, and the recording and archiving of personal stories.

The first event features Fargo artist Josh Zeis, an NDSU alumnus with a degree in Visual Arts, who is celebrating this concept of the “rucksack” in a unique way. The rucksack is synonymous with serving in the military. From the beginning of deployment it contains your belongings. According to Project Unpack, this rucksack is “your life literally contained in something that is attached to your body for transport.” The rucksack contains clothing, tools, food, and, through time, memories.

Josh Zeis is will be carrying a rucksack carved out of ice, and then take a journey that mirrors the day that he found out he was going to be deployed to serve in combat operations in Iraq. He will walk from his apartment in Fargo to the National Guard Armory and to his sister’s residence, all locations that were part of this life-changing day. According to Weber, “Throughout the journey, the pack will slowly melt away until there is nothing left. Along the way he will reflect deeply about his deployment from start to finish.”

The goal is for the project is to serve as a catalyst for other veterans and families to reflect on the day they were told about their deployment. The journey will conclude at Renaissance Hall, on the NDSU campus, which Josh called home for four years after deployment.

Zeis will conclude his journey with a public reception. Veterans and families are encouraged to share their stories with the public at this event.

Two other events will follow in June. June 27, from 6-9 pm, also at Renaissance Hall at NDSU there will be a “Fragments of War” Heirloom Workshop. At this workshop Josh Zeis, along with Fargo artist and NDSU faculty member Michael Strand, will work with the public to create cups for veterans and families who served in the military. Participants are asked to bring in objects from military service, medals, tools, etc. “From these objects we will transform ceramic cups into family heirlooms that will tell the story of military service.” These workshops are free, but limited to four veterans or families per event evening.

On June 13, from 5:30 to 7 pm at the Red Raven Espresso Parlor’s Community Room, there will be a discussion and writing workshop focusing on Tim O’Brien’s book, “The Things They Carried.” It will be facilitated by Alison Graham-Bertolini.

IF YOU GO:

“Return” Reception with Josh Zeis

Thursday, June 9, 5 pm

NDSU Renaissance Hall, 650 NP Ave, Fargo

IF YOU GO:

Discussion of The Things They Carried,

Monday, June 13, 5:30-7 pm,

Red Raven Espresso Parlor.

To register email info@unpackstories.org.