On the 11th of January half of the TYs had their first event of the new year. The students had to go to the main hall at 9am, where they met a nice man named Pat who would teach them all about the JFK assassination.
The students were taught about the assassination of JFK, and the investigation that followed. The students were presented with a view of the route that JFK had taken to get to Dealey plaza in Dallas, Texas. They were also shown four people that played crucial roles in the assassination, Lee Harvey Oswald, JD Tippit and Jack Ruby. They were told about all of the inconsistencies of the assassination, like how multiple reports say a man, unlike Lee Harvey Oswald, shot JD Tippit.
The students got to enjoy an interactive and engaging presentation during which they got to put their minds to the test and form their own opinions about JFK’s assassination.
The students had to fill out a worksheet and find the answers themselves by looking around the props and listening well.
The students also got to see a copy of the official JFK autopsy report in which they could work out the inconsistencies between the report from the Warren Commission’s report and the first doctors on the scene report. The students were amazed to find out that the official autopsy photos were actually drawn from the officials memory by artists.
The students discovered that JFK’s brain (that the doctors presented) is most likely not his own. They discovered this by finding out that an average male human brain weighs 1,350 gr whereas JFK’s brain weighed 1,500 gr, despite the injuries he sustained. This does not add up to even what witness reports say, as even on video you can see Jacqueline Lee Kennedy (JFK’s wife) picking up bits of her husband's brain. There is no way to fact check this information as JFK’s brain is missing.
They were also shown a photograph of Lee Harvey Oswald holding two newspapers and the bolt action rifle that killed Kennedy. This photo would have been very bad for Oswald until it was proven that it was forged. The photo was very believable other than the fact that the shadow of his nose implied that it was 12pm but his body's shadow showed it was 5pm. His facial structure was also a bit different.
The students learned of a few conspiracies surrounding the assassination, such as the conspiracy that the CIA had Kennedy assassinated, though the proof for this conspiracy is comprised mainly of speculation
The students really enjoyed this and can't wait for all the other trips and activities they will do throughout the year.
Jack Luby, Rían Gannon Burke & Sophie Walsh -TY Press
