By Bonnie Adams, Government Editor
Westborough – Teenagers sometimes, unfairly or not, get the reputation of not really taking an interest in what their elders have to say. But a group of Westborough High School (WHS) students feel exactly the opposite. Not only do they want to meet with local senior citizens, they also want to sit down with them and document their life stories so those tales will be captured for future generations.
“A Story to Tell” is a new program started by WHS senior Michael Colbert. He, along with a number of other students, will be working with staff at the Westborough Senior Center to set up appointments with local residents. The students will then interview the seniors and document their stories.
Michael came up with the idea, he said, after he and his mother, Liz, spent many hours talking with her great-uncle, Stelio Repola, who is now 87.
“Michael and I were visiting him, and he told us about his World War II experience – how he was given a rifle with no ammo, was shot, and then carried to medical attention by captured German soldiers,” Liz said. “What makes his story so fascinating to me is that he is the most mild-mannered, sweetest, man I’ve ever known. To picture him fighting on the German border – leaving his hometown of Bronx, NY for the first time probably – just baffles me. Michael and I love and admire my uncle. He was the real inspiration for this new program.”
“He has had such an interesting life,” Michael said. “You learn so much more from hearing someone's life story from them than just reading about them.”
Oorja Batra and Megan Speed are also students in the program.
“It's really interesting learning about the past,” Batra said. “Talking to someone is better than learning from books or even watching television programs about them.”
Speed said she initially joined the group to support Michael, who is her best friend.
“The more I heard about the idea, the more it sounded like fun,” she said. “And I love talking to my maternal grandmother, so I thought talking to other seniors would be really interesting too.”
Another student, Jillian Harrold, noted that she sometimes feel sad that she doesn's often get the chance to talk to her grandparents, who live in Florida.
“When we do talk, it's great,” she said. “They'se such lively people. I am looking forward to hearing stories from people who live here [in Westborough].”
Senior citizens who are interested in participating in the program are encouraged to sign up at the Senior Center for an interview session. All interviews will be held at the center.
The students hope to print some of the stories in the local media throughout the year.
“The Senior Center staff has been very receptive to us about this project,” Michael said, “and we are excited to be doing it.”
