Students trigger teacher’s quest for truth; Coleman revisits Cambodian Genocide

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POPULAR SPEAKER–Cindy Coleman’s lectures at Tuol Sleng Prison in Cambodia attracted crowds of Cambodian students eager to hear her account of the Cambodian Genocide.

by Nancy Besonen

Reporter’s note: I was sitting outside the Michigamme Museum this past summer, enjoying a hot dog during the town’s Log Cabin Day celebration, when the woman beside me said “Hi!” It was retired L’Anse High School teacher and friend Cindy Coleman, age 74, of Michigamme. I see her way too seldom, and after wiping the mustard from my face I asked, “Whatcha’ been up to?” She smiled wryly and replied, “I just got back from helping document the Cambodian Genocide.”  The story that follows is as far removed from anything I have ever written for the Sentinel as, well, Cambodia. But more than most anything else I write, Cindy’s story bears telling.
Sixteen years ago, a handful of L’Anse High School (LHS) students had a hand in setting history straight over half a world away. And they didn’t even know they were in the game. To read more, subscribe to the L’Anse Sentinel online, or buy a print copy at our local retailers.