If you have an interest in sports, make friends with sports people; then go make friends with movie people; then go make friends with writing people. Why expect one group to cover all your interests? Start with the classes you take, at least there you have a common basis to get together and chat if for nothing else than the class, tests, assignments, etc. then expand from there.
Ask a couple of them if they'd like to have lunch because your dorm people weren't very outgoing. Join a club. Volunteer to decorate or do something for some school event.
Go to every sporting event they have even if you hate the sport. Be seen cheering for the team and again, you are all there for the same reason so a basis for beginning communication and chat.
Maybe you should join clubs and organizations at your college to become more social, you should gain friends there.
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.