You can just show up. They may be doing something else. They're not just sitting there staring at the door and hoping someone comes in.
But unless the thing they are doing is talking to another student who arrived first, they'll stop what they're doing and talk to you. And if they are talking to another student who arrived first, just knock on the door so they know you're there and then wait.
If they put a time and don't make a note that you need to contact them in advance, then you can consider it open. But as long as you're sure you're going to show up, it's not a bad idea to double-check that they haven't had any conflicts for that particular day.
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.