Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Summit Day 1--From a Student Group Leader
There is something exhilarating about being in a foreign country. However, this whole experience has been something beyond explanation.
Monday at 10 am, Brian Wallach and I headed down to the German United Nations building for a group leader meeting. The 200 students in attendance to the summit sent their leaders to represent them in during the conference. For the entire day we sat in the conference room, discussing what questions to ask during the question and answer portion of the summit and how to prepare for the meetings. Before we knew it, it was 5:30 pm and we all wanted desperately to leave and find a space at Brandenburg Gate for the celebration of the anniversary of the Berlin Wall.
By the time the leaders spoke, Bon Jovi was done singing, and the dominoes had fallen, it was nearly midnight here and the streets began to clear. Mr. Ives was invited to a small meeting after the ceremony, held by the mayor of Berlin.
After such a long day on Monday it was nice to have a good night’s sleep, however that didn’t come to easy for me, as I was dealing with the nerves and high levels of anticipation for Tuesday’s conference.
We were all up and out early in order to make it to the Rathaus where our conference took place. Once we settled in, checked our coats, and made some sort of unorganized seating arrangements, the conference began. Opening remarks were made by powerful laureates like Mikhail Gorbachev, and the press flocked the hall in order to hear him speak.
Directly after the welcomes and the opening, Tom Brocaw was named moderator of the first session on “breaking down walls” within Germany and the implications Germans have dealt with in the past compared to now. The discussion also led to a better understanding of how the effects of the Berlin Wall coming down created a certain global understanding for other countries.
Each session throughout the day was a topic on “breaking down walls” like within the environment, between the rich and the poor, etc. The sessions for day 2 will also be on breaking down walls, however in the forms of intolerance and nuclear weapons.
The sessions allowed for of the each panelist to introduce themselves and present their point. After all point was out on the table, the floor was open for discussion and the audience began to participate by asking questions. As the evening progressed, I felt comfortable enough to represent the Youth Group Representatives as well as the Albert Schweitzer Institute and Quinnipiac University, so I collected my thoughts and went to the microphone to ask my question.
Of course, as nothing in my life can ever go smoothly, another woman ran up to the mic, cutting me off and preceded to interrupt my status. While the rest of the laureates in the room stared in shock, cameras pointed in my direction as I awkwardly watched this women rant and rave about women’s rights and the feminist view. And while I understood her argument, it was neither the time nor place for that discussion. Finally, when she was out of breath, I took my chance to jump in and say what I needed to say.
The panel was, at this point, tired and exhausted especially due to the commotion this woman had caused, and avoided answering my question on a solution to bridging the gap between the rich and poor.
Of course, being some little student poking my nose in places some feel it never belonged, I wandered around during the break to stretch my legs. It was then that various students and other representatives were coming up and shaking my hand, asking about the Albert Schweitzer Institute. In all my glory, I was thrilled to say the least, but it wasn’t until laureate Muhammad Yunas, a panelist, came over to shake my hand and let me know that the discussion and questions I was proposing was interesting and should be looked into further and explored much deeper.
I literally couldn’t stop the smile, nor could I hide it for the rest of the day.
At the end of the evening, Brian and I as well as a bunch of the other youth group leaders went out for a quick dinner and drinks and did some debriefing on the day’s conference. All-in-all I feel that this is a wonderful opportunity and it is something that Quinnipiac students and students around the world should be fighting to be involved in.
We, as the youth, as the next generation to carry through the brilliant ideas set forth by those on these panels. There needs to be youth representatives because without them there can only be follow-through on so many was. The intergenerational gap should be, and can be, closed with the right leaders behind it.
-Jenna Uliano
**Pictures are to follow ASAP.
Monday at 10 am, Brian Wallach and I headed down to the German United Nations building for a group leader meeting. The 200 students in attendance to the summit sent their leaders to represent them in during the conference. For the entire day we sat in the conference room, discussing what questions to ask during the question and answer portion of the summit and how to prepare for the meetings. Before we knew it, it was 5:30 pm and we all wanted desperately to leave and find a space at Brandenburg Gate for the celebration of the anniversary of the Berlin Wall.
By the time the leaders spoke, Bon Jovi was done singing, and the dominoes had fallen, it was nearly midnight here and the streets began to clear. Mr. Ives was invited to a small meeting after the ceremony, held by the mayor of Berlin.
After such a long day on Monday it was nice to have a good night’s sleep, however that didn’t come to easy for me, as I was dealing with the nerves and high levels of anticipation for Tuesday’s conference.
We were all up and out early in order to make it to the Rathaus where our conference took place. Once we settled in, checked our coats, and made some sort of unorganized seating arrangements, the conference began. Opening remarks were made by powerful laureates like Mikhail Gorbachev, and the press flocked the hall in order to hear him speak.
Directly after the welcomes and the opening, Tom Brocaw was named moderator of the first session on “breaking down walls” within Germany and the implications Germans have dealt with in the past compared to now. The discussion also led to a better understanding of how the effects of the Berlin Wall coming down created a certain global understanding for other countries.
Each session throughout the day was a topic on “breaking down walls” like within the environment, between the rich and the poor, etc. The sessions for day 2 will also be on breaking down walls, however in the forms of intolerance and nuclear weapons.
The sessions allowed for of the each panelist to introduce themselves and present their point. After all point was out on the table, the floor was open for discussion and the audience began to participate by asking questions. As the evening progressed, I felt comfortable enough to represent the Youth Group Representatives as well as the Albert Schweitzer Institute and Quinnipiac University, so I collected my thoughts and went to the microphone to ask my question.
Of course, as nothing in my life can ever go smoothly, another woman ran up to the mic, cutting me off and preceded to interrupt my status. While the rest of the laureates in the room stared in shock, cameras pointed in my direction as I awkwardly watched this women rant and rave about women’s rights and the feminist view. And while I understood her argument, it was neither the time nor place for that discussion. Finally, when she was out of breath, I took my chance to jump in and say what I needed to say.
The panel was, at this point, tired and exhausted especially due to the commotion this woman had caused, and avoided answering my question on a solution to bridging the gap between the rich and poor.
Of course, being some little student poking my nose in places some feel it never belonged, I wandered around during the break to stretch my legs. It was then that various students and other representatives were coming up and shaking my hand, asking about the Albert Schweitzer Institute. In all my glory, I was thrilled to say the least, but it wasn’t until laureate Muhammad Yunas, a panelist, came over to shake my hand and let me know that the discussion and questions I was proposing was interesting and should be looked into further and explored much deeper.
I literally couldn’t stop the smile, nor could I hide it for the rest of the day.
At the end of the evening, Brian and I as well as a bunch of the other youth group leaders went out for a quick dinner and drinks and did some debriefing on the day’s conference. All-in-all I feel that this is a wonderful opportunity and it is something that Quinnipiac students and students around the world should be fighting to be involved in.
We, as the youth, as the next generation to carry through the brilliant ideas set forth by those on these panels. There needs to be youth representatives because without them there can only be follow-through on so many was. The intergenerational gap should be, and can be, closed with the right leaders behind it.
-Jenna Uliano
**Pictures are to follow ASAP.
The Fall of the Berlin Wall
Guten Tag!
That’s about the extent of my German so far and I don’t expect it to get much better than that. So, It’s been over 3 days in Berlin so far and everything is good. The city has been pretty lively and vibrant over the past few days, even though the weather does not make it seem that way.
Last night (well, yesterday morning your time) all the events marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall took place. The city seemed to come alive for the event as it had a festival like atmosphere. There were food stands lining the street next to our hotel and there were even carnival rides and carnival booths around. The street right outside our hotel was also lined with huge blocks set up to look like Dominoes. During the anniversary event these blocks were knocked over one by one like a huge line of dominoes. They stretched almost a kilometer and all the fan-fare and hoopla for the event was centered around them.
All the blocks were painted and decorated with various themes, most of which were centered around unity and the breaking down of barriers. They provided a bright spot on this somewhat dark and dreary day. I was able to get out there that evening and hit up some food stands (the currywurst was awesome), grabbed a brew (yay, beer!), and enjoyed the festivities.
Otherwise, everything else was pretty good. The people on the trip were all enjoying themselves and we have spent a good amount of time over the past three days exploring the city.
So, until next time. Goodbye (I haven’t learned that one in German yet….sorry)!
-Brendan Rimitez
That’s about the extent of my German so far and I don’t expect it to get much better than that. So, It’s been over 3 days in Berlin so far and everything is good. The city has been pretty lively and vibrant over the past few days, even though the weather does not make it seem that way.
Last night (well, yesterday morning your time) all the events marking the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall took place. The city seemed to come alive for the event as it had a festival like atmosphere. There were food stands lining the street next to our hotel and there were even carnival rides and carnival booths around. The street right outside our hotel was also lined with huge blocks set up to look like Dominoes. During the anniversary event these blocks were knocked over one by one like a huge line of dominoes. They stretched almost a kilometer and all the fan-fare and hoopla for the event was centered around them.
All the blocks were painted and decorated with various themes, most of which were centered around unity and the breaking down of barriers. They provided a bright spot on this somewhat dark and dreary day. I was able to get out there that evening and hit up some food stands (the currywurst was awesome), grabbed a brew (yay, beer!), and enjoyed the festivities.
Otherwise, everything else was pretty good. The people on the trip were all enjoying themselves and we have spent a good amount of time over the past three days exploring the city.
So, until next time. Goodbye (I haven’t learned that one in German yet….sorry)!
-Brendan Rimitez
Sunday, November 8, 2009
"You Are Now Leaving the American Sector..."
Guten Tag [Quad News] Readers!Quad News here, reporting from Berlin, Germany—anticipating the momentous day that tomorrow represents. For those of you who don’t know what we’re referring to, Nov. 9 represents the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall.
Tomorrow, Professor Ives will take the stage with many famous Nobel Peace Laureates and their representatives, such as Mikhail Gorbachev and Hillary Clinton. Ives will be representing Albert Schweitzer, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952. While speeches are being made, the crowds will gather in the square and the immediate area to witness this historic day.
Walking around Berlin, where the wall once separated Germany, 1,000 six-foot dominoes, symbolically painted with pictures of peace and the wall line the streets. And at 7 pm, as part of the ceremony, the dominoes will fall as the wall once did. The dominoes are a life-size symbol of hope for the world to have a “domino” effect on world peace.
People and reporters have flocked to the streets to catch a glimpse of the dominoes before the crowds roll in—however, standing on a street corner, one can already hear five or more languages. It seems the crowd is already here.
Today we spent the entire day sight-seeing and museum hopping as a group with Professor Ives, Mrs. Ives and Dean Tursi. We walked around Berlin, bundled up to keep warm despite the nipping wind, when we came upon one of the stretches of the Berlin Wall.
Jenna, Brendan, and Jenn in front of the Berlin WallAfter rounding the corner, we entered the Topography of Terror open-air museum. The museum, which is currently being renovated, is a display of pictures of Berlin during Nazi Germany and World War II. Each picture was accompanied with a caption (conveniently in English as well as German) describing the scene.
“What I found most interesting was my lack of knowledge on the people persecuted during this time. Of course I knew that Jews and gypsies were a target of the Nazi regime, but it’s the others that I never knew about.
• Did you know: a woman who had an ‘attitude’ in her past life was subject to public humiliation, like shaving her head in the town square and walking her around on a leash with a sign?
• Did you know: shop owners were put into concentration camps because they ‘overpriced’ butter, according to the Nazis?
• Did you know: Nazis hung ‘disobedient’ citizens from trees throughout the towns to make an example of them?
Well, I certainly didn’t—at least not until today.”
-Jenna Uliano
On one side of this museum, the Berlin Wall marks the edge of the museum grounds. Construction and demolition separate the wall and the walkway, but adjacent to the path of pictures is the constant reminder of the ever-present past—the Gestapo Headquarters. According to Dean Tursi, our makeshift tour guide, some remnants of buildings that once acted as headquarters are being torn down to ensure that the area remains a place to memorialize the catastrophes and to inform, rather than to act as a shrine for Neo-Nazis to worship.
“Picture this; an open-air museum surrounded by the history and stories that it represents. What moved me the most was standing in front of the pictures and reading all the captions and then turning around to see the same eerie buildings portrayed in the pictures. Although those buildings are currently empty, the emotions and actions associated with the building are still apparent. It gave me chills to see events take place in these buildings portrayed in historical pictures, and then to turn around and see these buildings right before my own eyes. It really lent more meaning to the history of it all to see it right there.”
-Jennifer Swift
After our solemn walk through the “terror” we made our way over to Checkpoint Charlie and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. The museum shows the importance of peace and all different measures people take to obtain freedom. Checkpoint Charlie acted as a border crossing station between East and West Germany and was the central focus of the museum. During the Cold War, this locale was a symbol of demonstrations and protests along the border line.
The Jewish Museum Berlin was the next destination on our journey through history. The museum was a combination of history, tradition, and persecution. Each corridor within the museum represented a different aspect of the Jewish history. From the Nazi dread to the values of the Jewish religion, the museum displayed artifacts, replications, photos and various architectural structures honoring and commemorating the people of Jewish faith.
Berlin has been a whirlwind thus far and with such a significant event tomorrow, we are all preparing for an epic day celebrating with the city.
Tomorrow, all the students are getting together over breakfast to come up with questions for the panel discussions on Tuesday and Wednesday. Brian Wallach, a senior history and mathematics major in the MAT program, will be the group leader for the Albert Schweitzer Institute and meet with other students in the morning to collaborate questions.
“What I found most interesting was my lack of knowledge on the people persecuted during this time. Of course I knew that Jews and gypsies were a target of the Nazi regime, but it’s the others that I never knew about.
• Did you know: a woman who had an ‘attitude’ in her past life was subject to public humiliation, like shaving her head in the town square and walking her around on a leash with a sign?
• Did you know: shop owners were put into concentration camps because they ‘overpriced’ butter, according to the Nazis?
• Did you know: Nazis hung ‘disobedient’ citizens from trees throughout the towns to make an example of them?
Well, I certainly didn’t—at least not until today.”
-Jenna Uliano
On one side of this museum, the Berlin Wall marks the edge of the museum grounds. Construction and demolition separate the wall and the walkway, but adjacent to the path of pictures is the constant reminder of the ever-present past—the Gestapo Headquarters. According to Dean Tursi, our makeshift tour guide, some remnants of buildings that once acted as headquarters are being torn down to ensure that the area remains a place to memorialize the catastrophes and to inform, rather than to act as a shrine for Neo-Nazis to worship.
“Picture this; an open-air museum surrounded by the history and stories that it represents. What moved me the most was standing in front of the pictures and reading all the captions and then turning around to see the same eerie buildings portrayed in the pictures. Although those buildings are currently empty, the emotions and actions associated with the building are still apparent. It gave me chills to see events take place in these buildings portrayed in historical pictures, and then to turn around and see these buildings right before my own eyes. It really lent more meaning to the history of it all to see it right there.”
-Jennifer Swift
After our solemn walk through the “terror” we made our way over to Checkpoint Charlie and the Checkpoint Charlie Museum. The museum shows the importance of peace and all different measures people take to obtain freedom. Checkpoint Charlie acted as a border crossing station between East and West Germany and was the central focus of the museum. During the Cold War, this locale was a symbol of demonstrations and protests along the border line.
The Jewish Museum Berlin was the next destination on our journey through history. The museum was a combination of history, tradition, and persecution. Each corridor within the museum represented a different aspect of the Jewish history. From the Nazi dread to the values of the Jewish religion, the museum displayed artifacts, replications, photos and various architectural structures honoring and commemorating the people of Jewish faith.
Berlin has been a whirlwind thus far and with such a significant event tomorrow, we are all preparing for an epic day celebrating with the city.
Tomorrow, all the students are getting together over breakfast to come up with questions for the panel discussions on Tuesday and Wednesday. Brian Wallach, a senior history and mathematics major in the MAT program, will be the group leader for the Albert Schweitzer Institute and meet with other students in the morning to collaborate questions.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Let the Countdown Begin!
At a university highly known for it's apathetic students, it's nice to see a handful of "go-getters" take the opportunities offered to them with great pleasure. This November, the Albert Schweitzer Institute (ASI) will be taking seven undergraduate students, one law student, and two professionals to Berlin Germany for the 10th World Summit of the Nobel Peace Laureates.
Three of these students will be our very own Quad News Editors:
Every year the Summit focuses on one topic and this year is "Breaking down new walls to ensure a world of human rights and a world without violence." The Summit will take place in Berlin to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It will also focus on other "walls" that exist throughout the world today.
We will be sitting in on and participating in panel discussions and information sessions with guest speakers like Mikhail Gorbachev, Muhammad Yunus, and Betty Williams, among other Nobel Peace Laureates and representatives of other organizations.
The conference days will take place on Nov. 10-11, however we will also be present for the ceremony and celebration in Berlin of the anniversary of the fall of the wall. Think New York City on New Year's Eve--but German.
We will be leaving on Friday, Nov. 6 to start our adventure. And quite frankly we all feel that Friday can't come soon enough.
Three of these students will be our very own Quad News Editors:
- Brendan Rimitez--Managing Editor, senior print journalism and history double major
- Jennifer Swift--News Editor, junior print journalism and political science double major
- Jenna Uliano--News Editor, junior print journalism major, minor in English
Brendan, Jenna, and Jenn at dinner
Every year the Summit focuses on one topic and this year is "Breaking down new walls to ensure a world of human rights and a world without violence." The Summit will take place in Berlin to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. It will also focus on other "walls" that exist throughout the world today.
We will be sitting in on and participating in panel discussions and information sessions with guest speakers like Mikhail Gorbachev, Muhammad Yunus, and Betty Williams, among other Nobel Peace Laureates and representatives of other organizations.
The conference days will take place on Nov. 10-11, however we will also be present for the ceremony and celebration in Berlin of the anniversary of the fall of the wall. Think New York City on New Year's Eve--but German.
We will be leaving on Friday, Nov. 6 to start our adventure. And quite frankly we all feel that Friday can't come soon enough.
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