Students in Berlin this term were inspired by the Global Orientations course and had positive reviews. Here are a few examples, one from an NYU student and one from a high school student who also participated in the course:
Brandon A Peckman, NYU Berlin, Spring 2014
Strolling through the snowy streets of Berlin, we stepped into a desecrated Jewish cemetery on Schönhauser Allee flooded with memorials to the ghosts of the past. Having just listened to a lecture by Dr. Joseph Pearson abridging all of “German” history from the seventeenth century through the present day, we learned that history cannot be encapsulated in categorical periods, nor can the definition of “Germans” limit itself along ethnic, cultural, or historical lines. We were introduced to a thriving city in which–although bullet holes still blanket buildings–former industrial factories now serve as nightclubs, while a refurbished brewery houses our academic center. By walking through a cemetery, one realizes that many souls have lived before and many more are yet to emerge. As history is a perpetual process in flux, our orientation experience was the commencement of a continually evolving adventure.
Reflecting upon what has been a profoundly transformative seven weeks in Berlin, I find it difficult to remember our first week’s orientation. Perhaps the transition between America and this scintillating city was so subtle, as Berlin captivated us effortlessly with its enticing charm. Truly, orientation is still in progress, not concluding until we all leave Berlin and have the opportunity to reflect upon our soujourn’s impact. A series of panels during orientation week established Berlin as the capital of Germany: a European and global leader, an economic bulwark upholding stability, and a cultural volcano, erupting with limitless artistic creativity. We found ourselves becoming oriented to this fertile milieu, standing before a door wide open to myriad possibilities which sparked the paramount question: who walks back through the door the same as when first entered?
Naturally, the answer is different for each individual, as each one of us chose to come here for a particular purpose. Upon realizing why each of us made the voyage to Berlin, one crosses a threshold into a hall of a thousand rooms, some full of treasure and knowledge, some full of mirrors, but most full of empty space for us to fill with the constructions of our dreams. From the poignant vibrations by electronic duo Tronthaim accompanying the screening of Walter Ruttman’s 1927 classic Berlin: Die Sinfonie der Großstadt; to panels comprising debates about German identity, her position in twenty-first century global politics, and Berlin’s flourishing arts community; to mental wellness and urban preparedness seminars; to opportunities to meet and mingle with faculty, NYU Berlin’s orientation not only prepared us for our academic pursuits but also laid the foundation for discovery of the next steps in our individual paths. To immediately shatter doubt towards engaging with Germans, the faculty invited several honors students from a neighborhood high school to enjoy the events with us, as we all took initiative to introduce ourselves and share both similarities and differences in our respective cultural perspectives.
By diving headfirst into an unknown culture, one has the opportunity to build a home in a new place. From walking through the streets of a city inundated with history, one realizes that each of us are the consequences of the past, that we breathe within a living history, and that our actions forge the future. During this all-too-brief experience in Berlin, I hope we all discover why we came here and bring Berlin with us, wherever we may wander next.
Ivan Thieme, KTO, Honor Student Spring 14
As a high school student, participating in the NYU Berlin Global Histories Course I asked myself the following questions: How could I get involved to help the students from NYU better understand the society of Berlin? When the lessons began, I was very impressed with the atmosphere. There were many students from different nations in one big room and I was one of them. In the front stood Joseph Pearson, a fantastic professor who gave us a lecture leading us through German history. As a high school student, I thought I knew a lot about German history, but I was surprised yet happy at the same time to learn new things and to have the chance to listen to people with other perspectives on Germany. Another important aspect for me were the panel discussions; there were highly-qualified people involved in the discussion. The students from my high school, myself included, and the students from New York University also played an important role. We talked extensively about topics like immigration and art. But there were also difficult topics, for example the issue of how German society should deal with its past. These discussions were not only exciting but also educational. For me it was difficult to talk about such topics. I was afraid that people might misunderstand me and get bad impressions. But this fear settled quickly and the panel discussions sparked interesting and funny conversations with the NYU students. They were curious about Berlin and Germany, and I also had a lot of questions about their own culture. So we exchanged our knowledge and were able to learn something about the cultures of both countries. From my point of view, this is the most important thing when you move to another country.