Blogger: Alyson Kneusel

Program: Reutlingen, Germany – Study Center

Hello all!

Public Military Service

In the last week and a half, I have visited Berlin, Copenhagen, and Hamburg. I’ve experienced an astonishing assortment of museums, architecture, and history.  However, the most impactful experience I had was entirely accidental. When attempting to visit the ancient history museum in Berlin, our group of American students stumbled upon a public military funeral service occurring outside of the Berlin Cathedral Church (shown to the right). I was shocked how much this made me evaluate the relationship between Germany and America. Not only that, but the experience made me question my own role in that history as an American student studying abroad in Germany.

The Berlin Cathedral Church is a beautiful and well-known landmark of downtown Berlin. With its original construction dating back to 1465 and church bells whose sound echoes across the center of downtown Berlin, it is a powerful symbol of German and religious history.

Altes Museum

However, most Americans would be more likely to recognize the infamous Altes Museum building which stands on the adjacent side of this main square. This building is shown in numerous textbooks of Nazi history because the Altes Museum was the site of a military march and speech for Adolf Hitler’s 50^th birthday in 1939. I have always viewed this image as just a page in the text, not an event in a place that really existed with real buildings and real people. Standing there the other day, I was struck by the fact that just a mere 77 years ago, there would have been Nazi German soldiers standing in that very spot.

Not only was that a humbling experience, but to see the German military assembled for the funeral right next to the location from that picture 77 years in the future, I realized how many people I have to be thankful to for the fact that I (an American student of mixed Jewish and German descent) could be standing in the presence of the German military in that historic spot without fear for my own safety.

Berlin Cathedral Church

Having grown up in a military community myself (living near MacDill air force base), I recognized how many aspects of the German military were not so different from our own in the United States. Watching them mourn their dead and hearing the military band play reminded me that even though our armies were once opposed one another, we are truly not so different. More than that, we hold many of the same values including those evident in the ceremony such as music, mourning the dead, respect for the military, and even the Christian ideals suggested by the location of the funeral outside the Berlin Cathedral Church.

I am not saying that I am thankful just to the Allied powers or just to the German military for this opportunity, but more that I am thankful for all the efforts which have been put in by all countries involved in rebuilding the relations between our nations. I was saddened to learn that this beautiful church I was viewing was in fact damaged by an Allied-forces bombing raid during World War II. As I continued through the rest of Berlin, Copenhagen and Hamburg, I saw more destruction from WWII in the cities. It became apparent to me that although the Allied powers prevailed in the war, no one really won. I’ve heard stories of all the civilians lost on both sides and saw the destruction of otherwise historical sites that had occurred during the war, and it was clear to me that such destruction can never be allowed to happen again.

I am not sure if I could have ever truly appreciated what was lost on both sides of the war if I had not had the opportunity to see this with my own eyes. For this reason, I understand how crucial it is our people experience different countries and cultures.  I fully encourage everyone, not just students and not just Americans, to travel to different countries. This not only allows us to appreciate our differences, but more importantly it teaches us to recognize what we share. I will not say that I think this will solve all the world’s problems and produce world peace, but this experience really makes me hopeful that through learning about each other and recognizing our similarities, we can take a big step towards a more peaceful future.

Until next time,

Alyson Kneusel

Author: Ian Olive

Program: Reutlingen, Germany – Study Center

Traveling in: Italy

Five forward gears, four tiny 15 inch wheels, three thrumming cylinders, two small round headlights, and one massive smile. There is an age old saying that it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow. My rental car really embodied the definition of slow. Think your car is slow? Think again. My Fiat 500 had a miniscule 1.2 liter engine pumping out earth-shaking power. (Get it? I was in Italy during the biggest earthquake since the 1980s!) With 69 horsepower and a 5 speed manual, I really needed to wring it dry to get anywhere in any semblance of speed. Driving this slow car as fast as possible on narrow switchback roads really challenged my driving skills, and the best part; it was 100% legal.

Driving in Italy is not for the feint of heart. It’s not even for people that remotely like to drive. To drive in Italy, you must absolutely love to drive and be willing to focus 100% of your attention on the road. The road signs do not matter, neither do speed limits. A road with two lanes basically suggest that there needs to be a minimum of four cars wide. Basically the rules of the road in Italy are merely guidelines or suggestions, but I had an absolute blast.

A car really gave me the opportunity to visit parts of Italy that I wouldn’t have been able to visit at all. Probably the most exciting was visiting the northern Dolomite mountain region near Austria. The landscape was incredible with sweeping mountains that poked out from the westbound clouds. It was simply magical. Because of the flexibility of the car, I was able to travel freely to cities like Pompeii, Florence and Venice. While you might not get anywhere fast or in one piece, an Italian road trip might just be one of the best things you can do.

Author: Ian Olive

Program: Reutlingen Study Center

I have a serious and dangerous problem, I will be completely honest. Despite my best efforts to pack lightly I somehow ended up with five different cameras with me here in Germany. Yes I said five. Like I said, I have a serious problem involving cameras..

Initially, my very sound logic was that I was going to bring my Nikon D800 and a single zoom lens as well as my small point and shoot pocket camera. I would have one excellent camera for when I wanted the best possible quality and my small Coolpix A for when I just wanted some casual shots. But then I decided that my German-made Leica needed to come with as well. I mean how could one not bring a camera back to their birth home? Okay, so three cameras is not too bad, but I needed to shoot some film too.. So my old F3HP was thrown in the bag too. Great, now I had four cameras before I had even left the USA.

A few weeks ago I took a small trip to the gorgeous bohemian city of Prague. Filled to the brim with incredible, gothic and communistic architecture as well as having a fantastic pastoral color palette, it was a photographer’s dream. However, I only chose to bring my point and shoot camera. Despite having thousands of dollars worth of gear back in my apartment in Germany, I wanted to travel as light as possible. It was a refreshing change of pace and my back really thanked me. Yet somehow I came back with more cameras than I had packed. Before you call the doctor, hear me out, this camera was different.

While shuffling through the multitude of second hand stores in the center of Prague, I came across and strange old camera hiding on one of the back shelves. Normally I am very adept at identifying camera makes and models but this one stumped me entirely. The camera was a rangefinder style, similar to the Leica. With silver paint and black leather, it looked very retro. The only markings I could read was a large “4”. There was a name printed, but it appeared to be possibly Cyrillic.  The price in Czech Crowns worked out to around ten dollars, and I had absolutely no idea if it actually worked or not, but decided it would make a cool desk ornament. It came home with me later that day. After a bit of web surfing, I discovered that the camera was called the Zorki 4. Made in Krasnogorsk, Russia, during the mid ‘50s and ‘60s, the camera was very popular in the Communist regime. It was a very beautiful and durable design and, much to my surprise, was fully functioning.

I decided try it out the next day and bought a roll of B&W Kodak TriX 400iso film. I had never shot this type of film before and figured since it was a new camera and a new location I might as well try something new. After getting to understand the few controls of the camera, I went out to explore the city. While I was used to the way this style of camera functioned it lacked one feature that I typically rely on. All modern cameras have something called a “light meter” which will either pick a correct exposure for you or give you suggestions for the perfectly lit photo. I took this as a challenge, the light was constantly changing and if a photo had a bad exposure, there was no one to blame but myself. It honestly was an amazing feeling to shoot with a completely manual camera. It’s a similar experience to driving a classic car; everything is mechanical and works with a beautiful industrial precision. Each shot was a process, and I felt that I was actually creating photographs instead of taking a snapshot.

The two week wait for the lab to develop my photos was agonizingly painful. I had high hopes for the results and dreamed every night about their swift completion. Okay, maybe I didn’t dream about it, but there is something inherently magical about analog creation. It just seems to be much more real, much more creative. The feeling of having a tangible photograph printed and in your hand is a very proud moment. I have taken photographs that have gotten thousands of hits online but I have rarely liked a photo as much as the set from Prague. The ability to carry prints around and show your friends and art professor is another bonus.

As with any other profession, photographers often get in the mindset that they need the latest and greatest gear. We call it GAS or Gear Acquisition Syndrome. I’ll admit and say that I definitely fit into the category.  A very cool Youtube series by DigitalRev TV called Pro Photog, Cheap Camera really highlights how a creative   mindset really out does an expensive camera.

My time in Prague with the little Zorki was pretty revolutionary. Never had a used such a cheap, technologically inferior camera and had so much fun while actually creating photos that I can be proud of. I think this is a turning point in my photographic career. While I thought my creative basin was beginning to run dry, I discovered all I needed was a different tap. I have an upcoming trip to Italy later this week and the only cameras I am bringing are the Zorki and the point and shoot. I am traveling light and traveling creative. It’s not about the newest and greatest gear, it’s about how the photographer applies themselves with it. I am more than content with the enjoyment my cheap Russian camera gives me. But then again, a package just arrived from Japan with a new lens, my first Canon! I will never learn…

Author: Ian Olive

Program: Reutlingen, Germany – Study Center

When I graduated from high school I remember receiving a book written by Dr. Seuss from my then girlfriend. Titled Oh the Places You’ll Go, it is one of his most famous works, full of color and poetry. Originally I passed that gift off as simply a kind present with an inspirational, if metaphorical, message. I had always professed a desire to travel, wanderlust if you will, but I never imaged the opportunities that would soon be presented to me a few years later.

In the last few weeks, I have traveled all the way from Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany to the tip of southern Sweden with an extended stop in the German capital, Berlin. I’ve taken a variety of transportation from cars to buses to trains and boats. At one point in my journey, the train I was aboard even took a boat of its own while crossing the Nordsee from Sweden to Denmark.

While staying in Berlin, our group took a series of small day trips to significant historical areas in the region. Probably the most breathtaking and emotional site was Sachsenhausen Concentration camp about 40 kilometers from Berlin. The camp was established in 1936 and became one of the largest in Germany with an estimated 200,000 prisoners detained. Visiting the camp was a hallowing endeavor- just imagining the horrors and atrocities that were committed at this camp.

Being a city of culture and historical significance, Berlin attractions range from the Brandenburger Tor, to the Berlin Wall and Checkpoint Charlie to Tempelhof Flughafen, the center of the Berlin Airlift, there is no shortage of interesting sites. I rented a bicycle for the day and was able to see so many historical sites that I often read about in history books. If you have the chance to visit Germany, Berlin should be at the top of your list!

After returning back to campus, I was able to reflect on the amazing journey that I have been having so far. I couldn’t but help think back to that Dr. Seuss book and marvel at how far I’ve come in such a short time. I’d recommend a semester abroad to anyone without a hint of reservation. It has been one of the biggest highlights of my life. Don’t hesitate to apply now!

– Ian

Author: Ian Olive

Program: Reutlingen, Germany

The Czech Republic is a country with many faces and a rich history dating over a thousand years. It was first known as the Kingdom of Bohemia, which flourished in the area of central Europe with its music and arts. It was later incorporated into the Soviet Union under the Warsaw Pact where it was known as Czechoslovakia. In the late 1980s, the country went through another political change and quickly evolved into the Czech Republic we know today. Very few cities can accurately show the amount of change and evolution that has happened in Europe quite like Prague can. From Soviet era architecture that is painted in vivid colors to classic Gothic cathedrals to traditional Bohemian capital buildings, Prague has it all.

 Prague Castle, Ian Olive

I spent four days in Prague, which is just enough time to get to know the layout of the city and see some of its famous attractions. Old Town Plaza, Charles Bridge, and the Prague Castle are all must see landmarks. The Botanical Gardens as well as the Pub Crawl are all things that one must do while there. The city is a glorious melting pot of architecture and culture with endless things to see. Taking the bus or train from Leipzig is super easy and lodging is very affordable. Don’t hesitate to check out Prague and the rest of the beautiful Czech Republic.

My airbnb was in this 500-year-old building.

Reutlingen, Ian Olive

Author: Ian Olive

Program: Reutlingen, Germany – Study Center

I stepped out the door and immediately my body was immersed in the early morning magic.  The air was cool and slightly damp; a slight westward breeze blew the faint smell of fresh bread past my nostrils. The sun had just begun to peek its head over the low rolling hills of the university campus, casting a warm glow on the surrounding buildings. As I walked toward the bus all I could think of was the word crisp, which is knackig in Deutsch. It was a morning feeling that can’t be replicated by any other country on earth.

As my friends and family might point out, I’m not exactly what you’d call a morning person. Just last semester, I scheduled my earliest class to be at 1:30 p.m. so I could sleep in as long as I pleased. I’m not exactly sure what led me to being wide awake at 5 a.m., but here I was wide awake. After enjoying the crisp German morning, I hopped on the bus and made my way to downtown Reutlingen.

Reutlingen, Ian Olive

I ended up spending most of my day downtown. It was refreshing to be able to explore a new city without any of the burdens of responsibilities or schedules. I meandered my way up and down the narrow side streets and ordered a trio of fruity pastries from a street vendor while continuing to marvel at the architecture and colors of the streets. I kept my eye open for old-timer classic cars while smiling and attempting to converse with all the elderly German people doing their morning shopping.

The day continued with a trip to an open air market in the town’s central plaza. Swabia farmers sold a variety of goods from sausages and fresh bread to fruits and vegetables I had never seen before. The Germans tend to do most of their shopping on a daily basis and choose not to go to a large supermarket and stock up for a few weeks. This custom keeps the food fresh and helps out the local vendors.

Reutlingen, Ian Olive

After the market, I met up with the tidy group of eight students from the Valpo cohort and took a quick tour of the neighboring town, Tübingen, with one of our German professors, Herr Springer. The man is a legend among the Reutlingen Study Center and he knows every bit of interesting info about beautiful Tübingen. He invited us all to dinner at the charming Neckarmüller restaurant on the river. I ordered Braumeisterpfännle with Spätz and Zwiebel which was a delicious blend of three different steaks and creamy pasta with mushrooms.

As the temperature began to drop, and the sun began to fade behind the clouds, a band across the river was playing a Johnny Cash song. I took the last sip of my drink and all I could think was life is good, life is knackig.

-Ian

You’re going to spend a year abroad. This is no small feat. You have been well prepared, and it’s unlikely that anything I could possibly write will change that. Despite that, here’s some stuff that I wrote to try to help you prepare for your year.

Some of these things are (hopefully understandably) centered around southwest Germany and the Reutlingen program. Sorry about that. Just kidding, not really.

VIEP = Valparaiso International Engineering Program. Take five years instead of 4 to finish your undergraduate degree by adding a semester of overseas study and an internship abroad, and end up wth a language (German, French, Spanish, Chinese) minor or major.

Skype your family as often as you please.

Foreign language faculty at VU advised that exposure to the English language should be limited as much as possible. The thought behind this is to allow yourself to the opportunity for as thorough immersion as possible. This makes sense – the more German (or French or Spanish or Chinese) you hear and use, the better you will be able to consistently and accurately speak and understand it.

This advice, though well-intentioned, is bogus, or at best unnecessary. For one, English is the common language in the dorms (at least in Reutlingen – I cannot speak for the other programs), even before German. You’re automatically in an environment where you’ll need to hear and use English all the time. No need to impose false barriers on your experience that won’t make any difference.

Next, you’re probably going to be plagued with some homesickness, at least once during your time abroad (if you’re not, maybe see somebody about that). Skipping home is a great way to help some of this go away. Your family is important (understatement), and it’s important to maintain that relationship.

Granted, you should not spend 100% of your free time calling home. You have a new place to explore (and getting out can also help with homesickness). But if you do your thing, you’ll experience plenty of immersion as-is. You’ll be just as fluent as you otherwise would have been, and you’ll also get to share your experiences regularly with your loved ones.

Find a family.

I can’t give advice on how to do this, as I more or less had a family waiting for me when I arrived (though I have heard that churches can be good, if that’s your thing). Back in 1980 (or something), my mom did a 3-week (or so) exchange program. She stayed with the Neumärker Family, and fortunately stayed in touch over the years. The then-12-year-old, now-decidedly-older-and-altogether-wondeful-year-old Isa conveniently lives with her husband Jojo and children Rebecca and Cassian near Stuttgart, which is conveniently close to Reutlingen, which is conveniently where I am living this year.

Hopefully, you will have the sense to see a substitute family as more than an outlet for laundry and meals. Spending time around kids is therapeutic, no matter how active or crazy they may be. At the very least, it gets you outside for exercise, and it also exposes you to a facet of German language that you otherwise wouldn’t be hearing. In my case, these kids are less familiar with Americans than the dorm crowd is, so the quality of questions is WAY better for meaningful introspection about myself and my country.

Furthermore, immersion better than this does not exist. You get people who will correct your deutsch in a snap, and who will get it right 100% of the time way faster than any classmate or dictionary ever could. You’re also not in an environment where you can get away with just doing your thing (in my case, programming and playing with twisty puzzles and reading Game of Thrones). You are expected to converse and follow directions. Instead of having to make the choice to put shoes on and go outside for immersion, you can get it from the comfort of your pajamas.

A family can also provide irreplaceable insight into local traditions. Sure, you can read about this stuff in books or on Wikipedia, but experiencing it gives you far more insight and appreciation. Plus it’s more fun than reading about foreign traditions on Wikipedia, and I can say that because I’ve tried it.

Buy your own plane tickets.

I fell for the trap of going with the group plane ride, and along with it, the group prices. The logic that “group prices mean discounts” does not apply for flights, or if it does, it sure didn’t for me.

You can even buy your outbound ticket on the same flight as the rest of the group, but save a few hundred bucks by doing so.

Don’t go for a round trip ticket either, unless you are reasonably certain that you can change your return flight for free. This will most certainly not be the case with the group rate. Round trip tickets are good for short trips, and on the short term, they can even save money. Since you can’t book flights until a year in advance anyway, these savings will not be present by a round trip booking for VIEP participants.

Public Transportation

There’s a thing called the Anschluss Studi-Ticket, which is an extension of your Naldo pass into the Stuttgart region. Super cheap (in the long term, meaning ~$300 one-time), and way worthwhile. If the Naldo region gets boring for you (it shouldn’t, but just in case it somehow does), this gives you a (somewhat) big city to explore. At current prices, it pays for itself in just over 9 visits.

Networking

Herr Veit is the most important friend of VIEP at the Hochschule Reutlingen. He’s so well-connected that I’m pretty sure the only German official who doesn’t answer directly to him is Angela Merkel. He’s a huge support for VIEP participants, and will gladly help you secure a co-op during your second semester. (It’s also possible to accomplish this through other means – Herr Veit is certainly not the only path to a placement)

However, he’s a busy man. You may have to be more explicit with him than feels polite in order to get your point across. He also comes with a very quick turnaround time. Just be prepared to hit the ground running, and you’ll do just fine.

This has not been an exhaustive list.