Funnel 40/2, Inhalt - Fulbright-Kommission

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16 TITLE TOPIC Fulbrighters Daniella Strasfogel, Joshua Palay (center), and John Waytena perform Palay’s piece, “Showdown,” during the Music Gala. Other speakers likewise addressed the challenges posed by an expanding Europe. On the first day of the conference—organized at Berlin’s Technical University by the Fulbright Alumni Association in Germany—speakers focused on the challenges and promise of an expanded European Union. Among the assembled experts for discussions on Europe’s future were American Embassy representatives, prominent Eastern and Central Europeans and a German journalist. “This round of enlargement is the most important event in what I like to call, ‘Project Europe,’” said Hungarian Sebestyen Gorka, the Executive Director of the Institute for Transitional Democracy and International Security. “This is an expansion that will potentially put the EU on the level of the U.S. economically,” Gorka added during an afternoon lecture. Against the backdrop of the Madrid bombings, which had occurred just days before, European security was naturally a key issue in the discussions as well. Gorka argued that, when it comes to acting as a THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 40 • NUMBER 2 • SUMMER 2004 counterweight to the U.S. on security and foreign policy, the EU has a long way to go. German journalist Christoph von Marshall, the moderator of an afternoon panel discussion called “Visions for Europe,” countered this viewpoint by ticking off a list of what he saw as European Union foreign policy achievements. The very nature of the expanded EU in terms of its attitude toward the United States will likely change significantly, argued another member of the afternoon panel. “There is a lot of talk that the new EU will be more pro-American,” said Riina Ruth Kionka, the Estonian Ambassador to Germany. “That’s especially true in the Baltics.” The attitude in many of the new member states towards Brussels, Gorka said, will also be much different thanks to their communist past. “The people of these countries have a very healthy skepticism with any form of centralization,” Gorka explained. “We tried it, didn’t like it.” Further expanding on the theme “Where Continents Meet” a one-day ses- sion on Thursday entitled “University and Islam” ended the Seminar with a “trialogue” between Germany, the U.S., and the Islamic World (see coverage on page 19). Acting as a pleasant complement to the academic discussion during the day, evening events showcased the talents of artistically ambitious grantees and offered a sample of Berlin’s cultural forums, from classical to cutting-edge. The Amerika Haus, the cultural division of the U.S. Embassy, served as the first venue for Sunday evening’s performances and exhibitions. Organized by former grantee Dan Brunet, on-stage selections ranged from traditional Finnish lute (Juniper Hill) and Bohemian bagpipe (Michael Cwach) to spoken word (Ronamber Deloney, a.k.a. Flow) and a multimedia commentary on religious fundamentalism by Richard Posner. “Life is sometimes stranger than fiction,” Posner said in describing his politically-charged documentary work. There were a number of visual arts installations showcased as well. While artist Anna MacDonald was pleased to be
able to exhibit her installation and drawings, she said that the process of producing them had helped her in some unexpected ways. “If you want to practice your German, grab a sketchbook and hit the street,” she encouraged. “People will inevitably approach you and will sometimes offer feedback.” While many conference participants enjoyed Tuesday evening’s organ concert by Daniel Sañez and David McKinney at St. Hedwig’s Cathedral, others attended a production of the rock musical Linie 1 at the GRIPS Theater. GRIPS founder Volker Ludwig wrote this signature production from the political-satirical company in 1986. The sold-out house was dominated by young people—not the typical Berlin theater-going audience—as Ludwig pointed out to Fulbrighters in a pre-performance discussion. TITLE TOPIC 17 “We want people from all different age groups and social classes to feel drawn to our theater,” he said. “Our audiences come because they see themselves and their concerns reflected in each piece.” Linie 1, a three-hour journey in the U- Bahn 1 Line, is nearly two decades in the running. Yet the production is still contemporary, and public transportation, where so many lives intersect each day, provides the perfect vehicle in which to address current concerns of regular people. “The times have changed, but the issues—unemployment, equal rights, and homelessness—are still the same,” Ludwig added. At the revered Fulbright Music Gala on Wednesday evening, host and coordinator Joseph Nykiel provided historical notes on dazzling classical voice compositions by Arnold Schönberg (Jennifer Borghi) and Richard Strauss (Joe Dan and Anne Kissel A Fulbright family: Margaret Zelljadt (left), currently a Fulbrighter in Belgium with daughter Elizabeth (center) currently a Fulbrighter in Germany and Margaret’s German host mother from her 1963 Fulbright to Germany THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 40 • NUMBER 2 • SUMMER 2004
Page 1: NEWSMAGAZINE OF THE GERMAN-AMERICAN
Page 4 and 5: 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS On
Page 6 and 7: 6 DEPARTMENTS Commission News DR. R
Page 8 and 9: 8 DEPARTMENTS Prizes & Awards Profe
Page 10 and 11: 10 DEPARTMENTS Catching Up With Our
Page 12 and 13: 12 DEPARTMENTS “Now,” a photogr
Page 14 and 15: 14 TITLE TOPIC Where Continents Mee
Page 18 and 19: 18 TITLE TOPIC Alumni Oliver and Pe
Page 20 and 21: 20 TITLE TOPIC Dr. Heidi Wedel of t
Page 22 and 23: 22 NEWS & EVENTS „Das Berliner Tr
Page 24 and 25: 24 NEWS & EVENTS Health as Foreign
Page 26 and 27: 26 ALUMNI PROFILES Lucian Kim The F
Page 28 and 29: 28 CITYSCAPES steckt unter dem feuc
Page 30 and 31: 30 FROM OUR FULBRIGHTERS “Si, se
Page 32 and 33: 32 FROM OUR FULBRIGHTERS On strike,
Page 34 and 35: 34 FROM OUR FULBRIGHTERS er: 0.89
Page 36 and 37: 36 FROM OUR FULBRIGHTERS Devora (ce
Page 38 and 39: 38 FROM OUR FULBRIGHTERS The Multic
Page 40 and 41: 40 CONTRIBUTORS CLAIRE ADAMSICK, wh
Page 42: 42 IMPRINT The Funnel is published

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