CLASSES at IES

I began my first week of classes this Monday, and so far I have been very pleased. On Monday, I only have one class, which takes place from 4:15-5:45pm. Therefore, Monday mornings will most likely be devoted to A) grocery shopping, B) laundry, and/or C) traveling back to Berlin from a weekend getaway. Since I only have one of my "Area Studies" courses on Monday/Wednesday, that means my Tuesday/Thursday schedule is pretty grueling. I begin every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday with my two hour German 101 lesson at 9:30am. Then on Tues/Thurs I also have class from 12:45-2:15, 2:30-4:00, and 6:00-7:30! I am not used to having classes so late in the day.

The courses IES offers can fit into multiple disciplines, which makes the material both multifaceted and interesting. My courses include:
-Introduction to German Language
-Literature and Film in the Modern Metropolis (English/Art History)
-The Politics of Gender: Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow (Cultural Studies/ History)
-Visual Culture and The Urban Landscape (Art History/ Urban Studies)
-Sex, Drugs, & Rock n' Roll: Pop Culture's Impact on the Metropolis (Cultural Studies/ History)

The German (which I already talked about in a previous post) is coming along slowly...very slowly. While my usage of the subways has become very strong, my lack of knowledge of the German language sometimes hinders my ability to successfully move from place to place. For example, yesterday the S1 line that I take home changed rails ONE stop from my stop. Supposedly the conductor announced this change in line over the loud speaker...hmm? But no worries, my S&U-Bahn expertise allowed me to make it back to my stop...30 minutes after my expected arrival time. Other than my lack of knowledge in the language, I am loving the class. My teacher Kirsten is very nice and has some great stories about growing up within the Wall of East Berlin.

The Literature and Film course is not what I expected, but I have found it interesting thus far. On the first day, the teacher (a Berliner who graduated from UNC Chapel Hill) had us all write about our first impressions of the city. We then read them aloud and analyzed how we would present them if we had the chance (i.e. in film, poetry, literature, etc). The class namely focuses on the city's role, effect, purpose, and meaning in literature and film. For example, today we discussed Henri Lefebvre, who believed space to be divided into three categories: natural, socially produced, and imaginary. Are you confused? Well think of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and how the city and social places are so explicitly and colorfully described. This course analyzes the meaning and reasons behind this use of the city.

My Politics of Gender course is one of the courses that I am most excited about, probably because I enjoyed Professor Berebitsky's Women's Studies courses at Sewanee so much. The teacher seems really interested in what she is teaching and is very approachable. During the course we will talk about gender as a social construction (i.e. cat, dress, flower, pink = female & dog, tie, football, and blue = male) through the Berliner, Parisian, and Russian lenses. We began the first day of class with images that were considered "scandalous" in their time, and briefly discussed the reasons behind the scandal. Tomorrow we will discuss the integration of women into universities of Germany, which did not actually occur until the beginning of the 20th Century!

The Visual Culture and Urban Landscape course also appeals to me greatly, because I will be studying material that I am not as familiar with/ have yet to study. This course is an integration of art history and urban planning; therefore, we will not only study the traditional art forms of painting and architecture but the actual layout and planning of the city as well. For example, we will compare the integration of public transportation (subway, train, and tram lines) in the cities of Berlin, Paris, and St. Petersburg, while discussing the importance of their existence. Also, one week of this course is dedicated to street art and graffiti, which is a major part of Berlin's history due to The Wall.

As for the Sex, Drugs, and Rock n' Roll course...I think Jay Bonner will be asking me for the syllabus and assigned readings. Hell, he may even talk to Headmaster Montgomery about starting this course as a senior elective at Asheville School! This class is by far the most popular of all the courses; how could it not be with a name like that? In this course we will take a look at...well...basically what the title says and so much more. If you stop and think how much pop-culture affects us as human beings, it blows your mind. I mean, I couldn't sing you one Justin Bieber song but I sure as hell can tell you that the Bieber hair side-swoop is all the rage. Anyway, back to the point. We will not only read literature and watch films on/about pop-culture, but we will also experience it as well. One of our classes is a "Rap & DJing Clinic," where we will have to write and preform our creations with the class. Another class will be spent at the Berlin Stadium watching a soccer game! Basically, I cannot wait for this class to unfold.