News and Events
Th, October 21, 2 - 4 p.m., Withers Lobby: Foreign Languages and Literatures Major and Minors Reception
Th, October 21, 4 - 6 p.m., 331 Withers: Study Abroad Sharing Session for German Studies Majors and Minors and other FLG students who are interested
Fri, Oct. 30 - Sun, Nov. 8 at Duke University: "Freedom Without Walls"
Duke University is proud to be one of the campuses selected by the German Embassy to celebrate the fall of the Berlin wall with a week-long series of events.A team of dedicated undergraduate students is currently organizing this festival. Please save the date for the events listed below and in the attached document. At this point we would specifically like to encourage you to contact me or the students directly if you would like to get involved, or if you would like to recommend other people who may be interested in helping to organize these events or who may be interested in attending. Please help us to spread the word! Point out in particular that-- there is a Graffiti contest where students can spraypaint our own Berlin Wall;-- there is a speech contest where dedicated debaters can win a prize and enter a nationwide competition. Some talking points for a speech is also attached;-- one of the leading members of the opposition against the Communist GDR who was imprisoned by the Stasi and later served four consecutive terms in the Bundestag is coming to give the keynote speech.Our group is now available on facebook -- search forFreedom Without Walls: 1989-2009 | Duke University and join for updates and invitations.All individual projects are student-run. Please get in touch directly with the leader of the project you are interested in. Feel free to contact me when you have questions about the project as a whole.
October 30, from 1pm
Graffiti Contest
In order to physically commemorate the 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, we will be hosting a graffiti contest on our own Berlin Wall replica. This event will be taking place on Duke University's main West Campus quadrangle on October 30th, from 1pm - 8pm. We will be joined by Duke's artists as well as artists from the local community, and expect it to be an enjoyable and truly memorable experience for all.West Campus Main QuadNick Bryan and John Kunemund (nick.bryan@duke.edu, john.kunemund@duke.edu)
November 2, 7:30pm
Major Speaker: Vera LengsfeldFormer Leader of the East German Opposition Movement and Distinguished German Politician "Every citizen has the right to express his opinion freely and openly". That was the declaration made by Vera Lengsfeld on the poster she carried during a rally against the East German communist regime in 1988. In response to her indiscretion Vera Lengsfeld was detained in a prison of the East German secret police and eventually deported from the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Vera Lengsfeld is one of the most recognizable leaders of the East German anti-communist movement. After studying Philosophy of Religion at St. John's college in England, she returned to East Germany on the morning of November 9, 1989. Immediately after the Fall of the Berlin Wall Ms. Lengsfeld worked as a civil rights activist and served as a member of the Constitutional Commission on the reunification of East and West Germany. In the only free elections in the GDR Vera Lengsfeld was elected to a seat in parliament. A trying chapter of her life was the discovery in 1991 that her husband was a spy for the East German secret police. After reunification Ms. Lengsfeld was elected to the German Parliament for 4 consecutive terms. Vera Lengsfeld is running for office again in the upcoming 2009 Bundestag election after working as a freelance writer since 2005. In August 2009 Vera Lengsfeld was at the heart of a controversial marketing campaign in which she produced election posters featuring photos of her bust beside German Chancellor Angela Merkel's with the slogan "We have more to offer".Schiciano AuditoriumMarianne Leonhardt and Albert Karcher (ml122@duke.edu, albert.karcher@duke.edu)
November 4, 5pm
Speech Contest
The Speech Contest is an opportunity for students to engage in a public speaking opportunity on the topics of freedom, unity, and capitalism. Contestants should put themselves in the shoes of the current American president in order to comment on the significance of the fall of the Berlin Wall twenty years ago and its implications on contemporary perceptions and challenges towards democracy and capitalism. The competition is open to all North Carolina university students, and the judging panel will consist of faculty and students from Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill. About ten to fifteen speeches shall be presented on the evening of November 4th, and the winning speaker will receive $100 from the German Embassy and have the opportunity to present his/her speech at the national level of the competition for further recognition and awards!East Duke ParlorsNadine Gloss (nadine.gloss@duke.edu)
November 7, 8pm
Gala
A gala will be held in celebration of the German culture and in commemoration of the Berlin Wall. The German themed gala will feature cultural German music and delicious hors-d'oeuvres.Freeman CenterAshly Solano (ashly.solano@duke.edu)
November 8, 12 noon
Charity Run
Part of the Freedom Without Walls celebration at Duke will be a charity 5K benefiting SEEDS in Durham, NC. Participants will donate $15 and receive a Freedom Without Walls T-shirt and water bottle; the run is open to everyone in the Triangle area. SEEDS mission statement is: "SEEDS encourages respect for life, for earth and for each other. We help individuals, neighborhoods and communities grow together through gardening, gathering and education." The funds will benefit specifically the SEEDlings after school program where kids in the 1st through 5th grade can learn about gardening, nature, exercise, and nutrition in their community, as well as get tutoring and help with homework. Look out for sign-ups on Duke's campus as we near the event!
Al Buehler Cross Country Trail
Genevieve Lipp and Philip Gnaedig (genevieve.lipp@duke.edu, philip.gnaedig@duke.edu)
Christophe Fricker, cef15@duke.edu
Duke University
