MUCKRAKER the Bandaged Charité Speaks! Lampposts Snuggled up in H&M, Busses Ence Community

THE UCKRAKER T HE IMNDEPENDENT J OHN F. K ENNEDY S CHOOL S TUDENTS ‘ N EWSPAPER Volume X, Issue VIII Friday, March 2, 2007 Circulation: 600 PAGE 1 THE MUCKRAKER The Bandaged Charité Speaks! Lampposts snuggled up in H&M, busses ence community. To make this happen, Can you believe it’s March al- roaming the streets sporting Sketcher’s “Vanity Fair” will be posted for about a ready? Because we surely can’t. Only hottest, and for the Brandenburg Gate, year. 20 more days until spring vacation and only the fi nest off of Gucci racks. Our A hospital covered in advertisement is after that, it’s really only a matter of city not long from today: an advertise- only the peak of the iceberg though. As weeks until another school year will ment jungle. of 2007, advertisement design compa- come to its end. So let us recapitulate This fear manifests itself most clearly at ny VVR Decaux proffers an alluring new what has happened in the last month: the sorry sight of the Berliner Charité. campaign perspective for its custom- report cards with a preciously high Its central hospital building has been ers: “train station dominance”. From amount of those new Individual Educa- wrapped up and bandaged in 4200 pioneering the legendary “Litfaßsäule”, tion Plans (IEP), a fatal hurricane that square meters of plastic featuring 10 invented by the “advertisement king”, turned out to be more of a strong wind, giant yellow letters; a commercial Ernst Litfaß, to sending the fi rst horse and an unusually successful school poster that reads “Vanity Fair”. On the carriage used as an advertisement tool dance. night of February 6th, 20 mechanics into the streets of Berlin – the company It seems that the new course load for hoisted the advertisement up to the top now known as VVR Decaux, has always our little 7th grade younglings is really ten fl oors of the world famous hospital been an innovator in its league. “Train drawing its consequences. Although station domi- the 7th graders will be fortunate nance” may enough to complete their Abitur after well transform only 12 years, they now have a more our city as rigorous schedule, tougher classes, much as pre- and less free periods. As for the wan- vious Decaux na-be hurricane, although us Berlin- strategies. The ers weren’t too impressed, the strong idea behind it is winds seem to be an indicator of the that fl oor, walls, potential effects of global warming. Es- ceilings, and pecially with the moody weather we’ve poles in a sub- been having lately (Is it winter? Is it way station be spring?), it seems that the future of plastered full our children and our children’s children with the client’s will not be as safe as ours, regarding advertisements climate change. – and only that The Student Council dance, on the oth- one client’s er hand, came as a positive surprise to and now it hangs majestically above the logo and colors, hence the dominance. most of us, as school dances are nor- city, the writing lit up at night. Those of So far, two companies have shaken on mally less successful and have gained us worried about missing the market’s the deal: U-Bahnhof Ernst-Reuter-Platz quite a dismissive reputation at our latest are thanking the fashion deity, now occupied by “GRAVIS”, a computer school. Nevertheless, congratulations but what about those inside the hospi- company and U-Bahnhof Friedrich- to the SC! Let’s hope more successes tal? They’re rejoicing over the advance- straße, enveloped in “Germanwings”. will await us in the future. ments in poster engineering: The little Sounds like one building, one train sta- Anyway, as you all know, these next holes in the poster material make for a tion after another will be covered in a couple of weeks before spring break great view out the window! And what wild jungle of advertisements. Unter will be tainted with Klausuren, tests, about the lit-up letters? No need to den Linden’s elegant sap green trees quizzes, and presentations, but re- worry about that. Its lights extinguish will be lost in a blurry array of bright member, school will be over soon and at eleven - perfect bedtime for the new- printer ink. Are H&M, Sketchers, and once you get through these weeks, you borns on the 11th fl oor! Gucci what Berlin stands for? Should can pat yourself on the back. The comfort of the patients set aside, the “dominance” be in the hands of one has to ask: How do a magazine corporate companies, or is this our advertisement and a health facility fi t city, our hospital, our public transpor- together? The Charité has assuaged tation system? Whether we like it or Charité 1 concerns over this discrepancy saying not, advertisements are growing in size JFKS Life 2-4 it’s not and will never be a cigarette and prevalence. At least no must-have commercial. The hospital depends on product will escape us. Opinion 4-6 the money it gets for advertising; it Culture 6-7 is remodelling its façade and adding Entertainment 8-10 seven new fl oors – aiming to make the Lena Walther building symbolic for the Berliner sci- Volume X, Issue VIII Friday, March 2, 2007 Circulation: 600 PAGE 2 JFKS Life The Student Council Graffiti, Valentine’s Day Dance the newest What have the Student Council Presi- self, after the helpers and of course our trend? dents Max Jürgens and Julian Lasius SC presidents themselves had finished When reflecting back upon the year achieved till now? Many students who setting everything up for the big bash, 2006 it seems that a lot of new trends had once put their hope into the newly a lot of people started to show up. Al- have come about. One of the biggest elected presidents became some of the though most 10th – 13th graders, ex- trends is that we teenagers seem to Student Council’s strongest critics. The cluding those who helped out, stayed have taken a liking to graffiti. I for one same people who had once congratu- true to their promise of not attending would be lying if I said I didn’t love see- lated ideas such as the Grade Council, the dance, some fun-loving older stu- ing a good “piece” on a building or an now doubt the capabilities of Max and dents did show up and appeared to en- S-Bahn. Julian. However, the SC presidents have joy themselves. Not to forget the hoard But what I don’t like - and I think many of younger students who of you will agree - is seeing some ama- gladly joined in on the teur kid’s sloppy tag smeared all over festivities, which guaran- the walls of our school. It’s ugly and no teed a huge amount of one finds it cool. profit due to the amount I know a lot of you think it’s funny or of tickets and drinks sold cool to tag in the bathrooms or the at the dance. The DJ banisters but it really isn’t. I am friends (Jakob Thomae) and the with people who spray: they are amaz- extremely amusing break ing artists and they spray in places dance moves of one of the that don’t jeopardize other peoples’ SC presidents were some well-being and because they love and of the most entertaining respect the art of spray painting – now events of the night. that is cool. However the kids tagging Although many of us still in the bathrooms of our school are try- have a lot of questions ing to impress the older kids – its not concerning the work impressing them. I talked to an old and achievements of the friend of mine, who is also an amazing SC presidents, all of us sprayer and he said that that kind of managed to not only continually work should at least acknowledge the hard tagging just doesn’t make an impres- very hard behind the scenes of school work and successes achieved by the sion on him and that if those kids want business but they also managed to pull young men that were elected by a vast his respect they should be out there do- off a big successful event to ring in the majority of the school. ing what he’s doing and not destroying second semester. Let’s hope that the SC dance wasn’t our bathrooms. The SC Valentine’s Day Dance, which just a glimpse of success but rather If you’re trying to make a point, con- many students had looked down upon, the start of an exciting, eventful, and gratulations, you’ve made it: all of the turned out to be a huge success. Al- extremely successful second semes- JFKS bathrooms now look like public though the SC had managed to plas- ter, especially since another semester toilets at an U-Bahn station. The bath- ter the entire school with posters, it largely filled with empty promises and rooms have become nasty and are hurt- still didn’t seem as if the dance would behind the scenes work isn’t what any- ing our school’s reputation. be well visited. When asked whether one bargained for when they voted for So, if you guys are really into graffiti, they would be attending this pivotal their SC presidents. For now, we can that’s fine, but a lot of kids at our school dance – at least for 7th and 8th grad- just try and be positive, seeing as some may not be and it’s not fair to them if ers – older students just laughed at the positive thinking at least once in a while they have to walk into those bathrooms idea, claiming that going to a school can’t harm anyone. everyday and be subjected to visual dance would just be “lame and embar- pollution just because some people rassing”. Victor Boadum think it looks cool. To the surprise of many, including my- If you really love spraying then do it on a legal wall, where you can really show off what you’ve got and where people can and will respect you for it. Whoever did the tagging in our school really destroyed a lot. They damaged Teacher Quotes not only the bathrooms but also the Schon bald müssen die Yearbookseiten diese Sprüche kennt, bitte ich euch trust that we shared with our teach- fertig gestellt werden. Dabei sind gera- alles was ihr habt an mich zu senden, ers because now the administration is de die „Teacher Quotes“-Seiten eine damit es auch dieses Jahr wieder ver- holding class conferences and pulling gute Möglichkeit das, was ihr dieses, öffentlicht innocent kids into this. If it doesn’t stop bzw. letztes Jahr erlebt habt, mit ein- werden kann. Ihr könnt mir soon the school has threatened to get zubringen. Unsere Lehrer hauen doch die Quotes als E-Mail schicken the police involved. immer ([email protected]) oder mich So please, don’t let this problem esca- wieder mal gerne den einen oder an- einfach in der Schule ansprechen. late. It’s up to you. deren dummen, lustigen oder einfach nur falschen Spruch raus. Damit nicht Matt Werner Leonie Schulte nur ihr Volume X, Issue VIII Friday, March 2, 2007 Circulation: 600 PAGE 3 JFKS Life

A class of twenty students:Raised five raise their hands? Is it because Hands the teacher minutes to be told that student Y gets to their hands, the others yawn, doodle, needs a way to be able to control the say something, and that the class must sleep, look out of the window, or talk class and keep order? The bigger a move on to the next topic after Y’s com- to their neighbors. Who will the teacher class the more difficult it must be for a ment. Student X will put his hand down pick on to answer the question? Stu- teacher to manage it. One hears often and will probably feel at least slightly dent A whose arm hurts from stretching enough of those teachers who fail at offended, and might express something it into the air for five minutes, or maybe this task. Small classes are a lot nicer like an “ach menno” or a “darn it”. I student B who is really into the subject for both the teacher and the students. believe that this is one of the greatest and wants to share her opinion. insults a teacher can give a stu- No. The teacher will ask Bob to say dent, to ignore his or her opinion, something, although Bob does not especially in classes that are all know or care about the symbolism about the expression and forming in Tom and Jerry. Bob (no offense of opinions. What is also unfair is to anyone whose name may be shouting an answer into the class Bob) will tell the teacher that he while other students raise their does not know the answer, and the hands, although this is different teacher will pick on other students in the way that it is an insult from randomly, completely ignoring one student to another. those that actually do raise their All of the above may seem exag- hands. At some point the attentive gerated to some of you, but defi- students feel slightly offended and nitely there is a truth to it, even slowly lower their hands. if it may not be applicable to eve- Is that reasonable classroom man- ryone, as there are students who agement? I say it isn’t! Teachers should The fewer students in a class the more don’t like to raise their hand anyway. not ignore their students as much as likely it is that they all get to say some- However, there are always the few re- students should not ignore their teach- thing. Of course, there are always the ally interested kids in a class who raise ers. Our life at school, especially the few upper grade classes whose teach- their hands but who, at some point, get student to teacher relationship, is based ers have abolished the hand-raising ignored by their teachers, which will on mutual respect – otherwise difficul- idea completely. No doubt that there make those students feel bad. ties may arise. I might have exagger- must be a certain level of maturity in Teachers, please try to be fair: Also let ated in the above-mentioned example, such a class that is simply impossible to the students who you know will know however, this does indeed occur, and attain in the 7th grade for example. the answer speak - don’t just call on I think that the teachers are not even There probably is a common consensus those who don’t want to be called on. aware of offending their students, espe- on the need of hand-raising in school, cially those that seem to show interest especially in the lower grade levels. in their classes. However, it is not a nice feeling for stu- Farsane Tabataba-Vakili Why do students actually have to raise dent X who has raised his hand for five

January 18th, 8:15 am: „An announce- KYRILLwinds that circulate slowly around an 24 casualties and 34 fatalities. 1 million ment to all JFK students, you may go area with high atmospheric pressure citizens were without power and dozens home today after 6th period due to a – after their father, Kyrill, for his 65th of flights were cancelled, streets and hurricane coming towards Berlin in the birthday. But since anticyclones can highways closed, and rail traffic in parts afternoon.“ An early dismissal: Prob- only be given female names on uneven of Europe completely shut down. ably the one thing every student wants years, they decided to name a cyclone The highest wind speed in Germany to hear on a cold and windy Tuesday – a system of winds rotating inwards to was measured at 202 km/h over the morning. Already on the night before an area of low atmospheric pressure - Bavarian city of Wendelstein, while we had heard about this horrible storm after him. What they didn‘t know was the maximum wind speed overall was heading toward Europe. Days before that this cyclone was going to turn into 225 km/h. The storm crossed Germany that, the few wind-warnings developed a hurricane. quicker than the meteorological service into official hurricane-warnings. On the On the 15th of January, the hurricane had predicted and caused less damage night of January 19th the German me- developed out of a cyclone that started than expected. Still the costs of the teorological service declared the storm over Newfoundland. The center of the damages caused by the storm range as the strongest since hurricane Lothar storm crossed Northern Ireland, Scot- around 8 billion € in Germany only. in December 1999. land, and Sweden. Over the British Even though the storm caused hor- Hurricane Kyrill crossed almost all of Islands it reached the first high wind rible damages all over Europe, Berlin- Europe – from Estonia to Romania, speed of 130 km/h. It reached Europe ers thought of it more as a strong wind from Denmark to Slovenia, from Great on the 18th of January and lasted until than a hurricane. Britain to Germany. the 19th. Although hundreds of schools, A family from Neuhagen wanted to kindergartens, universities, and under- Theresa Volkmer name an anticyclone – a system of takings were closed, all in all there were Volume X, Issue VIII Friday, March 2, 2007 Circulation: 600 PAGE 4 JFKS Life / Opinion All hell would break loose without them! The other day my semester test pres- knock on the door? Our classes are leave absences unnoticed, which would entation was friendly interrupted by therefore on average about one minute result in too many zeros or small num- a knock on the door. Some man in- and twenty seconds shorter! If we have bers in the designated column on the quired whether my classmates were all eight classes a day we save about ten report card. This catastrophic scenario present or not. For a second or so I lost minutes in which we would be forced to must be cauterized. We need the big my train of thought, but then I recuper- learn something about trigonometry or numbers on the report cards to prove ated from the disruption and continued Louis the XIV. that attendance is indeed taken, since in mid-sentence knowing that the man The average homeroom teacher would we all know that it is very unlikely that was only helping my dear teachers. be buried by the work involved in keep- an entire grade level was present every Aren’t they a gift from heaven, those ing track of whether his or her students day in a semester. So people had to be friendly men and women who go from are present in all of their classes or not. hired to check that the teachers actu- room to room, hour after hour for our What does he or she care about the at- ally do mark their students absent. It undoubted benefit? Why, what would tendance of other teachers’ classes an- is most definitely a just cause because our dear tutors do without this enor- yway? Now the average tutor needs no there always has to be someone to keep mous help? They would definitely col- longer worry about his or her students’ an eye on the people in charge; other- lapse under the workload caused by health or skipping tendencies unless wise total anarchy would break out, the absence of their classes! I seriously they directly affect that teacher’s class. which would be simply catastrophic. wonder how on Earth the homeroom It’s great that our tutors were freed The friendly helpers are a gift to our teachers managed it to keep track of from all this work, now they might even school, and we must all thank the attendance in the previous decades. be able to correct our exams and hand people whom we owe for this kind- Nowadays this seems impossible within the grades on time, which is all that ness, since they check on our teachers, out the help of these dedicated and matters in school. shorten our classes, and always give friendly people. The average subject teacher is, of us something to laugh at, talk or think Isn’t it bliss for the students to lose the course, totally overtaxed by filling out about. few precious seconds of class in which the formerly used absent slips for the the teacher takes the attendance and small percent of sick and skipping stu- Farsane Tabataba-Vakili the minute of confusion caused by the dents. Hence, he or she would simply Not another trash article! How our electric friends pollute our environment Let’s talk about our real best friends, repair these devices that are not fully the Chinese engineers are still trying to the ones who help you when you’re operative but otherwise good-look- figure out the possible usage of these lost, the ones who entertain you when ing. Almost every electronic item we e-wastes, the toxic metals and organic you’re bored and the ones who finish use will sooner or later fit in under the contaminants inside our electronic tools all of your work, unless they run out category “e-waste”, or Waste Electri- begin to slowly emerge and pollute the of power: cell phones, laptops, mp3- cal and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), disposal sites – a paradise where birds players, and other digital tools. sing, children play, farmers We use them everyday, and a grow rice and the underground world without them would be water system runs freely hard to imagine. But, once in through the country. a while, even the best gadget At least we can make sure ceases to function or becomes that our friends will be in good outdated by other clever instru- company: e-waste is already a ments. Fortunately, you don’t mass product. Every year, up have to throw them in a regular to 50 million tons of e-waste garbage can, with all the other are generated around the garbage created by your fam- world. The EU has banned the ily. No, manufacturers usually use of hazardous chemicals in provide digital waste disposal electronic products, but will points that allow your former Apple be able to recycle more best friends to be professionally than 70 million iPods that have dismantled and then… and then been sold since 2001? And how what? Source: sfzc.org many more computers will be What most likely happens is dumped on disposal sites now that they embark on a long journey and whether it’s your two-year-old cell that Windows Vista is on the market? overcome distances that you wouldn’t phone, laser printer, TV, or vacuum For more information please visit have dreamt. They are exported to vil- cleaner. And, it might sound shocking, www.greenmyapple.org. lages in China, India or Kenya – after but these products often contain highly all, these developing countries NEED toxic chemicals such as cadmium, lead, advanced technologies! They just tin, mercury, arsenic, manganese, an- have to find some engineers who can timony, PCBs, and many more. While Eileen Wagner Volume X, Issue VIII Friday, March 2, 2007 Circulation: 600 PAGE 5 Opinion Preventing an African Jihad Ever since the U.S. started their “war their headquarters in Baidoa managed in 1993 during the incident referred to on terrorism” in the Middle East by to regain their power through the in- as “Black Hawk Down”. destroying former governments and volvement of foreign powers. Somalia’s At this point in time there seems to be leading them into a temporary state of neighboring country Ethiopia inter- no real solution for the problems Soma- chaos, it seems the Bush administra- vened when Ethiopian Prime Minister lia is facing. Although the African Union tion has found a new playground to test Meles Zenawi ordered thousands of has already stationed 8 000 troops in their weapons: in war-torn Somalia. troops to enter Somalia. The Islamist’s Somalia and are considering sending What this entire war really boils down fled the country, most of them heading in more troops, many problems still lie to is the western anti-terror govern- towards Kenya. ahead of the people of Somalia. Thou- ments (led by the United States and The task of providing a stable govern- sands have fled the country and are now Great Britain) opposing the radical ment for the Somali people, however, refugees trying to find their way back Islamists groupings (such as al-Qa- is very far from being reached. The ICU home. According to recent news reports ida). The question is how the people - although radical - managed to bring 5, 000 troops supported by the ICU and of Somalia are affected by this poten- a sense of security to Somalia during possibly the al-Qaeda are preparing for their 6-month reign, and guerilla war in Mogadishu. The war has I doubt the newly formed caused food shortages and the people Transitional Federal Gov- are so afraid that they too have been ernment (TFG) can ac- gearing up for a possible civil war. The complish this feat. The TFG only question that remains is how far consists of many warlords are the western powers, especially the who actively participated United States, are willing to go to en- in destroying Somalia dur- sure that Somalia doesn’t turn into a ing the past 15 years. The “terrorist state”? After the proceedings civilians have re-armed of “Black Hawk Down”, it’s sure that the themselves in a quest to U.S. will act with caution because at protect their homes and this point in time nobody truly knows families while the ICU is how this Jihad is going to end. supposedly preparing their The most likely solution, however, is soldiers to wage a guerilla that just like the atrocities in Rwanda or Source: BBC war and the Ethio- tial Jihad. How did the once promising pian Prime Minister country known as Somalia transform Meles Zenawi has al- into the new platform to build up a ter- ready announced his rorist retreat area? plans to pull out of The current conflict first started six Somalia, leaving the months ago when the former Islamic country in uttermost Courts Union (ICU) forcefully gained chaos. control of Mogadishu – Somalia’s capi- This is where the U.S. tal – and, gradually, of the remaining plays a role in the fur- Somali regions. The “government” ther development of meanwhile remained in the Baidoa Somalia. The U.S. and (provincial area), watching in disbelief Great Britain vetoed a Source: BBC as the ICU instated numerous new resolution of the UN to laws. In an attempt to rebuild Somalia call for a retreat of Ethiopian troops, a the crisis in Dafur, this potential African after the warlords had tormented the move that wouldn’t be in the interest genocide could lead to an implosion in citizens and completely destroyed large of the Bush administration at all. Al- East Africa. I just hope that in the in- areas during their strife for power, the though the U.S. State Department lists terest of the Somalis it ends fast and new Islamist “government” disarmed Somalia’s government type as “none”, with a minimal amount of bloodshed all citizens, banned the widespread an American AC-130 gunship destroyed but considering the lack of interest in consumption of the drug Kat, and, fur- a suspected al-Qaeda target located in African problems, all Somalia can do is thermore, closed cinemas, forbade mu- the south of Somalia and in the proc- hope for foreign help but at the same sic and television, and lifted roadblocks. ess also killed civilians. The fact that time realize that this crisis will not be These measures, although they seemed the TFG allowed the American attack over anytime soon. drastic, helped the ICU in their struggle is startling, considering the fact that for an organized Somalia as the crime warlord Mohammed Aidid is the Deputy rates plummeted and order was tempo- Prime Minister of the TFG and also co- Victor Boadum rarily restored. incidently the son of Mohammed Farrah The “government” that had set up Aidid whose militia killed 18 U.S. troops

Comments, Replies? send your opinions and articles to: [email protected] Volume X, Issue VIII Friday, March 2, 2007 Circulation: 600 PAGE 6 Opinion / Culture „Es ist nicht deine To buy a ticket Schuld, dass die or to not buy a ticket? I was recently in the S-Bahn with An era where train checkers and pas- Welt ist, wie sie ist!“ a friend of mine on our way to the sengers would live together in peace? Der Mensch ist gierig, geradezu uner- Schwarzes Cafe. We hadn’t seen each According to a recent article in the “Ta- sättlich. Er will mehr, viel mehr als ein other in almost a year, so we were hav- gesspiegel”, einzelner zum Leben benötigt. ing a great time goofing off and -chat S-Bahn checkers are going to be con- Leider haben wir das Talent entwickelt, ting about old times. Then all of a sud- trolling passengers less frequently and uns Dinge anzueignen, die uns gar nicht den, like a cold breeze down the back of will be more lenient in patrols. Their zustehen. your shirt, we heard the all-too familiar reason: most people do in fact pur- Verschwenderisch mit unserer Schul- “Guten Tag, die Fahrscheine bitte!” Of chase tickets, so it’s an apparent waste zeit, müssen wir die 52 Staaten der course neither of us had our train tick- of time and money to check! U.S.A. auswendig lernen, wenn wir ets with us. So when the surprisingly Even though I am more than thrilled to doch statt dessen anfangen könnten, masculine-looking “S-Bahn Lady” (you hear this wonderful news, I can’t help die Welt mit zu gestalten. Hannibal know, the one with the ill-advised facial but feel sceptical. So I re-read the arti- und seine dressierten Elefanten mögen hair) came marching over to us in her cle from the “Tagesspiegel” and consid- interessant gewesen sein, doch viel fashionable little blue BVG outfit, we ered the following: wichtiger wäre es schnellstens unsere started rummaging through our bags I stroll into the S-Bahn without buy- unnötigen technischen Spielereien zu pretending to look for our misplaced ing a ticket, sit down and the S-Bahn verkaufen, den Erlös Greenpeace zu tickets, while thinking of some ridicu- checkers come marching up to me and spenden, und in allererster Linie an der lous excuse to explain why we couldn’t demand to see my ticket. Can I then Front gegen die Umweltverschmutzung find them. Before we had the chance, just make up some crazy story like: “I mit zu kämpfen. however, the woman interrupted our was stranded in Falkensee last night Vor zehn Jahren ist die „Erika“ vor der frantic search, muttered something like and I had to wait 4 hours in the freez- Küste der Bretagne aufgelaufen. Jede “schon gut”, and continued patrolling ing cold until my train would arrive, so Menge Öl verschmutzte den Strand, down the narrow train aisle. Strange. I had to burn my ticket to keep warm,” tötete Tiere. Jetzt wird verhandelt, wer Normally the ticket controllers are so and they will just say “schon gut” and für die Schäden aufzukommen hat. Es vicious! They make no exceptions: stroll away? scheint sich nur um Geld zu drehen. you could be lying on the floor of the The truth of the matter is that I don’t Bedauerlicherweise scheinen die Men- train bleeding to death after just being know but I can’t afford to risk it. And I schen nicht aus Fehlern zu lernen, stabbed and robbed and they would still wouldn’t recommend you doing it either denn es schippern immer noch viel zu make you show your ticket. unless you think teasing the S-Bahn viele unsichere Öl-Tanker durch den But for some reason, this manly little checkers is worth 40 euros… Ärmelkanal, eine der meist befahrenen woman didn’t charge us. Was this an Schifffahrtstraßen der Welt. once-in-a-lifetime stroke of good luck Leonie Schulte In Afrika verhungern täglich Kinder, or was this the beginning of a new era? während in Europa Lebensmittel ver- nichtet werden, um den Preis hoch zu halten. Es ist unsere Welt! Hamburger Bahnhof Welches Recht nehmen sich die Autofir- After completing my 10th grade pop- stallations in the museum, for example, men heraus, die den CO2 Ausstoß nicht art project, I wanted to find out if any a room solely made of black Plexiglas, reduzieren wollen, weil das mit immen- original works of the famous pop art or glass shelves with thousands of dif- sen Kosten verbunden ist? artists I had learned about in art class ferent pills neatly arranged in rows. The Wieso werden Menschen im Irak ent- are located in Berlin. During my search, gigantic bookshelf installation called führt, gequält, getötet, die einem ande- I stumbled upon a beautiful, white neo- “Volkszählung” (“Census”) by Anselm ren Glauben anhängen? classical building lit up by blue neon Kiefer leaves an unforgettable image. Mit welchem Recht stellen sich diese lights – the “Hamburger Bahnhof”. This The immense books on the shelves are Menschen über ihresgleichen? modern art museum is just a short made of lead filled with thousands of Warum setzen sich Länder, die ihn un- walk away from peas. terschrieben haben, über den Atomwaf- Berlin’s new main Entering this museum, which served as fen Sperrvertrag hinweg? Mit welchem train station and a train station that provided transporta- Recht entscheiden sie über die Geschi- is definitely worth tion from Berlin to Hamburg in the 19th cke der Menschheit? seeing. century, I was immediately confronted Macht und Geld sind die wichtigsten During my recent with a large golden carpet made of Faktoren in unserer Gesellschaft. Und visit, I was posi- candy wrapped up in golden wrappers. die Menschen werden immer gieriger. tively surprised to Throughout the building, various instal- „Es ist nicht deine Schuld, dass die Welt find some great lations presented sweets in various col- ist wie sie ist. Es wär nur deine Schuld, works of art by ourful wrappings that one was allowed wenn sie so bleibt. Denn jeder, der die pop artists such as to eat. Welt nicht ändern will, ihr Todesurteil Andy Warhol and This unique museum has some pieces unterschreibt!“ - die Ärzte. Roy Lichtenstein. One of Andy Warhol’s that may be a bit too provocative but all Was für einen Nutzen hat die Welt für most impressive paintings is a huge in all, there is a large variety of modern uns, wenn wir sie weiter so kontinuier- canvas presenting Mao Zedong’s face. art that includes something for every- lich zerstören? A most striking painting by Roy Lich- one’s taste. tenstein is one of a landscape in bright Die grüne Prinzessin colors. Laura Kampf There are also several other notable in- Volume X, Issue VIII Friday, March 2, 2007 Circulation: 600 PAGE 7 Culture Spirit of Fashion zwischen kitschigen Totenköpfen und 14 cm hohen Lackstiefeln Die Motive, die im Moment von vie- geisterte sich auf der Grünen Woche allerhand Piercingaccessoires. Unter len Modegeschäftsketten gerne auf ihre Freizeit vertrieben, schlendern auf- den unbekannten oder neuen Anbietern T-Shirts, Jacken, Blusen oder auch wendig gestylte Mitmenschen durch die befinden sich auch bekannte Labels Röcken gedruckt werden, sind zu ei- glitzernden und funkelnden Reihen der wie zum Beispiel Underground Shoes, nem populären Trend aufgestiegen. Spirit of Fashion. T.U.K., Lucky 13, Be Bob A Hula oder Man kann sich kleine süßen Totenköp- Kaum in der 5000 qm großen Veran- Dickies, die ihre neusten Kollektionen fe, Muffins, Sternchen, Kirschen oder staltungshalle angekommen, befindet vorstellen. Herzchen gar nicht mehr von den Pro Messetag bringen zwei Cat- Shoppingmeilen weg denken. walkshows das Flair der luxu- Überall promenieren junge Frau- riösen und legendären Moden- en und Mädchen mit gepunkteten schauen von Gucci, Lagerfeld Jacken und Schleifchen im Haar oder Armani den aufmerksamen auf den Straßen der Städte. Zuschauern nahe, allerdings Eine Modemesse stellt diese Moti- werden die Kollektionen eher auf ve von Jahr zu Jahr erneut vor. Die eine spaßige, theatralische Art Spirit of Fashion ist eine Fachmes- und Weise präsentiert. Mit Glück se für Großhändler, die nach neu- kann man sogar mit Bandmitglie- en Kollektionen für Underground- dern von szenebekannten Bands geschäfte Ausschau halten. Über einen Smalltalk führen, wenn die Jahre hat sich diese Messe für man sie denn unter den anderen Fans von Rockabilly, Punk, Gothic, auffälligen Geschöpfen überhaupt Brit-Pop-Streetwear, viktoriani- erkennt. schen Gewänder und neuerdings Doch als Besucher gilt zu be- auch für das umstrittene Emo- rücksichtigen, dass diese Messe Styling etabliert und vergrößert. sich der Besucher in einem Meer voller hauptsächlich für Großhändler Neue Labels erhalten neben den alten schicker Totenköpfe, Leopardenmuster veranstaltet wird. Normale Besucher die Aufmerksamkeit der neugierigen in allen möglichen Farben, Würfel und haben keinen Zutritt, außer man arbei- Käufer. Schon im Sommer 2006 hatte Schleifchen. Von Ständen mit teils 14 tet in einem der verbreiteten Berliner die deutsche Hauptstadt das Vergnü- cm hohen Lackstiefeln oder altmodisch Szenegeschäfte oder gehört der Presse gen, diese Modemesse „der etwas viktorianisch verzierte Pumps streift an. anderen Art“ willkommen zu heißen. man zum anliegenden Rockabilly Stand Auch dieses Jahr hatte die Messe vom mit Pin-up verzierten Artikeln. Gegenü- 26. bis 28. Januar in der Arena Treptow ber öffnet sich eine Welt voller handge- Vanessa Dietrich ihre Tore geöffnet. Während Naturbe- fertigter Korsetts, Rüschenkleider oder The New Internet Addictions Myspace, Facebook, Xanga, Hi5, Friend- classmates.com helped its members already has 40,000. ster; we’ve all heard of these websites. to easily find, connect, and keep in Of course, these websites are not as Whether you use them to listen to the touch with their loved ones. Shortly unproblematic and benign as they new tracks of your favorite band, to after that, more and more businesses seem. There has been a lot of criticism post a comment on your elementary launched their own networks. But it lately regarding safety and privacy is- school friend’s profile, or to check out was not until 2003 that social network- sues within these networks, as they are pictures of your cousin’s birthday party, ing was perfected, through the advent mostly open to anyone and everyone these websites are a predominant of Myspace. Through Myspace, you searching the web. Nevertheless, it is trademark of the modern era of the could not only keep in touch with your undeniable that these networks pro- World Wide Web. As of 2005, there are friends and family and create your own vide uncomplicated and unchallenging over 300 known social networking web- personal profile, but you could also ways to keep in touch with friends and sites and the total amount of members browse the profiles of over 20,000,000 acquaintances. These developments in of only the 80 most popular websites is artists and listen to their brand-new modern communication help us glo- already over 630,000,000! So what’s so songs or watch their brand-new videos. balize our circle of friends and family, special about these networks, most of That is why Myspace has become the as it is now possible for us to connect which have more members than Spain 6th most popular website in the entire with people from Afghanistan to Zimba- has citizens? World Wide Web and now hosts over bwe. We can’t deny that we’re living in Well, it all started in 1995, with the 130,000,000 members. Facebook, the a modern age so we can either accept creation of the first social networking second fastest growing social network- the progress simplifying our daily lives website, classmates.com. Instead of ing website, started in 2005, is slowly or reminisce to the good, old-fashioned losing touch with friends and acquaint- catching up and has around 14,000,000 days of stationary sets and postage ances due to misplacing contact infor- members as of 2007. The difference stamps. mation or not bothering to make that here is that Facebook is more of a peo- awkward phone call, let alone put pen ple’s directory – or yearbook – and spe- on paper and actually write a letter, cializes in creating networks, of which it Samira Lindner Volume X, Issue VIII Friday, March 2, 2007 Circulation: 600 PAGE 8 Entertainment Movie Review: Mein Führer Truly The Truest Truth? Dani Levy told the press that he is rich Mühe) conducts a series of training important psychologically as the intimi- braced for a “tsunami of controversy.” sessions, in which he challenges not dation and fear that the World War II That was before the premier of his film, only the speech delivery, but also the allies faced was weakened by Chaplin’s the first mainstream German comedy emotional state of the Nazi leader. famous humor. Naturally, here in Ger- on Hitler, “Mein Führer -The Truly Tru- A Hitler dressed in yellow slacks down many, we have a harder time laughing. est Truth About Adolf Hitler”. With poll on all fours, obediently following his Nevertheless, since the 2004 premier results showing that 56% of Germans Jewish mentor’s advice, a Hitler in the of the award-winning “The Downfall”, asked, discountenance a humorous ap- bath tub with his toy battle ship, a Hitler some of this tension seems to have proach toward their country’s past, the in pajamas who wanders around many been alleviated. The film was praised Jewish film producer thought he was a sleepless nights with his pet dog for its earnestness and objectivity, its breaking a societal taboo. But instead “Blondi” – those were the few painfully appropriately balanced insightfulness of the anticipated exasperations of cliché laughs. A Hitler traumatized by without understating the horrendous shock, critics uttered yawns. The truly childhood beatings – that was the oddly guilt of those depicted. It seems that truest value of the film is merely the incorporated answer to the “why” the since the “The Downfall”, joking refer- thought it may provoke - let alone be- filmmaker who calls himself tired of the ences to the “Führer” are becoming cause the mustached visage of fascism demonized image of political tyrants in increasingly popular among talk show seems to pop up wherever you go ever documentaries, encourages us to ask. hosts. The question is: is our laughter since the movie’s been out. Of the “kind A Grünbaum distraught at the sight of tentative – a shyly ashamed and sup- of laughter that brings knowledge and his people’s biggest enemy, who finds pressed chuckle? Or is it an educated understanding”, as Levy had promised, himself sympathizing with the persecu- and resolute, conscious decision to or much laughter at all, one cannot tor, adds a story of Holocaust tragedy express the understanding that while speak. and deeply humane beliefs. All in all, we must never forget what happened “Mein Führer” is set in wartime Ger- the film has no apparent direction, is and see it as our responsibility, as bear- many, when Nazi defeat was within an odd collection of notions that neither ers of such knowledge, to be informed, sight. An emotionally frail, motivation- appalls viewers nor conveys a legiti- critical world citizens, we cannot deny ally exhausted Hitler (Helge Schneider) mate statement. ourselves self-confidence or a voice, a is to hold one final, crowning New Year’s It is the uneasiness with which one voice to morn and a voice to laugh. As speech before his people. Propaganda tells the lady at the ticket counter that the first generation of Germans that is minister Joseph Goebbels, portrayed you came to see, “Um…‘Mein Führer’”, free of immediate confrontations with as the mastermind behind the Hitler the way in which one observes his or guilt, it is especially in our hands with regime, has prepared everything from her own response to the movie (“Am what mindset our country reflects its fake city façades to Leni Riefenstahl’s I laughing? Am I sympathizing? Is my past and builds its future. The black, camera team to ornament a demolished posture relaxed or tense?”), and the red, and gold patriotism of the sum- Berlin in glory. The only thing standing immediate wrinkling of the nose that mer of 2006, “The Downfall”, and Dani in the way is Hitler’s withering psyche. the words “Hitler” and “comedy” used Levy’s “Mein Führer” are all indications As a desperate last hope, he brings Jew- in the same sentence evoke, make the of our struggle to find this mindset, in ish stage actor Adolf Grünbaum from film something to discuss. The -Anglo order to regain identity. Sachsenhausen to the “Reichskanzlei” phone world has accepted laughing to coach the “Führer”. In exchange for about Hitler since Charlie Chaplin’s the release of his wife and children from “The Great Dictator”. In fact, Chaplin’s Lena Walther the concentration camp, Grünbaum (Ul- 1941 film is considered to have been Interview With The Vampire ‘I want to die; kill me. Kill me,’ I said Chronicles. It came out 1976 and is now a book about it, called “Interview with to the vampire. ‘Now I am guilty of counted among one of the top vampire the Vampire”. murder. I can’t live.’ He sneered with classics along side Dracula. It is about In 1994 the movie version of this book the impatience of people listening to a man called Louis who is turned into a came out, starring Brad Pitt as Louis, the obvious lies of others. And then vampire and how he copes with every- Tom Cruise as Lestat, the mysterious in a flash he fastened on me just as thing being a vampire entails. He refus- vampire hero with a lot more lurking he had on my man. I thrashed against es to drink human blood and together behind his cocky appearance than one him wildly. I dug my boot into his chest with the vampire girl Claudia tries to would think, Kirsten Dunst as Claudia, and kicked him as fiercely as I could, murder his own creator, Lestat and then the child vampire, Antonio Banderas his teeth stinging my throat, the fever sets out to look for answers, a reason as Armand, the 400-year-old leader of pounding in my temples. And with a for existing. Their search brings them to the ‘Theatre of Vampires’, and Christian movement of his entire body, much the vampire Armand and his Theatre of Slater as the mortal interviewing Louis. too fast for me to see, he was suddenly Vampires, vampires that pretend to be The movie is now over 13 years old, standing disdainfully at the foot of the humans pretending to be vampires, on making our stars considerably younger, steps. ‘I thought you wanted to die, stage. Here Claudia is killed and Louis which is always fun to see. But as usual Louis,’ he said. realizes that Armand cannot help him. the book and the movie can hardly be Interview with the Vampire is the first Louis tells the entire story 200 years compared, as the plot of the novel is book of the chilling series, The Vampire later, to a young journalist, who writes far too convoluted for a normal-length Vampire... continued to page 9 Volume X, Issue VIII Friday, March 2, 2007 Circulation: 600 PAGE 9 Entertainment Vampire... continued from page 8 movie. Neil Jordan (the director) man- decides he wants to write down his of the typical things associated with aged to stay with the general plot of story as well. The story follows Lestat vampires, their wish to become human the story, but striped it of most of it’s through his life before, during, and again. In The Tale of the Body Thief, deeper, sensuous, and speculative ele- after he met Louis, and introduces an- you can read how Lestat finds out how ments, such as the questioning of God other important character to the series, to get back a human body, and then and the Devil, the boundaries between Marius, one of the ‘old ones’, vampires find it to be quite disgusting to be hu- good and evil, and the vampiric concep- man again. tion of love. Seeing that vampires are The fifth book is definitely the most all exceptionally beautiful, they tend to speculative of them all. It tells the story fall in love with one another easily, and of Lestat and how he meets the devil, they can love more than one person and or as he calls himself, Memnoch, hence one gender at once. Louis for example, the title, Memnoch the Devil. This book hates and loves Lestat: he hates him goes on to explain the creation of the for turning him into a ‘monster’, and yet earth, and the relationship between he can’t really live without him. He also God and the Devil, it even goes so far loves the girl Claudia whom he and Le- as to let Lestat meet Jesus Christ. stat ‘save’ from death and turn her into The sixth and apparently last book, The a vampire who will forever be trapped Vampire Armand, seems to take a dif- in the body of a 5-year-old. Louis loves ferent turn entirely and finally explains her not only as a daughter, but also as a Armand’s background, and that of his lover, but he still turns around and falls maker, Marius, who lived 600 years ago in love with the mysterious Armand, in Venice. But in reality it continues who seems to be the answer to his where the last book left off, wonderfully prayers, but then turns out to be just displaying Anne Rice’s talent at jump- as, if not more lost than he is. ing back and forth in time to explain the Anne Rice has a very sarcastic and dark happenings of the plot. sense of humor that is especially strong All in all Anne Rice’s books are nothing in the character of Lestat, who lightens for people who can’t stand blood, or the mood of the sometimes, too philo- who are looking for stories of mindless sophical triads of the book, which at killing and little or no real emotional times get a little boring and make the who are over a thousand years old. explanation. But those who like to read reader lose sight of the actual plot of The third book is the one that answers emotional turmoil, love vampires, and the book. everything that Louis was searching for also need their share of action, might The Vampire Chronicles are for the in the first book and had already given find their next great passion lurking be- most part centered around Lestat and up hope of ever finding; where do vam- hind these pages. not Louis as one would think after read- pires come from? Take a journey back ing the first book. Beginning with the to a time before ancient Egypt and find Interview with the Vampire, the series out that vampires are nothing but a big Joanna O‘Neill continues with The Vampire Lestat, in tragic accident. which Lestat is now a rock star and The fourth book addresses another one

Armageddon Cynicsm Lost Farsane Tabataba-Vakili Ilsa Salt

When rats rally through the roads, Once I thought, And insects swarm the inconspicuous air, you could succeed, The world must have become hell‘s lair, by arrogance, For, over there, evil bodes. and pushy greed.

Who decides when the end hath come? But now my cynic self Dost mankind hath a choice, to live or die? is gone, I dare assume that it is all a lie. my views on life and men In the atramentous night we stand, numb. were wrong.

The fires of hell swarm the vast land, I search and search All hope from this world is forever banned. for sanity, The gauges of death hath opened for us, I have a faith- Through them seeps red-hot lava like puss. Humanity.

Armageddon hath come upon humanity, Nevermore shall this world regain its long-lost sanity. Volume X, Issue VIII Friday, March 2, 2007 Circulation: 600 PAGE 10 Entertainment Ségo vs. Sarko Die Franzosen können einem echt Leid Kanzler, pardon, die Kanzlerin ist, und Umfragen zufolge liegt Nicolas Sarkozy tun. Was sich zurzeit in dem Land, das damit meine ich nicht hässlich. Das Pro- derzeit vorne, dicht gefolgt von Ségo- neben Deutschland liegt, nicht aber blem, vor welches viele Franzosen sich lène Royal. Und das obwohl ausgerech- neben Polen, abspielt, ist besorgniser- nun gestellt sehen, ist die Frage: Wen net Sarkozy sich vergangenen Sommer regend. Nein, weder die Froschschen- wähle ich? Denn außer der Kandidatin nicht nur Freunde gemacht hat, als kel noch die Schnecken rebellieren, der Sozialistischen Partei (PS), Ségo- er, während der Straßenschlachten und auch die Jugendlichen aus den lène Royal, hat vor allem der Kandidat zwischen der Polizei und den Jugendli- Vororten der großen Städte haben die der konservativen Partei (UMP), Nicolas chen, versprach, Frankreich von diesem Straßenschlachten gegen die Polizei Sarkozy, gute Chancen, den zweiten Abschaum zu befreien. Die logische weitestgehend aufgegeben. Nein, die Wahlgang zu erreichen. Im ersten Alternative, Royal, glänzt mit einem Politiker selber machen Rambazamba. Wahlgang werden zwei Kandidaten für sehr teuren Programm und vielen nur Anlässlich der Wahl des Präsidenten der den zweiten Wahlgang ermittelt, quasi halbfertigen Ideen. Wer also soll der Französischen Republik, vielleicht auch eine Stichwahl. Und sogar Jean-Marie neue Präsident der Französischen Re- der Präsidentin, haben sich die Politi- Le Pen, Kandidat des Rechtsradikalen publik werden? Der Rechtskonservative ker Frankreichs dazu entschieden, für Front National hat gewisse Chancen auf Sarkozy, die Sozialistin Royal, oder der dieses Amt zu kandidieren. Und nein, die Stichwahl. Zumindest ist klar, wen Rechtsradikale Le Pen? Franzose will ich das ist nicht nur politisches Säbelras- die Franzosen nicht wählen werden, zurzeit nicht sein. seln, denn der französische Präsident wer jedoch in der Gunst der Wähler am ist in etwa das, was in Deutschland der höchsten steht ist schwer zu sagen. Den Dies Irae

Sudokus!! Hard Sudoku He-in Cheong

Easy Sudoku

Fill in the grid so that every row, every column, and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9.

THE MUCKRAKER is an independent newspaper. The opinions expressed here in no way reflect those of the administration of the John F. Kennedy School. Founding fathers: Adam Nagorski, Seth Hepner, Mikolaj Bekasiak; Editors: Ina Fischer, Benjamin Hofmann, Samira Lindner; Layout: Farsane Tabataba-Vakili, Jonathan Zachhuber; Journalists: Victor Boadum, Agata Bossy, Randolf Carr, Hein Cheong, Vanessa Dietrich, Moritz Elle, Charlotte Foerster-Baldenius, Judith Freiseis, Laura Kampf, Jasmin Herrmann, Eva Hückmann, Ferdinand Maubrey, Joanna O‘Neill, Leonie Schulte, Oliver Sen,Theresa Volkmer, Eileen Wagner, Lena Walther; Guest Journalists: Paula Elle, Matt Werner.