Kent School Goes to Germany University of Louisville Inside This Issue

Kent School Goes to Germany University of Louisville Inside this issue: The Honor System in 1-2 The Honor System in Munich, Germany Munich, Germany Must Be Something in the 1-2 by Magen Copher Water Elaborate architecture, his- Planes, Trains, and Lots of 3 tory rich cities, innovative Walking public transportation sys- tems, authentic Bavarian Social Work at a 4-5 food, and mouthwatering Polyclinic for Palliative Care pastries; these are features 6 of Munich, Germany guaran- Grafing and Prien am teed to excite any tourist. Chiemsee However, I was amazed by a 7 different, probably rather Discrimination in the United minuet, aspect of everyday States vs. life in Munich: reliance on Germany the honor system. Observa- Monastery of 8 tions I made during the first a ticket from the automated twice to my group while in Benediktbeuern two days of my stay in Ger- dispensers but there is not a Germany. Conversations with many lead me to conclude system that ensures each German students revealed The Homeless of Germany 9 that Munich relies on the person has a ticket prior to that this is a strange occur- honesty of consumers to boarding. While on the train a rence. According to German Quiet Conversations as a 10 facilitate everyday functions rider may be approached by natives, the likelihood of be- Sign of Respect of the city. For example, an authority (dressed in casu- ing approached is rare, so it is train tickets are not checked al clothes so not to be recog- surprising to me that delin- A Visit to the Dachau 11 prior to boarding the trains. nized) and asked to present quent riding is not a larger Concentration Camp People are expected to buy their ticket, this occurred (continued on page 2) Happy International Women’s 12 Must Be Something in the Water Day! Germany Refugee Crisis 13 by Tammie Barrett I like to consider myself a Fiji water daily at home, but the States, but was I wrong. Right to Dignity: Harm Reduc- 14 water connoisseur. Tap wa- during my two week adven- The water was carbonated tion Interventions in Germany ter or bottle water, I love ture to Munich, I was forced bottle water. That water was water. My favorite water is to drink other water. During the most disgusting I have Fiji water. Fiji water has the my first meal in Munich, we ever drank. Going back to Acknowledgements 15 most pure taste, clean taste, ordered water. I assumed the hotel, there was not a I have ever tasted. I drink this water was the same as in (continued on page 2) Page 2 Kent School Goes to Germany The Honor System in Munich, Germany (continued from page 1) problem. My impression of the public transportation system was that it contin- ues to be extremely successful and I won- der if reliance on honest rider conduct enables the transportation system to run quickly, timely, and more efficiently over- all. Another example was that pretzels sit on the tables in many of the Bavarian restaurants. Guests are free to eat as many pretzels as they please but the pretzels are not free of charge. The wait- ers and waitresses do not keep track of who ate pretzels and how many. Instead, at the end of the meal they ask each person if they had any pretzels and then charge them accordingly. This may seem like a minor experience, but when I com- pare these examples to personal experiences in the United States, Germany and on the table are free, therefore unproblematic if taken without permission or else the US seem starkly different. For exam- they are not provided at all until requested. I would be surprised if, while in America, ple, turnstiles are the gatekeepers to sub- a server relied on my honesty and asked me to report my own purchases rather than ways in America. While using a subway in keeping careful record themselves. This probably explains why I was so surprised Washington DC a few years back I re- when a waiter asked me to report what I had eaten following a meal on the second member purchasing a ticket and subse- day of my stay in Germany. Of course, as a tourist, I was able to come up with many quently submitting it before ever even creative reasons for this difference between German and US society. I speculated seeing the trains. Similarly, I have never that Germany trusted its citizens more, or that such customs were taught to German had a server rely on my word when calcu- students in grade school. As a German native put it, "it comes down to respect," re- lating my bill. Food items that are placed spect for one another, businesses, and the societal structures. Must Be Something in the Water (continued from page 1) water fountain, so you have to drink tap water from the bathroom. This tap water was the best I have ever tasted. The water reminded me of my youth during the summer. Being outside until late, running home after a long hard day of playing to drink water. Savoring the cool deli- cious aqua as it rolls down my throat into my stomach, this pales in comparison with how great the water in Munich tasted. Why does the water in Munich taste so good? Maybe it is the proximity of Munich to the Alps or maybe the water in Munich is highly regulated. Whatever the reason, if you are in Munich, make sure you drink tap water from your hotel, or request water without gas. Either way you cannot go wrong, unless you order carbonated water. Page 3 Planes, Trains, and Lots of Walking by Caitlyn O’Donnell than the public transportation in Louis- Munich’s transportation system is vastly a subway, and I did not understand the ville, a person can actually rely on public different than the transportation that signs pointing in so many directions for transportation in Munich to be on time. we have grown accustomed to in Louis- the various trains. By the middle of the ville, KY. They have a well-organized first week, it became so normal to know Munich is also a walking city; many of the system of trains, subways, trams, and where I was going in the middle of the streets in the inner part of the city are buses that can take you to anywhere in train station. It was actually quite easy to not accessible by car. I wore my FitBit the city quickly and efficiently. Most learn to navigate the U-Bahn and S-Bahn activity tracker throughout the trip and people in Munich rely on public trans- system. There was a large map that had on average we walked six to seven miles portation and walking to get around. As each route and which stops each one a day! This is a huge difference from the a group we utilized the subways, made, all of the routes had a letter and a 5,000 steps a day that the average Amer- U-Bahns and S-Bahns, to get to the Uni- number as their name. All of the stations ican takes daily. It was so convenient to versity, agencies, and to get around had clearly marked signs to each subway be able to walk to so many of the things town. On the days when we ventured train with the name of the route. The in the city like museums, restaurants, and further outside the city, we took a train. most confusing part was just making sure other attractions. The city of Munich is The first time I walked into the main you got on the train headed in the cor- much less spread out than Louisville, so it train station in Munich it was over- rect direction! I was so surprised at how makes public transportation and walking whelming. There were trains pulling efficient their public transportation is. It a much more feasible option than having into the station, people running to catch is much more accessible and punctual a car. Page 4 Kent School Goes to Germany Social Work at a Polyclinic for Palliative Medicine by Megan Ray At the University of München’s Klinik und Poliklinik für Pallia- tivmedizin, palliative care is viewed as comprehensive care for indi- viduals who have been diagnosed with an incurable and progressive disease that is expected to lead to death within 3-6 months. The mission of the clinic, which opened in 2004, is to improve the pa- tient’s quality of life through pain management and the management of physical symptoms. The clinic typically has 8-10 patients at a time. Most of the patients are very young and range in age between their 20’s and 60’s. The difference between palliative care at the university hospital and hospice is the palliative unit is led by an interdisciplinary medical team and hospice is led by a nurse. The interdisciplinary team at the clinic is made up of specially trained doctors, nurses, a social worker, a pulmonary therapist, a psycholo- gist, and a chaplain. Every member of the team has a different perspective, background, and experiences in which they draw form. Each member of the team has the ability to address the problem from their own perspective, but a part of being a palliative care team is respecting the other fields, their expertise, and recognizing when it is time for another team member to lead. “The patients’ rooms also have oversized The clinic’s social worker, Karla Steinburg, gave the Kent School stu- balcony doors that allow the staff to dents a tour of the clinic which has beautiful décor unlike a typical hospital setting with hardwood floors, light paint colors, and art.

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