Global Studies Prague & Berlin: Welcome and Participant Bios

Welcome to our Global Studies Prague and Berlin Blog! We will post nightly entries here from faculty and students with reflections on the day and trip as a whole. Students will connect their reflections to their research and we will include photos as well. We will do our best to post each day depending on our access to the internet.

In advance of the trip, students wrote mini introductions to give insight into what they are most excited about for the trip as well as what they are researching while on the trip. Thanks for following our blog and we hope you enjoy it!

Hi! I’m Annie and for my research project, I’m planning to focus on the music and subcultural scene in Berlin, particularly how the techno movement came about after the Berlin Wall came down. I am interested in how musical movements and political movements interact. I am excited to see more street art and talk with experts about different topics, especially those I’m focusing on!

My name is AJ Lontoc and, on this trip, I am going to be researching how the American comic book superhero Batman represented American conceptions of anti-facist sentiment promoting American moral superiority against Nazis in response to fascist sentiment within Berlin Germany from the 1939 to the early 2010s. I am excited to explore two cities of uncharted territory and enjoy a new set of diverse cultures, and outside of sources online, it would really excite me most to find actual connections to my topic in person while traveling! I am very excited to have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and am super psyched to share it with my friends, I’m very thankful for Ms. Ducharme, Mrs. Mason and Rev. Lank!

Hi! My name is Ben Connett and I’m researching German folklore. I don’t go to foreign countries often and I’m excited to experience another country’s history and culture. I have a lot of interest in ancient history and Europe is home to some of the oldest and largest civilizations so I can’t wait to see it in person.

Hi! My name is Jacob Scott and I am researching the car markets of Germany and Prague since World War 2 and their effects on the average person's everyday life. I am most excited about the food in these countries and trying their local cuisine. I am also excited to see places of political relevance that show their current state or history.

Hi! My name is Jules Patterson and my research will focus on subcultures in Berlin, particularly the development of the punk movement in East Germany. Around 1949, the German Democratic Republic (GDR) promoted a culture centered on conformity, repressing any self-expression that didn’t fit the mold of an “ideal citizen.” The government went so far as to use legal language to ban rebellion; anything classified as degenerate, delinquent, or antisocial behavior (asoziales Verhalten) was grounds for arrest. However, in response, Germany's punk movement created a culture of resistance to state-imposed norms. I will be examining how punk culture in East Germany from the 1970s to the 1980s pushed back against narratives of conformity and how its legacy continues to shape Berlin’s sociocultural environment. I’m most excited for our third night in Prague, where we will learn about the urban art scene. I can’t wait to create my own with a local artist!

Hey! I’m Kalyssa Bayne and I’m from Coral Springs, Florida! On the trip, I will be researching espionage in Berlin during World War II. I am most excited to build memories with my friends and learn more about World War 2!

Greetings kith and kin — my name is Katherine Clovis, and I am excited to spend my first trip abroad with this wonderful cohort. For my final paper, I aim to look into the massive exodus of some of the most prominent literary voices of the 20th century concentrated in Berlin and Prague — such as Bertolt Brecht, Walter Benjamin, Milan Kundera, and Josef Škvorecký, to name a few — many of whom faced expatriation due to the rampant censorship and political corruption that existed within these totalitarianism regimes. I’m interested specifically in researching how exile literature born from these two cities crossed borders, was translated and absorbed into the Western literary canon, and ultimately forced global audiences to reckon with totalitarianism. On this trip, I’m particularly excited (to no one’s surprise, I would imagine) to visit the Klementinum Library.

Hi! My name is Kylee Bolding from Northfield, Vermont, and I am super excited for our class journey overseas! So far, I have been researching the political influence on architecture in Prague and Berlin. Specifically, I am looking at the two cities’ architecture pre- and post-Communist era and trying to compare how they differ as a result of politics and their comparison of bombing during World War 2. I am excited to see how these buildings look and hopefully learn about their significance in person. I am looking forward to traveling with everyone in my class because we have such a great group of people with lots of energy! In Prague, I can’t wait to see the Klementinum Library, and in Berlin, the Reichstag.

Hi! My name is Millie Coval Carapia, and I’m from Portsmouth, RI. On our trip, I’ll be researching how World War 1 and World War 2 affected the portrayal of Germans in the media along with online propaganda that often depicts Germans as the “bad guys.” I’m interested to learn about how impactful that representation is. I’m super excited to explore Prague and Berlin, learning about each culture through a historical lens, while also spending time with a great group of friends. :)

Hello hello! My name is Reese Starling, and I live in Middletown, RI. Berlin is a historical city known to be very arts-oriented. So I’m curious to see how it has preserved the history of difficult topics—especially compared to other countries such as the US—and how that impacts our understanding now. Being an artist myself, I am researching degenerate art during Nazi Germany and how it impacted the arts both then and now. Specifically, how it fed into the narrative presented by the Nazi Regime, and how artworks stolen during World War 2 are being restored and returned today. This trip is especially exciting for me because it is my first time leaving the country! Not only that, but I will be turning 18 while we are on our adventure! I have always wanted to travel, so I am stepping into adulthood with the first trip of many!

Hello! My name is Tiffanie Maignan, and I am from Easton, PA. On the trip, I am interested in looking into the role of communism and censorship, specifically the Soviet Invasion of 1968, on music in Prague at the time. I am most looking forward to exploring the city with my friends and seeing all of the cool things that Europe has to offer!

Hi! My name is Zoe Chen and I will be researching how the linguistic roots of the German language and the philosophy of humor help progress the definition of humor in Germany. I will also be (potentially) looking into political satire and comedies during World War II. I’m most excited about creating my own street art piece and exploring the food culture!

My name is Devon Ducharme and I'm the teacher and trip leader for Global Studies. This course is a privilege to teach as I get to collaborate with two amazing faculty members throughout the year and also work with an outstanding group of students. We have come so far as a class from the fall, when we were just getting to know each other and learning the basics of globalization, to now, when we are a close knit group and all students have compelling research questions. Having recently scouted both Prague and Berlin in October, I am looking forward to revisiting these locations with the full group and to see the cities alongside our students as they seek to research their interests and gain a more complete understanding of the two cities. I am eager to go inside the Klementinum Library in Prague and to revisit the Topography of Terror in Berlin. I cannot wait to see what the students absorb from the experience and to hear the questions they ask along the way. Sharing meals, walks, museums, conversations, and experiences will fill our days, and I am thankful for this opportunity with this group.

Hi!  My name is Sarah Mason and I'm thrilled to be joining this year's Global Studies research trip.  There are several things that I'm looking forward to during our time in Prague and Berlin.  I'm very excited to be traveling with our group of 12 thoughtful, enthusiastic, and upbeat students.  Having a travel experience with these students, and taking our learning away from the classrooms of the Hilltop, is a unique thing.  It's an opportunity to connect in new ways and learn, grow, and gain perspective in unfamiliar environments.  I'm also looking forward to seeing how our experiences impact the research topics of our students.  Finally, on a personal level, I'm excited to have the opportunity to see new things, like visiting the Klementinum Library in Prague and climbing to the top of the Reichstag in Berlin.

My name is Rev. Tom Lank and I'm a chaperone on this year's Global Studies trip.  I'm an Assistant Chaplain at St. George's, I teach courses in the Bible, and I'm a dorm parent in 20 House.  I've been sitting in on the class throughout the year and have even had the chance to lead class a couple of times.  Prior to entering the ministry, I studied international relations and earned a Masters in Law & Diplomacy at the Fletcher School at Tufts University.  I have traveled extensively and believe firmly that travel is an unrivaled way to build empathy for other cultures and to nurture perspective on the uniqueness of our own.  So far I've witnessed the students take charge of their own learning in this class and am looking forward to watching them make connections between their research and the real world.  My goal is to help them follow their curiosity through our itinerary.