I can’t just slice off an ear everyday

Berlin will always be calling, with its streets, shops, parks, bars, clubs, faces, museums, galleries, cinemas, squats, walls and under-or-above ground events. The newest inhabitants of Pankow are constantly feeling the pull of this siren´s song. As their activities in class intensify, they value every spare moment that allows them to plunge into the pulsating

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First Installation Public Showings

On October 23, 2008, the students from the Installation class gave the ECLA community the unique opportunity to enjoy the first Installation Showing of this year. It was a sound installation exhibit, where each of the students had their own studio and the freedom to manage space in the way they thought would best suit

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ECLA Guest Lecture: David Colander on Economics and the Liberal Arts

Colander began by pointing out that the goal of economics lies beyond textbook catch phrases such as optimization and efficient allocation of resources. Rather, it should be the creation of excellent decision-makers, who are instrumental not only in achieving society’s goals effectively through rigorous quantitative analysis, but also in defining these goals. To do that,

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Dresden Trip

The end of the first month at ECLA was marked by the group trip to Dresden and the beautiful region of Sächsische Schweiz, where the Elbe seems almost ubiquitous.  At least, this image persists strongly from the trip, mostly because it was the conquest of physical striving. By leaving Berlin on Friday, ECLA students and

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ECLA Guest Lecture: Devin Stauffer on Justice and the Structure of “The Republic”

Having already adjusted to the academic environment of ECLA, the 2008-09 AY students had the opportunity to accompany their growing familiarity with Plato’s Republic with the lecture of Professor Devin Stauffer, a scholar of classical political philosophy. His impetus for reading and discussing Plato comes from his deeply ingrained belief that Platonic works contain “a

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ECLA Berlin Weekend

October 11th and 12th, better known as ‘the Berlin weekend’, were the days when the new students eager to explore the heart of Germany  had the chance to feel the pulse of a city ‘…condemned forever to becoming and never being.’ The programme offered something for everyone: we all got the opportunity to peak into

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Sunday at the Gemäldegalerie

Sunday 3 August 2008: the most beautiful weather in Berlin and ECLA students just can’t get enough food for thought. Art historian Aya Soika gave ISU 2008 students a tour of the Gemäldegalerie focusing on the week’s themes: religion, violence, martyrdom. Situated in the Kulturforum, west of Potsdamer Platz, the Gemäldegalerie hosts two kilometers of

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