Century Presentations

Rulers and Governments of the 18th and 19th Century:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ltWe7_xdMCg0FPDgjJ9m1-aWB9NB6vuJ9Z4KXZUmsOs/edit?usp=sharing

The German Work Place 20th and 21st Century:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1gKpO9srwl-40cCj5Hfaq7JA57JzzrC0rmEHTjBbu6YA/edit?usp=sharing

All Quiet on the Western Front - Katczinsky

My name is Stanislaus Katczinsky, but I encourage everyone to call me Kat. While not in war I am a cobbler, but during the war I am a guardian.  I look after all of the young recruits, and also some of the not young recruits.  I'm very good at finding food for the guys and lifting their spirits.  One of my best skills is the ability to decipher what kind of shell is headed our way due to the sound that it makes.  As often as I can I teach this to the new recruits so they can protect themselves from the dangerous ones, and to disregard the ones that do not pose a threat.  Something else that I pride myself in is my ability to offer comic relief, it helps the guys stay a little bit sane during the bombardment.  Paul and I are very close, and I die while he tries to carry me to safety at the end of the book.

Berlin Calling

I thought that showing Berlin Calling in class did a good job showing part of the current music scene in Berlin.  From what I've heard, it depicted the clubs and music accurately.  One thing that jumped out at me as far as a cultural difference between the United States and Berlin is that they treat drug use about the same way we treat alcohol (at least from what the movie shows).  There are many similarities to the amount of people who go out here and get intoxicated, and then dance and party with other people in the same ways that Ickarus was doing drugs and partying with his friends.  There is a big difference between doing drugs and drinking, but with that being said it can be argued both ways which one is a worse habit.  Another difference that I noticed, from what I have experienced in Central Minnesota, is that they seem to be more free spirited and outgoing in Berlin than the people are here.  In the film it was seen many times the characters would bump into people they don't know and it wasn't a big deal at all, being friendly and talking sometimes.  That is compared to here where you have groups of the same people always hanging out, without very much mingling between the groups of people.

Question answers:

1. For Ickarus, the drugs provide him a way to release himself and let his creativity go free, because he believes he makes much better music while he is under the influence.  Alice thinks he needs to clean up in order to make his album, but after she listens she realizes that it is really good and it was created by Ickarus while on drugs.
2. Most of his fans are seen doing cocaine, and it is normally while they are listening to his music at a club.  I think this would be because his music is for parties and clubs, and the people who are there to listen also want to party so they choose to do the same things he is doing.
3. They focus on drugs because the drugs take them to a place where they can enjoy themselves the way they want to.  Any consequences due to choosing that can be dealt with later, they are only concerned about the here and now.
4. Heavy drug use is much more prevalent in the movie as compared to my experiences here.  It is all relative of course, but I don't think there is as much public drug use in Central Minnesota as was depicted in the movie.
5. I think the youth culture in the movie could change that because of the priorities that are seen.  The people in the movie are more concerned about having a good time then the consequences that result from that choice.  The work ethics of Ickarus and Alice are good, but in a different way.  Ickarus works hard at his music, but doesn't give Alice proof that he is getting anything done.  He keeps trying to convince her, something that he doesn't succeed with and he gets fired because of it.  Thanks to Ickarus's girlfriend he gets his album produced.
6. I can't think of any movies that are very similar to Berlin Calling