BERLIN, Germany – Trading the role of tourist for that of international journalist, a delegation of Berry College faculty and communication students spent the summer dialing in to the diverse cultural heartbeat of Germany’s capital.
Three faculty and eight students from Berry College’s Department of Communication spent June and July here teaching and learning how to do multimedia travel journalism and digital storytelling. Cross-training in videography, photography, writing, editing and producing content, each of the students developed at least two stories for the e-zine accessible from this launch page.
Every other year, Communication faculty take majors and minors somewhere abroad for a month-long immersive experience in international multimedia journalism. This was the project’s first visit to Berlin and the ninth run overall.
This summer, students developed stories on travel topics such as World Cup soccer, the inspiring story of the city’s Marga Schoeller bookstore and its heroic founder, nostalgia for East Germany, interfaith efforts to build bridges in one of the world’s more diverse capitals, and how Berlin’s museums and exhibitions rely on visual “experiences,” for better and for worse, to name just a few.
Berlin is known for its post-WWII division, its progressive diversity and inclusiveness, arts and culture, cuisine, canals and rivers, and dazzling diverse neighborhoods. .
“We chose this beautiful European capital for its sausages and brats, because of its rich arts and cultural scenes, and for the rich opportunities for compelling storytelling,” said Kevin Kleine, who directed the project, “but mainly for the sausages.”
Students took residence at the Adagio in the heart of the French sector of the city, Charlottenburg, met for classes at a seminary on the Spree River near what was the Berlin Wall, and visited Hamburg, Potsdam, Leipzig, and the Baltic Sea, among other places.
The month was punctuated by visits to many of Berlin’s world-class museums, including the Jewish Museum Berlin, German Resistance Memorial Center, Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and all five state-sponsored museums on Berlin’s Museum Island. Students also took in an opera, The Abduction from the Seraglio, a showing of the silent film, Metropolis, with an 80-piece orchestra, and a river cruise through the heart of the city.
“I loved having the opportunity to be more than a tourist,” said senior Mitch Ryder, who explored the visual worlds created by museums, installations and exhibits in the city. “Doing journalism gave us license to really get to know the city and Berliners and people from all over the world. I’m ready to go back already.”
The students participating were Patrick Meadows, Craig Hutchinson, Ward Sutlive, Sara Ferro, Mary Obando, Mitch Ryder, Mason Mancini and Savannah Talley. Faculty comprised Kevin Kleine, Curt Hersey and Brian Carroll.
‘Project Berlin’ multimedia elements: