Checkpoint Charlie

Checkpoint Charlie ("Checkpoint C") was the best-known Berlin Wall crossing point between East Berlin and West Berlin during the Cold War. I had been driven past several times but never had the chance to stop, then randomly my friend Amanda and I found ourselves there in-between searching for the wrong holocaust museum via the wrong directions; and trek to a closed Löwenbräu. I have to call shenanigans on this one. Checkpoint Charlie has changed from a historical place of interest into a gimmicky

In the beginning of the book A Night Divided, Gerta was physically described as a twelve year old girl with blond hair. She was also described as having round eyes, with a warm brown tone. Her body was athletic and fit although, by the end of the book she had become really skinny almost as if she had been starving. Gerta was always described as outspoken, passionate, and a risk taker. For example, in the book when Gerta and her brother were almost done with the tunnel, the tunnel began to collapse

How has your understanding of the concept of belonging been shaped by the representation of relationships and events that you have encountered in the texts you have studied for the Area of Study: Belonging? Belonging requires an individual to build a connection with another person or group over time, these connections are often developed through shared experience and understanding. Peter Skrzynecki’s poems; “Feliks Skrzynecki” (1975) and “Migrant Hostel” (1975) offer various perspectives and representations

In the lecture ‘The language of Architecture’ by Daniel Libeskind, he talks about communicating through light, proportion and material and shares with us his insights and projects that he has worked on or his work in progress. ‘Reflections at Keppel bay’ presents a radical project with the idea of creating a home that is unique, different from the sense of conformity and overpopulation that is observed in residential developments. The double curvature of the structure is a functional idea which

In recent years, the concept of borders has become focused on the movement of people, with an increasing number of countries opting for a protectionist approach to immigration. Yet, the increasing number of casualties as a direct result of these borders calls into question the continuation of strict border control. States use borders as a defence mechanism in the hope of protecting citizens from criminals and terror. But, history has shown that borders have repeatedly caused significant human suffering

Imagine you are stuck in a difficult situation where you are desperate for help. Three inspirational people went through the exact same situation. Annie Johnson from New Directions, endured a divorce and had very little money. Farah Ahmedi survived a landmine and crossed the border with one leg. Ernesto Galarza moved to a whole new country without knowing the language. Inspirational people often undergo extraordinary missions due to circumstances, events, and challenges.     One person was motivated

Looking at Different Dimensions of a Border in Thomas Kings: ‘Borders’ According to the Oxford dictionary the term citizenship can be defined as: “The state of being vested with the rights and privileges, and duties of a citizen.” In the short story ‘Borders’ by Thomas King the term citizenship is of main focus. Through the many borders that are presented within the story, King argues that citizenship overlooks culture and heritage, instead focusing on a single border: that being where the individual

A. Social inequality / pg 79: a social condition in which privileges and obligations are given to some but denied to others. A criminal is defined as a person who commits a crime. What happens when those crimes are against humanity? How do we as Americans justify some of our laws, when they are morally wrong? Our ancestors invaded, conquered, and eventually industrialized lands. Settlers initial goals were to find better lives and opportunities. A few centuries later, we are denying immigrants the

Initially, borders were used to define a state's territory, which in return was used to measure a state's power (Madsen 280). Within a territory a state is said to have sovereignty over the land and the people it inhabits. The concept of state sovereignty can be attributed to nationalism. As nationalism has risen in importance since the mid-18th century, so have borders. Up until the Europeans arrived in the Americas in 1492, borders were non-existent, at least not in a modern definition of a state

In his essay Bajadas, Francisco Cantu explores the physical and emotional landscapes that shift during his time as a United States border control agent. He candidly writes about his experiences, using imagery to describe the physical landscape of New Mexico in a way that mirrors his own emotional landscape and answers the question that he grapples with most. Cantu writes, “There are days when I feel I am becoming good at what I do. And then I wonder, what does it mean to be good at this? I wonder