“Empire State of Mind”:
A Field Trip to New York City (Spring 2010)

A new day and a new side of New York, this time the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island were on our schedule. A boat brought us to America’s emblem that jauntily lifts her right foot a little bit. Breathtaking to actually be there! On Ellis Island we felt like immigrants ourselves and were given the chance to maybe find some of our ancestors’ names written on the Wall of Honor. Click on picture on the left for more impressions of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Downtown Manhattan

The next day was to become the longest and most intense day of all. It began early in the morning with a walk through Downtown Manhattan where we saw Ground Zero and Wall Street. Following this we met Professor Noah Isenberg from the New School and attended a brown bag lunch roundtable on “Forging a Transatlantic Dialogue in the Age of Interdisciplinarity”. We then took the subway to Williamsburg, a part of Brooklyn famous for its orthodox Jewish population. Next we explored Brooklyn Heights, enjoying a wonderful view of Downtown Manhattan and its skyline. After a wonderful dinner at Junior’s we strolled back to Manhattan across Brooklyn Bridge.

Click on picture for more impressions of Brooklyn Bridge

We had another meeting with students from NYU to discuss “German-American Relations: (Mis-)Perceptions of the ‘Other’” on the following day, learning a lot about the students’ attitudes towards Germany, while we were able to speak our minds about what we think of the U.S. Afterwards we explored Little Italy and Chinatown, and visited the Tenement Museum which tells the stories of the immigrants who lived in the tenements of Manhattan’s Lower East Side in at the turn of the century.

Finally, on our last day in New York City, there was one more appointment to attend before we were given time to explore the city on our own for the last time: a meeting with staff members of the DAAD office. They told us about their work, about how they support students who have a scholarship to study in the U.S., and, of course, about how to apply for an internship in their office. Unfortunately, we had to unwillingly leave the Big Apple for JFK saying good-bye to the city that never sleeps – but not for long, as we will definitely come back soon …

Click on picture for more impressions of (us in) NEW YORK CITY

In retrospect, I can say that these seven days in NYC were intense and unforgettable in every way. Our trip was perfectly organized and little presentations on the most important sights that were worked out in advance made it possible for us to be our own guides during our adventure tours through the city. What remains to be said is this: once you set foot on the soil of New York, the city has you captured. Its streets make you feel brand new and these lights really do inspire you! Sleep is totally unnecessary as there is always something to stay awake for in this city.