MUCKRAKER - John F. Kennedy School

Th e
Muc k r a k e r
Speaks!
Th e
the students‘
voice since 1997
Muc k r a k e r
T h e In d e p e n d e n T Jo h n F. ke n n e d y Sc h o o l ST u d e n T S ‘ ne w S p a p e r
Volume XII, Issue VIII Friday, April 3, 2009 Circulation: 600 PAGE 1
Leisure! The word sounds as soothing as
its meaning. With the prospect of twoweek
leisure in our minds, we swing
light-heartedly through the school.
Today is optimistic and sans soucis. The
only bitterness: We know all too well
that our sweet fancies (Ah, the time!
Oh, the possibilities!) will implode and
crash down on our heads as gloating
carcasses before the fortnight is up.
In other words: Spending free time
well is hard. Leisure is labor for those
unpracticed in the art.
Excessive do-nothingism is one
syndrome students come down with
during their vacation. And what else
might one expect? If school weeks mean
excessive work and exhaustion, the
pendulum is bound to swing toward the
other extreme when given a chance.
Compulsive “procrastination” is another
possibility. A work-ethic has been
carved into our minds. Throughout
history, people have been kept at work
through a creed of “hard” work, the
more strain the more virtue, and being
“productive”. If we aren’t making some
“investment” into “future profit”, we are
“wasting” the “resource” of time, we
are taught. How imprisoning. Guilt is
always at our heels. “Well, what I really
should be doing” …is enjoying ourselves
thoroughly whenever possible! Instead,
we play invisibility cloak: Just a little bit
of procrastination before I get to work,
no one’s watching! That hardly sounds
like leisure.
Even if we escape sluggishness and
decide to do something pleasurable
for pleasure’s sake, there is another
obstacle: We are pretty much foreigners
to the concept of delegating our own
time. School and activities dictate much
of what we do and think about. Vacation
is an interesting exercise: What would I
do if I were free to choose? Difficult.
But no need for unnecessary scepticism
today! Plunge into your breaks, seize
the leisure!
Cheers,
Your editors.
Die Ruhe nach dem Sturm?
Seit diesem Schuljahr wirkt die Library
wie verändert: Wenn man sie betritt,
springt einem nicht mehr das Geschrei
jüngerer Mitschüler entgegen. Zudem
findet man keinen Müll und sogar
keine Essensreste mehr herumliegen.
Es gibt keine Librarians, die an der
Tür stehen, uns eine “Library-Card” in
die Hand drücken oder uns abzählen.
Schüler, die absichtlich versuchen,
Librarians zu provozieren, gehören der
Vergangenheit an. Es finden sich auch
keine herumliegenden Stühle oder
Bücher mehr und man kann sich an den
angebotenen Magazinen und Zeitungen
erfreuen, ohne durch Lärm gestört zu
werden. Im Großen und Ganzen also
ein voller Erfolg, es geht ruhig zu in der
Library und es gibt endlich wieder eine
Arbeitsatmosphäre. Diese doch sehr
erfreuliche Veränderung muss man
lobend anerkennen. Doch trotz dieser
positiven Anmerkungen gibt es auch
wieder etwas zu bemängeln: Es hat sich
mittlerweile etabliert, dass die Librarians
die verschiedensten Ecken der Library
bewachen und die Gänge zwischen
den Bücherregalen patrouillieren.
All dies geschieht um eine gewisse
Psychopathy
What is a psychopath? What are their
behavioural patterns? How is their portrayal
in film and literature different from reality?
Sarah Lee gives us an extensive analysis of
psychopathy and its misconceptions in society.
Did you know that extremely ruthless and
amoral politicians and businesspersons are
considered psychopaths, too? Find out how to
identify psychopaths and whether or not you
have psychopathic tendencies....
on page 8
Dr. Reale’s Resignation
Without a doubt, Dr. Reale’s resignation is
currently the topic of discussion amongst
all parties of the JFKS community. Adding
to last issue’s Muckraker coverage, we are
featuring two more pieces on the issue.
One is a factual chronology outlining
the events, written by Moritz Zeidler.
Alexander Schaper and Leonie Schulte
take a more opinionated stance with their
article “Reality Check”.
on pages 4-5
Arbeitsatmosphäre zu sichern. Da fragt
man sich, wie weit die Librarians dabei
eigentlich gehen sollen, bzw. dürfen? Es
kommt nicht selten vor, dass Schüler,
die ruhig etwas besprechen, gebeten
werden, die Library zu verlassen.
Oftmals stören diese Schüler weder
Arbeitsatmosphäre, noch sind sie
wirklich laut. Doch für die Librarians
ist ganz klar, diese Schüler haben sich
nicht mit Schulaufgaben beschäftigt,
also müssen sie die Library verlassen.
Dieses Prinzip wird mittlerweile sehr
hartnäckig verfolgt. Nicht nur wird den
Schülern vorgeschrieben, dass sie sich
nur mit Schulaufgaben zu beschäftigen
haben, jegliche Gespräche, seien diese
noch so leise, ist ebenfalls untersagt.
Interessanterweise gibt es kaum mehr
Schüler, die wirklich ein Problem mit
der Atmosphäre in der Library haben,
sondern die Librarians selbst haben
scheinbar dieses Problem. Sind sie
es also, die Ruhe brauchen, um ihre
Schularbeiten zu machen? Nein, es geht
den Librarians hierbei scheinbar nur um
das Prinzip. Schüler werden gebeten die
Library zu verlassen, sobald sie dabei
erwischt werden, nicht gerade in einem
Library, continued on page 3
U-18 Wahlen
Während die Bundestags- und
Europaparlamentswahlen kurz bevorstehen,
gibt es auch für – normalerweise in dieser
Hinsicht benachteiligte – Minderjährigen
die Möglichkeit, ihre politische Meinung
zum Ausdruck zu bringen. Im Rahmen der
U-18 Wahlen wird sich auch unsere Schule
im Herbst für kurze Zeit in ein Wahllokal
verwandeln. Mehr Informationen hierzu
finden sich...
on page 7
Amoklauf
Die schrecklichen Geschehnisse von Winnenden
sind kaum 3 Wochen her und
immer noch bleiben viele Fragen unbeantwortet.
Wie kann es immer wieder zu
solchen Gewaltausschreitungen kommen?
Gibt es überhaupt ein gängiges ‚Täterprofil’?
In ihrem Artikel befasst sich Kirstin
Lazarus mit diesem aktuellen Beispiel und
dem Thema Amoklauf generell.
on page 7

Volume XII, Issue VIII Friday, April 3, 2009 Circulation: 600 PAGE 2
JFKS Life
Herr Thiel, Sie sind nun seit Februar
Mathelehrer an unserer Schule.
Ja, Englisch ist mein zweites Fach. Hier
dürfen aber nur „native speakers“ das
Fach Englisch unterrichten, deshalb bin
ich nur Mathelehrer.
Erzählen Sie uns nun Ihre Geschichte:
Wie sind Sie Lehrer geworden?
Ich habe ursprünglich das Fach
Mathematik mit Diplom studiert und
auch abgeschlossen. Ich bin also
Diplom-Mathematiker. Die englische
Sprache kam dann als Hobby dazu, und
dadurch kam die Fächerkombination
zustande. Ich bin immer gern zur
Schule gegangen, daraus entstand
dann der Lehramtswunsch. Mathe war
mein Lieblingsfach, und nach einer
USA-Reise kurz nach dem Fall der
Mauer wollte ich richtig Englisch lernen,
also habe ich es studiert. Also Mathe ist
mein Beruf und Englisch mein Hobby.
Jetzt habe ich sie zusammengeführt.
Dann gefällt Ihnen bestimmt die
amerikanische Atmosphäre?
Mein englischer Hintergrund kommt
natürlich zum Tragen, weil ich mit
englischsprachigen Schülern zu tun
habe.
Was ist Ihr erster Eindruck von JFKS?
Mir gefällt es hier sehr gut. Alles ist sehr
entspannt. Die Schüler sind nett und
sagen „Hallo Herr Thiel!“ im Flur; die
Kollegen sind freundlich und hilfreich,
wir kooperieren... Das sind alles sehr
positive Merkmale der Schule!
Die Frage, die sich natürlich jeder
Schüler erstmal stellt, ist: Wie groß
sind Sie wirklich?
Aha, jetzt muss man berichten…
2,07m.
… Da wird Herr Hoedt aber neidisch!
Aber Sie nutzen sicherlich nicht
Ihre Körpergröße, um Schüler zu
schikanieren?
Ich bin doch viel zu lieb als Lehrer! Da
müssen Sie die Schüler fragen!
Haben Sie eine Philosophie als Lehrer?
Mein Motto ist: Die Schüler sollen
Teacher Feature: Herr Thiel
etwas lernen! Und das Allerwichtigste.
Die Schüler machen wirklich viel im
Unterricht.
Haben Sie schon Unterschiede zwischen
dem deutschen und amerikanischen
Matheunterricht bemerkt?
Für das Aufspüren von Unterschieden
fehlt mir der Einblick in den
amerikanischen Zugang, aber ich kann
sagen, dass es mir persönlich sehr auf
das Verständnis von Zusammenhängen
ankommt, nicht so sehr auf das
Anwenden von fertigen Formeln.
Was tun Sie außerhalb der Schule?
Was sind Ihre Hobbys?
Ein bisschen Sport, also Schwimmen
und Radfahren. Ich gehe auch gerne ins
Kino und gucke die Filme auf Englisch.
Auch ein bisschen Computerzeug, also
programmieren und so.
Wie groß ist die Wahrscheinlichkeit,
sechs Richtige im Lotto zu haben?
Dazu gibt es eine herrliche Geschichte.
Man setzt sich ins Auto und fährt von
Berlin nach Hamburg. Vorher hat
jemand eine Zaunlatte irgendwo an der
Autobahnstrecke positioniert. Und jetzt
fährt man nach Hamburg und schießt
zufällig aus dem Fenster. Wenn man die
Zaunlatte trifft, dann hat man im Lotto
gewonnen. Die Wahrscheinlichkeit ist
ungefähr 1 zu 14 Millionen.
Was würden Sie tun, wenn Sie nun doch
35 Millionen Euro gewonnen hätten?
Ich würde weiter eine halbe Stelle als
Lehrer und dazu sehr teure Hobbys
haben. So was wie eine Segelyacht,
oder Tauchen mit teurem Equipment
und solche Sachen.
Was ist Ihr Lieblingsgebiet in der
Mathematik?
An sich die Analysis, an der
Schule also die Differential- und
Integralrechnung. Aber ich hatte
auch mal eine sehr gute Vorlesung
in Wahrscheinlichkeitsrechnung und
seitdem finde ich dieses Gebiet sehr
nützlich.
Warum ist Grundausbildung in
Mathematik für jeden wichtig?
Hier fällt mir das Problemlösen im
Mathematikunterricht ein. Wenn man
weiß, wie man mathematisch Probleme
löst, dann kann man auch im Alltag
Probleme lösen.
Haben Sie schon mal eine Freudsche
freie Assoziation gemacht? Einfaches
Prinzip: Ich sage ein Wort, und Sie
sagen mir, welches Wort Ihnen dazu
zuerst einfällt. Beispiel: Apollo 13 –
Mond
Isaac Newton – Schwerkraft
Kaninchenzucht – Ich mag Katzen sehr
gern. Kaninchen gibt es traditionell in
meiner Familie zu Weihnachten.
Schokopudding – mit Vanillesoße!
Weibliche Flächen – Das ist mathematisch
hoch komplex! Systeme nichtlinearer,
partieller Differentialgleichungen… und
so weiter.
Lehrerbenotung – Ja, gibt’s das hier?
Teacher evaluation? An meiner alten
Schule gab’s so was, fand ich immer
gut.
Unendlichkeit – Ein faszinierendes
Konstrukt der Mathematik, bei dem
der Mensch an die Grenzen seiner
Vorstellungskraft stößt.
Möchten Sie den Schülern noch eine
Lebensweisheit mitgeben?
Mathematik hat nichts mit rechnen
zu tun, sondern handelt davon, den
Verstand zu benutzen. „Benutze deinen
Verstand!“ wäre also mein Motto.
Das war glaub ich Kants Postulat der
Aufklärung. Und das nicht nur in der
Mathematik, sondern auch im Leben.
Wir danken Ihnen sehr für das
Gespräch!
Comments, Replies?
send your opinions and articles to:
themuckraker@gmail.com
Eileen Wagner

Volume XII, Issue VIII Friday, April 3, 2009 Circulation: 600 PAGE 3
JFKS Life / Column
Library, continued from page 1
Buch vertieft zu sein oder sich nicht die Haare beim Lösen
einer Matheaufgabe zu raufen. Auch bei den Computern
macht sich diese Vorgehensweise bemerkbar: Spiele sind
strengstens untersagt, ebenso Youtube, was z.B. gesperrt ist.
Klar, in einer Stunde, in der sich in der Library verschiedenste
Schüler tummeln und vergeblich nach unbesetzten Computern
suchen, ist diese Maßnahme verständlich. Doch wenn es
mehrere unbenutzte Computer gibt, die Lautstärke an dem
Gerät ausgeschaltet ist und sich niemand beschwert, wieso
darf ein Schüler in seiner Freistunde nicht einmal im Internet
herumsurfen? Abgesehen davon macht sich in letzter Zeit
die sehr harte Linie der Librarians bemerkbar. Computer
werden einfach ausgeschaltet, während Schüler noch daran
sitzen und vielleicht ungespeicherte Programme offen haben.
Es wird wieder diskutiert und Librarians lassen sich auf
Diskussionen über die Student Lounge ein. Diese Ereignisse
erinnern teilweise an die Zustände der letzten Jahre.
Bei weiterem undifferenziertem Vorgehen der Librarians
könnte sich bald wieder ein Konflikt zwischen ihnen und
Twist and Shout!
(And Shout Some More!)
It was 6:20 on the 13th of March, and
inside the House of Youth, the lights in
the small stage-room dimmed. It was
the beginning of the Battle of the Bands,
and the audience cheered as the first
group takes the stage. The first note was
played, and then 2 ½ hours of screaming,
whistling, clapping, foot-stomping, and
jumping up and down followed as the
five bands (Overdrive, Joika, Imprint,
Fenner Reed, and Red Ass Monkeys)
competed for musical superiority. Every
song was played with enthusiasm and
vigor, despite unforseeable trifles such
as tech-problems, broken strings, and
partial nervousness. With a total of 23
(mostly self-created) songs, the bands
made the crowd go wild with their
music, and I myself was acting like an
insane monkey with a firecracker up
my you-know-what. The battle got to a
point when I wondered if the building
would crumble from the sound waves.
Luckily, it didn’t, which meant that the
final election of the winner could take
place. The battle turned into a duel
between Imprint and Fenner Reed, and
the situation in this small, dark, stiflingly
hot room was intense. The system of
voting (whichever band receives the
largest amount of screaming, clapping,
and jumping around wins) led to a
shoutoff that was “epic”, as some people
thought. In the end, Fenner Reed,
with the band members Max Fenner,
Moritz Zeidler, Tom Zylbersztein, Oliver
Groeling, and Nick Schulteeee (he
requested that I write it like that), were
declared the winning band. Even so, I’d
like to tell all the bands that they did a
superb job and that their determination
and enthusiasm made it a great event.
Jakob Marsh
Gibberish. Gibberish doesn’t make
sense. Do these columns ever? They
take time (yours and mine). What
shall I spend time on today? Random.
Random has six letters. Six Facts:
(1) Charles Darwin married his first
cousin, which makes his mother his
wife’s aunt and his father-in-law his
father’s brother-in-law. His sister
also married his wife’s brother, so
his natural sister was also his sisterin-law
and their respective children
were first cousins twice over. The
complications of the matter befuddle
me. (2) Bob Dylan’s real name was
Robert Allen Zimmerman. Or, in
Hebrew, Shabtai Zisel ben Avraham.
He changed it in 1962. I guess Dylan
just looks better on a LP cover. (3)
Fungus is genetically more related
to humans than to plants. Who
knew? (4) Oh, and also: A clove can
cure a toothache. Seriously. Try it.
(5) Marlene Dietrich died May 6th,
1992. Doesn’t that seem very recent
for a star who was an emblem of
another era? I was surprised. (6) If
California were a country, it would
be the 59th largest by area in the
world. There: Six facts. Now, Six of
my favorite words. (1) Flagellum.
(2) Synecdoche. (3) Umbra. (4)
Tenebrific. (5) Fabulator. (6) Smite.
Now I shall name six things to
think about. (1) Legacy. Must it be
accepted or rejected, or can one let
it lie? Can African Americans escape
slavery? Can Jews escape the
Holocaust? (2) Stress. The economy
stressed everyone out. How can that
be, given that it is a product of man?
It’s not like a hurricane; inevitable.
der Schülerschaft entfachen. Schlimmer noch, Schüler und
Librarians könnten sich wieder gegenseitig provozieren und
unnötige Konfrontation suchen. Um vorbeugend zu wirken,
müsste man weniger nach dem Prinzip vorgehen, jeden
Schüler, der nicht offensichtlich mit Schularbeiten beschäftigt
ist, zu ermahnen und/oder zu bitten, die Library zu verlassen.
Die Arbeitsatmosphäre beizubehalten und Störenfriede zu
ermahnen ist natürlich weiterhin wünschenswert und bitter
nötig, doch dies darf nicht als Deckmantel gelten um Schüler,
die nicht stören, hinauszuschicken, nur weil sie keine
Schularbeiten machen. Sicherlich will niemand die bisher
erreichten Zustände verwerfen, und wie sagt man doch so
schön? Einsicht ist der erste Schritt zur Besserung. Nun,
dass die Schüler diese Einsicht mittlerweile gezeigt haben,
ist eindeutig geworden. Auf die Einsicht der Librarians warten
wir noch.
Tenzin Sekhon
Thirteenth of the Nothings
It’s ours. We made it. Why can’t
we control it? And Fashion. There’s
another thing we made that seems
to cause too much stress in too
many people’s lives. (3) Sunshine.
The days are getting longer. That’s
nice. (4) Love and Duty. Which takes
priority? Hollywood says we should
do everything for the one we love,
but what if “everything” goes against
our conscience? This is one of those
hypotheticals you need to figure
out but will hopefully never need.
(5) Free Will. Always can mull over
that one for a while. (6) Chicken.
Or Egg. Or Chicken. Okay now six
important words that start with the
sixth letter of the alphabet. Really
Important Words. (1) Facebook.
(2) Freedom. (3) Friendship. (4)
Fortune. (5) Family. (6) Faith. Hm,
six things with Six? (1) 666 – Devils
Number (2) 6 Degrees of Separation
– some strange theory (3) Page 6 –
where the gossip is (4) 6 Pack – beer
(5) 6 Days of Creation – how long
it took God to make the Universe
(6) 6 Flags – an amusement park.
And finally, the grand finale, six
things you could do after reading
this article: (1) Roll your eyes, (2)
think long and hard about free will,
(3) google if tenebrific is really
a word, (4) move on to the next
article, (5) start paying attention
to your morning class, (6) Sudoku.
Or maybe, just maybe, dismiss this
as a waste of time, and then notice
“waste” has five letters. Five facts…
Anna Zychlinsky

Volume XII, Issue VIII Friday, April 3, 2009 Circulation: 600 PAGE 4
JFKS Life
Muckraking at home II:
All the Principals’ Men
2008, 10th of September – Dr. Reale
orally requests a three-year contract
extension.
5th of November – Mr. Schürmann,
speaking for the Administration, asks
Dr. Reale to withdraw his contract
extension, “in light of the current
situation at the school”.
18th of December – Dr. Reale gives
Mr. Schürmann permission to advertise
his job as a tentative vacancy and to be
replaced as one of the recruiters for the
job fare. Mr. Schürmann accepts and
decides to fly himself.
2009, 7th of January – Dr. Reale tells
the superintendent Mr. Harnos that
he is withdrawing his application for a
contract extension at the beginning of
a meeting where he was to receive his
evaluation.
9th of January – The teachers are
informed by Dr. Reale.
27th of January – The parents are
informed by Dr. Reale.
28th of January – The SC presidents
are informed by a member of the ED.
27th of February – The student body is
informed by The Muckraker.
5th of March – Dr. Reale speaks
at a meeting of the PC attended by
parents, teachers and students in the
elementary school film room. There
were attempts prior to the meeting
to stop him from speaking, but these
were dropped. Looking around the
room, it becomes obvious which group
of people decided to come: Dr. Reale’s
supporters. Loud applause is given to
vigorous statements by Victor Boadum
and Justin Reddig in support of the High
School principal, loud murmur arises
when critical questions are asked. “Why
are you so heavily criticized?” someone
dares to ask him. Even though the
audience groans, Dr. Reale replies and
lists several issues: Him coming two
days late to school once after missing
his flight, the controversial concerning
the seating at last year’s graduation,
his unfriendly relationship with the
English department after getting
involved in the discussion around the
English Zentralabitur, his wearing a
police uniform on the anniversary of
9/11. “Making concrete decisions is not
something we do well,” he says about
the school. Few deny that the fact that
he chose to make decisions was one of
the reasons for him being unpopular
amongst his colleagues. Many teachers
see him as being undemocratic and
see his way of making decisions
unprofessional, without consulting the
necessary school organs and find him
difficult to work with in general. It
seems that a majority of the school is
divided on this issue: Everyone is either
pro- or anti-Reale, the school seems
divided by which principal its members
support. Mr. Blount, Director of
Guidance at our school, even speaks of
a “fractured faculty and student body at
JFKS.” There have been accusations of
Dr. Reale being mobbed out of office by
his colleagues, and in turn, accusations
against Dr. Reale that he, in fact, mobbed
teachers. On the 12th of February, Mr.
Blount wrote an E-Mail to the members
of the Parent Council, in which he stated
that “he [Dr. Reale] does not have my
confidence to continue as principal and
I have voiced that to Herr Harnos.”
Many students, however, do not share
the opinion held by many teachers..
Several students voiced their support
for him, praising his help in giving the
students the student lounge, propping
up the IT-department and fighting for
the English Zentralabitur, and a petition
for his staying at the Kennedy School
was passed around amongst students.
10th of March – Mr. Schürmann is
scheduled to speak in front of the PC.
Mr. Harnos adviseds him not to do so,
and that point of order is taken off the
agenda.
13th of March – Mr. Harnos of the
Berlin senate writes an open letter
to the student body, writing that the
decision, whether Dr. Reale is allowed
to stay or has to leave lies with him,
neither with the administration nor with
the student body.
27th-29th of April – Several school
organs are to decide who is to become
the next American High School Principal.
Dr. Hepner is one of the candidates.
Ignoring the question of Dr. Reale’s
suitability for his post, there are several
questions we as the members of the
John F. Kennedy School community now
have to ask ourselves. Why does the
fourth principal in a row leave after only
two years in office? Is there something
wrong with the way we choose or treat
our principals? Why are so many people
afraid of publicly voicing their opinion?
Is there something wrong with the way
we approach biculturism?
Moritz Zeidler
-Staff-
Box
Founding Fathers:
Mikolaj Bekasiak
Seth Hepner
Adam Nagorski
Editors:
Ina Fischer
Eileen Wagner
Lena Walther
Layout Editor:
Farsane Tabataba-Vakili
Journalists:
Jung-Hyun An
Natascha Bergh
Aletta Bühler
Lauritz Bühler
Tatiana Bühler
Randolf Carr
Lisa Feklistova
Marissa Fuchs
Mira Godiwala
Joanna He
Nikolas Jaeger
Rebecca Jetter
Max Jürgens
Annette Lazarus
Kirstin Lazarus
Sarah Lee
Stefanie Lehmann
Kim C. v. Schönfeld
Leonie Schulte
Denise Ünal
Katarina von Witzke
Moritz Zeidler
Anna Zychlinsky
Cartoonist:
Jakob Marsh
Guest Journalist:
Alexander Schaper
Tenzin Sekhon
Charlotte von Streit
Th e Mu c k r a k e r is an independent newspaper.
The opinions expressed here in no
way reflect those of the administration of
the John F. Kennedy School.
How to join
the Muckraker Staff
1. Come to our weekly
meetings in the 20-minutebreak
on Tuesdays in B214
2. Send in your articles to
themuckraker@gmail.com
3. Drop a note in our
mailbox or approach us
randomly in the hallways

Volume XII, Issue VIII Friday, April 3, 2009 Circulation: 600 PAGE 5
JFKS Life / Entertainment
No drumbeat has sounded louder in the halls of JFKS than the
news of Dr. Reale’s resignation. Chitchat? Was he bullied out of
his position? Bewilderment? Why did he resign?
Quickly the news fed rumors, and opposing sides began to form;
the circumstances behind Dr. Reale’s decision to quit ran like
wildfire up and down the halls, in multiple variations. What is
the REAL deal, Reale?
In pursuit of clarification, we decided to attend a Parent Council
meeting on the 5th of March, 2009, in which Dr. Reale would
offer perspectives on the “future of the school”. This turned out
to be, however, a noble disguise for more manipulation and
justification of his “mishaps”.
First things first. Starting at 19:20, Dr. Reale presented a series
of points that would help “you” (meaning future administrators
and teachers) get to the “next level” and make JFK a great
organization. The source of his inspiration came from the book:
“From Good to Great-”. In his thirty-five minute presentation, Dr.
Reale outlined six key corporate strategies, which, in his opinion,
are also applicable to schools.
Point one: “A good institution needs good leadership and a strong
desire to produce results”. Undoubtedly, Dr. Reale had a strong
desire to execute his ideas of change. But does a proposition to
cut “additional expenses” (field trips etc.) for embassy students
bring about positive change? Would this innovative idea prove
to do much more than divide our school between German and
American, Abitur and Diploma students?
Point two: “Finding the right people to fit the job.” Dr. Reale went
on to quote his source, “When in doubt, keep looking, don’t
hire.” Only very few of those present understood the true irony
of this remark.
Point three: “Confront the brutal facts.” A brutal fact is that 36
is more than 11 or 14 or 20. There were 36 votes in favour of
changing the seating order for last year’s graduation ceremony.
According to Dr. Reale’s understanding of a democratic vote,
it was an illegitimate majority, because it did not exceed 50
percent. At no point in time did the class agree that it needed to
be more than half. That, too, is a fact.
Dr. Reale’s point four: “Stick to the core mission.” Aha. The JFKS
mission statement reads: “to develop academic excellence.”
Can a school really aspire to such a goal by cutting one hour of
English instruction per week?
His list of points, once again, mirrored a dangerous and typical
Ever heard of this? Well for those of you
who don’t know it, it is a medium sized,
luminous board with a YES and a NO on
the top corners, a letter and a number
span from A to Z and 0 to 9 on the
bottom of the board. It is a pretty simple
game, for all you need is more than two
people. First you ask a question and
then you lay your fingers on a glowin-the-dark,
plastic pointer, which will
after a few seconds of thought, point
out your answer. Not only is it scarily
accurate, but also an entertaining party
game! Certain curious people started
wondering how this game made by
the Parker brothers actually works,
for the Ouija Board NEVER LIES. Many
people tried coming up with different
explanations like magnets attracting
the pointer, or body heat influencing
the pointer to move to the right
answer. However, doubts came along
Ouija Board
Reality Check
when people thought again. How can a
magnet show your weight correctly? (It
is no lie! I tried it!) In the end, a simple
but freaky explanation came about,
blaming the “spirits” for the movement
of the plastic pointer. After all, that is
what the Chinese people in 1200 B.C.
believed (even though they were very
gullible, but that’s besides the point).
Because of that, many religion-obsessed
people don’t allow their children to play
with this paper and plastic board, for
the fear of “spiritual obsession”, and the
fear of the child becoming a “Satanist”.
I personally LOVE the ouija board. It is
the coolest thing on earth, and I wont
stop playing it! Call me Satanist if you
want, but after all, a board can’t harm
anyone ... or can it?
behaviour pattern that revealed a dichotomy between his
thoughts and actions. With every point Dr. Reale mentioned,
more frustration and confusion arose amongst those who have
had to deal with the ultimate consequences of his leadership –
namely, teachers, administrators and students.
Nevertheless, during this meeting on March 5th, his comments
were echoed and highlighted by both the moderator and his
supporters. What happened to his stated objective “not to
mention any names” when he referred to an English teacher
who “has been at our school for 30 years”?
The evening ended with enthusiastic applause. A real Reale rally
...
At the beginning of the session, Dr. Reale expressed his wish
to look into the future of the school. But just look at Dr. Reale’s
source for his “view” of our school in the future. When presenting
the book “From Good to Great-”, he forgot to mention the other
half of the title: “Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and
Others Don’t”. If you had followed the book’s example, according
to the The New York Times, and bought Fannie Mae stocks (one
case study of the book) around the time its publication, you
would have lost over 80 percent of your investment.
But the question is much deeper: Since when is our school a
company? Business and leadership books are mostly backward
looking; they analyse factors contributing to success and
failure from past examples. Dr. Reale recapitulated and rewrote
prior events with a dangerous simplification and apparent
pragmatism: he implied his decision was forced by “sub-culture”
of “bullies”. And unknowingly, or in complete oblivion, more than
sixty people became witnesses to Dr Reale’s ability to alter facts
in order to evoke empathy.
Fact is, when Dr. Reale first came to JFKS, he was welcomed with
open arms. One by one, he alienated teachers, students, many
parents and even some JFKS supporters… all by himself. Was he
bullied? It takes two to tango.
Let us hope that our school has learned from its mistakes and
will invest all time and energy to reunite... and rethink its high
school principal recruitment process. We wish Dr. Reale all the
best in the future and hope that somewhere he will be “the right
person for the right job”. Fannie Mae is hiring.
Mira Godiwala
GULLIBILITY
Alexander Schaper
Leonie Schulte
The Cynic’s
Dictionary
“Attribute of Chinese people in
1200 B.C.”
Eileen Wagner
Feeling cynical, too?
Then submit your own definitions to
themuckraker@gmail.com by May
4th.
Eileen Wagner

Volume XII, Issue VIII Friday, April 3, 2009 Circulation: 600 PAGE 6
Thoughts Aside:
Gum Paradox
The question whether someone
chews gum is in a sense comparable
to Schrödinger’s cat. In 1935, Erwin
Schrödinger proposed a quantum
mechanical thought experiment in
which a cat and a breakable vial of
poison, controlled by the probability
of a decaying radioactive particle,
would be put in a sealed box. Since
the observer cannot tell when the
vial breaks or if it does at all, the cat
can be presumed as both dead and
alive until the box is opened. This is
considered to be a paradox.
Similarly paradoxical are the goingson
of our local high school library.
Contrary to empirical evidence, it
is stated and believed that chewing
gum, Mentos, or other forms of candy
will inevitably and unconditionally
result in the presence of mice.
These little rodents do not only love
candy but also strongly prefer the
cozy literary locale to other far more
food-oriented places. A notion not
shared by a growing portion of the
student population. Considering that
numerous “wild” animals including
foxes, mice, rats, children, and the
occasional stray cat or dog roam
the JFKS campus continuously,
and find their ways into all places,
presumably according to the same
seemingly random, probabilitybased
scheme that determines the
location of an electron within an
atom (note: Schrödinger equation!),
one can conclude that the relation
between the presence of food and
the presence of mice is negligibly
small.
It is further stated that bodily functions
relatable to food (i.e. chewing
the last morsel of a sandwich) are
absolutely prohibited within library
parameters. One may consequently
wonder to what extent the progress
of one’s digestion needs to be taken
into account. If the food cannot be
chewed, may it be swallowed? May
it pass through the esophagus and
into the stomach? Might the next
step towards totalitarianism be a
method to determine your stomach’s
hydrochloric acid production rate?
In any case, the gum paradox results
in countless hilarious incidents, for
unless one is forced to open one’s
mouth, the existence of gum cannot
be proved.
Farsane Tabataba-Vakili
Column / JFKS Life
16 Teams, 32 Games, 1 Cup
Germany has an incredible tradition of
soccer: victories, failures, scandals, and
historic games plaster the successful road
of German Fußball. Likewise, the United
States have experienced a considerable
soccer-boom in the past years. Soccer
clubs across America register more and
more interested, dynamic and young
soccer fanatics. David Beckham’s
transfer to LA Galaxy marked a new era
in American sports (besides the fact the
Beckham transferred back to Europe
only a year later…).
In this new German-American tradition,
the John F. Kennedy School hopes to
contribute its part to the teambuilding
spirit of international soccer. The
traditional Kennedy Cup, JFKS’ very
own soccer tournament, took place
from March 16th to 27th. 16 teams
from nearly all grade levels competed
for the glorious trophy.
Spread over three afternoons, the
group phase yielded some impressive
results. The seventh grade team “No
Name” managed to beat a tenth grade
team in a difficult and very close match.
12th graders of the “Chak de” team
scored 21 goals against a young team
composed solely of girls. Although these
young ladies experienced quite a few
set-backs this year, their huge fan-club
definitely supported them vehemently
through all games.
The quarterfinals were almost as
spectacular. With one minute left to
play, the referee called a penalty shot for
“The Umpa Lumpas” (9th grade) against
“SV Andulo Umutspor” (11th grade). Up
to this point the game was tied three
to three, but a successfully executed
penalty shot awarded the tenth grade
team with a win. “Team Bundesrepublik”
(12th grade) scored one goal against
“Fleischfresser” (13th grade) in a very
tense, exciting, and close game. “Oh
Yeah…Maybe We Should” (13th grade)
and “Black4White” (10th grade) both
also reached the semi-finals.
In the semi-finals, the 13th graders
clearly beat “The Umpa Lumpas”,
For all those of you who feel our teachers
are lame and/or boring, prepare to be
contradicted, for it was clear that this
is not the case once you’ve visited the
Teacher Talent Show.
Although only a handful of teachers
braved the stage on the 27th of
February, the 3rd TTS was still a success.
Musical pieces (partially teachercreated
songs) were performed with
numerous instruments. Tricks, theatrical
performances, and impersonations
were also on the show’s agenda. You
certainly got your money’s worth, and
who showed unique enthusiasm and
a determination to win that clearly
conquered the audience’s sympathy.
“Team Bundesrepublik” had to admit that
“Black4White” played more effective and
consequently, they accepted defeat.
While the “Subman” distributed SUBWAY
cookies and vouchers, the final teams
prepared for their last match. Before,
however, “The Umpa Lumpas” competed
against “Team Bundesrepublik” for third
place, and therefore for a SUBWAY
sandwich platter. Unfortunately this
game turned out less spectacular than
most had hoped, with a clear 3-0 win for
the 12th grade “Team Bundesrepublik”.
Then the moment all had waited for
finally arrived: “Black4White” versus
“Oh Yeah…Maybe We Should”, the final.
Although the 13th graders had a clear
physical advantage, “Black4White”
was able to counter with smart and
effective play. To this point, no one
could predict a clear winner. Eventually,
the 13th graders did make use of their
advantage and scored several goals.
Although “Black4White” came back into
the game several times, “Oh Yeah…
Maybe We Should” won the final with
a 4-3 win.
The trophy was handed over by the
“Subman” and the winning team
received a voucher for a 1m SUBWAY
sandwich. Thanks to our generous
sponsor, the second and third placed
teams will also receive a SUBWAY
sandwich platter each.
The Kennedy Cup 2009 winners are,
as in the previous year, 13th graders.
Congratulations to “Oh Yeah…Maybe
We Should” and all other teams that
participated in this year’s tournament:
Kattle Natchu, Spitzenreiter, EFCB, Chak
de, Puffys, Girlsclub, Fleischfresser, SV
Andulo Umutspor, Black4White, Angry
Pirates, Hot Ballz, No Name, I Love
Stahnsdorf, The Umpa Lumpas, and
Team Bundesrepublik.
Paul Opitz
Max Jürgens
Revelations of the Rulemakers
to think that one had to pay only one
Euro in order to see one’s teachers
goof off and/or act in ways you’d never
expect them to act!
Mr. Felt ended the evening nicely by
thanking everyone, especially the
students, for “we [the teachers] enjoy
making you guys laugh.” Even if he may
have phrased it differently, I think you
get the message: Your teachers aren’t
actually as phlegmatic as it may seem
in the classroom.
Jakob Marsh

Volume XII, Issue VIII Friday, April 3, 2009 Circulation: 600 PAGE 7
Culture
Eine Bilanz: Amoklauf in Winnenden
Schon wieder eine Horrornachricht aus
einer deutschen Schule: Am 11. März
2009 stürmt ein bewaffneter 17-Jähriger
die Albertville-Realschule in Winnenden.
Wahllos schießt er in Klassenräume,
dabei werden neun Schüler und drei
Lehrer getötet. Danach flieht Tim K.
aus dem Gebäude und erschießt auf der
Flucht drei weitere Passanten. Als die
Polizei ihn vor einem Autohaus stellt,
richtet er die Waffe gegen sich selbst.
Dieses Szenario gab es schon
mehrmals, in Deutschland zuletzt vor
sieben Jahren an einem Gymnasium
in Erfurt. Am meisten Opfer forderte
bislang der Amoklauf an der Virginia
Tech, welcher damals 32 Menschen das
Leben kostete. Die Beweggründe aller
drei Täter sind bis heute noch unklar,
man kann jedoch ein grundsätzliches
Muster erkennen: Alle waren eher
unauffällig, einzelgängerisch und litten
unter Depressionen.
Immer wieder entbrennt nun die
Diskussion über die Sicherheit an
Schulen. Wie kann man verhindern,
dass so etwas noch mal passiert?
Bundesinnenminister Schäuble schlägt
vor, wie an amerikanischen Schulen
Wahlen, auch in Deutschland! Einen
Obama können wir nicht aus dem
Ärmel schütteln, trotzdem wird es
spannend. Die Erwachsenen reden
von DEM Wahljahr schlechthin,
es stehen Europaparlaments-
und Bundestagswahlen an. Es ist
auch unsere Zukunft, über die da
entschieden wird! Kennt Ihr das
Gefühl, nicht dazuzugehören? Nur
weil man nicht 18 ist. Verdammt,
das ist nicht fair! Die Mehrheit der
Schüler unserer Highschool darf an
den Wahlen nicht teilnehmen. Aber
dieses Mal drehen wir den Spieß um,
dieses Mal werden alle Volljährigen
ausgeschlossen, dieses Mal dürfen
nur die Minderjährigen wählen,
dieses Mal gibt es die U18.
Die U18 ist eine extra für Kinder
und Jugendliche organisierte,
deutschlandweite Bundestagswahl, mit echtem
Stimmzettel für unseren Wahlkreis, mit Wahlkabine,
Erst- und Zweitstimme und natürlich auch einer
richtigen Wahlurne. Die Wahllokale schließen analog
zu den Bundestagswahlen um 18 Uhr, allerdings 9 Tage
früher. Die Auszählung der Stimmzettel erfolgt öffentlich
Sicherheitskräfte und Metalldetektoren
einzuführen. Die Idee hört sich vielleicht
plausibel an, doch in der Realität ist sie
eher unpraktisch. Ein Mensch, der fest
entschlossen ist eine Schule zu stürmen,
wird sich nicht von einem piepsenden
Metalldetektor aufhalten lassen. Das
lehren uns die Fälle aus den USA.
Ebenso kommen auch
gewaltverherrlichende Computerspiele
wieder ins Gespräch. Sie sollen
Mitauslöser für den Winnendener
Amoklauf gewesen sein, doch eine
Verkaufsbeschränkung ab 18 Jahren
würde das Problem wohl auch nicht
lösen. Mittlerweile kann man über das
Internet genug gewaltverherrlichende
Videos ansehen oder Online-Spiele
spielen.
Das eigentliche Problem ist ein
ganz grundsätzliches: unsere
konkurrenzgesteuerte Gesellschaft.
Immer schneller, immer besser sollen
die Menschen werden, vor allem an
Schulen wird der Leistungsdruck
immer höher. Die Zeiten, in denen es
viele Arbeitsplätze für Menschen ohne
Ausbildung gab, sind vorbei. Maschinen
ersetzen immer mehr die menschliche
U18 Wahlen
Arbeitskraft. Das führt dazu, dass
leistungsschwache Schüler einfach
“abgeschrieben” werden. Zwar wird
das nicht direkt gesagt, aber solche
Teenager merken schnell, dass sie
die Erwartungen der Eltern, Lehrer
und Freunde nicht erfüllen können. Es
folgen Depression und Abkapselung.
Im Extremfall kommt es dann aus
Verzweiflung zu solchen Taten wie
Selbstmord oder Amokläufen.
Es wäre daher erforderlich, dass
Mitschüler ihre Augen nicht vor
solchen “Losern” verschließen, sondern
schnellstens einer Vertrauensperson
Bescheid sagen. Kleinere Klassen
und mehr Schulpsychologen würden
sicherlich deutlich dazu beitragen, diese
Fälle frühzeitig zu erkennen, denn wenn
sich erst einmal jemand die Sorgen
eines solchen Kindes anhört, kann man
auch dessen Lage durch aktive Mithilfe
verbessern. Es muss ja schließlich nicht
jeder ein Einstein werden um seinen
Platz im Leben zu finden.
Kirstin Lazarus
und die Ergebnisse werden an
die Wahlzentrale übermittelt. Ab
18 Uhr findet ihr im Internet die
ersten Hochrechnungen und gegen
22 Uhr wird das Endergebnis
veröffentlicht.
Gut, also dieses Mal dürfen alle
wählen. Aber vorher muss ich mich
also selbst irgendwie über Parteien
und ihre Programme informieren? So
ganz alleine? Nein, wir haben Glück
gehabt! Es gibt ein paar Schüler,
die eine Wahlveranstaltung auf die
Beine stellen wollen. Es werden
Politiker eingeladen, die uns Politik
und Wahlversprechen verständlich
machen werden.
So etwas funktioniert nicht einfach
so durch Fingerschnipsen – ich hab’s
versucht – sondern es steckt viel
Planung dahinter. Deswegen freuen
wir uns über jeden, der Lust hat, uns zu unterstützen.
Schreibt uns einfach eine Email an jfks.u18@googlemail.
de.
visit our website at:
www.muckraker.webs.com
Charlotte von Streit

Volume XII, Issue VIII Friday, April 3, 2009 Circulation: 600 PAGE 8
Culture / JFKS Life
American Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs, The Shining –
these are all classic thrillers which deal with an important
societal issue, psychopathy. We come across psychopaths in
movies and in novels almost on a daily basis, and regard
them with aversion or perhaps admiration. Unfortunately, lots
of movies tend to depict psychopaths merely as crazy serial
killers, without a profound insight into their mentality. Who
are psychopaths really? Are they just psychotic murderers
who continuously kill others? What is psychopathy?
According to Dr. Robert Hare, an eminent Canadian criminal
psychologist, psychopathy has been defined as a “diminished
capacity for remorse and poor behavioral controls”.
Psychopaths lack in conscience and morality, especially in
remorse and guilt. They are also incapable of controlling
their impulses, which can be either sexual or criminal.
Nevertheless, the unusual thing about psychopaths is that
they make a good and absolutely normal first impression with
their superficial charm, despite the inhuman qualities they
possess within. Psychopaths are ingenious when it comes to
disguising themselves, due to the absence of empathy. They
are absolutely brilliant in feigning their emotions and are
described as “snakes in suits” or “masks of sanity”.
By now, you must wonder where these atrocious people, who
compose a single percent of the world’s population, are. A
significant characteristic of a psychopath is that they are very
goal-directed towards achieving wealth, sexual opportunities,
and an increased status. In order to fulfill their desire for
power and wealth, they do not hesitate to sacrifice others for
their own success. Ruthlessly sacrificing others also provide
them with pleasure. Using such desire, psychopaths can be
successful and prestigious, if they do not channel to antisocial
actions, but to politics and business. In both fields, sacrifice
of the weaker and less powerful is required for the promotion
and development of oneself. Consequently, an unexpected
number of politicians tend to be psychopaths, only that they
are usually not quite as cruel as psychopathic criminals.
Apart from politicians, persistent wife-beaters, intentional illminded
spreaders of HIV, or even your most-normal looking
neighbor may be psychopaths.
Until today, nobody has been able to precisely figure out how
such ruthless personality traits can form in a human being.
However, according to a medical research, a psychopath
is born with an inclination to develop in the psychopathic
way. A possible reason for this might be the dysfunction in
a part of a brain. In a medical institute, an MRI (medical
technique which enables visualization of internal structure) of
a psychopath was taken. Astonishingly, a psychopath’s brain
processed and interpreted emotional words such as cancer or
rape just like other neutral words such as tree or chair. In a
normal person’s brain, such words would arouse substantial
Have you ever had anybody take control over
your life without asking for your consent?
Exactly this is happening to us at JFKS.
New laws have been passed, forcing us to
complete our high school education in only
12 years when it was previously mappedout
for 13. Although the 12-year program is
globally accepted, one might argue that it
results in increasing pressure and dropping
grades. The review year, which was based in
11th grade, has been deemed unnecessary
and been removed from the curriculum.
In order to fulfill the requirements needed
The Truth about Psychopaths
areas in the brain, affecting one personally.
Because there is no exact diagnosis of psychopathy so far,
a treatment is also very difficult. A better environment and
parenting could affect and reform the future of a psychopath,
but still would not eliminate the psychopathy from within.
Existing treatments have made psychopathy worse,
awakening their desires to recommit the crimes. Besides,
psychopaths are completely satisfied with themselves. They
do not seek for alteration of their personality. Psychopaths
seem to be unalterable and society has to bear them as a
part of its member.
-------------------------------
Now after being overloaded with information about
psychopaths, wouldn’t you like to see it you’re a psychopath
yourself??
The test goes like this:
For each of the phrase that applies to you fully, write down
2 points.
If it applies somewhat, write down 1 point.
If it doesn’t apply at all, write down 0 points.
At the end, calculate add up the sum of points. Now, be
honest about yourself and check out if you are wearing the
mask of sanity as well!
1. glib and superficial charm
2. grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self-worth
3. need for stimulation/proneness to boredom
4. pathological lying
5. cunning and manipulativeness
6. lack of remorse or guilt
7. shallow affect (superficial emotional responsiveness)
8. callousness and lack of empathy
9. parasitic lifestyle
10. poor behavioral controls
11. sexual promiscuity
12. early behavioral problems
13. lack of realistic long-term goals
14. impulsivity
15. irresponsibility
16. failure to accept responsibility for own actions
17. many short-term marital relationships
18. juvenile delinquency
19. revocation of conditional release
20. criminal versatility
A prototypical psychopath scores 40 points and a criminal
offender usually scores 22 points. A normal person would
score around 5 points. What are you?
12 vs. 13 Years
to acquire a scholarship, the students
must disregard their non-scholastic
activities. Furthermore, the longawaited
Abistreich, prom, graduation
ceremony etc. have to be shared
with upperclassmen. The officials in
charge may see the bigger picture but
fail to put themselves in the shoes of
the individuals affected. Getting into
college may already seem impossible
without this extra hurdle. Students in
the “Doppeljahrgang” may have trouble
being accepted into college and finding
Sarah Lee
a job. Starting the 12-year program at
an early age so that the pressure of
having to squeeze in a year does not
build up could be a solution. Listening to
teachers lecture about how there is no
time for slacking off or less homework,
however, is getting a little old. Although
the idea of finishing a year early would
seem pleasant, it does not make school
any more bearable.
Aletta Bühler
Marissa Fuchs

Volume XII, Issue VIII Friday, April 3, 2009 Circulation: 600 PAGE 9
Entertainment / Culture
In the world of graphic
novels, few authors are
more widely respected than
the fiercely independent
and shockingly hirsute Alan
Moore, and Watchmen,
written in the late 1980s,
is perhaps his best-known
work. It is a dark and complex
story of superheroes in an
alternate-history United
States and was one of the
first works of its kind to
receive widespread attention
from mainstream literary
circles. Though it has often
been deemed unfilmable, an
adaptation of Watchmen has
finally been released, under the helm
of director Zack Snyder (300). The
differences between films and comics
as storytelling media are inevitable,
and it is precisely for this reason that
Moore himself has expressly distanced
himself from cinematic adaptations of
his work. Nonetheless, Snyder brings
much of the fragmented and detailed
nature of the graphic novel to the big
screen. He revels in cramming the film
with as many allusions and minutiae
as possible, so that, like a comic, the
film will demand repeated viewings
to be fully understood. It is certainly
an unorthodox approach, but rapidly
scouring every frame for obscure
references and characters turns out to be
one of the most satisfying things about
viewing Watchmen. In one vignette,
Andy Warhol presents a pop-art portrait
of one of the film’s characters, who all,
Movie Review: Watchmen
“My boyfriend’s sister’s second grade teacher’s step mother’s
late brother’s ex-wife’s hairdresser’s son.”
Gossip is inevitable. People have leaned over the neighbor’s
fence since the beginning of time to chat about other
neighbors. For our generation, this has become blaringly
apparent since the hit TV show “Gossip Girl” first aired.
Even at our school, an anonymous student attempted to be
“gossip girl”, spreading rumors on the internet. Admittedly,
gossip is usually not spread by fashionable sidekicks while
wearing brightly colored outfits straight off the runway, it is,
nevertheless, spread.
Avoiding gossip is impossible; most of us even indulge in
it. How far is taking gossip too far? Getting involved in a
politician’s personal life could destroy his or her professional
career.
Michelle Obama’s outfits are scrutinized while Barack runs
arguably one of the most powerful countries in the world.
Scrutinizing an outfit, however, and getting involved in
the personal life of a politician are two different subjects.
Discussing Michelle’s outfit she wore to the inauguration is
entertaining, while exaggerating and analyzing an important
political figure’s personal life is cruel. When Obama made
as vigilantes, have naturally attained
celebrity status. A further scene
shows an utterly convincing cover of
the “New Yorker” with a caricature of
another superhero, lying on a table,
while a 1980s Annie Leibovitz stands
there taking pictures of a third. Snyder
shows skill in other areas as well; two
montages in particular are without a
doubt some of the most impressive
sections of the film. The opening credits
are accompanied by Bob Dylan’s “The
Times, They Are-Changing” and lead
the audience into Watchmen’s timeline,
one where Richard Nixon is serving a
third term, the Cold War is still in full
swing, and costumed vigilantes have
been a part of American society since
the 1940s. Unlike many other examples
of its genre, only one character truly
has superhuman abilities: the towering
electric-blue Dr. Manhattan, a nuclear
Destroying Public Office
physicist accidentally
transformed into a being
with absolute power
over time and space.
The film’s second great
montage is one where he
reflects on his past life,
set to Philip Glass’s score
of Koyaanisqatsi. The
music lends the scene a
mood of overwhelming,
monumental sadness.
Dr. Manhattan sees
the universe in ways
that no one else can
comprehend, and even
as he tries to maintain a
somewhat normal life, he
is irrevocably cut off from the rest of
humanity; their problems seem less and
less important to him on a grand scale.
Even as Watchmen is elevated by scenes
and concepts such as this, it is brought
down by Snyder’s almost fetishist
appetite for gore. People are attacked
with fists, cleavers, power saws, boiling
lard, or flamethrowers, and all with
a sickening realism and attention to
detail. The arguably important role of
violence in the story is undermined by
its gratuitous presentation.
On the whole, Watchmen is complex
to evaluate as a film. It’s cluttered and
grimy, mixing together many different
types of scenes just as it does genres. It
manages to be entertaining throughout
its length, despite a somewhat murky
plot, and is satisfying as it is imperfect.
Nikolas Jaeger
a politically incorrect remark on Jay Leno’s show, it was
instantly turned into a scandal and made the front page in
some cases. Not only are these matters unimportant, they
take away from truly pressing issues in public office.
Through yellow press journalism, many potentially great
politicians are intimidated or simply do not want to deal
or expose their families and loved ones to this kind of
unprofessional publicity and don’t run at all. When Julian
Graham stepped down from being SC president, a very
questionable article was written. Was pulling Graham’s
girlfriend into the debacle necessary or professional?
Although it may seem these journalists are “muckraking”,
making assumptions about a leader’s or an elected official’s
personal life in a newspaper written by his peers is out of
line. Getting the facts is a journalist’s job. Creating rumors
on assumptions which have nothing to do with his public
position is clearly unprofessional. This may intimidate the
next hardworking student considering to become SC president
may reconsider the decision due to unsubstantiated rumors
which may ruin her or his reputation.
Katarina von Witzke

Volume XII, Issue VIII Friday, April 3, 2009 Circulation: 600 PAGE 10
Entertainment

Volume XII, Issue VIII Friday, April 3, 2009 Circulation: 600 PAGE 11
Cartoon Corner

Volume XII, Issue VIII Friday, April 3, 2009 Circulation: 600 PAGE 12
Culture / Entertainment
Unsere Kultour: Der gute Deutsche von Nanjing
13. Dezember 1937: Japanische
Truppen stürmen die damalige
Hauptstadt Chinas, Nanjing. In den
darauf folgenden sieben Wochen töten
sie mehr als 300 000 Zivilisten und
Kriegsgefangene, vergewaltigen 20
000 Frauen und fügen den Chinesen
ein nationales Trauma zu. Auf
grausamste Weise wurde die Mehrheit
der Einwohner gefoltert, verstümmelt,
erstochen, erschossen oder verbrannt.
Das Massaker von Nanjing ist bis
heute eine der tiefsten Wunden in der
chinesischen Geschichte und immer
noch ein emotionales Diskussionsthema,
wenn es um die Beziehung zu Japan
geht. Aufgrund der nach Jahrzehnten
noch verharmlosenden Darstellung
in japanischen Schulbüchern
boykottierten Chinesen im Jahre
2005 sogar japanische Produkte. Bis
zum heutigen Tage weigert sich die
japanische Regierung, sich offiziell
zu diesem Kriegsverbrechen zu
bekennen. Nun hat sich der deutsche
Regisseur und Oscar-Preisträger Florian
Gallenberger gewagt, dieses schwierige
Thema in einem Film aufzugreifen, indem er die Geschichte
des unfreiwilligen und schon beinah vergessenen Helden
John Rabe – man nennt ihn den „Oskar Schindler Chinas“ –
erzählt, der heute noch in China verehrt wird.
John Rabe arbeitet in der damaligen Zeit als Kaufmann
Sudokus!!
Eileen Wagner
Fill in the grid so that every row, every
column, and every 3x3 box contains
the digits 1 through 9.
Easy Sudoku Hard Sudoku
für Siemens und genießt Privilegien
wegen seiner NSDAP-Mitgliedschaft.
In seinem überdimensionierten Garten
in Nanjing beherbergt er während
der japanischen Besatzung mehr als
250 000 Chinesen und rettet deren
Leben, indem er u.a. eine 3 x 6 Meter
große Hakenkreuzfahne aufspannt und
auf das deutsch-japanische Bündnis
hinweist. Dass ausgerechnet das
Symbol für Hass und Zerstörung über
dem sichersten Ort in Nanjing weht,
verleiht dem Film eine Ironie, die nur
schwer zu thematisieren ist, zumal
Rabe selbst eher ignorant gegenüber
den Geschehnissen in Deutschland war.
Die bewegte und paradoxe Geschichte
eines einfachen Siemens-Vertreters und
Hitler-Verehrers, der zum humanitären
Retter von Hunderttausenden wird,
wäre an sich reif für Hollywood –
doch zunächst bekommen wir die
neuste deutsche Produktion zu sehen,
aufwendig und nicht ohne Hindernisse
in Shanghai gedreht.
„John Rabe“ von Florian Gallenberger
mit Ulrich Tukur, Daniel Brühl und Steve Buscemi in den
Hauptrollen ist seit gestern in den Kinos.
Eileen Wagner