Rabbit Restaurant

A controvertial report about a now defunkt restaurant. It strikes me as particularly American. See the commentary from listeners at the bottom.

Today's Class starts at 13:45

Dear Students,

As decided last week, this week will be tutorials, for people who handed in papers and want feedback. Anyone who wants to drop by to have a Schein signed or for any other reason, please feel free. See you then. Nettie

Papers

If you would like me to read your reflective essay, please hand in a double-spaced copy to me no later than Wednesday, July 1st. The right hand margin should be 5 cm.

Cancel Afternoon Class on Wednesday

Sorry, I was thinking the demonstration would be in the afternoon, so that it might only affect the afternoon class.

I think I will go ahead and hold the 10-12 class, since I've already said to one student that I would, but cancel the afternoon class, since enough of you seem to be planning to attend the demonstration.

I won't count this absense against you in either class.

Breaking News about Tests

BA "English-Speaking Cultures" 4th-semester Abschlussmodul exams (NEUE Prüfungsordnung) – Summer Semester 2009

Listening Comprehension
This test – together with the second What's the Difference? two-star test (on Units 8-13) – will be on Saturday, 4th July, starting at 2.30 p.m., in the Keksdose, HS 2010. Please note: in order that we can start promptly, you should be outside the hall by 2 p.m.
There will be a special early test for those people who have informed us that they must leave Bremen early for their Auslandsmodul or are on field trips etc. on the normal date. This early test (Listening Comprehension + What's the Difference?) will be on Saturday, 27th June, starting at 12 noon. Students with the following matriculation numbers have registered for this early test; they and they alone will be permitted to take it on this date:
2199719
2205926
2206605
2247400
2255715
2271831

Oral presentations
There are two groups here. The first involves people who will be leaving Bremen early because of their Auslandsmodul etc. We have scheduled oral-presentation tests for these people as follows:
Friday, 26th June Room: A4290 Saturday, 27th June (after the early List. Comp. + WtD? test) Room: A4290 time matric. time matric. 15.30 1854198 14.00 2206605 16.00 2263993 14.30 2199719 16.30 2210517 15.00 2205926 17.00 16.00 2247400 17.30 2215520 16.30 2271831 18.00 2275569 17.00 2255715

Friday, 3rd July Room: A4290 Friday, 10th July Room: A4290 time matric. time matric. 15.30 2205224 15.30 2200226 16.00 2206998 16.00 2214642 16.30 2233471 16.30 2229266 17.00 2247091 17.00 2234826 17.30 2254067 17.30 2255741 18.00 2217706 18.00 2204498 If your name is on one of these lists but you cannot come at the time concerned, we have two reserve timeslots at 17.00 and 17.30 on Friday, 26th June. See Michael Claridge in his office hour (Wednesdays, 1-2.30) to sign up for a replacement time – do NOT simply put your name on the list.

The second group involves everyone else, i.e. those here after the end of teaching. The principal testing period for these will run from Monday, 13th July to Friday, 31st July. Lists of timeslots are available in Andrew Winter's office (A3100); Andrew is usually there between about 9.30 a.m. and 1.15 p.m. (but goes for lunch at some stage). Sign up for your time – and make a note of where and when it is!
NOTE: There will also be some dates in late August and/or early September, which will perhaps suit Nebenfach and FBW people better. Details will follow as soon as possible regarding these.


Michael Claridge / 15th June, 2009.

Shall we cancel class due to the Bildungstreik?

How many of you are planning to attend class this coming Wednesday? I was told that many of you will be at the demonstrations, and that I should let you know if we would be cancelling class. Please let me know if you have plans either way. I hate to miss yet another class, but if only a handful would be there, perhaps it makes more sense.

Will post again once I hear from enough of you. You can let me know by posting a comment below (just click on Comment below).

Goodwin and Gladwell

This is from Martin Haller:

Just want to send you some links which might be interesting for our culture class:

Doris Kearns Goodwin on Obama's first 100 days:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=225908&title=Doris-Kearns-Goodwin


Malcom Gladwell interview in "Der Spiegel" (sorry, couldn't find the English version)

http://wissen.spiegel.de/wissen/image/show.html?did=63546841&aref=image039/2009/01/10/ROSP200900301180119.PDF&thumb=false

Malcolm Galdwell

Here is the link to a lecture by Malcolm Gladwell about creativity and precocity. If you type in Malcolm Gladwell in the search engine at newyorker.com, you will find other lectures and interviews with him as well. Just look for "Audio"

Nettie will be back in Bremen this week

Dear Students,

I just wanted to let you know that I was in the hospital for the last 10 days (Heart muscle infection, due to the flu I had) but am back home now. I will be back in Bremen on Wednesday. We are supposed to have a quiz then--I posted info about it on the blog week before last. Michael says that if students have not all received the warning, we can take the test next week.

Look forward to seeing you again this week. Sorry about having to cancel classes.

Message from Michael re: Oral Exams

We have oral-exam times provisionally ready, and are just waiting for confirmation from the FZHB regarding room availability. Once rooms are confirmed, I will do two things:

1. post on the Practical-Language board (opposite A3100) the times for those who have to take their oral presentations BEFORE the end of the semester,

2. post in the same place the general dates/times for everyone else. At this point, students will have to consult Andrew in his office (A3100) to sign up for an oral-presentation timeslot. He is usually there from about 9 a.m. to about 1.30-2 p.m., but does have a lunchbreak.

Anyone leaving Bremen on or before 4th July: the special listening-comprehension test for these people will be on Saturday, 27th June, starting at 11.30. These people's oral presentations will then follow in the afternoon (details as indicated above).

N.B. I assume EVERYONE who needs an early date has contacted me by now, since the deadline was 15th May.

Upcoming Quizzes

The FIRST test on two-star items from "What's the Difference?" will be on Units 1-7. You will have 20-25 minutes to do the test IN CLASS in the first meeting after Reading Week.

The SECOND test will be on Units 8-13. Students will do this together with the Listening Comprehension part of the module exam.

IMPORTANT INFO from Michael

Deadlines for scheduling exams if you need to leave Bremen earlier:


1. who MUST leave Bremen before the module exam on 4th July?
Michael Claridge needs
-->names
-->matriculation numbers
-->whether HF/NF/FBW
-->when you are leaving
-->the reason for leaving
at the very latest by Monday, 18th May, so as to fix things with the Prüfungsamt and fix a replacement date. Bona fide reasons are required, which means something like going to Australia or New Zealand to study.

2. who (apart from those under 1. above) will no longer be in Bremen after 10th July or even earlier? We will need to fix oral-exam slots for you... Be prepared by mid-June, as we must squeeze you in around the usual teaching/marking loads.
Again, Michael needs
-->names
-->matriculation numbers
-->whether HF/NF/FBW
-->when you are leaving (if before 11th July)
-->the reason for leaving (if before 11th July - the first day after teaching stops)
at the very latest by Monday, 18th May, so as to fix rooms and dates.

If you are affected by either or both of these, send Michael an email (claridge@uni-bremen.de) with the subject line "4th-semester ESC Abschlussmodul exam", and the information I've asked for above.

Must cancel class again

Sorry, I need to cancel class again. I'm very sick with some sort of virus. Waited till now to write because I kept hoping I would be better by tomorrow. Will post more abotu the class in the next couple of days. Now I just need to lie down.

Wednesday, May 6th Lesson Cancelled

Dear Students,

Due to an emergency, I need to cancel tomorrow's lessons. Sorry about this. If you know anyone else in the class, please pass the word, since not everyone looks at the blog.
Thanks!

p.s. will post more here in the next couple of days, so you know what to prepare for next week's class.

Insiders and Outsiders--Class and Race in America

(The title above is a link) This is a This American Life Episode that includes some fascinating and diverse interviews done by the famous interviewer Studs Terkel, with Americans from various decades, including reflections on what life was like during the Great Depression and about attitudes toward race and class.