Retrospective ... the fifth day

The workgroups started their job as usual, at 9 o'clock.
The EAZ was a sad building from 11:00 to 15:00, while the docu group was in Erfurt.
One of the best lectures of this year's ISWI was held at 16:30 by Ulrike von Pilar, on humanitarian actions and the work of Medecins Sans Frontieres.
The Humboldtbau was a happy building today, as it had quite a lot of visitors nearby - the Open-Air concerts gathered there around 500 people (?) for some live performances.
Now, the clubs for tonight:
*BC: Hip-Hop feat. Iyho&pekalle
*BD: Open-Air Aftershowparty
*BH: Open-Air Aftershow(geöffnet ab 23Uhr)
*BI: Karaoke Night.

Have a wunderbar night! Read more

Freaking out

Well, you all know about lectures, the opening ceremony, the street festival and the work groups, because you attended it. But you don’t know, what happened backstage! Do you have any idea of how crazy people need to be to organize an event such as the ISWI? We found some pretty amusing stories about those freaks and so here we go: What about one of the ORG-Team members, that’s for sale for 50€? If you’re interested, please mail the info-point, stating your name, telephone-number, address and confession-size. These information will perfectly fit into the litter environment of the info-point.

The night shift is sleeping under the desk and not waking up until the first participants stand in front of him screaming for help. Stunned by their sudden appearance the guy jumps up, blinded by daylight, and heads right up to the… glass door? You know what happens next.

But ISWI-helpers don’t only get confused about the arriving of the day, but also about telephone-calls and bills. I don’t know if you heard about the two participants that were (parallelly) locked up in the bath room for two days and calling for help? There was a quarrel and panic, someone wanted to call the police, the firemen, security and an ambulance… until the poor guy at the info-point recognized that everyone around him was. It is said that the fake locked-up participant was someone to be found in the docugroup…

Later on there will be more Info-Point Chaos Report. We have an open account! Read more

What you could do today

Good morning, Ilmenau!
Our fifth day continues with your participation:

09:00 - groupwork
13:00 - groupwork
16:00 - lecture by Ulrike von Pilar (Audimax)
20:00 - open air (campus) Read more

Nasty stuff around campus

Offering a good quality of alcohol, we challenged you participants with a heavy serious questions colleting your impression so far.

We would like to apologize in advance to those of whom we forgot their names….

Swiss vs. Nigeria

Do you find the bathroom to be comfortable enough for all your personal needs?

N: ‘yehhh, its ok….’

What is the craziest thing you did in the bathroom?

N: ‘I probably kissed a girl…. In a club’

Disappointed from the boring answer, we hoped to get the repulsive details from the swiss guy …

S: ‘ oh yehh, they are ok, they are very clean…..’

Cleannn….a character that is to be highly important, no doubt…..

Gorgina ( made up name) form one of the minimally number of states in eastern Europe has commented on the question by stating the basic fact ‘ well…paper and water, what else do you need…’

Mr. Michael Jackson from Cameroon stepped right into the point ‘ I think my room is better…’ he said, inviting me to a round tour…

The winner though had given us with a different point of view… Ohad, from the holy land of Jerusalem. ‘I think I could make my entire day in the bathroom. Usually when I have a phone discussions, long ones then I keep them in the bathroom. This is because there it has a very romantic atmosphere. The problem is that people had come to understand that is what I do, they hear the echo of the toilet….’

Mirror mirror on the wall who is the most beautiful women of them all …

In awarding the most prettiest girls, we would have to say that….Micheal wan the douze point in answering Mediterranean girls , sucking up (….) to the interviewer. On the list of course there was the girls from Russia, Spain, Finland, Argentina and….mmmmm the rest of you …well, I guess you are ugly.

Bad boys, bad boys what you are gonna do, what you are gonna do when we come for you….

‘ sorry guys… you are missing something… some fire’ sais Gorgina.. Well, just to play fair and honest, Julia from Kazakhstan is very much excited ‘ they are amazing, they are very beautiful and they have nice character…’ I can relate my friend, strong character is very much important.

Have you already found someone?

Julia: ‘ mmm…not yet but I have no doubt that something will happen…’

by Ravit&lumina

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Workshop Day … is you

Many of you will probably be a bit confused about Wednesday’s workshop day -What will happen there? In true ISWI style, the shortest answer might be: „whatever you like; and we’re going to help you!“

During yesterday’s group work and your personal discussions, all of us have started to discover some of the diverse dimensions of this year’s ISWI theme, “Human Rights”. Not all of these can and will find a place in the official group categorization, yet many merit some discussion. Creating a time and space for such ad-hoc exchanges is the goal of the workshop day.

During an initial plenary meeting, anyone will be able to propose a discussion topic, lecture or brainstorming session. The important thing for an initiator is not to have extensive knowledge of the issue at hand (although that helps) or to have a prepared PowerPoint presentation. What counts, instead, is your enthusiasm and interest.

In a second step, your session will be assigned to one of our 30 rooms and given a time slot. Then, wait for like-minded people to assemble and enjoy the open, argumentative atmosphere of your workshop. As for me, I’m really looking forward to finding out which sessions will emerge and to participating in a few exchanges myself.

Rules of an open meeting

• Whoever comes is the right people
• Whatever happens is the only thing that could have
• Whenever it starts is the right time
• When it's over, it's over

Read more

Weather forecast

The rainy weather in Ilmenau is not surprising. The city is proud of the blue sky and a peaceful scene of dancing goats. However you are unlikely to meet a real goat in Ilmenau, or to enjoy any sunny weather. People say that here either the level-crossing is down or it's raining. It means that it is sunny if the level-crossing, which is on the way from the university to the city center, is down. After you were waiting for the long time to cross the road, the next moment when the level-crossing is up and you make a step foward, the rain will immediately start. Pretty confusing, isn't it? But it's very close to the truth.

The weather in Ilmenau is mostly rainy and totally unpredictable, unless it is a prediction made for the next second.

The participants of ISWI 2009 are now surely familiar with the local weather conditions. Just remember the storm on Saturday night! The rain that lasted the whole Monday, was the reason to transfer the Art on the Street Festival into the university building. The good thing is that you can always be sure what clothes you need to take with you to Ilmenau. There have to be at least few rain coats in the bag.

The weather forecast for the next three days promises us warm, sunny weather. But I wouldn't be too sure about that... Read more

Retrospective ... the fourth day

Fourth day for ISWI =
- the first group works;
- lectures all around the campus and the town;
- Art on the Stre..Mensa;
- parties, parties, parties;

Fourth day for the docu group:
- coffee
- coffee
- coffee
- michael jackson vs. darth vader
- coffee
- disney soundtrack
- reviews
- holsurub
- coffee. Read more

Die with dignity?

Over the last fifty years there were a lot of debates about legalizing the voluntary euthanasia. If a physician-assisted suicide can either be considered as rescuing a person from senseless suffering or it has to be considered as a murder? In two of these cases the human dignity is supposed to be violated. Killing a person, even according to her decision violates the basic human rights and dignity. To the contrary, by not executing the person's wish, the term of death with dignity cannot be used.

This example shows how differently the term of human dignity can be interpreted. If you look up in several dictionaries for the word dignity, you will find a number of several definitions, which will only prove the difficulty of distinguishing the term.

The first article of the Declaration of Human Rights postulates that „all human beings are born equal in dignity and rights“. The question is, can we rely on such an uncertain term, like dignity, by using it in the documents of international importance?

These questions were raised in the introductory lecture for the Human Rights and Science group given by Udo Schuklenk, PhD in Bioethics. Despite the difficulty of discussing such ethical questions, listeners were interested and inspired by the beautiful style in which the lecture was given. So unlike other speakers Mr. Schuklenk did not leave the participants alone, but joined them for further discussions in the afternoon. Read more

Kill Bill v. The Antjes

Breaking News: the Police Office of the city of Ilmenau just informed us that a disaster of large proportions is about to occur and disturb the quiet and cosy town of Ilmenau.

Bill, the well-known killer who has yet remained uncaptured by the German Police, despite being searched for almost 4 months, came to Ilmenau. His first victim is one of the celebrities of the town: the orange Antje mysteriously disappeared from her home at the train station. She was last seen staying there, probably waiting for the ISWI participants. Locals claim that it was the storm that took it away, but an official source claims it was in fact kidnapped and abused by Bill during the night of May 9th. Quasimodo, her brother, is still in the city centre but has been put under maximum surveillance by the Ilmenau Rathaus.

The other two brothers of the famous family are still being kept away from people's eyes to guard them from Bill's bad intentions. An upstanding citzen, Beatrix Kiddow (aka The Bride) informed the Rathaus via fax that she herself is going to guard Anne and Happy Hitler, the other two new Antjes. A special team of doctors was send to fix Anne's nose (septical deviation, according to the last medical results) before being shown to the public. Happy Hitler, her younger brother still suffers from hitlerofobia (by rising both her right and middle hand and imitating a well-known gesture).

Special agent Knuwu, in charge with this case, just informed us that they will keep things under control. It's just that now he's out to lunch with this chick, he'll be back later.

Read more