Bonn Marathon 2014

Dear Runners & Supporters,

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THIS YEAR'S BONN MARATHON!!!

What a fantastic day! Especially since we were able to raise a total of over 650.00€ (approx $ 900,00) for our affiliated NGO, the Marol Academy in South Sudan.

A big thanks to all the donors!

Pictures of the event are available at: www.sportonline-foto.de (Select "Bonn Marathon" as event and enter your starting number) and will also soon be available at our AIB website.



Again, thanks to everyone for making this such a successful and fun day!

Best Wishes,
Viktoria.

American students engaged themselves in social projects

More than 80 American students of the Academy for International Education (AIB) engaged themselves in social projects for the Bonn community.
Bonn, 04/07/2014: The Academy for International Education (AIB) and more than 80 American students, spending a semester abroad from January to mid-May, organized the „AIB Charity Weekend“ in order to show their appreciation for Bonn's hospitality.
The idea originates from Texas A&M University, USA, where students participate in the Big Event, every year. Following their slogan: „One Big Day, One Big Thanks, One Big Event“ 20,000 students set out to engage in charitable projects in their local community. AIB and its American partner universities, Texas A&M University, Penn State University and Loyola Marymount University, decided to follow their example and implement the charity day here in Bonn too. A wonderful addition were the two alumni students from Texas A&M University who came all the way from the military base in Ramstein to support their fellow Aggies with the International Big Event. On Saturday, April 5th these young Americans assisted in 13 different projects in Bonn and its surrounding area. Most of the projects aimed at brigthening up and improving various parks and gardens for organizations who lacked the time and resources to do it themselves.



In the guest house of the Beethoven Haus in Rolandseck, called „Villa Wasmuth“, one team set to work to prepare the green spaces for the upcoming spring together with Malte Boecker, the director of the Beethoven Haus.The British artist Mark Alexander, who lives there at the moment, worked alongside them. Mr. Boecker, who had invited all AIB students to a concert in the chamber music hall earlier, explains how the collaboration with AIB was established: „The city of Bonn volunteering center called our attention to AIB's offer and I thought that it would be a great idea to invite the students over to put our gardening project into practice. The six students did a fabulous job. It was a fantastic day for us!“
Another team spent their day in a retirement home, the „Haus am Redoutenpark“, where the students were invited to a barbecue after their work was done. Detlef Spoetter, the director, was pleased with their work uttering: „I admire the students' hard work. Now, our senior citizens can actually enjoy our newly planted garden. We hope that we will be able to cooperate with AIB in a similar project next year.“



Most importantly, the students themselves enjoyed the experience. Erin Zebrowski (participant in the Biosciences Study Abroad Program from Texas A&M University, age 20) states: „We have been doing this in College Station for 28 years and it is great to be part of the first International Big Event“.



In line with the theme of the Big Event, to take action together and do good, students and AIB staff took part in the Bonn Marathon one day later, to run for donations. While participating in the Bonn Marathon, 41 AIB-runners have raised more than 1000 € to support the Marol Academy, a NGO in South Sudan that supports educational projects for underprivileged children and is affiliated with the AIB ever since its founding in 2008.



Due to its great success, the AIB hopes to continue with the AIB Charity Weekend in future years.

US-Students say Thank You

Today in the Bonn General Anzeiger (local newspaper) regarding the AIB Charity Day:

US-Students say Thank You

Bonn. More than 80 American students, currently participating in a study abroad semester at the Akademie für Internationale Bildung (AIB), are organizing a charity day on April 5th to say thanks to the citizens of Bonn for their warm hospitality. Most of the projects are recreation and maintenance in and around buildings which can not be done by the residenting institutions due to a lack of money or time of the employees. One group, for example, will recreate the garden at „Haus Wasmuth“ in Rolandseck under the supervision of Beethoven Haus director Malte Boecker. Due to suggestions from the organization „Rückenwind“, another group will renovate and paint the apartment of a Bonn family in need.

The AIB Charity Weekend

This year, AIB is part of the International BIG EVENT of Texas A&M hosting its own AIB Charity Weekend in April.

We are very happy to participate, to give back to the Bonn community!
To make sure, we will not be forgotten, little greet from Bonn, Germany to all Aggies out there! We wish you a lot of success with your Big Event in College Station and all over the world!

See www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4auVbxa6Io&feature=youtu.be for our message to all Aggies!

Opening of 'ADAM SANDLER, ADAM SANDLER' in Cologne

Tomorrow, March 27, the art exhibition of Joshua Bienko will open its doors. Come and see this wonderful show - Aib Bonn will be there, will you?

Adam Sandler, Adam Sandler is a show inspired by the will to stare down the realities of war, oppression and dehumanization with near tragic, near comic lyricism. The young artists has been an inspiration for the AIB students and goes far beyond only teaching how to draw, but shows how drawing can be seen as a life lesson, to find out more about the own self and to explore who you really are. Or want to be. Or need to become. All at the same time. Bienkos Vernissage at the Labor Ebertplatz on March 27 promises to be a worthy experience for his audience

Workshop of AIB with Fachhochschule Köln students

This week is really exciting for the Pennsylvania State University students currently residing at the AIB - they are working on a project in cooperation with German students from the FH Cologne on 'CHANGING MOBILITY: COLOGNE NEUMARKT AS A E-MOBILITY HUB'

Led by their lecturers Prof. Jochen Siegemund, Johannes Böttger and Thomas Knüvener students have been participating in workshop this week at both the AIB and FH Cologne, advancing their skills and pooling knowledge and experience in this unique, international working group.

Visiting BAYER in Leverkusen

This Wednesday, the Texas A&M Biosciences group went on a field trip to Bayer in Leverkusen:

Visiting BayKomm was an interesting and interactive way to learn about the ongoing developments and functions of the company. Being able to physically manipulate proteins in 3-D, and drive car simulators enabled all of the students to learn about the scope of Bayer's research and development, as well as the initiatives within the company. Engaging visuals and charts informed us of the issues and problems that Bayer scientists are currently addressing through its divisions in human and animal health, crop science, and materials science. The process and market of drug development surrounds us all everyday, even when we don't notice it. It was a very good experience and very informative.

Written by Austin Wang, participant TAMU Biosciences Spring 2014

Liebe Freunde der AIB und des Films,

die Akademie für Internationale Bildung (AIB) lädt Sie im Rahmen des
4. BONNER KURZFILMFESTS herzlich zur Abschlussveranstaltung ihrer Semesterprogramme

• Loyola Marymount University New Europe
• Loyola Marymount University Engineering
• Loyola Marymount University Film&TV
• Penn State University Landscape Architecture

ein. Wir verabschieden unsere StudentInnen und DozentInnen und beginnen den Abend mit der Premiere der Dokumentarfilme der amerikanischen Filmstudierenden aus Los Angeles.
Die Filmpremiere findet statt am:
Freitag, 13. Dezember 2013
um 19:30 Uhr
im Rheinischen Landesmuseum Bonn (Colmantstraße 14-16, 53115 Bonn)
Die von einer internationalen Fachjury ausgewählten Filme sind von jungen Talenten der School of Film & Television der Loyola Marymount University während ihres Auslandssemesters und Studiums an der AIB in Bonn produziert worden.
Jeder der Regisseure hat sich mit einem unterschiedlichen Themengebiet beschäftigt und es auf kunstfertige, individuelle Art und Weise verwirklicht. So wird es sportlich spannend in Dänemark, wo eine Gruppe von Kindern durch das Einüben von Fußballtricks zu Freunden wird oder auch in Irland, wo ein junges Segelteam bei der Titelverteidigung begleitet wird.
Weitere Dokumentationen beleuchten das seltsame Leben und Werken eines französischen Tätowierungskünstlers, den faszinierenden Entstehungsprozess von selbst-gemachten Pop-Up Papierobjekten oder gehen der spannenden Frage nach, worin noch heute der Reiz von Grimm's Märchen besteht.
Während einige Dokumentationen lokal im Raum Köln/Bonn gedreht wurden, führte die Arbeit an den Filmen einzelne Regisseure auch in andere europäische Länder wie etwa Dänemark, Belgien, Irland oder Italien.
Lernen Sie mit uns Deutschland und Europa aus der Perspektive unserer amerikanischen FilmstudentInnen kennen!
Programm:
19:30 Uhr
Begrüßung der Teilnehmer der Programme Film&TV, Engineering, New Europe und Landscape Architecture durch den Oberbürgermeister der Stadt Bonn, Jürgen Nimptsch
19:45 Uhr
Vorführung von sechs dokumentarischen Kurzfilmen (á 10 Minuten)
anschließend
After-Show-Empfang mit Verabschiedung der Semesterprogramme und Verleihung des Publikumspreises in der Akademie für Internationale Bildung (Wilhelmstr. 27, 53111 Bonn)
Anmeldung:
Wir würden uns sehr freuen, Sie am 13. Dezember 2013 zur Filmpremiere im LVR Rheinischen Landesmuseum begrüßen zu dürfen. Bitte wenden Sie sich zur Anmeldung unter Angabe der Anzahl zu reservierender Tickets bis zum 11. Dezember 2013 sowie bei Rückfragen per E-mail an: tickets@aib-studyabroad.org. Sie erreichen uns außerdem telefonisch unter 0228 / 33 88 39 20. Gerne dürfen Sie diese Einladung an Freunde und Bekannte weiterleiten.
Wir hoffen auf Ihr zahlreiches Erscheinen und auf einen gelungenen Abend!
Mit herzlichen Grüßen,
Olivia Schäfer & Olaf Brodersen, Programmkoordinatoren Film

Rhine Cruise

On Friday, September 13th, the AIB took us to a small village about an hour and a half away from Bonn where we boarded a ship on the Rhine River. We all rushed to the front of the line in order to secure the prime spots on the top level of the ship, only to get up there and see there's a built in slide and playground for us to enjoy!!! So, being the mature college students that we are, we instantly lined up to slide down over and over. The cruise took us about 2 hours up river and we were able to see all the beautiful landscapes that Germany has to offer. We passed by a famous rock, Lorelei, which is about 120 meters above water. Folklore states that a beautiful mermaid once sat upon that rock and sailors would get distracted by her beauty and crash their ships into the rock, when in reality it was simply the strong currents in that area that took the ships by surprise right into the rock. Once we left the ship, we walked through a small village full of beautiful medieval looking houses and buildings, and ate lunch at a delicious restaurant.

After lunch, we hiked up about 20 minutes to a castle named Marksburg. We were given a tour of the castle, which was extremely interesting. This particular castle was structured very similarly to other medieval castles, but was unique in that it lines the Rhine River and therefore had access to many more opportunities to attack intruders who were coming in ships. They would shoot huge cannon balls from the top level of the castle into the river which became a huge advantage for them. We ended the tour in the torture chamber where we were given some of the torture devices to try on for size…. it was unpleasant but awesome at the same time. After the tour we were brought to a winery where we were given a tour of the wine cellars and told the basics of how the wine is made. We learned that the wooden barrels that people believe that wine is left in to age have become outdated because they cannot hold enough wine to keep up with demand. Wine is now aged in huge stainless steel containers, which is not as romantic looking but equally tasty. The winery then gave us a traditional dinner of bread, cheese and meats to eat along with five different grape juices to taste. They taught us how to properly taste the grape juice to get the most out of the flavors. We then got back on the bus to Bonn where we performed a classic "Bohemian Rhapsody" karaoke sing along which I'm positive the bus driver enjoyed more than anyone else… Overall, it was an amazing day filled with beautiful German sites and delicious German food!
Written by Ryan Alkire

Narrative Shoot

Every filmmaker knows how much work it takes to turn a script into a film, at least to turn it into a good film. The process of creating our narrative films began over the summer. Every one of us had to write a 3-5 minute script that had the potential of being turned into a short film; those scripts were due upon arrival in Bonn. In Eifel, our first weekend, we each read the other 15 scripts, we voted for our favorites and we narrowed it down to 8. The 8 screenplays chosen then had a corresponding pitch by the writer, and after those pitches, we narrowed them down to 4, the final 4. One about a breakup, one to ask the question of where we go when we die, one to show that a love story can be told with a live action Pixar short and the last to show that friends can fight but always come back in the end. We got our crews together, four people for each film, and we started going into pre-production.

We rewrote our scripts, got props together, wrote up shot lists and storyboards, casted our actors, sent a ton of emails and had a lot of late nights, especially the days right before the shoot. Every director was freaking out the day before and the morning of the shoot, we were running around the classroom, calling our actors, getting equipment together and we finally left to start our shoots. My film was one being made and I was really nervous to see how our actors were going to do, and how the shots were going to end up looking, but in the end every crew came out with amazing shots, great acting, and every person I talked to had a lot of fun. We’re in post-production now, each of us editing another group’s film, and I’m excited to see how all of them turn out!
Written by Destiny Peńida