Kelly Telljohann, Class of 2018
Charlotte, NC
Economics and German Studies
My name is Kelly and I am an Economics and German Studies major from the Charlotte area. I have studied German since high school and am looking forward to leading Davidson’s German club next year. When not in school I enjoy traveling, crafting, and scuba diving.
I first experienced the refugee crisis this fall semester during my time abroad in Berlin, an international city with a traumatic history yet an artsy vibe, that one might best describe as a free spirit. Everyone here uses the U-Bahn, whose cars always have an interesting mix of Berliners such young hipsters, older Germans, newly settled Syrian migrants, the now naturalized Turkish Germans, and the loud English speaking tourists groups, who are the only ones who get the side eye and eye rolls (which I may or may not be guilty of receiving from time to time). Everyone on the car is mostly silent, all swaying slightly in harmony as the train takes us around the city. Through my study abroad program I learned a little about the migrant crisis and visited a Mosque, which educated us on Islam and cultural differences between the Middle East and Western society.
Though Berlin’s diversity is celebrated by many as a symbol of an integrated world; it is impossible to ignore the rising popularity of far right conservatism such as the AfD in Germany and FPÖ in Austria. This diversity we see in Berlin and around other German and Austrian cities is only the first step, and even then is for some is a forced co-existence. The integration process is still in its early stage, and I am interested in learning more about what efforts Germans/Austrians and refugees have taken to support this endeavor through the study trip and from Political Science students who have studied this topic more in depth.
