Professor John Freeman led this study-abroad course
to Berlin from May 16 to May 29, 2014. It was the 10th summer in a row he
helped students conduct field research to document the spirit and vitality
of the city where he attended high school as an Air Force "brat."
At the peak of the Cold War, 1968 to 1971, Freeman lived in West Berlin,
surrounded by the Wall, a barrier he thought would never fall. The idea of
returning to a free and unified Berlin with students came to him while on
sabbatical during fall 2004.
During the course,
17 students were introduced to the city through bicycle and walking
tours, followed by meetings with foreign correspondents. This year we met
with international illustrator Christoph Niemann, photojournalist John MacDougall of AFP and Mary Lane, European arts reporter for
the Wall Street Journal. During the two weeks in Berlin, students were free
to find and develop a picture story that suited their interests, as well as
stand-alone photos (see Gallery). A unique aspect of the course is that all
work was completed on-site. Special thanks to the folks at Soundslides.com
who provided complimentary software. The group celebrated its success with
a farewell dinner atop Berlin's landmark TV Tower.
Freeman
is a tenured associate professor in the department
of journalism at the University of Florida and
is a two-time winner of the College Teacher of the Year award. He has also been
named Educator of the Year by the National
Press Photographer Association. He is a graduate of
the Missouri School of Journalism
and has a master's in communication from Wichita State University, where he
taught for 10 years before joining UF in 1991. Publications he has worked
for include The New York Times, U.S. News and World Report,
Getty Images, The Los Angeles Times, The Wichita Eagle and The
Bergen Co. (N.J.) Record. He was on a faculty fellowship at National
Geographic in summer 1996. Freeman is married and has two grown
children.
Daron Dean, a 2004 graduate of
the College and two-time Hearst finalist, served as teaching assistant. He
works at the St. Augustine Record and shoots freelance for many
national publications and organizations. Daron had internships at the Dallas
Morning News and Anchorage Daily News. As an adjunct at UF, he
teaches JOU4604, Advanced Photojournalism I, every fall semester.
Links of
interest: 2005 | 2006 | 2007
| 2008
| 2009
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | John Freeman home
Fat
Tire Bike Tours | Original
Berlin Walks Tour | Transit-Loft
Hotel | Official
Berlin City Tourism Site
|
Prof. John Freeman
Daron Dean
|