Brian Elliott - Fun and Games and Mediation

Time has been split this summer between Potsdam University's two campuses: Park Sanssouci and Griebnitzee.

Germany 2010 students outside of the Park Sanssouci campus. From left to right are Touro students, Alexandra Stevens, Kevin Mulligan, and John Simon, with Albany Law Student Jackie Accetturi

Getting to either campus requires a harrowing morning commute that lasts over an hour on the train. Each of us has found their own ways to maintain sanity on these long train rides, whether that involves getting the day's reading done before class, squeezing in another hour of sleep, or talking (quietly) with other students about everyone's night. I myself managed to slip into a coma on the train ride home today due to the fact that I keep getting awakened by the 4:30 a.m. sunrise every day.

Luckily a lively class of Mediation keeps the blood flowing and minds active. Today we got brought back to kindergarten by doing the hokey pokey during our ten minute class break.

Professor Barbara Swartz leads Touro students in the hokey pokey. From left to right, Stephanie Platt, John Nicodemo, Fareeha Malik, Gina Rizzuto, Jamie-Lynn Burns, and Binny Seth take part.

The other class for the first part of the program, International Criminal Law, has really challenged everyone on topical issues that have forced us to set aside moral feelings and look at how serious international atrocities fit within a legal framework. Discussions about the prosecutions of Nazi war criminals at Nuremberg, to detainees in Guantanamo Bay, and the very recent and relevant incident involving the flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza have produced lively discussions.

By Brian Elliott, Student, Touro Law Summer Abroad Program in Germany 2010