An Interview of Anna by Madison Pfeiffer

When I was interviewing Anna, she actually did not want to talk about most of her experiences of life behind the Iron Curtain, especially after the death of her brother Peter. So, I wrote down all of the questions she did answer.  Fifty-five years later, Anna still thinks that if she says the wrong thing she will get in trouble.

Q.  What emotions were going through your head when Gerda told you she was sorry about your brother (Peter)?

A. The emotions that were going through my head at the time were probably that my best friend knew that my brother was going to West Berlin.

Q. Were you scared about what might happen to you if you went to the West?

A. Yes. I was scared, but I knew that if Gerta was going to do it, then I was going to do it, too.  She also talked me into it.

Q. Was there a point when you regretted what you said to Gerda about the tunnel?

A. Yes. I regretted always almost all of the words I said to Gerta, from the time I found out about my brother, to the time I climbed into the tunnel.

Q. Did you ever think about what might be going on in Gerta’s head or how she might have been feeling?

A. No, I was worried about myself and about my family.  I was really scared, and I did not care about Gerta or about what she was going through.

Being in Fifth Grade by Hogan Kim

Today, I am going to tell you about my 5th grade year. On the very first day of 5th grade, I was nervous and excited. I didn't know if my teacher was going to be a good teacher or a bad teacher. I didn't know if my peers were going to be nice to me or not. Almost all of my friends were in different classes. The only time I got to hang out with my friends was at recess and lunch. During the year, I had fun in events such as Electronics Day, Family Fun Night, Open House, and much more. I had a great time in 5th grade, and I can't wait for 6th grade. I feel like the school year went so fast. I learned so much and had a great teacher. My classmates were also really nice. If 6^th grade turns out to be anything like 5^th grade, I can confidently say that it is going to be a great year.

Footsteps in the Tunnel by Nathan Kwon

Lost goods, lost something; lost honor, lost much; lost courage, lost all.  ― German Proverb

Gerta and I spent early evening working in the tunnel. Knowing that I did not have much time, I worked furiously, and made good progress that afternoon.

“It’s to the point where we have to know how much farther to go,” I told Gerta. “You need to get into Anna’s apartment and look at the Death Strip.”  

She told me that she had already visited Anna that afternoon, and that Anna wouldn’t let her  in again.

I felt as though I made Gerta do too much work. It was as if Gerta was the one with courage, even though I was the older one.

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We were digging out a rock when something horrible happened. Gerta and I tried digging out a rock with a shovel when the blade of the shovel got stuck. I jumped on the handle of the shovel hoping to catapult the rock out. Instead, the shovel broke in two, with the rock still lodged in its place. I felt like an idiot. I cried out a yell of frustration.

Gerta suddenly cupped her hand over my mouth, and pointed to her ears. Then, I heard footsteps above us. The good thing about the footsteps, they belonged to only one person. That person was Officer Müller. I was scared to death.

DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN

Korean BBQ and S'mores and Camping with Family and Friends by Brandon Vasquez

It was a bright, breezy day when my friends David, Jonathan, Rachel, Brooklyn, and Joseph came to pick me and my family up to go camping. On the drive to the camping site, some of us rode in an RV (recreational vehicle). As soon as we arrived at the campsite, my friends and I went exploring. We went through branches and thick trees and found out that there was a fence that blocked us from going farther, so we had to go back down to the campsite. We also rode bikes and scooters. We had a race among David, Rachel, Joseph, and me. All of us had to go up and down a hill three times. David won that contest.

After the bike race, we went to a beach nearby that had tons of rocks. When we went into the ocean, the rocks hurt our feet because some were sharp. Then we headed back to the campsite to eat dinner. David’s dad grilled some Korean BBQ, and I ate kalbi, aka, Korean short ribs. Following dinner, we warmed up some s’mores for dessert. First, we toasted marshmallows. Some caught fire, so, we had to blow them out. After we ate s’mores, we played memory games like 3,6,9. The game begins by counting from the number one, and when you get to a number with 3, 6 or 9 you clap instead of saying the number. For example, if it is your turn, instead of saying 33 you clap 2 times. If a player gets the number wrong or doesn’t clap when they’re supposed to, they’re out. Then, we start a new round.

We also played a game where you pick a superhero then you try to memorize each person’s superhero. When someone picks you, you have to say his or her superhero name. I think David won that game.

After we played, we went to sleep. The only bad part of the camping trip was that I didn’t get to sleep with my whole family. My mother slept in our tent with Rachel, Brooklyn, and my little brother Kaeden. I got to sleep in the RV with my dad, David, and Joseph. When David and I woke up, we played with our Ipads. When everyone woke up, we ate Korean noodles or ramen. When we were done with breakfast, we started to pack up all of our stuff for the return trip home. During the drive back home, we played more games in the RV. The camping trip was over when the RV stopped in front of our house. We said goodbye and until next time. Going on this camping trip made me realize how fun it is to enjoy nature with good family and friends. I can’t wait to go on another camping trip with my friends.

An Interview of Peter by Jalen Bayani

Today, I will be talking to a university student who has made plans to escape from East Berlin. This is a BIG risk. For his safety and the safety of his family, he has asked that I call him by his first name only. Peter is his name, let's find out his story.

Jalen: What year did the Berlin Wall go up?

Peter:  The year, I believe, would be 1961.

Jalen: So, that’s four years now. And how did it make you feel when the wall went up?

Peter: Well, when the wall was built, I felt as if I was trapped inside a jail or in something I didn’t want to be in. That morning, a Sunday, I saw people standing near the wall with Stasi lined up with guns pointing at the innocent people of East Berlin.

Jalen: Wow. That must have felt so strange. So let's go to your big plan. Why do you plan to escape?

Peter: If I can get to West Berlin, I can find a way to have my family sneak over. I want to live a happier life.

Jalen: That is probably true for many people of East Berlin. So, how do you plan to escape?

Peter: Well, since there are vans that come into East Berlin from West Berlin, I thought I could sneak into a van.

Jalen: If you escape and get to West Berlin, what would you do?

Peter: I actually don't know what I'd do first, but I would probably find a job and a way to get my family to the West side.

Jalen: Really. And how long have you been planning for this escape?

Peter: Well, I have been planning this for…uh… actually there's not an exact moment when I began to think about this plan.

Jalen: Ok. Well, I think that's all for today. Thank you so much.

Peter: Thank you for having me.

Note: Shortly after this interview, it was learned that Peter was discovered hiding in a special compartment of a car that belonged to friends of his. These friends live in West Berlin and had traveled to East Berlin for a visit. Peter joined them on their return trip to the West. Unfortunately, Peter was executed on the spot by the Grenzers who found him during a search of the car. Peter will be remembered for his courage to live the life he wanted.