On Jan. 6, in one of the first few German club meetings, members re-created a German New Year’s Eve tradition. Originating in Germany, the tradition involves melting and pouring lead (Bleigiessen), but now wax is used due to the danger of lead. Wax is melted on spoons with a lighter and poured quickly into cold water. Then, it will create a shape, and interpreting its shape predicts how your year will be.
According to club advisor Shari Fox, this activity connects students to the real world due to the ways different nationalities and ethnicities. She said with phones, there has come social separation, but people are looking for ways to connect with real people around them.
“I’ve always seen (German clubs and activities) as a way for kids to discover different values, traditions, ways of socializing with other people and give them ideas for ways to connect with other people in the future too,” Fox said. “Especially with the advent of cell phones, since 2014, I’ve seen a decline in social contact. Kids are isolating themselves in a lot of ways because of their phone(s) and because of electronic media.”
According to junior club president Hannora Crouse, if she had complete freedom to run the club, going to a film festival and elementary schools, preferably German Immersion, would be a meaningful outing.
“Ideally, next year, having a field trip to (the) German Short Film Festival (is a hope for this club),” Crouse said. “Also, going to German immersion elementary schools or even schools in the district, and doing something with them (would be fun).”
According to sophomore Riley Berger, they decided to join German club due to not being involved with many clubs. They said they really like the people in their German class and thought it would be a good gateway to more culture and tradition that the class doesn’t focus much on.
“(I joined German club) mainly because I don’t go to a lot of clubs already, and also I really like the people in my German class,” Berger said. “I thought it would be a fun opportunity to dive more into German culture, which I feel like we don’t really do in class a lot; it’s mainly just the language. I thought it would be fun to do more German activities.”
Fox said Germans sometimes call out a meeting, eat pudding with a fork and talk to be able to make connections with people they don’t know. She said they did the same thing once in their club.
“The last time we met, we actually did what a lot of Germans are doing right now,” Fox said. “In order to meet new people and make connections, they will call out a meeting in a park in the city somewhere, in any city in Germany, and people will bring a thing of pudding and a fork. They go, and they eat pudding with a fork with complete strangers; it’s just an event to go talk to people.”
Berger said the club provides members with a unique experience by giving insight into the world around us that we may not see in the same way as others.
“(German club) helps give us more information on other people and other parts of the world,” Berger said. “It can connect to history a lot, and it gives us a better understanding of other communities.”
According to Crouse, her connection to her teacher and love for the language led her to want to start a German club and take on a leadership role.
“This club means something to me because I really love the subject of the German language,” Crouse said. “Learning a new language is super cool, and I really like the teacher, so I wanted to do something to give back (to her for) what she’s done for me.”
Fox said Crouse is self-sufficient and doesn’t need much help from her as the advisor. She said she makes sure Crouse doesn’t need help with anything to allow the club to run smoothly.
“(Crouse) is very independent and self-reliant,” Fox said. “She has (a) very structured approach to things, so I don’t have to worry about anything, but in my mind, I check in with her and make sure she has everything she needs, and if she needs more ideas for whatever— for resources or activities— I can always give her some of those.”
