Club Spotlight: German and Delta Epsilon Phi

German Club and extension Delta Epsilon Phi take the spotlight as one of the largest clubs at HAHS. German Club members regularly fill a classroom during meetings and are proud to claim a host of activities regarding learning the German language and experiencing German culture. Additionally, many of the members are freshmen and sophomores interested in German and/or are taking Hamburg’s German courses. Secretary Quinn Holl states that it is “good that underclassmen are dedicated to learning German,” and are keeping the club alive and thriving.

Each May Day, German Club sets up shop with a rootbeer-float stand, providing students with a cool, delicious drink and ice-cream combination while raising club funds. German Club also annually sells Advent Calendars straight from Germany before the Christmas break. This little piece of Germany gives owners the opportunity to have one piece of molded German chocolate per day leading up to Christmas during the month of December. In fact, Aiden Rhoades laments that “[German Club] should have another chocolate sale” closer to the Easter Break.

The Club is intensely active, always coming up with new and inventive ways in which to experience the German culture and better understand the German language. Activities such as Meet A German, held in October, and field trips to miniature Liederkranz’s in November provide members with a plethora of means by which they can expand their immersion in an exciting culture. Meet a German included a Skype call with German Anna Ledermann, where students were able to ask questions and learn about German holidays.

Holl states that by far, one of the most special parts of German Club and extension Delta Epsilon Phi is the GAPP exchange. “The immersion in culture” and being “part of the [German] culture” which the GAPP program provides is immeasurably beneficial, Holl attests. For only $1500, German students can participate in an exchange of roughly ten to 14 days in which a student from Germany will stay with them, and in turn they will be able to stay in Germany. In this total-immersion exchange, students will be able to experience German culture firsthand with a safe host family and secure place to stay. It is also a great way to make international connections!

Delta Epsilon Phi is the induction-only extension of the German Club. Three years of German are required to enter the national organization and a tassel is received for graduation. Delta Epsilon Phi works to spread awareness of German and completes service hours to further the influence of the club and give back to the community. Delta Epsilon Phi also awards students the opportunity for scholarships of up to $100. “It is good for students if they intend to pursue German in college,” Holl adds. “[Delta Epsilon Phi] is impressive to colleges because it is basically a national honors society for German and shows a dedication to the language.”

The most important thing about German Club, Holl states, is that “we are all there for the same reason: a desire to learn the language.” While there are numerous activities, a multitude of opportunities, benefits and games which come along with the club, the most central pillar of German Club is the love of German. This provides a solid foundation not only for an educational, international club but also a family. German Club is proud to accept new members interested in the language, the culture, and finding a family in an international community of peers passionate about the same subject.