Recently, members of the German club attended Staatskongress, a yearly event centered around German culture. Many of the students and chaperones had a lot of fun and got to experience a plethora of new things.
“Staatskongress is the annual German student convention. Staatskongress is a day-long culture and language immersion event and allows students to meet each other from around the state, and experience German culture and language for themselves, outside of the classroom,” German teacher Melinda Bowman said.
Staatskongress is a fun filled time with different events, foods, and other eclectic amounts of cultural German experiences.
“Staatskongress is special to me on several levels. Firstly, it's a lot of fun for anyone learning German. Secondly, it's a great way for German speakers (teachers and students) to connect with each other. Thirdly, I can't think of any other event that offers so much to high school students who are interested in the German language and culture. There is truly something for everyone,” Bowman said.
A lot of the students reported having an amazing experience and were excited to share their newfound knowledge with the other students who are a part of the program as well. The German program aspires to create an immersive atmosphere and expose students to the unique language.
“Staatskongress is a unique, one-of-a-kind event. It is important because students who take German across Indiana can get together and meet, and interact with native and near-native German speakers, and enjoy learning about the German language world in an immersive way. There are a wide variety of activities to choose from to participate in during the day,” Bowman said.
Some students have really flourished in the class and Staatskongress was a way for them to express themselves. The students were able to meet other kids from all around indiana and even some native german speakers while there.
“My favorite thing is just mainly learning about Germany and the language,” sophomore Jacob Brandt said.
The event is filled with multiple options for students to choose ranging from music and academics to live dancing and checking out a traditional German “Jahrmarkt” market.
“I liked a bunch of the activities you get to see how many people in Indiana get to learn German aside from just your school,” sophomore Finn Park said.
Each year, students get to attend the trip and every year it still seeks to amaze. The program is happy to welcome any new students looking to join the class or club and start their journey in learning about German culture.
“Anyone who thinks they are interested in trying German, should. I make language learning as enjoyable and approachable as I can. There are a lot of German words that are similar to English, and it's a fun language to study,” Bowman said.
It was truly a day filled with fun, laughs and a happy group of students getting to attend such an immersive experience.
“The main takeaway I got from the experience was that learning German doesn't just contribute to visiting Germany, it also brings people together and it's easier to learn when you're going to an event centered around it, ” sophomore student Damon Perkins said.