Teams Brazil, Germany, China, South Africa and Canada battled it out Tuesday night in a mini World Cup competition reminiscent of a professional soccer match.
This and many other activities were all part of German Week, put on by the German Club and the Department of German and Slavic Languages.
The festivities started last Tuesday after Germany’s independence day on Oct. 3 and will culminate with Oktoberfest on Friday.
Clara Lyn Burt, freshman and a German minor, lived in Germany for five years and enjoys participating in German week activities.
[/media-credit]“Its cool to live in a different culture because you get to see your culture in a different way,” she said.
German Week was funded by a grant from the German Embassy through the program “Do Deutsch.” The program sponsors events and lectures for a handful of universities around the country.
The president of the German club, Alicia Cutler, said the purpose of the week is to promote understanding of German culture.
“[Germans] are the leaders in scientific research and economics and they are a big political power in Europe,” she said. “They are hoping to draw attention to themselves so they can better cooperate with American students and American citizens.”
There were lectures throughout the week. The LDS area authority for central Europe spoke on overcoming challenges in students’ lives and film professor Robert McFarland talked about German culture and entertainment. Also, the international cinema played three German films.
To encourage future participation, the club held a senior day on Monday. High school students from local schools had the opportunity to attend German classes on campus and meet the German professors. They also watched a play written by a German student about the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The week ends with Oktoberfest on Friday evening in Brigham Square. Students can join in festivities, which will include polka dancing to German pop and rock and eating traditional German pastries, pretzels and root beer. The night will also include the Mr. and Mrs. Deutschland competition, open to all students. The event costs $2 in advance or $3 at the door.
The winner of the creative contest will also be announced. Students entered essays, poems, lyrics, videos or paintings about how Germany or the German language has influenced their lives. First-prize winners in each category will receive $100 cash and the chance to compete in the national competition. The winner of the national competition will win a trip to Berlin.
The German Club, which consists of about 20 members, holds several activities throughout the semester.
Tyler Williams, vice president of the German Club, said they go to German plays like Hansel and Gretel, have hockey nights (hockey is the second most popular sport in Germany) and gingerbread building competitions. They will have a festival of lights later in the semester celebrating German Halloween, where children parade around with lanterns.
The club has weekly activities, one of which is stammisch, a time when students can get help with their German homework and mingle with other German students.
