Lew Grobe

"This is a great opportunity to make friends with students our age from Germany.  Want to be fluent in German?  Do this one month summer abroad program!"

"Everyone who knows a little German should take advantage of this all-expenses paid experience in Germany"

In a small "border" town between former East and West Germany, Lew's primary task was to introduce the ways of democracy to Eastern German students aged 16-22 through a wide range of daily sports and learning activities.  One of the highlights was taking these students to a nearby abandoned Nazi airbase where 1,000 political prisoners from Poland, Spain and France were burned alive just before the downfall of National Socialism.  The students who live a few kilometers away from this site never knew anything about this historical event.  Lew and his staff taught these students about the dangers of the right-extremism and xenophobia prevalent in the East where joblessness is high.   Lew was also appointed finances manager for student activities.

Lew recommends this summer program because the leaders did an excellent job of preparing us for teaching young people about democracy.  If you are interested in finding out more about this program, feel free to e-mail  Lew Grobe or Fr. Mark.  Give it a try this coming summer. 

Tony Lusvardi, Kevin Kingdon, Heather Cherplis, Terrell Ormson, Kristin Niehues, Liz Reisdorf, Christy Stutsman  

Tony Lusvardi writes about the group's experience:  "The catechesis groups were an unexpected highlight.  Cardinals George and Arinze spoke with our group of 1000 people -- a small group for this event! -- young people from the US, England Nigeria, Caribbean, Philippines, Australia.  The total attendance was over one million young people!  The cardinals were amazingly open about questions like, "How can God allow evil to exist in our world?" "How do we deal with followers of other religions who also believe that their religion teaches the truth?" "How do you deal with parents who don't believe what the church teaches?"   We felt that the cardinals have a deep respect for young people.  Pope Benedict's homily talked about the Greek and Latin roots of adoration.  He was eloquent, and he expects a lot our of the young people in terms of maturity and insights into our faith."

This summer Sam Lauer will visit a Soobahkdo School in Wald, Switzerland just outside of Zürich on his way to spending his fall semester at the University of Salzburg.  Sam is starting his sophomore year at CSB/SJU and has been an avid fan of martial arts since 1997.  Sam is a native of Sauk Center, Minnesota and this is first trip to Europe.   Viel Glück in der Schweiz, Sam!

   
 
    
Pictured above are German Professors
Wendy Sterba, Andreas Kiryakakis, Lisa Ohm,
John Kulas, and Mark Thamert.
John Taylor (lower right) is Associate VP of Institutional Advancement

 

German Studies Receives $7,000 Grant from a MN Foundation

We are deeply grateful to John Taylor of Institutional Advancement for his efforts this year in paving the way for a significant foundation grant for German.  This gives us even further opportunities to make the CSB/SJU German Studies Program more vital and multi-faceted for our students and for ourselves as a faculty team.  John Taylor worked with the German Department last spring to submit a proposal for program funding in German from a foundation committed to things German in the United States. 

"My love of the language, land and people is overpowering at times.

"I can't imagine my life any differently. I speak both English and German every single day. The languages are parts of me, without one I would experience a loss of myself."

Martha Writes About How She Met Christoph in Salzburg and How She Became Fluent in German

Salzburg was the city of the study abroad program and during my time there I fell in love with the city. I had an Austrian roommate and was forced to speak German. My friends were people I met at the Studentenheim and at University.  In the end my friends from America and Austria came together and we were the coolest mix of people on the planet! The language barrier had to be broken because there was generally one language that we could all communicate in!

Christoph was actually one of the first people I met in Austria on my own.  We met at O'Malley's which is an Irish pub. It had just opened and I was a bit nervous about the language and so I decided that for an Ausflug on my own that an Irish pub was ideal. He always practiced his English with me and was very sweet about showing me things in the city and helping me with pronunciation and other language problems. I kept coming back to Salzburg and we kept on meeting and eventually it clicked one night and that was that!     Read More ...
 

Brooke is happy to communicate with current students and alums.  Her e-mail address is brookekreitinger@
yahoo.com 

Receives Full Tuition plus $17,000 in Annual Grants from One of the Finest Graduate Programs in German in the Nation.

"Right after graduation I spent two years in Austria as a Fulbright TA -- one year in Linz, and one year in Innsbruck.  At first I was unsure if I could do it on my own, but then I discovered that every experience in this program –- even loneliness and joy -- makes you feel so alive.  One day I found myself in a discussion with 35 Austrian teachers – all in German!  I never imagined myself reaching that level -- but I did.  If you are thinking about the possibility of being a Fulbright TA, don't hesitate!

"After my Fulbright years, everything I did came back to my love for German and French.  So I looked at grad schools and asked profs for their recommendations.  I chose Georgetown University because of the dynamic, personable, brilliant, wonderful professors. Georgetown has an all- encompassing program which includes linguistics, literature, and culture, as well as the theory second-language acquisition."

Brooke, how proud we are of your many adventures and achievements. We hope to hear from you often in the years ahead!

"My love of Germany actually started during a January Term at SJU.   Every year for the following five years I traveled to Germany and Austria –- Munich, Berlin, Regensburg, Bonn, Hanover, and Salzburg.  I felt at home in the German culture immediately.  Regensburg was magical.  I love the small Altstadt, the Dom, the ancient Roman Bridge, the great beer gardens and the world famous boy's choir, The Regensburger Domspatzen (cathedral sparrows!).

"Today German is the gateway to the European Union and the heart of the new face of Europe.  Because Germany has more direct investment in Eastern Europe, of all European countries Germany is sure to have the most influence on Europe's future ."

Dan and Debra, you are an inspiration to us!  Thank you for helping Lew Grobe find a great summer program in Germany -- all expenses paid.  We look forward to future opportunities for Zusammanarbeit with you!

Dan and Debra Kramer   

"The experience of German culture allows you to get out of yourself and from that position you can reflect back on your own culture and how you live in the world.  You become a citizen of the world." 

Josh's picture is coming
soon ... 

Below:  Famous Children's Book Characters Max und Moritz  and Struwelpeter

Josh writes: "I am loving it here and learning more than I could have imagined."

Josh Tells of His Adventures Enrolling Directly in a German University

"This summer, I was sitting around thinking of what I wanted to do with my life, and then I thought how great it would be to go back to Germany and study, since it is free, and I had an extra year, since it was too late to apply for grad school.  So I looked at the Universities that Germany had to offer, and had to choose three, since I had only 4 days before the deadline, and I had to send everything express 2 day delivery (a pretty penny, if I might say so!).  I applied to Göttingen, Humboldt and Freie Universität Berlin.  My first acceptance letter was from Göttingen.  It turns out that I did get accepted to all the Universities, but I am happy with my decision. 

"Göttingen is small enough to easily make friends, and is perfect to study in, yet large enough to have nightlife and plenty of things going on.  The professors are also very understanding and helpful, which, for a foreign student is a godsend!  I was enrolled in the Majors: Kulturanthropologie/Europäische Ethnologie und Geschichte.  I was really excited to study Anthropology; in fact, it is why I chose the school.  It turns out that the classes were too full, and I ended up having to go home after loosing every class lottery that I had entered (which they hold if too many people show up the first day to attend the classes).  Undeterred, I took some German courses, Geschichte des Bombenkriegs, and Geschichte der Sexualität, as well as Italian.  Then during semester break, I got a very bad sickness, and could not leave my apartment for a week. 

"I did a lot of thinking in this time and emerged from my “cave” with the realization that German had always been a love of mine.  With German I could also study my other loves of History and Psychology.  It was the best of all worlds.  I was not enrolled in German, so I spoke with the professors, who were happy to make an exception for me.  I am now taking Grundlagen der Literaturwissenschaft, Literatur Geschichte im Überblick, Philosophie von Leibniz, ein Sturm und Drang Seminar, Schreiben, Gegenwartsliteratur, Landeskunde, and Niederländisch.  All in all, I have a full plate, but I am loving it here, and learning more than I could have imagined. I have decided to stay at least one more year here in Göttingen, and by the end, my German should be amazing!  I have also switched my Major to Deutsche Philologie, and so it will be easier to get the required certificates."

Josh, you have really made German Studies a great adventure, haven't you?  We hope that more and more of our students will follow your lead when they graduate from CSB/SJU.  Do stay in touch!

Tom Chambers and His Wife Verona Take School Positions in Kosovo

Are Honored Guests at Dalai Lama Peace Prize Event in Germany. 

"This summer Verona and I were honored guests at the presentation of the Hessian Peace Prize to the Dalai Lama (they sat in the second row behind him).  It was a very impressive event with about 300 people in attendance --mostly politicians and dignitaries from Germany and Tibet.   The Dalai Lama’s smile and his demeanor, which is even contagious in pictures is so much more powerful in real life."  

Tom has just taken a position as principal of the American School Kosovo where his wife Verona, a German native, will also be teaching German and English.

Tom and Verona Chambers with His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the Occasion of His 70th Birthday.

Kosovo is located to the northeast of Albania

A Note from CSB President MaryAnn Baenninger

Both Dallas Kenny and and Camilla Krone sent along your great website.  You and your students have much to be proud of.  Thank you very much for your hard work, enthusiasm, and obvious joy surrounding your work with students.

Best wishes,  MaryAnn