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Die Deutsche Sommerschule
in Taos
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It's Over. Let's Get Ready Again.
By Jennifer M. Hoyer No, no, I am not still in Taos. We did survive the power outage, and we did read Martin Luther a little bit by flashlight. But after the power outage, the final stage of the summer school kicked in and VROOOOM! Suddenly it was Sunday the 28th of September. We had a great summer school, and the students really learned a lot, about a lot of things. I am fortunate enough to see the leaps and bounds on a daily basis, as some of the Taos students are also my students here in Fayetteville. One bounded into my office at the beginning of the semester, thrilled with how much her understanding and speaking had improved in Taos, which she could tell now in her content courses. And now it is time to start getting ready for NEXT SUMMER’S Deutsche Sommerschule at Taos! I hope I was able to give you a little bit of insight into the school and what an incomparable experience it is, and I hope you will come be part of it. Whether you are getting ready for a year studying at a German university, or just wanting to brush up your German, or just wanting to be there, and whether you are a graduate student, undergraduate, teacher, or anyone who can speak enough to negotiate a total immersion month — NO ENGLISH ALLOWED!! — apply!! We hope to see you im Schital ! And a quick schaut-aut to my Taos '08er: *JENNSIERT* :)  Power's Out and Break's In.
By Jennifer M. Hoyer 5:30 p.m. — A uniquely exciting thing has just occurred here in Taos: power outage. I hear from the cook that the power is going to be out for several hours. This is somewhat problematic, especially for those of us who have seminars this evening; not only because we may actually be forced to read Martin Luther by candlelight, which I suppose is actually rather appropriate, but also because I can't print out my excellent handouts. Well, this has already had a wonderful effect. People are starting to congregate in the Max and Moritz Saal and are laughing and singing, clearly the result not only of the electricity being gone — everyone is sort of tired, and power outage = necessary break! Seeing German in a Global Context.
By Jennifer M. Hoyer We enjoyed a very interesting lecture today on Emperor Max's involvement in Mexico. This kind of topic is close to my heart — it's important to pursue German Studies as German letters and culture within German-speaking countries, but it's also important to remember and consider that these countries don't exist in a vacuum! The overarching theme of the summer school has led to some wonderful insights into Germany, Austria, and Switzerland's importance in the wider world — international relations and exchanges with Mexico, with the US, with other European countries. German within its local context is exciting in its own right, but the links to other places and peoples reaches students in a palpable way. It becomes part of their own history, nearer and more personal. The Cultural Mirror of Music.
By Jennifer M. Hoyer Tonight a welcome addition — or reintroduction perhaps — to the summer school! We had a "listening hour," during which we listened to Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, with some commentary and biography from Professor Peter Pabisch. Music is such an important part of German Studies, as Peter and I were discussing afterwards. It sometimes seems so difficult to build music into lessons, because it takes a great deal of time and effort, I suppose. But it is an important cultural mirror and also demonstrates the importance of intercultural developments for any culture's history. Duenki-Schott and Farewell.
By Jennifer M. Hoyer Tonight we had a Swiss film showing, Duenki-Schott by Tobias Wyss. A lovely Don Quixote story about a history professor who decides to become a knight errant to combat the giants that plague Switzerland and the world. This was followed by the "Abschieds-Party," the farewell party and dance party on Tobias's last night here. One student came up to me and said, "It's so wonderful to see everyone having a good time.?" These nights off are truly special occasions, since everyone works so hard! The Lyrical Landschaft.
By Jennifer M. Hoyer The other day as I was walking through the halls of our hotel here, I could hear students speaking German in their rooms. Amazing. In the past I've had students who've been really surprised upon returning to the English-speaking world, or who have been surprised to hear people they otherwise only knew in German suddenly speaking English. People are different in different languages! The first half of the summer school is almost over. In two short weeks, there has been much learning, much volleyball, many films, several dance parties, and various local tours. Yesterday, Professor Wolf Elston from the University of New Mexico, who has been involved with the summer school since the very beginning, and is a professor of Geology specializing in volcanoes, gave a geological tour of Taos and the surrounding area, including a quartz mine that was astonishingly peaceful and vibrant at the same time. Professor Elston said that geologists can read the earth like a book. I realize he meant historically — every rock contains a story for the sensitive reader. A Slip on the LandscriptI was struck by how lyrical landscapes can be, or even epic. The German word for "landscape" is "Landschaft" — not too long ago I slipped and called it "Landschrift," literally "landscript." I remain pleased with that slip — it was an appropriate word for yesterday. We spent the day reading landscripts. Tomorrow we await the arrival of the founders of the German Summer School: Professor Peter Pabisch and Professor George Peters. We also welcome some new professors and a few students who will be here for the second half. That means new courses, and a different dynamic. The character of the summer school is dependent on the people taking part, and the two halves are always palpably different. A Lively Lecture and Discussion.... And Then It's Time to Party!
By Jennifer M. Hoyer The summer school has settled into a nice rhythm! Right this second I am sitting in the "Max und Moritz Esssaal," which is our dining room during meals — we eat together three times daily — and at all other times functions as a study room. At any given moment during the day you can find at least one or two students sitting in here working on essays or reading. About an hour ago there were closer to twenty students and faculty members here working, but it's getting later, and people are starting to turn in for the night. It's wonderful to have so many people working together, laughing, creating, accomplishing things. Our lecture on Saturday by Professor Nele Hempel-Lamer on the concept of "Forbiddeness" in Germany and America was wonderful. Students were encouraged to think about the American constitution and the German Grundgesetz, the similarities and differences, what is allowed and what is forbidden in the U.S. and in Germany — and who does the forbidding, and why. Students felt even more comfortable and were ready to ask questions. The discussion was what we'd call "lebhaft" — lively! To Be a Part of It All!Everyone earned a night off, and the Dance Party was remarkable indeed!! The really wonderful thing about the Dance Parties here, aside from the fact that the students can dance away some of the intensity for an evening, is that everyone is accepted as part of the group. No matter who you are, where you are from, on the dance floor you are part of the group, surrounded by friends who are just as happy to see you on the dance floor as they are to be there themselves. Those who weren't so much into the dancing — O, I should mention, too, that the "Max und Moritz Esssaal" becomes the "Max und Moritz Tanzpalast" for parties — were sitting at tables in the Tanzpalast, or gathering outside, chatting and laughing, faculty and students alike. The festivities lasted well into the night. Long afterwards, one could hear the sounds of spoken German floating through the night air. First Report from the Taossphere!
By Jennifer M. Hoyer Goodness, I got to Taos on Monday and since then it's been so busy! There is too much to tell, so here are some highlights from the first week of the 33rd German Summer School in Taos Ski Valley! We have a great group this year, close to fifty students from all over the US: college students, teachers, graduate students, even several extremely motivated high school students! Yesterday we had our first major lecture in the Grundkurs, a big class where all students come together to hear a lecture on a particular topic. The Grundkurs happens every day except Wednesday and Sunday (our days off), after the language classes meet. That way the students are all ready to follow a lecture. Yesterday's lecture was held by Professor Richard Rundell from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, a frequent visitor and important person for the summer school. He has been involved since the very beginning, in the 1970s, and has come to teach or present a lecture most years since then.
Democracy and Freedom
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