Dr. Lisa Ohm Receives Travel Award -- Bonn and Berlin -- from PAD



Anna Lisa Ohm, Department of Modern & Classical Languages/German Studies Program, has been invited to be one of fourteen guests of the Pädagogischer Austauschdienst (Pedagogy Exchange Service) of the German government to participate in a summer study trip to Bonn and Berlin. The travel group is made up of faculty members from across the nation who are members of the AATG (American Association of Teachers of German) and who serve as coordinators in their respective states for the national AATG high school testing program. Travel will take place in early July.



Lisa Ohm with colleague Mark Thamert
at the Recognition Banquet.



 In December 2012 and January 2013, 540 Minnesota students taking German from seventeen different high schools across the State demonstrated their learning at three different levels in the national written exam. Students are thereby comparing their skills with others on a national level. Minnesota students are doing well, and we hope they continue their study of German in their college years.

Dr. Ohm organized the interviews at CSB for Minnesota high school students who scored 90% or above on the national exam on three different levels. Following the interviews, top-scoring students were invited to a recognition banquet at SJU along with their family members and teachers. The top student, Zoe Novak from St. John’s Prep, received one of the coveted four-week study trips to Germany as a guest of PAD and AATG. While in Germany, Ohm will have an opportunity for the first time to visit with study trip students at their sites in Nürnberg or Berlin.  Gute Reise, Dr. Ohm!

Full Time German Position at Eagan High School 2013-2014

 Eagan High School  (District 196 – Rosemount, Apple Valley and Eagan ) will be posting a 1.0, full time, grades 9 – 12 German Teacher position for the 2013-14 school year.

The official opening will appear on May 23rd, 2013.  Candidates are encouraged to fill out an application online at www.district196.org. 

For 8th Grade Teachers of German -- Please Help!

Dear Minnesota German Teachers,

An Amity Intern teacher from the Twin Cities German Immersion School is asking for volunteers to help gather information that is part of his master's degree. He explains his project in the email below and has created a survey he would like you to have 8th grade students answer. Please let him know and cc me so I know if he has enough or if I need to keep looking for more volunteers to help him. The survey is attached here.

Thank you very much for your help.

His email address is  Fabian Stein <steinfabian.fs@gmail.com> His land address is Twin CIties German Immersion School

1745 University Avenue West,

St Paul, MN 55104

My email address to cc  is ratwi001@umn.edu Thank you.

Anita Ratwik

From Fabian Stein--

In my thesis I would like to find out how  the perception of German culture differs between Immersion students, students with regular German classes and students without German classes. Besides TCGIS I am also going to evaluate another German Immersion class in San Diego.

I plan to evaluate the perception of German culture among eighth-graders, as they already have developed the necessary skills to reflect about a topic like this. Therefore I would be very thankful if you could find teachers that teach students in 8th grade, one class with German as a foreign language and one class without.

The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival Offers 14 German Films in April

Minneapolis, MN (February 19, 2013) – The Minneapolis St. Paul International Film Festival, presented by The Film Society of Minneapolis St. Paul, will return to five screens of the St. Anthony Main Theatre April 11 through 28. The Festival will screen some 200 international independent feature length and short films representing over 60 countries in an array of new and returning programs and will feature visits from prominent international filmmakers and celebrities and a host of galas, events, parties, and panel discussions.

  

Check out this website for show times and tickets for German films in April: http://www.mspfilmfest.org/MMXIII/countryregion/germany    

Germany

    Museum Hours

The New York–based artist Jem Cohen has created a distinctive yet diverse body of work and ranges from music videos for the bands Fugazi and R.E.M. to installations, narrative features, and documentaries. With his latest feature, Museum Hours, Cohen makes a major leap into what he calls the “in-between” film, a genre that straddles the modes of drama and personal essay.

   Lessons of Darkness

A haunting meditation on the aftermath of modern warfare, Lessons of Darkness is set amidst the blazing oil fields of Kuwait at the end of the first Gulf War. Herzog reimagines the scene using a science-fiction scenario crafted from a mix of his inimitable voiceover narrations, passages of classical music, and stunning aerial footage of this otherworldly setting.

  In the Fog

Up for the Palme d’Or at Cannes, and filled with twists and turns, In The Fog is at its core a tale of one honest man trapped in an unjust world. Sushenya, a tortured soul in occupied USSR, is accused of a crime he didn’t commit and a secret collaboration that never took place. An entire town becomes suspicious of Sushenya, after he is inexplicably spared from execution for sabotaging a rail line.

  Wickie and the Treasure of the Gods

It’s not easy being the son of a Viking chief. Gifted with brains but not brawn, Wickie’s not sure he’ll ever feel like a ‘real Viking’. But when his father is kidnapped by Sven the Terrible, Wickie gets his chance. Sailing his crew to the Cape of Fear, Wickie is determined to rescue his father and to follow the runes of a mysterious book leading to the Palace of Eternal Ice, and the Treasure of the Gods. The Mighty Vikings venture to the legendary locale where powerful riddles protect the treasure.

   Polluting Paradise (Der Müll Im Garten Eden)

German-Turkish director Fatih Akin returns to his grandparents’ hometown, Çamburnu, to find the Turkish government has turned the neighboring area into a giant provincial landfill. Akin interviews locals and collects hundreds of photos over five years, documenting the impact this ecological mess has had on a Black Sea community that depends so heavily on fishing and tea leaf harvests for its livelihood. Polluting Paradise is a heartbreaking documentary that perfectly illustrates globalization’s dangerous side effects.

  Crocodiles: All for One

They’re back! Catch up with the latest adventure of the coolest gang, the Crocodiles! The final film in the multi-award-winning trilogy (based on Max von der Grun’s popular 1977 book) ups the ante with awesome new headquarters, high speed go kart action, and an ingenious (and crazy) life-saving rescue. Fans of this series won’t be disappointed--adorable Hannes and his scruffy gang meet every challenge in the name of loyalty to each other and The Crocodiles!

  Weekend, The

Jens Kessler, an RAF fighter who recently was released from prison after serving an 18-year sentence, attempts to spend his first free weekend reconnecting with family and friends. But the homecoming celebration is abruptly cut short. Attending the party is Jens’ former lover, Inga and her husband, who together rekindle his earlier aggressive passions, and start him on a hunt for the person who first turned him in to the police. The Weekend is a tense, morally-complex thriller with a not-to be missed finale.

 

   Watchtower

After a tragic accident he’d just as soon forget, Nihat takes a post at a forest watchtower, where he meets a student who’s also on the run from a dark past. Over time the two become close, only to have their histories threaten to tear them apart. Through vivid character study, this slow burner from Pelin Esmer (10 to 11) observes the myriad challenges faced by a country unsure of its place in the world.

 

   Wall, The

This eerie, existential drama based on the German bestseller follows a middle-aged woman and her dog who, during a short mountain getaway, become trapped by an invisible force field and have to fend for themselves. Martina Gedeck (The Lives of Others) puts in a brilliant performance as the isolated protagonist struggling for both answers and survival. As months go by, she settles into her new life, until an unexpected visit turns her world upside down

   Hannah Arendt   Filmmaker Invited

An utterly relatable, yet complex story, Hannah Arendt is a fictionalized take on the life of the famous political theorist. Starting from her coverage of the trial of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, we see the uphill battle Arendt faced from friends and foe alike. Director Margarethe von Trotta does the unimaginable in presenting Arendt’s story in a way that moves us all, without reducing the weight of her words.

 

  Deflowering of Eva Van End, The

Teenage Eva Van End is having a hard time fitting in both at school and with her family—who are all just struggling in general—when she agrees to let a German exchange student stay with her family. When the handsome, charming Veit arrives at the house, he does his best to turn things around for the Van Ends, much to their chagrin. Simultaneously funny and tear-jerking, the Van End’s are, at times, nearly impossible to stomach, but always easy to appreciate.

 

 Kuma

Fatma is a middle-aged housewife with six children.  She lives in Vienna but still practices all her Turkish homeland’s traditions. She has been diagnosed with cancer and fears for her family’s future if the treatment does work.

  Tutti Giù

Jullo, Edo and Chiara: three adolescents like thousands of others. Three teenagers whose lives are sport. Jullo “is” his skateboard; Chiara conquers the world on skis; Edo a sprayer. One day Jullo, Chiara and Edo suddenly discover their own lives, each in their own way. Fears, dreams, surprises, loneliness, uncertainty, expectations, impermanence, imbalance. Then one moment, one second, one “click.” A click, after which they rediscover themselves, which leads to adulthood – or unsparingly carries them away.

From Anne Grossardt at GAI -- Panel Discussion about East German life on April 18th.

The Germanic-American Institute is hosting a panel discussion about East German life on April 18th.  While it is an evening event, it may be of interest to German teachers in the area as an extra-curricular activity, extra credit opportunity, or field trip for their students.  

 

Kulturakademie: History & Life in the DDR

Thursday, April 18, 7-8:30pm
301 Summit Avenue, Saint Paul

Free for students and GAI members,
$10 non-members 

If Good Bye, Lenin! has taught you everything you know about the DDR, join panelists Babett Larimer, Nicol Philips, and Thomas Rauer for a discussion about their experiences of daily life in East Germany, living under the Stasi, and what the transition was like after Germany reunited.

This is our last session of Kulturakademie for the spring, and it's sure to be a hit!  Please contact the GAI office at office@gai-mn.org or 651-222-7027, ext. 1 with any questions.  We are also accepting question suggestions for our moderator in advance if your students have any they would like to submit.

Mit freundlichen Grüßen

Anne Grossardt

Language Services Coordinator

agrossardt@gai-mn.org

Tel: 651-222-2979
Fax: 651-222-6295

301 Summit Ave., St. Paul, MN 55102

From Cheryl Wason -- Travel Opportunity -- August 8-26 -- apply by April 15

UpNorthGermany Trip!

The deadline for signing on for our special anniversary tour of northern Germany has been extended to April 15.  Join SESCA as we celebrate the 10^thanniversary of the signing of our formal sister city agreement. At the conclusion of the tour we will be celebrating the unveiling of our large rooster (Giggel) given to the city of Einhausen.

I thought this may be of interest to the Germany community.  We have a Sister City with the town of Einhausen and Shoreview.  We have our 10th anniversary celebration coming up in August of 2013 and are offering this trip.  It is quite different from what many people experience in that they often take the Southern Route.  It also has an ADULT family stay.   Check it out and if you could push this out to the MNAATG community, that would be great.  Thanks for taking over where our much missed Paul Schons was so active!

Cheryl A. Wason

Vice President

Shoreview Einhausen Sister City

SESCA

Bill Dana to Speak -- April 13 -- Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter in Stillwater -- April 4 deadline

Bill Duna, music educator and former presidential appointee 

To speak on

“The History of Romani (Gypsies) and Their Music"

Saturday, April 13, 2013

The Shoreview Einhausen Sister City Association (SESCA) is pleased to announce the 11^th annual German dinner featuring a presentation by Bill Duna, renowned musician, jazz educator and former presidential appointee to the USA Holocaust Museum Council in Washington DC.  The event will be held at the Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter restaurant in Stillwater, MN.

Bill Duna is of Romani decent (Gypsy) and comes from a family of musicians that have been playing music for centuries.  His family came to America in the 1890’s from what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire.  Bill indicates his family was well known for their improvisational skills and revered for their harmonic and melodic musical structures.  This knowledge of his Romani ancestors has been passed down through his family, thus making him proud to say he is a direct descendant of the people who helped shape and create the folk music of Eastern Europe.

He received two five year president appointed terms (under Reagan and Bush Sr.) on the USA Holocaust Museum Council in Washington DC.  His appointment was to ensure that the Gypsy music movement was accurately represented.  He is passionate that "gypsy" is not to be confused with the stereotypic carnival gypsy.  Mr. Duna will speak on the persecution of the Romani, their music and their contributions to society.

Date:               Saturday, April 13, 2013

Place:              Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter located at 8390 Lofton Ave N., Stillwater, MN

Time:                5:00 pm           Social time – cash bar

6:00 pm           German-style buffet dinner

7:30 pm          Presentation “The History of Romani (Gypsies) and Their Music”

 

After the program, we will enjoy the Gemütlichkeit of the Bavarian Hunter lounge.

Directions to the Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter:  From Interstate Hwy 94 go north on Hwy 694 to Hwy 36.  Go East on Hwy 36.  At Manning Ave go left and then go left at McKusick Ave.  Drive approximately 1/4 miles and take the first left.  The Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter is the third driveway on the right.

Event Registration Form:  - Saturday, April 13, 2013

Cost for this event is $30.00 per person for adults and $20.00 for high school students and those under the age of 18.  The dinner and program is open to all.  However, advance registration is required.  Seating is limited so early registration is encouraged. 

For more information contact Roger Hintze at 651-483-4080. 

Email inquiries may be made to sistercity@sesca.org

Deadline for mailing registrations is April 4, 2013.  Please mail a check payable to “SESCA”.   

To:       Roger Hintze, Treasurer

            Shoreview Einhausen Sister City Assn.

            755 Cottage Place

Shoreview, MN 55126-3817

 

Please PRINT Name(s)	$30 / Adult	$ 20 / Student
Total