Having had trouble with gaining membership in the past, the German Club has officially changed its name to German Honors Society. Effective Sep 16, German teacher, Mark Reierstad, had proposed the idea, and after weighing the pros and cons, the club unanimously agreed that changing to an Honors Society would be beneficial for all parties.
“I really want to get the kids more involved,” Reierstad said, “The club has existed for eight years now, and we’ve always had trouble getting people to join, and to keep coming back. Not to mention there are benefits for the students already in it, as well.”
Students who join the Honors Society will get the bonus of a cord on their graduation robes colored with the German flag. The group plans on attempting to get involved with other language clubs, and trying to get more involved with the school in general. Along with that, Reierstad wants to attempt to get speakers who have lived in Germany to come to the school and talk to the members. He’d also like to try and celebrate Oktoberfest with the society, and to bring in authentic German food to share with other clubs. Oktoberfest is known as the world’s largest folkfest and was created to celebrate the marriage of German King Ludwig I, in 1810. It’s celebrated in Germany every year and lasts 16 to 18 days.
In turn for becoming an honor society, there will be more requirements for membership. The requirements include things such as taking two semesters of German class and a 3.0 GPA. Reierstad has said that he may make exceptions with these requirements, however, with hope that it will increase interest in the society.
“I think it’s going to get more people to join,” senior Cameron Lane, President of the German Honors Society, said. “People want to join something that sounds important like that, something that looks good on a college application.” The rest of the club seemed to agree with his sentiment.
The society is one of impassioned people, wanting to better understand the German language and culture, as well as German history beyond what is taught in schools. Reierstad is known to be a creative individual, and much like their teacher, the students are full of personality and passion for learning the language and applying it’s usage to life.
Reierstad attempts to teach the language through speaking rather than textbooks, as well as combining German and English into “Denglish” to show that it’s possible to speak the language even if you don’t know every word. He’s located in the 2000 pod, and if any students are currently enrolled in German, feel free to ask about joining the Honors Society; new membership is always welcome and appreciated.