All those who enjoy authentic German food, beer, music and entertainment will be glad to know that the German club is back. The club, originally founded in the '40s, slowly faded into oblivion in the 1980s and 90s. It has made a powerful resurgence this year and is once again a presence on the Dartmouth campus.
Caroline Schmutte '05 and Matt Decker '03 reinstituted the club this past fall with the encouragement of both the Department of German Studies and the club's original founder. "We just found it pretty cool that he kept up with the development of the club for 60 years," Schmutte said of the alumnus she referred to as "Mr. German Club."
Schmutte and Decker now serve as the club's co-presidents. The club received recognition by the Committee on Student Organizations Winter term.
According to Schmutte, a German club was a necessary addition to the cultural environment at Dartmouth because it provides students with a means to explore Germany as a country and a culture, as opposed to simply as a language.
The German Studies Department does offer a "Stammtisch" on a biweekly basis at Murphy's every term, which is essentially an opportunity for members of the faculty, student body, and local community to gather to speak and practice the German language in an enjoyable atmosphere. "We wanted to offer more German cultural and social programming that does not have a language barrier," Schmutte said.
The German club has already sponsored numerous events both through the German Studies Department and independently. Last term, an area resident who emigrated from the former German Democratic Republic spoke at a club dinner and shared his memories and experiences as a youth and a student in East Germany.
The club also hosted a Carnival party at Fuel that boasted an impressive turnout. German hip hop, Schlager, rock and techno were played, and German beer and authentic German foods were served. The club will host a similar party on Friday, May 9th For this party, the members of the club will transform Fuel into a "European-style lounge."
The organization currently consists of 55 members. There are no membership requirements.
Members of the German Club have numerous opportunities to get to know German professors in a variety of situations. Despite the fact that club members lost to the professors in a bowling match last term, a large lunch is still scheduled for the two groups this term.
The club also sponsors dinner events that include the presentation of German feature films. According to Schmutte, a native of a small town outside Frankfurt, German cinema is extremely popular in Europe and conveys contemporary German culture particularly well.
"We wanted interested students to have the opportunity to explore German culture, here on campus with a lot of variety, fun and authenticity," Schmutte said.
