KUrier Newsletter of Germanic Languages and Literatures The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS Editor: Leonie Marx • Layout: Pam LeRow Vol. 3, No. 2, Spring 2015

Graduate Studies Graduate Examinations Spring 2015 was a successful semester for our graduate Four graduate students passed their M.A. degree students: examinations this academic year. Our congratulations go to: Dissertation Colloquium Shane Billig (December 2014) In March Emily Hackmann and Michael DeHaven, PhD Schirin Kourehpazhassanalizadeh (April 2015) candidates in German Applied Linguistics, each gave a presen- Stephanie Wille (April 2015) tation on the progress of their dissertation work: Marcus Höhne (May 2015) Two of the M.A. students defended a Master's thesis: Michael DeHaven: “Navigating the Niemandsland of Two-Way Prepositions” Marcus Höhne: “Tradition und Moderne im Emily Hackmann: “The Expression of Temporal Events in Nar- deutschen Wald: Wilhelm Hauffs Das kalte Herz“ ration by L2 Learners of German” (directed by Professor Lorie Vanchena). Schirin Kourehpazhassanalizadeh: “Das Gedicht als Graduate Student Conference ‚Bedürfnis nach einem Ort‘: Zur Situation und th The graduate students organized their 19 annual confer- Bildersprache des Exilanten Said“ ence which was held on April 11th. (directed by Professor Leonie Marx). This year’s theme was “Niemandsland/No Man’s Land: Lost in the Homeland and Searching for a Third Space” with an Graduate Student Awards opening keynote lecture by Dr. Majid Hannoum from the Stella Knecht Graduate Teaching Award Department of Anthropology at the University of Kansas: Stephanie Wille “Is there a ‘Third Space’? On Exile and Returning ‘Home’“. Montana Huslig Award for Outstanding Service to the Schirin Kourehpazhassanalizadeh, Department M.A. candidate in German and this Schirin Kourehpazhassanalizadeh year’s president of the Graduate Summer Research Fellowship Awards Association of German Students Stefany Van Scoyk (GAGS), was instrumental in Emily Hackmann keeping the program running Max Kade Dissertation Fellowship Award smoothly and bringing the conference Stefany Van Scoyk to a successful conclusion. Dissertation title: “Wie viel Heimat braucht der Mensch?” Schirin Kourehpazhassanalizadeh Conceptualizations of Lost and Restored Heimat in German-Jewish Narratives” (directed by Professor Leonie Marx). In this issue:

Graduate Student News...... 1

Recognizing our Graduates...... 2

Undergraduate Achievements...... 4

Undergraduate Class Project Achievement...... 7

Max Kade Center News...... 8

Faculty News...... 8

Culture and Careers...... 9 Undergraduate Studies the Goethe-Zertifikat C1, which calls for very advanced lan- guage skills. Congratulations, Mitchell, John, Casey, and Sara! Recognizing our Graduates This year the department continued a tradition established Lorie A. Vanchena last year of providing Professional Development Awards to exceptional German Studies majors and minors. The awards Dear German Studies Majors and Minors, help students pursue educational opportunities related to their work in German Studies, such as study abroad, research proj- On May 16, 2015 the Department of Germanic Languages ects, conference presentations, and internships. Recipients & Literatures celebrated your diverse and impressive academic are selected based on their academic record and the extent to achievements. We were pleased that your families could join which the educational opportunity will enrich their academic you and your friends for the ceremony and reception. experience. The undergraduate awards began with an initiation cer- Three undergraduates received awards this year. Senior emony, led by Prof. Ari Linden, for Gamma Pi, the University Sara Anderson received an award to help cover expenses for at- of Kansas Chapter of the Delta Phi Alpha National German tending the Global Ties National Meeting in Washington, D.C., Honor Society, which was reactivated last year. Delta Phi Alpha in February 2015; Global Ties is a nonprofit partner of the U.S. “seeks to recognize excellence in the study of German and to Department of State. Sara learned about the conference in fall provide an incentive for higher scholarship. The Society aims 2014, while participating in the U.S. Department of State’s Vir- to promote the study of the , literature and tual Student Foreign Service e-internship program, which is civilization and endeavors to emphasize those aspects of Ger- administered by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Af- man life and culture which are of universal value and which fairs (more specifically with theInternational Visitor Leader- contribute to man’s eternal search for peace and truth.” ship Program within the Office of International Visitors). The New members include Sara Anderson, German Studies/ conference contributed to Sara’s professional development in Global & International Studies major (Sara became a mem- the field of international education and cultural exchange. ber last year but could not attend the ceremony because she Chase Buntain, a sophomore pre-Microbiology major/ was studying at the University of Regensburg); Jamie Eschrich, German Studies minor, also received a Professional Develop- Psychology major/German Studies minor; John Fredrickson, ment Award to support a year of study abroad at the University Mechanical Engineering major/German Studies minor; Joshua of Bonn 2015-14; Lukas Lesslie, currently a junior Chemical Lodoly, Business Administration major/German Studies mi- Engineering major/German Studies minor, received an award nor; and Kat Youtsey, German Studies/History major. Stepha- to support his participation in our summer language institute nie Wille, M.A. candidate, Germanic Languages & Literatures, in Holzkirchen. was also initiated. The students, who pledged to continue pur- We congratulated five students who graduated in Decem- suing their interest in German language and culture, each re- ber 2014: ceived a certificate from the national organization. Congratula- tions, new members of the German National Honor Society! • Ricky Barkosky, Global & International Studies major/ We then recognized individual students who received spe- German Studies minor cial awards this past year at the University of Kansas. We are very proud to count among our majors and minors five stu- • Gretchen Hess, Linguistics major/German Studies mi- dents who have been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest nor, currently working as Finance Assistant on Jason academic honor society in the United States. Founded in 1776, Kander’s Senate race in Columbia, MO. Phi Beta Kappa embraces the principles of freedom of inquiry • and liberty of thought and expression. PBK members include Vincent Jerkovich, Political Science major/German Mitchell Pruett, German Studies/ Psychology major and Busi- Studies minor ness minor; Sara Anderson; Helen Bradley, History of Art ma- • Joshua Lodoly, Business Administration major/Ger- jor/German Studies minor; Kat Youtsey; and Christie Ralston, man Studies minor, began working earlier this year as Biology (Genetics) major/German Studies minor. Congratula- an Operations Support Specialist at Cerner Corpora- tions, Mitchell, Sara, Helen, Kat, and Christie! tion; he was hired to help with “anything and every- Mr. Jim Morrison, Coordinator of the German Business thing German.” Before graduating in December he Language Program and Managing Director of the Max Kade received the Outstanding Student Employee Award in Center, recognized three students who passed the Goethe-Zer- the KU School of Business. tifikat B2, an internationally recognized exam requiring ad- vanced skills in German: graduating seniors Mitchell Pruett • Joshua McMullen, German Studies major, plans to and John Fredrickson, and also junior Casey Craig, Business pursue graduate work in Library Sciences. major/German Studies minor. Last fall, Sara Anderson passed

2 Several students received their undergraduate degrees on May Nadina Goddard, Social Welfare (Social Work) major/ 17 or will complete their degrees in August 2015: German Studies minor, received the Behavioral Health Sara Anderson, German Studies/GIST major, a member Scholarship this spring, which will allow her to complete of the University Honors Program, has earned Honors from KU’s Advanced Standing Social Work Mas-ter’s Program. the Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures and is She will be working at the Bert Nash Commu-nity Mental a candidate for graduation from the College with the designa- Health Center and serve as a Teaching Assistant for the tion of Distinction, which is granted for outstanding academic introductory Social Work class. Featured in the CLAS of achievement and given to no more than 10% of the graduating 2015, Nadina is quoted as saying: “Throughout my college class. She earned Certification with Distinction in the Global career I have grown to realize how crucial it is to become Awareness Program and Certification in the Research Experi- an active member of society. I have learned to pay close ence Program. was a finalist for KU Student Employee of the attention to policies that govern our state, to express my Year. This summer Sara will join Meridian International Cen- beliefs in an open-minded and professional manner, and ter, a non-profit organization in Washington, D.C., as a Special to advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.” Projects Coordinator in the company’s Professional Exchanges Sylas May, German Studies/Journalism major, was recog- Division. nized by the School of Journalism for having the highest GPA Hannah Barling, Journalism major (News & Information)/ in his class. He was recently inducted into the Kappa Tau Alpha German Studies minor, will continue volunteering at the Boys National Honor Society, which recognizes academic excellence and Girls Club of Lawrence while she looks for a position in and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communi- digital promotions/marketing. She eventually wants to move to cation. He is a candidate for graduation from the College with the greater Dallas area. the designation of Highest Distinction, granted for outstanding Helen Bradley, History of Art major/German Studies mi- academic achievement and given to those students who gradu- nor and a member of the University Honors Program, is a can- ate in the top three percent of their graduating class. Sylas will didate for graduation from the College with the designation of work for the Lawrence Journal-World this summer and con- Distinction. Helen, who had a choice of four excellent Master’s tinue searching for editing jobs in the Kansas City area. programs in art history, decided to attend the University of Zachary McCarter, Psychology major/German Studies Denver, in part because its close partnership with the Denver minor, will complete his degree in August 2015. A member of Art Museum will allow her to build on her experience at the the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, he has secured an KU Spencer Museum of Art. internship with Florida International University in Miami, to Erin Christiansen, Environmental Studies major/German work in a treatment center and provide treatment services to Studies and French minor, will move to New London, CT to be- children with learning and behavioral problems. gin an AmeriCorps position this August. She will teach marine Alexander Montgomery has completed a Business major science to middle school students with New England Science (Marketing) and German Studies minor. and Sailing through after-school programs and field Mitchell Pruett, German Studies and Psychology major/ activities such as sailing, kayaking, and snorkeling. She Business minor and a member of the University Honors later hopes to pursue graduate work in marine science and Program, is a candidate for graduation from the College or marine policy, either in the US or in . with the designation of Highest Distinction. A member of Landon Elliott completed a double major in German Phi Beta Kappa and Delta Phi Alpha, Mitchell will soon Studies and Astronomy. He continues to conduct research move to Madison, WI to work as project manager for Epic, a for the KU Galactic Physics Team. medical software company. Jamie Eschrich, a Psychology major/Ger-man Studies Adam Quandt, Global & International Studies major/Ger- minor, will earn her degree in August 2015. A new man Studies minor, plans to teach English abroad, most likely member of Delta Phi Al-pha, she has also earned in Thailand. certification in the KU Global Awareness Program (GAP). Christie Ralston, Biology major (Genetics)/German Stud- After graduation she plans to travel and continue learning ies minor, is a member of the University Honors Program and a the German language; she will eventually earn a Master’s candidate for graduation from the College with the designation degree in Global Media and Commu-nications. of Highest Distinction. A member of Phi Beta Kappa, this fall John Fredrickson, Mechanical Engineering major/ she will attend Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary German Studies minor, is searching for a job in mechanical Medicine. engineering.

3 Alex Rankin, History major/German Studies and Business through the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages) minor, plans to work in Washington, D.C. after graduation. This year Sara wrote an exceptional 35-page senior the- Samuel Walter, Anthropology major/German Studies mi- sis in German, and after a lively, successful defense with her nor, is a member of the University Honors Program. He plans committee members, earned Departmental Honors (please see to apply to KU’s Graduate Direct Exchange Program and per- article in this issue). Inspired by an exchange year she spent haps for a Fulbright fellowship to spend more time studying in in Bremen, Sara’s interdisciplinary thesis builds on her course- Germany before pursuing a PhD in biological anthropology. work in both Global & International Studies and German Stud- Kat Youtsey, History major/German Studies minor, has ies. Her research encompassed a wide range of sources, includ- completed her degree requirements but has delayed gradua- ing EU and German federal and state documents, interviews, tion because she received a Foreign Language and Area Studies newspaper articles, and scholarship on both Low German and (FLAS) fellowship to study Arabic in Morocco this summer. A the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Sara worked member of Phi Beta Kappa, Delta Phi Alpha, and the Phi Alpha systematically and with admirable focus and motivation to de- Theta National History Honor Society, she earned certification velop a bibliography, evaluate her sources, and produce a well- in the Global Awareness Program and the Research Experience crafted thesis. She presented her research at the Hall Center Program. for the Humanities and at the Undergraduate Research Sympo- sium. Congratulations, Sara, and your impressive accomplish- We congratulate all of our German Studies May, ment! August, and December graduates! Outstanding Academic Achievement: Sylas May Sylas May, a double major in Journalism (News and In- formation) and German Studies, has excelled in our program and attained advanced proficiency in the German language. Indeed, his skills in German are such that he kept the Senior Undergraduate Achievements Capstone course laughing all semester with his insightful wit. As mentioned above, Sylas is a candidate for graduation from Lorie A. Vanchena the College with the designation of Highest Distinction. When Sylas turned in an outline for his senior capstone research proj- Outstanding Service to the Department: Sara Anderson ect, an ambitious and insightful comparison of Time with , the German news magazine initially inspired by the Sara has served our department in numerous ways. She American publication, I was so impressed I told him that on participated in departmental governance, representing our BA a scale from 1 to 10, his outline was a 20. His weekly presenta- program at departmental meetings and on the Undergraduate tions on current events reflected his abiding interest in major Studies Committee 2013-14. Sara also created a listserv and political and social issues facing our world, and his informed helped us get information to our students with a high degree opinions on the wide range of topics we discussed had a sig- of creativity and enthusiasm. During her semester in Regens- nificant impact on our learning. Colleagues who had the great burg and throughout her senior year, Sara was instrumental in pleasure of having Sylas in class commented on his “consis- improving the department’s presence online, sending interest- tently superior work” and his “academic progression over his ing links to post and wonderful photos of her and her fellow undergraduate career…a remarkable example of achievement.” students in Germany. Sara’s academic achievement must also Sylas’s academic achievement is even more impressive in light be viewed as service to the department. Her outstanding work of the many hours he works as a Copy Editor (News Depart- on her departmental Honors thesis in particular has raised the ment) at the Lawrence Journal World. Sylas, we congratulate profile of our undergraduate program. Finally, Sara has been you on your Outstanding Academic Achievement Award! a wonderful ambassador for the department, helping our stu- As Director of Undergraduate Studies, it has been a privi- dents make connections here and elsewhere in the world. Con- lege and great fun to serve as your advisor and to have many gratulations, Sara, on receiving this award, and thank you for of you in my classes. The Department is proud of your many your service! achievements at the University of Kansas and we are grateful that you chose to spend much of your time in our program. Outstanding Thesis for Departmental Honors: Our hope is that German Studies has helped prepare you for Sara Anderson life-long learning, not just about the language and culture of „Wi snackt wedder platt!”: Die Charta der Regional- oder German-speaking countries, but about all cultures, including Minderheitensprachen und die Rückkehr der your own. We want you to have happy, healthy, and meaningful niederdeutschen Sprache in Bremen und Niedersachsen lives shaped by your intelligence, your curiosity, your creativity, (Bringing Low German back to Bremen and Lower Saxony and your compassion.

4 Please stay in touch! We would love to hear about your Interdisciplinary Research in Senior Capstone Course future experiences and accomplishments. We will miss seeing Lorie A. Vanchena you in the halls Wescoe. To say that you are leaving big shoes to fill is a vast understatement. But please know that our heartfelt Students in this spring’s senior capstone course, GERM good wishes accompany you as you move forward. As always, 580: German-Speaking Europe Today, completed a semester- let us know if, down the road, we can be of any assistance. long interdisciplinary research project that combined their work in German Studies with their major or minor in another Professor Lorie A. Vanchena discipline: Director of Undergraduate Studies and Undergraduate Advisor Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures • Sara Anderson, German Studies, Global & Internati- onal Studies

“Die Wende: Der Tod der ostdeutschen „arbeitenden Mutter“

Sara’s paper examines how the economic transformation from socialism to capitalism changed family structures for women in the former German Democratic Republic.

• Nadina Goddard, German Studies, Social Welfare “Menschenhandel in Europa”

May graduates: (back, from left) Christie Ralston, Nadina Goddard, Erin Christiansen, Helen Bradley, Hannah Barling, Sara Anderson; (front, from left): Adam Quandt, Landon Elliott, Mitchell Pruett, Sylas May

Nadina created a video that provides an overview of pros- titution in Berlin and Vienna and then compares prostitution- related laws in the two European capitals.

• Sylas May, German Studies, Journalism “Time und Der Spiegel: Entwicklung einer deutschen Zeitschrift“ Members of Phi Beta Kappa: Sara Anderson, Christie Ralston, Helen Brad- ley, Kat Youtsey, Mitchell Pruett

Sylas May, Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement in German Studies

5 In his paper, Sylas explores the history of the two news Honors and GERM 599: Departmental Honors Project. The magazines and suggests various historical, social, and cultural result: a 35-page thesis written in German: „Wi snackt wedder factors that may have caused Der Spiegel, which initially was platt!“: Die Charta der Regional- oder Minderheitensprachen modelled on Time, to develop into a publication quite different und die Rückkehr der niederdeutschen Sprache in Bremen und from its American predecessor. Niedersachsen (Bringing Low German back to Bremen and Lo- wer Saxony through the Charter for Regional or Minority Langu- • Mitchell Pruett, German Studies, Psychology, Busi- ages). Sara successfully defended her thesis on May 1, 2015 and ness will graduate with Departmental Honors, the first student to “Psychische Störungen und ihre Behandlungen in do so in our new German Studies curriculum. Her committee Deutschland und in den USA“ members included Professors Lorie A. Vanchena, mentor, and William Keel, both Germanic Languages & Literatures, and Robert Rohrschneider, Sir Robert Worcester Distinguished Professor of Political Science. Sara took full advantage of the many opportunities KU provides undergraduates for presenting and publishing their research. She presented her compelling work in English twice this spring: at the Hall Center Undergraduate Research Semi- nar on April 17 and at the annual Undergraduate Research Symposium on April 25. She received valuable feedback from faculty and fellow undergraduate researchers. Sara plans to submit an English-language article based on her research to the KU Journal of Undergraduate Research, and she has applied for Certification in the Research Experience Program (REP). Sara writes of her research experience: “What seemed After presenting the three most common psychological daunting at first turned into a project I can call my own that far disorders in Germany and the U.S. (phobias, alcoholism, de- exceeds the expectations I had set for myself. I not only learned pression) and standard treatment options for each, Mitchell a lot about time management, I also learned a lot about always analyzes significant cultural factors, including laws, language, asking more questions. Additionally, after completing the in- and advertising, that might help explain differences in the depth research for my paper, I had to approach the topic from prevalence of these disorders in each country. an outsider’s perspective in order to present at the symposium. [The project] helped me gain a better understanding of linguis- tic diversity. What started out for me as a year focused on a Low-German-speaking region became a project on a topic— Sara Anderson earns Departmental Honors the protection of regional and minority languages—that I now Lorie A. Vanchena recognize has far-reaching European, and even global, signifi- cance.” Sara’s abstract in German and in English translation:

1992 brachte der Europarat die Charta der Regional- oder Minderheitensprachen hervor. Seitdem haben 25 Mitgliedsländer, darunter auch Deutschland, die Charta ratifiziert. Obwohl fünf Minderheitensprachen in Deutschland von der Charta geschützt werden, gibt es nur eine Regionalsprache, die geschützt wird. Diese ist die niederdeutsche Sprache, die umgangssprach- lich als „Plattdeutsch“ oder „Platt“ genannt wird. Mei- ne Bachelorarbeit wird argumentieren, dass die Char- ta, durch Entwicklungen in der Bildung, der Politik, und im täglichen Leben, eine positive Wirkung auf die Erhaltung der niederdeutschen Sprache in Deutsch- land hat. Dies werde ich durch zwei Fallstudien der This past year Sara Anderson spent two semesters con- Bundesländer Bremen und Niedersachsen zeigen. ducting research for GERM 598: Research for Departmental Obwohl sie nicht die einzigen Bundesländer in der niederdeutschen Region sind, hat mein Austausch-

6 jahr 2010-2011 mein Interesse an die niederdeutsche faculty member’s regular teaching load and, importantly, helps Sprache und ihren Stellenwert in der Kultur in diesen ensure that students reach their senior capstone course with Bundesländern geweckt. Dazu haben die Schulen in diesen the skills they will need to complete a capstone project. Recom- Bundesländern besonders kreative Lösungen eingeführt, mendations for departments discussed at a final meeting and um die Bedingungen der Charta zu erfüllen. Ich werde panel discussion with members of the Undergraduate Research zeigen, dass Bremen und Niedersachsen als Beispiel für in the Arts Working Group included communicating with stu- andere Regionen Europas, die sich um den Erhalt ihrer dents about research opportunities in the major and facilitating einheimischen Sprachen bemühen, dienen könnten. discussions about research skills in the curriculum. Next steps for the Center for Undergraduate Research include a pending proposal for a Work Study Program, visiting departments to In 1992, the Council of Europe created the Charter for Regional share ideas, and supporting instruction of research skills in the or Minority Languages. Since then, 25 member states, includ- curriculum. ing Germany, have ratified theCharter . While Germany has granted several minority languages protection under the Char- Undergraduate Class Project Achievement ter, the Charter protects only one regional language—Low Ger- Leonie Marx man. My thesis argues that this charter has had a positive im- pact on preserving Low German by supporting developments in education, politics, and daily life. I demonstrate this using The tudentss in the German 353 Conversation class not the federal state of Bremen and Lower Saxony as my two case only discussed many contemporary issues from German news- studies. While these are not the only states in the Low Ger- papers, they also composed a newspaper of their own that grew man region, the year I spent studying in Bremen 2010-2011 out of their class discussions this semester. The result is a re- woke my interest in the Low German language and its cul- markable achievement comprising 48 pages of substantial con- tural importance in these particular states. Their schools have tributions using a broad range of formats and illustrations. The implemented creative solutions to fulfill the stipulations of the table of contents provides a small glimpse: Charter. I show that Bremen and Lower Saxony can serve as ex- amples for other regions of Europe that want to preserve their native regional and minority languages.

Undergraduate Research in the Humanities Lorie A. Vanchena

The following summarizes a presentation by Nikki Perry, Assis- tant Director, KU Center for Undergraduate Research, “Under- graduate Research in the Arts and Humanities,” March 27, 2015, Hall Center for the Humanities.

During the 2014-2015 academic year, Prof. Vanchena par- ticipated in the Undergraduate Research in the Humanities Working Group, led by Nikki Perry, Assistant Director, KU Center for Undergraduate Research. The group initially dis- cussed the definition of undergraduate research—mentored, original, disciplinarily appropriate, and disseminated—and considered why it is important for undergraduates to conduct research. Here “original” refers to the process of scholarship and the necessary component skills rather than to the final product. The group felt that graduating students should not only pos- sess content knowledge but also know how to “do” research in their respective fields; they should have acquired skills such as organizing and analyzing data, for example, that will transfer well to any career. The Working Group also discussed ways of making mentoring more time-effective, such as mentoring in groups and creating research internships. Scaffolding research skills into the curriculum allows mentoring to become part of a

7 Max Kade Center New Acquisitions Lorie A. Vanchena, Academic Director Jim Morrison, Managing Director The Max Kade Center was honored to receive two gener- ous and significant gifts during the 2014-15 academic year. We Professional Development Award Recipient acquired the Personal Library of Albert Bloch (1882-1961), do- nated by Mr. Scott Heffley, President of the Albert Bloch Foun- dation. The Library reflects the significant breadth of Bloch’s intellectual pursuits and achievements: a member of the KU faculty from 1922 until he retired in 1947, the artist was also a poet and the authorized translator of Karl Kraus’s poetry. The materials in the Bloch Library will help us revise and formulate new narratives concerning Kraus’s impact on the cultural cli- mate of pre- and interwar and Germany. The Library contains not only early editions of published works by Kraus (and others involved in Kraus’s circle), but also copies of Bloch’s notes to some of Kraus’s texts, original issues of Die Fackel, and reviews of Kraus’s dramas and theatrical readings, which he de- livered throughout Central Europe. We are grateful to Sherry Williams, Curator of Collections, and Karen Cook, Special Allison Schmidt Collections Librarian, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, who are providing assistance and guidance as we complete a bib- The Max Kade Center was pleased to award Allison Schmidt, liography and determine how best to make the Library more Ph.D. candidate, Department of History, a Professional Devel- widely accessible to students and scholars. opment Award to help cover expenses for presenting her pa- The second gift, which we received from Lucy McAllis- per, “German Border Control in the Time of Cholera: Eastern ter, Ph.D., includes personal items that her father, Heinrich European Transmigrants and the Saxon State, 1905-1907,” at (Henry) D. Remple (1908-2010), and his sisters brought with the Social Science History Association conference in Toronto them when they migrated from Ukraine to the United States. 6-9 November 2014. Allison’s dissertation explores the broader Lucy also gave the MKC additional framed documentation of social and cultural context of the process of emigration and Henry’s migration and immigrant experience in this country, exemplifies exciting research being conducted in the fields of including a map of his village in Ukraine and a photographed German-American, Transatlantic, and Migration Studies. portrait of her father. Born in Germany, Henry earned his PhD “Crossing Germany: Eastern European Transmigrants and in Psychology from KU in 1950 and had strong ties to KU and the Saxon State, 1900-1924” investigates German control sta- the Lawrence community; in 2001 he published the autobio- tions that served as pre-checkpoints to US immigration sta- graphical From Bolshevik Russia to America: A Mennonite Fam- tions (e.g., Ellis Island). In the late-nineteenth, early-twentieth ily Story. This summer we will use these items to create a new centuries, large numbers of eastern Europeans passed through display for students and scholars of the German transatlantic Germany on their way to northern European ports to sail to experience, in accordance with the donor’s wishes. Dr. McAl- the Americas. Studying “transmigration,” the “process of lister’s gift, which joins the Dr. Henry D. Remple Collection migration” as Gur Alroey defines it, gives insight into both already housed at the Center, also complements holdings at the the European economic and state mechanisms that controlled Kenneth Spencer Research Library and the Center for Russian, migration and the routes migrants took as they determined East European, and Eurasian Studies. how to travel to the Americas. Allison focuses particularly on a transmigrant registration station in the city of Leipzig and checkpoints on the Saxon-Bohemian border. The growing Faculty News literature on transmigration has emphasized the influence American immigration policy and German steamship companies had over these stations. Instead, Allison argues Marike Janzen presented a paper this spring at the Ameri- that the German state played an active role in this migration can Comparative Literature Association (held in Seattle, Wash- surveillance, with health officials and policemen managing ington) titled “Where is the International in World Literature?” the movement of foreigners through Germany. Her research as part of the seminar “Socialist Texts in Post-Socialist Times.” challenges the historiographical notion of lax state migration Leonie Marx successfully completed post tenure review control prior to World War I and enriches the understanding this spring. She also developed the Department’s first online of the long and arduous journey European migrants undertook course “German-speaking Europe and the German-speaking before arriving in the New World.

8 Europeans” to be offered in fall 2015. This course is an inter- appear in edited volumes published by Cambridge University disciplinary survey of contemporary German-speaking Europe Press and Wiley-Blackwell, four invited talks given in Germany, that covers topics such as geography, the environment, tech- United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, and two refereed pre- nology, the arts, music, film, literature, politics, immigration, sentations at international conferences in Toronto and Boul- language, religion, and customs. The focus lies on Germany, der. Furthermore, Prof. Vyatkina has demonstrated her com- Austria, , Belgium, , and Liechten- mitment to the Open Access initiative nationally led by KU stein. The course fulfills Core Goal 4: Respect human diversity by publishing her two invited online publications and, in col- and expand cultural understanding and global awareness and laboration with colleagues from the Humboldt-Universität zu Learning Outcome 2: Upon reaching this goal, students will be Berlin, a large annotated database of German learner language able to: Examine a variety of perspectives in the global commu- with free public access. nity, distinguish one’s own cultural patterns, and respond flexibly She invited Prof. Dr. Anke Lüdeling of the Humboldt-Uni- to multiple worldviews. versität zu Berlin who visited KU in January and gave two talks: Lorie A. Vanchena was chosen as a winner of the J. Mi- Diachronic corpora and the study of language change at the KU chael Young Academic Advisor Award, presented by the Col- Institute for Digital Research in the Humanities (IDRH) and lege of Liberal Arts and Sciences in recognition of merit “for On the development of scientific registers in German at the De- guiding undergraduate students to make good decisions to- partment of Germanic Languages and Literatures. Prof. Lüdel- ward educational and career goals.” The award honors a faculty ing’s visit was sponsored by IDRH, the School of Languages, member “who demonstrates exceptional effort, care, and guid- Literatures and Cultures, Germanic Languages and Literatures, ance in the advisement of their students” and includes a $1,000 the Max Kade Center, and European Studies. prize. A student who nominated Prof. Vanchena wrote: “I am now a senior majoring in Germanic Languages and Literatures and I have experienced so much during my time at KU—much of it thanks to Dr. Vanchena. Every step of the way, she has been there guiding me. She was not just my undergraduate ad- visor, but she always encouraged me to go above and beyond the classroom. From my internship in Germany to my semes- ter abroad, she not only took extra time to meet with me, but she helped to secure funding for these experiences. She wants nothing more than to see us succeed and is willing to help us get where we want to go. I could not think of a kinder, more deserving academic advisor to receive this award.” She has also received a Seed Grant from the KU Institute of Digital Research in the Humanities to establish the KU branch of the American World War I Poetry Digital Archive in collaboration with a Kansas State University team that includes Professors Tim Dayton, Mark Crosby, and Karin Westman. The seed grant enables Prof. Vanchena to hire and train three undergraduate students to encode, edit, and annotate poetry. The Archive will create a single resource of digitized poems, scholarly transcriptions, annotations, and contextual materi- Cultures and Careers als, making the poems gateways that help users understand broader historical, national, cultural, and ethnic contexts. The Fun, Travel and Adventure: Join the State collaboration between KU and KSU grows out of KU’s WWI Department and See the World! Centennial Commemoration 2014-2018, a project coordinated Lee Kruger by the European Studies Program that explores both the histor- ical dimensions of the War and the ways it continues to shape Robert Andrew, the U. S. Department of State Diplomat in our lives. Residence for the Central United States, kicked off the Univer- Nina Vyatkina, after returning from her Fulbright Fel- sity of Kansas annual Spring Job Fair with two presentations lowship in Germany, spent the spring of 2015 writing up her on career opportunities with the U. S. State Department. As research results. Her sabbatical year was very productive and Robert Andrew emphasized, diversity is a crucial and strategic resulted in a guest-edited journal special issue (currently in theme overlaying any State Department assignment. Unlike press in Journal of Second Language Writing, a top-tier Applied the foreign area officer military programs, “The State Depart- Linguistics journal), one article appearing in and three articles ment emphasizes a generalist rather than regionalist approach submitted to peer-reviewed journals, two invited chapters to to career assignments. We send you [our career officers] where we need you.” Therefore, an individual, particularly one with 9 an extended overseas experience, with an understanding of During a few introductory Skype calls we got to know various cultures, languages, historical and current events, Wiebke and we were able to get an idea of her interests and her as well as everyday experiences, presents the ideal candidate expectations. And since this would be Wiebke’s first time in the for State Department needs and requirements. U.S., it even spurred us to plan a few surprise trips. Mr. Andrew briefly detailed the application and testing Wiebke only needed a few days to get comfortable at her process – a somewhat lengthy several stages progression over new home-base and dove right into her internship. Her sched- about a year and a half period, resulting in a rank-ordered reg- ule was fairly flexible, and since I work for the School of Lan- ister from which career officers are eventually selected. For guages, Literatures & Cultures in Wescoe Hall, it even made specifics, refer to http://www.state.gov/careers. According to the commute a breeze. Wiebke truly enjoyed working at the Andrew, about 20,000-25,000 apply for the first written exami- SSC, covering anything from Accounting, Human Resource, nation. At the end of the three-stage testing process, one to two Procurement, and even Research Administration. And every percent makes the cut to a job offer. The cohort age from any time I asked her how her day was, she’d start with “pretty great.” given register ranges between 26 and 34 years, with 31 years of Pretty great indeed. age being the average age at job offer. Relative to initial appli- cation, no specific university degree field is required, but most career selectees usually carry degrees in, for example, law, po- litical science, economics, business and law. Further, in addi- tion to education, work experience is valued, and about 95% of the final selectees have significant overseas experience. Once selected, the new Foreign Service officer generally serves in one of five specialties (tracks): public diplomacy, po- litical, management, economic and consular. One must expect within the first two years to work at least one year in the general consular area to gain an understanding of the various admin- istrative duties and chores of an embassy. Ultimately, s/he will have to receive positive performance evaluations, and attain (and maintain) a 3-3 out of 5 proficiency in at least one foreign language to retain tenured career status. Wiebke enjoying Sylas & Maddies ice cream downtown Lawrence Looking for a challenging but rewarding career? Check out the www.state.gov site.

Katherine and I were very anxious to show Wiebke around. As we expected, Wiebke fell in love with Lawrence and spent much time out and about, making friends, shopping down- Hosting an Intern from Eutin town, or driving my truck around the countryside. I was told Christian Beer that she particularly enjoyed her trips to Home Depot with our Media Coordinator, KU School of Languages, Literatures & neighbor; at least I understand that their frequent home-im- Cultures provement shopping tours were “pretty great.” We knew that in order to top that, we’d have to venture out a little – and “It’s pretty great.” We got used to hearing this phrase a lot a few days later we were driving westbound. Colorado, here this past spring. Whether referring to her internship on cam- we come! pus, Mass Street or the Rocky Mountains – Wiebke had a sim- Even though we only had an extended weekend, we were ple way of expressing her content. able to explore many of the must-see spots around Denver, Wiebke Soete is a junior at the Carl Maria von Weber Boulder and Estes Park. We made Wiebke climb the steps in- Gymnasium in Eutin. This spring, she completed an internship side the Red Rock’s Amphitheater; we hiked around Lookout at the College’s Shared Services Center (SSC) in Strong Hall, Mountain, explored Nederland (home of the “Frozen Dead learning about the ins and outs of university administration. Guy”), the Boulder Flatirons, and the Rocky Mountain Nation- I learned about her visit in February at a department meet- al Park. All while soaking up the sun and enjoying beautiful ing, and without hesitating I offered to take her in. My wife spring weather in the Rockies. It was certainly a lot to take in Katherine and I had been looking for an opportunity to host an for Wiebke and made for a memorable trip for all of us, with international student for quite some time, and Wiebke’s four- lots of good conversations, laughter, and many many selfies. week stay later that spring suited us well. I’d say, it was “pretty great.”

10 “Pretty great” is how I’d describe having Wiebke as part of our family for a few weeks. It feels good to know that she enjoyed her time in Lawrence and with us, that she made some good friends, and that we were able to show her a few different parts of this country. We were delighted to learn that one of her new friends from Lawrence is already visiting Wiebke in Eutin, staying with her and her family for a few weeks. And we are looking forward to this summer, as she promised she would return to Lawrence to visit with her mother and her brothers. I bet they’ll have a “pretty great” time as well.

Wiebke driving my pickup truck. She handled Lawrence traffic well and didn't shy away from exploring the many gravel roads near Lone Star Lake

Taking in the view on top of Lookout Mountain near Golden, CO

A scenic stop on our drive from Boulder to Estes Park

11 Giving to the Department

Since 1887, when William Herbert Carruth became the first professor of Ger- man at KU and was joined in the 1890s by Elmer Franklin Engel and Alberta Lincoln Corbin, KU’s tradition of German studies has offered students at all levels the opportunity to learn one of the world’s great languages and to study the literature and culture of Central Europe. Under J. Anthony “Toni” Burzle’s tenure as department chair in the 1950s and 1960s, the department was in the forefront of establishing opportunities for our students to study language and culture in Germany. Our programs in German at KU, however, rely very much on the generosity of our former students. For many of you, a summer, semester, or year in Germany during your KU years was the highlight of your studies. This experience has been and continues to be a truly life-changing event for so many of our students. Each year study abroad becomes more and more expensive. It is imperative that we support our students and enable them to study abroad. Norm Fahrer, attended both of our summer institutes as a KU undergraduate (Holzkirchen in 1965 and Eutin in 1966). Before he died, Norm contributed $150,000 to establish an endowed scholarship fund, in memory of his father who had taught German at Bethany College in Lindsborg, for KU students to participate in the summer program in Holzkirchen. It is very gratifying to hear from former summer institute students. With your help we can continue to offer such high quality summer experiences in Germany for our future students. We are also very proud of our record of achievement in educating and training our future professionals in German Studies. With the support of the Max Kade Foundation, we have been able to offer year-long dissertation fellowships to our doctoral students in German. These fellowships enable our advanced doctoral students to devote themselves full-time to conducting their research, writing their dissertations, and support the presentation of their research at professional conferences. Additional support for our graduate students and the research programs of our Max Kade Center are greatly appreciated. [With thanks to Prof. William Keel, who composed this historical narrative.]

Herzlichen Dank und beste Grüße! Paul Kelton, Chair

Ways to give to the department You can donate online with a credit card by going to http://www.kuendowment.org/depts/german/dept Online giving is secure, speedy, and simple. Click the area you would like to support and you will be redirected to the website of KU Endowment, the non- profit fundraising organization that supports KU. For information on other ways to give, please visit the KU Endowment web site. For information on other opportunities to assist the Department, please contact the Chair, Paul Kelton at [email protected] or (785) 864-9171.

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