Packaging some more gingerbread for sale - our student council really got into the Christmas business now.

Packaging some more gingerbread for sale - our student council really got into the Christmas business now.

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Our student council is often complaining that they don't have any money, so I suggested they should do something...

Our student council is often complaining that they don't have any money, so I suggested they should do something about it. Humanities students do unfortunately usually not have many choices in that regard. None of our students is (to my knowledge) flipping burgers, but the general alternatives are not too exciting either.

But why not apply what you have learned? When students learn a language, they usually also learn something about the country, including the local food. Christmas is approaching and Germany has some goodies to offer for this occasion, so why not...?

Most student activities need to be applied for at the office for student affairs - and they just love extensive applications. After I saw the one for Octoberfest, I could understand our students' hesitation. Luckily, the university supports and encourages start-ups, for which another office is responsible - and those people apparently hate paperwork, which was great for us.

So we set out to spread the joy of Stollen and gingerbread. My weekly baking activity was hijacked by the student council, I became their "consultant". This is the first time they do this and of course a lot of problems need to be solved. But students have become enthusiastic and I'm looking forward to the results after Christmas. So far we must have made more than 60 (small) Stollen and 12 or more kilograms of gingerbread. I hope this week will be a little quieter, but probably not...

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Last preparations for the final performance

Last preparations for the final performance

Low light, sorry.

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The rest of the semester will finally be a little more relaxed: The graduation theatre is over, so I won't go to...

The rest of the semester will finally be a little more relaxed: The graduation theatre is over, so I won't go to evening practices anymore. Unfortunately, it seems some timing wasn't ideal, none of the invited German/Austrian/Swiss VIPs could come to see the performance, so students even tricked me into saying a few words on the stage.

I was quite impressed by the stage decorations and accessories. I had seen our students working on those since summer, but the final result was stunning. Everything you see was made at very low cost, but to very high standards and with great attention to detail. There was for example even a photo of the family in the living room. They all invested a lot of effort in this. In a behind-the-scenes video they all answered the same when asked what they will do after the performance: Go sleeping, possibly for 24 hours.

The play was based on E. T. A. Hoffmann's Nutcracker, with some modifications, written by the students themselves. I was mainly helping with language issues and showed students that their phones and tablets are much better replacements for paper when it comes to dealing with the script. Welcome to 2018...

Our student council used the opportunity to sell some German Christmas goodies, Stollen and gingerbread. As tutoring teacher I got the obligatory flowers (Which I'd prefer not to get, but...) and something rather unexpected: Not the Spanish Inquisition, a Totoro! In some ways I must be quite transparent... Now I'm curious who had the idea with the Totoro and when the video will be online...

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Almond slices are so versatile: Need an angel but don't have an angel cookie cutter?

Almond slices are so versatile: Need an angel but don't have an angel cookie cutter? No problem! Want to give your elephant ears big enough that he could fly? Easy!

When students get bored...

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When students get bored: hippos with wings and hippo dinosaurs...

When students get bored: hippos with wings and hippo dinosaurs...

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During my most recent baking activity with students we made gingerbread.

During my most recent baking activity with students we made gingerbread. Interestingly, all students who joined this time did so for the first time, it had taken them a little over a year to finally notice my announcements (written only in German, evil as I am).

When they had to wait for the oven to release the ready cookies, they got bored - and creative, so we got hippos with wings and hippos transformed into dinosaurs etc. I guess next time the limited participant slots for the activity (Our department kitchen is not the TARDIS.) will be gone quickly...

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Only two weeks left until our fourth year will perform their graduation theatre, students start getting nervous.

Only two weeks left until our fourth year will perform their graduation theatre, students start getting nervous. I was really surprised by this year's stage decorations. The group working on those started in summer and has been on it almost every day - and it shows.

This year they also plan meticulously who will when move which items from where to where, the photo showing such planning. That leaves me with some more pronunciation training...

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I seem to have a really bad influence on our students: When I started to teach here, they would play really boring...

I seem to have a really bad influence on our students: When I started to teach here, they would play really boring music during activities.

These days, when they for example like in the photo advertise their graduation theatre, I can hear from far away either "Die Toten Hosen" oder "Die Ärzte", my two favourite German bands.

That's when I have to think of Louis Armstrong: "And I think to myself, what a wonderful world..."

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October fest...

October fest...

I think it can be called a success. The student council this year was very worried (because of last year's bad sales), but also way more committed to do things right.

This year we had a grill, two even, made German-style toast to accompany the roasted sausages, had apple crumb cake - and everything was gone in no time. When I went to get a piece of cake for a guest I couldn't even see a slice of toast, everything was empty. I hope the student council finally made some money.

There was of course also some cultural program. I was surprised to see so many of our second-year students involved with music: I knew there was a girl in the guitar club, but now I saw two with the rock club and quite a few students in the acapella club - nice. I should also have a video somewhere of our students dancing...

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Our fourth-year students hard at work

Our fourth-year students hard at work

The fourth year is currently preparing their graduation theatre, this year a variation of the Nutcracker. Here is the group responsible for stage decorations, it looks like they are quite on schedule. The performance is always near Christmas.

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October Fest is approaching, so our preparations are getting a little more hectic.

October Fest is approaching, so our preparations are getting a little more hectic. The student council has assigned groups of students to every task. One of those groups is the pretzel group, which is practicing the "pretzel swing" in these photos. I think they will practice a little more next week.

The apple crumb cake group had it much easier, just putting everything down after they finally spread the dough on the baking sheet.

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Another Wednesday, another baking activity with students.

Another Wednesday, another baking activity with students. Today I had quite a few first-timers from the second year. Not sure if they came for the apple crumb cake or to practice German. (I only speak German during those activities...)

Our student council was there again, to calculate costs and evaluate possible popularity and selling prices, because we want to do these for our October Fest celebration in a month.

There was even an exchange student from Germany, Berlin even, studying at another campus. Next week we'll do all this one more time, for training. I really like that the current student council wants to do it right, they are pretty passionate about this.

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The new semester started and the new student council at our department (always third-year students) is very...

The new semester started and the new student council at our department (always third-year students) is very interested in making this year's October Fest a success.

This time we made both German-style toast bread and bread rolls. The toast needs some improvement, but already got thumps up around, so we're looking forward to next week.

Thanks to the LED strip I installed I can finally take somehow reasonable photos in the kitchen...

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