KU News Release

Kansas high school students take home German language awards from KU

LAWRENCE — About 270 Kansas high school students studying German at 17 schools spent March 3 at the University of Kansas, where they competed at the annual Schuelerkongress for awards that recognize their proficiency in German language and culture.

Schuelerkongress, which translates to “student congress,” included contests in poetry recitation, prose reading, oral language proficiency, spelling, poster-making and cultural tests that cover geography, history and cuisine.

The Kansas Association of Teachers of German sponsors the event in cooperation with KU’s Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures, whose faculty and graduate teaching assistants are among the judges at the competition.

William Keel, chair of KU’s Germanic languages and literatures department, said the awards ceremony resembles a medal ceremony at the Olympics. Students competed for medals and prizes contributed by the consulates of Germany, Switzerland and Austria as well as the Goethe Institute in Chicago and the German Information Center in New York City.

The first Schuelerkongress was held in 1965 at KU. After rotating among major state universities, it has been an annual event at KU since 1990 with one exception. Visiting students can interact with university-level instructors and exchange students from Germany. In addition, the event supports Kansas high school teachers in their efforts to promote the studies of other languages and cultures.

In individual contests for poetry, spelling, prose and culture, students compete at levels matched to their stage of study of German. At least five medals are awarded at each level. Keel said poetry and prose attracted the most students this year, with about 100 in Level 1 poetry and more than 70 in Level 1 prose.

Poster contest entries addressed the Schuelerkongress theme, “German Tastes Good!” In this category, schools are limited to one entry each, and prizes were given for students’ joint collaborative efforts. Poster winners were Lawrence Southwest Junior High School, first; Smoky Valley High School, Lindsborg, second; and Abilene High School, third.

Schools represented at Schuelerkongress this year were Abilene High School; Blue Valley High School, Stilwell; Blue Valley Northwest High School, Overland Park; Blue Valley West High School, Overland Park; Hays High School; Junction City High School; Lawrence High School; Lawrence Southwest Junior High School; Newton High School; Olathe East High School; Olathe North High School; Olathe Northwest High School; Smoky Valley High School, Lindsborg; Topeka High School; Topeka West High School; Washburn Rural High School, Topeka; and Wichita High School Heights.

Individual award winners are listed below by school, name, prize and school city. Students listed more than once earned awards in multiple categories.

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