Hillsdale College Students Present Papers at Undergraduate German Research Conference
Three Hillsdale students presented papers, and one received an honorable mention.
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Three Hillsdale College students presented papers at the 15th Undergraduate Research Conference in German Studies, and one earned an honorable mention. The conference was hosted by Lafayette University and Moravian University over Zoom on March 28.
“This conference is a wonderful way for our German students to gain experience and build connections without the cost of travel,” said Jeffrey Hertel, assistant professor of German. “All three of our students gave excellent presentations and did a fine job representing Hillsdale College.”
“This conference is a wonderful way for our German students to gain experience and build connections without the cost of travel.”
Zachary Chen ’27 received an honorable mention for his presentation. His paper was titled “‘Aus uralten Zeiten’: Schiffsymbolik und ‘Arte Allusiva’ in Heinrich Heines ‘Die Lorelei.’” He discussed ship symbolism and allusive art in a famous poem by Heinrich Heine.
Rachel Franke ’27 presented a paper titled “‘Die Liebe des Gewöhnlichen’: An Examination of the Artistic and Human Spirit in Thomas Mann’s ‘Tonio Kröger,’” exploring the tension in Mann’s semi-autobiographical 1903 novella.
Ty Tomasoski ’26 presented a paper titled “Die hoffnungsvolle Grabschrift: ‘Todesfuge’ und Paul Celans Ansatz zur Trümmerliteratur.” His paper explored Jewish poet Paul Celan’s approach to post-World War II literature.
This is the fourth year Hillsdale students have participated in the conference. Last year Franke became the first Hillsdale student to win the Max Kade Prize for the best presentation out of the 24 given at the conference. Her winning paper was titled “The Unity of Innovation and Beauty in Human Reason: Friedrich Georg Jünger, Walter Benjamin, and the Role of Technology in ‘Bildung’ vs. ‘Ausbildung.’”
Hillsdale’s Chapter of Delta Phi Alpha, the German honorary, organizes a variety of German activities for students, including lectures, film screenings, and a weekly conversational table known as “Stammtisch.” The honorary has also organized trips to classical concerts, a German exhibit at an art museum, a live German opera, the Christkindlmarkt in Chicago, the Bavarian town of Frankenmuth, and more. Annual events include Oktoberfest each fall, a “Grillfest” each spring, an Easter poetry walk known as “Osterspaziergang,” and a lantern procession for St. Martin’s Day.
Hillsdale also offers two German study-abroad programs: a summer program in Würzburg and a semester or year-long exchange program with Saarland University, which allow students to earn credit toward a major or minor in German.