German Students Compete at Texas State German Contest

Lena Boas, Extras Editor| March 7, 2023

Over 700 German students from across Texas competed in the TSGC since its founding in 1982. The TSGC is the largest German contest for middle and high schoolers in the entire nation.

German students from over 40 Texas schools gathered at San Marcos University on Saturday, Feb. 25 to compete in the annual Texas State German Contest (TSGC). Contestants had previously placed in the top five of surrounding smaller German contests such as Sprachfest, Houstonfest, and Winterfest.

Events such as traditional folk dance, polka band, and gingerbread house art were key factors in building community, joining students from all over the state. Other events included speaking, spelling, and grammar contests.

“[The contest] was worth it, a lot of fun, and was a nice way to hang out with friends,” Alex Tremmel ‘25 said. “[Westwood] did pretty [well] considering there were very few of us. Spelling was definitely my favorite event, but I could improve on knowing more vocabulary.”

As a result of Covid, for the first time ever, the TSGC offered a hybrid option, allowing students to submit online entries for events such as digital logo design, research paper, and oral presentation.

Below is a list of students who advanced:

Sweepstakes: Westwood High School (7th place)

Advantaged Speakers Test: Lena Boas ‘25 (3rd place), Dominic Schwarzenbach ‘24 (4th place)

Culture 4: Kritanko Chakraborty ‘25 (3rd place), Annalise Breyer ‘25 (8th place)

Reading Comprehension 4: Kritanko Chakraborty ‘25 (3rd place), Maalolan Parthasarathi (5th place)

Grammar 4: Kritanko Chakraborty ‘25 (4th place), Sanjana Iyer ‘25 (6th place)

Spelling 4: Kritanko Chakraborty ‘25 (1st place), Aleks Tremmel ‘25 (9th place)

Vocal Solo: Kritanko Chakraborty ‘25 (1st place)

Prose Reading 4: Sanjana Iyer ‘25 (7th place)

Sight Reading 4: Sanjana Iyer ‘25 (7th place), Annalise Breyer ‘25 (8th place)

Vocabulary 4: Sanjana Iyer ‘25 (3rd place), Maalolan Parthasarathi ‘25 (8th place)

Poetry Memory 4: Zachary Gawaiser ‘26 (4th place), Mason Jacob ‘25 (5th place)

Prose Memory 4: Zachary Gawaiser ‘24 (5th place)

Listening Comprehension: Alex Tremmel (5th place)

Extemporaneous Speaking Advantaged: Dominic Schwarzenbach ‘24 (1st place), Lena Boas ‘25 (2nd place)

Oral Presentation Advantaged: Lena Boas ‘25 (3rd place)

Poetry Memory Advantaged: Dominic Schwarzenbach ‘24 (2nd place)

Shirt Design: Iris Wang ‘26 (1st place)

Pass Auf Varsity (German Jeopardy): (7th place) Mason Jacob ‘25, Annalise Breyer ‘25, Zachary Gawaiser 5, Aleksandra Tremmel ‘25, Maalolan Parthasarathi ‘25

Video Show: (9th place) Annalise Breyer ‘25, Aleksandra Tremmel ‘25, Bidita Majumdar ‘25, Henry Grundmann ‘25, Leila Tavisoli ‘25, Maalolan Parthasarathi ‘25, Mason Jacob ‘25

Students Enjoy Enchanted Forest Themed Prom

Standing together before their dance began, Gods Menu performers pose, setting the tone of the dance. K-pop Club members rehearsed for six weeks for their second to last performance, the Spring Showcase, offering ample opportunities to perfect their choreography. I was excited to dance with complex group formations and movements, dancer Ninju Prem 25 said.

K-Pop Club Displays New Dances at Spring Showcase

Posing with his camera, Mr.Youn prepares to photograph the eclipse. A rare scientific occurrence, this was the first time Mr. Youn had attempted to photograph a total eclipse. Honestly, I wasnt even photographing it, I was just experiencing it,” Mr. Youn said. “You know, we built it up and the anticipation was incredibly high, but experiencing it was cooler than I anticipated.”

Solar Snapshot: Mr. Brian Youn Photographs Total Eclipse

UT representative Patrick Patterson describes the importance of teaching kids to be academically honest from an early age. He was one of three UT representatives speaking at the academic integrity seminar on Thursday, March 22. What you have to do as a community is get together with the administration, Patterson said. Create your own honor code. Involve as many folks and kids and adults, as many as possible. Create that honor code and stick to it.

UT Representatives Discuss Academic Integrity at College Level

Celebrating with her friends, Aanya Ujjval 26 gets sprayed with color powder. All profits from the Holi festival through selling powder and shirts were donated to Casa Marianella.

IB Celebrates Community and Program Values at Holi

NEWS

Observing the evening festivities, English teacher Samantha Lozano and Student Council officers Iris Chen ‘26, Rheya Kurian ‘26, and Aiden Wen ‘26 sit behind a prom court voting booth. The booth was open right until the prom king and queen were announced, allowing students to cast their votes throughout the night.

Students Enjoy Enchanted Forest Themed Prom

K-Pop Club Displays New Dances at Spring Showcase

A topic of immense interest and controversy, the banning of diversity, equity, and inclusivity (DEI) programs has attracted much attention, especially at the University of Texas at Austin. Numerous students have argued that DEI programs not only foster diversity, but also promote a creative learning environment.

Controversy Continues: Texas DEI Bans

Solar Snapshot: Mr. Brian Youn Photographs Total Eclipse

Texas House Bill 598 was passed on May 24, 2023 and prevents convicted animal abusers from owning an animal for five years. The bill currently acts as a precedent, opening up future implications for further legal action against animal abusers.

Texas House Bill 598 Sentences Abusive Pet Owners to Five-Year Ban

Comments (0)

Westwood Student Press intends for this comment area to foster welcoming, thought-provoking discussion. Comments are expected to adhere to our standards and to be respectful and constructive. As such, we do not permit the use of profanity, foul language, personal attacks, or the use of language that might be interpreted as libelous. Comments are reviewed and must be approved by a moderator to ensure that they meet these standards.

Share your thoughts...

All Westwood Horizon Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest