On Friday, May 31, Jefferson students taking German attended an after-school class event, intending to celebrate the achievements of students. The Grillfest provides an opportunity for German Honor Society to receive academic achievements and savor traditional cuisines.
“Grillfest is usually to celebrate and commemorate German kids for achievements from the past year,” sophomore Veda Murphy said. “We induct new German Honor Society members, give out awards for the Deutsch Olympiad and give awards for outstanding students throughout the year.”
This ceremony was underlining the awards of others, aiming to honor the diligent efforts of various students throughout the year. The food reflected the essence of German culinary heritage, probing national identity within scattered communities.
“Awards included the academic awards, senior farewell gifts, and paper plates [that] made the Grillfest special, ” sophomore Austen Ji said.
Students reflect on their journey with the German language throughout the school year, emphasizing a close-knit community is formed by studying the German language and culture. Some have connections and experiences beyond the classroom.
“My favorite part of the event was [senior] Garv [Jain’s] sister’s alumni speech because I liked how she talked about taking German more seriously as years went by and having a tight community with their classmates, which is also the same way I feel about taking German,” sophomore Hanseon Lee said.
![German sophomores Antonia Brandl, Merle Schapke, Merleen von Saint Paul, Marlene Auer and Charlotte Kluska from Klenze Gymnasium high school share a moment during their last day at Jefferson. “Everything was great,” Kluska said. Everything was cool, but [my favorite experience was] probably just spending time with all the people and having a good time together.](https://www.tjtoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Untitled-2-600x338.png)
![Senior and Co-President of German Honor Society, Kevin Chung and senior Alex Song dance along to music at German Honor Society’s Annual Oktoberfest on Oct. 23. “My favorite part [of Oktoberfest] was that we had the German kids here and they made the most of it,” Chung said.](https://www.tjtoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/IMG_6153-475x316.jpg)
