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March 2005 Newsletter
Delta Phi Alpha National German Honor Society
 

Dear Colleagues,
 

            As I pass the half-way marker of my year as the interim secretary-treasurer, I must remark what a good experience it’s been to serve in this capacity and learn of all the hard work so many of you are doing to create excellence in your German programs.  The spring newsletter is intended to update you on Delta Phi Alpha activities.  We invite your comments and suggestions.
 

--Geoff Orth
 

Our New Delta Phi Alpha Website
 

Believe it or not, we’ve been unable to access the Delta Phi Alpha website for over three years now, as I’ve been told.  The cyberfirm to which we’ve been paying server fees claims they no longer manage the site and has no idea who does.  After trying to deal with this quandary for seven months, I’ve thrown in the towel and created a new website, which I hope that you’ll bookmark: www.longwood.edu/deltaphialpha 

We have done some updating and upgrading already, and will be posting newsletters, scholarship forms, and similar items of interest to the membership.  If you notice any inaccuracies or have other suggestions, please e-mail them to us.
 

Initiation Reminder
 

The current fee is $20.00 per initiate.  Include an additional $6.00 for each graduation cord needed.  Please make out one check for all initiates to Delta Phi Alpha—we cannot accept multiple checks.
 

News concerning the Internal Revenue Service
 

Most chapters have already sent in their chapter estimated income statement for the year ending November 2005.  A copy of the form is attached to the January 2005 Newsletter.  If you can’t locate it, e-mail me and I’ll re-send it to you.  Completing this simple form will enable us to include your return with our group return late this summer.
 

Report on Incentive Grants
 

Four chapters received incentive grants from the national this spring, as follows:
 

The University of Texas at Arlington:  A German Symposium entitled “What can you do with German?” was held by the Theta Pi chapter on March 5, with an attendance upwards of 100 people, followed by a luncheon.  Speakers addressed such topics as the importance of a skill and a language in the international workforce; the Congress-Bundestag exchange program; the importance of the cultural role of German musicians and authors in the world; the sister-city relationship between Arlington and Bad Königshofen; and the need for second-language skills for those planning on graduate school.  Prof. Lana Rings is the chapter adviser.
 

Baylor University: The Omicron Delta chapter’s plan to raise visibility on campus includes a bulletin board honoring the organization and membership of Delta Phi Alpha at Baylor University, a glossy 2-fold brochure that will discuss the history and significance of Delta Phi Alpha for German and the Iota Omicron Chapter, a banner for the Iota Omicron Chapter of Delta Phi Alpha for use during meetings and induction ceremonies, and decorations/ costumes for our spring 2005 induction program. The chapter will, with cooperation with Klub Deutsch (Baylor’s German club), produce two short plays in German; they will perform at the Delta Phi Alpha induction on April 18, 2005 and also will perform for the children (pre-K through 5^th grade) of Viking Hills Elementary School in Waco TX.  This play is a first step to establishing cooperation with the Waco Independent School District for future projects bringing German into the elementary schools each year.  Prof. Jennifer Good is the chapter adviser.
 

Creighton University:  The Kappa Chi chapter’s project is an interdisciplinary panel discussion entitled “Germany Today: Domestic and Foreign Affairs.” Creighton University panelists will include two faculty from Political Science and one from the German Program, and a graduate student in International Relations. Panelists will present 10-minute talks on the following topics: German foreign policy as it relates to Iraq and the changing nature of the European Union, the German domestic scene (economic stagnation and partisan politics), fundamental reform of the German military, and related cultural issues. The presentations will be followed by a discussion, to be moderated by an undergraduate student majoring in German and Political Science, and a reception. The event will be publicized in the Creighton and Omaha communities.  The chapter adviser is Prof. Lorie Vanchena.
 

Drew University:  The Iota Phi chapter will present a series entitled “Berlin in Film” during the fall of 2005.  The following films will be included: Good-bye Lenin,

Rosenstraße, Himmel über Berlin, Die Legende von Paul und Paula, and Eine allseitig reduzierte Persönlichkeit: REDUPERS. Chapter co-advisers are Prof. Elfriede Smith and Prof. Edye Lawler.
 

News on Chapter Activations and Reactivations
 

The following chapters have notified us of their plans to reactivate their chapters this spring or next fall:
 

UCLA                          Univ. of Wyoming                     Syracuse Univ.

Pomona College           Univ.of Miami                           Wittenberg Univ.

Duquesne Univ.            East Carolina Univ.                   Univ. of New Hampshire
 

And the following institutions have begun work on establishing new chapters:
 

Rhodes College            Univ. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee         Randolph-Macon College
 

Delta Phi Alpha Scholarships for 2005-06
 

While it seems months away, the deadline for next year’s sophomore/junior and graduating senior scholarships is October 21^st.  The sophomore/junior scholarship is worth $1000, while the graduating senior award is $2000. We are including the common form for both scholarships here.  It’s never too soon to get started on these, as students and faculty alike find that the crush of activity at the beginning of the academic year makes it difficult to get together the necessary paperwork if one doesn’t have a head-start the previous spring.  The sophomore-junior level scholarship is intended for a student planning study abroad in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.  The graduating senior scholarship is designated for a student who will be completing a DAAD-sponsored project in Germany in the year following graduation.  The attached forms are self-explanatory and must be accompanied by three letters of recommendation and an official transcript.  Applicants must be current members of Delta Phi Alpha or be scheduled for initiation into the fraternity by the spring of 2006.  Final selection for the awards will be made in November by a committee appointed by our president, Professor John Jeep of Miami University.