Sheffield's Deutscher Verein

Guten Tag Kameraden!

Zuerst, I would just like to thank Präsedentin  Aimee Hardy und Vize-Pres Phillip Blayney and their committee for ein wunderbares Jahr! It has been absolutely brilliant with some wonderful socials and we’re definitely looking forward to next year to welcome the Freshers in the same fashion! We all wish this years’ committee the best of luck in their year abroad and hope that they have an absolutely fantastic time and keep in touch!

Deutscher-Verein 2011/2012 is going to be even more jam-packed with socials, trips and events than ever before! Ideas are already buzzing around about trips to Berlin and Hamburg, a new form of Stammtisch that will see us going to Population at the Union and getting total besoffened, a new look Wandergruppe with lots more adventures, a Weihnachten social, more film nights, trips to the Manchester Christmas Markets, plans to get at least one German tutor into a night club and lots lots more! With guaranteed Spaβ and the opportunity to meet lots more people from your course it’s a fantastic way for everyone who does Deutsch to get to know one another and have a great time! So get down, get deutsch and be a part of the greatest society in Sheffield.  (self-awarded but so true.)

The Deutscher-Verein 2010-2011 is as follows:

Matthew Trevalyan – Präsident

Savannah Dawsey- Hewitt – Frau Präsidentin

Rachel Hansed – General Secretary

Andrew Morrison & Lloyd Falter – Sport Secretaries

Christina Barningham – Inclusions Officer and Female Sports

Ai Ling Walker & Will Chamberlain – Social Secretaries

Jennifer Painter – Publicity Officer

Ben Eve – Treasurer

Charles Macdonald-Jones – Webmaster

If you have any questions whatsoever about anything Deutsch or Deutscher-Verein related please do not hesitate to get in touch through facebook (you can add the Deutscher Verein as a friend at the top of the page and make yourself look that kleines bisschen beliebter!) or through email deutsch@shef.ac.uk

Anyway, I shall stop sprechening now and wish you all a wonderful summer with hopefully lots of sunshine and fun! We shall see all you amazing second years in September for what will be another year of endless joy! Best of luck to the third years and a massive WILKOMMEN to the Freshers and the returning fourth years! We shall send another post round giving information for the first years nearer the time about details of joining the DV and getting involved

Bis Bald!

Dein neuer Deutscher Verein 2011-12

Hallo Kumpels,

From the top! In September 2010 we welcomed an incredible bunch of Freshers into the DV, who have helped make the DV, along with the equally (if not more) amazing 2nd and 4th years, a hit. We’ve had a loads of great events, trips and excursions including München, SOMLALing, Wandering, DV socials, DV|Sport and loads more! Here’s a little run-down of our year so far and what we’ve got coming your way in the next few weeks!

Zuerst there have been all the SOMLAL events, at which we have ALWAYS been the biggest society, for which were dead proud of you all! The flag social and ‘SOMLAL goes Commando’ were both great successes with more than 200 linguists hitting the bars of Sheffield and somehow managing to stumble to Plug and Embrace (or being given their marching orders and put into taxis! :S).

Theennn…we have our weekly ‘Stammy T’ at the Common Room on Division Street. Your chance to play some free pool, cheap drinks and to play Wii!! Congrats to Rich Flint who won the pool Tournier!

Then in November we took 30 DVers to München…the home of the Allianz Arena the Bierhalle and Bavarian culture! Leaving on the early hours of Saturday 6th we all turned up at the Sheffield station a bit bleary eyed before heading to Manchester to get out flight to Munich! It was an epic weekend; we visited the Allianz Arena, the BMW Museum, and the Olympic park. We also had a pretty sizable sample of Bavarian food and drink…in the nearby Keller and Bierhalle. And for those that got in, ‘Max & Moritz’ provided a cracking night out! Quotes: “Brace, Brace”.

Pub Golf….well done to all of you who got on or below par. A great but very, very messy night out!

Die Wandergruppe started earlier last month with a very wet but pretty funny walk up the second highest peak in the peak district. We set off pretty for some breakfast in Castleton before heading up the hill and back down to the pub . Highlight: Ben Eve’s trainers and ankle submerged in cow excretion. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=127848590562925 for the group!

DV|Sport has been getting better and better with a decent turnout every Wednesday for both football and netball and constant winning results from intermural. The Sauerkraut cup will be coming up in the beginning of April, whether playing or taking part it’s one of the main events on the DV social calendar…well worth the trip down to Birmingham!

Here is a quick look at what is coming up in Semester 2:
• Before Easter – Arts and Humanities: The biggest bar crawl to date! Not only will we be getting together with our SOMLAL buddies but also with all Arts and Humanities subjects…it’s going to be mental!
• Easter Holidays – Joint NV & DV trip to Amsterdam
• Annual General Meeting – Do you want to be on the DV Committee next year? This is your chance! Info to come!
• More walks…possible a night in the peak district.
• SOMLAL Ball – Definitely the highlight of the summer, this is well worth going to. Last year it was held at the Hilton and plans for this year’s ball are on the drawing board. More info to come in the weeks ahead!
• DV Socials…many more DV times in the pipeline…all will be revealed soon!

Bis bald,

Dein Deutscher Verein 2010/2011

Zuerst, DV2010/11 would like to welcome all new Freshers to the University of Sheffield, congratulations on a magnificent choice of University and subject J!! Next, a massivvee welcome back to all our lovely 4^th years…coming home to us from all over the globe! And last but NEVER least…we welcome our wunderschönen 2^nd years back into the schwarz-rot-und-gold nest that is the DV2010/11!

Welcome, welcome, welcome one and all to what is going to be one of the most exciting, amazing, non-stop and fun packed years of your lives so far! Us Volk, at the DV have some absolutely cracking events, nights out, bar crawls, trips and much much more planned just for YOU…including the SOMLAL Flag bar crawl (more info to come), multiple trips all over Germany, Christmas Cracker, Film Nights, Balls and a whole host of other Germanic opportunities to get completely stockbesoffen and also to meet loads of new like-minded deutschsprachige people as well all of the brand new Committee who are here simply to make your year learning German, as bloody amazing as it possibly can be!!

Freshers: We know that throughout Freshers, you will be bombarded from all sides by all sorts of important information…so we’ll keep it kurz aber süß.

Registration for all Germanic Studies Courses happens in Jessop West on Monday 20^th September…don’t worry if you get lost there should be loads of people around to help you out. Plus when you find us…there’ll be a table of Germanic cakes and biscuits to tuck into along with some well-deserved tea and/or coffee J. While registration is going on there should be loads of DV Committee members around so pleeaassee come and chat to us…we can tell you a bit more about what’s going on, plus there’ll also be the opportunity to join for only £4 for the whole year!! What a bargain!

Everyone: The Activities fair will be taking place on the Thursday 23^rd September in the Octagon and will be another chance to join and gain access to all our discounted trips, events, club admissions and much more!!

Finally, we join up with all our other linguistic brothers and sisters for the SOMLAL Flag Bar Crawl ending up at one of the hottest night clubs in the city – PLUG! This will be on Thursday 30^th September and it’s a great opportunity to party on down with all your fellow linguists!! It is flag themed so put on the colours of the German Flag and join us on an amazing night out – NOT TO BE MISSED! More info to come!

Have an amazing Freshers Week and we’ll keep in touch!

Dein DV

PS Join us on facebook! Simply click the banner on the top left hand corner of the page and be the first to know about all our great offers and events!

DV2009/10 terminates here, ALL CHANGE PLEASE!!

Yes DVers, the time has come. In just a few shorts weeks we’ll all be moving up and out; but do not fear we have a killer social planned to send everyone off in proper DV Stil!

Before we get on to the fun and games…we want to send a mahousive thank you to everyone who made DV2009/10, the erfolgreichste DV on record. Sending major thanks in the direction of Herr Präsident Lucas Tomlinson, James ‘Webmann’ Fennell, Tom Duffy and all of the merry men and women who have made 2009/10 such a fantastisch year.

Right…the Social. Get your white T-shirts and marker pens at the ready for the big Aufwiedersehen White T-Shirt Social. We’re gonna be kicking off at 9pm in Bar One on the 21^st May, moving on to a host of the city’s best bars before boogieing on down in Space! Remember this is going to be the very last social where all the DVers 2009/10 are going to be together before everyone leaves for their year abroad and ‘the real world’!! I’m reliably informed that you can pick up a white t-shirt pretty much anywhere for only a couple of English pounds. And I ask you, what is £3 for a signed/obscenely messaged memento of DV2009/10?! Tickets will be available from the Box Office as of next week, so make sure you get your hands on one before they run out! DO NOT MISS IT!

Last but not least…we have the great pleasure of announcing the committee of DV2010/11 and here they are:

Frau Präsidentin – Aimée Hardy

Social Secs – Lucy Tomlinson and Polly Gilham

General Secretary – Rosanna Brunwin

Webmann – Phil Blayney

Treasurer – Laura Barnes

Sports Sec – Peter Hampshire

Film Officer – Gem Darwin

Inclusions Officer – James Merchant

For those of you who are staying with us, we have some cracking plans for next year that you will not want to miss!

That’s it for the mo…we’ll be in touch!

Dein (neuer) Deutscher Verein

Dear all,

With this post I sadly announce my departure as the DV’s WebMan 2009-10

You have endured 117* Mail messages, 23,287* masterfully crafted words but a lifetime of happiness during my reign.  Well done for those still reading.  It means a lot.  You will go far in life.  Fact.

For many, I’ve played a ‘bigger part than the president’.  ‘The face of the DV’ according to many and to several more I’m a ‘comical genius’ (that’s an actual fact, check the DV website pole)  Now, now, I don’t want to blow my own trumpet here, I’m actually very modest.  However, many have declared their love for me.  I can be shared my friends.  I love you all too.  You all give me that warm fuzzy feeling inside…

Your WebMan has also become a bit of a global phenomenon picking up fans from around the world who have emailed in to say hello (whilst others have said a lot more than that)!  And that bit is actually true!  So a BIG Hallo to you guys and gals wherever you are.  Your messages filled me with a joy and gave me a purpose in life.  Thanks.  Just what am I going to do now I’m retired?

I like to think we’ve been on a journey together.  What started out as just a way of telling you what’s happening at the DV, turned into something that helped people get through their tough, tough weeks.  We’ve battled the economic crisis together, why, we’ve also survived Gordon Brown being ‘in control’ of this GREAT country.  It’s been awesome.

This isn’t going to be a boring review of the year, no, don’t worry I’m not the BBC who pick all the stuff not worth knowing and then repeat it several times over several days.  No, I’ve just got a spare hour in my otherwise VERY HECTIC life, so I thought I’d remind you of all the fun stuff you may or may not have participated in.  Simples… Deep breath, here we go….

We started with some flag inspired raving antics.  Looking back at the photos there were some very young looking faces.  Sorry to say this but you all now look rather much older.  And is that the first grey hair I see…? Our film man Eric dotted in some big screen action for us including treats such as Run Lola Run, which is like THE film of the year.  Don’t question it.  What I say is the truth.

There was a surprise OKTOBERFEST free for all!  Crazy antics on the stage too with our very own lederhosen-clad chaps out in force!  Always an excuse to get those legs out!  Loved it.  Steins Galore too! 

November came and El Presidente took a few brave warriors to the depths of Berlin.  Those few brave warriors all came back which is always good and nobody got sued.  Result in my beautiful brown eyes. Your WebMan regrets not being there and therefore so does everybody else who didn’t go.  Shame on you and me.

Things really heated up at Christmas time where possibly THE GREATEST PARTY OF ALL TIME took place: The German CHRISTMAS CRACKER!!  This one hit the record books for several reasons.  Firstly for the MOST emails sent out about it and secondly for the LARGEST turnout of pretend Germans in one place EVER!  Pat on the back to the organisers of that one! Oh, wait a sec, that was partly me! Yay PAT!  Seriously awesome.  Brings a tear to my left eye just thinking about it. Those steins were awesome toooo!

You all went home for Christmas which left me bored and with no emails to write. What were you thinking?!  On our return, we had more films from Erich (even a French one… Who said we aren’t an inclusive society?!) and more socials including Blau-sein and Kandid Kamera which provided enough hilarity to last a life time!!

The German Play was again another record breaking event from the DV this year: SEXIEST looking poster, cast and after show party ever!  That’s THREE fantastic reasons why THIS German Department are just SIMPLY THE BEST!! All other universities try, but at the end of the day they just can’t keep up with us!  But the success of this event was down to you, our lovely audience, who shunned Arbeit and came down to watch it!!  Big THANK YOU also to Binia and Andrew who were the real drivers behind this juggernaut of a performance along with all the cast, other helpers and, of course, that unbeatable backstage crew (You know who you are..)!!

DONT STOP READING – YOU’VE ALMOST MADE IT TO THE GOLDEN POT AT THE END!!**

**One lucky reader WILL win a golden pot***

***Not True.

We then went home for Easter all knackered and weary from all this socialising.  But this was only the calm before the storm.  That storm brought misery for 17 intrepid travellers who wanted sooo badly to go to Hamburg, but, and I kid you not, a volcano, in Iceland of all places, screwed that trip up well and proper.  Thanks Iceland and volcano Eyjafjallajokull.  Try saying, ‘He just fall, jekyll’ with your mouth full and you’ll get close to sounding like an Icelandic person.

The DV’s slave auction aimed to put us out of our misery – and that it did raising an enormous £114 for our Sauerkraut Cup Campaign!!  Much fun was had by all, with every slave doing their duties as footstalls, massage people (can’t spell the proper name for that…!) and drink-go-gett-er-ers..! Binia snapped up a few bargains courtesy of Andreas! Legends We even sold of Angela Merkel!! No, not the real one, a SIGNED PHOTO! Beautiful!

‘’Where’s Henk?’’ made its debut onto the Facebooks of the world and was so popular that Henk just had to come back in order to stop a full blown riot.  Prizes galore for the spotters of Henky! Such fun!

Sauerkraut 2010 followed hot on the heels and brought a shed load of mischief, mayhem and marvelousness.  We trekked off to Manchester, home of two rubbish football clubs, at least in comparison to our German footie lads, and battled our hearts out!  Unfortunately we didn’t win… But winning isn’t everything, it’s the taking part that means most.  Isn’t it?  Sure it is.  Oh well, we can’t win it every year, suppose it’s only fair to give the title away…! NEXT YEAR YEAH!! I’m coming back from my year abroad ESPECIALLY for it!! Post-match rave at Pop Tarts to let our brave soldiers drown their sorrows.  But a grand day was had by all so CHIN UP! I still love you.

And then that, as they say, is that.  The end.  Das Ende.  It’s been fun.  Thanks for reading.  Have a great time with whatever you are up to in the future and if you don’t feel that you will survive without an email from me, then you need help.  Haha! But if you really want to, you can read my year abroad BLOG! Expect more witty banter, observations and my take on these foreign lands I visit.  I promise it’ll be a cracking read….

This time it really is goodbye.

Over and out.

James ‘WebMan’ Fennell

xXx

P.S. We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.  So true.  So work hard, but party harder. Or else I’ll be back…