Hunter has as many as 70 officials clubs for undergraduate and graduate students. They fall under the following categories: Academic, athletic/recreation, cultural/ethnic, fraternities/sororities, governing bodes (with serious campus influence) health/wellness, honor societies, religious/spiritual, special interest, visual and performing arts and media.
There are some estimates of at least another 100 unofficial clubs waiting to be certified. And it is generally believed that most student clubs at Hunter, operate without much faculty interaction. The German club, however, seems to be one of those rare ones with an intimate relationship between faculty and members.
Club members participate in a number of parties as well as in off campus outings. They will venture to restaurants such as Lorely, a Biergarten located at 7 Rivington Street,Manhattan, and often schedule gatherings that offer food, such as “strudel,” said Sadie Jaeger, 25, of Manhattan.
Jaeger also said there was a close bonding between the German department’s faculty and its majors. “I think it makes things more enjoyable,” she said. The English major and women’s studies minor was in interviewed outside Room 611 West and was donned in blue jeans, a plain black fitted T-shirt and a black pea coat.
Robert Bloom, club treasurer since 2006, also said that he considered the close bond as a special advantage members. He was interviewed in Room 1440 West where he could normally be found during the semester from noon to 1 p.m. tutoring. The German major and political science minor was dressed in a plain white T-shirt, blue jeans and sneakers.
Professor Elka Nicolai, 48, said that when faculty are involved “club activities seem to be taken more seriously.”
“Our faculty does attend the German club meetings fairly frequently. We are a small department, the smallest in the whole school, so we know our students, and even more so, when we also meet then during club events,” she said.
Nicolai visits the club for events but does not regularly attend meetings, but some “faculty members have given lectures on German dialects and expressionism, for example.”
Academically struggling students enrolled in German course can benefit club participation. “Some professors give out extra credit to students who will attend a meeting,” Bloom said. However, Nicolai said, “No, I have not considered that yet. Maybe one could give it a try. I am just a little afraid that students would feel enticed to work too much for extra credit and will not have enough time to work on class material.”
Nicolai said she did not believe that attending club meetings would result in better work from students. “We do have very good students who are in the German club. But we also have students who are devoted and dedicated to all things German who do not perform so well in the language,” she said.
A close relationship certainly takes two to tango. Jaeger said, “It’s an effort on both parts,” said Jaeger who was enrolled in German 202 this semester. “It’s a really small department. I know I can connect easier with German professors than professors from another department.”
Besides a close relationship within the German club, a closeness can be found in the classroom. “The professors know me pretty well, as well as the other students. There can be a lot of one-on-one time during class,” said Jaeger. She also said that German department professors encourage class discussion and participation more so than other professors. “The professors allow a lot of interaction between classmates, so we become really close to” Jaeger said.
Said Nicolai: “Students see that faculty members are interested to get to know them and their interests outside of class, and professors can offer guidance wherever and whenever needed. On the other hand, faculty should also learn to lean back and let the students run the show.”