Recognition of Student Research Papers with Transatlantic Relevance in Siegen-Wittgenstein

For the first time in a four-year hiatus caused by COVID-19 restrictions, which only allowed for contactless award ceremonies, three papers were once again honored in the elegant Rococo decor of Stift Keppel’s Convent Hall during a ceremonial event.

All papers were written in the English language and were presented by the three distinguished students in the presence of Dr. Jochen Dietrich, the head of Stift Keppel Gymnasium, and the juror and former university professor Peter Schlömer (Language and Literature Studies). Due to the outstanding quality of the submitted papers and the virtually indistinguishable differences in quality, the German-American Society decided to award a first place and two equally ranked second places.

The winners for the 2022/23 school year are Hanna Carina Fischer (1st place, Stift Keppel Gymnasium), Laura Sofie Bona, and Anna Lips (both from Städtisches Gymnasium Kreuztal, each receiving 2nd place). The awards were presented by the Society’s President, Volker Schüttenhelm, who on this occasion also read out greetings from the U.S. Consulate in Düsseldorf and the North Rhine-Westphalia State Chancellery.

Inspired not least by the nature-philosophical literary classic “Walden or Life in the Woods” by Henry David Thoreau (1854), Hanna C. Fischer focused mainly on the continuation of Kant’s concept of transcendental theory by Thoreau, a staunch opponent of the Mexican-American War (1846-48), which, in his view, the U.S. primarily waged to support slaveholders. Since the prize winner couldn’t personally accept the award due to a school trip, she conveyed her thanks with a video message in which she presented her theses. The award was accepted on her behalf by her mother in the presence of the subject teacher, Christina Kolberg-Böhm.

Inspired by the music of rock legend Bruce Springsteen, Laura Sofie Bona examined the real-life experiences of undocumented immigrants from Latin America in the United States. An estimated 900 to 2,000 children of immigrants who crossed the border illegally live separated from their parents—a consequence of the “Zero Tolerance” immigration policy practiced during the tenure of U.S. President Donald Trump. The over twenty guests in the Convent Hall were deeply moved by the stark dimensions of the facts presented in Laura Bona’s year-long work, which she had gleaned from Springsteen’s lyrics.

Meanwhile, her classmate Anna Lips excelled in her year-long project by conducting an in-depth examination of the ambivalence in the lyrical statements of U.S. mega-star Taylor Swift in her songs on the complex and enduring theme of love. Swift approached this theme in a decidedly political manner on her seventh album, “Lover,” by making clear statements against the destructive, corrosive aspects of sexism and homophobia.

Both students from Städtisches Gymnasium were guided by their English teacher, Robert Gibbels, who also attended the award ceremony.

In addition to a cash prize, the award recipients received a lavish coffee table book featuring the diverse landscapes of various U.S. states as a special gift from DAGSIWI. Martin Kröckel, Vice President of the society, extended his congratulations along with DAGSiWi’s President.

DAGSiWi, through the recognition of these yearly projects and the transatlantic student exchange, which President Schüttenhelm warmly recommended to the students, pursues its charitable purpose of fostering and deepening cultural and social relations between Germany and the USA.