As the holidays approach, students and teachers alike are trying to wrap things up in order to spend their break in relaxation. For the Manhattan High School German Club however, the

holidays open up opportunities to fundraise and sell Christmas goods such as advent calendars and hand-crafted ornaments in order to raise funds for future trips.

The German Club is a language and culture club that educates students about German lifestyle, and even allows them to embrace is.

“My family just has a lot of [German] history,” German Club vice-president Ethan Koopman, senior, said. “The club sparked my interest, and I just enjoyed learning more about it.”

To wrap up the semester, German Club students have gone out of their way to sell their advent calendars and handmade Christmas ornaments. Their calendars, which have already sold out, count down the days until Christmas, gifting the consumer with a chocolate each day. The ornaments, made by German Club members and students, are shaped into stars with shiny colored paper.

“We have had a lot of support from the freshman, they buy a lot of the calendars,” German teacher and club sponsor Elke Lorenz said. “We will also be making gingerbread houses soon.”

These events are considered fundraises sponsored by the German Club. The funds go straight to events such as concerts, conventions, and even exams.

“A lot of the funds will go to the German National Exam,” Lorenz says. “Each student costs five dollars a piece. I plan on sending around 60 students, so it will take quite a bit of money.”

Another event that German Club members and students look forward to is a convention held in Lawrence, Kansas. Known as Schülerkongress, the event brings students from all over the region together to take part in events and contests. From prose and poem reading to scavenger hunts and art contests.

Students and club members also got to experience a special event hosted by Newton High School, another example of trips the club has to raise funds for.

“On November 13, the club took a trip to see the German hip-hop group EINSHOCH6,” German Club president Caleb Luck, senior, said. “That was really great, as we got to interact with other German students from across Kansas and listen to some music.”

Without fundraisers, these club members would not have the opportunity to experience these events and help them grow as students.

“We have the fundraisers every year. They do change, however,” Luck said. “Usually, we sell homemade products at the Christmas Market in Junction City, but we decided this year that it didn’t make enough profit for the enormous amount of work. Instead, we plan on selling Christmas ornaments around the school.”

“I did [German Club] because it has been a lot of fun for me, freshman year and to now,” Koopman said. “I just want to help other people to get that chance.”