A Shoutout to 10 Years of German

Varsha Chiruvella is a senior double majoring in Bilogy and German Studies. She was awarded a Spring 2019 Conference Grant which she used to attend the Moravian College Undergraduate Conference in
German Studies .

I have been learning German for the past 10 years. As a pre-medical student and lover of learning, however, it becomes easy to become bogged down by rigorous science courses and challenging medical-related exams. To me, German, and the humanities in general, has been my escape from burnout. “But why German?”is a question that I get ever so often. After years of receiving the same inquiry, I believe I have formulated a final answer. “Because I love it…and, you know, why not?”has become my standard response. And it’s true- I do certainly love learning and teaching German to my peers. I had finally found something in academia that I not only enjoyed, but truly was gifted with. And it was this “why not” mentality that persuaded me to continue my pursuit of the language for 10 years, AND eventually defend an honors thesis with Emory’s German Studies department. 

“Why not” was also my rationale behind attending the Undergraduate Research Conference in German Studies at Lafayette College, Pennsylvania. As a second semester senior, I was initially very reluctant to attend a (what I thought would be) boring conference. However, I admit that I was extremely impressed with the breadth and depth of topics covered at the conference, ranging from medical ethics in German literature, to the history of German dialects, to the German refugee crisis, and hand-written German poetry. I was surrounded by such talented peers who also were extremely proficient in the language.It was a humbling experience to be complimented for my thesis work by such gifted colleagues, and to hear about how much time and dedication had been put into their accomplishments.

I was personally most taken aback and impressed by the presentation of another girl on my panel. Her research dealt with the problem of education for students with learning disabilities in Germany. I learned that as of now, there is a poor sense of inclusion of such students with disabilities like ADHD and dyslexia into educational programs for young children. As someone who first-hand experienced such a situation as a child in school, she is determined to create educational reform and be a voice for kids with learning disabilities. She explained how these kids deserve as much social inclusion and integration as any “normal” child but whom are not currently supported by the government. As I sat next to her at the conference panel, I could feel her powerful Leidenschaft (passion)bursting from her eyes. It was an incredible experience to be in the presence of and learn from such passionate people.

In the end I am very glad that I attended the conference and participated in undergraduate research in my senior year at Emory. My honors thesis was titled “A Comparative Reading of Medical Ethics in Late 19^thCentury German Literature.” Throughout the year, I read many works of German literature in which ethical dilemmas in medicine were portrayed. My research focused mostly on end-of-life care dilemmas of mercy killing and patient disclosure/non-disclosure illustrated in the texts Ein Bekenntnis by Theodor Storm (1887) and Professor Bernhardi by Arthur Schnitzler (1912). It was an interesting experience and exciting for me to be able to combine both my passions of medicine and German into the new realm of ethics. One woman came up to me after I had presented and was very impressed with my work. She explained how she was a college professor and had used Professor Bernhardi as teaching material. She told me that my presentation opened her eyes to the implications the play had in medical ethics- something she had not previously realized in teaching. It was truly unreal to be only a student and complimented by a professor who I had never met. 

As of now, I honestly don’t have a clue of how I plan to include German studies into my medical career. With 10 years of experience under my belt, however, I don’t plan on giving it up that easily. Since I am attending medical school this Fall, I hope to participate in research, whether in the humanities or hard sciences. I hope to travel, explore the medicine in Germany, and possibly work in the field internationally. Learning German and coming so far with the language has built a confidence and passion within me which, rather than ending in medical school, will open new doorsto new opportunities. 

Visit the Undergraduate Research Programs website to learn more about applying for Conference Grants.