Braden Thommarson | Broadcast Reporter
Imagine enjoying a nice hot cup of coffee and some snacks with friends and classmates. These are things Baylor students can expect when they go to Kaffeestunde, a weekly conversation hour that meets on Monday afternoon in Old Main hosted by Dr. Cindy Walter-Gensler, a lecturer of German.
During the Kaffeestunde, students introduce themselves and converse over coffee and snacks while they partake in a variety of activities including arts and crafts.
According to Dr. Walter-Gensler, there will be a general guiding topic for each Kaffeestunde, giving students the opportunity to not only practice their German language skills but also to learn something new about German culture. Additionally, sessions provide students with the opportunity to make connections with one another.
“In a sense, there is no typical Kaffeestunde because it’s student-driven every time,” Dr. Walter-Gensler said.
Her purpose for hosting Kaffeestunde is not that students understand everything, but that they are able to follow the conversation and improve their speaking. Yet the meetings are not limited strictly to students of German. Dr. Walter-Gensler said students from diverse cultural backgrounds attended despite not having any knowledge of German.
Dr. Walter-Gensler’s main reason for going above and beyond for her students is the simple fact that she loves her job.
“When I was 28, I decided I wanted to be a German professor and I’ve never had a bad day since,” she said.
Ultimately, Dr. Walter-Gensler hopes that students enjoy themselves and connect with one another when they attend Kaffeestunde.
