Greek Life: Salzburg Style

Q: Are there any fraternities or sororities in Salzburg? A: Kind of…

Joining a fraternity or sorority is what some consider a HUGE part of ones college experience in the United States. There are many positive sides to going Greek, as there are negative sides. The positive sides include: close friendships, community work, fundraisers, etc . . ., whereby the negative sides include: excessive drinking, failing courses due to ridiculous mounts of drinking, life-threatening accidents, etc . . .. Most people tend to associate fraternities and sororities with massive outlandish parties depicted in American movies (American Pie’s Beta House, The House Bunny, Animal House, Old School, etc . . .) and television (GREEK, MTv's Fraternity Life, etc . . .). Salzburg however, does not have anything to offer that resembles the Greek System in the States. In fact, no university in Austria offers anything close to one.

So how does Salzburg kind of have a fraternity/sorority system?

Salzburg has what are known as “Studenten Verbindungen”, loosely translated as “Student Societies” but are considered as the closest thing to a “fraternity/sorority”. The fraternities and sorority (there is only one)in Salzburg take on a different approach than the American ones; they have a religious (Catholic/Christian) and political infrastructure, which the American ones don’t have.

The main Fraternities and Sorority consist of:

K.ö.St.V Almgau

K.S.M.M.V Erentrudis (sorority)

K.S.H.V Lodronia

K.ö.H.V Rupertina

K.ö.H.V. Rheno Juvavia

The History of these fraternities and sorority is long and complicated and I wouldn’t be able to begin to explain how they work. [It has been my experience that very few of the actual members of these “Verbindungen” can explain the history themselves].

Here are all the terms one needs to learn if they join a fraternity or sorority in Salzburg:

English Version

German Version

What kind of a role do these fraternities and sorority have in Salzburg?

There are a few answers to this question: 1. None. They are a waste of time and just an excuse for people to act like they’re in kindergarten all over again and drink ridiculous amounts of alcohol (mainly beer). There is a plus side however, one can meet a lot of people, but that’s about it. 2. They offer a sense of “belonging”; literally anyone who is Austrian [unfortunately that is a key requirement, one cannot join without Austrian citizenship] and wants to join can do so. 3. They are a source of entertainment. When members of the different fraternities and sorority are dressed in their, "wichs”- a term used for the formal wear for formal representation of the "Student Society" (which includes a sword), they are definitely eye catching!

What does a fraternity/sorority structure in Salzburg look like?

When one signs the “member agreement” when joining a fraternity or sorority, one is signing away their soul and pledging allegiance to the four pillars, the heart of the fraternity/sorority. The four pillars are:

Religio—one must be of Roman-Catholic belief (rather, one can claim to be of Catholic belief for the sake of joining)

Amicitia—one must put value in life-long friendship

Scientia—one must put value into their studies whether still in highschool or studying at university

Patria—one must be Austrian

Next, one has to choose a “couleur” name, which is a code/nickname. The name can be completely random or meaningful, whatever one wishes.

Then there is a ceremony for the new “Fux”—term used for a new pledge.

[Fux: is a play on words for the German word for fox, Fuchs.]

During the ceremony the new pledge declares who they want their “LeibMädchen” or “LeibBursch" (a term used for “Big Sister” or “brother”) and then after chugging a half litre of beer they are the newest member. [Sounds just pleasant! Please note the sarcasm!]

The time needed to turn from a pledge into a brother or sister tends to take a while, on average it’s about 2-3 semesters.

Misconceptions:

There are many misconceptions about “studenten verbindungen” in not just Salzburg but in all of Austria and Germany, which has to do with the fact that they normally have a negative connotation due to brotherhoods (separate from the normal fraternities/sororities) called, “Burschenschaften” a.k.a “Schlagende Verbindungen” or “fighting/fencing societies”. These are fraternities with a Neo-Nazi view and tend to be very conservative in their political viewpoints. [In my opinion they are frightening really, but Salzburg not only has fraternities and the sorority, they have a brotherhood as well sadly, called, Burschenschaft Germania zur Salzburg.]

Personal Experience:

Back in the day, in 2006, when I was more or less a loner, a complete outsider in Salzburg, and I had no friends to call my own, an acquaintance of mine was able to convince me to join her sorority. I often feel like I want to kick myself in the head for ever having agreed to it. But at the time I was told I would meet a lot of new people and make a lot of friends, something I was in no position to refuse. I do dare say that I did meet A LOT of new people, and thought that I had made some friends for life- but I was eighteen years old at the time and naïve in that respect. I must say that I have not been involved in the sorority for over 2 ½ years now and the fact that I ever joined still haunts me.

However, a few things I am grateful for due to the sorority are: a few friendships that have lasted, having learned and being able to sing the "Gaudeamus Igitur”, and the knowledge that the fraternities/sorority in Salzburg aren’t all that bad. I do not wish to give the impression that the fraternities and sororities are awful and that no one should join them. They do have their upsides; everyone tends to have a different experience. For example: some people actually do find friends for life. [These are normally either very low-key, introverted members, or high maintenance members who get mixed up in or create unimaginable amounts of drama!]

I would not recommend joining a fraternity/sorority in Salzburg, (Although, I can’t speak for the fraternities) but I would recommend visiting one just to see what it’s like!

A last word for this post, deconstructing the inner webs of a fraternity/sorority here in Salzburg is like deconstructing the brain of a crazy person. No one really knows what’s going on.

TTFN- Ta Ta For Now

What the Chuck?!

Hello there again. Just as we are now back to Uni from the Easter break (it’s been a while, I know), fully motivated of course, I think it’s about the right time to pamper you with what I’ve come across so far. But before I really spoil you I thought it best to start off with the one shoe type that you will probably encounter the most around Salzburg University: the Converse All-Star. Have a look and enjoy:

These days you find them everywhere: worn with jeans, dresses, suits and in all possible colours and patterns. Everyone seems to be wearing them. According to the history of the Converse All-Star a lot has changed since the first shoes were produced. When Marquis M. Converse founded the Converse Rubber Shoe Company in Malden, Massachusetts (USA) in 1908, it still took another 10 years for the first Converse All-Stars to be produced. By then, the shoe was designed for only one specific purpose: basketball. Basketball is also where the shoe got its name: In 1923 Charles Hollis “Chuck” Taylor’s name was added to the patch and from then on the shoe became known as the Chuck Taylor All-Star. Over the years, this shoe originally designed purely for athletic purposes has been transformed into a fashion icon. Although other great athletes such as Jack Purcell, Jimmy Connors or Chris Evert Lloyd were famous wearers of “Chucks”, they were soon to become popular in the music business and in Hollywood. James Dean, Kurt Cobain, Elvis Presley and bands like The Doors, Metallica or Black Sabbath all wore the same type of shoes: Chucks.

This leads to the following questions: Why are these shoes so trendy right now? And what is so cool about them? Having so many celebrities wear these shoes, along with some background knowledge about their production, accounts for a great deal of their authenticity (assuming that the Converse Company does not send off free samples or, worse, pay celebrities (except in commercial advertising) to wear their shoes). Also, as these shoes come in so many different colours, patterns and materials there is surely a Converse All-Star for every one of you. You can even create your very own personal shoe – just go to their website.

Thinking back to their origins and to their popularity in the punk and grunge generation, one is likely to believe that only punks or emos – who have probably never touched a basketball in their life – wear Chucks. This, however, is not true anymore. Shoes, especially Chucks, are a great means of conveying one’s very personal message, which surely is one reason why they’re still selling. You often see very individualized Chucks with bright colourful laces, beads, buttons or writings over the rubber bits. Just have a look at those nicely decorated Chucks below I captured near the NaWi science building.

The times when wearing these shoes was limited (not literally but before they became fashionable) to said group of people are surely over – nowadays everyone can wear them. They are no longer a symbol for a specific group – you wear them because you like them! It’s as easy as that. That should be the only reason to do anything at all anyway. Chucks along with what you wear with them be it band t-shirts, piercings, vintage stuff, basketball shorts, or colourful, girly dresses) present your personality to the outside world. Some people even tend to wear their Chucks down until the canvas comes apart and the soles go completely bald. What this could say of a person I leave for you to decide.

A couple of years ago the Chucks set a trend for the popular, fashionable crowd: although awful on the arches, thin and hard soles plus the very annoying farting sound when walking, together with a fairly high price in Europe (considering the materials they’re made of and the fact that they used to be some of the cheapest trainers around!) wouldn’t really make you want to buy these shoes if it wasn’t for the fashion. So, why did you buy them? Because you like them or rather because everyone seems to own a pair these days? I am itching for comments!

Anyways, for whatever reason people continue to wear Chucks and one thing is clear: they are an iconic brand that will never go out of style!

The Four Irish Pubs in Salzburg

Although Salzburg is a beautiful city with a lot of rich history, I wouldn’t say it is the friendliest of cities in this world. All my life I have traveled to many different cities on two major continents: North America and Europe. Thus, I can claim to know what I am talking about. But before I continue I must state that living in a city, let alone a country one did not grow up in, is not the easiest of tasks. Therefore, when I generalize and say that the people of Salzburg are: cold and judgmental, it should be no more misconstrued than when one might say that the Parisians (term for the inhabitants of Paris, France) are arrogant and mean.

So what is one to do when they move to or visit a new city, specifically Salzburg, and they don’t know anyone? In today's society one doesn't really need to have any social skills to meet new people and go out and have a good time; there's alcohol for that, so some people say. An article on a student perspective on alcohol from 2002 shows how more people tend to use alcohol as a tool for getting into social situations, a choice it seems is made by most people, myself included.

Now, there are a lot of different places one might choose from in order to have a fun night-out drinking (and one doesn’t have to have an alcoholic beverage) in Salzburg. Where one might end up going depends entirely on the person who has just moved to or is visiting the city. However, I think it is safe to say that when someone has just moved to or visits Salzburg, the best bet they have in terms of meeting some friendly people is by going to one (or all) of the four Irish Pubs Salzburg has to offer.

The Dubliner:

The Dubliner is a small Irish pub located in the Kaigasse 8, next to the tourism office. The owner, Ken, is an Irish fellow who is somewhat rough around the edges but a very friendly and great guy once you get to know him. The pub itself isn’t very big, but it’s inviting enough, and attracts a lot of the native English speakers living in Salzburg. The staff is also very friendly and can speak English. It is a great place to kick back and enjoy (among a number of drinks) a Magner’s Cider or Guinness and possibly a burger or pizza from the kitchen. Among the many interesting aspects of the Dubliner one of the better things are the nice conversations you can engage in with the person next to you. Not to mention, one can also watch the EPL (Barclays English Premier League) (a.k.a “football” for the British, “soccer” for the Americans); something all four pubs have in common. [Back in the day when I moved to Salzburg in 2006, I spent a lot of time in the Dubliner and enjoyed it very much. I even worked there for some time in 2007. Even though I don’t frequent it as much as I used to, I still enjoy being there-whenever that may be.]

Murphy’s Law:

Murphy’s Law a.k.a Murphy’s or “the pub” is located in the Gstattengasse. It is a 2-minute walk away from my favorite Italian restaurant, ‘Il Sole’ by The Monchsberg Aufzug (a bus-stop for busses 1,4,8, and 22). A jolly Irish fellow, named Brian owns the pub. Size-wise, Murphy’s is about the same size as the Dubliner, and just as open to newcomers. One of the many things I love about Murphy’s beside the ambiance is the fact that the staff are all native English speakers, and are all non-natives to Salzburg. Even though Murphy’s doesn’t have a kitchen one can still order a small snack to eat like a pizza baguette or a packet of “crisps” (better known as chips). The ‘Regulars’ at the pub are another reason why I love going to Murphy’s. [I won’t dare call myself a ‘regular’ because I’m certain one of them would object, so I consider myself more of a frequent visitor, even though a lot of the regulars are friends.] One last thing I would add, however, is that Murphy’s is my favorite Irish Pub to watch football at—it really is the most fun there.

O’Malley’s + Shamrock:

Both O’Malley’s and Shamrock are owned by, Kurt, a very friendly Austrian. (As mentioned in my previous blog entry, they can both be found next door to each other on the Rudolfskai). In my opinion, an interesting fact worth knowing about the two pubs is that O’Malley’s seems to be preferred by the English crowd in Salzburg, whereby Shamrock definitely seems to be preferred by the Austrians and Germans.

[Note: Both O’Malley’s and Shamrock serve food. I haven’t ordered anything to eat in either pub except pizza. The pizza happens to be better there than any store-bought pizza anywhere and even better than Domino’s (which does not exist in Salzburg).]

O’Malley’s, or OM as it is often referred to, has an interesting setup in the sense that there is both a front and back bar with an adjoining middle section (where there are tables for guests to sit at). During the week the staff is made up of mainly English speakers (some of my closest non-Austrian friends). Over the years, however, more and more non-native speakers seem to be working behind the bar on weekends. One will always have a mind-blowing time at O’Malley’s, [I never fail to do so.] A lot of interesting people from all over tend to gather at OM and if one is willing to do so, one can get into some of the most interesting or entertaining of conversations.

Shamrock a.k.a the Sham, is next door to O’Malley’s its, “brother-pub”, and is also one of the places where I tend to go out and have a good time with a lot of different people. The staff consists of mostly German speakers, but they are extremely friendly nonetheless! The layout of the pub is somewhat cellar-esque, not something one might expect for an Irish pub, (or maybe they would). In any case, this pub opens at noon and has a pool table in the back (I’ve only played pool there once!). On certain evenings the pub has a live-band and that always leads to great fun!

All four Irish pubs have something special to offer. Whether one ends up going to only one of the pubs or all four will end up having a great time either way! [To not go at all would really be a shame!]

TTFN- Ta Ta For Now

A Guide to University Life: Step 2: Things to do during your vacation

Once again the time has come for a vacation. As a student, I often hear other people say that we have so much time off and never do anything. I hate that. Being a busy student is a full-time job: you have to do regular homework, read assignments and prepare for exams. I am rarely bored. On the contrary, I am stressed way too often. But honestly, I have to admit that vacations are not infrequent when studying. There are three months of summer holidays, at least two weeks around Christmas, one month between the semesters, two weeks around Easter and all the Catholic holidays in between. Nevertheless, most of this time off is again very busy. You have to prepare for assignments, presentations and tests again. And not to forget about all your recreational engagements. What follows is a useful list of possible activities to fill each vacation.

First, there is of course the unkind possibility of falling ill during your vacation. This Easter sickness got me. During the term you do not have time to be sick. You easily fall behind with your work if you are ill in bed. Still, I am not pleased about being ill now. The sun is shining and temperatures are close to 20 degrees Celsius. And I have to stay inside. Not much fun. However, I have time to work on my university assignments – which leads me to the next possible activity.

Second, you can use your free time to cope with all the preparations for the busy months at university. At the beginning of each vacation, I have a long to-do list and I am determined to invest a few hours in this list per day. It is only a matter of good time management. Even though I am determined, I am not always motivated. And motivation is the one crucial thing you need a lot of for working on university stuff during your holidays. Most of the time, my whole to-do list results in a mess. By the time the vacation is almost over, I will have got through two out of the 20 tasks or so. Well, the last two days usually end in a desperate attempt to finish as many assignments as possible. So I am badly overworked at the end of the vacation. Actually, I should be full of new energy for the rest of the semester. Something has gone wrong … again.

Third, you can spend some of the time on outdoor activities you like. As soon as the weather is fine, I plan on going outside for a walk or a bike ride. However, there are often problems in the execution of my plans. I am not motivated enough for sports and I always use the same excuse: with so little leisure time left, I deserve to be lazy. So my time outside is mostly filled with reading or spending time with friends. Fortunately, I still have summer break. It is much longer and then I will be more motivated for sports anyway.

Fourth, most students do not just have their university obligations. Maybe you have time-consuming hobbies. Or you are a member of a club. These have to be indulged in too. If you are part of a local association just like me – playing an instrument – there are rehearsals and performances. Besides, you have to practice a lot – or at least you should. Here, my time management comes in again.

You see, there are various ways to organize your vacation. Some activities seem to be really nice and some not so much. I am very conscientious; so I always tell myself that it is okay to spend time on recreation as well. Fill your vacations with things you like doing best, because your daily routine will catch up with you soon enough.

Mooching

As promised, I want to share some things with you, my dear readers, that will make your life as students easier. Or at least it will show you how I deal with or have dealt with certain "obstacles" in my academic career.

Today’s topic is mooching and, no, I will not be talking about how to get free cigarettes or sweets. I want to share with you the secret of how to get notes for lectures you didn’t attend. I know, I know. We all had the highest of principles after having finished high school. Now as students, we surely will never cheat (again), never copy homework of others (again) because now, after all, we are really studying for our future. That’s nice and all but there are times, dark times indeed, when you simply have to put those principles aside momentarily in order to succeed.

The biggest problem we students face is having good notes to study from for a final exam. Certainly we all plan to attend every single session of every lecture every single time. Unfortunately, there are times when this really isn’t up to us and it always seems to be even harder to stay true to this resolution when it comes to lectures without mandatory attendance.
No, I’m not talking about your best friend’s birthday party you absolutely had to attend and the hangover the next day that prevented you from even hearing the alarm go off (it happenes, trust me). I also don’t mean those days when your bed just seems too lonely to be left alone and absolutely needs your company for another few hours (we all know how fickle they can be).
Sometimes you are "overbooked" and have more than one lecture taking place at the same time. Or maybe you got sick (alcohol poisoning does not count as a sickness, though). Sometimes you simply haven’t got the time to go because of all the unfinished homework piling up. Obviously, if your friends attend the lecture, life is good and you don’t have a problem. However, very often they will have been your partners in crime, so to speak, so you won’t be able to rely on them. Now, of course, you can also send out e-mails in the hope that a kind stranger might send you his notes. But in all fairness, how often have you actually responded to one of those e-mails? Exactly.
Here is where my plan comes into play and it has a success rate of about 98%. (Yes, I made that number up). Whether you want the notes for an entire course or just from the one or two sessions that you have missed, just make sure to arrive a little bit early next time and pick out one of the older students. Mind you, I don’t mean career students, the ones that were already here when your older brother graduated and will probably never get a degree because they just love hanging out at the university. Literally. Pick out the oldest student taking the course. They usually attend lectures because they are bored or because they are interested in a certain subject. Some are also there to get additional credentials in order to get ahead in their careers. Either way, they usually take this "university stuff" really seriously (just like I do, if you ever doubted that). This means they have excellent notes you can rely on and write down everything in full detail without using home-made abbreviations.

But how to get these notes? Personally, I like to go for the ladies because I find older men a little bit grouchy at times. (Yes, grandpa, I know you are reading this too and no, I’m not talking about you). It could also very well be one of those opposite-sex kinds of things, though. Girls might find it easier to charm older men than women. Anyway, now it’s time to show off your small-talk skills. (You might want to practise them in advance). The ultimate goal is to have them offer their notes to you without actually having to ask.
You start out by talking about basic stuff. How do they like the course? The professor? Then go on and ask them about why they are here and what they are studying. The older they are the more they like to talk, but just let them.
Then it’s time to "move in for the kill". You tell them that you couldn’t attend the lecture up until now (or that you missed once or twice) because you had to work or because you usually have another course at this time. It’s important to not go overboard and exaggerate. This is what we refer to (or at least I do) as "a little white lie". Just try to stick closely to the truth. Finish your "fairytale" with something like "but I’m sure the literature/ reader will be enough to get me through the final exam". Depending on your small-talk skills, how likeable you are in general and especially how pitiful you came across uttering this last sentence, they usually then offer their notes out of sympathy. If they don’t, excuse yourself to get a coffee (don’t be stingy and treat them to one too) and then ask them directly and offer your notes for other courses in return, even if you don’t have any. They will never ask, trust me.

Some people just don’t know how to handle older people. I guess working as a paramedic for the Red Cross and driving around grandmas/ granddads all day long has taught me at least one thing.
Anyway, another target group are freshmen. Don’t worry, normally they are easy enough to spot. You simply have to impress them with your worldliness and experience and give them some advice on courses and professors. After that, they usually feel obliged to give you something in return. In that case, settle for the notes and don’t go asking for phone numbers.

If you have more victims to choose from, pick the ones with a laptop. Very often they are more "enthusiastic" than their peers when it comes to their studies. They can email you the notes right away and you also don’t have to waste time deciphering someone else’s scrawl.
Just make sure it’s not the professor’s secretary, his wife/ her husband or the tutor you are trying to get notes from, because that could get very awkward.

Truth be told, I did not come up with this by myself. Sadly, I’m usually the one who gets preyed upon for notes. Um, I wonder why that is? I don’t have a laptop and I’m definitely not a freshman. Anyway, my older brother is actually the one who passed this along to me when I started studying in Salzburg and I have tried it out once *cough* or twice *cough*. It works.

Where to start...

Where to start…

Since my last post with its teasing cliffhanger some time has passed. So I thought I’d finally start to share my wisdom about the required application documents. From the information lecture and my talks with the coordinators, I pretty much knew what I was supposed to hand in by the end of the application deadline (which is a completely different kettle of fish and was pretty nerve-wracking, too; considering that I am a vegetarian). But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I (and every other poor soul who applies for an exchange program overseas) had/will have to hand in the following documents:

1.      Letter of purpose: Here you need to state the reasons why you chose the specific university, explain your academic goals and achievements, etc.

2.      CV: Well, you really oughta know what that is about.

3.      2 reference letters: NB these should not be written either by yourself or your mother – we all know she loves you and thinks that you are the best, but her opinion is not what the people in the admissions office want to read.

4.      Results of your TOEFL exam: Do not underestimate this exam. Even as an English major you better know what’s coming because it ain’t easy.

5.      Transcript of your grades in English: You can actually print these out and get a stamp affixed at the administration (Prüfungsreferat).

6.      Application form from your chosen university: Sounds simple, but it often isn’t. It could be that program coordinators or application forms change, or that other unexpected things happen. I guess you can see my point that this is a real fun one.

Taken together, these documents may not seem overwhelming or scary. But believe me, they are. And if you’re as lucky as I am, that is only half of what you’ll have to deal with. More things are coming your way that you would have never thought possible. This is a time of endurance, patience, and desire for chocolate. But look on the bright side: once you are done, you’ll come out much stronger. I was wondering about how hard it must be to prepare for and finish a triathlon or a marathon – but at least these are over in a day, right?

Okay, I am really sorry if I scared someone with my list or with my subtle sarcasm. It is important, however, to realize that the application process is not a piece of cake (now that is the type of food that I enjoy). It’s going to be long and hard but worth it once you are wandering around campus in a land far, far away. Again, keep things in perspective and think positive, but be realistic. And do expect to be investing a lot of time and nerves (hence the chocolate).

After giving this short overview about required application documents my plan is to go into more detail over the next couple of weeks. I’ll try to share some of the advice that I was given, some useful links, and the assurance that you are not alone out there.

Yours truly,

Lemon

Am I a modern slave? The evening before the job:

I have to get up extra early tomorrow morning, so I'm packing everything I will need now. Most important is my uniform and my deathly uncomfortable wedges. Not only do we have to work for what seems like ages but we also have to do it in these awful shoes. Then I mustn’t forget two things which might save my life while working. I am talking about bananas and something to drink. We might actually get food but only if there is enough time. My boss once said, “Today isn’t a good day for breaks!” So we didn’t have a break at all. Those are the moments when I have the feeling that I am a machine than an employee. Besides, what we get isn’t always edible. Not that I am fussy but a stomach ache isn’t very helpful when you have to work for almost 20 hours. The last time we did one of these jobs, my friend got an itchy rash all over her body after eating the food they set out for us. Don’t know what they did with that food and I don’t really want to know! And last but not least, I pack a blanket and a pillow because apart from being hungry and worn out I will probably be freezing cold on the journey back. And now it’s time to get a little sleep.