News and Updates

Houstonfest Scholarships

Gail Cope Scholarships at State

Plays will be performed at Houstonfest

Changes to rules and critique sheets for 2010

Scholarships for winning research papers at State

Daily log of changes to state-qualifier list

Important Dates

Mar. 5, 2010:  Houstonfest Scholarship applications due

Mar. 10, 2010:  Gail Cope Scholarship applications due

Jan. x, 2011:  Early-bird registration ($8) must be postmarked and online registration must be submitted by 11:59 p.m.

Jan. x, 2011:  Regular registration ($10) must be postmarked and online registration must be submitted by 11:59 p.m.

Feb. 5, 2011:  Houstonfest, Lanier Middle School, Houston

Feb. x, 2011:  State early-bird registration due (submit online registration and mail payment; payment must arrive by Feb. x)

Feb. x, 2011:  State regular registration due

Feb. 26, 2011:  Texas State German Contest, University of Texas at Austin

Rules:  Art Events

Club Album:

One entry per school.  Dated from the day after the State contest each year (usually the last Saturday in February) until the day before Houstonfest.  Includes pictures, articles, artifacts, etc., concerning activities of the German Club.   Size and format is open to the choice of the contestants.  Should be as original as possible.  This should not be just a photo album, but rather a record of the German Club activities.  Be sure to include the name(s) of contestant(s), the school, and the city in a conspicuous place on or inside the entry.  Download critique sheet.

Doll Costume:

Two entries per school.  Student-made folk costumes for dolls.  The doll costume must be made for a doll at least 12 inches tall and not over 36 inches tall.  Barbie-doll-size costumes will not be accepted.  There must be a backdrop, no smaller than one piece of poster board and no larger than three pieces of poster board.  The backdrop is to contain information about the costume and the place it represents.  Cite the sources of information.  Attached to the backdrop should be receipts showing that the cost was not more than $30.  The costume will be judged on workmanship, details, the backdrop presentation, and the representation of a traditional costume.  The costume may be representative of traditions in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, or Liechtenstein.  The entry must have an attached card with the name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, and the city.  A human-size costume may be entered but it must meet all other criteria in this category.  Download critique sheet.

Gingerbread House:

There are two categories and each school may enter one house in each of these categories:  traditional houses (like the Hänsel and Gretel house) and non-traditional houses (such as tree houses, shoe houses, castles, churches, etc.).  Students must build all houses from scratch.  No kits.  Maximum amount of money to be spent:  $45.00 per house.  Contestants must show receipts for expenses.  Photos of the actual building of the house would be helpful to the judges in determining if the house was actually built by the students.  Use any recipe.  All parts of the house must be edible.  Size requirements:  Length and width:  minimum 9" per dimension, maximum 24" per dimension; height:  maximum 24".  Measurements will be made from wall to wall with a ½" variance.  Any animals and figures must also be edible.  This must be a house or structure with a roof on it.  Each house should have a card with the name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, the city, and the category of house (traditional or non-traditional) on it.  Download critique sheet.

Needlework:

Two entries per school.  May be an individual or a group project.  Hooked rugs, embroidery, needlepoint, cross-stitch, or quilting.  No knitting.  Everything must be related to a German theme, such as state or national symbols of German-speaking areas, landscapes, folk traditions, fairy tales, proverbs, etc.   Each entry should have a card with the name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, and the city attached to it.  Also include receipts showing that the cost was not more than $30.  Download critique sheet.

Photo Essay:

One entry per school.  May be an individual or a group project.  Photos must be student-made.  Photos may be either black-and-white or color, or a combination of both.  Any size photo is acceptable.  Photos must be mounted on only ONE sheet of poster board (22" by 26").  Minimum number of photos: 10; maximum number of photos: 20.  The photos may concern any subject, but they MUST be accompanied by a narrative story in GERMAN.  The story must be written on the poster board next to or under each of the pictures.  The name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, and the city must be on the back of the poster.  Download critique sheet.

Poster Design:

One entry per school.  The poster may be about any topic.  There must be at least 10 different German words on the poster, or 10 words forming a complete German sentence or phrase.  It must be on ONE piece of poster board, 22" by 26".  It may be an individual or a group entry.  The name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, and the city must be on the back of the poster.  Posters must be made by hand-drawing and/or with hand-made extras.  NO COMPUTER-MADE POSTERS.  Download critique sheet.

T-Shirt Design:

One entry per school.  No German Club T-shirts.  All words must be in German, with a minimum of 5 different words.  No maximum number of words.  Design must be artistically hand-designed, no store bought decals.  The design may be silk-screened, copied, or painted on a T-shirt or a sweatshirt.  For the design to be eligible, it must be on a shirt.  A card with the name(s) of the contestant(s), the school, and the city must be attached to the shirt.  Show receipts for the T-shirt and the supplies.  Maximum to be spent is $30.  Download critique sheet.

Video:

One entry per school.  Individual or group project.  May be an original screenplay or a documentary (in contrast to some previous years, both genres will be judged together).  This may not be a video of your play, skit, or duet pieces.  The format is a standard VHS tape or a DVD.  The VCR/DVD-player and TV will be provided.  No European formats, please!  The dialogue must be in German.  Three copies of the script must be given to the judges.  The student filmmakers need not be present.  The video and the scripts should be in a 9 × 12 manila envelope, clearly marked with the title of the video, the name of school, the city, and the teacher's name.  These envelopes should be handed to the director of Houstonfest by 9:00 on the day of contest.  Judging includes originality, German dialogue, and the professional quality of the video presentation.  Time limit:  Not less than 6 minutes and not more than 15 minutes.  At least 6 students must be included in the video.  Creativity is encouraged.  Download critique sheet.