UCO offers students, community ‘Passport’ to explore Germany

EDMOND — The University of Central Oklahoma’s Passport program will offer an exploration of the history, culture and influence of Germany throughout the fall semester.

“Germany has a fascinating history. They’re so much like the U.S., yet so different in so many ways,” program coordinator James Daro said in a news release.

Passport UCO’s mission is to inspire unity and understanding in the global community through education and entertainment. The program has featured a different country each fall since 2004.

This year’s opening ceremony, with traditional German cuisine, will be at noon Monday in Room 301 of the Nigh University Center.

Stand-up comedian Lucie Pohl will present her one-woman show “Hi Hitler!” at 8 p.m. in the ACM Performance Lab, 329 E Sheridan Ave. in Bricktown. The show tells the story of a German-Jew striving for normalcy among a family of artists, a fascination with Adolf Hitler and a new life around the world.

Passport to Germany will host a series of discussions throughout the semester, with topics ranging from German language, culture, history and education system to the impact of Martin Luther’s reformation on the world, a history of German toilets and the current U.S. military’s involvement within Germany.

All events are free to the public. Students can receive Student Transformative Learning Record credit the Global and Cultural Competencies tenet by participating.

Students are also invited to participate in the Passport to Germany Virtual Film Festival, a group of films that reflect German culture.

Interested students can contact Daro at jdaro@ uco.edu to sign up for participation. Films are also eligible for STLR credit.