The P-Seminar in the upper school combines theoretical work with practical experience outside the classroom. Students work intensively on a topic of their choice over a longer period of time, work independently in a team and gain valuable experience in organization, presentation and project work.
This year’s P-Seminar “Write and Roll to Dublin” under the direction of Ms. Sorcha MacPháidín was dedicated to Irish literature and culture as well as professions related to writing and traveling. Ms. MacPháidín, who was born and raised in Ireland and has taught English and French at Schule Schloss Stein for over 30 years, guided the students through the project both professionally and culturally. Lina Baric, Yutong Zhang, Nico Stemme, Yixuan Jiang, Melisa Oguz, Madlen Eberl and Fujun Wang from Year 11 took part.
“I would like to say how proud I was of these students in my home town of Dublin. They showed great courage, presenting their chosen authors on the streets of Dublin, But even more importantly, they experienced a live and vibrant city with all its facets. This was a great life- experience for them and I am very grateful to all who helped make this happen.”
Sorcha MacPháidín | Seminar leader
As part of the P-seminar, the group traveled to Dublin for several days to not only get to know the Irish capital as a cultural and literary location, but also to gain different perspectives on professions related to writing, language, media and travel. On site, the students presented self-prepared contributions on well-known Irish authors at selected locations in the city.
The following is a follow-up report by Nico Stemme…
May | Nico Stemme, 11th grade
The aim of our P-Seminar trip to Dublin was to get to know the Irish capital better and at the same time to take a closer look at well-known Irish authors. Before the trip, we selected various writers and prepared suitable presentations, which we later gave at appropriate locations in Dublin. The trip lasted three days in total: the journey, two nights in Dublin and then the flight back to Germany.
On the first day, we were already at Munich Airport at 6 am. From there, we made our way to Dublin together. We arrived at our hotel at around 11 a.m. and dropped off our suitcases. We then went straight into the city center. We were able to get something to eat in the famous Grafton Street and already got a first impression of the atmosphere of the city.
Shortly afterwards, Fujun provided an unexpected and funny moment for the group with a little flute solo. We then continued on towards Merrion Square. On the way there, we also passed the Irish Parliament, which we were able to see from the outside. Ms. MacPháidín told us some interesting facts about Dublin, the history of the city and life in Ireland.
Once we arrived at Merrion Square, we visited the statue of Oscar Wilde. Lina gave her presentation about him there and explained important aspects of his life and works. In keeping with the Irish atmosphere, we were also accompanied by brief rain showers.
We then went on to Trinity College Dublin. There we had time to look around the campus and listen to more presentations. Yutong introduced James Joyce, Madlen presented Samuel Beckett and Nico gave his presentation on the author Jane Casey. The various presentations gave us a good insight into Irish literature and its significance for Dublin.
Another special place was the Abbey Theatre, in Irish Amharclann na Mainistreach. This is where Yixuan gave his presentation on W. B. Yeats. This location was particularly fitting as the Abbey Theatre is closely associated with Irish literary and theatrical history.
We spent the rest of the evening relaxing in the city center and enjoying a meal together.
The next morning we had breakfast at the hotel before heading to Dublin Castle. There, Melisa gave her presentation on Bram Stoker. Fujun then gave a presentation on the author Roddy Doyle. The historical locations went well with the presentations and made the content more vivid, as you could experience the atmosphere of the city directly.
Later, we took part in a Viking tour of Dublin. This city tour was particularly fun because it was very different from a normal tour. We drove through the city in an old amphibious vehicle that was originally used for military purposes and dates back to the Second World War. During the ride, we were repeatedly asked to scare people at the side of the road with a loud Viking roar. This caused a lot of laughter and made the tour one of the most entertaining experiences of the trip. The guide also actively involved the group and kept everyone in a good mood the whole time.
After the Viking tour, we had some free time. We were able to buy souvenirs, walk around the city or simply enjoy our time together. In the evening, we went to see the play “An Ideal Husband” by Oscar Wilde. The play was very well done, interestingly structured and also humorously staged. It was particularly exciting to see a work by Oscar Wilde directly in Dublin after we had already studied his life and its significance. The story also showed that people can appear perfect on the outside, but still have flaws and weaknesses.
On the last day, we had some free time to run some last-minute errands and buy some typical Irish souvenirs. We then took the bus to the airport together and finally made our way back to Germany.
Finally, I would like to thank Ms. MacPháidín, who supported and accompanied us before and during the trip. The P-Seminar trip was a wonderful and varied experience, during which we not only learned a lot about Dublin and Irish literature, but were also able to collect many shared memories. I would also like to thank all the other people who helped with the planning and execution of the trip. I hope that future students will also have the opportunity to experience such an interesting trip to Dublin.
