Sender Lisa Daniel

Email malowicki@gmail.com

Posted On 2014-02-06

Year 1979-1983

Memoir Orange Glen has changed quite a bit since I was a student there 30 years ago. For one thing, there isn't any German Department anymore, much to my disappointment. Maybe "department" is an exaggeration. Actually, a single teacher was responsible for all of the German classes offered at Orange Glen at that time---Mr. Zittel. He was my teacher from freshman Beginning German to senior Advanced German. Mr. Zittel was one of the most engaged and talented teachers I ever had. He was always kind and patient; his lessons were well-structured and challenging; and he included delightful slides of his trips to Germany which opened up our eyes to a new, far-away world. (Yes, Our favorite day was slide-show day!) Don't forget, the world was not yet "global" at that time. We didn't even know really what a computer was! Germany seemed like a far-away fairytale land.
Mr. Zittel, you changed my life. Because of the passion you had for your subject, you led me to major in German at Mills College, go on a year abroad to Austria, receive a Fulbright Teaching Assistantship to Vienna, and end up becoming one of those Americans, known unbecomingly as ex-pats, who live permanently abroad. My German is fluent now, actually nearly perfect, but those grammar rules you taught us so clearly are still in my mind the way you taught them and still provide me a clear scaffolding for building sentences. I have tried to find you online to thank you, but I have not been succesful. Thank you! Your teaching changed my life.
With fond regards,
Lisa Daniel