About Kira Binder

On good days, I go by the name Kira Binder, which automatically frames most days in a positive light. I have some understanding of English and American Studies from my time spent at the University of Graz; a place which, coincidentally, is also in the process of awarding me my M.A. in the same field of study.

When less busy and not in the Land of the Free, I embrace Austrian stereotypes and discover Alpine peaks on ski. Talk academically to me about video games, online fan cultures, or multilingualism as virtual cultural capital and I will swoon.

Teaching culture is a mutual contract in any form of communication, and I find the act of it incredibly enriching. To learn another language like German is to engage in such acts constantly, all while broadening our perspectives and increasing our empathy for strangers we encounter along the way.

Running the risk of exposing some egotism, becoming a TA at W&L presented an opportunity I simply couldn't forgo. As much as I hope to support and provide fascination to the students, I can already see myself reaping similar benefits.

Beyond what I have to offer, I also appreciate being confronted with what Washington and Lee's German students want to learn-a new way to engage with my own culture, and rediscover such things as Oktoberfest, Krampus, and Heimat.