The ESU German Club celebrates Oktoberfest

By Jessica Heitzman
SC Staff Writer

Ever year the Germans celebrate a famous holiday called Oktoberfest. People from all over the world go to Munich, Germany to celebrate this two-week beer-drinking event. Over six million people attend this celebration a year!

But why should they have all the fun? The ESU German Club is hosting its second educational Oktoberfest.

The event will be held in the Keystone Room on Thursday, Oct. 18, from 2-4pm.

Oktoberfest will include authentic German food, live German music provided by The Jolly Rheinlaenders for the first hour of the event, fun games for everyone to enjoy—such as quoits, a dry beer pong (tournaments welcome)—and much more. The event will provide dry beverages since it is a campus event.

“It’s really going to be a great time,” says Christopher Maslin, senior and President of the German Club. “This is the first year we’re going to have a live band and the German Club is ready for the publicity.”

Fun and interesting facts will decorate the Keystone Room to help educate students on what the original Oktoberfest is all about in Germany. Common German words will also hang from ceiling and walls to test students’ knowledge and familiarize them with German.

Some students of the German Club will wear typical Oktoberfest attire, such as Lederhosen and Dirndls, and everyone is more than welcome to have pictures taken with the students. If they don’t have their own set of Bavarian costumes, they can step into the photo booth and have their picture taken in either attire.

For those interested in contributing or helping raise money, the German Club will also sell baked goods—made by the students of the German Club, which will include delicious cupcakes, cookies and cake. All donations are appreciated.

There will also be a raffle for gift baskets filled with real German food. Red tickets will cost $1 and blue tickets will cost $5. Each basket contains different items.

The goal of the German Club is to educate the greater ESU community about German culture, tradition and customs. Many students have lineage of German blood.
It is the German Club’s job to educate these students about their heritage and where they came from.

Germans represent the predominant ethnic group in the United States. Pennsylvania has the largest population of German Americans, and the state is home to one of the group’s original settlements, Germantown in 1683. The state has 3.5 million people claiming German ancestry and is largely impacted by the Pennsylvania Dutch (Germans).

The German Club wants to broaden the knowledge of ESU students who may or may not be German. It is important to understand, accept and celebrate diversity on a college campus or in a work environment.

The German Club looks forward to seeing everyone at Oktoberfest.

Prost!

Email Jessica at:
jmh2643@live.esu.edu