So it seems as though I just returned to school, and my last Oktoberfest has come and gone. The weekend went pretty smoothly, however, and ended up being pretty fun. I'm not too upset that it was my last Oktoberfest, but more so the fact that I am that much closer to graduation.
Before I know it, Halloween will be here, and then Thanksgiving, and then Christmas Break, and there goes the fall semester. It's getting harder to get used to the fact that this is my last year, as it's been a pretty great year so far. I can't believe that September has already passed by, and October is already here. The older I get, the faster time flies by before my very eyes. It is pretty scary to think about, but it is even scarier to think how fast these last four years have come and gone. But I will say that it felt good to usher October in with Longwood's Oktoberfest.
On Friday, I didn't spend too much time on campus. Actually, I didn't come back at all after my classes let out, except to film Color Wars for my Broadcast Production class. Oh, tip to the wise, Color Wars may actually be more fun to watch than to actually participate in. I haven't actually taken part in Color Wars since my freshman year, so I'm glad I had the experience at least once, but that one time was about all I needed to say that I had tried it. It is a pretty interesting Longwood tradition, though; one of my favorites. I don't think I know of any other schools that allow students to throw paint at each other. It was pretty hilarious to watch though, and on the plus-side I got no paint thrown at me!
On Saturday, I actually had a really great time with all of the Oktoberfest festivities. What I love the most about Oktoberfest weekend is how happy everyone gets. It's a big free-for-all, and everyone wanders from one gathering to another on and off-campus all throughout the day. Radford has Quadfest, James Madison has a pretty epic Spring Weekend, and Virginia Tech gets to tailgate on a weekly basis. But Oktoberfest is something that is truly unique to Longwood and the Farmville community as a whole. It is more than just a party for students and faculty alike; it is tradition and a part of the very fabric that is Longwood.
The bands that came out were okay, Young Joc's concert was fun because everybody was making it fun, but it wasn't exactly that great of a performance. It was pretty cool to think that Longwood students got to see one of Augustana's very last performances since they broke up last week. I myself am not personally a fan of theirs or their music, but I know some people that are that were really excited to go and see their concert. And of course after all was said and done, I just had to hit up Bar 202, to join my fellow upperclassmen.
The weekend was a long one but a good one. It ended up not really being long enough. I propose that Longwood cancels Monday and Tuesday classes for a truly epic Oktoberfest…true, this will probably never happen but I mean, who wouldn't like that? As a senior, I know that I will really miss some of these traditions that I have come to know and learn over the last four years. To think that I will never have a first month of school ever again is a scary thought. The only way I'll have Oktoberfest again is if I come back as an alumni next year. Time feels like it is moving by so fast, and there is nothing really we can do to stop it. But traditions like Oktoberfest remind me that time is not moving by too fast; it is just that we are all sometimes too busy to notice what is going on around us. At the end of the day, I try to rest easy and think that everything is exactly as it should be.
