Each year, students gather for the annual Oktoberfest celebration on the campus of Longwood to enjoy and take part in the rich history of tradition.
From the Klowns to the performances by local talent to the booth fair, students are able to excitedly anticipate the events to occur over the week, imagining how staple events will be modified to fit the year’s theme.
Freshmen, however, lack the luxury of expectation as they enter their first year at Longwood. Curious to know how they feel about the event, I spoke with many over the course of the week.
As the week began, many expressed a nervous anticipation for all the scheduled events. A number of freshmen described their workload as being rigorous, and expressed doubt that they’d be able to fully enjoy the events with pressing paper deadlines and midterms.
A few noted their confusion in how the Oktoberfest spirit days worked (regarding what was appropriate to dress up in, how the costume contest is judged, etc.), while others fully embraced the theme with wacky '90s cartoon outfits.
When asked what they were most looking forward to, Color Wars and the Travis Porter concert were clear winners.
Kicking off the weekend festivities Friday afternoon was the infamous Color Wars. Dripping in paint, the freshmen I spoke with said Color Wars had been even better than they had imagined.
One freshman noted that he didn’t think the paint would be concentrated enough to dye his shirt as he laughingly pointed to his once-blonde-now-blue hair, and said he stood corrected.
A few girls living in Curry Hall detailed how crowded their communal showers would be and agreed to eat dinner paint- soaked while they waited to wash off. All said they would absolutely participate in next year’s wars.
Saturday’s events got an early start with the opening of the booth fair and DJ getting underway before noon.
Lunch and dinner were served picnic-style in an outdoor tent, and concerts continued into the evening following 11 performances by student organizations.
While the weather was uncharacteristically hot for October, freshmen were eager to get out and enjoy the festivities. Many young women were thrilled with the warm weather, as it allowed they to wear their "cutest dresses” as they walked around campus.
Others were less enthused by the 90 plus temperatures, but said they appreciated the water and lemonade provided by ARAMARK as they checked out campus organizations’ booths.
As evening approached, freshmen clamored to the stage area to prepare for Travis Porter’s performance.
A group I spoke with was ecstatic to have the chance to see the performers for free in a smaller-than-usual venue that allowed them a better view/ experience.
At the close of the evening, I walked the perimeter of the festival area and asked freshmen how they felt about the events overall as the festivities came to an end.
Most said the events that had been described to them by upperclassmen, LSEM leaders etc., were even more fun than they’d expected, and noted the importance of experiencing the events for themselves as opposed to hearing stories of past Oktoberfests.
A few said they now had a better understanding of the involvement of students with campus events and appreciated how many different student organizations were involved in making the event a success.
Overall, the sense I received from speaking with all the freshmen students was one of embracing the Longwood spirit, of not simply knowing the history of an event, but truly living and experiencing the Longwood University tradition of Oktoberfest.
