Oktoberfest, which took place this past weekend, is one of the biggest annual celebrations on campus. Many students decide to stay at school for the weekend, just to attend Oktoberfest.
Oktoberfest is also a chance for your family members or friends to come to town and see how much fun it is to be at Longwood.
Oktoberfest is technically a week-long celebration, even though the main events take place on Saturday. There were daily themes and events taking place during the Spirit Week that led up to Saturday.
On the evening of Sunday, Sept. 29, the bonfire on Iler Field, led by Professor of Anthropology Dr. James Jordan, took place. The bonfire was a place where we could all be together as a student body and learn the history of Oktoberfest.
The week leading up to the big weekend was a themed sprit week that many students participated in. Each day we were wearing something either Longwood related or ‘90s related. It was fun to see the spirit that the students have for their school.
Friday was Colors Wars and the red class obtained the victory. Everybody came out for the event. Even President W. Taylor Reveley IV participated in Color Wars. Who doesn't love seeing their president covered in paint?
Saturday morning was the day that the Longwood student organizations performed and showed off their incredible talent. This was also an opportunity to show their skills and what they had been working on during their many rehearsals.
Many of the organizations that performed were very talented. Some of the organizations that performed were Pitch Perfect, Longwood Company of Belly Dance and High Street Harmony.
While waiting for other bands to start performing, there was an opportunity to check out the booths made by the different organizations on campus.
I remember viewing the booths during my open house when I got accepted, but it's more exciting and personal when you actually attend the school and know some of the people that are participating and trying to raise money for their organizations.
For my first Oktoberfest, I had the experience of working at a booth. I worked at The Rotunda booth where we sold cotton candy. We also were painting nails with bits of our newspaper instead of actual nail color. It was a fun learning experience and it was a way to interact with the community and other students, as well.
After my shift, I was able to go and see some of the other booths. Greek organizations, as well as academic and social clubs sold items such as snap bracelets and T-shirts with Elwood on them. A few organizations were even letting people slime the members for a price.
These booths were not just a way for students to raise money for their organizations but they also provide them with an opportunity to show how creative they can be. The booths are also another way for us to show our love for Longwood. After seeing some of the booths, you could go down behind Lankford Student Union and listen to the bands that were playing. The bands played very well, and there was a band to satisfy many musical tastes. The first band to appear was Reality Bites Back. This band covers ‘90s music on a regular basis; therefore, they were the best at incorporating our Oktoberfest theme: “Throwback to the '90s.”
For those Michael Jackson lovers, there were bands like Startin' Somethin' and Travis Porter. They sang Michael Jackson covers and other songs that were similar to Michael Jackson’s music.
For the country music fans, there was Chase Rice. Chase Rice played well-known country songs such as “Cruise,” but then he also covered country songs that aren't as mainstream. He also surprised the audience with a cover of the “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song.
Every band was interactive with its audience and put on a good show. The bands had contests of which side could be louder, and they allowed the audience to be the singers on more than one occasion.
Oktoberfest lived up to the hype of the anticipated event. It's a way for students to relax and have a good time in a safe place. It's also a way to bring your friends and family up for a visit.
Oktoberfest is a special tradition that happens every year, and it is the perfect way to bring everyone together.
