Reinhardt’s Oktoberfest

Reinhardt’s Oktoberfest was an event where students could hang out with their friends, eat a little food, play a few games, and learn everything about Germany. Oktoberfest is such a big deal that it is even celebrated in The United States. When the typical person hears that name, they more than likely automatically think about the drinking and partying that happens throughout the month.  At Reinhardt, there was obviously not going to be any alcohol provided, but regardless we got everything else about Oktoberfest during the event. A lot of effort was put into this event and it was evident which we all greatly appreciate. The way it was set up was a really creative way to fit a lot of information in and for us to have fun learning it.

We were given a passport when we first walked in. The goal was to visit each booth that represented different parts of Germany, get a stamp, and turn in the completed stamp passport in for a free tshirt. If there is one thing that will motivate people to walk around and get a stamp, it’s a free t-shirt. That was a fun way to ensure we all wanted to visit each individual booth. At the same time the booths were teaching about Germany, they were also showing us what clubs were happening at Reinhardt and we were able to sign up for these clubs they were advertising. The stamps not only motivated students to visit all the booths, but it also allowed for us to see the happenings of Reinhardt at the same time we were taking in information about another culture many of us are not familiar with.

Pretzels were provided at the event because even though it is a food that wasn’t created in the country, it was still seen as a staple snack and has since become a part of the German diet. It was such a simple food but portrayed something that was important to the people of Germany. Cornhole was also a game that was provided at the event. It is a game that looks really easy, but proves to be more difficult when you are not able to perfectly throw the bean bag into the raised platform with a hole but into it. Someone also mentioned that Germany was the country that is credited for coming up with this popular tailgating game.

This event was a great way for the student body to all get together and learn about Germany. It also was a way to let off some steam from the stressful semester that was starting to emerge for all of us. Corn hole was definitely a great addition to the event, because it is a game that many of us have played a thousand times before. Reinhardt’s Oktoberfest was a great success and I know all of us a great time.