UNCA Student Government Association with support from students and faculty in German 210 & 310 brought Oktoberfest to campus, along with German food made and provided by Chartwell’s dining team.
Oktoberfest is a German festival that dates to 1810 to celebrate the royal weddings of Prince Regent Ludwig, of Bavaria, and Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildenburghausen, according to Fariba York, German professor at UNCA.
York is a German born citizen that helped in making sure the UNCA Oktoberfest was accurate as possible. York was invited to help with the planning of the event to make sure the event was accurate representation of the German festival.
“Originally from Bavaria Germany and having familiarity with its culture, I was glad to lend support,” York said.
According to Lauren Timberlake, UNCA student and German club member it’s important for students to give back to campus.
“One thing I’ve loved about UNCA is learning about different cultures and experiencing them and now it’s my turn to give back and help people learn about Bavarian culture and enjoy a night of fun,” Timberlake said.
The planning of Oktoberfest came with many decisions to make the event accurate.
“We strived to have accurate clothing, we strive to educate people about the history of the holiday, and we strived to make this equal parts fun and educational,” Timberlake said.
York and Timberlake wore an authentic Bavarian dress called Dirndl, according to York.
“We were wearing authentic Bavarian folk dresses called “Dirndl”. The word originates from the Bavarian dialectal term “Dirn”, which means maid, girl or young woman,” York said.
Chartwells dining served German food during the event from chicken schnitzel to bratwurst with sauerkraunt.
According to CJ Long, UNCA student, the food served in brown is a good shift away from the normalcy.
“The food was really good. They had these pretzel sticks and schnitzel, which is like chicken and mushroom sauce, that was honestly my favorite part,” Long said, “Its really cool as someone who primarily eats hotdogs and hamburgers having German food and these other things is really cool.”
According to Long, they enjoy the mix of cultures on campus as it includes the international students and their background.
“I think it’s a really cool experience especially knowing there’s a lot of German athletes on campus and having these different cultural experiences is cool.
According to Victoria Renville, UNCA Student, The Oktoberfest experience highlights the openness that students enjoy.
“I had a really good time, I thought the food was good and I like that UNCA is immersing international students and making them feel at home and welcomed. It’s always nice to embrace other cultures and get that experience of getting to eat their food and participate in the traditions they get to do,” Renville said.
According to York, Oktoberfest highlights the importance of having events like this on campus that bring the community together to take part in something that celebrates different cultures.
“People come together. Some that may not meet otherwise. Events like this make for a real sense of community. I met some students who come from German backgrounds, speak German and were happy to be included in an authentic environment that felt a little like home. French and German students also met and connected. Some older neighbors who live close by and also felt comfortable to approach us and enjoyed our authentic Germanic outfits. It was a happy place to communicate with one another,” York said.
