Oktoberfest Features Annual Favorites, Despite Rain

Photo by Angelica Pasquali

The annual "Oktoberfest" took place this past weekend, putting forth even more events than in years past. Despite the rain that forced the many outdoor activities inside, Oktoberfest, put on largely by the efforts of the Student Government Association, was still an enjoyable time, nonetheless.

A notable event on Friday night was the annual "Haunted Mansion” tour, hosted by Alpha Psi Omega, at Birch Mansion. According to this year’s “legend,” the Birch Mansion was once home to the Sterling Institution for Mental Health, with claims that "many deranged ghosts" haunt the mansion to this day. Regardless of the fact that this legend is completely fictional, Ramapo students were scared silly by the "happy haunts" in the Birch Mansion.

Freshman Heather Mueger, who led a tour of the "Haunted Mansion," said that even with the downsized tour due to the rain, the event "went well for the limited resources that we have."

Although various activities were scheduled to be held at the Laurel Courts for FallFest, inclement weather moved activities such as mechanical bull-riding, an inflatable bungee-cord game and "Spin Art" indoors to Friends Hall, which still brought out students in droves.

When asked what she enjoyed most about Oktoberfest, junior Alex Rigoli said, "I like that there's so many events; there's a lot of options."

Even the dining halls participated in the fun, with the Birch Tree Inn bringing out "the best of the Wurst," with hot dogs, bratwurst, Polish kielbasa, pirogues, soft pretzels and other late-night favorites.

The festivities continued on Saturday, running tangent with "Family Day," where students' parents, siblings and other relatives visited the campus.

Saturday featured the annual Oktoberfest Festival held in the Bradley Center Auxiliary Gym and game room. The festival included giant inflatable games, pumpkin painting, a photo booth, caricature drawings and carts of food.

The men’s soccer game against Rowan, another part of the weekend-long celebration, was still held, despite the drizzly weather.

Although it has traditionally been held later in October, Colleges Against Cancer's Pink Tie Formal, in support of the American Cancer Society, was moved to fit in with the Oktoberfest schedule this year. According to Marissa Coleman, president of Colleges Against Cancer, the decision to move Pink Tie to Saturday night during Oktoberfest "really helped because SGA helped with advertising with Pink Tie."

In fact, the turnout was greater than it had been during the previous few years, as students raised over $500 for breast cancer awareness. It was a total win-win, as students danced the night away and enjoyed themselves, while supporting a worthy cause.

In all, according to junior and SGA member Alex Cardazzi, "Pink Tie was more successful this year than it had been in the past." With all the proceeds raised to support breast cancer awareness, along with great music, fantastic dance moves and a buffet, it was no wonder that students were "tickled pink" at the Pavilion on Saturday night.

Although a charity kickball game scheduled for Sunday was postponed, many students remained in celebration mode all weekend long. In the end, Ramapo's Oktoberfest, despite the challenging rain, was a rousing success and truly a good time. 

jconciat@ramapo.edu