Lehigh’s University Productions hosted Oktoberfest on the UC Front Lawn on Oct. 17 from 2-5 p.m. To keep with the traditional fall theme, the event featured free music, German foods and alcoholic beverages for students of legal age with a valid ID.
Many students were initially interested by the idea, came to check it out with friends and stayed all afternoon.
“We’re having such a good time,” Elly Wardle, ’16, said, as she and her friends shared a bowl of snacks on the lawn. “My friends and I have been here all day.”
Serving alcohol at school-sponsored events has become more frequent in an attempt to attract a wider audience of students, and Oktoberfest did just that.
“It was a big draw for us upperclassmen,” Sneha Alaparthi, ’16, said. “There should be more events like this.”
Alaparthi and her friends said the free alcoholic beverages, which included popular German beers and wine, added to the popularity of Oktoberfest.
According to Lehigh University Police Department officers working at the event, there were close to 200 students at the event’s peak attendance. Students were coming and going throughout the afternoon.
Although the entire event was hosted on the UC Front Lawn, there was a barrier separating the alcohol from the rest of the event. Students had to present identification before being granted access inside the barriers.
However, students under the age of 21 were restricted to the outside of the barrier, creating a divide between the students in attendance.
“It was really segregated with the divider,” Liz Chelius, ’16, said. “I saw people trying to hold conversations across them because some of their friends were stuck on the outside.”
According to Alexis Apostolos, ‘17, one of the student directors of the event, Oktoberfest was still a huge success. She said by the end, University Productions had gone through nearly all the food and had run out of alcohol.
“The police and security at the event commented multiple times throughout, saying that it was a really great and well planned event,” Apostolos said. “They appreciated how the risk of the event was managed.”
The event allowed students to get a taste of German culture while enjoying a beautiful fall day with friends.
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