On Tuesday, Oct. 23, Hasbrouck dining hall will be hosting Oktoberfest, a festival that will build on previous Halloween themed events by offering entertainment and social activities.
“This is something that is really interactive for the students,” fourth-year marketing major Ethan Kramer said. “It is something that provides entertainment for the student body, but they don’t have to go out of their way to get it.”
Kramer said a similar event called HazFest took place in the beginning of the semester to welcome students back to the school. He said after HazFest, the planning team received feedback they wanted to build off of and create a more interactive Halloween themed event.
SUNY New Paltz Dining Services Marketing Coordinator Ekaterina Waage said the event will feature performances by the Absolut A Capella choir, a costume contest, a pumpkin carving contest and various prizes and raffles.
“We started a good tradition of doing raffles at Hasbrouck, at the SUB and various retail places on campus just to thank students for being our customers and to encourage us to have a conversation with students,” Waage said.
Kramer said raffles — which were featured at HazFest — are a way to get the audience involved. He said the raffles at HazFest included items such as go-green bags made out of recycled materials allowing them to give out something “productive, sustainable and fun.”
Waage said the campus bakery may be planning some Halloween themed desserts for the event and the new Hasbrouck chef allows for a more flexible menu, giving students the foods they want.
Third-year marketing major and student public relations coordinator for the event Donte Ledbetter said he wants to allow students to “just have fun” at Oktoberfest.
He said while it is their first time hosting Oktoberfest, he would like for it to become an annual event.
“We figured we could get students engaged — especially freshmen — by throwing themed parties every month or so,” Ledbetter said.
Kramer said he thinks the entire event will pique students’ interest because “stuff like this doesn’t always happen,” and getting into the spirit of October or the spirit of anything is a good idea. He said people are welcome to wear costumes and “creativity is encouraged.”
Waage said the entire planning team, including Kramer, Ledbetter, Sustainability Coordinator Dean Hottum and herself are working as a team on this event. She said while the students each have their own specialty, they all come together and bounce ideas off each other to get things done.
“We are all lucky enough to have this internship,” Kramer said. “We took it upon ourselves to ask: ‘What can we do to do something different that students would enjoy?’ ‘What would I enjoy?’”
The event is scheduled from 5 to 8 p.m. To participate in pumpkin carving, students can sign up their halls in Hasbrouck. The event is free for students with a meal plan and will cost people without one the price of a Hasbrouck meal.