Although Halloween was on a Monday this year, that didn’t stop us from having some early Halloween fun. Last Wednesday was USG’s annual Octoberfest hosted by the Student Event Board. For the new students who don’t know about our annual traditions, Octoberfest is one our many traditions that brings together students from all the different institutions at USG.

The “spook-tacular” Octoberfest was filled with free food, games, and a whole lot of fun as always. This year in particular—at least for me—it was a welcomed break from exams to simply unwind and socialize. At the event, there were a number of fun activities to partake in.

There was an intense game of musical chairs—you are never too old for musical chairs! College students can be particularly competitive about it.

What better use of toilet paper than to use it to play wrap the mummy?

Did I mention there was a pie-eating contest later too—who doesn’t love pie?

Everyone who came really got into the spirit of the tradition, and it was nice to observe a sea of smiling faces during the event.

Regardless of what you study or what school you go to, USG is its own community, and Octoberfest is one example of how we can bring this community together. I encourage all new students to branch out and meet new and different people. It is important to network in your own major, but it is equally important to network with people from all different types of academic backgrounds- especially since USG has such a diverse and talented pool of people. Not to mention, you never really know where your peers might end up. As an accounting major, I know that any type of business is going to need people who can perform accounting functions. Who knows- I could meet a student in the Nursing program or maybe a student in the Hospitality & Tourism Management program who will go on to start a business or work at a company that needs an accountant in the future.

Beyond the professional development benefits, I have found it to be personally enriching to build relationships with a broad set of students. Everyone on campus here has such interesting and unique stories, and events like Octoberfest are great opportunities to take advantage of the diverse community here!

Picture Credits: Beth Yuen