During the second module of Ac Lab on Tuesday, the German and Geography clubs co-hosted an Oktoberfest.
Emily Thompson, French teacher and Geography Club sponsor, said the club chose to host this meeting because it’s the time of year that the real Oktoberfest Festival happens in Germany.
“Oktoberfest is a celebration of the marriage of the King of Bavaria,” Thompson said.
Over six million people attend the annual Oktoberfest Festival every year in Munich.
At MHS, about 55 people signed up to attend the Oktoberfest.
Junior Will Hughes, president of Geography Club, planned the celebration with the German Club, which included discussing what traditional elements should be showcased at the meeting , such as singing and dancing.
“We started spitting out ideas and came up with the best ones,” Hughes said. “Most clubs don’t collaborate for big events like this, so it’s exciting to get a chance to join forces since we usually don’t.”
Senior Greta Woitach, president of the German Club, worked with Hughes and the rest of the club officers to plan for this club crossover.
“We’ll be eating pretzels, learning songs and making Apfelschorle,” Woitach said.
Apfelschorle is a German apple-flavored soft drink. Pretzels served at Oktoberfest are called Wiesnzeit, and are culturally significant because they are a symbol of good luck, long life and prosperity.
Oktoberfest is so important to German culture that people take off work for the two week-long holiday, Woitach said. It starts in September because the days are longer and warmer, allowing for more time to recognize the holiday.
Because Woitach is currently taking German through an online program at Mizzou because German 5 isn’t offered at MHS, this meeting gives her an opportunity to participate in activities related to her field of study.
“I’m most excited to see people show up and learn about German culture,” Woitach said. “I hope people come to immerse themselves and try to learn something new.”
