Celebrating Germany’s various landmarks, language and food, the Salisbury University German Club is a student-led organization that showcases the country’s rich culture. Hosted in the Wicomico Room, the German Club was responsible for the Sept. 27 Oktoberfest, a day filled with games, food and a live band performance. The group began making preparations for the event last year, when the club was revived. 

The German Club was established at Salisbury University in 1973, making it one of Salisbury’s oldest organizations. It died out in 2022 and wasn’t re-established until 2023, when the current president, Lauryn Dennis, and current vice president, Zoe Clarke, set out to re-establish it. Oktoberfest was one of the first goals the two set out to plan together.

The first Oktoberfest in history happened on Oct. 12-17, 1810. The ruler at that time, King Ludwig, was married on the first day. He had encouraged the whole city of Munich to celebrate with a promise and the delivery of a large banquet that included spectacles such as a horse race. The annual festival was recognized as a holiday in 1819 and has continued on to this day.

Bill Horn, a band member playing the little tuba for 20 years, performed with his fellow bandmates at SU’s Oktoberfest. He has performed at the University’s Oktoberfest for several years now and has played at many others.

“I like the way [German music] bounces around, I have Pennsylvania Dutch ancestors and so I enjoy hearing the sound of it every once in a while,” he said.

Horn discussed the intricacies of German culture, mentioning both his taste in German music and his ancestors.

“I have German ancestry and I like German food, I also like many of the songs; I like the Pennsylvania Polka,” he said.

Lauryn Dennis, a SU junior majoring in Political Science, is the president of the German Club. She was elected president at the beginning of this school year and is excited to be fulfilling her role in the club.

“[Oktoberfest] highlights a foreign language department, and language is so important to understanding different cultures around the world,” she said. “It also highlights Germany [and the] history of Germany.”

“It really gets people into those history classes and gets people to take German [at SU].” 

Dennis and other members of the German Club have been organizing this event for a year, making sure all logistics were met. The club is happy to see how everything has turned out.

“Well, we have been planning this since last year but a lot of [the planning] has happened this year,” she said. “[The planning] included putting in the band, dining, catering, it took a lot of finance, learning how to [account for costs].”

“All in all it was worth it for how the event turned out.”

Dennis also tells potential members what it is like to be in the German Club.

“I would say that it is all about fun, it is all about hanging out and really it’s about [the fact that we] like beer, sausage and German culture,” Dennis said. “If you like those things too, you can come out and have fun.”

The German Club’s Oktoberfest seems to be a success overall, not only for the organization, but also for SU students. The numbers on German Club’s Involved@SU page shows that a total of over 150 people attended the event. 

So, what are you waiting for? Show your support and go to next year’s Oktoberfest!

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By JAMESS HUFF

Staffer

LUCAS BRUNO contributed to this report